A gorilla in the mist and the photographic dillema of a selfie

in Photography Lovers5 months ago (edited)

I've taken photographs of one style or another for years and years. One common theme during that time has been the lack of myself in the images I've shot. I don't believe it's a self concious thing because I'm not shy or anything like it. I've been thinking maybe it's a body image thing, related to being self concious but lately I've realised that body image is a ridiculous idea.

So I've resolved to appear in my images more often and if this offends anyone then maybe my photos aren't for them!

This is a post where I feature quite literally large in the frame!

Gorilla in the Mist

A few nights ago, my AuroraWatch UK app was pinging like mad with notifications but one look through the drawn curtains and all I could see was thick fog.

Undeterred, I dragged myself off the couch, which was incidentally very warm, to visit my local forest, incidentally very cold!

I used a headtorch with a focussed beam with an orange lightpainting colour adaptor making me look like a dalek!

Gorilla1.jpg

Another on the same evening, the mist made the scene quite cinematic. For these shots, I used two flashguns stacked one over the other with duct tape and a sheet of black card sandwiched between to stop the white / blue light polluting the rest of the scene.

Gorilla2.jpg

Slenderman 5

This is me posing in the dark trying to align my silhouetted legs. This is the 5th and final attempt before I gave it up as a bad job. Trying to align one's self in the dark with no-one to assist or check isn't as easy as it looks!

Slenderman5.jpg

Beast 27

I called this Beast 27 because it took nearly as many attempts to get the smoke pellet I was using to go where I wanted it to. I must have used half a tub of pellets to get this!

Beast2.jpg

Socially isolated selfie

I shot this shortly after the COVID lockdowns were lifted. Instead of shooting with someone else I ventured out in to the dark 50 miles miles from home in to this remote, abandoned railway tunnel. Note I look chunkier in this shot than the ones above. 9 or 10 weeks sat at home not working can lead to one's chunkiness becoming extra chunky!

Selfie-2023-edit.jpg

Selfie under the Stars

This shot cost me another flashgun. All I did was drop another Godox AD200 about 12" from the ground on to the wooden bridge. Normally such a low height wouldn't have made much of an impact but the Godox was smashed to pieces. Another £ 350 to spend replacing it! I should probably start a Go Fund Me page to keep ahead of the expense creating these images!

Selfie-under-the-stars.jpg

Too late for Hallowe'en

This was a kitchen based light painting in preparation and practice of an idea for a forthcoming model shoot. I promise that the model was considerably more attractive than me!

Shot in one photographic exposure, it seems I look better in black and white....

Selfie-practice.jpg

About me:
I usually specialise in shooting lightpainting images but occasionally dabble in urbex, landscape and artistic model photography. I'm always on the lookout for someone to collaborate with; the social side of photography is always good!

Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/fastchrisuk
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fastchris/

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A bright series. Playing with shooting in front of a light source is an interesting activity.

Manually curated by ackhoo from the @qurator Team. Keep up the good work!

Amazing photos!!! I love the way you used the lighting! impressive

Amazing work you make here, there is a lot of time and dedication on this material! congrats!!

I didn't realise that gorillas live in the UK.