365/31

365/31
Originally uploaded by amc365

I am reluctant to edit photos because there was that old fashioned idea of trying to get it right in the camera and also it seems too easy to play with something and make it look startling - but its somehow different from photography. If one is going to edit something, I think one should take the photo with the edit in mind.

365/30

365/30
Originally uploaded by amc365

Photography is interruptive, it takes you out of the current routine to stand back. The food bloggers complained of their food getting cold while they snap away - the way that one wants to lose oneself in the process. I think Sontag sees this removal as wholly bad, but obviously it can be seen as a reflexive move. But when you are out running its a bit of an inconvenience, at least, I expect one could quickly get used to taking a photo each run, so long as the set up is simple.

365/28

365/28
Originally uploaded by amc365

I spent the day travelling to MK and back, even so, the best I could come up with in terms of a sp was a snap in the train. I think this does reflect the strength of inhibition from taking pictures of the self in most contexts + actually the difficulty of setting up anything even a little more sophisticated.

A terrible photo really, with the strip light appearing to stick out of my head, in a distracting way.

365/27

Simply forgot to take a photo ...

365/26

365/26
Originally uploaded by amc365

The first photo that really moves away from pictures of whole body/face/eye, which feel like safe areas.

365/25

365/25
Originally uploaded by amc365

I should comment more on Flickr on the choice of photo. The filtering through of a number of shots is a key part of the activity. I think being able to choose from a number of fairly random shots and edit out mistakes, is substituting for actual skill or knowledge of how to achieve an effect. Also substituting for the need to imagine an effect then try and achieve it. So there is a possibility to let things (meaning) just emerge from a fairly uncontrolled combination of subject/camera/lighting conditions.

365/24

365/24
Originally uploaded by amc365

An interesting article in the Metro today about teachers' careers being threatened by photos they post on facebook. This probably wouldn't apply the a university teacher, but it did make me stop and think - both about the unconscious, unacknowledged limits on what I would post here - as well as the conscious ones.

This theme links to the issues around what one photos in public. There are strong conventions. I've always felt inhibited about what I photo, barriers seem to have fallen, but not very much. So there are strong conventions around what you are allowed to photograph.

365/23

365/23
Originally uploaded by amc365

Another random snap. Finally a part of the body, though the face.

I like the idea of assembling this with some other snaps of the face into a collage.

It would make a lot of difference to use the camera with the screen that revolves through 180 degrees but I find the compact camera so much more convenient. The photos always look better, I wonder if the camera is optimised for taking pictures of people?

365/22.2

365/22.2
Originally uploaded by amc365

I have all along found it difficult to separate out what should be the flickr description and what is the blog. I think I defined the purpose of the blog as to reflect on the project. Perhaps that is why its harder because it is a meta commentary.

I suppose at the moment I feel quite a lot of doubt about whether the project makes sense: the informational aspects of the 365 project seem very obscure. In particular, I return to the pressing question of trying to define what information means.

365/20

365/20
Originally uploaded by amc365

I think I still consider a self-portrait to be of my face - not including the rest of my body or even just part of my body.

365/19

365/19
Originally uploaded by amc365

I already have 544 photos (755 Mb) of myself in my "of me" folder! I will start deleting things soon.

365/18

365/18
Originally uploaded by amc365

I suppose its only when Im working at home that the project is salient, therefore few of the photos are of me at work (even though I take my camera there). The value of the project is trying to shift habits of where and when to do stuff.

365/17

365/17
Originally uploaded by amc365

Of course one of the points of the 365 project is that the limitation of subject becomes creative. You are forced into ingenuity to make something different. Yet of course in reality there are bound to be patches when one struggles for inspiration..

365/16

365/16
Originally uploaded by amc365

Thought this was better than the blurry, ill composed final photos, when I put a better setting on the timer.

365/15

365/15
Originally uploaded by amc365

Despite the importance of the project, I forgot to upload any of the 90+ photos from yesterday.

365/14

365/14
Originally uploaded by amc365

W pointed out that I only had face/body pix and no pix body parts, eg close ups of arm etc. Actually, that is interesting because its generally considered that its women's bodies which tend to be represented in fragments/parts by media/advertisers. If I face the camera I tend to look at it directly. I'm pretty sure an analysis would show, therefore, that I am creating representations that reflect media convention. Not a surprise, I suppose.

I suppose the increasing levels of humour are a way to offset the embarrassment of focussing on the self.

365/13

365/13
Originally uploaded by amc365

A first foray into taking photos of myself outside the home ! I wonder if this is liberating or embarrassing. Should I have taken a photo of myself at the degree ceremony (no - obviously enough).

365/12

365/12
Originally uploaded by amc365

I seem to be having problems breaking out of one room. This actually reflects the focus of my life.

I am dogged by the question of why anyone would read any of this?

