Monday, January 19, 2015
Big news
Thanks to those who have stopped by my photography blog... which has been sorely neglected while I've been taking a lot of classes and learning a ton. I've decided that I am officially going into business, and I am working on my website (www.everydayartistryphotography.com) as fast as I can. I won't be blogging here anymore but will post there instead. Please check back in a few days and if you would like to get an email when the site is launched, just leave me a comment! Thanks!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Beautiful fall day
Here in Massachusetts we've been blessed with some gorgeous fall days, and really pretty leaves this year. We don't always get so lucky. It's great for photographers with all the rich colors.
I arranged for a photographer friend who's building her business to take photos of my kids today. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she came away with. Of course I had my camera out as well, but mostly I was taking shots of other things and staying out of the way.
This was my favorite shot from the afternoon:
I had my macro lens out again, and with macro it's a common issue that much of the shot can be out of focus. It looks to me like the very center of the dandelion is in focus but the rest is softer. I kind of think it works for a dreamy look.
While my daughter had the dandelion I managed to catch more of a portrait shot of her. It's not a perfect photo, but considering that she usually sticks her tongue out at me, I'll take it.
I arranged for a photographer friend who's building her business to take photos of my kids today. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she came away with. Of course I had my camera out as well, but mostly I was taking shots of other things and staying out of the way.
This was my favorite shot from the afternoon:
I had my macro lens out again, and with macro it's a common issue that much of the shot can be out of focus. It looks to me like the very center of the dandelion is in focus but the rest is softer. I kind of think it works for a dreamy look.
While my daughter had the dandelion I managed to catch more of a portrait shot of her. It's not a perfect photo, but considering that she usually sticks her tongue out at me, I'll take it.
I guess I have to face the truth - my baby girl is growing up! Sniff, sniff.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Macro Monday
Hey, it's Monday, and I have a macro shot to share, so I thought I'd start a weekly tradition of Macro Monday. Disclaimer: I really like shooting macro, so I might not be able to resist posting macro shots on other days if I have something I love. But Monday will officially be macro day.
One of my favorite things about the Clickin Moms community is the classes they offer. I'm taking (or auditing) three right now and it's giving me so much information. Yesterday I signed up for my first class as a full participant, where you submit photos and get feedback from the instructor. The class is, you guessed it... on macro shooting. I'm looking forward to everything we're going to learn in the next four weeks. We are encouraged to get out and shoot every day, so this afternoon I took a walk around my neighborhood to get a few shots. I like the different textures in this one.
The fun thing about macro is you will never run out of subjects. Anything could potentially be interesting when you get up close. It's also a great option if you're out shooting and the light isn't too good - that's much less critical for macro.
Macro photographers seem to love shooting flowers, and it's easy to see why. They are simply amazing in their details. I got myself a pretty bouquet at Costco and I'm sure I'll be using them in my photos all week. What a great excuse to have to buy myself flowers!
Many of the instructors and alumni of the macro course have said how therapeutic shooting macro is. I can see why - you get in a zone and find these tiny worlds you wouldn't have expected. I'm excited to learn more about this kind of photography - I think it will have a permanent place in my portfolio.
One of my favorite things about the Clickin Moms community is the classes they offer. I'm taking (or auditing) three right now and it's giving me so much information. Yesterday I signed up for my first class as a full participant, where you submit photos and get feedback from the instructor. The class is, you guessed it... on macro shooting. I'm looking forward to everything we're going to learn in the next four weeks. We are encouraged to get out and shoot every day, so this afternoon I took a walk around my neighborhood to get a few shots. I like the different textures in this one.
The fun thing about macro is you will never run out of subjects. Anything could potentially be interesting when you get up close. It's also a great option if you're out shooting and the light isn't too good - that's much less critical for macro.
Macro photographers seem to love shooting flowers, and it's easy to see why. They are simply amazing in their details. I got myself a pretty bouquet at Costco and I'm sure I'll be using them in my photos all week. What a great excuse to have to buy myself flowers!
Many of the instructors and alumni of the macro course have said how therapeutic shooting macro is. I can see why - you get in a zone and find these tiny worlds you wouldn't have expected. I'm excited to learn more about this kind of photography - I think it will have a permanent place in my portfolio.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Beauty of Boston
Today I got the chance to spend some time in Boston with my kids. I think it's safe to say that when the kids are involved, I don't get to quite concentrate on photography like I might if I were by myself. But I like to take any opportunity to practice, and it's always good to see if I can get some good shots of the kids themselves. Sometimes it even works!
This has a lot of elements that I love in architectural photography - light, shadow, lines, arches, interesting detail... It drew me in right away. I know I would have a fantastic time exploring more of Boston's architecture, which I hope to spend more time doing in the future. As much as I love my kids and spending time with them, I'm looking forward to a chance to poke around at my own pace and discover more interesting shots along the way.
