Self: Vampire Re-vamped

Lately, I have been redoing a number of photos I took over the course of my 365 project I did sophomore year of high school.  I have always had a thing for vampires, and decided it would be cool to reshoot this vampire photo.  

I have been reshooting old photos in an attempt to display my progress over the past 5 years.  Everything from my skill level in photography and photoshop, to the availability of costumes, props, makeup artists, and locations.

A big thank you to Alicia Marie for doing my vampire makeup!

 

I wanted to keep the photos as similar as possible, while still allowing myself room to update and improve the second shot.  The original photo was shot in my bedroom back home, my end table covered with fabric, a desk lamp, and a small jewelry box and rose sit atop it.  In the redo, I had the side table covered with fabric, but attempted to improve the elements by having a candle instead of lamp, and grapes and a book instead of rose and jewelry box.  I felt that these elements would be more realistic to find on an end table. 

Although I had access to a champagne flute, which is what I'm holding in the original photo, I decided to go a little more accurate and use a win glass.  I again, tried to be more realistic and filled the glass with blood, instead of simply holding an empty glass.  

I decided against using the same amount of blood on my face/neck for the simple reason of not wanting to drip any on the costume departments clothing.  I also wanted to appear more "elegant," versus “animal.”

Although I didn’t mean to do this, I feel that my expression is much more vampiric in the redo than in the original, where I appear rather sheepish.  My expression definitely has more of a dominating quality to it, which I believe to be appropriate for the subject matter.  I think that the improvement in my expression and pose is just a result of 5 more years of experience being in front of the camera.  This photo was taken in the beginning of my photography/self portrait career.

I play both vampire and victim in both photos.  As an only child, if I wanted multiple people in a photo, I was forced to model both parts.  In the redo, I attempted to make it more obvious I modeled both parts by not cropping out my face, as I did in the original.  I also attempted to make the gender of the victim more clear in the redo, although I believe it was a man in the original as well.  I pinned my hair back, put on a button down shirt and tie, and did minor adjustments in photoshop to make myself appear more masculine, such as strengthening my jaw line, straightening my eyebrows, and straightened my nose.  The blood was added later in photoshop.

I’m overall pretty happy with the final photo, although a lot more work went into it than originally planned (wallpaper was added, multiple shots composited together, etc.)  I think that my goal of comparing my then and now work was definitely reached, and for that I am very grateful.

p.s.

-I originally wanted to redo the shoot as a vertical, like the original, but my camera decided otherwise.  

-The candle is a carrot painted white I found in the drawing room.

-I might have scared the crap out of one of my teachers when he saw me in my vampire makeup.

p.p.s.

I love it when I find things in my photos I didn't notice while shooting.  Like the fact that there were goldfish crackers everywhere.  I had to edit them all out.