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house of mirrors

Hey all!

A few days ago, I launched my official website, which I am really happy about, yet somehow uncomfortable. I’ve designed several websites for others over the years, but having one for myself feels strange. I like how it has turned out, although there are still minor adjutments to be made. All in good time.

“House of mirrors” is the second image featuring the mirror I had borrowed from my friends a while ago. After shooting “narcissus” I thought why not use this lovely mirror for another one? I already had some ideas about images including mirrors, so I thought I’d try one of them. I actually ended up repeating this shoot some days later because I realised that the mirror pictures, as well as the one of my back, were not as I wanted them. So the second time, I did the photoshoot in my balcony to get better light. It must have been a delight for my neighbours, I am sure.

house of mirrors

house of mirrors

The idea was to create a picture showing that often we find ourselves looking at the mirror and seeing something that is far from reality. We distort the image of ourselves for reasons that are different for each person. We fail so many times to recognize our true selves. It’s a struggle, but it is one that can be won. As long as you keep looking.

This is the fifth image in the “foundation” series. I am quite satisfied with how the series is coming together. But to be honest I am starting to feel the need to create some “lighter” images. Summer has come in Greece, I am done with my exams, I have no rehearsals in theater, so I finally have more time for photography. I’d love to have 10 more images ready until September. I suppose it is doable if I focus on simpler projects.

If you have any comments or questions about this image, please post them below! I am always happy to get your feedback!

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narcissus

This picture has been in my mind for quite some time. I think the title says it all, this is my view on narcissism, a surrealistic reflection of a face that has gone blank. The image is another addition to my on-going series “foundation”, revolving around the relationship with ourselves.

When I was planning this concept I knew I wanted to use an antique mirror, but I did not have one. So, when we visited some friends last week I saw this mirror hanging on a wall in their house and I asked if I could borrow it. They immediately said yes, probably because they didn’t really think I meant it! Well, there was no way I was leaving without it, because it is exactly what I had in mind. It has been over a week now and I still haven’t managed to go by their place to return it, so I am seriously considering keeping it forever! Just kidding… But keep in mind, that if you ever let me into your house, I might be taking things with me when I go…

narcissus
narcissus

So, for this picture and another one that I will be uploading soon, I turned my house into a studio. I hanged some sheets on the wall, taped my reflector on the closet and positioned my tripod on top of a small bookcase. The camera ended up so close to the wall, that I had to use a second mirror in order to check the viewfinder. It was a mess, I was going back and forth like crazy and I enjoyed every second of it! Here’s what my room looked like during the photoshoot. I used the blue sheet for the second image, which I am still editing.

mirror_shooting

If you’re on facebook, please check out my page and hit like, so you get all my updates! Also, I have been setting up my personal website, so stay tuned for the official launch!

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condemnation

Time for a new picture! Like the previous one, this is part of my series about how we relate to ourselves, which I have decided to name “foundation”. Soon I will make a new post telling you all about it!

I think the theme is quite obvious here and the title is also very descriptive. I believe we all tend to blame ourselves a little too much sometimes. It is an awful feeling that often leads to depression. I have seen many people around me blaming themselves for everything constantly and I have also felt it myself sometimes. Of course we should accept our responsibilies, but consuming ourselves with guilt is something completely different. The sooner we realize we are not perfect, the better.

condemnation

condemnation

 

I shot this at a historical monument that is very close to my house. It is a byzantine castle that also served as a prison until the early nineties. I have wanted to go there and shoot for quite some time. I tried another spot first but it wasn’t working. Then I went into one of its towers which is easily accessible. It was a rather small space and the ground was uneven, but I had to make do. People were passing by all the time, which made me feel rather uncomfortable but I kept at it. At first I was not very happy with my shots, but when I started piecing them together I started to change my mind. I had to change the color of my dress, because it is originally purple and it was not looking good. I also expanded the frame a bit.

The final image came out moody and maybe dull, but I suppose it suits the concept. I am not 100% happy about it, but I am not sure what more I could change. So I decided to share it and move on. I hope I will have another image ready soon this time!

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in between

This is a concept I thought of a while ago and although it is rather simple, I hadn’t managed to shoot it until now. I wasn’t sure at first about the location I wanted to use, so I kept my eyes open for something that would fit. Last week when I was visiting my family back in my hometown, I was determined to find time for shooting and so I did. My first attempt was unsuccessful for various reasons, but I got luckier the second time around. I found this stone wall outside a little church very close to my house and I thought it suited my purpose. So I took the shots I needed and even had time to shoot for a couple more pictures in the same area. I can say that I was quite satisfied with myself that day.

in between

in between

 

The dress I am wearing belongs to my mother, she used to wear it when she was about my age and I have always loved it, especially the color. Ever since I started in conceptual photography I had this dress in mind but I couldn’t find anywhere, so it made me really happy to finally find it and wear it in one of my pictures. I actually altered it a little in photoshop, making it longer than it really is. I hope I get to use it again in some other photoshoot, although its design could be somewaht restricting.