I'm trying out some new Photoshop techniques I've been learning this week thanks to a breakout workshop on the Clickin Moms forum. It's been absolutely fantastic and I'm just loving being a part of this community.
One of the locations we visited today was the public library. My kids have both started learning about photography on point-and-shoot cameras, so we were looking for places to shoot and my son requested this one. I was proud of him and impressed that he thought of it. We didn't spend a lot of time, but I'd heard there was a beautiful reading room on the third floor and that's where I took this shot:
This has a lot of elements that I love in architectural photography - light, shadow, lines, arches, interesting detail... It drew me in right away. I know I would have a fantastic time exploring more of Boston's architecture, which I hope to spend more time doing in the future. As much as I love my kids and spending time with them, I'm looking forward to a chance to poke around at my own pace and discover more interesting shots along the way.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Welcome!
This is a brand-new blog for an exciting new phase in my life. I'm just beginning my adventure in learning more about photography. It's been something that I've always enjoyed and wanted to learn more about. My kids are growing up and I'm starting to think about what I want my life to look like now, and it seemed like the perfect time to try something different. I don't know where the journey will take me, but I hope you'll come along and find out!
I think my future as a photographer took off when I first traveled to Europe. My husband and I were lucky enough to visit Paris in 2001 and the UK in 2002. Those were the days before we had digital cameras, which is really hard for me to comprehend. I don't even remember what kind of camera I had - some version of a 35mm point and shoot. Here's one of my favorite photos from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
In 2003 our son was born, followed by our daughter in 2006, so our travels didn't take us very far from home for a long time. But in 2013 we had the opportunity to spend the month of August in Germany, with a short side trip to Prague. It was amazing. We all want to go back. In fact, I could easily see myself as a travel photographer once my kids are grown. That is probably wishful thinking, but you never know! Anyway, I took a lot of photos on that trip, but here is just one of my favorites. This was taken in the Martin Luther house in Wittenberg.
Everything changed for me this past July when I really caught the photography bug. I've learned how to use a DSLR and spent lots of time studying and learning the technical and artistic aspects of shooting and processing. In an ideal world I'd get some time to go out with my camera every day, but sometimes my busy schedule or the weather don't allow that. I'm going to try to post at least one photo a day - it may not always be one I just shot, but it will be something I love.
I thought long and hard what I wanted to call my photography venture - maybe it will become a business one day, maybe not, but I figured I'd start as if it will be and then I'm prepared! Why did I choose Everyday Artistry? Because when I take photographs, I'm often looking at very ordinary things, or ordinary moments from everyday life. I want to find the art in the everyday. I'm learning to see everything around me in a new way, and that's what I like to capture with my photos. You'll see a mix of architecture, nature, wildlife, maybe even lifestyle portraits. If I get to travel - next up, New Orleans in April 2015! - then you can be sure I'll be capturing images along the way. But mostly I'm exploring my hometown in Massachusetts - the places I see every day and some special places I visit in the area, if I have the chance.
I hope you'll come along on this journey with me. I have no idea where the road will lead me, but I can't wait to explore. The next photo may be only five minutes away!
I think my future as a photographer took off when I first traveled to Europe. My husband and I were lucky enough to visit Paris in 2001 and the UK in 2002. Those were the days before we had digital cameras, which is really hard for me to comprehend. I don't even remember what kind of camera I had - some version of a 35mm point and shoot. Here's one of my favorite photos from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
In 2003 our son was born, followed by our daughter in 2006, so our travels didn't take us very far from home for a long time. But in 2013 we had the opportunity to spend the month of August in Germany, with a short side trip to Prague. It was amazing. We all want to go back. In fact, I could easily see myself as a travel photographer once my kids are grown. That is probably wishful thinking, but you never know! Anyway, I took a lot of photos on that trip, but here is just one of my favorites. This was taken in the Martin Luther house in Wittenberg.
Everything changed for me this past July when I really caught the photography bug. I've learned how to use a DSLR and spent lots of time studying and learning the technical and artistic aspects of shooting and processing. In an ideal world I'd get some time to go out with my camera every day, but sometimes my busy schedule or the weather don't allow that. I'm going to try to post at least one photo a day - it may not always be one I just shot, but it will be something I love.
I thought long and hard what I wanted to call my photography venture - maybe it will become a business one day, maybe not, but I figured I'd start as if it will be and then I'm prepared! Why did I choose Everyday Artistry? Because when I take photographs, I'm often looking at very ordinary things, or ordinary moments from everyday life. I want to find the art in the everyday. I'm learning to see everything around me in a new way, and that's what I like to capture with my photos. You'll see a mix of architecture, nature, wildlife, maybe even lifestyle portraits. If I get to travel - next up, New Orleans in April 2015! - then you can be sure I'll be capturing images along the way. But mostly I'm exploring my hometown in Massachusetts - the places I see every day and some special places I visit in the area, if I have the chance.
I hope you'll come along on this journey with me. I have no idea where the road will lead me, but I can't wait to explore. The next photo may be only five minutes away!
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