Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Decade Comparisons

This is an idea inspired by a post I saw on Twitter, comparing two pictures taken at the beginning and the end of the decade. Since I've been active photographically - and as a self-portrait artist - throughout these past ten years, I thought it would be very interesting to look at some picture comparisons of my own from the beginning and end of this decade.

January 2010 vs. May 2019

Here is one of the first pictures I took in this decade compared with a photo from this year. The fact that I'm wearing underwear in the picture on the right is mere happenstance. I thought it was interesting (although not altogether surprising) that I had two such similar pictures taken almost ten years apart. There are two notable things about this comparison. First, is what hasn't changed - namely, the length of my hair. Although it has now been over 18 years since I last cut it, its length hasn't changed noticeably in over ten years. More poignant, however, is the difference in lighting. Ten years ago my life was suffused with darkness - I even lived a nocturnal lifestyle. But I have since been dragged back into the light.

Easter 2010 vs. Easter 2019

To further demonstrate that point, here is a comparison between two Easter photos taken in April - the one on the left in 2010, and the one on the right in 2019. Ten years ago, I had to sneak out into the woods in the dark of night to take nude photos outdoors. After several years of living in stuffy apartments, I am now back living in a house; and this time, with enough (if not total) privacy to shoot in full daylight, right out in my back yard!

July 2010 vs. May 2019

My fashion sense has certainly evolved over the past ten years, as I've gained confidence and experience embracing a more feminine identity. However, the change would be even more drastic if you went a few years further back; 2010 was in the midst of a transitional period, in which I was starting to experiment with wearing women's clothes, and getting into the regular habit of trimming my body hair. Still, I'm much more confident now, whether it's wearing dresses, or going out in public half-dressed. :-3

Halloween 2010 vs. Halloween 2019

My weight has fluctuated over the decade. I'm slimmer now than I was ten years ago (in fact, I'm in the best shape I've been since I was a teenager), but there was a period during the middle of that decade during which I was a little heavier. (Thankfully, I've managed to put the kibosh on that trend). I still like carving pumpkins and posing naked with them for Halloween, though!

Lolita, May 2010 vs. May 2019

Also interesting to note is not just the differences, but the things that remain constant throughout your life. Ten years ago I picked up a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses and posed as Lolita. And just this year I paid tribute to Sue Lyons' iconic role in the first film adaptation of that story. And while the before picture, in hindsight, is quite cute, I viewed it at the time as an indication of what I lacked, while now, I have much more confidence in my appearance, as regards my ability to express femininity in my own way.

October 2010 vs. June 2019

I was also very interested to find two very similar pictures of me nude in nature in similar poses spanning the decade. The earlier one was taken in the woods in the fall, and the later one during the summer at a lake. I clearly have more of a tan in the later picture, owing to the greater opportunities I have now to be nude out in the sunshine. However, the practice of going out in nature and finding surreptitious moments away from the crowds to strip down and take some pictures hasn't changed.

June 2008 vs. May 2019

This is the only picture comparison that I had to cheat on, as the image on the left hails from my Daily Nudes project in 2008, making it over eleven years old. But I just reshot the theme this year - posing like a primitive in the fur pelts of my boyhood camping days - so I wanted to see them side by side. Again, you have the difference between indoors and out, as well as the difference in lighting, from shadows to daylight.

October 2010 vs. May 2019

By coincidence, it just so happens that my original and celebrated Slumber Party clone shot was taken in 2010, and I recreated it just this year. I consider it a testament to how my life has changed, with regards to the people that have come into it that I never would have expected, that have made me just a little bit less of a timid recluse, and have provided me with some life experiences I never thought I would get to have.

March 2010 vs. October 2019

In another happy coincidence, I have two images spanning the decade that feature me in (or sliding out of) turquoise panties! You can also get a hint from the background of how my bedroom has changed. Although you can't see much in the before picture, my room used to be a haven of anime geekdom. I may still not have grown up, but I have fully embraced the girliness within, surrounding myself with an explosion of pink princesses and unicorns.

Christmas 2010 vs. Christmas 2019

I try to mix things up and keep them fresh, but in ten years, you're bound to repeat some themes, especially classic ones, and around the holidays. If anything has surprised me about these comparisons, it's how consistent I've been over the past decade. I'd like to believe I'm improving - both as a photographer and as a model - although what's most apparent in this photo comparison is the difference in equipment. I'm shooting exclusively with my iPhone at this time, and it shows in the graininess of the later image, shot in the dark. I've been using the same dSLR for the last ten years, until I dropped it in Lake Michigan this year and figured it was time to retire it. Now I'm in the same position I was late 2008, after I lost my camera at Burning Man. I think it's time to buy another nice camera, and start shooting more professional quality images (not in terms of creativity, but technical aspects) again.

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