I’ve been wanting to do more work in black and white. I took these of myself today and the goal was creating more dramatic lighting than I usually do.
Funny, in going through the many shots it took me to come up with these three, it’s like I no longer see the photographs as pictures of me. I find myself staring at them with an analytic eye. Are the eyes in focus? Any odd shadows? Nice highlight along the jaw-line. No, that one is off. I like how the chin looks in this one. Nice definition there. Oops, jaw and neck blend together on this one. And so on and so on.
Perhaps that is why I don’t feel odd showing these to you. Me. No make-up. Wrinkles. But to me, it’s just another face I lit and shot.
Carissa Snedeker Photography 
I really like the stare in the first image… perhaps your watery eyes added to it… I like a lot 🙂
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Yeah, I don’t know what’s up with my left eye, but it’s a bit tearier that my right. I like the expression in that photo as well.
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Contrarian me, I rank the second as superior to the other two. If I were to say why (something that is difficult to explain; I think “like” is mostly an unconscious response), I would have to say it has more character, and that the lighting helps in that regard.
A smile, even a tiny one, or a shadow of one, would not have hurt, either.
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I like them all, for different reasons. Did not want to smile in these. Goodness knows I’ve taken enough of those. But that wasn’t what I was going for here.
In addition, part of that may be that I am trying to come to terms with the weird droop on the right corner of in my mouth (on left in photo) since my jaw surgery. It annoys me, but it’s part of me, you know?
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Most people, me included, would not notice, and certainly would not consider, that particular detail as “weird”. We do tend to put upon ourselves more burdens than warranted or deserved.
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True enough.
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Love the first one. It has a certain feel to it. Great lighting all together. And I think you’re beautiful 🙂
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Thank you, Inga.
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Love them all three Carissa but the first shot has the most ‘natural feel’ to me. Great lightning and you wanting to create more character or drama to you B&W photos…you’ve succeeded!!
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Thanks so much, Joanna!
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The second shot is the coolest. Its like I’m looking in a magazine or something.
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Thanks Kevin!
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Very nice, very dramatic !
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Thank you. 🙂
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The spirit of the first image is the best… I loved it. Well done dear Carissa, Thanks and Love, nia
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Thank you, nia!
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Carissa, I love this series. I’m really impressed with the work you’ve done with the lighting in all three images. I also think it’s great that you can consider yourself just another subject now when you’re doing self-portraits. I heard a photographer talking about her work at an opening one time, and she mentioned what an important moment it was in her career when she was able to refer to herself as “she” when critiquing the figure featured in her self-portraits. Like you say, “just another face.” That’s a really wonderful achievement.
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Thank you, Melanie. And thanks for sharing that story. It’s interesting to know that other photographers do the same thing.
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Love black and white and these are nicely done!
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Thank you. Thanks for stopping by!
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I especially like the first photo. I was drawn to the lighter side of your face. You have expressive eyes. I didn’t notice the droop you mentioned. You are lovely by the way 🙂
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Thank you, Jeff.
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