Photos By Jaime

In case you haven't noticed...

2007-07-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am not using this blog anymore. Go to Scribbles By Jaime for all your Jaime-luvin' fun.

Weslie and James at Crane Creek

2007-03-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Ring

2007-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Weslie and James by the Lake

2007-03-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Lace Face

2007-03-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

Sooooo Senior Portrait!

2007-03-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Bandit

2007-03-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

photo by kayleah worthy

Kayleah and Otis

2007-03-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

Weslie and James Engagement Photos: Brick

2007-03-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Boy at Heart

2007-02-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

CSU Chico Campus

2007-02-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

We are Jedis

2007-02-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

White Wine

2007-02-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

Christine's Headshots

2007-02-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

"Yum"

2007-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

Business Cards

2007-01-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that I'm using this photo on my business cards, but now I've decided it's better in black and white. Any thoughts?

My 24th Birthday

2007-01-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

photo by Tiffany Roudebush

Thanks Dad!

2007-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about my Christmas present from my dad this year; he gave me a tri-pod. The base is very versatile and it holds up my obnoxiously heavy camera splendidly. It has a clip head, which means that I can detach my camera from my tri-pod quickly and easily if the moment strikes. The head also operates on a single ball and socket rather than a number of screws, which makes it much easier to point the camera in the direction I want than more traditional tri-pod. Because I of this tri-pod I can finally dapple in night photography (Going for a Walk and Silhouette) and I can take portraits with more ease. I look forward to using my new photography tool extensively.

Bangers

2007-01-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

Going for a Walk

2007-01-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Silhouette

2007-01-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

New York Vistas

2006-12-04T23:10:00.000-08:00

Cousin It is Glamorous

2006-11-27T23:17:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait Challenge: Glam

2006-11-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

Snow

2006-11-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Lake Lines

2006-11-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Skies

2006-11-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

New Challenge

2006-11-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about the new theme for this month's Self Portrait Challenge. It's Glam. Yes, Glam. So much fun, and so me! I'm definitely submiting one on Tuesday. Stay tuned!

Victoria

2006-10-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Nocturnal

2006-10-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Victoria and I went to the Studio Nocturne exhibit in S.F.'s Open Studio 2006 exhibit this Saturday, and the exhibit was quite inspirational. I especially loved Joe Reifer's work; I thought his involvement in his pictures was incredibly creative. In many of his shots he set his camera at very long exposures, jumped in the frame, and "painted" with sparklers. He even draped himself in a white bedsheet in a few shots, and made it look like there was a ghost in the picture. This type of involvement in his work dances the line of self portrait, even though you can't actually see him in any of the pictures. I find it fascinating. You can check him out for yourself at Joe Reifer Photography.

I can't wait until I figure out which section of my camera's manual explains how I can make my camera take long exposures. I'm looking forward to playing with this style of photography.

Stargirl

2006-10-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Star came to visit Victoria and I this weekend, so I took the opportunity to practice using my new flash (thanks Dad!). Now I can take pictures in my unusually dark house, no problem.

Halloween is Only a Week Away

2006-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Under the Sonoma Sun

2006-10-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Me as Model

2006-10-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a self portrait in a while, so I did this one as a nod to my newest guilty pleasure: America's Next Top Model. This is as close as I get!

Sadness

2006-10-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Nicolette

2006-10-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sideways

2006-10-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Washington Square Park

2006-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Pretending I'm Georgia O'Keefe

2006-10-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Flowers in my Backyard

2006-10-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

Ash in Fort at Beach

2006-10-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

Haunted House

2006-09-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

I took this picture at an old, burnt down house that I always pass on my way out to the beach. For awhile now I've had an image of a photo shoot at this location. I wanted to have my friend/model Nicolette dress in some sort of dramatic, old fashioned garb and do a ghostly, Wuthering Heights inspired shoot. Yesterday I went out there alone to get a feel for the site and see what the lighting was like. I spent a grand total of five minutes there. The line "This is when the audience is screaming at you not to go any further" ran through my head a few times, an ominous "No Tresspassing" sign hung on the front of the building, and a swarm of flies were buzzing in a Lord of The Flies fashion. I snapped a few shots, chickened out, and left. Being there felt wrong. I don't know if I believe in ghosts, but it felt haunted. Perhaps I was just picking up on greif from the fire. I had expected the building to be empty, but there was burnt furniture and a destroyed piano still inside. Perhaps those items were what freaked me out. Signs of life and signs of the dead mixed together without borders: it's a very gothic concept. Whatever the reasons for my feelings, I felt like I was invading an area that should not be invaded, so I left.

Seaweed Salad

2006-09-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Care for some Seaweed Salad? It's a new delicacey. I should suggest that they put it on the menu at The Tides.

