please be my critic:)

I agree that a self portrait needs the person doing the portrait in the art itself. I have this problem on thinking about what my self portrait would be because our professor requested us to make a creative portrait that is not just about picturing one's face. She stated an example: [i]for example, when you were a child you always want to buy an ice cream from that ice cream vendor outside your house. Every afternoon, your neighbor friends always go out their house and buy their favorite flavor of ice cream. You run inside your house, hoping that your parents will give you money for the ice cream but they resist saying that your family is poor and that ice cream is not included in the monthly budget. {its kinda funny yeah but you'll see in the end hehe) One day, you decided to buy an ice cream from the money you saved in school. You are very excited since its your first time. When you saw the ice cream vendor, he's passing down the street towards the other side and then you called him and then BLAGAM he got hit by a car.... Some years later, you became a painter. In every painting you make, there is a tiny detail of an ice cream vendor. That makes a self portrait. It may not be an ordinary self portrait of you yourself as the subject, but it has something with you inside.[/i] We are about 45 in class. If we are to make a self portrait (painting, photograph, doodle, or any art) composed of just ourselves, I think that would be boring. don't you think so? I think I don't need to cite what each parts represent on my critique paper. Let the viewers see what I see. If they see what I see, then I will be happy. If they are somewhat bothered and want to know the story behind that self portrait, I am more than willing to enlighten them. As for the photo, I tried shooting this on an SLR but the result is not yet ready. While shooting, the books and apple are crispy and the hands is blurred. I think I won't get the result I want in that shot since I want the entire photo to be crispy. This photo is a shot I made from a 2 megapixel PHONE camera. I must say that I really need a decent camera to shoot this. "the horizon is tilted; nor have you given enough attention to the background, which detracts from your main image." I think it is because the paint in that part of our house is not well done hehe reading your thoughts regarding this made me seek a better place to shoot Thanks for the input. It'll help A LOT. So what do you suggest in taking the photograph again? Any tips? :)

Davidarich, I think what the assignment is is a self-portrait of *WHAT* you are, as opposed to *WHO* you are. i think your mind is thinking of the latter when you see the image.

I like your idea, but better execution might be, first to shoot it against a plain background (a sheet works fine); to get the hand and background in sharp focus, do one of two things: 1. Shoot with the smallest aperture you can, for maximum depth of field; focus about 1/3 of the distance between the hand and the books; or 2. take 2 pictures, one with the hand in focus, the second with the books (easiest way is to set the camera on a tripod, then take a picture of the books (no hand at all), then take just the hand against a plain background. Open the book image in Photoshop or a similar program, then open (or copy and paste as a new layer) the hand. erase the background of the top layer (the hand) and position/size it correctly before merging the layers. I think it might be fun to retitle the books so the covers say something more personal about you: Alamede the Great; Master Photography with Alamede or Dreams of the Stage by ... Maybe one of the books could have your (more normal) picture on the cover.

oh and i love how each book you'v used is meaningful in some way!

thanks for the input shwanks :) I thought that it resembled the art by michaelangelo in the sistine chapel because God's hand there is pointing at / reaching at Adam and mine [my finger] is also pointing at the apple but the apple is not Adam. I would say that the apple is my life. I am the responsible of my life. Whatever happens to me is based on my actions. If ever I will push the apple away from the books, it will collapse (perhaps the tuesdays with morrie book only since I am pointing my finger near it) But, all in all, just take away one apple and the rest would be ruined. In life, we need to balance things. Education is present everywhere. Experience can be achieved anytime. The books here represent wisdom, knowledge, experience and everything a human can have like emotions, pain and suffering. Books here include: pain and suffering, love, happiness, mysteries, facts, phenomenas, writing (which is connected to my course: journalism), economics, the unexplored world... These things encompass life. Regarding your self portrait in class, I must say that 3 rolls of film is whew.. its really hard to have a shot made in film because all is unexpected, but in the end, you'll have amazing results. I tried my apple books photo in film as well. I specifically used an SLR but it has a blurry part on the fingers but the books and apples are crispy. I just need to wait for tomorrow for the results. Meanwhile, I tried shooting it over and over using my 2 megapixel camera phone. I just wish that as time goes by, I will have my own digital camera hehe ohwellthisissuchalongpost. thank you so much shwanks. I appreciate your time answering my post. :)

thank you for the extensive description of what you are going for. i like the idea of the apples now that i know what they mean! now that all is cleared up for me, i think your project is a great idea and is fitting for the assignment! GOOD LUCK! :)

yeah that reminds me I've been living on earth for 34 yrs in my case I wouldn't use any book to represent me if I never read it maybe there is emotion, similar journey and all that but until I read it, it wouldn't be something I talk about or let alone represents me. it may not be important to me what people call original either, but I owe it to myself to make an original portrait of myself. after all it will be my "self" that people would see. just my 2 cents. good luck on the portrait.

I thought of coming up with an original idea as the representation of myself would be better than trying to come up with another version of somebody's original concept. After many attempts of trying to capture the best shot that would represent me, after trying on several dresses, after getting all the fruits on our fridge, after messing our room.. I finally come up with the books plus apple with the bonus of a camera trick of my hand. I realized that I come up with that picture because I enjoy shooting as of that moment and become playful with what I am doing and eventually, I started to see that the fun gave me my masterpiece. I said that my photo resembles that of Michelangelo's because of the hand pointing. In the reality, I am not thinking of Michelangelo's artwork while doing the shoot. Like what I've said, I become playful with doing my self portrait and that is the result. You have a point there about not to put some books that I have never read before but my view on that is that, in my 19years of living here on earth, those stories or maybe the teasers (since I haven't read some books yet) have a factor contributing to my life. The emotions, the experience, the wisdom --it all represents me at some point. I strongly believe that one day I will be a journalist, one who will tell the true stories of people, the communicator of people. I might not have read all these books yet but I know I want to read them because I have them on my shelf. :D But thanks for the input LittleMel. It also helped me view another perspective.

HMM. To be honest, I never thought of that idea not until you asked it and thank you for that. This will help me more on the critic paper I will make. The apples represent the three stages in my life. I am thinking of my life as 1. a young person, 2. when I grew older and 3. when I have white hair already.

thanks and I really do hope that I can explain the photography very well on my presentation and on my critique paper. I remember praying every night to God for an idea for this self portrait and I am very happy that God has given me this.

hahaha that black and white portion is a joke hehe but thanks for being honest