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P52.3 - Perspectives {Week 1: Fresh}

After some consideration, those of us over at Who We Become have found that the Artistry discussion has taken a turn for the verbal and our weekly shooting collaboration is falling by the wayside as a result. We have therefore decided to shift/consolidate our Artistry discussions into monthly posts and revamp our 52 week project with a fresh start: P52.3: Perspectives. As in the past, we will each post to our collective mosaic. Our images will be anchored by a single adjective - individual voices, unified around a common theme.

For our first Perspectives post, please head over to Who We Become. My take on Fresh this week is inspired by the very first hints of Spring we are finally feeling around here. 

Capture the Moment

I am very excited to have contributed two images to a new photography book called Capture the Moment, by Clickin Moms CEO Sarah Wilkerson. The pages are filled with beautiful photography and I am proud to be a part of this project.

One of my shots features a certain someone who was excited to find his face in this book. A little older and onto a second hat, but those eyes haven't changed a bit.

The best part is, not only is the book a beautiful teaching tool, but 100% of the proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House. Available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. Go check it out!

MOMA

"The paintings were good, but I'm more of a sculpture kid." 

One: March 2015

One for March - it's a kid post, but how could it not be? A certain someone turned one year old this month! Happy birthday to our sweet baby.

Please head over to Krista and see what captured her heart in Washington State this month, then visit the rest of our small circle.

Interlude in Frankfurt

I'm fairly certain that if you had 36 hours in Frankfurt with one of your dearest friends and lovely temperate weather, you would also spend your time drinking beer, eating at great restaurants and wandering around aimlessly with your cameras while chatting endlessly. I can guarantee that you would also find the old but functional people-lift in your hotel irresistible. A mini-album of our fun. 

One: February 2015

Farewell, February! May you and your icy grip be but a distant memory soon. We headed out West to go skiing this month, and it turns out we fled a brutal bout of Eastern cold and snow while we were at it. Whistler, B.C. is stunningly beautiful, though a little lacking in the white stuff this season - just enough for our little guy to go to ski school and learn some moves. My skills on the slopes are mediocre, so I took an old film camera up the mountain to avoid risking any significant gear. Thankfully, the limbs came down mostly intact as well. My photography efforts were mediocre (note to self, do not accidentally grab slide film without noticing) but I'm happy to have these memories anyway.

Please head over to equally arctic Chicago and see what Jessica has been up to this month. Congratulate her, too, on her feature over at I Heart Faces, coming in March! 

Artistry - Week 4

Audience, continued. This week, we're shooting for the home front over at Who We Become. Will the grandparents love it? Undoubtedly. Will I love it? Less of a guarantee. I need to be better about getting back to why I got into photography in the first place. When it comes to photographing my family, it's not about the perfect shot, it is about the memories. I also am trying to be better about making sure there's proof that I was there, too. 

Artistry - Week 3

Audience. Who do we shoot for? How do we modify our choices based on our anticipated viewers? These are the questions we are considering in our initial conversations on Artistry over at Who We Become. 

As I mentioned in my biographical post last week, city images are a particular love of mine. When I go out to shoot it is with the hopes of capturing something that will intrigue other city-lovers as well. I admit, this particular image was shot with my friend Elaine in mind. She is a runner and her icy instagram posts of her early morning runs on the West Side motivated me to get out there and check it out for myself. 

Artistry - Week 2

I admit, my leap into this new project has been hindered by a variety of delays, mostly of my own doing. But the project is up and running over at Who We Become and it is about time I jump on the bandwagon.  

In our first week, we kicked off the year with the idea of facing our fears and embracing the things we find comforting. This week, we are introducing ourselves, including our fears, by putting together a brief artist's biography. And so, below, is a bit about me.

In many respects, I am a very practical person. I make reasoned choices. I am timely. I am calm. I am private (and therefore find this exercise somewhat excruciating). I am responsible. If it sounds like I am describing a lawyer rather than painting the picture of a passionate artist in residence, then you would be correct. Yet, here I am – also a photographer.

