A Little Travel

I felt the need to check in.  I fell into a pretty deep spell of depression as nothing has changed here and the stress is overwhelming.  Thanks to the magic of chemistry I am feeling a million percent better....actually human again.

This week, Aaron and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary!  Mind boggling!  We thought we'd be recognizing this milestone with a BIG TRIP.  But, under the circumstances...we've had to adjust our expectations.  At this point, he is the one who is swallowed with depression so we decided we did have to something a little special to celebrate.  So, on the spur of the moment, we decided to take a drive up to Montreal.  Neither of us have ever been there, it's driving distance and it will get us a change of scenery that we desperately need.

We're hopping in the car this morning and will be on our way.

Terns at Nickerson Beach

On the south shore of Long Island, not far from JFK airport is beautiful Nickerson Beach.  It's a birding location I kept hearing about and it was high on my list of places I needed to check out.  It's a favorite spot for birders and nature photographers as it is a nesting area for terns, plovers, and skimmers.

Today I made my first trip there with a friend and we were not disappointed.  There is a huge skimmer colony there but they were very quiet and mostly grounded.  I think they're all nesting now.  But the terns were active and there were baby terns everywhere.  Lori and I just planted ourselves on the ground and enjoyed watching and photographing the bird behavior.









Linking up today with Carly's Photo A Day...

Photo Art Friday - The Country Place

Fridays seem to roll around so quickly!

Photo Art Friday is featuring vintage treatments.  This is a picture of one of the homes that dots the shore of our little harbor here in Stony Brook.  There are quite a few big expensive places right along the shore.  Some are modern but some are elegant older estates.  I photographed this one from the water as I was kayaking by.



I did most of this treatment in Silver Effects Pro and Color Effects Pro by Nik Software.  There is also a layer of texture from Shadowhouse Creations blended in for the wrinkles and tears.

I call this house "the country place".  II think of it as a "little" get-away home for a wealthy family residing in Manhattan.

I'm also linking up to Carly's Photo a Day. 

Four Blackbirds

Actually, I think it's only two...
:)

This morning found me in a world of worry and sadness.  Things are not improving here and the stress level continues to rise over concerns about job and house and finances.  But what was most distressing today is that our worst scenario for our son seems to be playing out and he's going to fail a couple of his classes.  He's always struggled in school and we've had a terrible time working with the district to get him the support that he needs.  He completely fell off a cliff this semester....I'm sure that all the uncertainty here at home just exacerbates things for him.  If we can turn him around, he will still probably be able to graduate with his class next spring.  But we are SO worried as we just can't seem to get through to him how serious this is for his future and though he's pleasant, he just can't seem to get with the program where school is concerned.

I found myself up early and so overwhelmed with this that I had to just leave the house and distract myself to save my sanity.  I headed to a nearby park/preserve that has a HUGE meadow.  The flowers are just starting to bloom and it will be just gorgeous in a week or so.  Today my thoughts were of the first blossoms and the birds.



I'm especially proud of the four images I'm posting today.  I've always found red winged blackbirds to be especially challenging to photograph.  They're skittish and you can barely look in their direction before they fly.  I've tried for years to catch good shots and have only had limited success on a couple of occasions.  Today, even though I was still a good distance from them, they stayed around long enough for me to get a solid focus and shoot.  I was on my game...my exposure straight out of the camera was spot on!  All they needed was a crop and a touch of sharpening. 




The birds were a true distraction from all that's challenging me right now.  And the sense of accomplishment gave me something to feel good about.  I hope it can hold me over now for a few days....the heat wave is on it's way.  Today, it was gorgeous with a high of 79.  Tomorrow they say 97, and Thursday....102!!  Next week, that meadow will be spectacular! I'll post a little preview tomorrow!





I've missed linking in with Carly and her photo a day project for at least a week now. So, Carly....here's four pics to catch up!

Negative Space - Photo Art Friday

Photo Art Friday is featuring work with emphasis on negative space.  I took this picture today from my kayak.  This heron was hiding in the grass and with narrow depth of field I was able to turn the vegetation around him into this colorful, textured negative space.  No additional textures were used this time around.  I duplicated the background layer and adjusted the saturation just a touch.




