These self-portraits have been an interesting exercise, in that they represent a significant departure from my normal process of image-making. I typically approach photography in a relatively reactive way--I try to keep a camera on me most of the time, and if something catches my eye, I shoot it. Even my commercial portraiture works in mostly the same way; rather than trying to control a photo session, I instead choose a good location and time of day, then mostly just try to have a good time and see what happens.

Self-portraits, of course, don't work that way. Every image has to be constructed, and moreover it has to be visualized beforehand. That's not something I've had much experience with, and forcing myself to work in a more deliberate manner has been interesting. It doesn't have quite the same thrill as capturing a moment as it happens, but there's a certain feeling of craftsmanship to it that's gratifying.

I don't think I'm going to be completely switching to this new mode of shooting any time in the near future, but at the very least it's given me something to think about.