apologies and opportunities

hello!  it has been a while, and for this i must apologize.  it is extremely difficult for me to justify sitting at my computer.  i know this may sound strange to some, but i struggle with boundaries concerning the proverbial world.  i don't want to get sucked in, therefore i neglect it...and in turn you.

my absence does not mean i am not being creative and productive, it just means i am out doing other fun things...like taking walks with my niece and nephew, or jacques.  making delicious paleo meals (another post for another day).  crocheting baby blankets (you parents can sure keep a gal busy!).  making time to meet a friend for coffee (americanos are my drink of choice).  doing the household laundry, dishes, and cleaning/organizing (i must earn my keep, you know).  working full time at the frame shop.  well the last two some may not define as "fun," but i don't mind working and cleaning.  in fact i sometimes even enjoy it!  needless to say, there are a plethera of things that occupy my time that are very worth-while.  and i will try to convince myself more often to plug into this realm and share a few things with you.  i always have a few blog ideas to post on, so that is not the problem, just the fact that i need to make a commitment to visit my cute sewing chair and my vintage desk where my laptop is located more frequently.

and now for some creative sharing!  this friday i will be shooting my first wedding (solo, unless jacques wants to snap a few).  Amy is a long-time friend (and by long-time i mean since birth) who asked me a few months ago to shoot her wedding.  No hesitation.  Her and Adam are very laid back and i am only nervous about the lighting.  i will be shooting with some new equipment (a bracket flash & diffuser) as their wedding will be in the evening and dimly lit.  romantic, but not as easy to get good, clear images as you would with natural day-light.  so, onto the next adventure i go!  this photo of them was part of their engagement shoot we did at the botanical gardens, where they will be getting married...in four days...i hope i'm ready!  i would still like to get a back-up battery pack as well as another memory card (which i mostly likely won't need seeing as i didn't quite fill the ones i had in two weeks in europe, but still, i like to be prepared!  haha.

now let me explain a few things.  this is not my first opportunity to photograph a wedding, it is just the first time i have said, "yes!"  do i want to be a "wedding photographer?"  no, not really.  will i shoot more weddings in the future?  yes (especially if it will help pay off my student loans and i feel comfortable with the situation).  will i photograph your cute family or baby or senior or event other than a wedding?  of course!  i really enjoy being a photographer and capturing beautiful moments in life, big and small alike :)

so cheers to weddings, new equipment, moments desiring tangible documentation, and life!
michelle

i'm in the thick

of finals. yuck. and guess what? i'm procrastinating, and you're reaping the benefits of it.

i just finished editing the first of two photo series for a final critique tomorrow morning. this project was an experiment for me...and i REALLY like the way it has turned out. i usually work with a feminine subject matter, but thought i would try to compliment an earlier series with a male version of similar feel. i rigged up my own studio here at home with a sheet and some harsh aluminum reflector clamp lights that my dad had in the garage. horray for being inventive! i dug around for some old-ish looking tools and items most specifically related to men: hankies, an old razor, work gloves, suspenders, a pipe, a handful of change, etc. i then used my favorite man as my hand model and clicked the shutter...a few hundred times.

and here's the result. let me know what you think!

back to the eye twitching,
michelle

sneak peak

in my experimental photography class we're working with cyanotype, van dyke, and kalitype chemicals to create beautiful imagery. Part of the developing process for these techniques is exposing pre-coated paper/fabric along with a negative to UV light. Some rinsing and fixing is involved after the imagery has been exposed, a little drying, and a unique print is created.

Shooting for this project has been a bit slow and converting my digital photos into negatives has taken a bit of time as well, but I am now almost ready to start developing. Here is an example of one of the images i took and it's negative. finished products to come :)