The Window

I was sitting in the Jr High gym watching a basketball game when I suddenly noticed way up high there is a window. It wasn't on the side of the gym where the rest of the windows were, it was almost in the rafters and positioned to stream in sunshine from the south. Very strange place for a window. Generally the sun would move right above the gym. During the winter months I suppose there could be a bit of daylight that would dart into the gym and brighten the room. Just a reminder to keep your eyes peeled for the smallest of sunshine to brighten your day, it can come from the most unexpected places.

The Paparazzi In Me

It isn't every day that I have the time or the interest in trying to get a celebrity image. I really feel like they should have the opportunity to go about their day like any of us common folk. Last night I found myself in the surreal world of acting like a trained paparazzi. I guess that isn't totally true since the celebrity was here with a purpose and wanted to be seen and was very friendly to everyone who showed up at the premiere of her new movie. I won't bore you with the very childish title. These people know just when to look at you and how to look at you to make a great shot. Their whole self importance is determined by how many frames are clicked off as they walk by. I had missed the early media time and found myself smack in the middle of the situation with a less than perfect set up of equipment since I had been shooting indoor basketball I had my camera with me as I came upon the scene. (side note- I am reminded every day I should carry some sort of camera with me, I missed a truck exploding the other day since I drove by as the whole thing became a ball of fire, no camera on hand). It was really a funny experience and can't imagine having to do this type of photography all the time but who knows when I will find myself with a willing celebrity and the crowd numbers in my favor so I happily snapped a few frames. I can also say the said celebrity could not have been nicer to everyone there and took time with people who had lined up to see her. You know the old saying that they are prettier in real life is accurate in this case.

Social Media as I See It

participating in a project this is my read on social media as it has touched my life.

As I have mentioned before photography has become a huge part of who I am. I have made some great friends through photography and have found some in the strangest places. The funny part is I wouldn't recognize some of them if they kicked me in the knee. I know that sounds strange but they are people I have met via the internet. No, not the weird stuff you find on the internet. The one that has had the biggest impact on me is http://www.strobist.blogspot.com or strobist.com. David Hobby has created a community with his site. He has selflessly shared his knowledge with all of us to improve our lighting. He unknowingly pushed me to challenge myself in areas I have always wanted to tread but didn't know where to start. Have I mastered all he has taught, not even close but I am a better photographer because of him and I know there is always room for improvement. The other strobists are very open to sharing ideas and feedback in a positive way. The discussions are positive unlike other forums where there is always someone ruining the fun. David has encouraged people to get together in towns all over the world to practice what they have learned from his site. This blog is really an outlet for me to practice what I have learned from strobist.com, forcing me to shoot things I would not normally shoot in ways that stretch me as a photographer, hopefully for the better.

Another Cold Day

We are actually having cold weather which might just mean less bugs come Spring time. I have momentarily been over run with flowers so I took some time to play around with my lighting and came away with some interesting shots of one arrangement. Lit remotely from both sides, one with a gobo and bubble wrap infront of the light to limit it and the other one with a diffuser on it. Aiming low allowed the light to hit from below the vase and I played around with different settings to get some light from above to light the top of the flowers. The flowers were all nestled into the glass vase and looked like people all smushed together to keep warm. I hope you find this shot interesting.

All Eyes Watching

Have you ever felt like all eyes were on you? Well today I found myself in a situation like that and realized I don't sit still very well. If I wasn't digging into my bag under the table to find out what time my phone said it was ( I hadn't set my watch and it was reading 5 hours ahead of schedule and then some), I was looking for lip gloss or my notes or to dig out another camera. I truly hoped no one was looking at those of us sitting at the head table because I was like that kid in church that was squirming all around. Once settled in, I would have to jump or lightly step down from the head table that was raised to stand down and take pictures of others speaking. I looked at a girl half my age that was seated a seat over from me and explained "I'm not very graceful". That is an understatement.

Looking at Things Differently

Add to your take on life by actually looking at those things you see everyday. I have seen pansies every winter and never really stopped to look at the beauty of the bloom. The gracefulness of the center is amazing and detailed. Today stop and look at the beauty of the every day things around you. You might too be surprised at how something so simple is really more beautiful than you first thought.

