Around the House...

With Halloween approaching, I channeled my inner love for scary movies. Not crappy scary movies like "Scream" or "Hostel", but classics like "The Shining" and "Psycho". I wanted to create an image that looked like a film still from one of these movies. So, I decided to turn out all the lights except for the one at the end of the hall. I set my camera up on a tripod at the far end and would turn on the lights to focus. Then I clicked the timer and ran to the other side of the hall and waited as still as I possibly could. I had to experiment with something I HATE doing for this picture. My model, also my roomate, decided to spend the night in Boston and I really wanted to produce this image right after I thought about it. Therefore, I was forced to do a self portrait. I hate self portraits. Actually, I only hate my self portraits. Anyway, it took me hours to get this shot, and an uncountable number of exposures. I swear I got a workout running back and forth from my camera to my "model spot". I really wanted the lines on the wood floor and the imperfections in the wall to show a lot of detail. The biggest challenge, though, was staying still for this long exposure and trying to get myself in focus. My neighbors must have thought I was crazy because the lights in my apartment were constantly going on and off. I would turn the lights on to readjust my lens or try a new composition, and then I would shut them off and run to the other end of the hall. This was not an easy exposure to make, but I had an image in my head of exactly what it should look like. I kept trying until I got it, and I appreciate the outcome more because I know I put so much work into this one image. Happy Halloween everyone! Watch some scary movies for me. I was on a role of taking pictures in my apartment. I usually stick to outdoor
images and natural light, but I liked the image above so much that I continued photographing things I would never think of for hours. This bottle of wine was given to me for my birthday and I cannnot bring myself to drink it because it matches my room so perfectly. Someone told me to drink it and then turn it into a vase, but that is beside the point. Anyway, this windowsill is a bit dirty because we just took out our air conditioners and leaves ventured in with them. I was trying to experiment with colors, using the red in the wine and the red in the reflection of the pillow. I was also using the blinds to my advantage to try and create an opposing angle to the windowsill. This is another image that was taken many, many times. The building outside this window was shining a bright light in through the window which was creating a blown-out and distracting spot. I was trying different things to get rid of it like taking the picture from a lower angle looking up, or, like in this image, using the bottle to block the light. This was a very experimental image, and it is very unlike me. It is practically a still life which is something I have NEVER done and never been interested in doing. This image kind of sparks my interest in creating more still lifes. We will see, I guess; this semester has definitely not had a focus in what I have been photographing.