Self-Portrait | April 2012

April's self-portrait was once again taken at our rental house in Phoenix, and it is obviously a photo of my feet while I am relaxing in a bubble bath. The irony of this photo is rather amusing to me, as 10-15 years ago I NEVER would have posted this photo for the world to see. I never would have even taken the photo! I used to be so self-conscious of my feet that I refused to wear anything but closed toe shoes. Obviously a lot has changed over the years, but I supposed that is to be expected. One of the great things about getting older is that most of us learn to accept ourselves more as time goes on.

I chose this as my photo for the month for a couple of reasons. First, it is impossible for me to look at my purple painted toes with the cute flowers without smiling and feeling happy, and April has been all about happiness for me! I started a new day job at the beginning of the month that I am really liking, and I opened my shooting schedule up and began booking a few sessions. I also decided to go back to working my day job 4 days a week, which has brought a balance back into my life that has been missing for a very long time. I finally feel like my life is back in a good place. Second, a large part of my month has been consumed with planning the details of a trip we are taking to Hawaii, and the flowers on my toes reminds me of the flowers found in tropical places. So the photo also represents all the plans I've been making for my upcoming vacation.

I will admit that this month's photo was nice and easy to take since I could just hold the camera and shoot, but I spent the entire time terrified that I was going to drop my camera into the water. I had a death grip on it the entire time!

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | March 2012

I live in one of the top ten largest cities in the country, yet I only have to travel a few short miles and it feels like I am in the middle of nowhere.  This came in quite handy, as March's self-portrait was taken with me standing in the middle of an intersection.  I wanted to find a time where there would be as little traffic as possible to take this photo, so I got up at 5:45 AM on a Sunday morning to do it, which either makes me dedicated or nuts!

Remember back in January, when I talked about the rough road I have been on?  And how I'd finally realized that the time had come to make some major life changes?  Well, it took a while to set the wheels in motion, but the time has finally come for those changes to happen.  I couldn't be more ready to embrace the new things that life has in store for me and start traveling down a new path.  So, here I am standing at the crossroads of my life, with my arms up in victory for everything I have struggled through and in excitement for where I am headed.

I started taking my self-portraits because I felt like it was something that I should do.  I thought it would be good for me, and that I could learn a lot from it.  You know - one of those tough love kinda things, where I was going to force myself to do something I really didn't want to do for my own good. However, as the months go by I find myself enjoying taking them more and more.  If you are a photographer, I would encourage you to consider doing a self-portrait project for yourself!  I think you might be surprised at how much you can learn and grow from it.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | February 2012

February's self-portrait was once again taken at our rental house in Phoenix. (I really need to get out more, don't I?)  In this photo I am attempting to show my frustration and exasperation with my crazy, insane hair.  I'm not sure if I succeed or if I just look like a bit of a lunatic.

I decided a year ago to grow my hair out from the super short style I had stupidly decided to cut it into.  (Why don't I ever learn?)  In at attempt to keep some sort of style during the growing out process, and with hopes of avoiding the 80's mullet look of my childhood, I let the top and sides grow, while continuing to keep the back trimmed.

Once I moved, and no longer had a familiar hairstylist, I basically just gave up all attempts and let it grow.  It's finally reached a length where I really need to decide on some sort of actual style, but I have no clue what I want to do with it!  Since it has no shape to it, I can't get it to cooperate no matter what I try to do with it, and it has been a huge source of frustration recently.

So, here I am blowing my hair up out of my eyes with a sigh of irritation, to represent the month of February...

While I'm loving taking my self-portraits, I'm finding myself struggling to capture images of myself that are completely in focus. It's challenging to know just where exactly to set the focus without a target in the frame, and using the auto focus feature is hit or miss. If anyone with self-portrait taking experience has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | January 2012

As I embark on a new year of self-portraits, I can't help but stop and reflect on the journey that has brought me to this point in my project, and my life. I feel the need to pause and remind myself why I am taking these monthly portraits, and refocus my attention on my goals for these images.

I started taking my self-portraits with four simple goals in mind, which I listed along with my very first self-portrait back in August 2011. I still want these images to be a way for me to put my face on the blog, and allow my readers a chance to get to see more of me. I also still want these photos to be a way for me to document my life, and to help me be better about accepting myself for who I am. And I definitely still want these photos to be a way for me to practice my photography skills. However, my purpose has also grown and shifted into something bigger.

I have made it my goal with each self-portrait to try to capture the important aspects of my life that month in a single photograph. I want to be able to look back at each photograph and be reminded of where I was in my life - what was happening, what I was thinking, feeling, seeing, and doing. For what is a photograph, if not a way to capture a memory or evoke an emotion?

