Part 1: In the Studio
I had some photos taken this week—a new photo for this site, an author photo for the jacket of my book that’s due out early next year, formal and informal poses for promoting my readings, my writing, and so on, and so on.
My photographer, Brian Kraft, is a former colleague and a friend of many years. Brian assured me that I would look confident, relaxed, youthful. Hmmm…if this turns out to be true, I may be seriously underpaying him.
Getting Ready
In any case, I fussed with my hair for about 30 minutes too long, and applied make-up with a heavier hand than usual. Perhaps that’s why I was initially disappointed with the first studio shots (that I had to find my glasses to view).
Maybe it was the guaranteed-instant-face-lift serum combined with the proven-wrinkle-reducing moisturizer, the unfamiliar use of lipstick, or the attempt to cover a sunburned nose from weekend mountain biking…
Most likely, it was the all-too-natural response many of us experience when we see our own faces in the playback screen of a digital camera.
“Do I really look like that?”
My confidence in Brian’s reassurances was melting under those umbrella-ed studio lights as fast as the foundation on my face. I began putting all my faith in Photoshop.
I changed clothes a couple of times: a red jacket with black braid–for the corporate copywriter, a black sweater with a B&W geometric cutout at the neck–for a Baby Boomer with a sense of humor, a flowing blue pleated blouse for the perpetual poet in me.
Out into the world…
I had already sucked down two cold bottles of water, and Brian handed me another one as we set off to find texture-y backgrounds for informal poses…
to be continued.
Next–Part 2: In the Parking Lot
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