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How This Obsession Has Changed Me.

August 22nd, 2010

How This Obsession Has Changed Me.

Here are my thoughts on how this obsession has changed me.

1. There are no photos of me. I tried to find a picture for my profile and realized the most recent one is from a year ago at my corporate Christmas party. It isn't that great a picture and I'm not wearing my glasses (which I love - they are shoes for your face). I am never the subject. I am not complaining mind you. I am far more comfortable behind the lens than in front. It's just that I find myself wondering where the photo diary of my life is. I capture my families good times and it seems as though they happen without my involvement. Interesting contemplation.

2. SNAP. I think in shots all the time. I am sure it is not an endearing charactoristic to hear me blurt out "snap, snap, snap" when I see something photo worthy and don't have my camera handy. I hate to let those moments go by. And when I DO have my camera with me, I slow down every trip as I just have to capture this one-time-only shot of whatever it is I am taken with. God bless my husband for being so patient. SNAP.

3. My middle fingernail on my right hand is bent in. Seriously. I have deformed my perfect nails with my HEAVY macro lens. And I don't even care. Well not much... Not enough to put the camera down anyway.

4, When I take vacations I am thinking - where can I go to get great photos instead of normal things like rest, relax, unwind... you get the idea. Then I organize walks or hikes to get those photos and am really bummed if the weather doesn't cooperate.

5. I am really, truly happy. Well, let's face it, I am a happy person by nature but this photography raises the bar. I am different behind the lens. Calmer. More appreciative and grateful. The act of focus tends to calm and focus me.

I am so very grateful for this gift, the journey, and all I have to learn ahead of me.

Art Supplies Supply Art

August 20th, 2010

Art Supplies Supply Art

Clearly one needs supplies to create art. What happens when those objects become art? Do they find themselves wondering about their front stage status?

I love colour. I mean, I really love colour. The primary reason I paint and draw is to get to play with colour. It makes sense then that I would want to capture the joy I get with my lens.

Robbed of Sleep - The Cautionary Tale of the Stumbling Artist

August 13th, 2010

Robbed of Sleep - The Cautionary Tale of the Stumbling Artist

This venture is keeping me up at night. I am eating perspective, drinking aperture, breathing lighting, and dreaming of the perfect shot. I wake throughout the night excited to get up and load up another picture.

Last night I dreamt of a teen sitting on a weather beaten dock, one leg under her, the other dipping the big toe into the water, causing ripples, concentric circles spreading across the glass-like surface of the lake. The shot is taken from just above water level with the ripples and her toe in perfect focus. The teen is cropped out of the shot - only crossed knees, dock, toe and water comprise the shot.

What is that? I am crazy you say? I’m not arguing. I wake, it is 2 am and I find myself thinking - how will I go about that? Where can I shoot it? Do I have to be in a dingy?... I think you have a point. This is clearly going to far. I will leave well enough alone now and be sensible. Well... Not now... Later. Maybe that is too lofty a goal. Maybe instead my goal will be to sleep tonight - perchance not to dream - about photography anyway.

Kinetic Colourful Waterdrops

August 7th, 2010

Kinetic Colourful Waterdrops

I am obsessed with water drops. There, I said it. It all started with noticing the way the water drops exploded when I was watering my hanging baskets. Then came a downpour. CLICK CLICK CLICK. Though I was excited to capture those moments I wanted more. I wanted control over lighting and I wanted to add colour.

I decided I would set something up and intentionally try and capture exploding water drops instead of relying on nature.

First challenge - to capture water you need a lot of light but I don’t have an external mount flash I could position or pocket wizard etc. It was supposed to rain today but turned out relatively sunny. Problem solved - sort of. Using mirrors and managing the angle of the sun I was able to make it work for me.

Second challenge - colour. How was I going to get colour reflected in those drops? I played with different coloured backdrops and was happy with the effect - but wanted MORE. I wanted a cacophony of colour! A veritable assault of colour. City Palette Magazine came to the rescue! I ripped up the magazine and used it’s pages to provide the different colours I was looking for.

Third challenge - too few hands. If I was dropping the water into my bowl and pressing the release I was too clumsy to position the water drops in my focal range and get the timing right. I enlisted my daughter Alice to assist me. It only cost teaching her the secrets of how to set up these water shots. She is such a cool kid and an amazing photographer in her own right. We worked together in perfect harmony, taking turns being photographer and being water dribbler. We worked out a really cool system where we swapped memory cards as we swapped positions so our work didn’t get mixed up.

It was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about macro photography, spent the afternoon with my daughter and even got a bit of a tan in the process. Next challenge is to see if I can get smaller drops of water suspended on the top. But that is a project for another day.

 

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