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Roundup

"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway." - John Wayne

This week will be a blog post about my creative process for this photo rather then a video or slideshow. If you are curious how I created and edited this photo, check out my totem pole photo as I give some of my steps on how I transformed myself into a wood character.

This photo was taken at Boomtown Casino in Reno, Nevada in the arcade amusement area. There are lots of wood statues that decorate and line the arcade. The statues are placed a few feet apart and it really struck me that I could stand in between them and become a statue myself. This type of portrait is in line with the other portraits I have done like this, such as, myself as a statue in front of Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas strip and my family as a totem pole in Alaska.

When I first saw these statues and came up with this idea, I didn't have any outfits or props with me. However, Reno is one of the places we visit often, so I took some photos and jotted down my idea in a notebook for future reference. If this was a place I was not going to be back in quite some time or was going to be the only chance I got, I could have gone shopping for the items I needed, such as, the bandana and hat. However, knowing that I had those items at home and that Reno was a place I knew I'd be back, I opted to wait it out and do the photo a year later.  Thus, this was an idea I had for quite some time before being able to fully make it happen. So don't be discouraged if you have an idea that you can't make happen right away. It's ok to wait until you find the correct props, attire, location or the timing is just right. Sometimes that can take up to a year or more.

So about a year later, we returned to Reno and this time I brought along some possible Cowboy items and went to the arcade to do this photo.  When I arrived to shoot this photo there were several kids and their parents in the arcade. This is a point where many people would have walked away and not done the photo at all. Some of the best advice I can give you about any type of photography is if you're ever nervous to take a shot, take a deep breath and just do it anyway. First, who cares what others think? Even if they are staring at you, the photo isn't for them, it's for you. Take the shot anyway. Also, if you are not anywhere near home, and even if you are, are you going to see these people again? Most likely not. Last and most important reason is because you will regret that you didn't do it when you had the chance.

I have taken many photos in front of random strangers who are either walking by or gathering while I do a self portrait. I have never left a self portrait shoot feeling really dumb that I finished the shoot while people were watching, but I have stopped shooting before and instantly regretted it. I have always taken this to heart when I do my self portraits. If I have an idea that is very solid and I know what I want to do, especially if I can achieve it in a fairly quick manner then I absolutely go ahead with the self-portrait even if there is an audience. This photo in particular I did get some stares from people who were trying to figure out what I was doing. Plus, some rude people who knew exactly what I was doing and kept trying to walk in front of the camera as the timer went off. But I didn't let them get me down and now I have my creation all complete.

I know I've said this many times during other self portraits but get out of your head and stop worryingly about what anyone else thinks. When I worry about what others think it becomes the number one roadblock for my creativity.   It's a good reminder to remember to take a photo no matter what others may think of your process or possible finished product. Not everyone is going to like me as a wood statue or understand why I wanted to do this sort of photograph. That's ok because I created it for me.

So go out today and create something that you have been holding back on. Whether its because you were nervous to shoot it, scared people might stare or simply because you keep putting it on the back burner.

Go out and create art and create it for yourself :)

Angela

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