11/365

11/365
Originally uploaded by amc365

Have just started looking properly on other people's photo streams. Its very natural to move from uploading to viewing other's work, for inspiration.

It only takes a few minutes to take a photo, upload it, blog. The whole thing can be kept going with only a little effort.

365/10

365/10
Originally uploaded by amc365

Maybe one could do a whole series with another person actually taking the photo. Obviously they wouldn't be self-portraits as such, but it would be a new take on the genre.

365/09

365/09
Originally uploaded by amc365

The fourth time lapse in a row, but later looking through most 365projects I think they are generally photos.

I have been trying to work out what should go in different places:

1. here - the blog - comments on the project itself, especially thinking about making contacts, links to other 365 sites, perhaps links to other academic's work
2. Flickr I've decided 3 things - photos/diary entry/ comments on the process of taking photos
3. academic.edu / my web page on the School site.

With participant observation there must always be a certain discomfort that one is participating but for different reasons than others. When favouriting others or joining groups I feel a bit uncomfortable. But I guess in reality everyone is doing the daily photo project for somewhat different, personal easons. Attention is generally welcomed, and my interest in other people's 365 projects is quite sincere. Also, following the links its probably clearer what my motives are than most people's.

Creating and maintaining the site is going to be time consuming. I think a lot of these new media uses require a big investment of time.

I recall that a classic move in ethnography is that you leave the field and then do the serious analysis. The logic of this is to see this as a project that isn't itself maintained beyond the planned year.

365/08

365/08
Originally uploaded by amc365

Because the timelapse is so fast and I cannot seem to edit the file (even convert it to edit it), this time I used interval photography then used moviemaker to stitch them together.

Unfortunately I couldn't turn off the flash, that is why when I stand up I look a bit unreal.

The timelapse probably works a bit better because I set the camera further back and the moving object (me is quite small).

The thing I like is the way I start off quite animated and gradually sink down into the chair. This wasn't especially deliberate.

365/07

365/07
Originally uploaded by amc365

At my desk timelapse.

365/06

365/06
Originally uploaded by amc365

Needless to say I wasn't actually sleeping. I just thought rather than select the "best" (least worst) picture I would make them all into a short time lapse film.

[Ran 40 minutes]

365/05

365/05
Originally uploaded by amc365

I realised a couple of things: a) I need to work out how to make the photos interesting, such that someone else might be interested in viewing them. b) aesthetic interest is one direction, but I was thinking of documenting things more. In the end I just fooled around for a while to produce this.

[Ran 40 minutes]

365/04

365/04
Originally uploaded by amc365

Working early morning. I thought this was the best composition of the photos taken with the webcam today.

[Run 60 minutes.]

365/03

365/03
Originally uploaded by amc365

The obvious thing about one's own body, especially one's own face, is that although it is always where we are - it is quite unfamiliar. I doubt if I would recognise myself if I passed my own image in the street. The self portrait project holds out the possibility of viewing oneself unexpectedly, as another might see one. Actually, in this case, of course, the casual posture is fairly planned.

The fairly random editing in picassa here reduces the realism and reinforces the abstract shapes in the picture.

[50 minute run.]

365/02

365/02
Originally uploaded by amc365

With the timer on 10 seconds there was more scope to compose the picture impromtu.

One big advantage of self portrait, is that just as the keen photographer always has their camera, so the subject for a self portrait is always available. I have just been playing around in picassa looking at editing some pictures. One would not be so free with an image of another. At least the copyright issues are simplified!

[Running: 40 minutes. Very stiff today.]

365/01

365/01
Originally uploaded by amc365

This was my first picture.

I spent the last few days fiddling around trying out taking self portraits using my compact digital camera, handheld or with timer (a function I didn't realise it had). Using a compact camera like this is awkward and doesn't strike me as a good way to learn to take better photos. I have been thinking I need to buy a new camera for the project, eg one with a screen that flips through 180 degrees, so you can compose the shot even if it is of yourself. My friend commented that maybe a special quality of this photography is not being able to see what you are taking a picture of as you take it. In the context of self portraiture maybe this is appropriate.

There was a lot of snapping and being "disappointed" (not flattered enough?) by the results.

I do have a camera with a remote but Im too lazy to set it up and I dont really like that camera.

I also worked out how to take snaps with the webcam on my laptop, but I hesitated to upload this to flickr as the first self portrait, because I don't think would normally do this.

I don't make a habit of taking pictures of myself. (But now I am.) Although the year before last I think my new year's resolution was to draw, and I thought maybe self portraits was a good subject. Someone commented it was egotisitical, but I didnt think it was, if only because the pictures were ugly. Again, we were doing self portraits in the art class last year. The teacher criticised me for always making myself look a lot younger than I actually am. I thought it was a fair criticism.

Ok so lots of self justification about whether Im narcissistic or not.

[Running: I ran for 40 minutes, but very slowly as I was stiff from running yesterday and we had been for a long walk].