Welcome to Gaia! ::

We all take self portraits. With myspace addictions and easy access to digital cameras, it can be essential to have at least one good shot of yourself.
But this contest is about the art of the self portrait.
Not the angles.
Or little photoshop stars you throw all over the background.
Since it has been requested far and wide from various guild members, I am starting a self-portrait competition. I wanted to make this about you people. If you read the rules, I'm requesting either a breif (at least 4 sentence) artist statement or explanation as to what the image says about both the artist and the theme to be submitted with each piece. It is a competition focused on the art of the self-portrait, but I also want to know why you feel these images represent part fo you. Because I'm crazy.


RULES/INFO
1. Follow TOS

2. All submissions must be SELF portraits. No having other people take your photo

3. Photos can be from anytime, but recent work is always suggested for best feedback

4. Photoshop is acceptable, but keep it minimal. The focus is the photo itself, not the funky stars you added to make it look cool

5. On a similar note, for darkroom processing and photoshop useage, if you can do it in a darkroom you can use it to manipulate the photo just try not to distract from the message and overall look of the work

6. This is going to be similar to the Just for Fun contest but it's limited to self portraits, meaning that the winner will be chosen because their photo has been collectively voted on as the best of the bunch, not just following the rules well

7. There will be themes for each batch of self portraits, try to stick to them, but feel free to take a creative approach

8. Every submission must have either a breif artist statement or explanation as to what the image says about both the artist and the theme. It doesn't need a title unless you want to give one.

9. Winners will be decided via voting. Please be fair and don't use mule accounts for voting. It's just stupid and annoying.

10. Any submissions posted after the deadline will not qualify.

(Any questions can be answered via forum or pm)


Ok, now for the details of the first section of this contest

Theme:
- erasing the past (somehow taking a photo that portrays the destruction of your past, removing an emotional roadblock, etc [it sounds odd but i wanted to really allow for some artistic interpretation])

Deadline:
- July 1st

Judging:
July 1st-5th via voting

Prizes (accepting donations pweaseeeee):
1st 2000
2nd 1000
3rd 500


READY SET GO


Voting now! (sorry I'm a day late!)

ooooh! that's an awesome theme. i'll definitely try and enter. biggrin

You said we could be creative. Well, I'm entering a photo of the feelings after the destruction, but still IN the roadblock. This photo will mean nothing to anyone unless I explain the meaning behind it.


The only reason I chose this photograph is because of what happened in my life just minutes before it as taken. See that black rubber thing sticking up in the left of the photo? That's the handle of a shovel. We're both wearing backpacks. What was in those backpacks? Can you guess? No? Well then I'll tell you...A Dead owl, who had lived in our raptor center for 8 years, and a baby fawn. The fawn was pulled out of the mother prematurelly after having been hit by a car on the side of the road. I'm on the right, My friend is on the left. Not only did we just bury two animals, one who was very dear to us, and another who hardly got the chance to breath the air of life...but there is also something deeper in the meaning of this picture. A meaning that is so very personal to me in fact, that just looking at it makes me teary eyed. Not because of the animals, but because of the relationship between me and my friend. I was emotionally torn apart by someone just previously...and I found out that my friend had secretly taken up with him in attempt to form a remationship after I had gone. I knew this...yet still understood her feelings as a female and was able to go into the forest with her that day, and put two animals at peace...and still deal with the other emotions raging inside of me. This picture represents my rebirth of forgiving myself, my friends, and the world for the death and destruction done to my heart.



WOW a mouthful huh? I know that's way too long, but ike I said if I didn't explain it it would mean nothing....

So I took this photo specifically for this competition. I was brainstorming for something different in a self portrait while at work ~ thinking of shots that would portray a different side of myself from what people typically see. My camera is an extension of myself so I made a literal translation of that idea ~ kind of a robo-photographer. I was shut off at that moment ^_^

ok I know the pic looks all happy just let me explain
This was my eight grade dance. at first i didnt want to go. Why you ask? simple, i couldnt dance. Well its not that i couldnt...i had no confidence to dance in front of others. Even worse, one of my friends got the kid i liked to agree to slow dance with me. So i was freakin out and actually freaked out at the kid before the dance. but when i got there it was something about the dress and heels and my friends that gave me confidence. I started dancing and had fun cuz me and my friends all danced like idiots together. I even danced with the kid i liked! So i count this as a major emotional breakthrough

Moral of the pic: Your friends always got your back, even if they're making funny faces from behind =)

So, are we just voting until there's a third place winner, or what?

Me is very confused.