Self-Photography Work #11a-e

Here's a special five-parter in my Self-Photography collection . . .

Self-Photograph #11a-e: "Grading Astronomy Homework"

- Spring, 1999

A Saturday tradition of mine this semester was checking Astronomy 101 homework papers. I was an undergraduate teaching aid for a couple of the professors. One of the professors actually assigned weekly homework to his students and needed someone to check it, since the classdidn’t have a recitation hour.

Well, this particular Saturday I felt like I was going insane. The homework was a two paper assignment. Plus there were 200+ (!!!) students in this class. When I finished checking, I also had to alphabetize the papers. So as I checked them, I’d throw the papers in the general area for the students’ last names. This weekend, my checking took 8 hours!!! Around three-fourths the way through, it got to me.

11a & b: Here I am, thoughtfully correcting papers.

11c: Uh-oh. Homeworks are starting to get restless . . .

11d: Yikes! Looks like they're getting the upper hand!

11e: Da-Dum! But Danny is triumphant!

I think some students were surprised to get their homework back with footprints on it.

If you hadn’t noticed, I cheated on this self-photography sequence. I used the auto-timer on my camera. Hey! I created this art form. Besides, like all true artists, once you establish the rules, you break them!

Self-Photography - Works #9 & 10

Okay, it's been a while. (Sorry for the wait.) But here's a few more entries in my Self-Photography Collection. Enjoy!

Self-Photograph #9: “Cross-bedding in New Mexico”

– December, 1998

Our science methods class took a road trip that December to the National Science Teachers’ Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On our free day, three of us went to Sandia Heights right outside of town. We rode the gondola tram up to the mountains (from Albuquerque about 5,000 feet above sea level to about 11,000 feet in only 15 minutes!). Up there, we could hike on trails and look through the visitor center. There were even ski slopes there too.

This is a self-photo of me (duh!) and the cross-bedding visible in the bluff behind me (thanks, geology class!).

Self-Photograph #10 – December, 1998

This is called “Average College Student.” It typifies what the ordinary student at UNL looks like.

I took this self-photo right by my car (’82 Buick Century – a smooth ride!) when I was loading to go home for Christmas break. My mom loves this photo and has it framed at home with all of our family photos.

Self-Photography - Works #4-8

Self-Photograph #4: “Real Astronomy Research”
(Summer, 1998)



I took this one because I wanted some photos of me working at the Observatory that summer. I was going to (and did) use them in my student portfolio to show my experience with research and “real” science. I’m setting up the computer program attached to the telescope. Every night, we were recorded data from a quasar. We were just one research data collection site for a much bigger research project on this quasar.

You'll notice no telescope in the picture. That's because I'm in the tiny work room (closet) beside it. Most "professional" astronomers actually look at computers and spreadsheets more than they do through an actual telescope. It's the hobby astronomers who usually discover new stuff in the sky (Hale-Bopp Comet, for example), and that's why most of these objects are named after the hobbyists who find them.

Back to my adventures in professional (or academic) astronomy: Eventually, I had to ask a fellow student aide/volunteer to take some of me working with the big reflecting telescope. As it turns out, that student was Tina from my hometown O’Neill. Last I heard, she’s a graduate student at the University of Chicago studying physics and anatomy or some kind of combination like that. She’s very smart.





Self-Photograph #5: "Glasses and Might" (October, 1998)



In my dorm room. One advantage of having my own dorm room to myself (during my last college year), besides having a flexible "lights-out" time, is that the dorm room became my own private studio. Mom and Dad probably didn't expect all that $$ to get extra in return.






Self-Photograph #6: "Polo Might and Wisdom" (October, 1998)



Must have been a slow month. Me in my dorm room again. A double feature (“ooooh”).





Self-Photograph #7: "Nerf Stud" (October, 1998)



Slow month. Dorm room.

Me and my Nerf gun. I bought it on our UNL band trip to Kansas City. For our free time, we shopped around the downtown area. I had to get something to remember the trip and for fun on the bus, so the answer, of course, was “Nerf.” I used this when we stretched for the game that night (and ticked some people off). I also used it when I dressed up as a Man in Black for Halloween that year.

Notice in the top photo, you see the profile of the Nerf gun and the front of me. In the second photo, however, you see the front of the Nerf gun and my profile. There’s symbolism in this somewhere.



Self-Photograph #8: "Trumpet Skit" (October, 1998)



These two pictures are from the trumpet skit we did before the game that day (on Halloween against Texas and Ricky Williams. We lost. But my Dad went to the game and then afterwards, my parents, Cathlina, and I all went to “The Wizard of Oz on Ice” at the Pershing Auditorium. It was a fun time.).

