Day 10

Password: medicine

Today we find ourselves at the end ( or beginning ) of this journey.
I'd love to see a final self portrait that expresses how this process has been for you. What you're feeling now, today, right here in this space.

You can use any of the tools I've offered throughout the course.
Go at it. Have fun. Play, explore, create from the heart.

I'll see you over in the facebook group for feedback and connection.

It's been a wonderful 10 days with you all. I'm truly inspired by your work.

I hope this time has opened you up to a new way of creating your photographs or has expanded your self portrait work in some way.

If you're anything like me I don't want this to end. If you're interested in continuing this journey, join me in what so many people are calling a transformational experience, Henry Lohmeyer's Wide Open photography course. It's a course that can help us all continue becoming more and more vulnerable as we create the work that means the most to us. This course starts Feb 15th.

Here's a link to Wide Open so you can secure your spot in the course.

I'm coming out with a 6 week course called Into The Deep. It's an expansion of the Begin Deepening course for those of you who want to really sink your teeth into your projects and come out the other side with a cohesive series of 20 images, an artists statement and a deeper understanding of why it is so important to create the work you do and get it out into the world. This course is only open to 20 people and spots have already started to fill up. This course starts in March.

Click HERE to learn more and to see if the course is right for you.

Day 9: Secrets

Password: Medicine

Today it's about Secrets.

We all have them.

How can we incorporate a secret and keep it to ourselves? Well, I'll share a few ways in the video above.

 

The gifts I was given. The secret we shared. Objects held the secrets for me.

The story written out and hung on the line around me.

I'm wearing the white slip in this image, and even though you really can't see it...there are secrets from that day and that slip that mean a lot to me. I don't need to share the secrets to have this be a potent image.

You're turn!

Share your secrets within a photo without telling us what it is.

See you in the Facebook Group.

xo

*c

Day 8: Mourning and Loss

Password: medicine

We all deal with some sort of loss every day. Whether it's the loss of the morning, the last drop of morning coffee, loss of the daylight, losing time, etc.

There are some of us dealing with loss in a bigger way. Mourning the loss of loved ones, loss of a relationship, a job, loss of focus, purpose, financial security, etc.

Today I'd love for you to explore this feeling of loss in your life through self portraiture.

It's a big one. Be gentle and kind with yourself. You don't have to spell any of it out within your photo. This can be as revealing or hidden away as you like. Think about the lighting, the setting, the clothing, the gesture, the crop, etc to create this feeling today.

I'll see you soon over on Facebook!

Day 7: External feedback and Internal Feedback

Password:medicine

Do you consider what your audience or family might think when you're making your work? How does that affect the process of making images? 

Write about this and explore in your images today.

How does the outer world/ concerns about people judging or rejecting or laughing at you and your work affect your ability to be free to explore what you want to explore?

Create a self portrait that reflects how you feel about what others might say about your images, these self portraits.

Maybe you feel like hiding, just peeking to see what they might have to say. How would that look in a photo? Maybe you feel like putting a mask on - hiding yourself completely from view. 

I'm looking forward to seeing your work over in the facebook group.

Day 6: Surrogate

Password: medicine

Today I'd like for you to use something else as a stand in for yourself.

An object that you feel represents you. something that holds meaning for you.

And I'd like for you to try a new app, or filter, or way of photographing that you've not tried out yet. Push yourself to consider new ways of expression.

Here is a dollhouse that's standing in for me. I'm the empty house. I had just gotten divorced and was trying to figure out who I was and I felt empty and alone and uncertain about how I wanted my new life to look and how I wanted my new "house" or my internal house to be decorated...inside and out.

Here, the butterfly is standing in as me. trying to emerge. Trying to fly. Can't quite get into focus. not sure how to use my wings yet. But pretty sure I have them or will have them because I just burned my life down to the ground and I'm ready to rise up from the ashes.

The white slip has been used in my work for years and when it's alone in an image it's standing in for me. This particular slip is seeped in secrets and so am I.

How about you?

Looking forward to seeing your images in the FB group.

Day 5: Body Image

Password: medicine

This image is about what I show to the world vs. what I feel underneath about my body and what's appropriate to share or even to accept. 

These images are about facing myself and the sadness I have about how things change.

This image is about the image I show to the world, versus the insecurity and vulnerability I feel underneath, without hiding behind an image or clothes or any other masks I wear.

Looking at the relationship I have with my body, sexuality and religion.