In some ways, this is not surprising. I have long been the family historian. My family moved around a fair amount when I was growing up and photographs served as our portable memories when we left one home behind in exchange for a new adventure.  I was immersed in the arts, though most often in the form of music. So my adult foray into photography began as the perfect solution to my need to tap back into my neglected creative side, my desire to learn something new and my hope of documenting my young family in the way that I see them in my heart as well as through my eyes.

But then, my dabbling took on a life of its own. I found myself engrossed in photographing New York City. I love it here, except when I hate it here, and find the city and its people to be endlessly inspiring and fascinating subjects. I am not alone in this - New York is filled with photographers, all out there feeling equally as inspired. Pioneering an original voice, creating imagery worth sharing, conveying meaning in addition to pretty scenes, giving enough of myself without baring too much, working hard for something only to let myself down by not playing my cards right or simply not being as good at this as I want to be - these are my fears. I am excited to face them, fight them and embrace them alongside my generous and talented friends in the coming year. 

A Crowd at the Top

 


 

Artistry - Week 1

I am very excited to announce that those of us over at Who We Become are officially launching a new project.

We spent a year studying light, and a second year focused on compositional techniques. In this third year, we are engaging in the subject of art and artistry. We will be engaging in an ongoing conversation about art and artistry, while also undertaking a weekly shooting project. While these were originally going to be one and the same, we have decided to split the Artistry discussion and the P.52 - a shooting project called "Perspectives" - into separate parts. 

Our first Artistry theme is Fear. But in order to identify our fears and determine how we may want to address them, we began by discussing our comfort zones. What are the images we feel at ease taking? For me, the image below is a perfect example. It may not be beautiful or perfect, but it is precisely the type of scenario where I am happy to whip out my camera. 

I love low light. My family in a public setting makes for easy subject matter. I prefer a more documentary style to portraiture. I am happy working in black and white. While my photographic fears may be many, they do not involve any of these features.   

Please head over to Who We Become for the kick off post on Artistry. You will find a more in-depth statement of our project as well as a collection of "comfort zone" images from our group.

H2O/Water Exhibition at The Center for Fine Art Photography

The end of January brought about some exciting news! One of my very favorite images was selected to be exhibited in the H2O/Water Exhibition at The Center for Fine Art Photography during the month of May. It is a true honor to have my work included alongside such a range of talented photographers and I couldn't be more thrilled to kick of the new year on such a high note. 

One: January 2015

Our first One post of 2015 is up! A favorite of the month - one for fun, one for the heart, one to share. Mine is an outtake from my adventures in the snow. Experimentation gone awry or a little winter wonderland magic?

Please take a spin around our small circle and see what my talented companions have settled on this week, starting with my favorite expat Adele, down in Texas.

Rainy Days are Here Again

It's been a little quiet around here, with the gallery show and some unfortunate computer issues slowing me down. However, I got out for a little shooting in the rain today with my favorite sidekick and thought I'd share a few from our walk.

Oresman Gallery Exhibit 2015!

Hello! I am so excited to be presenting a new body of work with my friend and co-exhibitor Justine Knight at the Oresman Gallery this month. This year, our exhibit showcases some of our travel photography as well as a few local favorites. Thank you so much to the Oresman Gallery for inviting us back!

For anyone in the area, we will be hosting a casual and kid-friendly reception at the Library this Saturday, January 10th. We hope to see you there!

One {December 2014}

2014 has been a year of whiplash - incredible joys and shocking lows, all rolled into a twelve month period. I am excited to ring in 2015 in less dramatic fashion, though I do have high expectations from a photography standpoint.

After taking an informal step back these past few months, I am leaping into the new year with a gallery show, an exciting return to a challenging 52 week collaborative project (more on that soon) and a renewed desire to get behind the camera to document more than my personal world. You may notice a bit of a facelift on the site itself - a work in progress, but the sleek new look is the work of Nick Norwood. He's a talent and a pleasure to work with.

As always, I am grateful for the love and friendship of my amazing "One" circle participants, as they offer support on matters ranging from the camera to the heart and everything in between. And speaking of the heart, it was this perfect moment between my son and my sister - imperfectly captured in a dark restaurant earlier in the month - that stole mine for this post. 

Please head out to Washington to see how my dear friend Krista is closing out the year and continue around our small circle. Wishing you a happy and wonderful New Year!