I also had to extend the stone wall too, because its original height seemed too short. It makes me feel really good that I get to learn something new with each picture, after all that is the whole point of experimenting.

With all these alterations that I had to make, I ended up expanding the frame so much that the final image is about 7000pixels wide. The original file got so big that at some point Photoshop was not able to save it and I had to split it into two different files. That was new as well!

All in all, I am quite satisfied with the end result and it is very near to how I had first pictured it. The only thing I am still uncertain of, are the colors. I have this feeling that maybe something is not quite right there, but I decided to publish it as it is. I’d love to hear your opinions about it!

Oh and I should also mention that this is the second image in the series that I decided to make, revolving around how we perceive ourselves. I still haven’t found a title that I like though. I am thinking about “reflections”, but I am afraid it might be too cliché … Let’s make that a working title then! Any suggestions for a title are welcome!

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misidentified

It has been so long since my last post. This past month has been very busy for me. After the Christmas holidays, I had to go back to work as usual and also resume my academic obligations. I had to complete two projects for the university, one after the other. And of course as soon as the new year came we started our plays at the theatre, too. I don’t remember if I have mentioned this before, but I play in a local theater. This year I take part in two different plays, both based on Agatha Christie’s novels. Luckily we only play on Fridays, so it doesn’t take up too much of my time. So in between all these activities, I had little time for photography, which saddens me very much. I ‘d like to at least go out shooting on the weekends, but sometimes even they are filled with other things. I hope that as the days start getting warmer and longer, I will find more shooting opportunities.

Although I didn’t have time to actually shoot, I did a lot of productive thinking on future projects. I already have some ideas that I have been working on and last Saturday I set out along with my boyfriend to shoot one of them. I had hoped that I would have time for two shoots, but in the end I only had time for this one. I had even made a scetch for the image I wanted to make and it was very clear to me what I needed to do to make it work. So, we headed to a place I had visited before on my own, a small forest near the city. It’s a very beautiful place and it was so calm and quiet when we got there. As soon as we arrived I started looking for the right spot, quite in a hurry, because the sun was already slowly starting to set. I found a spot I liked and I started posing. I had not rehearsed the pose, so it took a while to get it right. Having a second opinion from my boyfriend was indeed very helpful. All the time I was shooting I could hear some mountain bikers in the near distance. I guess they must be very fond of this place, because I had also heard them the first time I was there. Luckily, they didn’t come our way, so I wasn’t disturbed. After a few shots I was happy with what I had and we headed back home.

I have been editing this picture on and off, throughout this last week. I really like the way it turned out. I even compared it to my initial schetch and they were very similar! I am really happy that I was able to create the image almost exactly as I had it in my head. I hesitated about the fog a bit, since it’s the first time I have created fog in a picture, but in the end I think it suits the mood very much and it completes what I am trying to portray. I have used two texture layers in this image, both offered by Brooke Shaden on her blog a little while ago. She uses textures a lot herself and from time to time  she offers these free texture packs for anyone to use. I have started making my own texture collections too, but nothing of mine seemed to suit this particular image, so I thought why not trust Brooke, she is a huge inspiration for me anyway.

misidentified

misidentified

I don’t want to explain the image this time. I’d like each viewer to make their own meaning out of it. The only thing I will tell you is that this is the first image of a series that I have decided to make. I have not yet decided on a name for the series, but it’s main theme is going to be the relation we have with ourselves. I decided to make the series after realising that a couple of ideas that I have been working on, are linked together around this theme. After thinking more about it, I came up with even more ideas around this theme which I  have started working on. The idea of making a series excites me beyond words. I feel that I know have a purpose, a direction that I am eager to follow and I can’t wait to shoot more and show you what I come up with.

Next Monday is a public holiday, so no work for three days! Yay! I have already started planning all the things I am going to shoot during those three days… So, hopefully you will hear from me again soon this time!

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the inner tempest

This is my first post for 2014, so I want to wish you all a great new year, filled with happy moments! This time of year, we all get to make goals and new beginnings. In that spirit, I made a facebook page for my photography on New Year’s day. This was something I had in mind for some time now, but I always left it for later. Although I have been uploading my pictures to various websites, I was reluctant to upload them on facebook because I wasn’t sure I wanted the attention. I have many friends on facebook, not too many I think, but of course there are a lot of people among them who like to hide behind their computer screen and pass judgement on their facebook “friends”. Well, that can happen on any website, but I think facebook is different because at some point I have met my facebook friends in person. So that is why I have been reluctant so far, but I finally decided to do it and stop caring about what others might say or think. I suppose that is the best choice for everyone after all.

During the holidays I had some days off to go and see my family. I had really missed them and my hometown, too. I live in the northern part of Greece (Thessaloniki) and my hometown (Mesologi) is about 500km away, so it’s not very easy for me to visit as often as I would want. I enjoyed spending time with them, especially my two nephews! Another thing I enjoyed was spending my afternoons looking for places to shoot. Mesologi is full of them, since it is a very beautiful place and I have taken hundreds of pictures there before. But this time I wanted to find quiet places that could fit my concepts. So I started looking for different places than the ones I had photographed in the past. I ended up going  somewhere I had never been before. I still can’t understand how I could have missed this. Mesologi is very small, there are not many places to go, but still managed to discover something new.

