Weeeell, March was a little wet. And busy. So there wasn’t much walking around the block.
Here is a sampling of what I DID get when I got out the front door.
You can see all the photos, such that they are, by clicking here.
We’re 13 days into April and I’ve been on vacation for 7 of those days, stuck inside watching the rain pound my window for the remainder. I’m hoping next week will give me and my camera a break so we can be more productive this month.
Not as many photos this month as it’s been harder and harder to get out for a walk at all, let alone daily, with my schedule. However, here are my favorites from the past month.
If you want to see all February’s photos, click here. And if you’re new to this project and want to learn what it’s all about, click here.
Been taking photos around your hood and want to share? Feel free to post a comment here with links back to you blog or Flickr set. I’d love to see them!
Have a great March!
After the weekly photo project I did with my friend Lisa last year, I was reluctant to start a new photography project. With everything else going on in my life, I just didn’t want the commitment and I didn’t want to start something that I could not finish. At the same time, I recognize the value of continuing to take photos for pleasure between sessions and am never more happy than when I have a camera in my hand.
The idea came to me as I stretched at my computer a few days into the New Year, enjoying some unseasonably warm and sunny weather.”I know,” I thought “I’ll go for a quick walk to get some fresh air!” On a whim, I grabbed my camera.
I live in the burbs and it’s well known that I am a city girl, so walks around my neighborhood are typically uninspiring chores at best: rows of track houses and not a person in sight, plus there really isn’t anywhere to walk to. Meh. But I really wanted out of the house and the cool sunshiney day was calling me.
At first I walked around the block without taking a single picture. I see this stuff every day and so there really wasn’t anything I wanted to snap away at. Which is when I stopped. This is exactly what you’re always saying you need to do a better job of, the little voice inside my head said. Find beauty in the ordinary things of life. It’s there, you just have to pay better attention.
So I took my lens cap off and did the same circuit again. But this time I forced myself to really look. I looked for light, I identified patterns, I paid attention to shapes, I noticed colors, I took notes of details… and “Around the Block” was born.
Gradually, my ideas for the new project took shape. These are the goals:
I’m already one month in now and ready to share my favorites plus a link to all the pics so far on my Flickr stream. I hope you like them and I look forward to hearing your comments about favorites!
To see the full set on Flick Click Here
I am working on two personal photo projects in 2012, one of which is a group project and another of which is an individual one.
The group project is in association with MCP Actions and is called “Project 12″. Basically, there is a photo theme every month and you get to spend all month exploring that theme, then share your images on the project website, for review and critique.
This month’s theme was “resolutions” which is pretty broad, especially since resolutions are mostly unique to each individual and can be about almost anything. That made it an easy start to the year.
Here are my photos and a little about why I’m including them.
“Fresh”
This year, I’m trying to cook more with fresh ingredients. It’s less of a cooking goal and more of a health goal. Both my husband and I believe that all the added “stuff” in prepackaged foods these days is messing with our bodies. I can’t say I have been perfect to this resolution this month but I certainly have tried. The photo above is of some fresh rosemary I used for a Greek, roasted chicken recipe.
“Things”
This year, one of my resolutions was to take better photos of “things”. I have always struggled with photos that don’t feature people and so, to me, it’s a challenge to find interest in landscapes and inanimate objects. For some reason I really love this one I took on the beach in Cambria, California. I think it’s the contrast of textures and colors between the sand and the incoming, foamy waves.
The photo below is also a part of my “things” resolution. Taking it a step further, I am trying to teach myself to find interest in the everyday details, the small things that surround me at home and in my neighborhood, that might normally have gone unnoticed. It’s easy to take a vacation to the beach and find interesting, new things to take photos of. What’s harder is trying to find something fascinating about the things you see every day. The photo below is of some tree bark in a neighbor’s yard. I love the reddish color of the bark in places.
This photo is also a part of my individual photo project, which I’ll share more about in an upcoming post soon!
To see more Project 12 photos from other photographers across the country, click the banner below.
… and for the last time…
“Traditions”
left: elisabeth arin | right: Memories by Michelle
It has been a wonderful year of challenge and inspiration working week-by-week with my talented friend Lisa from Elisabeth Arin. Not every week did I have the time to be as creative as I wanted, or to stretch my photography skills as much as I wanted, but I am proud that I saw this project through and thank Lisa for helping me be accountable to that goal.
If you would like to see all the photos from the year, you can do so on my Flick Group Here. (All the images are in reverse order.)
What did I learn through this process? That the ordinary can be beautiful. Whether it’s a door, a window, a leaf, or a half-eaten cookie, there is always a story that the camera can tell. I also learned to keep it simple. I have Lisa to thank for this with her graphic-designer eye. Using empty space and the naturally-occurring shapes in the world around you is the key to making those ordinary items special. I intend to continue exploring this theme in my personal projects as well as client sessions in the coming months.
I’m not sure what’s cooking for 2012 yet… I have a lot of ideas but, as usual, not always the time to implement them. If I start a new project for 2012, I want to see it through to the end and so it’s important to me that I am not overly ambitious given my other commitments. I do know that I want to continue to grow and learn as an artist in the next twelve months (and beyond) – that will never change. One of the many joys of photography is that it is a never-ending challenge to learn, grow and be better.
Happy New Year!
“Cold”
Sure sign that we live in California. Even in December, the only “cold” options we could find actually look a lot more like summer! The weather has been beautiful lately.
left: elisabeth arin | right: Memories by Michelle
I love to experiment with my photography and I love to watch other photographers at-work but I so rarely have time to attend the many local meet-ups around town that allow me to do just that. I’m either taking pictures of clients or taking pictures of my own daughter and husband. The first requires reliable results, the second requires minimum time investment. All in all, not much time to play around just for the fun of it, experimenting with new styles.
BUT, when my friend, Vickie, emailed me about a Meet-Up at The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA, I jumped at it. Not only was this a location I have been DYING to shoot at but the meet-up provided models to work with as well as allowed us access to usually off-limits areas of the Mill. How could I resist?
For most of the session, we were fortunate enough to have the virtually exclusive attention of Vickie’s beautiful niece, Kayla, but I also got the opportunity to bounce around a little and capture some shots of some of the other models… all of which were stunning and inspiring.
The light filtering through the dusty Mill windows was TO-DIE-FOR and I had the BEST time hanging out with fellow photographers, watching them perform their magic. You can see many of the other photographers’ final images by clicking here.
Here are mine… I love them. And now can’t wait for my family session there with a good friend this coming weekend. Woot!
My favorite of Kayla is undoubtedly the landscape one of her among the barrels. I just love the light, the drama, her expression, and the tones. Then, next, I just love the one of the two girls against the window, where’s she’s pulling her arm. I so rarely get to take these kinds of “fashion” type shots and I loved the edginess of those two models.
What are your favorites?
