Self Portrait

I told you I was resourceful.  Yesterday, I did a self portrait for my blog logo.  With one drawback- I have no equipment.  But I was still able to manage all the challenges:

Challenge # 1- No studio lighting.

  I rigged up my own key light with a microphone stand and a desk lamp.  I clamped the lamp to the microphone clip and raised it to the height that I wanted.  Then I rubberbanded a T-shirt to the front of the lamp for diffusion.  I used a left over mounting board from one of my assignments for a reflector.  And I just waited until night so I wouldn't get any window light mixing in.







 
Challenge # 2- Wardrobe Malfunction-

I planned to use these really cute false eyelashes but I couldn't get them on straight.  Because my eyes were the key element in this image, they had to be right.  So I eighty-sixed the lashes and re-did my eye make up with heavy mascara instead.




Challenge # 3- No studio equipment-

  I have yet to purchase equipment and I needed a backdrop stand, backdrop and posing stool.  I found some remnant fabric from Joann's for a dollar something and duct taped it to the wall.  I used a lawn chair making sure I sat up high enough so that you couldn't see the back of the chair in the picture.




Challenge # 4- Software issues-

I've got (a) PC desktop with CS3 but won't upload RAW images, (b) a PC laptop with CS3 that will upload RAW images, but is corrupted or something so that it freezes up at any moment ( I need a techie type to look at it), and (c) a mac-mini with no Adobe software on it.  So to overcome this, I set my camera to
to shoot both RAW and jpegs, so that I could work off the jpeg from my desktop.

I did a few workarounds in Photoshop to help the white balance.  (I kept the RAW files for possible future use. I will upload with the rest of the stuff I shot this weekend once I get back to school).

Final image: