My Funkadelic Winter Blues by alophoto

My Funkadelic Winter Blues

How did I arrive at doing this photo? What is my thought process?

Well, it all started out months ago when a friend and I were talking about art and he told me that one of his favorite paintings was this: http://www.pablopicasso.org/old-guitarist.jsp

I believe that I told him that I would try to pull off recreating that with a photo sometime. And then I forgot about it.

Flash forward to last week and I see the blue guitar again and remember. I decide to make the shot a selfie rather than use my non old man husband. I realize then that I am neither old nor a man and I don't have a beard.

For ideas, I hold the guitar in front of myself in the mirror and see that it is my shape and that I can hide perfectly behind it. And voila...my idea is born.

I was excited to try it. Mike went out for an evening, the kids were in bed and I have a winter blues photo shoot (after my shoot for my Mad Hatters shot @madhatters ...another selfie, but not as sassy;).

I did this praying that the kids wouldn't come downstairs and find mama wearing a guitar dress and taking photos. Awkward. Still awkward.

Getting closer to my goal of 200 selfies. Maybe 5 to go after today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9-PN1sftaI

And here is a more regular edit in color: http://365project.org/amandal/themes-challeng/2014-12-09
Beautiful selfie! I like the blue tones
December 8th, 2014  
great shot. Your figure is just right for this beautiful idea.
December 8th, 2014  
You whacky wonderful lady !! Read you description above; I still don't understand why you did it but so impressed that you did. Wonderful selfie and 100Favs.
December 8th, 2014  
what a sensational feminine shape and gorgeous pose - lovely
December 8th, 2014  
most excellent selfie - not sure a guitar would hide me hahahaha
December 8th, 2014  
I like your blue mood take on Picasso!
December 8th, 2014  
Fantastic selfie, well done & a fav.
December 8th, 2014  
Love what you have done ! fav !
PS : nice legs lady :))
December 8th, 2014  
Srsly cool... And brave!
December 8th, 2014  
Amanda you gave me a big smile as I sit here next to my hospital bed (they still won't let me go home) so I thank you for that. I couldn't help but smile when I saw you trending, you brave lady! Fav
December 8th, 2014  
@shepherdmanswife Thank you sooo much. Love that I gave you a smile. Hope you can get home very soon!!!! But in the meantime smile lots, it's healing!
December 8th, 2014  
Sue
Fabulous selfie, one very brave woman :P
December 8th, 2014  
I like this blue one better for matching the title and time of year.
December 8th, 2014  
This is just wonderful and your selfies are just wonderful and often very brave and honest. I admire them hugely. Fav
December 8th, 2014  
Had to fav it! You are beatiful AND a great photographer! Unfair!
December 8th, 2014  
Cool processing
December 8th, 2014  
Very creative !! fav
December 8th, 2014  
Congratulations on nearing 200 selfies -- an admirable goal, with so many creative efforts over time! This one is such an imaginative idea, and beautifully photographed! Perhaps a bit too beautifully for your take on the Picasso, which is not a beautiful image, but a somber and contemplative one. I wonder if you had cast your eyes downward, across the guitar and to the floor, it would have given a different feel? Or processed with more grays in the blues to give a dustier feel? Your l lovely image is beautiful to look at, whereas the Picasso feels sad.
December 8th, 2014  
@jyokota It was a very loose interpretation. Just blues and person with a guitar. I wasn't really going for it, but it was what got the wheels going for the shot in the first place. I will try again for Picasso perhaps with Michael.
December 8th, 2014  
Very cool idea and result! I'm thinking about trying this while hiding behind a Greyhound Bus... but then again, maybe not ;-)
December 8th, 2014  
Very creative as always Amanda, i like the blue tones.
December 8th, 2014  
Downright fantastic, Amanda! And creative, sexy, and daring. (Hilarious too thanks to your commentary, in particular, the part about hoping the kids didn't suddenly show up.)
December 8th, 2014  
Nicely done, great shot
December 8th, 2014  
Unlike Mike, I don't hate it, but I do prefer the color version. (I know where you got your bokeh).
http://365project.org/bill_fe/365/2014-09-19
December 8th, 2014  
Thank you for the commentary! Love the photo. Very sexy, daring and successful!
December 8th, 2014  
Very daring, a super shot. Fav!! πŸ˜ƒ
December 8th, 2014  
Fabulous Amanda, fancy trying my bass? πŸ˜‰πŸ˜‰
December 8th, 2014  
Fantastic! Very daring, but beautiful!
December 8th, 2014  
beautiful
December 8th, 2014  
@homeschoolmom I liked that it showed nothing. thanks, lady!!