Lots of interesting and creative work at Photo Art Friday.  It's worth a visit!

Photo Art Friday / Black & White 6/9/12

Wow, the last week has really flown by.  Seems like every moment has been consumed by getting my son through these last couple of weeks of school.  I had hoped to get out and do more shooting, but this week was pretty slow from a photographic point of view.  But I wanted to participate in Photo Art Friday and the black and white challenge.

I found it more challenging than a lot of the other photo art I've done.  I didn't want to go abstract but I certainly wanted it to look like I'd done more than desaturated the color.  There are a lot of layers in this piece with a lot of tweaking and masking.  I used a couple of textures that were desaturated but I also used some art filters in photoshop to enhance the outline of the subject and mute the background.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the other artists have been able to create.




I hope you'll visit Photo Art Friday and enjoy the fabulous work shared there.

Photo Art Friday 6/1

This photo was shot on the same early kayak outing the morning this image was taken.  It was a little soft as it was taken while the light was still a bit dim and the boat naturally doesn't lend itself to great stability.  But I thought it would be a good candidate for a little texture play.  With Bonnie's Mauve Magic and some tweaking in Nik Color Efex 4...I think I got just the right mix of dreaminess and bokah while holding on to the little detail on the egret and water's surface that the soft morning light would allow.




Linking up today to Bonnie's Photo Art Friday.  There are many wonderful digital artists to visit there if you are so inclined.

Also linking to Carly's Photo A Day.

Mental Health

It's a rough week.  Yesterday, we signed the papers to put our house back on the market.  Anyone who was reading my blog a year ago knows we tried this exercise last summer and got nowhere.  The market has not improved and the projected selling price for this place has dropped.  It's dismal and the idea of moving has me torn up inside.

Thank God for photography.  It's my mental health escape.  I can just be in the moment, thinking about what I'm seeing and how to create something meaningful.  I've spent hours wandering around the yard shooting flowers and insects...it's a very convenient distraction.  This morning, I took out the kayak and paddled out into the harbor at high tide.  Our "Bird Island" has such a variety of species and many with babies.  I spent about 90 minutes out photographing the birds with their chicks.  I didn't think about the housing market or the money we've lost or short sales or having to move somewhere yet to be decided.  I could just think about how cute the chicks are and what good parents birds seem to be.



Linking to Carly's Photo A Day

05/26

I wandered down to the harbor early this morning.  It was pretty out and the tides were low so I was looking for shorebirds.  There weren't many, which is unusual.  Just a few of the regulars....egrets, geese, gulls.  But the light was especially beautiful and this guy stayed close and cooperated with an extended photo session.  I have several of him looking sleek and elegant, but I love the dishevelled moments.



Once again, linking to Carly's Photo A Day...

Photo Art Friday

I have a bunch of photos of cosmos and they are just begging for a little digital manipulation.




I did very little to the original image but it has been treated with Bonnie's "Fanciful" texture.  So, I'm linking to this week's Photo Art Friday.  I masked out most of the texture on the flower petals to retain that dreamy look.

Lots of creative digital artists participating here....go check them out!

Also linking to Carly's Photo a Day...

REL & Indie

Arielle is back from her 4 month study abroad.  It is great to have her here, hear the stories and see all her wonderful pictures.  Our world traveler...she visited 11 countries in 16 weeks.  I'm thrilled for her but I have to admit...just a wee bit envious.

Her time home is brief, she's planning on living up in Amherst this summer.  This one chickie is ready to fly.  It's bittersweet.

But, she graciously agreed to play model for me this afternoon.  I've been wanting to do some portrait shooting with a backdrop and some off camera lighting.  Indie is crazy camera shy...he sees a camera (even an iphone) and he usually high tails it out of sight.  He wasn't wild about modeling with Arielle, but if anyone could get him to cooperate...it's her.



I'm linking this over to Carly's Photo a Day...

