Self Portrait

wow this is wicked. Creative and well executed Paul. Excellent

deep

Looks a bit like me after my bucks night Paul well done

It makes me wonder what you broke, a very nice image mate.

A brave image to present, it is truly a great image and a thought provoking image.

this is good. good on you for putting youself before the lens. the senario looks like a colosem or some sort of stadium of extreme games or torture or something else quite horrid. great shot.

Your work is evolving in strange and mysterious ways!!!

Powerful!!

Ummm maybe the bandage needs to be a bit bigger… :~). Just amazing Paul. Your creatvity knows no bounds..Superb

That’s a huge self portrait effort, Paul. Honestly, the reason I have a pile of stones as an avatar is that I can’t approach a portrait like this. Amazing.

great shot,reminds me of myself a couple of month ago before my knee replacement,oh the pain.

Very deep and thought provoking image, well done Paul!

I agree with lost boy – but as always your images are truly brilliant. I wonder if you will start something with this?

Good stuff..

This is amazing. Well-shot.

Better you than me Paul. This definetly shows vulnerability. No way I could do this. Well done.

The walking wounded? Interesting and intriguing concept for a self portrait, well done. It’s quite captivating!

Brave, and great.

Paul!! Great image, great theme, great style (as usual). And welcome to the dedicated band of people who aren’t afraid to put themself on the line for their art.

Whoa! Now that’s impressive. I’m impressed Paul – gutsy, out of the proverbial box, courageous, powerful…shows such strength of character, artistry and commitment to the ‘art’ – so glad you’re here.

Paul felt slightly embarrassed by the clothing ensemble recommended by Jo O’Brien prior to the shoot! She got quite upset with this comment and as is her way got violent on his ass. When everything had calmed down and Paul had returned from hospital the shoot got underway. The dynamic duo were now not talking, Paul refused to take off his baseball cap or even look at the camera and Jo refused to allow him any more clothing than a dirty triangular bandage!

Paul, Very brave to put up this image … there aren’t many who would, yet as you say makes you think how vulnerable we all are.

A powerful piece Paul, courageously undertaken and very well executed.

i think tilting your head back and exposing your throat like that really adds to the vulnerability in this shot..interesting work..

This is amazing….....vulnerable is an understatement….......wow!!

Great work

Great image! Congrats!

I keep coming back to this….........I find it really sad! How amazing to be able to portray despair through a computer screen. What a genius you are!

very dalieque with the crutch …
nice work Paul

A visual feast….

you are gorgeous and sexy but please take care next time OK?
;-)

very deep and meaningful, well done Paul

Vulnerable indeed… nearly barebutt, partly incapacitated, and well outside the safety of the enclosure, but boldly and defiantly right smack in the middle of the frame. And your anguish is LOUD. Once again, you say a thousand words with one image. Another great piece of work!

Amazing and powerful image. This is brilliant

When you said you cut yourself shaving I had no idea…

Very artistic.

It takes a brave man to open themself up like this and to not reside only behind the lens.
But when you only have access to Jo O’Briens wardrobe, this is what can happen..
This was a community anouncement…

Paul, this is such a powerful image, even though you are crippled…it shows open vulnerability…i really applaud you for uploading this and the treatment you have given this casts almost a dreamlike atmosphere over it

Not an easy thing to put yourself out there!
Very expressive with enough vulnerablility to give this an edge… great work Paul! :D

An explosion at sector 7G no doubt, your blind folded and practically naked as a jay bird, I think you better hand me the keys to the caddy lad.

Paul your a story teller… and you tell them well… great tones and mood here… well done!

PS. Stay out of Sector 7G

way out there! Great work as always!

you have a way of capturing great images of people and this is no exception… it is a brave person who turns the camera on themselves and exposes so much…! Well done.

somehow I thought you were conservative….......tres interesting indeed!

and again…OUTSTANDING

Your mind is just full of amazing ideas!:)

This says Vulnerable in more than one way. Very eloquent.

Please read very important

fantastic imagery,and great options for different interpretations, awesum!

Bold, yet tasteful and ingenious.

The use of crutches makes vulnerability or a need for support evident. The bandages represent a need for healing, and of injury (well used!). Looking up suggests blindness, or a struggle to see what you need, or how to move forward.

