Caroline Tran’s Self-Portrait Challenge - Winner

M E Wilcox takes the win with a deeply emotive self-portrait, full of contrast and painterly aesthetic

“I love art history and, with this self-portrait, I was going for an ‘Old Masters’ vibe, in both the composition and overall effect,” she explains. No stranger to the genre, Caroline’s particular challenge made for welcome inspiration.

“The soft, warm light is indirect morning sun, coming in from a large window next to me. I positioned myself facing the source. The composition was a lot of trial and error!” the photographer continues.  “My upper body was lying on top of a glass table, with my camera positioned below, on the other side, with an interval timer set. I would make a few frames, then stop to check the results. It took a lot of time and attempts.

“Each time I moved, I had to rearrange my long hair and make more frames before I repositioned myself again, hoping that the scene was how I wanted it. Of many images, just a few were keepers.”

Describing her painterly rendering, Wilcox reveals more detail. “Some of that quality was achieved through post-processing and the soft, muted lighting – but I also suspect that photographing through thick glass contributed to the effect.

“I’m extremely appreciative to Fujifilm, all involved in producing the Create With Me contest, and especially to Caroline Tran,” she concludes. “I’m a devout Fujifilm user and will continue creating images each month. I look forward to seeing what themes will be presented next!”

Caroline herself had some kind words to share about the winning image. “I voted for Ms Wilcox because she conjured soul and created a wonderful mood with the lighting. There’s a very interesting composition as well, which created a bit of mystery.”