Single Photo Friday:: Graveyard Walk

Many years ago, while attending Ithaca College as a photo major, I learned about a style of shooting known as 'shooting from the hip.' It is safe to say that this was a turning point for me in falling more in love with photography, and learning about my own personal style.

I can clearly remember doing the assignment with one of my classmates. While I got more and more excited, she got more and more frustrated. I had walked into my comfort zone, she was very far from hers. I would say it was a pivotal moment for both of us in that sense. She turned more and more to the lighting studio after that, while I kept my camera at my hip and took to the streets.

Shooting from the hip can literally happen with your camera around your neck, dangling at your hip and very far from your eye. Push the shutter without looking through the lens, develop your black & white film, and find 36 surprises. Or, so it would go back in 1990whatever. The element of surprise was part of what I loved about it.

The other side is how much it teaches you about your equipment. You start to see things in terms of whatever lens you are using, which is crucial for a photographer anyway. It almost seems to speed up your ability to learn about and make that piece of equipment work for you. Almost 20 years later and I'm still using the technique, though it varies and is often not dangling at my hip (except when it is). Lately, my camera strap gets wrapped around my wrist (just in case..) and that camera is put on the ground or into a bush or on some hard surface that has caught my eye. Pavement, rock and brick walls, rusted fences, piles of leaves... there are just so many places to try out!

So, the other day there was frost on the ground and an electrician in my house. When he shut the power down my camera and I went for a walk. I have often shot with a wide lens when shooting from or around the hip, but this time I put on the 85mm and walked through the graveyard. Yes, my camera went on the ground, into the frosted leaves, next to someone's grave, to get that shot you see here. It is my favorite from that day's photo excursion. And yet another reminder of why I love my 85 so much!


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Single Photo Friday:: Mono

In my past I was a black and white printer. I spent much of my twenties working in darkrooms and splashing around in a sink full of chemicals. When I wasn't printing, I was shooting black and white film like it was going out of style. Probably because it was.

Now that I live in a digital world my love for color has really bloomed. And, yet I still enjoy various shades of gray. Sometimes when I'm out shooting I literally look for a monochrome color palette. Like this wall.

I stumbled across this wall while at the Maine Media Workshops a few weeks ago. My classmates and I were out shooting without looking through the lens. I created an album on my Facebook page showing what I took that day. An exercise in SEEING, without LOOKING. Something I feel is crucial to growing as a photographer and something I encourage everyone who has a love affair with cameras to do. Let yourself be surprised by the results, and teach yourself to expand your vision.

Spend a half hour with your camera and just look for variations in color, light, and texture. That's where I always start. Next photograph the things that grab your eye, only without looking through the viewfinder. Stand close or far from the subject, get on the ground, get dirty, bend sideways, twist your arm and therefore your camera into funny angles. Play with the controls and focus. Learn to SEE in new ways, and really get a stronger grasp of how your equipment works.

And, FYI, cropping later is cheating! Learn not to do it :)



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The Non-driving Photog Update

What will today's post bring? One never knows. Some days I have a plan, other days I don't. It's just how I live my life. A state of structured flexibility, you could say.

I flip back and forth between focus and fun. I bury my nose in a project, then I step away and do something creative. I edit photos for hours, then I slap on roller blades and spend time cruising around my neighborhood. I whip up a batch of gluten-free granola bars, then I call my insurance company and end up on the phone for 45 minutes figuring out recent errors and how we can fix them. I am a wandering homebody, a lover of the outdoors and time spent on the couch with a good book.

I start my day jolting my brain awake with coffee and new ideas. I sit and write them out. I finish my day reading good books and laughing at funny television shows. I go to bed looking forward to my new morning routine of coffee and and idea writing in the cool air on my back deck. I go to bed wanting sleep but already excited to start the next day. This seems like a whole new outlook for me. I don't remember feeling this alive... ever.

I have a possible explanation, and it lies somewhere between loving what I do and coming off medication I have been on for over 25 years. Is it possible that the last 3 weeks of reducing my epilepsy medicine has had this much of an impact on me? I think it's very possible, I just never imagined this was going to happen. All I knew was that I was so ready to come off this medicine, but I was completely unable to get a sense of what it would do to me or how I would feel. I honestly was happy with the thought of no longer being dependent on a medicine, no longer paying for it, no longer remembering to take it and panicking when I forgot.

Instead I'm 3 weeks into this process and I feel great! Sure, I'm still the photographer who can't drive herself anywhere, but I'm also more focused and alert than I think I have ever been. My energy levels are cranked up a few notches. It's very exciting and bizarre at the same time.

