Flickr, is a joy to me. And a fairly recent indulgence in internet terms. Years ago I scooted in and out admiring, bookmarking, flitting around the edges. After tentatively dipping in, I got progressively more addicted. Joined some groups, enjoying the ride, branching out, being inspired, gathering contacts to share images with.
It’s fun.
One of the groups I’m a member of is s-t-i-l-l, and a recent challenge has been to focus on the body as a still life object. What fun. How terrifying.
I suppose I am a vain person, in that it matters to me how my image is presented. I wouldn’t like you to see me first thing on a Saturday morning with the back of my head messed up, in my pyjamas, dashing out to pick up the paper. My imperfections bother me enough to never let me completely let loose and trust the visual consequences.
Some days I genuinely don’t care, or run out of time to tidy myself up after a messy day in the studio by school pickup time. I regret it afterwards, and miss the days when I walked out of the house neat and arranged for a day at work in the city. Dressing neat casual for the daily rounds. Having the opportunity to dress like a lady.
I’m not keen on photos of myself, and am usually the one behind the camera rather than posing for it. Which is why the past week has been challenging and surprisingly satisfying.
In approaching a body of work like this (because it is ultimately a collection – albeit one for my own enjoyment), I like to weave a thread that will draw it together. One of the things that bothers me most about myself is my hands. They are immensely practical appendages that suffer a great deal of abuse during the day – with endless washing and wear, and not enough restorative creams to repair and protect. They are broad and stumpy. Capable hands. They are not elegant butterflies.
I’m my own worst enemy. So I’m focusing on them, in an attempt to try to appreciate them more, and the results are surprising to me.
Taking photographs of oneself can be surprisingly liberating, and frightening too – I’ve discovered new things to get freaked out about, and have resolved never to be photographed in profile if at all possible, or perhaps that’s what I should work on next….
To see the entire collective body of work (in progress) skip on over to s-t-i-l-l. 🙂
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