Notes on a Return

I did say that I was actively going to try not to take self-portraits throughout this project. However, this week I think circumstances allow.

This weekend I came home to Illinois for the first time since the summer because my family is moving across the country to Arizona. The house is for sale and this is very likely the last time I'll be here as "home" because soon it will just be the "hometown" I visit when I can, not because it's a holiday.

For anyone who knows me, I identify pretty strongly with my woods. And it's September which means the leaves are changing, the goldenrod is blooming, and the mornings kick off with solid fog so it's basically my idea heaven.

I'll have new photos coming up later tonight and I'll be sharing some tips and stories for shooting outside, I just wanted to make a little PSA until that happens hold this space for a reflection that won't detract from my tips.

Woodland selfie from 3 years ago.

Week 2

Week number two and Fall has arrived in Iowa. It seems irrelevant because my photos ended up inside again but every window in the apartment was open and I'm burning a blackberry candle while editing so it feels like it. The leaves have only just started to change, so expect some outdoor work this coming week and a little nostalgia set to old OneRepublic songs.

Today I'll be talking about the rule of thirds and why it's not really a rule but first I want to talk about the inspiration for today's photo. On occasion things trend among photographers on Flickr from tin foil crowns, portraits during golden hour, and balloons. It doesn't happen all the time or very often but for the last month the use of black paint seen some sort of popularity. It's been used by Rob Woodcox, David Uzochukwu, and Rachel Baran (Seriously, check them out).

I don't always jump on with trends but this one seemed like fun and a good place to sort of jump off from with a little extra direction because now there are three shots I can't take. I'll think about them, of course, but, using my good friend Rachel, I'm gonna put my own spin on it.

We used more string lights, my great grandmother's curtains, some string, and some black tempura paint ($5 at Micheal's; $2.50 with a coupon—Pro-tip: Micheal's will always have a coupon) and this is what the set looked like (and I still haven't pulled those curtains down).

So, what is the rule of thirds? This: Divide your image into a 3x3 grid. The four intersecting points are points of interest and often where they eye goes first. Essentially what it means is don't place your subject in the very center because the most interesting shots usually have more to offer than centered ones.

My own attempt at an example:

This is the original shot (edited though) and the subject is lined up in the very center of the frame

This is that same shot, cropped to fulfill the rule of thirds in an effort to be more interesting.

A trick I've picked up: Center your shot then bump it to the left or right (with a little bit of consideration of course) but that's an easy habit to pick up and it will improve your photography.

Furthermore, go ahead and break that rule. Break it today or tomorrow or a year from now. If you're aware that you're consciously breaking then you've already considered the composition of your shot and with that intention, by some definition, you're a photographer.

And feel free to ask me anything:

allison@trebacz.com

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Week 1

Self portraiture allows for the photographer to begin to understand the lighting, their equipment, and themselves away from the eyes of others. This makes it the perfect place to begin, in a space that allows for risks and mistakes.

It's a medium where popular photographers like Brooke Shaden, Joel Robison, and Lauren Withrow, first, made their names and discovered their passion. The beautiful thing is that it's possible for you to make that leap if you're willing to try.

The best way to begin is with a camera, an empty room, and lights that work.

Set your camera on something sturdy. Point it somewhere in the room that you think could be mildly interesting and set your ten second timer. If you don't have enough light, add some more. Go down to the basement and drag some Christmas lights out of storage.

Run back and forth as many times as you like. Play around with your settings, move things in and out of the frame, change up the focus. You cannot make a mistake when you're only shooting yourself for yourself.

For this first week I kept it simple. I used the light in my living room, dragged over a kitchen chair (which doubled as a good trick to focus my camera without me in the frame) and draped a green sheet around the set that I eventually ended up wearing.

This is where I started with my camera. It also moved to the doorway, the kitchen, the floor, and six inches from the ceiling. I tried probably ten different things and I'm still not sure what worked best.

If you're not happy with your photography, especially in the beginning, don't get discouraged. Try something else. Close the blinds, move the lights, put on a crazy outfit, take pictures of your dog and come back later. Beginning isn't about creating something that transcends time, it's about the journey. Trust me, you'll find your own voice along the way.

Note: These have been lightly edited (I just adjusted the contrast and made the green more prominent).  

And photography isn't entirely about the camera but I do shoot with a DSLR but there isn't any rule that says you can't get similar results with an iPhone.

I also tripped over this sheet and almost sprained my ankle but that's just a part of the process. 

This project will not be entirely self-portraiture (in fact my goal is to move beyond it) but I love starting projects with selfs because it makes them personal and serves as a good marker of growth from year to year and week to week (even day to day if you're crazy).

And feel free to ask me anything:

allison@trebacz.com

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The Value of Art (A Personal Reflection)

And some photos because I don't like blocks of text either.

also, like, there's some more on Facebook.

I don't know where to start. It's been so long so since I've tried to post anything and it's taken me hours to compose this. I'm not going to tell the winding and harrowing story of the past year of my life (it's not actually. I mean I'm still pretty self aware that I'm white female in America going to college so it really can't be that revelatory.). But I will say I've learned a lot about myself and more about others this past year and those lessons and memories won't leave me anytime soon which is for the better.

But this blog is basically my art journals so, most importantly, it's been five years since I first started my 365 at 15 years old, and I'm still awed, at 20, by the power of photography in my life. Living day to day life provides substance but art and creating enriches the experience. At least that's how I see it.

Moving on, I didn't realize how wrapped up I became in my own life until I took a step back and looked at exactly how little content I produced in this last year and a half. I've been distracted, I've been distant, and I've been trying to get by with what comes naturally which is so wrong. I've let myself get too caught up in real life.

My second attempt at photography over the summer. Click through to see the piece I put on Flickr.

I thought I was fine, I thought I was “doing me” until I logged back onto Flickr for the first time in few months and saw that so many, from my favorite online community, were living through their work and not missing a beat of life. It wasn't until I started watching what they produced, reading the stories, and the reflections on their real adventures, that I started thinking. I started thinking about what's been missing for so long and I've reflected on it before but this time was different. I was jolted and I knew that I had to make a change and a thousand things in my life right now are pointing to that notion.

Presently, photography feels like a memory when it should be more familiar to me than anything. I know that I need to get back and start living, again, through my photos because I'm missing so many things.

So, today, I [gently]threw my equipment in my car, drove to the nearest park I could think of, and took the most mediocre self-portraits I've taken since 2010 but I'm okay with it because it's a start and it feels liberating.

And as for that 52 weeks I was convinced I could start last year--I was kind of just an idiot. Like, I definitely still am and I definitely think I can do it this year but that's because now I'm an idiot with a car and a roommate who'd take up the challenge with me which would be ideal. Idiotic, of course, but in the most ideal of ways.