Quote of the day: “AT MY SEMINARS I often ask people to join in a greeting shared by the Zulu people of South Africa. The greeting is an invocation spoken in two parts. One part is Sikhona, which means ‘I am here to be seen’; and the other part is Sawubona, which means ‘I see you.’ ” — Robert Holden
My favorite self-portrait – love the way the fern leaf inside the shop window blends into my portrait as if it is a part of me
This week my photography learning goal was to fulfill an “assignment” that I drew randomly from Doug Beasley‘s Vision Quest Cards: Photo Assignments For Personal & Spiritual Growth. I drew the card, “Make a self-portrait using a reflection in water or a window (not in mirror) with and without showing your camera.” Sigh. Making self-portraits can be challenging, mostly in the looking at myself afterwards.
Have you ever noticed that when you look at photos of yourself you tend to see all the things about yourself that you don’t like? I’ve noticed that happens a lot with women for whom I make portraits. While I see them in all their beauty and uniqueness, they focus on their wrinkles or their weight or their expression. Loving ourselves—all of ourselves—unconditionally is not an easy task.
When I had first gained more weight than I was happy with after my second daughter was born, I was very self-conscious and did not want to be photographed. My mother didn’t help by sending me articles on weight loss. But my favorite aunt very delightfully said to me once when I was saying something about my frustration with my weight gain, “There’s just more of you to love my dear.” That kind of unconditional love and acceptance is necessary for ourselves and others. It doesn’t mean self-complacency. But it does mean recognizing that our worth is not based on how we look or what we do.
I’ve found that self-portraiture helps me accept and love myself as I am—all of me. It also expresses who I am. In making these self-portraits I proclaim, “I am here to be seen.”
Another favorite – love the way the tree trunk reflection becomes a part of me.
Another tree trunk reflection image
One more shop window self-portrait
Accidental Self-portrait During a Portrait Shoot
Self-portrait with blue sky – love the way that what’s behind the window mixes with the reflections from outside the window
Final self-portrait is not a reflection.
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