Great Reads in Photography: March 28, 2021
Every Sunday, we bring together a collection of easy-reading articles from analytical to how-to to photo-features in no particular order that did not make our regular daily coverage. Enjoy!
How a Photographer Included Himself in a Family Photo a Century Ago
Before the self timer and remote shutter release appeared in the world of cameras, photographers had a much trickier time getting themselves into group photos if they didn't have an assistant to help expose the shot. But a vintage photo has surfaced showing one photographer's clever solution to this problem.
Talented Doodler Gets Creative with Mirror Selfies in This Awesome Little Photo Series
We usually don’t condone mirror selfies, but for Norwegian doodler Mirrorsme, we’ll make an exception. Using various mirrors as canvases for her work, the woman behind the pseudonym paints herself into a number of humorous and immersive situations. From Batman and Joker to Super Mario Bros., Mirrorsme has covered quite the variety of situations in her doodle adventures.
Mind-Bending Reflection Portraits Shot Using a Wet Plate Camera
Last week we issued a challenge asking readers to shoot a creative mirror self-portrait using an alternative style of photography. Reader Agustin Barrutia took us up on that challenge, and created a pair of wet plate photographs that take the concept of "mirror self-portrait" to a new level (they're unlike anything we've seen before). Both photographs are straight-out-of-camera wet plate photos that weren't manipulated digitally. Barrutia simply used "mirrors" (one doesn't involve a mirror, per se) and "reflections" in clever ways.
The wet plate above is a self-portrait of Barrutia shooting the wet plate. That camera in the frame is the camera that captured the wet plate.
Mirror Self-Portrait Captured Using a Wet Plate Camera
Yesterday we shared an old school mirror self-portrait from 1917, captured by a young Australian fight pilot named Thomas Baker on a Kodak camera. After seeing that image, photographer Sam Cornwell decided to shoot his own old-school mirror selfie... using a 12x15-inch wet plate camera!