I am enchanted by the style of processing you have used here. I don’t really understand it or the lighting, but by gosh it’s rich.

Finally, the V for Vanzella is a subtler, but fun addition.

what a great self portrait !! total vulnerability….

interesting work. and brave, what part of your body is actually injured? keep up the good work

cool – great, unusual (self) portrait.

wow, this is really creative. definately true about vulnerability.

one must not be shy about an idea nice shot paul

a powerful self-portrait – incredibly thought-provoking – it really does show the vulnerability and the strength of the human body, spirit and mind. Fantastic work and wonderful style.

great and awesome

Paul, I think you know I’m a huge fan of “artistic” self portraits.
So naturally I really dig this!

we;; dpme

well done sorry

Oh my gosh… Powerful, moving piece… So personal, yet so universal.

what a brave and very symbolic photograph, supression?

well done. the texture overlay adds a sense of antiquity to the work as well a dingy atmosphere. brave man.

Paul, this is simply wonderful. So emotional and raw. So completely true and honest. Fantastic work!

what can I say that hasn’t been said….....love the direction you’re going with this, very personal and beautifully executed. well done!!

So strong yet vulnerable and raw. Brilliant.

You are so right in saying it is all about the vulnerability. It screams vulnerable. And I find the idea of a vulnerable man so intense. It leaves you so exposed which reflects a level of trust and intimacy, the fact that it is a self portrait shows a level of self awareness and self acceptance, the symbolism of the crutches and bandages makes it like you are helpless and at the mercy of the viewer – the prey, the simple act of sharing it publically shows an attempt at calling out and even desperation. It’s a highly charged image and most of the power in it is outside the frame- it’s in the details of why it exists. It is brave, and defiant, and yet helpless and hoping.

Wow, impressive

i think Jo has said it best. Great work Paul.

powerful image Paul ! it does everyting you say it does!

God..

If I haven’t said it before, I just LOVE the way your mind works. This is a freaking brilliant concept..perhaps the very best I’ve seen on this site.

Message perfectly portrayed!!
Brilliant piece Paul!! :)

great presentation and photo work …

Awesome shot…..I do hope all the …errr…..bits are ok!!!

this is indeed mysterious. very interesting. i love what you have done with this piece paul.

interesting Paul, you are really vulnerable, in this shot

I love how raw and whispy and vulnerable this shot is… perhaps that says too much about myself.
where do you get all these ideas from? noit only that.. you also brings them to life wonderfully

Paul, WOW. I absolutely love everything this image conveys and the emotion it stirs up everytime I look at it. I also get a sense of surrender. I am just blown away by this.

This reminded me that I needed to take another look at transfixed

There is more to this than meets the eye soap bubble for journalistic insight into the Van man!

This is so confronting Paul that I have found it hard to express how it makes me feel… I have had to come here half a dozen times to fully wrap my head around this image, and I am still finding it difficult. You present yourself blindfolded, (almost) naked, broken in body and also in spirit – as is evidenced by presenting your throat in the submissive stance. And yet… your strength of character and belief in yourself shines through.

Makes me question my own strength of character.

As I said… very confronting.

Love it!!!!!! not your usual sp great work Mr!!!! ((wolf whistles))

Bold and strong statement about one’s fragility …bravo!

Like the subtlety of the watermarks. Great texturally – and certainly a raw and powerful image. An icon for modern man perhaps?

you’ve got GUTS, mr. paul. it looks amazing. i like how i can still see determination, not in spite of the crutches, but because of them.

Great atmospheric shot, but not sure about the contrivance of the bandages.

Powerful image. The props and the tilt of your head are perfect.

What a brilliant exploration of oneself! I truly admire you for putting yourself out there, Paul. It is not an easy thing to do! The image is stunning and it speaks volumes to others on so many levels! Excellent work!

I looked at this and thought “This is how I feel every day.” Good job.

HUGE THANK YOU for the amazing cooments and support here—totally blown away by the feedback… sincerely appreciated on many levels… thank you!

Great composition

BRAVE IMAGE TO PRESENT as you’ve heard before, powerful concept Paul, I’ve been there, I know very well what vurnelebility is as I know what power and fighting for survival is al about, Powerful and unique vision!!!

great work..ballsy!

