i don't know what came over me but i joined this "get pushed" movement on 365. the premise is for your assigned partner to push you out of your comfort zone in photography. my partner for this week is travis @trbo and his 'push' for me is to take a low key b&w selfie (or someone else's) in full manual mode.
we have until saturday to do this, but while i'm waiting for a miracle from the heavens that one of these mornings, preferably before saturday, i'd wake up in a body like halle berry's and a face like...hmmm... okay, halle berry's, or someone would volunteer to be my model (and i'm looking at partner with that seductive look, to entice him to be my model because, really, there's nobody else around as my sophie la rue is only available during smoke breaks at the office), i am practicing to do a similar shot with my porcelain china cup and teapot. (that was a good example of a run-away paragraph.)
if you were here with me last night, you would have laughed at me, or probably got pissed, that i kept turning the lights on and off. one, because my eyes don't see well in the dark (one sign of the age showing), and two, because i needed total darkness to be able to go for the shot. of course, it didn't help that (1) my remote shutter arrived but it was for the wrong model of nikon, and (2) my canon p&s would only take macros now. i did shoot myself for a trial selfie, and now i'm having nightmares and/or nervous breakdown. tonight, i will try to shoot that carafe under this same condition/settings.
and howard's smiling that i am yet again forced to shoot in black and white.
This nice! I was thinking about doing “get pushed”, but I’m a little chicken. And I’m sure you’re beautiful! We’re all our own worst critic. Go for it!
@lisjam1 - no, lisabell, the cup and teapot are beautiful. my profile pic? heavily picniked and i think that's why picnik.com decided to close. hahahaha! thank you, lisabell, especially for the encouragement.
that is really a challenge. you crack me up - no idea why we have to be so self critical, we are not like that to other people. it is low key, can't you have some amount of light in the room, say really diffused lighting? this came out very interesting, nice shadowing on the cup, although i would want to see more of the teapot if possible. but if it were a portrait, the darkness on one side of the face could really work. b&w in portraits is very coolio. gives such a timeless feel to them. never can tell when they were shot. oh, can't wait to get my dslr.
@catsmeowb - by jove! i'm cornered. hehehe. i was doing the diffused light thingie and the self-timer lights were going boinkers. i'm going to try and see if chanel has a good make up i can smack on my face to make it look better. thank you, camille.
well, i read all the time - according the ellen d - that covergirl had wonderful makeup. she swears by it! LOL! and by those photos of her, there is not a line on her face. i thought to myself after taking my selfies, 'why-oh-why didn't i go out and buy make-up?'
I admire you for joining the "get pushed" challenge. If I had a better camera I might do that- with the disclaimer that I do NOT do self portraits under any conditions!! I just feel that there is so little this camera can do on the fly that a "get pushed" partner might give me a challenge that would be impossible to do. Oh well- self doubt and dubiousness aside, this is a nice shot and it looks like your getting everything lined up for a nice shot.
@olivetreeann - you can join the get pushed and your partner will have to give consideration to the kind of camera you shoot with. i believe you can easily tackle any 'push' as you are a very versatile artist. selfie? what's that in your profile? that is a great selfie! what you talkin'bout?!
@catsmeowb - camille, in picmonkey there is a function called "touch up" and one of the features is "wrinkle remover". why do you think everyone's self portraits around here are looking nice? and my profile pic? i slimmed me down about 5 times. hahahahaha! so go ahead and edit.
@summerfield Thank you for the encouragement/challenge Vikki. We'll see- I have some stuff I haven't posted yet I'd like to get out of the way and I'm just uncertain about taking it on with this camera- really. I know I make it look like it can do so much more but it really can't (as most of the shots from Sunday's wedding proved!). Secondly- having limited ability to get around to places is another detriment, but I will strongly consider on getting into the challenge in the somewhat near future. As for the profile pic- so-so. Lots of editing and mimicking an older picture of my great great great grandmother made this one passible. But I'm seriously getting ready to stick something else up there!
i have used airbrushing and blemish removal on other people's portraits but when i use it on my own, i can see it. it is also in ipiccy. i believe, again, it comes down to being overly critical of ourselves. we need to look at ourselves with our other eyes, the ones we use when we view the rest of the world. i am so tempted to join the get pushed challenge but then would be doing 3 challenges - need to read the rules.
lol, Summerfield this just sounds Oh so familar!!! My get pushed challenge was to do that self portrait! I don't like doing them, there is a reason they are not in my project! If I was in my 20's and had a body & face to match perhaps I would do a lot of them. I did my self portrait. My husband says he graded me an "F" he thinks it is no good.
This is an awesome "practice" shot. What would a "Get Pushed" challenge be without sweat :-) I think I am gonna stick to my original push for ya and by the looks of it, you are going to do an amazing job. Set your own self-critic aside and go for it, you may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome and proud of the beauty you capture.
I'll NEVER join that challenge! uh-uh, no way. That said ... this is a beautiful capture. Did you use any light at all? You could have used some kind of low light, right? I love everything about it. I can't get anything like this. However you did it, I applaud you! Now the selfie in manual. I'd rather starve to death! First, I never (hardly ever) shoot in manual. Only ap and shutter settings. I don't use auto ... so that was a giant leap! But you can do a selfie, summerfield. You've done them before! And beautifully, I might add. He/she hasn't pushed your talents hard enough yet! lol :)
@catsmeowb - i think the rules are: (1) you get paired with one of the participants, (2) you view his/her album/s (3) and determine what his/her comfort zone is and push him/her to take a photo out of that comfort zone, and (4) he/she does the same to you.
@myhrhelper - i saw your selfies. i love the head hunter one. but let me get mine out of the way and then i have a suggestion or two for you. thank you, kathy.
@trbo - hi there, partner! i love inanimate objects, they don't object to what i do to them. but i have until saturday right? i'm still praying for the halle berry miracle. hahaha! how's your push coming along? :-)
@karenann - have just a lamp with those bright lights but i had to turn it away from the cup/teapot to get this effect. not in the mood to take a pic of the would-be-halle-berry, maybe tomorrow morning. i've had practice in manual settings as the little canon has the MASP functions. my next step is to shoot in raw but i can't convince myself to do it yet, not until i understand the other stuff these cameras do. thank you for your comments and encouragement, KA. i do appreciate it a lot, my friend.
You know way more about cameras than I do, summerfield ....and always will. You're a pro! You know if I looked like Halle Berry, I'd probably take a selfie almost everyday! :)
@summerfield Not to worry there- no cats. Not even a stuffed one- although there is one cat that likes to stalk the birds at my bird feeder and that one I wouldn't mind stuffing.
i looked at the rules. i don't know enough about anything here to be able to push anyone. i would be taking advantage of the challenge to learn but the other person would not get anything out of it from me. i need to wait until i learn more to participate in something like this - i would drive my partner crazy.
@karenann *waves at her 365 twin* Same here, I would never join that challenge. 8D
@cscecil - thank you, CS.
@myautofocuslife - never say never, my friend. thank you.
@jannkc - camera might self-destruct! hahaha! thank you, jann.
@catsmeowb - haha! i just did!