After watching today's video, please create an image that expresses how you feel about your own body.

This doesn't mean get naked and show us your body. It means get even more curious about how to express your emotions about your body image.

Whether it's positive or negative - or a bit of both - I want to feel the feelings you have. Create a visual language about this topic. And be gentle with yourself.

For the men - I know this may be a different type of experience - although my father didn't feel ok unless he worked out daily. I do think on some level we have an image we want to fit within and judge ourselves a bit if we don't fit within it.

Looking forward to seeing your work!

Day 4: Metaphor, Object, Symbolism.

Password: medicine

The magnifying glass.

This is a child's red plastic magnifying glass. I purchased many fancy ones and this ended up working the best for the idea I had.

The hands with tomato and clothes pin.

This was exploring my relationship with Max. The boy who is so fragile is also a boy who squeezes me and my sense of self, independence, space.

The school girls plain skirt.

This was exploring the idea of sexuality with someone new - new love - vulnerability - innocence - keeping myself pure... and the loss of that purity.

The lesson for today. Today find your own visual language with objects that you can use as metaphors and symbols.

Day 3

Password: medicine

This image was made in a studio and lit with flashlights! I had a friend light it when we were in complete darkness and the camera shutter was open for a long time.

I hung old antique medicine bottles around me that were meant to symbolize the things I reach for outside myself to fill myself up and feel whole. ie: drugs, alcohol, food, etc.

The "wings" are parachute material. This was a much more difficult photo to create than any of my other images because I did have to rely on another person and we had to test that flashlight lighting a lot to get it right.

These 2 images were created a month apart.

I used a broken down garage as my space and I wore a slip and had many objects that were either given to me or reminded me of someone in particular. The image on the left is about hope and waiting.

The image on the right was about the story in between images ( I wrote it out and hung it up around me ), loss and sadness. Mourning.

Hooked:

blue paper taped to the wall
very large fish hooks hanging from the ceiling.
a lamp lighting me.

This one is about being hooked by what someone says because I want to be hooked. I want to believe them. even though everything points to it not being true. I can't help but lean into the lies because I so want them to be real.

This is in a bedroom - I covered a wall in black seemless paper. Taped a polaroid to the black paper and that was it. Alternative space.

You're turn.

Today - write a little about what's happening for you today. What emotions came up. What situation is on your mind.
Create an alternative space and create visually what is going on for you internally around today's situation and emotions.

See you over in our Facebook group!

Day 2

Relationships. 
Password: medicine

Lesson for Day 2

Please write out a list of words that correlate with a relationship you're currently in. Adjectives that describe it. Words that help define in. Emotions. etc. Look them up in a dictionary online or use visualthesaurus.com to find other words that help you pinpoint an idea or feeling you'd like to explore. Create an image based on the words you picked around that specific relationship. What would those words look like visually? What would your feelings around this relationship look and feel like. Explore this today. Post your image inside the Facebook group.

This series of images explores my feelings of motherhood. ( how convenient given the video you just watched! ) I used a pinwheel and held it in front of my face, taking photos of it while it was in motion as well as one where I'm grabbing onto it. It's about powerlessness, whimsy, vulnerability, control.

Day 1

Video 1 :: Selfie vs. Self portrait. 
Password: medicine

My version of a Selfie and my version of a Self Portrait above.
 

Video 2 :: How? 
Password: medicine

Here are the 3 app's I mention in the above video:

Hipstamatic

PicTapGo

Slow Shutter

Video 3 :: What's happening for you right now.
Password: medicine

Here are the images I discuss in the video above.

After watching the 3 videos... here is the lesson for Day 1:

Over in the Facebook Group:

1. Please Post what camera you're using

2. If you're already creating self portraits, what is your favorite way to create them?

3. Consider how you feel right now about your identity. Create a Self portrait from the chest up only around this idea, feeling, thought around your personal identity.

4. Post a Selfie.

I'll see you over in the FB group. The link is always up on the right sidebar.

xo

*c

Welcome!

I know it's Sunday but I wanted to sneak over here and say hello before we begin. 

Here's a little video I made for you. The password is: medicine ( all lowercase ). Once you've watched the video you can click the link for our Facebook Group that's over on the right side bar. Once you ask to join that group and we add you in, I'd love for you to introduce yourself. You'll receive the first email tomorrow. I'm looking so forward to this course and watching all of you create self portraits.

Thank you again for signing up for this course and for giving yourself this time to sink into youSELF. 

xo

*c