Self portrait through still life

[Jonny]

I am doing a part time college course on taking portraits and have to take a few shots of still life which are a kind of self portrait. And as i am always on my computer i thought i would shoot that!

One is lit directly from above with standard household lighting and and the other is lit just by the computers screen only. I had real difficulty with the dark one as the focus always seemed to be off, i tried stopping down to around f22 to try and sharpen everything up but it needed a 'bulb' shutter speed and i have no idea how to calculate the exposure time for this method. Is it just trial and error?

To get the dark one i had to bump the iso up to 800 in order to use a small aperture.

What do you think? Any ideas on how to improve?

BTW i know i need to clean the keyboard!!!!!!!

Thanks

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.speed/Forums%20Pictures/PB1.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.speed/Forums%20Pictures/PB2.jpg

[sheye]

I really like the second image Jon. With the first, I was wondering if you wouldn't consider having a portrait of yourself displayed on the screen but in such a way as it is not at all obvious...you could play around with the filters in ps and come up with some amazing images.
Sheye

[Jonny]

I really like the second image Jon. With the first, I was wondering if you wouldn't consider having a portrait of yourself displayed on the screen.
Sheye

Cracking idea, thanks for that. I will try that tonight!

[jpetrow]

If you're aiming at self portrait then it should contain something personal, should'n it? Furthermore, the shot should explain itself (without a text). Personally I find both pictures as shots of _a_ computer with nothing connecting those pictures to you.

I'd try adding a second item which is somehow personal to you. For example if you have a favourite cap, that you have on all the time, you could incorporate that to those pics. Just a plain laptop won't do it even though you use it a lot. Of course you could try to get yourself or part of yourself to the picture.

Neat shots though.

[Jonny]

ok hows this one? An improvement do u think?

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.speed/Forums%20Pictures/Stella.jpg

[yort]

I really like the second one as an ad for apple, not so mucch a self portrait. Like the addition of your picture and the BEER!

[tim]

None of them do anything for me.

[Overbeyond]

How about trying to get a subtle reflection of your face on the screen.
Tom

[Arsonist lolol]

I love the 2nd one at the top.......

And I like Overbeyond's idea as well, a subtle reflection, but I don't know if you can pull that off in an LCD screen?...