An acquaintance suggested afternoon coffee on a Sunday. I wanted to hang out, so I put in the effort of changing out from house-clothes into super thin cotton pants, one of my own oversized t-shirts, flat leather chappals and one of my art brooches, obviously. I took my journal with me because I intended to stay a bit longer after our hang out. I’ve also recently done a pet-photography assignment, my first, where the client purchased the backdrop and stands for the shoot – since I don’t do studio shoots at all, and they had a very specific look in mind for the photos. So, naturally, I did my own research and ended up ordering a backdrop stand setup for my own use as well.
I’ve been wanting to get this for myself for several years, but I never got around to it because studio photography really never was my thing in terms of interest. I’ve recently been considering how I’m going to manage physically exhausting photography assignments as I get older. Staying fit is one, not very enthralling, alternative. But another alternative is to shoot in a studio.
What I’m getting at is that these are some of the reasons I make pictures like these. Profound? Perhaps. Trivial? Perhaps. Is there always context and a backstory? No. I was kinda sorta dressed up, I was in good spirits because the hang-out was lovely AND I have a new backdrop that I need to use as much as I can. It’s like learning the same old skill but with a different set of glasses on. I threw on this Frangipani bedsheet, which UrbanLadder used to make, but has since phased them out, UNFORTUNATELY. I love this bedsheet and it’s almost threadbare and I’m looking for similar alternatives but no joy.
It is also a way for me to document a moment in time from my life. When I will see these photographs later, and yes, I do revisit my blog’s archives intermittently, I will recall the feeling of this day and this time in my life. Not just from a personal or self-development point of view, but also from a photography skill level point of view. I have no one else to compare myself to, except my own self and it’s nice to see my progress.
These are self-portraits shot on the Nikon D800 with the 24-70mm F2.8 lens with three speedlights – one on the camera and two on the opposite sides of the frame, with a remote control.