@paulty Is it the same size? A cello would be fun, but tougher to hold. thank you!!
December 8th, 2014  
@summerfield Did I fail with the face again? It's ok, but not perfectly nailed perhaps. Sometimes I have a tough time when I have clear objective with the shot. This one was a bit uncomfortable as I did it in front of an open (no blinds) window at night. I was worried that somehow cars way down the hill and through the woods would pass by and see a naked lady with a guitar posing for photos. I was less at ease to say the least.
December 8th, 2014  
@amandal Amanda!! It's definitely smaller!! πŸ˜‰
December 8th, 2014  
Love it. Brave girl!
December 8th, 2014  
@paulty OH, maybe not:).
December 8th, 2014  
@amandal - wowza! excellent concept. the tension (about your concern of cars passing by) shows in your face. the head is tilted too much. and i can see your hands weren't relaxed in your grip of the guitar. it's all that tension first stated, it just translated physically. i have a suggestion but i will e-mail it so as to keep the surprise should you need to do another one with the guitar. i like it, just need to relax and smile. this is supposed to be a feel-good shot, but understandable considering the circumstances.

@annied - i would need the whole orchestra to hide me! hahahaha!
December 8th, 2014  
@summerfield I tilted to be away from the neck and visible. Funny that you can see and pick up on the tension. I am pretty sure I wasn't visible, but yikes...Probably shouldn't do shots like this in this room in the winter. Oy vey!
December 8th, 2014  
Lovely selfie, Amanda! I prefer this blue version better but both are nice.
December 8th, 2014  
December 8th, 2014  
Do you want someone to pluck your strings, Amanda! I know how to play the guitar but not attached to a naked beauty!
December 8th, 2014  
@maggiemae No, I don't like being played. Wish I could play the guitar myself. I'd love to learn someday. Love the sound of an acoustic guitar.
December 8th, 2014  
The original colored one is lovely but, this moody blue is perfect for your "girl with a guitar" pose! You are brave and creative! I love it! (I do most of my non-traditional photos after our dog and my hubby have gone to bed! There are just too many questions to answer....)
December 8th, 2014  
Jo
All you need is a Santa hat and you have your Christmas cards sorted! Fab shot my friend....FAV
December 8th, 2014  
And I hope the shades were drawn and all shutters closed....
December 8th, 2014  
@shesnapped Sadly not. We have no blinds or shades for our back windows, though they face a woods, a big ravine hill and a road maybe a quarter mile or so away. I am pretty sure I wasn't visible, but it did make me a little nervous thinking about the possibility that I was not. Probably need a different location or to put up a sheet or something should I do this again. I wasn't as relaxed and the tension maybe came across.
December 8th, 2014  
@amandal No, I don't think the tension came across at all. I was saying that tongue-in-cheek. Should have included a smiley!! :-)
December 8th, 2014  
Love love love this.............FAV, You are awesome!
December 8th, 2014  
Wow all these wonderful selfies! You must have learnt so much about yourself. I love this one!
December 8th, 2014  
There is no stopping you......I would fret about this ha ha . Fun
December 8th, 2014  
@neatz If I had to "pick" one to fret about, it wouldn't be this. This one seemed to strike a chord with many. Thanks so much:)!!
December 8th, 2014  
@amandal I note that. Very pluck-y
December 8th, 2014  
@neatz Trying to work strum in here, but can't come up with anything. Shoot. Strumbody is making me mad;). Nope..fail.
December 8th, 2014  
@amandal I think you might be called a strum-pet in this! However many strings to your bow!
December 8th, 2014  
Amanda...girl you are rockin the guitar...great curves :)...seriously great composition, light, pose, fav
December 9th, 2014  
ohhh ... incredibly brave ... and incredibly sexy ... fav all the way :-)
December 9th, 2014  
love, love this pic - you are simply priceless. Fabulous presentation !!!
December 9th, 2014  
Lovely tone and composition! you are beautiful Amanda!
December 9th, 2014  
it is great you can hide your body behind a guitar! great job for keeping in shape!!
December 9th, 2014  
Ditto what Vicki said! :)
December 9th, 2014  
Fabulous Selfie! Great to have a glimpse into the conception. Looking forward to checking out your work!
December 9th, 2014  
Wonderfully creative. Thanks for sharing your thought process. Executed so well. Beautiful curves... of the guitar. :-) fav
December 9th, 2014  
@andrewkru haha
@amandal I like the blue tones of this one and of course the bokeh!
December 9th, 2014  
Wonderful selfie, I like how you adapted from the painted version. Beautiful. FAV
December 9th, 2014  
Great shot!
Very bold and brave.
December 9th, 2014  
Awesome, awesome, awesome. I love this -- artistic and elegant!
December 10th, 2014  
Pam
I love this one with the bokeh, and blue tones. Very well done. Gorgeous!
December 10th, 2014  
@taffy @pammerritt Thanks, ladies!! Really appreciate your kind comments!
December 11th, 2014  
Well l I can assure you if I got MY kit off I would not be on TT!
December 12th, 2014  
@judithg hahahaha...I liked that I was fully covered. I try to keep it that way.
December 12th, 2014  
hahahahahaha I knew IT !!!!! TT material for the world to see !!!!
December 12th, 2014  
@lesip Rock on:). Funny to make it. A surprise for sure!
December 12th, 2014  
@lesip At least it was a better shot than the last time I was on TT in the buff.
December 12th, 2014  
@amandal LOL okay I can't remember what is was ? Don't make me go looking !!! hummmm did I fav it ? I would have it ....lol
December 12th, 2014  
December 12th, 2014  
@amandal thanks, yep I remember now.... love this about the project being able to go back to find pictures so easily plus see how much improvement there is. Have a great weekend
December 12th, 2014  
@lesip Right. Love that, too. I posted a link to an image from my 3rd week on project the other day. The image stunk bad, but it was cool to see from whence I came. You, too!
December 12th, 2014  
You did it! Congrats on TT
December 12th, 2014  
@bill_fe Thank you!! Quite shocked with this one making it!
December 12th, 2014  
Oh WOW! This is fantastic! Very deserving of TT!
December 12th, 2014  
@bella_ss Oh thank you!! Pretty stoked!
December 12th, 2014  
Double congrats on double TT - way to go, Amanda!
December 13th, 2014  
Such a fun capture...congrats on TT Amanda.
December 13th, 2014  

