performance task (Self Portraits)

Griffin Elsley - Self-portraits

I chose the 4 photos above for my final performance task because together they represent me as a photographer and as a person. The first two photos capture me mid air doing my favorite sports either mountain biking or skiing in Revelstoke, B.C.. These two photos capture me doing me as well as showcasing my photographic style. Self portraits and sports don't generally mix, this is because they involve many attempts and a lot of time to get the shot I am looking for. Especially for something like skiing which requires extensive work to get good self portraits and many runs down the same hill.

In my first portrait I have used multiple exposure to create a sense of motion and freedom in the photograph. I layered three different shots of me skiing at different points on the run and then put them all together to create one vivid shot. While everything in the background is in white I chose to put myself in red for an extra contrast to the snow.

The next shot is me downhill biking in Collingwood. My bike and I are in the air having just come off a jump in the woods. As a born thrill-seeker this type of action shot really demonstrates how much enjoyment I get from taking air. The photo was taken with a 50mm lens and my new Sony camera.

The black and white portrait of me is a little different as it’s a me at peace in Whistler, B.C. taking in all of the breath-taking beauty of the mountains. There is also an interesting branch in the photograph that gives the shot balance and something else to look at. I took this shot with a xx lens and a Nikon camera using a wide aperture. I did quite a bit of photoshopping to remove colour and create a pale photo with not a lot of contrast. This is the sensitive side of myself that is contemplative and quiet.

The final shot was taken on my new Sony camera. It is an artful shot with an interesting background with unique shapes that seem to shape around me. It has unique colour and layers that were made of paper that had colour projected onto them. The projector had pink, blue and green colours spreading over the paper and constantly changing and morphing into something new. I am wearing a hoodie that covers my face for a bit of extra drama. This shot was taken on Mother’s Day as my mom and I explored a new area of Toronto completely made out of shipping containers.