I took this picture on my venture to the Marin Headlands yesterday. I was happy with this picture because I finally felt like I took a picture that showed the colors I saw when I took the picture. I have seen other photographers take pictures that had vibrant colors, and I could never figure out why my pictures weren't turning out that way. Yesterday, I figured it out. The beach was quite foggy/overcast yesterday (no suprise for people who live in the area) which created a nice, even light. I didn't have to worry too much about shadows and each piece of seaweed had it's fair piece of light. If I could do this picture again I would use a higher apeture so the entire picture could be in focus, but I am happy with the lighting lesson I had yesterday.

Why Self Portraits?

2006-09-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a lot of questions about why so many of my pictures on this site are self portraits. I think my photographic tendencies are best decribed with someone else's words. Check out what Sarah says at Ramblings of an Ever-Hungry Mind.

Enclosed in My House

2006-08-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

For the past few months I have been working from home, and I am starting to get very sick of it. It's very lonely, and I can't leave the house to socialize whenever I feel like it because I have work that I need to do. I feel this picture captures the emotions I have felt lately. I like how the light from the window suggests the outside world, and I feel like my expression is very genuine.

Business Photos

2006-08-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

I used to take business photos for people at the last studio I worked at. Now, anytime I see a business photo displayed somewhere (mortgage ad, real estate billboard, etc.) I critique it. Most of them are down right hideous. I saw a photo for a real estate agent where she's looking off to the side and looks like she just opened her mouth to say something. It looks very unprofessional and quite frankly it makes her look rather dodgy.

The other day I had two people ask me to take pictures for them in the same day. This was a record for me, and I took it as a sign. I felt very unprofessional as I scribbled my contact info on a small piece of paper from my planner that had "Shopping List" typed on it. I knew it was time. Time to get some business cards.

I want my business photo to be different from traditional ones, but I do want it to have certain characteristics that good business pictures have. I want it to look professional, but creative. I also want to look happy and friendly, not melodramatic. I like this photo best out of the ones I have taken so far, but I may crop it in a little closer so my face doesn't get lost when it's on a teeny tiny business card.

I'd love to hear what you all have to say about this picture? Do you think it conveys the characteristics I mentioned earlier? Would you buy photos from someone with this picture on their business card?

Enclosed in the Sun

2006-08-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I feel like a combination of Icarus and Narcissus in this picture.

Hobbit

2006-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Not all who wander are lost."

~J.R.R. Tolkein

Teacher

2006-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

My mom is a teacher. I never want to be a teacher. I'd be hideously impateint with the kids, I'd have to get up at the crack of dawn, and I'd work zillions of hours for way too little money. The wierd thing is, I think I look like a teacher in this picture. Or how about librarian? I could live with that.

Blueberries

2006-08-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

mmm... Blueberries are my favorite antioxidant.

Enclosed Spaces #2

2006-08-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Trapped in The W.B.

Being Silly

2006-08-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am getting so much crap for this picture on myspace, but I think it's funny. I was tired of trying to make myself look hot in pictures.

Update:
My roomate said that guys are going to think this picture is hot. I think she know some really wierd guys.

Self Portrait Challenge #1

2006-08-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Me Enclosed In His Dark Materials.

I tried to think of all kinds of negative ways that I feel enclosed, but I couldn't think of anything original.

All I could think of is how I feel when I totally dive into a really good book.

There are certain books in my life that make me forget about the real world around me.

It's a little cliche to say, but everyone hasn't everyone felt totally envolved in the world that a book provides?

Wait, there are people who haven't?

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Blankets by Craig Thompson

and most recently...

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman

These are books that came to me at just the right time.

At a time when I didn't want to be in the real world.

I read them in each in one sitting.

Even if it took days.

Even if it wasn't technically one sitting because I left to go to work, eat lunch, etc.,

it was one sitting because I never really left the world that I had entered.
Me, Enclosed.

Graveyard

2006-08-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees

Is my destroyer.

And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose

My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

~Dylan Thomas

Lady in the Water

2006-08-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

Eyeballs

2006-08-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

Change of Pace

2006-08-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

Just so you all know, I've decided to change the pace of my blog. I will no longer be adding self portrait tips to this blog because, quite frankly, I ran out. Instead, I will be posting a variety of pictures. Many of them will be self portraits still because I am my only model I have that is willing to drop everything at midnight and jump in the pool for a Lady in the Water photoshoot, but I will be posting other pictures as well. Enjoy!

Tip #12 Aphrodite Again

2006-07-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Try taking a picture of yourself with out your face in it. This can be an effective way to ease yourself into the self portrait process if you are like most other people and are overly critical of pitures of yourself.

******

If you're stuck for ideas, try one of the following ideas:

1. Your favorite body part.

2. Something easy to photograph, like your toes or hands.

3. Accentuate something you wear all the time, like a ring, or something permentant on your body like a freckle or tattoo.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-07-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

I just found out about this weekly challenge a little while ago. I can't wait until the next challenge is announced so I can participate.

