Practicing for Poolside by alophoto

Practicing for Poolside

The pools open up this weekend. Our outdoor swim season is the end of May through the end of September. This is very strange to me as a lady from Florida and California. There we swam more or less year round.

I put on a show for the landscapers this morning as I marched around in my bathing suit posing for photos. It was time for a good selfie as the last showed me drooling (seriously) and the one before that was so bad that I lost a follower moments after it posted.

This is inspired by Frida's similar shot from last year and Edie's series of fine art selfies last week.

I have a more playful version in my alternate album: http://365project.org/amandal/themes-challeng/2013-05-21
@edie Here you go, friend...my first attempt at a more arty selfie.

@frida I so adored yours last year. I think that yours came out better, but I'd been dying to try one ever since I saw your selfie with the beach hat in Fiji. I was on my deck in OH, unfortunately and not on some amazing beach somewhere.
May 21st, 2013  
Lovely selfie!
May 21st, 2013  
Congrats on the new selfie. You look great! I like your confident look you got going there Amanda :) 84 degrees here today. Absolutely love it! I am yet to make by bathing suit debut however.
May 21st, 2013  
Fabulous portrait
May 21st, 2013  
Great selfie and love the reflection in those sun glasses : it sure is a strutting the stuff pose : brilliant glad to report it 12C in the Nth East UK unseasonably cool for the time of year it's the same temp as in December !
May 21st, 2013  
@paulien Thanks, lady!!

@adamj Thanks. Glad that I kept the drool in this time. You should put on a suit and parade around Times Square with a guitar. Get someone to take a photo, too:).

@aslessknownsu Aw, thanks so much, Susan!

@paul2782 Brrrrr....that is cold. Sending some warmth your way and thanks for your comments!
May 21st, 2013  
@amandal Hahahaha...way to self-conscious to be critiqued like that. On the other hand, you never know! I'll stick to my fitness album reveals only thank you very much.
May 21st, 2013  
@adamj I'd have done it a few years back maybe, but not so much now. Looking at airfare and hope to get tix today. Keep me posted with the plan for June 22...and I would love to get someone's cell number in case I get lost or something.
May 21st, 2013  
@amandal @michaelelliott will be posting an update as we approach the date. Look for the posting around June 1st or so. we'll provide contact info prior to the date so that we all meet up on time and at the right location :)
May 21st, 2013  
@adamj Perfect! Thanks!
May 21st, 2013  
Looking good missy...could sure do with some of that sunshine round these parts! : )
May 21st, 2013  
@amandal It is meant to hit the dizzy Hieghts of 15 by weekend this time last year 22 which is hot for here so yes please send some
May 21st, 2013  
Lovely selfie, Amanda! Very chic!
May 21st, 2013  
You look ready to go! Great selfie!
May 21st, 2013  
great selfie!! and your funny .. about your last selfies!!! silly girl!!!
May 21st, 2013  
Very cool selfie. You look fab.
