Photo-Off: Portrait in Red

Let's say you wanted to take a self portrait (featuring the color red) in the snow. Unsure of how you'd go about it? Lucky for you, I did just that earlier this week and am eager to share the fruits of my experience!

First step: Set up your tripod on your covered back deck (not that it's currently snowing or anything, but it just seems like a good idea to keep the camera on level ground and out of the weather).

Now you'll need a point of focus, so look around on said deck to find something to use as your stand in. Tromp with your focus object around to the far side of the deck (which has mountains in the background rather than the neighbor's house) and plonk it into the snow. Tromp back to the camera to adjust focus.



Next you'll have to figure out the desired height of your tripod. Make a few trips through the snow and back before getting it right. (Discard shovel at some point during this step.)



Decide it might just be easier to climb over the deck railing (and hope it holds) than slog through so much snow so many times. Adjust manual exposure settings a few times before getting them right. Have trouble with the remote shutter release. Wonder if this is working.



Decide that no, it isn't. Or at least not with the hood on. It looked way better in your head than it does in real life.

Continue to try to get a decent shot, stopping every five or six frames to climb over the railing and check the camera. Repeatedly stand too far to the left or right of the frame. Dab snow on your nose, and then later pinch it vigorously, to accentuate its redness in keeping with the theme of your portrait. End up with something like this as your best result:



Decide that it's way more fun to photograph your children, and ultimately submit this as your Photo-Off Challenge picture.



:-)


~RCH~