Tip#11 Props

2006-07-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Props

are

fun

way

spice

your

pictures.

Tip#10 Get a Timer!

2006-07-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Really, if you don't have a timer on your camera, get one that does. It opens up a million possibilities for self portrait.

Tip #9 Give it a Go

2006-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

I like the darkness of this picture. I also like the sand on my arm, and the beautiful mauve color glowing behind my hair. The closest thing to a tip I have for this picture is to try something different. This pose felt new to me (I tend to go for the sex pot image more than the melodrama image), so I gave it a go.

Tip #8 Turn Off Your Flash

2006-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

I think this picture should be called "The Birth of Aphrodite." My camera was focused on the sun so it thought it didn't need to use the flash--and thank goodness! A flash would have totally washed out this picture and made it uninteresting. This way it has a eerie, orangey, dramatic look.

Tip #7 Self Timer

2006-07-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Learn how to use your camera's timer. If your camera doesn't have one, feel fry to have yourself a good cry. I positioned my camera on a rock, plotted out a point on the rock it was pointing to that I knew would be in the frame, and hit the shutter button. Ten seconds later I was plastered against the rock and the shutter opened and closed. The picture isn't in focus because I didn't focus it properly before I jumped into the frame, but I like the the slight blur in the picture. It goes with the sense of movement of the picture.

Tip #6 Spin!

2006-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

This tip is really quite simple, but I found it to be fun and productive. I love the sense of motion it adds to the picture. Just spin in circles while you hold your camera out and take a picture. Don't stop spinning until after your camer takes the picture (in other words don't spin, then stop and take the picture. That tip should be self evident, but you never know!) I reccomend trying a couple shots per spin session. These were my favorite pictures using the spin technique.

Tip #5 Location

2006-07-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Shake things up, get outta your living room, and hit the road. I drove out to the beach on a whim the other day, and I encountered a magical photo shoot when I did it. It was like I was a little dancing leprechaun cartoon that finally got to eat my caulderon full of marshmellowy cereal. The lighting was perfect, and my battery lasted until dark. This is one of my favorite shots for lighting (and other) reasons. Please ignore the fact that my underwear is hanging out.

Tip# 4 Photoshop Continued

2006-07-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Try a color overlay. They don't really maintain the integrity of the shot (aka, there is nothing natural looking about them!), but they are really fun. This one makes me look like Elfie, the modern Wicked Witch of the West.

Defy Gravity!

Tip #3 Photoshop

2006-07-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world of the air-brushed. Let's face it, not a lot of people like pictures of themselves. I see it all the time at the studio I work at. I print beautiful pictures of a bride, and all she can see is that she's squeezing her arm in and it looks fat. Whatever, I think. But I do it too! I take a close up self portrait (the only kind really, when you're holding the camera yourself) and all I see is a big nose, a few blemishes, and a little bit of a double chin. The good news is that I can still salvage a shot that I otherwise love with a little help from my new friend, Adobe Photoshop. I use the dodge tool and the lens blur if I want to hide blemishes, but still keep the shot looking as natural as possible. If yiou want to see an example of those techniques, check out the photo I used in Tip #2.

I used the Glass option under Distort for the picture of me in the hat. I like how you can still tell what I look like, but imperfections are hidden. I think this option really adds something to the picture too. My interpretation of this picture is that someone is looking at me through a beer bottle. It feels very "Bar" and goes with my hat and serious expression.

I used the Watercolor option under Artistic for the picture with my hands in it. This option goes with the whimsical and soft expression I have in the picture.

Both options give a nice overall forgiving mask while maintaining integrity of the shot. I'm sure there are other options that will accomplish the same task, I just haven't found them yet.

Tip #2 Lying Down

2006-07-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Try lying down on your back and extending your arms above to take your self portrait. Try looking at the camera straight on, and try tilting your chin down a little bit too. I am tilting my head down a bit in this one; I took the picture from both angles, but I liked this one best.

Self Portraiture Tip #1

2006-07-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have decided to get my masters (my family is cheering right now). I am going to get my masters in the art of self portraiture (and the cheering stops). I have done most of my studies on myspace (raise your hand if you spend too much time there too), as you will undoubtedly be able to depict in my work. I guess you could say I am heavily influenced by the school of myspace. Ok, enough of that for now. My first tip is this: try taking your picture from a high angle.

Welcome

2006-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog. I intend to use this blog to share my love of photography with the world. I got a new camera (Canon SD 450) about a month ago, and ever since then I have taken about twenty million pictures a day. Then I discovered the wonders of Adobe Photoshop, and it was all over. Myspace's 12 picture maximum was getting in the way with all the fun I was having with my new camera, so here I am.