If you have been following my Instagram feed for any length of time, you know I have certain characters I gravitate towards in my photography, and Star Wars characters rarely make an appearance. So why all the Boba “Proto Fett” images lately?
I, and an unknown number of other photographers, were asked to photograph this character in any way we see fit by the deadline April 27th. So I have been spending some time with dear Boba, getting to know him and thinking about his character. I even bought Slave I and spent an enjoyable few days building it.
A Boy and His Dog
[clickToTweet tweet=”Now it is time to pay the piper.” quote=”Now it is time to pay the piper.”] It is time to send two images off to these arbitrators of good taste and I know I am about to make a poor choice. My work (if it is chosen) will be displayed next to the work of (what I imagine to be) some pretty amazing photographers who all know how to shoot Star Wars, have a better handle on Photoshop and are, in all probability, better photographers than I am. Comparisons are bound to take place between my work and my fellow photographers and frankly I would like to look good.
And this is the quandary. I am purposefully not going to send my best images; I am choosing two that I feel better reflect me as a photographer. I want to be true to my work not the charecter. My work is not showy, it’s not going to blow your socks off, but maybe, just maybe, if I do my job well, you might feel something from that little piece of plastic beyond that first “wow” moment.
A Need For Speed
So today I want to share with you the three images I feel are my best effort. I know that by leaving one of these on the cutting room floor I am probably not doing myself any favors.
~xxSJC
Have you ever felt that you are your own worst enemy?
Like Avanaut I seem to keep coming back to the same subjects, for him it is procrastination, for me it is clarity of vision. Here is an older post that might say it even better.
In a true Freudian twist of fate, I lost my White “Proto Boba” not once but twice in the last three weeks. The first time I was lucky to find him in the dark on the sandy shores of Golden Gardens. But the second time I was not so lucky. While I did not lose the entire mini figure, his signature helmet is forever lost in the swamps of Magnuson Park. I guess we never did completely bond.
“No toys left behind!!!” I think all three images are stunning, Shelly.
I Know!!! You can’t imagine my devastation to have this happen not once but twice!! Ugh!!!. Thanks Leila for your kind words. Hopefully the final two will be well received. 😀
Love all three shots Shelly! the first 1st one would be more Star Wars related imho. the one with the Motorcycle is just awesome!!
Thanks Javier! Yes, the first one is my favorite. It came out very close to how I had envisioned it so I am pleased. The motorcycle shot was a surprise when I downloaded it to my iPad. It came out much better than I had hoped. Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated!! 😀
Thanks for inviting us into the process, and don’t worry about the helmet: All things will find a way to where they are supposed to be.
About the images: The motorcycle has been done before. I feel like I keep seeing it over and over in different flows, and every time I scroll past it a little faster. It’s a technical shot but doesn’t talk to me like the other two do.
Thanks David for your comments. I can tell you are a very zen individual. 😀
I find your comment regarding the motorcycle interesting. I did post it on IG yesterday and the reaction was swift and enthusiastic which made me doubt my original decision. Do I choose the obvious crowd pleaser (the motorcycle) or choose the quieter image (a boy fishing). I was trying to show both sides of Boba in my original choice. On one side he is the feared bounty hunter, but he is also a little boy who has no mother and watched his father be killed. This can’t be an easy life to live. What does he do to comfort himself, because everyone does in some way or another. I should stop myself before I go too deep into the psychology of the small plastic toy, but unfortunately that is what I do. 🙂
Thank you for your comments and giving me the courage to stick to my original decision.
Cheers!
Always a pleasure to see your images before they are delivered to halls of fame, Shelly 🙂 I strongly agree with both Javier and David. All 3 shots will always make to the top, the only way I could choose (if I had to) would be blind shooting one of them with an arrow.
Yet, fans of the series (such as I) would relate more easily with the bounty hunter wandering in the fields of a recent battle,
Fett on two wheels probably has the highest “wov effect”,
and the boy fishing is like a balance between the story & the beauty.
Looking forward to hearing the outcome!
Cheers!
Thanks Serhat for weighing in on this one. The Killing Fields will defiantly be in the final two. I am going to re-edit A Boy and His Dog and see how I like it. I will let you all know which (if any) makes it into the magazine. In the mean time this has been an interesting exercise. All the comments have been appreciated!! Cheers my friend!
Luv them all ! And so happy to see them here on Stuck In Plastic first. Good we all signed that NDA and keep a secret 🙂