How often do you look at your own face?
This is my pale moon face, and I look at it all the time because I made it my desktop background.
I went looking for a new background image recently, and I decided I wanted something different that usual (it’s usually somewhere on the Juan de Fuca) and having fairly recently got the scans back from my birthday portraits in December, I decided to put my own birthday portrait on my desktop.
I thought I would feel weird about it, looking at my own face all the time (I spend a lot of time on my computer) and change it back to the beach within a few days. But honestly I don’t feel weird at all. I love the photo. Shot on my Super Ricohflex medium format camera, it fulfilled the vision I had for it. And I like seeing my own serene face looking back at me. I’m wearing my favourite green sweater (it has a a skater knitted on the back) and a pair of leather boots I bought at Value Village for $15 seven years ago.
I’ve been trying to get used to posting photos of myself on the internet for reasons of #marketing, and while I don’t know if it really does anything for my business, I’m finding myself more and more at ease with my face, more interested in handing over the camera sometimes (it helps that Kaleb as gotten used to my go-to camera and has a good eye themselves) and curious about documenting my own self in different ways.
I recently booked a gig to shoot a 70th birthday celebration, and I’m looking forward to it so much. I think everyone should document their birthdays, look at their own faces over time and appreciate the sameness and the change. Then when you’re 70 you can make a book of all your birthday portraits, trade books with your friends and all gaze lovingly at each others’ faces.
Anyway, my point is, I think you might be surprised by what happens when you spend a little time looking at your own face. Give it a try and let me know how it goes?
