CHEAP CAMERA/10 SECOND TIMER SELF-PORTRAITURE

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Welcome to The Doll House


(All pics. snapped on 3/05/12)

It's crazy to think, that when I took these pics. eight days ago - it was blustery, cold and snowing intermittently. In just one short week's time, the weather here has taken a welcome but drastic - turn for the better...with temps. rising into the mid-seventies, the warm sun and blue sky peeking out from behind a blanket of fluffy, sheep's wool clouds...


Flashback to last week though, when it was still bitterly cold - while I staged these selfpics. in this fantastic, old ruin. After more than three hours of near overexposure, my body became so crippled by the cold - I thought that it might actually take another whole week before I thawed out entirely...*brrrrrrrrrr* (Thanks ever so much, to my friend who lives up the street from this house - cuz he let me warm up by his woodstove for a spell, before braving the cold for the rest of my shoot...You're a lifesaver - without you I might not have been able to continue)


The point of this entry though, is not to paint the picture that this was one of those heinously miserable shoots...quite the contrary really, even factoring in the extremely uncomfortable conditions. Anytime I have the opportunity to photograph myself in awe-inspiring surroundings, such as this - it's much easier for me to tune out the "bad", since I'm just so damned grateful to be there! Despite the fact that sometimes things happen like...my feet get so cold, that they turn a putrid yellow (which in my experience, is way worse than when they turn a sickly white)...usually at that point, I can no longer even feel them touch the ground...


Let's talk about the house though, since it is the star of this show.

This is one of those deals where, I've driven past this house maybe a million times before - and you know? I've noticed it (even took a bunch of exterior shots of the facade, this time almost exactly a year ago) but I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about it...'til recently...

While visiting my friend with the woodstove, two weeks ago - I got the sudden urge to actually go insida the place...and when I did - what I saw blew my mind...like completely! It was just so much more dilapidated than I'd ever imagined, not to mention - chock-FULL of a wide array of subject matter to snap...my favorite being the carnage of baby dolls and their dismembered parts, naturally.


There I was in one of the most outstanding locations that I've ever come across, and while it was an ideal place to take pics. with my phone - it didn't take me long to surmise that a self-portrait shoot there, would be prohibitive...if not completely verboten. The house was dangerously unstable in certain spots (due to a kitchen fire that had spread through the walls up to the second floor, and a roof leak that had ravaged large patches of the floors on both levels. Stepping deliberately and gingerly was essential in order to keep from careening through the rotten flooring down to the basement...and if there's one thing that I am not during my self-portrait shoots - it is "ginger". I frequently havta tear across the space that separates my camera from where I pose...sometimes so furiously, that it sounds like a stampede of charging elephants. The old house (I bargained), would not tolerate such behavior...which meant that I'd have to be content with taking camera phone snaps only....

Long story short, I changed my mind...I just couldn't stand the thought of a.) pussin' out like that, and b.) not taking advantage of such a scrummilicious backdrop...and so I returned one week later to tempt fate.

On my second visit, (upon further inspection) I discovered that several of the rooms (plus the stairs) did have solid flooring - and at that point I began strategizing how to best approach my shoot...

...et voila!



When I left that day, my body was positively frozen to the bone...somehow though, I felt warm deep down inside - cuz I'd done it...and that treacherous house (bless its heart) had kept me safe from harm...



(Snapped on 2/02/11)

Someone who commented on this entry, was curious to see what the The Doll House looked like on the outside. Of course I'm happy to oblige, but since I haven't got any new, exterior shots - I had to dig this one out of the archives...

OH! One last thing - if you're curious to see pics. from my first time inside of The Doll House, please check out my new Little Pretties post...

THANK You!

19 comments:

  1. What does the exterior of the house look like ? Why are there so many abandoned houses in that area ?

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    1. @Anonymous - Lemme see if I can dig up a photo of the exterior of the house...I'll post it on this entry after I find one. I don't think are any more abandoned houses here, than most other places...I think I just pay more attention to them than many people do, and because I've grown to love them so much - they've become one of my favorite subjects to feature in my work.

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  2. Again, love the shots. The angles, the lines, the composition. The dolls one is wonderful. :)

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    1. @Melanie - THANK You so MUCH! This old house had an almost magical quality about it...I feel so fortunate to have discovered it first off, but also to have figured out a way to stage a shoot there!

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  3. The dolls shot is a winer ! your best yet !

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    1. @Seijin - Oh, THANK You! I got the hugest smile when I read your comment...I really appreciate your input :)

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  4. I have been very naughty as I have not stopped by here in a few weeks but oh my woman when I do you blow me away. The photograph with the broken dolls is just perfect. You astound me time after time...and are my hero of self portraiture.

    Mollyxxx

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    1. @Molly - I swear Molly, you really know how to lift a gal's spirits! Thanks so much fir poppin' in, AND for your encouraging comments...*MUAH*!

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  5. Absolutely LOVE the artistry in the second shot with the dolls!

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    1. @Sxybklvr - Oh GOODy! I'm so glad that you stopped by to tell me! I guess it was WORTH suffering near hypothermia for the sake of the doll pic. then, eh?

      Thanks so much for reading AND for commenting...means a whole lot to me :)

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  6. Just WOW. All your photos are amazing (I think I saw that every time) but the one of you with the dismembered dolls is utterly mesmerising. Now that needs to be a print!

    xx Dee

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    1. @Curvaceous Dee - I feel like I repeat myself as well, always blubbering on and on about how wonderful you are to be so supportive and encouraging of me and my art...but you ARE! And I really hope by now you know how much I sincerely appreciate it...THANK You, dear Dee - for EVerything!!!

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  7. I agree with everyone about the photo of you and the Dolls, it is one of your best ever, and the depth of field on it was terrific! I also think that the pictures that you have been posting on your "Little Pretties" are better than ever, and a treat to behold. You have such an artistic and creative eye.

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    1. @Anonymous - THANK You, on ALL counts! So nice to hear that you visit my Little Pretties...sometimes I feel like it's nothing more than a guilty pleasure, since it's generally pretty quiet over there. Feels good to know that folks DO check it out!

      Also, I'm delighted to hear that you dig the doll pic.! I have to admit - it ranks pretty high on my own list of personal faves atm...got kinda lucky with that one :)

      Anyway, thanks so much for your comments - I hope you won't be a stranger!

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  8. Amazing as usual, my friend. The doll shot is absolutely perfect. Another that I would gladly hang on my wall. @aglet

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    1. @aglet - That's quite possibly the highest compliment I could ever hope to get...you're a real peach, ya' know that? Thank You so much!

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  9. I absolutely love the image of you with the dolls, you did an amazing job! I'm so inspired to experiment more with self portraiture now and so glad I found your blog!
    xx
    Penny

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    1. @Penny - Oh, I'm so happy about each and everything that you said! I really appreciate you checkin' out my blog, and letting me know that you stopped by...Good Luck with your self-portraits!

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  10. Have you had the dolls photo printed yet? That needs to be hanging somewhere. I know someone with a bitchin' big printer...

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