May 21st, 2013  
Pea
Awesome selfie! Love the accessories and your pose. Very jeaous of your having an outdoor pool, how lovely!
May 21st, 2013  
@deeganp It's a community pool. Most communities in the area have one. We will probably never have one of our own. Too much work! Thanks, sweet lady!!:)
May 21st, 2013  
great selfie - and LOL to losing a follower after posting this! that really made me giggle! outdoor swimming is something you only do in a wetsuit here!
May 21st, 2013  
I agree with @sparkle about losing a follower- funny but can't be real! This is good - I love different photos - I myself must stop flower photos!
May 21st, 2013  
Great fun shot! You look fabulous!!
May 21st, 2013  
Great selfie, love the pose. Won't catch us in cossies yet, if at all :)
May 21st, 2013  
@sparkle @maggiemae Ladies, this was the wretched selfie that lost me a follower: http://365project.org/amandal/365-year-2/2013-05-03. I had to make up for it by doing a nicer one this time. Thanks for your comments. Glad to give you a giggle:)!!
May 21st, 2013  
for some strange reason i've realised I'm not following you (having "followed" you for months) so just because of that photo I am going to follow officially because you made me laugh (and nearly spit my mouthful of tea all over the screen!) you are one funny lady!
May 21st, 2013  
You lost a follower for a selfie? Coocoo. This is gorgeous. You are si gorgeous! For the record, I'm pretty sure mine had a lot more processing.
May 21st, 2013  
Mmmmmmmm! That's a yummy woman for sure. FAV.
May 21st, 2013  
For the record I love the sleepy/coffee ones. It's hilarious and fun and really so refreshing.
May 21st, 2013  
Helllllooo Gorgeous :)
May 21st, 2013  
Kev
Great selfie, Amanda! Looking good!
May 22nd, 2013  
What a swell shot ! :)
May 22nd, 2013  
awesome shot! Enjoy the pool. BTW, I like the reflection of a window in your sunglasses.
May 22nd, 2013  
@cromwell Golly, you are so kind. Thank you!
May 22nd, 2013  
I absolutely love this photo of you, Amanda. Looks awesome in B&W and great with the shades and hat. You have outdone yourself. FAV
May 22nd, 2013  
Beautiful selfie, Amanda! Love your pose and the hat.
May 22nd, 2013  
Fantastic selfie Amanda.
May 22nd, 2013  
Great selfie - has such a carefree summer feel to it :)
May 22nd, 2013  
so pretty!!!! love the relaxed look on your face.
May 22nd, 2013  
nice selfie Amanda! love the lighting and b&w treatment!
May 22nd, 2013  
@darsphotos I don't remember if I tried the sepia processing with this one? I may not have? I kinda wish I had. I do really like sepia. Thanks so much for your kind comments and fav, sweet lady!!
May 22nd, 2013  
I do admire your confident (with every justifcation!) selfies Amanda! You look ready to hit that pool! ( ours are open too and i would usually be swimming daily at this point but at 12c it is not very appealing).
May 22nd, 2013  
@lfrans I so wish that the reflection had been palm trees. I was thinking when I was looking at the shots that I wish I'd been holding a picture of them or something to hopefully reflect. None in site here in OH:). Thanks, lady!!

