Self Portrait

This week's assignment in my 26 week group was "Just Me", aka self portraits. I often enjoy doing self portraits but I've not been "feeling it" this week. To combat my lack of concept, I decided to work on a technique, the Cinemagraph. Frankly, it needs some kinks worked out, but I'm getting faster and enjoying playing... To see how others in the group dealt with this challenge, please continue on with Aubry Wood Startin.

I don't want to forget...

My oldest is growing up so fast. Everyone says it over and over again when they are babies and you roll your eyes and say, "Oh, yes..." and then POOF, they are almost 10 and don't want to hold your hand in public and you wonder where all the time went... Well, at 9 and 3/4 as he likes to say, my boy loves origami. He's been making little animals for about two years now and aside from Legos, it is the only quiet activity he engages in. Often with the intent of selling his creations back to me. All the birds you see in this shot were given to me with a "suggested donation". He is trying to quickly amass cash before we go to Nebraska for the 4th of July. He has his eye on buying many, many fireworks...



Please continue on with the circle of amazing photographers, next up is Gina Weathersby....

A Day in the Life

Details...

Anniversary

"Twenty-one years with the same woman — Wow! And what a woman. I'm looking forward with interest and anticipation to the next twenty-one years. And if my love for you grows much more — big as I am — I won't be able to contain it." -Jack Anniversary note to my grandmother-in-law I found today while sorting through her old photos. Jack died of a massive heart attack in his 40s, not long after this note was written. No wonder why at 90+ she still spoke of him with such enduring love.

Dreams, Dream, Dreams

The latest "assignment" in my amazing 24 weeks group centers around the theme of Dreams... I had a shoot 2 weeks ago that happened to lend itself to the theme, particularly when I began adding textures, duplicating images and otherwise having fun in Photoshop... When you've looked thru my work, please continue to the link provided at the bottom and check out all the talented artists in the group :) Sweet dreams!

Now for some true dreamy goodness please check out the work of the uber-talented Becky Earl.

Takes My Breath Away

When I first read the assignment, I assumed I should attempt to create the most fabulous, breathtaking image I'd ever shot and edited. I envisioned a big set up and trying to do something clever with light and processing.

 

But this has been a difficult few weeks. 

 

Instead, the words took on a different meaning. Frankly, it's felt a bit claustrophobic around here. It hasn't taken much to for me to feel like I didn't have much breath in my lungs between paying taxes, releasing a new texture pack, sharing a car with a husband who was working long hours away from home, losing a washing machine and an external drive, tons of school and sports activities, and the untimely passing of some people who were dear to me.

 

My tank was empty.

 

On Tuesday, someone asked for an example from an old session. I'm not the most organized girl and it got me looking thru a bunch of old pictures I'd taken and never "developed". I started thinking about these lost images and the forgotten beauty in them. In my personal archives, sometimes my focus was off, or perhaps my kid's expression didn't seem quite "right", or perhaps I'd under or overexposed the shot or flat out hadn't nailed the composition. But there was an honesty and a simplicity in some of these forgotten shots from days at the park or afternoons at the beach that I loved.

 

So I'm putting on my mommy-goggles and I'm allowing myself to enjoy the simple authentic beauty in these moments and I'm sharing them with you. I'm sure they will underwhelm you but you know what is in my heart. These are treasured moments when I wasn't begging a kid to look at me, to sit here, to wear something else, to stop tickling his brother. Just moments that were real and relaxed. I added a texture and a few curves, but largely left them as they were shot, editing time about 15 minutes total. I wanted them to stay simple and unglamorous.

 

And in remembering these moments, I felt myself reviving a bit. I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed, but remembering what is at the heart of photography and why I ever wanted to do it reminds me that creating art without expectations can be very healing. That it isn't about processing, or textures, or wardrobe or props. It's about remembering the everyday beauty in our lives and the days we have to spend with the people we love.

 

Swinging...

Thanks for listening. Now prepare to be inspired by the rest of the group! Next up the talented Becky Earl.

Cinemagraph Challenge Part 2

Continuing my practice with Cinemagraphs with my fabulous band of fellow photographers from the 26 week challenge group. As you may recall, this month's challenge technique is Cinemagraphy (though the last is just a still). The theme is "Once Upon A Time". I worked with that theme very loosely but played with the idea of taking a shot that looked like it was from a different time and also exploring the passing of time by how light changes on my subject. Once you've looked at my work, please continue on to view the rest of the group. The texture used in processing is from the upcoming Super-Grunge Textures pack I created :)

Next please check out the work by South Eastern CT Custom Child Photographer, Breeze Floyd