I made this image over the weekend and although I was just messing around at the time I actually like how it places me both outside and inside the camera. The lens being in the foreground with my face in shadow and mostly out of the frame made me think about how I often wish the images I take would speak for them selves and need no explanation. I often find explaining uncomfortably revealing yet I do think that the vast majority of images benefit from the aid of linguistic expression.I do hide behind a camera and I do try to hide behind my images despite the fact this is undoing my self as if my images reveal nothing about me there seems little point in taking them.
I agree completely with the whole idea of explaining the ideas behind images, its painful yet necessary in most cases.
ReplyDeleteIn your last self portrait you seemed to be becoming quite dominant in the image, moving from behind the camera to in front, this image interestingly combines the two previous approaches, while taking a whole new one.
How would it look in the gritty black and white you were working in before?
This is a issue with 'masks' - have a look for an essay by Halla Belloff on this or even perhaps look at Arbus and her images. The idea of the photographer and camera can be quite 'cheesy' but the idea of masks can be really interesting...
ReplyDeleteIn a sense this could be the thread you are already working on
Hugh