For the skit, I was pretending to be one of the drum majors (Jeremy, a great guy – always positive and fun; that’s him with me in the bottom photo) who would take pictures of the band in the stands while he stood in front of us on the directing ladder. During the skit, I’d take pictures of the band in the band room watching us, then I ran out into the crowd and took some photos with me in them.

I guess October was just a busy month, too. And this was in the band room, not my dorm room.


More Self-Photography on its way! (Hopefully sooner than last time :')

Self-Photography - Introduction & Works #1-3

About ten years ago, I created a new form of art. It’s a combination of photography and self-portraits. It’s self-photography. This artwork is rather self-explanatory. I take pictures of myself.

“Well, that’s rather easy and egotistical,” you might say.

I shall address both issues, starting with the latter. Yes, perhaps there’s an underlying sickness in my obsession of myself. I was single until age 31. Gimme a break.

Now about the former issue. The actual method of self-photography is harder than it looks. The most challenging part is aiming the camera back at me. You see, I don’t use a timer and set the camera on a stool. I actually hold out the camera with one arm and point it back at me. While I strain to keep the camera steady and focused on me, I push the button using that same hand. Usually, I hold the camera with my left hand, because it’s easier to reach the button that way. For most of my pieces, I used an automatic camera with an automatic flash.

Another challenge in self-photography is holding the camera far enough so it takes the picture. If it’s too close, it won’t allow you to take the picture. It has to be about three feet from the object (my head, in this case). That is the most aggravating part. So, depending on how limber I am at the time, I strain and stretch to get the camera just far enough so it will click. This stretching also leads to accidentally shooting with my head out of the camera’s focus. So, I often have “partial” self-photography pictures. These are the more artsy pieces—more avant-garde. (“Hmm,” a critic might think, “He seems to announce his partiality in human spirit with this one. How courageous!”)


My foray into a pioneering art genre began when I was in college—probably one night when I was bored in my dorm room or taking a break from studying. Besides boredom or self-indulgence, there actually was some purpose to my innovative artwork. There were actually two major reasons, to begin with.

First, I did it when I wanted to use up some film. Back in college, I had the old fashioned film canister camera—that was before everyone and their toddler had digital cameras. Often I took a bunch of pictures from an event or trip, and wound up with two exposures left from the roll of film. Rather than waiting for the next big event for pictures (usually two months later), I’d just finish up the film lickety split.

The second purpose of my self-photography origination was much more narcissistic. I did it so I could do a “hair check.” I took pictures all around my head. I wanted to see how my hair looks from all angles. The view from the mirror reflection was too simple. I needed to see more. What does everyone else see? Often, I’d take pictures of my hair before and/or after a haircut. That way, I could see how it looks longish, and how it looks shortish. (Of course, this was before I realized I could just buy a cheap hand mirror and use it in conjunction with a bathroom mirror to view my noggin from the side and back. But I had more important things to worry about as a bachelor, such as the legalities of eating pancakes with Spaghetti-O’s® for brunch.)


So you see, there was (and is) a reason to my madness. Although if I did admit I was crazy, it would make my self-photography art even more cutting edge and revolutionary! (The next Dali—except no funky mustache.)

Sadly, my dabbling in self-photography has taken a sharp decline since I got married. My wife can tell me when it’s time to get a haircut. And we now take pictures together.

Without further ado, please enjoy the pieces selected from my self-photography collection. Each feature will include the approximate date and explanatory commentary.

Check back to see additions to my on-going on-line gallery. I will post one or more at a time whenever I want to see myself from years past with more (or less) hair.

Self-Photograph #1 – January, 1998

This is perhaps my earliest piece of self-photography art. I took this picture to use up the film (and you can tell - that white stripe on the left is part of the picture - the actual edge of the film!).

The time of this photo was right after getting home from my Orange Bowl trip with the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band ("The Pride of All Nebraska"). The NU football team won the National Championship that year (the “Bowl Alliance” one). They beat Peyton Manning and the Tennessee Volunteers. (Go Big Red!)

I have dubbed this self-photo my “Eyeglass Model Photograph.” Betcha can't tell why.

Self-Photograph #2 – Spring, 1998

Me in my dorm room with Ace. I actually met the REAL Ace Ventura at Walt Disney World-Hollywood Studios in Florida. After posing for a picture with me, he said, "Spank you very much." My reply? "No, Ace. Spank YOU." Comedy gold.

Self-Photograph #3 – Early Summer, 1998

I tried to make a cute little self-photo with me and a kitten after a summer evening of playing basketball. (I rule the hoop at Rural Route 1 Box 24-A.) Unfortunately, this self-photo didn’t quite work out the way I intended. So, I’ll go more introspective on this one:

=Ahem=

This self-photograph elucidates a mysterious fractionalization of the human experience in comparison with the innocence of a tiny kitten.

Does that work? (I didn’t think so.)

More Self-Photography Coming Soon!