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And here I am, a few days later on day 3 of feeling like a human bobble head. Weeks 1-3 were bordering on awesome, Week 4 has had me very housebound and unable to get much done. I couldn't take charge right now if I had to. So, I won't. I will hope to get through the day without upsetting the balance too much, much like I did all weekend.

Saturday I was so out of whack that I spent most of the day on the couch in and out of sleep. Sunday I made attempts to get things done. I packed up my basement studio (our awesome home has been sold and we are moving), with breaks taken on the couch. Today I sit at the computer unable to focus long enough to do much at all. It's okay that I can't drive right now because I honestly have no desire to even be in a car. Every few minutes there is a different symptom somewhere: loss of balance, tingly hands, overheating, loss of focus, fatigue, chills, head full of cotton. It just kind of keeps looping itself like bad elevator music. The thought of socializing is more than I care to think about for now. I am essentially a drug addict in the middle of a detox.


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Today (October 1) I step out of my foggy mind only to stand at my window and watch fog weave through the trees in my yard. I return again to watch the sky open up and pour down on the same trees. I believe I have made it through the worst part of this medicine removal. I feel better, and yet my life feels like it's in a holding pattern of some sort. I am waiting for the energy of a few weeks ago to return.

Having my life kind of on hold, and yet moving forward at the same time, is a tricky thing to sort out. I am keeping my work load light in the months when I normally do the most, because I just can't stand the thought of possibly coming up short for my clients. The not knowing what to expect, not being able to drive to get simple errands done, the working around other people's schedules, all require a certain amount of patience and flexibility. So, I'm using as much patience to ease through this time and come out the other side ready to move forward in a stronger way. I will be so glad later when I look back at this time, but now I worry about all the opportunities I may be missing.

I share this non-photo part of my life because it is an important piece to who I am. Doing so has caused others to share stories as well that perhaps I never would have heard otherwise. Conversations started and ideas shared that may have helped where answers weren't being given. It has been a comfort but also discouraging to learn how many of us are coasting through medical situations, with many questions going unanswered and getting tips from each other rather than our doctors.

I am mere days away from being done with a 27 year prescription. Monday I will take my final pill, probably cry many joyful tears, then move on. Literally. My house and office are being packed with plans to move in the next few weeks. I don't know what the final weeks of adjusting to no meds will mean, but I do know the new home and office will mean great things for my business and life in general. I am very excited to see how it all plays out!


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Single Photo Friday:: Stormy Beauty

Yesterday's sky was crazy awesome. I thought I should share a photo I took while standing on my back deck, during a much needed computer break. Yes, I spent most of my little break staring at the sky.

So far, September is scoring an A+ in my book!

Ooooh, pretty.

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Single Photo Friday:: Lazy Sunday

I woke up this morning realizing it was Sunday (and the 4th of July!) and had no memory of posting to the blog on Friday. An easy thing to do during a busy week, both personally and professionally. So, this week's Single Photo Friday is arriving on a Sunday! And it comes with a little of that 'lazy Sunday' feel, coupled with a dose of light I'm kind of in love with.

Flag in my yard.

Happy Birthday, America! Hope everyone is finding a fun way to celebrate today.



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Single Photo Friday:: Copycat

My nephew and I went on a photo excursion the other day through my neighborhood. He carried his parent's point and shoot digital camera, I carried my NikonD300. We laughed and talked and took pictures and played on the swings.

I watched him take pictures like only a creative 7 year old can. He seemed to gravitate towards plants and shapes. He walked up to this pole on a the playground, rested the bottom of the camera right on the metal with the lens pointed up to the sky. Without looking he pushed the button, then moved on.

"Hey! I want a picture like that!" I said to him then proceeded to copy his actions. The photo I took is shown above. I kinda love it.

His mother would say he gets his ideas for photos from me, but it looks like I actually get some of my ideas from him! How does that line go? Oh yeah, "Art is always imitated."


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Single Photo Friday:: Step Back

It's Friday, the sun is out, and I'm recovering from my first 5k that I ran last night.

I was combing through my photo library thinking of photos that would have something to do with running. I don't seem to have things like that, probably because I NEVER photograph myself running (nor will I). But this image jumped out at me. I was photographing this man in front of a church. I took a step back, deliberately changing my focus, and ended up with an image I have always liked but done nothing with. For me, that is one of those things that I love about having a blog - it gives me a platform to show images that otherwise wouldn't be seen.