Friday Fun

Another Friday and time for some fun shots on a grey day. Too cold to do much outside so here are some more colorful spots from my day.

Simplicity

Life has taken on such a frantic pace. I wonder how we can ever get back to simpler times. Everything is instantaneous, there is no time to fix an error before someone finds out, no time to sit and enjoy life, no time to really soak up the simple things. With that in mind I bring to you a photo I took tonight of a simple yellow rose.

Twelve Months Makes a Difference

Twelve months ago I was at a loss. I was faced with a decision to make about where I was headed with my photography. Having a regular schedule covering events for a smaller paper and doing some freelance along the way I had sort of plateaued. I discovered I had lost the passion for something I had loved and was going through the motions for the wrong reasons. Having always been the one with a camera at various family function as I was younger, I rediscoverd photography as I got older and it had reignited a drive in me. Amazingly I had found a small niche in a very competitive market - market being the key word. I had lost a grip on why I took pictures. Making money is great but to make great photos you need to feel it and have a passion for it. It isn't like bookkeeping and going through the motions, when you start to slip, your photos don't lie , they show that you are not really giving 100% to it. I took a step back and reexamined how and why I was taking pictures. I don't ever just want to take pictures, I want to make photographs that have a purpose or a meaning at least to me. I want to look at one of my images and see a moment and in a weird way feel that moment. It was a long year and some wonderful things landed in my lap. On a lark I applied for a simple writing position and actually got it. I have met some of the most amazing photographers in my area and consider some friends. I have gained new insight and knowledge into my photographs and have grown as a person. Here I sit twelve months after considering selling all my equipment and I have more opportunities then I could have imagined, made more acquaintances in the photography world who are always willing to give me suggestions when needed and have learned even more about the art of making photographs. Twelve months from now I hope to have learned even more and continued to keep my mind open to all possibilities.

Predictable

Life is pretty predictable some times. Maybe it isn't life but the people in it. Whether they want to be predictable I don't know but you can usually tell how someone is going to react to something or to a situation. You can be surprised though, when blood becomes part of the equation I am unusually calm, which I would not have thought would be the case. Anyway try to do something no one would expect next time you are faced with a situation. I have found even though I don't do what someone is expecting their recollection of the experience is not what happened but what they expected to happen.

Epiphany

I have always thought an epiphany was when I had a revelation of sorts, which does happen occassionally. Well low and behold this past Sunday was epiphany Sunday. Theoretically epiphany means "to be made manifest". Evidently the oldest epiphany observances were based on the Jewish Feast of Lights, now known as Hanukkah. So with that in mind I will share some of my personal epiphanies that have come to me over the last few years.

-Stick yourself out there, it might just benefit you in the long run.

-Life is what you make of it and it can be rather fun if you think of it that way.

-Everyone has issues, just some of us will admit that we have them.

-Life is too short to spend time with people who really are not fun to be with.

-There is beauty all around you, you just have to take the time to appreciate it.

-Ninety percent of life can be viewed as a comedy the other ten percent a tragedy.

-We do learn from our mistakes and if we don’t then we are fools.

-Try to figure out what crazy gifts God has given you and do something with them.

Well you get the point. As to me, I try to find something good in situations, even the bad ones but other times I wonder just what is going on around me. I feel like this little guy looks. Everything out of my control, maybe that is the point.

Up Close

I have been wanting to try some new things so here is my first attempt. They aren't perfect but I feel pretty good about them. Some holiday flowers on their last leg lead me to push that envelope and see what I could come up with.

Holiday Color

Today I decided to play around with the last strand of lights I have left up. With some creative focusing and some colorful lights I created a unique shot, at least unique for me. Very simple to accomplish but I think it is fun and different from my normal work.

Something Different

Throwing caution to the wind on my basic discipline with my photography, I took great joy in doing the unthinkable and created some fun and different shots from my normal style. I am not exactly sure what my camera captured but I can tell you I set it on a very slow shutter and sort of moved the camera this way and that way and was amazed at the colors it captured.