I've been giving a lot of thought to where I want to take my personal photography this year. I'm still in the early stages of this consideration, but I do know that I want to expand my creativity. I want to step outside the box, and find new ways to say what I want to say with my images. I want to start branching out and capturing more emotion with my photography. And the place I want to start is with myself. Not only do I want to be able to look back at my monthly self-portraits and remember what I was doing, I also want to feel what I was feeling. Perhaps a tall order for a single photograph, but I think I have succeeded this month.

I usually start out saying something about each photo like, "January's self-portrait was taken at our rental house in Phoenix," which is a true statement, but a bit irrelevant for this particular photograph.  Instead of the where or the how, I think the important commentary for this image is the why.

I'd love to be able to say that my relocation to Phoenix has been all puppy dogs and roses, but the truth of the matter is that the past six months have been some of the darkest of my life.  Picking up and leaving everything I've known isn't easy, and this is the fourth time I've done it.  With each move, I leave a little bit more of my soul behind and starting over is beginning to take a toll on me.

I don't regret moving here, and I still feel like it was the right decision for us.  Unfortunately, we didn't settle into a new life here as smoothly and seamlessly as I had hoped, and I am still really struggling to find my new place in my new world.  This month was the breaking point for me, where I finally realized that the things I am doing aren't working, and I need to take this new life of mine in a new direction.  Sometimes you must reach total darkness before you can begin your ascent into the light.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | December 2011

December's self-portrait was taken a few miles from our rental house against the side of a building that I have often driven by, but previously failed to notice.  I don't even know what the building is... a restaurant maybe, or perhaps a bar or liquor store.  Regardless, it isn't in the nicest part of town and when I've driven by in the past, I've been too busy noticing the bars on the windows to pay any attention to the color of the walls.  I guess it just goes to show that perhaps the very thing you are seeking is right under your nose, if only you change your perspective.

I had a plan all laid out for December's photograph of myself, and I assure you this wasn't it!  I'd already taken photos at two other locations and on a whim decided to pull over and take a few quick shots in front of this bright blue wall.  After I got home and looked through the photos, I decided that I much preferred this one to the ones that I took with my original idea in mind.

And frankly, this fits my month better, too.  I've spent a lot of time this month talking with the designer about putting the finishing touches on my business logo, and I've really been struggling with it.  At the moment, we are trying to work out exactly what the color scheme is going to be, and I keep requesting that he make changes to it with varying shades of blue.  So, December has kinda of turned into the battle of the blues for me!

I have to confess that this photo isn't a true "self-portrait" in the sense that I'm not the one who snapped the picture.  Instead, I made my husband come with me and had him snap the picture after I set the camera settings.  My poor excuses are that I haven't yet replaced my broken tripod, and it makes me very nervous to set my camera up and walk away from it while out it crowded areas of town.  I'm afraid someone is going to just walk by and grab it and take off with it before I could even react.  So, the only way I felt comfortable venturing off into town to take photos is if he came along to help.  So, part of the credit of the photo has to go to him.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | November 2011

November's self-portrait was taken near the Gila River outside of Phoenix, at the same place where some of my Fisheye Lens photos were taken.  The photo was taken with the Macro Lens that I rented to experiment with. (More on that soon!)

I had been toying with the idea of taking a reflection photo for this month's self-portrait but hadn't really decided what I wanted to do for sure yet.  I just knew that I wanted to use the rental lens for the portrait, since it represented the month for me, and I thought maybe it would be fun to include a photo of me behind the camera.

I wanted to see if I could find some flowers and insects along the river bank to photograph with the Macro, and Kevin came along for the ride. He was standing at the edge of the river skipping rocks, and as I turned around and looked at him, I caught the reflection of the river and the gorgeous blue sky behind me in his sunglasses. So, I raised my camera to my eye and fired off a few quick shots, and here you have it:

I have to admit that I really like this month's self-portrait and the spur of the moment shot probably turned out much better than it would have if I'd spent hours agonizing over it.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | October 2011

October's self-portrait was taken in the kitchen of our rental house in Phoenix.  As you can plainly see, I've photographed myself sitting on the kitchen counter.  Assuming this pose while chatting in the kitchen has been a habit of mine for as long as I can remember.  I'm not sure why I find it so comfortable, but I'd much rather sit on the counter than on a chair at the kitchen table.  Perhaps I long to feel like a kid again, with my feet dangling, and it is one of the few places where I can still do that.

It took me a while to begin the habit, but now that I feel at home here it has resumed in full force.  I decided on this as October's pose earlier in the month when I realized just how often I've been hopping up there during evening conversations with Kevin.

Usually I don't sit up there unless someone else is in the kitchen with me and I am talking with them, so for the photo I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to compose it or where I wanted to be looking.  Luckily, Lexi is rarely more than a few feet away so she presented herself as the perfect target to direct my attention towards for the photo.

