I really like portraits done with low-key lighting. There is something mysterious, contemplative and dramatic about them that I really enjoy. This is why I was very happy to be able to learn how to take such photos in my photography course this week. Our homework was to practice shooting low-key images, which I did with great pleasure, and since I didn't really have a model available, I just took photos of myself. I think the results are very nice for someone who's done this for the first time.
P.S. As a person who's done her fair share of self-portraits, I feel obligated to say a few things here. It might seem to people that those who take self-portraits are the kind that enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Sure, there are individual photographers that you'll encounter who are enamored with their own image, but the truth is that most of us who take self-portraits do it for reasons that have nothing to do with our looks. Sometimes it's just that you have nobody else to shoot but yourself, or nobody that wants to do those crazy poses or express those strange emotions that you would like to capture. Sometimes taking self-portraits is a form of healing; it's putting your feelings out there when you feel like you can't put them into words or have no one to share them with. For me, taking self-portraits often involved getting to really know myself, which is something I think everyone should aim to do. Just something to think about for all those self-portrait skeptics out there.
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