Plus I think it says something about my mood today. On one side I'm VERY jazzed up about what I accomplished last night. The other side of me is mellow and somewhat reflective, stepping back to take in some details. The nerves of yesterday are gone, replaced with a calm satisfaction that must be the result of setting out to do something, working really hard, and exceeding your expectations.

It feels pretty great.


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Single Photo Friday:: Sparkle

Hello Friday of Memorial Day Weekend! Today's image is one I took recently of a friend for my ongoing 'photos of real women' project. This image captures a piece of Tricia that was amplified that day as she was newly self-employed and ready for whatever adventure was next.

I hope down the road when she looks at this photo she'll remember how she felt those first few weeks of embarking on this next chapter of her life. The sparkle of things to come in her eyes, perhaps.

If you are up for being part of my Real Women Photo Project, please let me know! I would love to hear from you.

Have a safe, fun, and happy Memorial Day weekend!


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Single Photo Friday:: Favorite Place

Boat on Ferry Beach.

Today I took a walk on my favorite beach in the whole wide world. This is what I came home with. Oh, and I also came home with a feeling of calm and happiness that I rely on this beach to deliver.

What I really needed was a technology break, and I got that and more. This beach and are like best friends. A best friend I have to share with loads of other people. It was nice to catch up.

Do you have a favorite place that feels like an old friend?

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Single Photo Friday:: Wear and Tear

Wharf wall in Portland's Waterfront.

Happy Friday! This week I'm digging this shot of peeling paint on a wall in Portland's waterfront, taken with a lensbaby.

Interesting how when buildings age like this they take on a beauty all their own. If only we had the same deal as humans.

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The 5Year Mark

Showing love to Ferry Beach with my {Dreamy} Diana lens.

Yesterday marked 5 years since my father's passing. I realize that may be a bit personal to talk about on a blog that is linked to my business, but we all have our stories and that info is part of mine. I feel like this a place where I get to share my work along with my stories.

I try to honor him in some way every year on Feb. 2. One year I went to Busch Gardens and rode roller coasters all weekend with the Weekend Warrior, one year I cut off all my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, this year I took a day for myself to enjoy a few simple things.




I ordered myself a photo book by National Geographic and another on the American Family. NatGeo was a magazine my dad always loved (and kept stacks of them in our house growing up), filled with photos I aspired to take. I took my camera and my new {Dreamy} Diana lens to my favorite beach and walked and photographed. Later, my family and I had dinner at a local chain restaurant that has Gluten-free options and animals hanging on the walls that talk every so often. This was really more for my nephew than the rest of us, but the being together part was what mattered. I topped off the night with 3 hours of LOST because I'm a nut and dying to see how the final season wraps up.



That last piece was really just for me, and not so much about my dad.

The rest however, made me think of him in good ways all day. His support in my photography endeavors was unwavering. So, it helps me to spend time working on and loving my craft in his absence, because I think of him often. Every once in awhile I might snap a photo just for him.




So, yesterday my choice was to play with my new Diana Lens - a plastic lens with a price tag around $60 and a dreamy look that could go for miles. Crisp focus is not likely to happen, but I have to say it was a bundle of fun. And always nice to step away from your normal way of doing things and mix it up a bit. One of the things that blew me away was how incredibly blue my skies were. Amazing what a piece of plastic can capture! Seriously. Please try adding something plastic/toy/fun to your camera arsenal. You will be so glad you did.




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Scaling Back: a Photographic Exercise

Choppy waters just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

On November 4 I boarded a plane in Portland, Maine to cross the country and land in San Francisco. The family was congregating in the city that my youngest cousin now calls home, so we could all attend his wedding. I was beyond excited.

First, I was excited to finally get to see San Francisco, and that the Weekend Warrior was coming with me (knowing he would finally see the Golden Gate Bridge, which he seems to have a mild obsession with, was fueling my enthusiasm). This was the final wedding of my 2009 season, only this time I was going as a guest. No pressure on me, aside from the fact that I would be required to put some serious effort into my outfit, and (*GASP*) wear heels.

Walking around the streets of San Francisco made me really thirsty.

I thought about how I would actually sit and eat an entire meal. I would hit the dance floor and dance for hours. I would hang out with my family, laughing and talking and watching my cousin have his moment. And I would get to see another photographer in action! I love to watch people who know their craft work, so this was something I was really looking forward to.