It is a narrow road that goes through the lagoon and leads to some fish farms. After you drive for a while, you run out of asphalt. That is where I stopped and got out of my car. The place is so calm and peacuful and beautiful. All you can hear are the birds and whichever way you look, there is the sea. The only people that go there are fishermen and birdwatchers. Oh, and young couples of course.

scouting mesologi - fine art portraits by Nicki Upstairs

There was a light rain and wind when I got there but I decided to take a few shots anyway, so I set up my tripod and after five or six clicks there was a bang… and my tripod had fallen down. With my camera on it. When I picked it up I saw that a screw from the lens was loose. I fixed it when I got home and it seemed to work, but some days later I realised that the autofocus was not working correctly, so I had to open it again and hope I could do something better. Don’t ask me how, but I think I fixed it now. We’ll see I suppose…

So the next day (this was Christmas day) I went there again and it wasn’t windy this time. I did my first shoot and when I was happy with it, I thought why not do a second shoot at the lovely old boat I had spotted earlier. Unfortunately when I got there, there was a couple in a car nearby, so I thought maybe it would be better to give them some privacy. I was planning to go back with my sister the next day, but rain got in the way. Then it was time for me to leave for Thessaloniki, so sadly I only have this one picture so far. I don’t know when will be the next time I visit, but the only thing that’s sure is that I will go back to this road and shoot more. I am officialy in love with it!

 

remained

A while ago I wrote about how I went scouting for shooting locations and I shared some pictures from an abandoned army camp in my area. So on my day off, I asked my boyfriend to go there with me so I could shoot. I didn’t want to go alone because it can be a really creepy place. It was an overcast day which means great light for me. This was actually the first time I shot in the open like this, in a place where anyone could appear in any given moment. So this made me a little nervous. I looked around for a while trying to find the right spot and then I set up my tripod and my camera and took some shots. Luckily we weren’t bothered by anyone, but there were some people lurking around the area, so we decided to go and I didn’t have the time to do a second shoot. The safety issue is bothering me a lot though. I love old or abandoned locations but it is too scary going there alone, let alone going there with expensive equipment. I ‘d love some tips about how to overcome that!

 

 

When I was shooting this, I didn’t have an exact concept in mind, but there was a particular feeling I wanted to portray. It was during editing that I dicovered what the meaning of this image is, for me anyway.  It is about choosing to stay somewhere, although you could leave. Maybe you stay because you like where you are, or maybe you are too scared to move on. I hadn’t planned on including the bird at first (it is a pica), but while I was going through my stock pictures of birds, I thought that this one fit this concept completely. A bird that chooses not to fly. Both subjects in this image have decided to remain where they are, at least for the time being.

I am not sure whether it’s a bad thing not to have an exact concept in mind while shooting. This time I think it worked for me, but I think that knowing what you want can be a great help when you make a picture. It can also be a great help  when you are searching for a title, which proved to be quite challenging for me this time!

I should also mention that this was the first time I used frame expansion for one of my pictures! It was tricky, but I learned a lot for the next pictures I will take.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I wish you all a great new year!

in motion #2

It feels like ages since my last post. It is getting harder and harder to find time for photography these days. On one hand there are a million things that demand my time, and on the other hand it gets dark so fast in the afternoons which makes things even harder. I have been trying to make the best out of my house as a shooting location, since it is not easy to go out, but this has proven to be harder than I thought. Do any of you have any helpful tips about shoting at home? If so, please leave me a comment, it will be greatly appreciated! Well anyway, I have some pictures that I want to edit when I find the time.

This one was taken the other day while I was experimenting with slow shutter speed.  At first I thought I’d make a mini series out of it, but I am not sure. For the time being I decided to upload just this one, which I like most. The title is a tribute to a band that I love dearly, the gathering. You should check them out if you don’t know them.

in motion #2

in motion #2

in motion #2

In other news, I recently started writing for Artcore magazine, a greek online magazine for art. My first article is about the very talented Kirsty Mitchell. It’s in greek, but here’s the link anyway if you are curious about it.

Hopefully in the next few days I will have a new picture ready.

I can fly

I spent the last few days in my hometown, visiting my family. We live far from each other, so I don’t get to see them very often. I had a nice time, the weather here is still very warm and I also managed to do a couple of shoots. I also raided my mum’s and sister’s closets for old clothes they don’t wear anymore, to use them in future pictures. I have the habit of giving away clothes that I no longer wear, which I guess is good for other people but not so good for photography! Luckily for me my mum and my sister tend to keep stuff around forever!

The picture I show you here was taken in my bedroom. It’s not very fancy I suppose, but I like the simpicity of it. My main goal for this picture was to see if I can pull off a levitation picture. I feel good about it, given it was my first try! I also shot one more picture in the bedroom, which I will be working on. And I headed out for a photoshoot at the lagoon! So stay tuned for more to come!

I can fly

I can fly