Art photo - Self Portrait by Candle Light

When I was first learning about photography, my art teacher encouraged me to play with various lighting effects. Not knowing that this type of picture was supposed to be difficult, I set the camera on a tripod in my kitchen and lit the candle on the table. Setting the self-timer, I sat down beside the candle and waited for the camera to take the picture. It was a fully automatic point 'n shoot, so I will never know what the exposure setting was, but the shutter was open for an awfully long time! Using 100 speed film didn't help. This picture is the only picture I've ever entered in a contest. It didn't win because one of the requirements was that the contestants make their own prints and the judges refused to believe that a 10th grade student could print color photographs. But it did receive on honorable mention and went along on a state wide student photography show.

Self Portrait by Candle Light - 1979