Today for your delectation and delight, three recent (January 2013) photos of me by Jennifer Durham. (You can see bigger versions by clicking through.)
The first is my new official Author Photo: the picture that goes on the book jacket of Hild and accompanies reviews (should one be lucky enough to get any in places that run author photos as well as cover graphics). I was artfully lit and photographed by Jennifer–who also artfully smoothed out some of the dings and dents and creases acquired in my 50+ years of standing on the surface of a planet that hurtles through the cosmos at a bazillion million kilometers per hour, and as a result of not always eating what’s good for me and almost always drinking what’s bad…
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| Photo © Jennifer Durham |
This one is probably my favourite, the one that most resembles my interior picture of myself. It won’t work for a book jacket–readers, apparently, prefer their authors to look right at them–but I sent it to my publicist at Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the hope that, one day, some fabulous book-focused journal will run one of those juicy long profiles about me and/or Hild, and that this might make a good accompaniment.
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| Photo © Jennifer Durham |
And then there’s this. It was an experiment in lighting. Jennifer is really, really good at knowing how to emphasise and sharpen (and soften and hide) with light, and she wanted to see what a black and white face-only thing would look like. The proofs looked okay, perhaps a bit stark, but then I said: why don’t we leave my eyes their real colour and see what happens? The contrast is surprisingly subtle. Most people I’ve shown it to aren’t keen. “Freaky!” they say. “Weird!” But I kind of like it.
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| Photo © Jennifer Durham |
Also, I’ve seen the first pass cover art for Hild. It is going to be a knockout. But that’s all I can say right now. But I’m chortling…
Nicola Griffith 
we like the third one..really different. All three are wonderful though.
I like all three of them. Really love the seated one and the B&W one.
All very nice! I think the b&w one is cool.
Thank you! Jennifer just told me she's contemplating a 12-photo grid series of the floating head. So, er, there could be more at some point…
So glad to hear you all like them! Thank you! It's easy to make a good portrait when I have such a beautiful subject. :)
Nicola, I am surprised to hear you like the sitting photo so much. We had discussed the looking into camera thing, so I didn't think you'd like it at the time I took it. I just saw you sitting there, and you looked so lovely I asked you to let me. Glad I did. :)
I like it because I wasn't thinking about the camera. I was looking at a pattern on the concrete floor, thinking nothing in particular, or perhaps about food :) I like it because I know I'm not faking anything. I'm not acting, not posing, not trying to be anything. I'm just…being.
Oh. I thought you were contemplating. Seriously deep thoughts…
:)
Very nice, the seated one especially. The distraction is eye-catching.
All masterful, beautifully lit. Love all three. Great work Jennifer. And Nicola, you're like a fine wine – you just keep improving with age…
Brilliant! Love them all – especially the floating head! Best on the release – JD said this book is going to be HUGE.
Yeah, thinking about food will do that…
:) No vinegar here!
If by huge you mean many, many pages: oh, yep, massive!
Wow. All are very cool!
Wonderful, all of them. I still want to see the one with Chow Main. ;D
He got some lovely roast pork this afternoon. That will have to stand in for being kitty king in the spotlight…
I like all three and I don't think the third one is “freaky.” It is intense, though, and it uses black and white to good advantage.
It was fun figuring it out.
N. Great images. The last is a bit “other worldish” but I like all of them. And nothing wrong with a little “enhancement”. A good photographer needs a good subject. In this case both contitions are met in Spades.
Thanks, Woody.