manipulation of the mind

Project Warrior Assignment: Manipulation.

 

I just go where the pictures lead me.

 

Self portrait.

quite intense... i do like it!

I kind of had a hard time staring at myself while doing this. My stare is pretty harsh. You could say I am used to my stare when doing work of my self portraits but this one was haunting.

It is rather scaaaaary - very scary in fact (especially since what my dad has gone through recently) So this really has high impact for me. I like that you used the desaturated sepia. I also like that you took the title in a different direction. I think the image is very successful. I need to go take some drugs now.

I have worked on it for like over a week in many different ways. The pictures were kind of a fluke when I wasn't feeling that great.

I do like the intensity. It is a little difficult to look at as you say.

 

While I think the softness is a good effect, I also wonder what a harsher higher contrast version would look like. The softness also makes it a little hard to figure out what is surrounding you. You are messing with our minds. ;-) Very creative.

Okay, this one creeps me out...like looking outside a window and seeing a ghost looking back! Great, so much for sleeping tonight! Micki, I'm really impressed with this and impressed with the way you took the manipulation theme. I see what John is saying and I'd be interested in seeing that version, but for me, this has incredible impact. I have goosebumps! I will NOT be looking out any windows tonight!

here it is with more contrast...

 

YES, no more looking out windows. Or looking inwards towards your own self. (hmmm)

 

 

just the right texture and stare is not bad. Not sure there anything to improve other than experiment with some different tones to see what the eyes and other detail does... Another good project.

here is what I did, emotionally for this picture and why I did what I did for this picture...

 

I hid behind the DOF of the picture. I manipulated myself behind the dof that was actually really in the picture itself. Lately I have felt very trapped. My question is Aesthetics? Why does everything have to be so smooth and perfect and such. Why do blurrs and motion and all if that is part of what it is? I don't know what to say anymore because I just feel so darn trapped within the stupid dof you see here. I just want to not have to do things so normal sometimes and those people that are so harsh in their silly little ratings, well I wish they would just tell me why. :(

 

Ok, I'm done...

 

 

This is a brave ( considering all the supposedly accepted rules of photographie ), but actually for me ( but then I'm always attracted by true artists : meaning people able to experiment, and take challenges, instead fo constantly repeating the same one photo all the time ) It is one of your photos I like the most.

 

As you tell in the title you are playing with our minds, and what we consider accepted rules. Your composition in 2 parts really is making us feel like having dissociative identity disorder ( Schizophrenia beeing a bit too strong here ) : looking at the objective ( as looking at the observer more than the photographer or not ... The tones you used in your photos are well as for the frame works very well, and forces us to face our muddy mind.

 

The choice of blur ( Can't speak about defoccus after looking at your latest attachment :-) ) is also in my opinion the best choice for what I understand from your photo.

 

All that to say, that for me, your original post ( not the darker one, not the sharper one ) has made me looking at and meditating over your photo for a long time.

( even longer than I needed to write this text :-))

I think the thing about reducing the way we do (on PN) is I can not make a picture like this again sharp. It would make this picture grainy. I showed that last picture in attempt to show the picture in its RAW form.

 

In the original verision (which I realize might now need a bit of rework to make the eyes even more sharp), the eyes are much more clear and more sharp and looking through the grain in a different way.

 

I always have a hard time delivering my "art" sometimes here on PN since I do it in such a filtered way I have a hard time reducing it.

 

 

Fine and creative work, Micki! Regards...

After seeing the edits I like the original post best! I should know better than to 2nd guess your darkroom work.

PDE

I imagine being lost in thought and then suddenly transporting back into the here and now, spirit and flesh.

I respond to it most personally as originally posted. The softness, haziness, and out-of-"focusness" of it seems to be expressive and personal. I think that treatment woks somewhat better with the top image because of the eyes glancing off to the side. The more direct stare on the bottom, although I like that we make out the nose a little more, doesn't seem as harmonious with the treatment.

 

I think it's a very sensitively approached and handled self portrait. There's no hype, just genuine Micki.

 

Technically, on my monitor, let's look at the area under her left eye (on the right side of the picture), along the edge of her face and just over and along her eyebrow down to her nose. While I like the sepia tone of the image, on my monitor I see a magenta tint in that a few other spots. I'm wondering if that can be avoided. It seems to disrupt the evenness of the important tone you've given this.

This is a very creative and imaginative image. I applaud your originality and artistic sense. Well done, Micki.

I really like this. It's really creepy. I see the colour Fred is talking about,and I'm undecided if it bothers me or not. This isn't what I was expecting from you... I guess I was expecting something crazy and fun.. not creepy and dark (dark as in... well, creepy, not actually dark - I prefer the lighter version btw). BUT... with that said, it's still fun in a creepy kinda way. I think I gotta go over to Jan's house to get some of those drugs...

no drugs - one year.

To me true artist dont follow the rules. You make your own rules Micki and it works. Alot of people admire your art...do what you like to do and people will look. And if they dont...oh well. I love your style and this is no exception. Im thinking I like the higher contrast version best actually. I dont know why...maybe because its darker and creepier. I want to do creepy sometime. :O)

Whether to look into the flame, or out of the frame, foggy, mysterious, very symbolic and rich with emotion and meaning. Very like the you I've seen glimpses of behind your delightful, spirited wit and humor. These images are a shrink's playground, you know, so I could go on and on and on and... I'll just say how impressed I am with your artistry, and my mind is entirely boggled by your PP expertise and skill. I'd love to be able to do such things when I photographically grow up! Ha! BTW, I do like the original post the most. The darker one has a sinister feel, and I don't get any of that quality from you. Great work, Micki!

You know when you start something like this and do it in layers you kind of feel like you are putting a mask on everything. Here I felt more like I was trying to see through what was behind me. Trying to tell a bit of a story. The hardest part about pictures like these is they really are like paintings and don't show the detail.

 

The slight pink color in the picture is there yes. I might tone it done in other areas as I now see it more but at the top right is a rose that you can see slightly if you really look at it. It is slightly pink if you look at it. When it is larger or on print you can see it much more clear.

 

There you go.

 

I'm also still trying to figure out my silly new computers flat screen (laptop) and how it judges colors. Work in progress as they say.

 

Thank you all! ~ micki

congrats on getting a photography business of the ground!!! you've come a long way baby. love this abstract impressionist port. the diptych really works with the direction of the eyes. very enigmatic. cheers.

Hey you make money got to get yourself a business ;)

 

HA!

 

Long way I have come in one year. Thanks for all your encouragement ;)