The (Art of the) New Author Photo

I suppose I don't have to do it - I'm not a fan of having my picture taken - but with the onset of a new book (An Unexpected Visit is almost a month away!), there comes the inevitable decision: use the previous author photo, or take a new one?

Let's go back two years.

Here is my author photo from 2014 for Seeing:

Not too shabby, no? Alright, let's dissect it.

I took this photo myself one spring afternoon while my wife was out grocery shopping. As mentioned, I don't like sitting for pictures - and they can be costly - so I figured I'd just do it myself. I simply set our camera up on a tripod, set the timer, and placed myself in a recliner, making it look like I was caught near a particularly bright window, looking over the pages of some work. Because that's how all authors get things done.

Yes, that's a white binder. I think the lined pages inside were blank. No, the lens flare isn't real; I added it later for effect (could be worse, I could have gone all J.J. Abrams and lens flared the whole pic so that you could only see my jaw). And I can't tell, is it supposed to look like I'm writing something? Kinda looks like I'm about to nod off.

Note to self: Don't take picture of yourself looking down. It doesn't have the impact you think it does.

Alright then, when it was time for The Painted Lady the following year, the choice was obvious: New picture!

And here it is:

Once more I went with the black and white. Looks more dramatic. Striking. I also took my own picture again. This time it was with my iPhone, with the camera set to Selfie Mode.

That's right, my 2015 author picture was a selfie. #win

This one was easy. I stood in front of an upstairs window in our house and just started snapping while looking all contemplative...at the wall. Yep, that's where my eyes are pointed. At a wall. The sun sure did a nice job of bleaching out most of that window. Ah, dramatic lighting.

That "shadow" of stubble is what I get the day after I shave. I could have a mountain-man beard in no time if I stop taming that thing.

This year it was obvious again - take a new picture! - but I wanted to do something a little more...meaningful, and try for better (production) quality.

Man, my new iPhone takes a hell of a picture. Not a selfie this time.

So, this pic isn't cropped down to actual "author photo" size, but in this wide shot you can see a frame on my desk that has a picture of my wife with Maddie, who was just a day old, and over my head is a picture of Maddie at two months holding a copy of Seeing. Yeah, there's also a BB-8. And a Millennium Falcon. What?

I like this year's author photo more than the previous takes (though I still don't like having it done) because it places a lot into one picture that makes up me - my family, my work, and some of my favorite things (behind me on the shelf are copies of my favorite books and movies, not placed overtly that they'd be obvious, but I know they're there).

With no plans for a book release next year, I've got two years to plan the next shot.

Imagine what my iPhone 8 will be able to do....