Then it came time to pack my equipment. I wasn't responsible for a wedding or portraits or film stills, so perhaps I could really scale back. I could bring just what I'm comfortable carrying on me for hours. I could finally do something I've wanted to do for a long time: One camera body, and one lens. But not a zoom lens, that's almost cheating. A 50 mm, nothing else and see what I get.

I loved how the sun was hitting this little building, begging me to take its picture.

In my twenties, before the days of auto-focus and extra bells and whistles, I went everywhere with a Pentax K1000 and a 28mm lens. I got very used to shooting close to my subjects or making negative space work in my favor. Things are different now, to say the least, but the desire to scale down and simplify is still with me. Excessive gear doesn't mean much. The important thing is to be comfortable and skilled with the gear you do have. Bringing only a 50mm lens is an excellent exercise for any photographer. If the shot doesn't work you either find a way to make it work or you move on to the next thing that might. It's an exercise in finding new ways to see (or a reminder of how you used to see, before all the auto-focus zooms came into your life).

Down at Fisherman's Wharf, in what I called 'Crab Alley'.


The end of Larkin.

Not to mention, it's a very compact and light lens making all day excursions with a camera around your shoulder much easier, especially when renting bikes. All of the photos in this post were taken on that trip, with a 50mm f1.4 lens. I'm looking forward to the next chance I get to stretch my photo brain like that.

I love the texture and color of this. Rusty metal things do it for me.

The touristy shot. I went under on a boat and across on a bike.

This little exercise stretched my creativity and left me wanting more. This is what scaling back did for me. What do you think it could do for you?

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The California I Saw

The blog has been sitting silent for a little while. This seems to be a common theme on many photo blogs, followed by apologies and often promises to do a better job updating. I'm not sure any apologies are needed. Sometimes life just happens and things get busy. I had hoped to update roughly once a week, but that doesn't always happen. And for the most part, that's ok.







What I have been doing is lots of photographing and some travel and general life busyness, all in the name of photo goodness. Not to mention it's FALL! The best time to be living in Northern New England. But I decided to leave my favorite place during my favorite time of year and spend a few days out west. Los Angeles, to be exact. While I was there I took a few photos...








I love that feeling of being in a new place. Seeing things for the first time makes my creative energies come alive and my photographic eye go into overdrive. I had been down some of these streets earlier this year, but still had that excitement of being in a new place. Several of these were taken on my morning walk to find coffee. Sitting and watching, while consuming the necessary caffeine doses, gave me a chance to take in what was going on around me and make some images of the California I saw.

I'm starting to believe that 4 days away is the answer to any lack of inspiration or motivation. We all hit those points, no matter what we do for work or with our lives. Disappearing for even a small amount of time is often just what we needed to get back on track /recharged / ready to start anew.

What happens to you when you go to new places?


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Pieces

of Janice and her personality....






She's fierce. And so much fun to photograph! There are many more where these came from and they will be gracing the blog soon, so keep your eyes peeled and your computer on. She is the beginning part of an ongoing project to photograph women. REAL women. Not glossed over glamazons, but the people we see and know and love everyday. All shapes, ages, beliefs, backgrounds, and personalities.

Beauty is everywhere, and we don't need to find it places where it's being force fed to us. We can all find it in our immediate lives, in our communities, at our favorite local hang outs, in our backyards. Photographing people lets me do that on a daily basis. I'm a lucky duck.

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Ever Changing Art

Somewhere out there is a sweet and tender hooligan...



who is making some great art work on Portland's walls.


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They Joys of Summer

Starting the picking at Patten's Farm in Gorham.

The sun has finally come out in New England! And with it, so do the locals. I picked strawberries yesterday for the first time in more years than I can count. My mother and I took my nephew, who instead picked the flowers and 'prickly things' growing between the strawberries. I love this image, though, because there is something about slowing down to discover things that so many of us forget to do. This small unfamiliar plant sparked his curiosity and kept him happy, more so than any amount of strawberry picking may have done.

Max in a strawberry field.

Which is good since he didn't pick a single berry! My mother and I slaved in the heat for hours...

Not really. But we did a decent job considering the season is pretty much done and the rain has not been a friend to some of our summer crops here in Maine. I went home and juiced a bunch of mine right away. Cuz that's what I do these days, I juice things. I worked hard to get those strawberries so I am going to use up every last one of them! And as I do I will be reminded of that piece of prickly grass and Max's day of sparked curiosity.