Thanks for making me smile........what a brave lady.
Wow.............great sexy, creative selfie!
Congrats on TT.
Fav
December 13th, 2014  
Contrats on TT.
December 13th, 2014  
WOW.....awesome capture. Beautiful. Fav. I'm truly honored that I may have inspired this in some crazy way. Definitely one of my all time pieces of art, and you're rendition adds a whole different perspective to the idea.

For me...the beauty of the original by Picasso, was in fact the nakedness of the man's emotions, his state of being, the feelings that he may have been living at that very moment. And I think in a not so obvious way, you've captured the same thing. Sure your nudity is there, but you captured a raw emotion with it. Incredible capture. Love it....fav, fav...fav.
December 13th, 2014  
@losthorizon Hugely glad you like it. thanks for the kind words and fav, my friend! I seriously mixed it up, but it worked. I will try to stick closer to the original should I try again:).
December 13th, 2014  
That's awesome. Bold but so well done. Fav
December 14th, 2014  
Even better!! FAV again!
December 14th, 2014  
Wow..you rocked the tt ms...:). Congrats!
December 14th, 2014  
@abhijit @swguevin @nanderson Thanks so much, guys. You all rock!:)
December 15th, 2014  
Congrats on making TT twice!
December 17th, 2014  
@homeschoolmom Thanks so much, Lisa. A big surprise!:)
December 18th, 2014  
I saw this before, but could not comment at the time.....I would FAV this a hundred times if I could.....such a brave, artistic, wonderful, amazing, creative shot.....love your selfies, and where you have taken them over time. Big, big congrats on TT.....so deserving!! :-)))
December 18th, 2014  
I adore this. Everything - the pose, the bokeh, the blue, the confident (even if slightly self-conscious, it doesn't show to me) regard. You go, girl.
January 11th, 2015  
@hankbird Thanks so much. I am not self conscious but for the open window at night I was doing this in front of. There is a great big woods out there and a road far below. Probably fine, but that made me a tad nervous and unrelaxed. You are kind!

@panthora Thanks so much for your wonderful kindness.
January 11th, 2015  
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