Self Portrait, December 2009

[gahspidy]

Well, I have not posted anything here in a while and i was hoping to get back into my thing again. Experimenting with some new toys I had a go at a self portrait. I was in no condition for a serious take so i decided to go with a sort of self mocking/whimsical style.
what are your thoughts?
thanks.

[LeeIs]

Gary, I love this! You nailed this one. hahaha

The tones are wonderful. THe contrast, lighting, pose, are all right on. I don't mind the pipe going in to your back shoulder there at all. I think it's great over all! Well done!

Man, i wish I can shoot stuff like this! Maybe one day.

[hminx]

Brilliant, Needs a can of spinach

[Didache]

Excellent stuff as always from you, Gary. The textures in the shirt and the hair especially come out beautifully with this treatment. I like it! (Mind you, if you tell me you were smoking some horrible cherry tobacco I take it all back )

Cheers
Mike

[Frog]

Have to agree with has already been said.
Nice shirt.

[gahspidy]

Liban, thanks and i'm glad to hear you think it worked. You hit on one of the concerns i had about this being the pipe falling below my shirt. i was hoping to have it fully against the bg but i think it still comes out defined without being lost too much. What was I thinking with a brown shirt, brown bg and brown pipe. . .I was also concerned about the lightest areas of my face which although did not blow out in the histogram, i felt might have been overly hit with light. My face was about two feet away from the softbox.

[gahspidy]

Brilliant, Needs a can of spinach

hehe, I was thinking that as well which is why I steered away from the old corncob pipe I had. lol

[gahspidy]

Excellent stuff as always from you, Gary. The textures in the shirt and the hair especially come out beautifully with this treatment. I like it! (Mind you, if you tell me you were smoking some horrible cherry tobacco I take it all back )

Cheers
Mike

Thanks Mike. Certainly a pleasure to hear that from you. The hair was my favorite part and I was hoping everything else would support it lol
I have not smoked in a good few years now, but when I did i would order these fresh and wonderfully rich tobaccos from an online supplier. One of my favorite blends was a mix of Golden Virginias, Mexican Burly and black Cavendish. Very cool smoke and wonderfully flavorful
Perhaps this was not a good idea. . . I'm thinking of acquiring some more...

[gahspidy]

Have to agree with has already been said.

So you frown upon the cherry tobacco as well. . .
Thanks Frog.

[Frog]

What I remember from the Cherry tobacco is that the women loved the smell but it is awful stuff to smoke.
Now, why isn't this in this months project forum?

[gahspidy]

What I remember from the Cherry tobacco is that the women loved the smell but it is awful stuff to smoke.
Now, why isn't this in this months project forum?

Jeez, my bad Frog. I am guilty of not dropping into all the forums on PR as often as I should or would like to. Absolutely, I'm there. . .literally.

Yep, the sweet stuff is what one would smoke if one were going to be in the presence of company like woman or kids. The good stuff we would have to enjoy on our own, really

[Didache]

Being British I prefer (not that I smoke a pipe all that often) a traditional English mixture with lots of latakia. It is a little known fact that we invented hanging, drawing and quartering for cherry backy lovers

Mike

[gahspidy]

Being British I prefer (not that I smoke a pipe all that often) a traditional English mixture with lots of latakia. It is a little known fact that we invented hanging, drawing and quartering for cherry backy lovers

Mike

Ahh, yes! I had almost forgotten about Latakia. Later on in my pipe smoking years I would love an English/Oriental blend with turkish Latakia. I think one had to acquire a taste for it, but like a fine wine it would be appreciated and cherished. It was one of my favorite smokes but my company did not appreciate it too much.
I'm afraid this thread is going to start me in my bad habits again . . .

[Didache]

I'm afraid this thread is going to start me in my bad habits again . . .

Be strong!! Due to my heart problem I am banned from the evil weed myself for the moment, although I do hope to be allowed an occasional pipe in due course.

This has gone somewhat off topic has it not?

Mike

[BlueRob]

Fantastic! great shot all around!.
My picky side says that more smoke will add a nice touch and your eyes to closed, they work with the mood but I would love to see them a a bit more open and maybe catch some sort of reflection in them.
Great work!

[draymorton]

Awesome. This is the kind of portrait I would love to take.

[GB1]

Fun shot Gary, but the long John sleeves don't work for me, as they seem out of place with the rest of the attire and scene. Good idea, very nice execution.

G

[draymorton]

Could it be considered favoritism to give oneself a Sticky?

Who cares. Do it anyway.

[LeeIs]

Yes this one definitely needs to be stickified!

[jetrim]

Late to the party, but love this shot as much as everyone else. Pipe position is fine and the long john sleeves add a nice whimsical element. Someone else mentioned spinach but my first thought was Sherlock Holmes in his younger days :lol:

[draymorton]

Btw, Gary... you're in NY, right? I've got to shoot you sometime...

[gahspidy]

Hey all, thanks for the thoughts on this. I agree about the eyes being a bit more open and i did have many other takes where they were, but the other more important aspects were not in place such as body position, expression, hair lol this one had the best of everything I wanted and so it was chosen for my final editing.
As for the long john shirt my only issue with it was I wish I had pulled my sleeves up some more to expose mor forearm. Its really a blue collar kind a guy shot.
As for the sticky, the idea that you feel its worthy is plenty enough for me. I'm honored and glad this seems to have worked out.
Dray, I was about to ask you if you were in N.Y and then thinking about your location "Project Bloomberg". . .duh lol Yep, I'm in Brooklyn.
Would certainly like to meet up with ya.

[w.slayman]

I am late also, I have been looking at the shot off and on for most of a day, tring to find something I do not like about it, and at last I have it. You are much more photogenic than me. :lol: Absolutely a FANTASTIC self portrait.

[Old Timer]

Gary this is a wonderful side of your photography that we don't see nearly enough. Love the shot. I agree with the eyes needing to be open a bit more but for the rest I would not change a thing. Refreshing image from you Gary! Another of a growing list of innovative portraits and self portraits that have been showing up on PR lately.

[Shebang]

Great SP! More open eyes wouldn't hurt anything -- however, I like the shot with your eyes just as they are -- with your slightly up-turned mouth, it creates a sorta Dennis-the Menace-all-grown-up look!




(please don't smoke - my Dad and I can tell you emphysema is not a road you will want to travel.)