I suspect that the kitchen probably won't be the setting for too many more photos!  It is one of the very few places in the house that doesn't have any natural lighting.  I kept hoping that I would eventually find a time of day where there was enough light filtering in from the dining room and living room, but it never happened.  So, I had to settle for taking the photo with the overhead light on, and I didn't love the effect which is why I opted for a black and white photo.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | September 2011

September's self-portrait was taken in the bedroom in our rental house in Arizona, using the Fisheye Lens that I rented earlier in the month. Since shooting with the lens was one of the highlights of the month, I thought it was fitting for me to use it to take this month's portrait.

I decided on a photo of myself holding a book, while relaxing on the bed, because reading is one of my favorite things to do!  Now that we are (mostly) unpacked, and things are starting to settle into more of a routine around here, I'm slowly starting to find time to do more of the things that I enjoy.

If you look at the book I am holding, you will see that it is called The Happiness Project. I saw this book at the store quite a while ago and though it looked like an interesting read. I finally decided to buy it and start reading it recently. As I'm reading, I'm putting together my own version of a happiness project of sorts. I feel like my life has been passing by me mostly unnoticed in recent years because I haven't taken the time to stop and see the good around me. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to change that, and hoping that the book will help me to do just that.

I've been really excited to see that the light in our rental house is amazing for photos! I haven't spent too much time taking indoor photos here yet, but the few I have managed have really shown the great light. If I'd decided to try to take these self-portraits in our old house in Indiana, I would have really struggled. The lighting in that house was atrocious, and I'd cringe any time I had to take photos inside there.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | August 2011

Is August seriously almost over? As I was typing in the date above, it took everything I had not to type in July. Where oh where has this summer gone?

As I mentioned, I'm going to be making some changes to the blog in the coming weeks, and one of those changes is to include a monthly self-portrait.

Why a self-portrait?

Lots of reasons!

For one, I thought it was high time I stepped out from behind the camera and showed my face on the blog. As I was doing some recent edits, I realized just how few photos there are of me and I thought it was about time to change that.

For two, I wanted to do a better job of documenting my own life in photos. It's about time that I start practicing what I preach!

For three, I'm really not a big fan of using a tripod. I tend to find it frustrating and I usually avoid it when at all possible - even resorting to hand holding the camera for slow shutter speeds that really would do much better on a tripod. The best way to overcoming something is to do it, right? And it's pretty much impossible to take a self-portrait without a tripod.

For four, I wanted the challenge, and the life lesson.  I think that taking a self-portrait is much more difficult than taking a portrait of someone else. We are always so much more critical of ourselves than of others, and taking your own photo is a double whammy. Not only can I criticize myself in the photo, but my photography is also up for critique.  In recent weeks, I've started on a path toward greater acceptance of who I am.  I'm concentrating on trying to realize that I am enough, instead of always zeroing in on my perceived short comings.  I'll probably share more on that eventually, but for now... my desire for greater self-acceptance is also fueling my desire to take my own portrait every month.

August's self-portrait was taken with me sitting in the chair in the living room of our rental house in Phoenix. I seem to have adopted this as "my place" in the house, and I almost always sit there any time I am in the living room. I opted to photograph myself sitting in this chair, with my computer on my lap, because when I look back over the month of August it is nothing but a blur of day after day spent working on my computer as I updated my website and blog.

As I was brainstorming for this month's self-portrait, I had an idea of how I was going to take this photograph. On a whim, I decided to reposition the camera and I ended up liking the composition of the image much better than in my original idea. I have a feeling that taking my portrait every month is going to be a wonderful learning experience. Trying to imagine what a shot is going to look like with a person in it is very different from actually seeing it with the person already there!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

A Rare View From the Other Side

I see the world through the lens of my camera, even when it is not in my hands. As I walk through life, I see things not as how they are but how they would look through my view finder. In my mind, I instantly convert the world into a series of photographs. I simply belong behind a camera.

The more comfortable I become looking at the world from behind my camera lens, the less likely I become to step out in front of it. It's not that I don't like being photographed, its just that I much prefer the view from behind the camera.

Over the weekend, Kevin and I were out with some friends. I wanted to take some photos while we were out, so I brought along my camera. The following photo is a completely candid shot, captured by my husband. I had no idea that he was taking it, or I'm quite certain I would have protested.

I thought perhaps it would be a nice change of pace if I showed my face on {the blog}, so here I am!...

I was torn between the image in color or black & white, so I posted both with the hope that my readers could help me decide. So, which do you like better? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer currently located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Michele will be relocating to Phoenix, Arizona during the summer of 2011. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.