Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Pictures of You, Pictures of Me

(George Tooker, Self-Portrait, 1947; unknown MySpace picture)

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I used to take a lot of self-pics. As soon as I got my hands on my first digital camera (circa 1999 - cost $150 and was 1.5 megapixels), I was snapping pictures of myself on a weekly basis.

A lot of my self-pics can be chalked up to body image issues that come tucked inside your first box of Tampax Slenders. Only instead of stuffing my bra in front of my mirror, asking "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret," or furiously stabbing my autograph hound, I could put on a shitload of make-up and post to my LiveJournal! "Got a new dress," I'd coyly write. Yeah right, bitch - these are clearly the product of two hours worth of careful staging.

The other night, prior to applying my acne cream (still young after all these years!), I was thinking about how I haven't taken a self-pic - a serious self-pic - in a while. Maybe it's because I don't think I am as cute as I did when I was 16, but hey! some of the best pictures I have of myself, I took my.self. No one knows your face better than you, right?

(Cindy Sherman - queen of "don't call them self-portraits because they're not actually me" self-portraits)

Then I was thinking how cool it would be if self-portraits could be a Spinecracker project. So here's your mission, if you choose to accept: take some legitimate self pics. No PhotoBooth, no camera in the mirror or over your head, just good self pics. Pretend you met someone FINE in your favorite AOL chat room, and you're adding an attachment. Or, just take a cool picture.

8 comments:

  1. hahaha of course i want to do this!!

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  2. can we use a camera on timer??? or just hold the camera out in front?

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  3. i don't understand!
    Am i an idiot? "No PhotoBooth, no camera in the mirror or over your head, just good self pics." how else do i take a self portrait?

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  4. Hahaha maybe I'm being too strict. Self-timer is fine! What I'm talking about is avoiding pictures like this http://zoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/myspace-photo-fail.jpg and this: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4043525927_aedb91f95b.jpg

    Think outside the bun, Katers!

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  5. an opportunity for self-discovery. like our russian sisters:
    http://www.geekologie.com/2009/05/14/whale%20tail%206.jpg

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  6. The Vilena Pose! It's a thing! http://www.voodoovillage.co.uk/2009/04/vilena-pose.html

    And Vilena Poses are velcome!

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  7. Can't wait to do this! Thank you for giving me a reason to put on clothes that aren't covered in paint and asbestos dust :) I love this assignment and I love hearing about your teenage dreamz. Always entertaining. Love your stories, betch.

    Is there a deadline?

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  8. I'm the absolute WORST at self portraits, one reason being I'm not used to people ever taking MY picture, including myself, which makes me all awkward feeling/looking...but I like your idea!

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