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Sick Day

Higgins Beach after the latest snow storm

Even photographers get sick. Today I sit in my pj's surrounded by tissues and battling up and down body temperatures and low energy. There's no one who needs calling with a report that I won't be heading in to work today. And there certainly isn't someone who will pay me to sit home sick. I had already forgotten that many people in our country have that option.

So, I sit surrounded by the many tissues and almost empty cups of liquids and just get to work. Build a new page on the website, contact a local magazine, spend time with the blog, work on some photos. The news shows slowly turn into soap operas (nice to learn Bo and Hope are still on TV...) and I wonder where the remote is and how much effort it will take me to get up and change the channel. Maybe I should make some tea, which will require more effort than finding the remote, but might be more rewarding. Sounds like a lot of things in life.

There is something funny about telling myself I need to take a sick day, and then still finding ways to get things done. Funny I guess, because I am still getting used to being my own boss. I like that I can stay home, feeling far below 100% and still accomplish something. Don't need to look nice to work on the computer. Plus, there are so few distractions for me right now.



Yesterday I left the office after only a few hours. I drove to Higgins Beach in Scarborough and took a little walk with my camera. I hoped the fresh air would make me feel better. I also thought if I wasn't feeling up to getting work done in the office, then at least I could put the camera to use. The air wasn't the right answer, it just made my nose run even more. But using the camera, as always, was a good recipe to make me feel better. Even if it was only temporary.

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California Dreamin'

I saw the Pacific Ocean yesterday. Having left the cold grip of the Northeast with my camera gear and a large heap of excitement, I landed in San Diego and eased into my first day. First, there was the necessary dose of caffeine, then a walk on the beach where I stood in the water and stared out at the mass of blue in front of me. It was odd to feel sun shining on my face. I honestly can't remember the last time I headed for sunnier skies in the middle of winter. I could have just watched the ocean all day and gone back home happy. Back home to the Atlantic Ocean.



I watched these two surfers enter the ocean from cliff while a train sped by right behind me. It was then that I knew taking this trip was a good idea. My camera and I are looking forward to spending a lot of time together.

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Yard of Glass

Snow day = YAY! Though I guess I should really be calling it an Ice Day. No school, no work for many, no power, lights, heat, or internet for almost all. Yeah, that's right, I said no internet! No internet and no coffee on the morning of my birthday seemed adventurous at first. I bundled up and took my camera out once again to capture what was happening in my own backyard...





Shortly into the adventure of the Ice Day I was soaked and struggling to protect my camera, which for some reason I found humorous. But the beauty of what ice does to everything makes it hard to just put the camera down. And isn't it weird that while it was an ice storm, I was walking around with wet coat, hair, camera, hands, etc.? It felt almost like rain, only much colder and clearly, with a much bigger impact. As I write this, thousands are still without power and heat. Chainsaws were heard almost in unison across New England today.







And soon I realized that the beauty is also fragile. I backed into a bush while talking to my neighbors who took some heavy tree damage, and the whole thing almost toppled over. I nearly broke a bush just by lightly bumping into it! It was as if my entire yard was made of glass...





And I will admit that since I am both a caffeine and internet addict (that sounded much worse than it was intended), after my little camera adventure I hopped in my car and drove until I found a place with lights on that would also have heat and the two things I was craving most at that moment. The coffee was great, the stolen wireless signal - not so much.

A couple of Average Joes

How much do we know about someone just by looking at a photo? If I were to ask you what this Average Jane did, what would you guess?

OR, is it better to know nothing about the subject and therefore make your own conclusions?

Would you ever have guessed this smiling face belongs to a lawyer? Hanna the Happy Lawyer. I love this image because I think it is so very Hanna. She smiles this easily roughly 90% of the time. It's refreshing.

How about this guy?

Just another day of apple picking with Chris the UPS guy. Next time maybe I should photograph him wearing the famous uniform!

Nah. That would be too easy.


How much do you like to know about a subject when looking at a photograph? Does knowing the context and history make you enjoy the photo more or less? I don't think there is a wrong answer. A chance to draw your own conclusion or have the story spelled out for you.

At times, I do enjoy hearing people's immediate reactions to my work, as those are often the most honest. I have realized some images just don't work, where others might be stronger than I realized, just by getting that initial reaction from someone. However, as photographers we must learn to edit our own work. Feedback is important, and so is being true to your work, to yourself.


These three images are a few in a series of portraits I have of friends and family. Something I hope will be a more complete body of work someday. Images of people I share my life with, that say something about each person's individual personality. Wanna know more about them? I'll gladly answer questions...



And, sometimes it's just a simple moment between friends, snapped quickly with my camera.

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