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So, I've gotten a few comments/questions about the quantity of "in bed" self portraits that I have done, and I'd like to [briefly] address them here:

Q: Do you ever get out of bed?

A: Yes, yes I do. Contrary to popular belief, I spend most of my time out of bed, not unlike the average human.

Q: Is this what you really look like when you wake up?

A: Yes. These photos were really taken in the morning, when I woke up.

Q: Why do you take so many photos in bed? Is it because you're an exhibitionist? Or a tease? Or do you simply like taking photos in bed?

A: I like taking photos in bed. Why? Because I am often the happiest, or at least most content, and definitely most comfortable when the day is beginning. Plus, I sleep with minimal clothing, and I am more at ease in the nude than I ever expected.

Q: What kind of lighting do you use? Do you get all technical with strobes and off camera flashes and cool stuff like that?

A: I wouldn't know how to use a strobe if my life depended on it. And I'm not a big fan of the flash, either. I should probably learn to expand my skillz (yes, you read that correctly) and such, but I can be pretty lazy when it comes to stuff like that.

Anyhow, all of my bed photos, and most of my other photos, are taken in natural light. And I usually tag them as such. Any artificial light photos use boring ambient light from whatever source is in the room.

Got any other question? I'll add 'em to the list.

[Edit]

I didn't realize you all would actually take me up on my offer, but in case others are interested, I'll continue posting additional inquiries, though they do stray from the original subject. That being why I take so many bed shots.

Q: What kind of post processing do you do? Do you use Photoshop a lot?

A: Not so much. I mostly use Lightroom for my editing, except for when I add texture. That I do in Photoshop. I shoot in RAW exclusively, and I pretty much keep the post to a minimum - white balance adjustment, contrast and brightness, and tones.

Q: What lenses do you use?

A: I have a number of lenses and am always looking to add more to my collection, because that's how I roll. I have sets containing shots from each of my lenses: my first, the 18-55mm kit lens, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8, the Sigma 10-20mm, and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. I am always up for providing feedback on any of these lens' performance, so feel free to ask away.

Q: For your self portraits, do you use a timer or a remote trigger?

A: I use the IR remote for the D40. Cheap and very handy. Also, I do quite a few arms length SP's (hand held camera), and I always try to tag those as such.

Q: How do you get your sky colors? Do you do HDR?

A: No. I never do HDR images. Usually, I will use the graduated filter tool in Lightroom to balance out any exposure issues in the sky vs. the foreground. Oh, and I shoot with a really cool B+W circular polarizing filter. I highly recommend a CP for anyone interested in improving the skies in their landscapes. I love mine.

Q: How old are you?

A: 28.

Q: How tall are you?

A: Really? I'm 5'6".

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I work as an inventory specialist at an outdoor retailer

Q: How long have you been taking photos? Have you taken courses?

A: I got my first camera (the Canon S3-IS) in August 2006, then my first (and only, to date) DSLR (the Nikon D40) in December 2007. I have never had any formal training, so I guess you could consider me to be self-taught. Though I really learned by taking a ton of photos and learning from the friends that I made on this site. And I still have a lot to learn.

Q: Do U want 2 chat? My IM is __________, hit me up.

A: No.

Q: I love your photos, but it seems as though you attract a lot of flack from some in the Flickr community. How do you read those comments without taking them too personally?

A: Well, it depends on the type of flack to which you are referring. If you mean the creepy individuals who steal my photos, upload them as their own, and post them to Teen Angels...I laugh. Because it's pretty damn funny. If you mean the more emotionally and politically charged issues (most of which I avoid here), then I try my best to keep an open mind but always present my point as eloquently and factually as possible. And, finally, if you mean the creeps who criticize my photos, body, etc. without any constructiveness whatsoever, I delete and block. I'm a big fan of the block.

Q: Do you wear colored contacts? Your eyes aren't really blue, are they?

A: No and yes.

Q: How do you think up all of your titles? Are they your words, or from songs?

A. Most of my titles are quotes from songs, in which case I always include the song name and artist in my tags. I also have sets containing photos from my most frequently quoted artists: Bright Eyes / Conor Oberst, Death Cab for Cutie, and Ani DiFranco, to name a few.

Q: How do you achieve the blurred effect like in this photo? Is it in-camera or in post?

A: Those photos were taken with a slower shutter speed while panning the camera (vertically, in most cases).