Monday, December 10, 2012

i got stripes.

Hiya folks!
   
      Yesterday, I spent the day trying to get a decent self-portrait for the portrait class I’m taking. I guess the photos turned out ok, but for my sour face, which I always end up wearing in an attempt to ward off lurkers when I’m out shooting on my lonesome. At least I got some clear shots of my outfit. The weather has been brisk but not too cold this winter, allowing me to wear a shorts and coat combo. I’m wearing my favorite red 50s shorts with a cream 50s coat that I recently thrifted, and just a week after thrifting an identical black one! It’s been lucky days at the thrift store. To complete this 50s flavored outfit, I’ve topped my head with a pink beret of the same era.

    I’ve been having some nostalgic fun times lately, perhaps in an effort to resurrect my usual sunny self.  Recently, I dined at Sizzler’s restaurant in the town of Orange, where I spent my teenage years.  With every bite of cheesy toast, fried shrimp, chocolate mousse, my memories were revived. Most vividly, I recalled my mother’s insatiable appetite - always trying to get her money’s worth, she piled her plate precariously high each trip to the salad bar, which I never quite understood since it was all you can eat.  Though I expected the trip to Sizzler’s to be simply for nostalgia sake, I found myself raving about my meal in the same embarrassing way my mother would have - for too long and with too much enthusiasm. That same weekend, Pete and I went to Disneyland! It was a rainy day and I accidently wore slippery soled shoes, literally sliding into Tomorrowland, taking Pete along with me. It was funny, but it hurt.  Disneyland looms large in my memory, not just because I am a southern California native, but because I grew up down the street. Before going to Dland, I took Pete on a tour of the apartment complex that I grew up in, where my brothers and I used to jump the fence to pick strawberries from the strawberry field, to the annoyance of the field workers who would sometimes throw stink bombs at us.  Even though I lived just a few minutes from the Happiest Place on Earth, my neighborhood was pretty rough. Never wanting to be taken for a coward, it seemed I was always having to fight off some bully. At Disneyland, my favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain. I’m a roller coaster lightweight, so Big Thunder Mountain is about my limit. I even think it has gotten faster, but it could just be that I’m becoming more of a wuss.
 
Outfit: chambray Keds, Ralph Lauren striped shirt, 50s cream coat (thrifted), 50s red shorts (Etsy), 50s pink beret (vintage store in Toronto).

7 comments:

  1. I love, love, love these! They look like movie stills. The last one of the bunch is my favorite. Can you tell a little bit about how you set the timer/tripod? I'm terrible at doing self portraits and could use some tips!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Emily. I am an amateur photographer. Getting a good photo is usually the result of shooting with film, which inherently produces a more nostalgic image. A good backdrop helps too. There’s nothing special to setting up the timer/using a tripod. Just set the timer on your camera, and plop yourself in front of the camera and tripod. Maybe try not to cut off feet and hands at the joints. That can tend to look weird. Of course, I’ve done that several times.

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  2. These are lovely photos, you're quite good with the self portraits. I miss doing those. :)

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  3. Oh I just love every piece of this outfit! It has a sort of Bonnie And Clyde feel which I am totally digging. PLus you have fabulous legs, I wish mine looked that good!

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