First thought: Weathered. Yes. That would be me.

After 63 winters I figure I have a right to look a tad weathered. For the photo, I was out in the canoe on Irondequoit Creek the day after Christmas 2007. The Canon XTi was on a tripod bungied to the thwart in front of me. The lack of a hat says it was pretty mild, though I can assure you I was wearing neoprene. Hit that water unprotected and you have about two minutes before you really don't care anymore. Weathered is one thing; dead is quite another.

I didn't have to look back far to find the image in my "Photos of me" collection, which told me a couple things: I take woefully few self-portraits, and I have not spent nearly enough time on the water. It's been a long time since I was in the habit of paddling every month of the year.

By self-portrait I mean using a camera and tripod with a timer or remote and taking the time to think about what you are doing. Selfies with the phone held at arm's length don't count, at least not usually. A mirror can work, but the resulting portrait is about the photographer as photographer, which for most of us isn't the whole story.

So how about it? Is anyone interested in joining me for a self-portrait a week project?

The point of a self-portrait project is not vanity but self-discovery, weathering and all. Can you look the camera in the eye and let it look back at you?

Blessings,
Steve