One More Detour on the Writing Road

Author photos

Feb. 28th, 2007 at 5:13 PM

I have about 3 weeks or so to have a new, official Author Photo taken. The one that appears in Contact Imminent is very spiff, but it was taken four years ago and I don't look like that anymore. Hair is now short and dark. I still have that sweater, and the leather jacket--I could do one of those shots like the one where the little kid wears the same shirt from infanthood to teen years, except there would only be four years difference and everything fits regardless.

Never mind.

ANYway, I still need to have the new shot taken, so I'll probably make the appointment for next week. Same studio where I had the CI shots taken, though I don't know whether the same photog is there. They do have one staffer who specializes in portraits, and I may ask to work with her. Maybe it'll be warmer and sunny, so we can try some relatively unposed outdoor shots. I hate shots that look posed. I hate having my picture taken. I'm not looking forward to any of this, but I need new photos.

*blech*

Mood: annoyed

Comments

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jimhines wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:10 am (UTC)

I'm going to try to do this soon ... and it's not my favorite way to spend my time. (Or money, for that matter.)

Any advice? :-)

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kristine_smith wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:21 am (UTC)

Keep it simple? I tried the poses with the stack of books, and they looked fake. I tried the posed shots with the hands around the face and the whole bit, and they looked worse. IMHO, for me, the writerly shots--at the desk, with books, pen in hand--don't work.

(People will now point out all the posed shots that look great.)

Outdoors, sitting, standing-in-the-doorway-wearing-a-greatcoat. I'd like a decent 3/4 shot of me just looking into the camera. If the lines show, then they show. I already know that I won't look they way I do in the mirror. There's something about the reverse of right and left and the matter of symmetry or lack of same that means that unless you're Jaclyn Smith--who supposedly possessed a perfectly symmetrical face--you're going to look different in a photo than you do in a mirror.

Then there's the ten extra pounds thing. Don't know if that matters to you, but it does to me...

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kristine_smith wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:31 am (UTC)

And do-it-myself in the office with the digicam and the tripod didn't really work. Pale is as pale does, but in real life I do actually look as though I have some blood in me.

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alfreda89 wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:36 am (UTC)

When I did mine (1999?) I posed with some lit candles and with a gargoyle, just to cover all bases. I have long hair now, but I am wondering if I should get a photo taken, or keep using this one. See, I was supposed to use it in the past eight years. And convention books do use it, as does my website, but no books.

I've seen the photos taken two summers ago of my entire family, in honor of my parent's 50th. I look asleep or half-dead, what with the circles, etc.. Perhaps I'll keep the current photo.

I did decide black & white only, and had her take a couple of art shots, because why only celebrities?

Two things -- pay someone you trust to do your makeup. I will do that again.

Also -- tell the photographer you want a bunch of the shots to be easily cropped for sizing. You'll send the convention/publisher/newspaper an 8 x 10, or 5 x 7, and they will make an L with their hand and move toward corners, trying to see where they can crop and still get a good pic. I didn't know about that, so I had only a few out of 80 pics that were crop-worthy.

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kristine_smith wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:52 am (UTC)

*sigh* last time I did this, I broke away from work for a couple of hours. My usual make-up. Pro make-up means half a vacation day.

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alfreda89 wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 05:32 am (UTC)

Did your own treatment photograph well? If so, go with it.

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trolleypup wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:48 am (UTC)

I'll second the notion to go with a talented make-up artist and a skilled photographer (who can put you at your ease and bring out the best shots of you).

And sometimes, one out of those many many random shots that people take actually work out...I was messing around, taking hair pics with a friend, and got a face shot that actually looks really good. if a little warmer and happier than normal.

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kristine_smith wrote:

Mar. 1st, 2007 12:53 am (UTC)

I have one of those good candid shots. Unfortunately, it's about ten years old...

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