Be careful what you wish for.

Here's how it happened.

I've been working on some 'PS Actions' as I wanted do some really 'gritty', almost 'grungy' shots for a client in the near future, so thought it would be best to complete the action well ahead of time.

I know...perfect...I'll try it out on a self-portrait!. I'll get a no punches-pulled, honest and gritty portrait that, in revealing all the blemishes, you strip away all falsehoods revealing the real person, the one you want to know and trust. Difficult to describe who I was trying to emulate? I guess I always loved Herb Ritts and Brian Griffin's early commercial work I always found truly gritty and honest. I just wished I could achieve that.

So off I set, took an SP. I can get people to make almost any face I want them to make, but never know how to do it myself, but that's not the point of this photo, I tell myself....this is about testing the 'Gritty-Grunge Action' on a real subject...a shot I have taken.

Now, you know those scenarios where you get the drum roll, the Compere throws out his arms and says "Da Dah!".....and there's silence? Yup. That's pretty much how I felt. I have, as you may know, been a bit under the weather, feeling a bit grungy if truth be known.

Well. This long awaited Action of mine succeeded in demonstrating that I'm clearly not over that particular storm, and that it has actually taken it's toll by adding about 15+ years to my complexion. Not something I think my new client will exactly be wishing for!

After posting this shot, I note that a lot of detail has also been lost in the upload??...and in fact the surround on the original is nowhere near as black as it seems on bf. I may re-crop, but best seen large anyway.

Update : changed and re-cropped