@annbo @wind_of_the_sothern_sea @katiebrenkert @alia_801 @tonydebont @kwind @bristolrose @snaggy @jodimuli @malc @eyesmile @rachelwithey @sistawood @taffy @pflaume

Aw, thanks all so much for your kind comments about this selfie. I was pleased with how it turned out, but wished that I had been able to make it more processed/contrasty and arty. I will try again. It's so tough to take selfies and get the focus and framing right.

@edie Aw, you are kind. Did you prefer the processing you tried? I just couldn't go with that as the light was too bright to me. Maybe if i was more shadowy I could pull it off. Thanks for your sweet comments, friend!

@sparkle I LOVE that you nearly spit your tea. Thanks for that and for the follow.:)
May 22nd, 2013  
No. I didn't prefer mine. It is very over processed and I just did it for the style of the challenge. I only tried it for fun, and I'm not surprised it was too bright. I overexposed it first. I don't have a lot of advice re: selfies I find them very hard and think I lucked out with the window light on that one. The window light and some ETSOOI
May 22nd, 2013  
When I referred to YOURS, I was not speaking of your wonderful selfie (I LOVED that one). I meant yours that you did of mine and messaged me on FB. Sorry for the confusion.
May 22nd, 2013  
Ooh great selfie!
May 22nd, 2013  
@3sixty5 Waaaay better than my first frazzled one, yes?!;-) Thanks so much, sweet Martine!
May 22nd, 2013  
@adamj @amandal So so so bummed I won't be in town to make it...
May 23rd, 2013  
Beautiful shot, Beautiful!
May 23rd, 2013  
@skpinny Me, too. I wish there were going to be some other girls there at the Meet up. I'm bringing my mom:). Thanks, friend!
May 23rd, 2013  
@amandal Oh! This conversation! You didn't tag me so I missed it. Sorry. No I don't prefer what I did to your photo either. Yours is much more natural and has a sense of fun. I was just playing with it but I actually like this much better and have gone back and been playing with mine again for a more natural look.
May 23rd, 2013  
@edie Whoops! Ok, just didn't want you to think that I was in any way criticizing your photo! I'd love to see your reedit of yours.
May 23rd, 2013  
@amandal No worries. Typing things can be tricky. (no sarcasm font and all that) And I hope I didn't offend by playing with yours. I don't know if I'll upload the re-edit here but I can always share on fb if you really want to see it.
May 23rd, 2013  
@edie Please do. No offense on your end. I appreciated it. There, all better:).
May 23rd, 2013  
You're so good at doing selfies! I love the feel of this. Love the b&w processing and the lighting! I like how you're looking up too.
May 23rd, 2013  
@emrob Thanks, Mandy. It was a goal of mine this year to rock them. Last year, they were all pretty grainy, poor lighting and goofy for the most part. I want some goofy still, because that is me, but I want some serious and good ones, too. Glad that I am making progress with these.
May 23rd, 2013  
Very diva. I wouldn't worry about losing followers. I seem to gain 6 then lose 8 at a time! Just as long as the old faithfuls stay I'm happy :o) xx
May 23rd, 2013  
Just realised I'm not actually following you so I'll just rectify that!! xx
May 23rd, 2013  
I just tried to add you and it informed me that I already am following and did I want to cancel?? Something peculiar going on here xx
May 23rd, 2013  
@psychographer I agree. I just don't want to lose people because I am so ugly, but then if they are that shallow really I shouldn't concern myself;-). Thanks for following...you are so good with commenting that I thought you were already.
May 23rd, 2013  
I don't think you could be anymore classy! Fabulous selfie.
May 23rd, 2013  
@masosy Best compliment ever. Thanks so much, my friend.:)
May 23rd, 2013  
Are you trying to say that you are a tease? :)
May 24th, 2013  
@skipt07 Unintentionally perhaps. I had planned to do this and they were there working around the yard. I wasn't going to let them being there stop my plans. And to be honest, they probably didn't even notice as I was a couple stories up. Happy weekend!
May 24th, 2013  
@amandal - Are you serious that someone stopped following you because of a selfie? I hope that you have a wonderful holiday weekend too!
May 24th, 2013  
@skipt07 Maybe coincidental timing. But yes, the number went down right after a yucky selfie.:)
May 24th, 2013  
Aah Amanada has a new selfie! I like it. Did you see new artist challenge : http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/17927/new-artist-challenge-53-vivian-maier#comment-534654 ?
Vivian Maier did a lot of b&w selfies.
May 26th, 2013  
well huge kudos to you for braving another selfie if the last one lost you a fan - he he ! this is really lovely - confident & edgy pose too !
May 26th, 2013  
@bardejov Oooh, cool. Thanks for letting me know...and for your kind words!

@gozoinklings Funny, huh?! Thank you:)!
May 27th, 2013  
Lovely selfie, it's great as your new profile pic.
May 27th, 2013  
@noragentian Thanks, lady. I was pretty pleased with this one:).
May 28th, 2013  
Amanda, first a big sorry darling for not getting here earlier, new job and sickly kids in the winter on top a freezing computer room have made me stay away. To be honest with you this is my favourite, not the other and I bet having read me rambling on about my aversion to sepia you know why :) but that is just it! I actually like your playful pose and am sincerely honoured and touched that you remember my play on the selfie theme. You go girl because you rock it!
May 30th, 2013  
@frida You are very sweet for your comments, Frida. I will perhaps try this style again. I loved the push you gave Edie recently and was inspired. Hope all settles down for you!:)
May 30th, 2013  
love this!!!
June 5th, 2013  
This is lovely
July 2nd, 2013  
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