From one Paul who uploaded a self portrait this week to another, I do believe yours is a much braver and introspective piece.. a very powerful image that leaves you wondering if you would dare to be so revealing yourself.. fantastic work Paul.

Amazing image Paul !!!

top shelf this one

definitely putting yourself out there with this one!

Well done.

You have such confidence to expose yourself before your peers (no pun intended). Great work. I love the lighting.

Very artistic.. like the lights… great work Paul

I’m speechless…but in a good way!

Powerful work Paul..the inverted V shows great strength with some support from the external, and a willingness to surrender to the higher self…love what you’ve done here:)

oh no – what stuff do you present there ;-))
that is absolutely a great work and idea !!

Love the overlapping layers, not only do you need the crutches to stand but the strength to pull your self up & out. Best self portrait I’ve seen on the site. Cheers to you.

brilliant !!

Great composition!

Very STRONG image! very true as well! AWESOME and creative!

Great shot! This reminds me of something the Red hot Chilli Peppers would have as their album art! Great work!

great work and idea of shoot
love the post processing !
well done !

and why is your johnson bandaged?

great imagery here.. love your self image and pride in it..

Another brilliant photo, potentially the best self portrait I have seen. Well thought out and executed.

very nice image and idea,brave you are

well Paul, nice to see a bit more of you. hope it doesn’t hurt too much! great pic.

Creatively done, Paul.

Wow, what a great message. Thanks for putting it out there!

need some help there??? hehehe

fantastic and gutsy!

..and sexy and hot!

In addition to Jo’s comment regarding rampant vulnerability, I also concur with
the hope, and can suggest that despite the inherent pain, there’s also a raptuos quality present.

Edgy and different- bravo!

This is a very good work. I like it a lot.

a thoughtful statement well executed

I love it! You have definitely captured what you were out for. Well done.

Paul – this is erotic artistry at its best! great piece! A W

An eerie feel to itwhich I like, very thought provoking!

funny! your beautiful :)

Thought provoking, powerful yet vulnerable at the same time. To portray all of this and more in one image, you are truly a master! Well done.

tremendous image..well done!

well done! very unique self portrait

art is the crutch of life. well done!

Unique, beautiful and sexy!

Just came across this one of yours, really love it. very brave btw! and it pays off. love it.

Just came across this one of yours, really love it. very brave btw! and it pays off. love it.

mmmm. oozes of confidence! My first impression from the thumbnail was one of seeing someone lifting their head away in agonizing twists of pain and torment from an attempt to recover from a nasty accident. It was only then I saw the bandage and background and my muse took me elsewhere. Needless to say first impressions are not always right! Great feed for the muse – well done, oh and superb shot.

Doesn’t leave much for the imagination! Love it :)

The image fantastic,and you~very brave man well done…....................

BRAVE
mysterious,
vulnerable,
and compelling . . .
with enchanting undercurrents swimming just beneath
the visual surface

I’m on crutches permanently so this has much meaning for me – very powerful image. Great stuff!

There is no words to discribe how amazing this is… fantastic :)

I think we’re all disabled to some extent…this photo makes think about Forrest Gump…against all odds, he renounced his crutches and became a marathon champion. The fact that your eyes are covered…maybe some of us feel comfortable being disabled and therefore, we want to remain blind to this so-called “incapability” to do what we want or to be what we want to be…I guess that blindness is more desirable for those people who are afraid…I love your concepts because they make you meditate and think…

different, great image! :-)

despite that you using computer, you are great Italian maestro, tell me what inspired you to take that shoot? I have so many things to tell about your work, but i prefere silence.

When i first saw this image quite while ago, it spoke to me. This has a soul of it’s own. I’m lost for words, as i’m only realising now the profound impact this image has had on me, even though i have seen it dozens of times before. Paul, what can i say. I’m rather speechless.

Now I see what Tania meant – and everyone else, what a unique portrayal, and how racked with “schmerz” – it’s an allegorical image – I’d like to do the female counterpart..

amazingly expressive photo…

Wonderful work!

Awesome concept and brilliantly executed!!!

Your work catches me every time…this is another outstanding piece by you, your creativitely just keeps going!! Well done and may many more follow!

Very creative…great self portrait!

this is just brilliant,,, love the concept,,,, you are such an inspiration,,,I am doing another shoot on sunday,,needed some inspiration,,, so I came here!! thank you!! :))