New Wings

 

Today’s image came from a rainy July weekend – when I’m cooped up indoors I often get my camera out. (There are several outtakes with inquisitive kitteny cats who really wanted to play with the ribbons…)

I’ve had this image and hundreds of others in my head for a years, but after some run-ins with snarky experts when Photoshop was still a new thing, I’ve lacked the confidence to try and create them. It’s easier not to try than to find yourself failing – yet that way lies constant frustration and unhappiness.

While I know I’ve got a long way to go in terms of post-processing, I’m excited to have been brave enough to put my work out there – I’ve been hiding for long enough. I also want to add some curviness to the genre – I follow some some glorious fine art photographers, and none that I’ve come across so far features plus size characters. (Possibly because, like me, they favour self portraits. But I want to address the balance anyway, squidgy bits and all.)

So why this to start with? Well, my mind has been full of the fae recently. I’ve been reading Jill Nojack’s Fae Unbound YA series, which has all kinds of fae (though only one winged one, the Queen), is based on Arthurian legend and has some tradition mixed with twists all over the place. Perfection in book form.

Then the first round of the Unfurling course starts next Saturday, and with eighteen fabulous ladies signed up so far, I’m excited-nervous for the journey we’re going to take together.

The alter ego I’ll be working on this time is my fae self – she has been lurking for years. She’s my magical, mystical, mischievous sides – and she has incredible sparkly rainbow wings!

And so as I embark on the journey of getting to know her better, I thought New Wings would be the perfect image to accompany this week. A new-emerged fae woman, who will wake up shortly after this photograph, sit up, and realise her shoulders hurt. She’ll wriggle them around, like you do after an intense workout, and she’ll wander into the bathroom – and find she’s come into her fae inheritance overnight.

To be continued…