Writing About Writing
Variations from yesterday [Alternate Author Photos], with discussion and a few more options. Photos by Meg McKinney [Blog Archive]. Kudos once again to the photographer.
[My New Author Photo]
[Behind the Photo]
Hay Bale Alternate. I like the action feel to this. I look as if I am about to leap up and finish tracking down people to interview. However, Rontaru pointed out the green bucket in the background & now I can’t unsee it.
Truck. I like this one b/c I like my truck. Particularly since I recently had to go a spell without any transportation at all [We Got Wheels]. So I might be emotionally invested. Seen as either hopeful, which is a good thing, or artsy, but not in a good way. Will come in handy if I ever write for the automotive industry. Stranger things have happened.
Post. Several people liked this one. Nice photo. I look good. However, to me it screams senior portrait. Back in the day, a senior portrait was the same cheesy headshot that we got every year. These days, graduating seniors hire photographers to take a full suite of photos, much as I did here. Leaning up against something is a standard pose in these photos. My mind catches on that and stops. Didn’t even notice the truck in the background.
In The Ring. Mainly included yesterday so I could talk about the variation below today.
In The Ring II. If I were to call up a mental picture of myself, this is closest to what it would look like. I don’t know about you, I don’t usually grin when I look in the mirror.
The one I submitted. Compared to the one above with my feet on the ground, this one looks as if I have settled in to write. As for my knee leaping out to greet the viewer – which I also can’t unsee – yeah, it would help if I were more flexible and could drop down into the sit.
Black & White I. Some folks prefer black and white a priori. I like it if the change adds to the conversation. Here it doesn’t.
Black & White II. This one works in black and white because of the texture in the background, even if it does make me look like someone just goosed me.
Colorized. It’s not just for old movies.
Post-processed. The photo shoot included professional retouching of several images. I’ve always been a warts-and-all type of person, particularly when it comes to age. This is what 56 looks like. Deal with it.
The retouching was well done. The result is ghastly. There’s some sort of weird attenuation going on with my head and neck. They look like a balloon on a string. And then my chin looks all pointy and elvish. This version of fakery was easy to reject.
I’m not sure how well my principles would hold up if post-processing made me look better.
~~~
All of this got started because Bending Genres asked for an author photo. Panic. I had one suitable photo. It’s 20+ years old [My Short Happy Modeling Career]. Sent the old one in. Arranged for new ones. Sent the new one in. What did they use? A picture of a forest. Actually, it fits well with the bio I included, Blue Hair, scroll to end.
Now I have something to send in next time someone asks.
Meg’s Links
MM Website
MM Facebook
MM Instagram
Update, crossposted [Will Write For Feed]
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
I would never have noticed the green bucket or the truck. Airbrush out? The retouched one is…well..a little disturbing.
Back in the day, I found it was very hard to take a bad picture of you. My camera loved you.
If you were taking photos, I was probably on a horse. I always look better there.
Most of the time, yes.