Cosmos 5/21

It was a perfect gardening weekend.  The sky was blue, the air was clear, the humidity low and the temperatures topped out in the high 70's.  It was the kind of weekend that draws me to the nursery to walk among all the color and the texture to fantasize about turning my little plot of land into a botanical showplace.  In past years, I've been known to have a serious plant nursery "habit".  Back in PA, I was a regular visitor that frequently left with a van load of perennials.  Now that we are at month 28 with no job...severe restraint is required.  However, the gardens still needs to be spruced up in preparation to put the house back on the market.  So, I got to indulge myself just a bit in the garden store yesterday.

I walk the aisles of the greenhouse looking for favorites, but I am also thinking about what I might most enjoy photographing.  Right now, it's all about shallow depth of field....going for that ethereal look in the garden.  When I came upon the cosmos...it was a no brainer.    I barely had them in before I had to run for my camera.  Right now, I'm using a 50mm 1.4 with a 20mm extension tube for most of my garden shots.  It lets me get in tight with just a sliver of tight focus.  Dreamy....




Playing along with Carly today....A Photo A Day.

Kayak Season

The two things I appreciate most about living on Long Island come from being near the water.  I love that I can jump into a kayak and paddle the harbor and the surrounding wetlands.  This gives me access to some amazing birding and bird photography opportunities.

Yesterday was my first time out in the kayak for the season.  I keep my boat at the harbor so it's easy for me to just drag it to the water and head out.  Less than 100 yards off the shore is an island/sandbar that is a nesting ground for hundreds of birds.  Most are still sitting but I was lucky enough to see an American Oyster Catcher mamma and her brood.





Further down into the harbor, we came upon a large flock of egrets feeding among the grasses.  I have never seen such a large flock of egrets....there were at least two dozen in this area.  This was a challenging photographic opportunity.  In my boat, I am just above water level and I had to wait for an egret to pop its head above the top of the grass to have a prayer of a chance at focus.  Timing had to be spot on...they move quickly.  And, the boat is hardly stable so the shutter had to be very fast.  I have hundreds of blurry shots...but I GOT this!  How much do I LOVE digital???
:)

Round Robin Challenge ~ Fun, Fun, Fun

This week's Round Robin Challenge...FUN!

During my recent trip to Jacksonville, FL, I had a ton of fun photographing surfers at the beach.  A photographer friend of mine suggested I join him shooting a surf competition.  It was a blast and I got a ton of FUN shots.  But this young dad, sharing his love of surfing with his little boy has to be my favorite.

I can't help to think of the years of fun this kid has ahead of him.




Be sure to visit the rest of the Robins.  The links are here.

Small Treasures

I took a photo of this today only because it exists.  I thought it was a great little subject for the daily photo project with Carly.  Not a breathtaking photo....but one that warms my heart.

I found this precious little nest on the ground.  It's a tiny thing, and so interesting to me because the it's creator was a bit of a scavenger.  I love the little bits of lint and fiber....and I think there's even a bit of easter grass woven through.  I'm also delighted by the three little leaves that line the inside. 

Dandelion

Something for Carly's Photo a Day

Floral Abstraction

My friend Carly is doing a photo a day for the next 6 months and is looking for photographers to join her.  I would love to do this but I know myself well enough to know that I fall off the wagon pretty quick.  However, I told Carly that I'd really try to post at least a couple of times a week.  The idea is to be committed to picking up a camera at least once a day for practice.  I learned recently that it is conventional wisdom that it takes at least 10,000 hours to truly master a skill.  I guess I still have quite a way to go!

This image was inspired by a talk I heard yesterday.  I attended a meeting for nature and wildlife photographers on Long Island.  We had a speaker who has made a number of visits to Giverny and Monet's Garden and talked about "painting" with her camera.  This is not a new concept by any means but it does take practice to learn to manipulate depth of field to achieve a painterly effect.  I've played with this technique quite a lot, but it's something that' I keep in the back of my mind.  Seeing the speaker's images last night really inspired me to get out and make the most of the spring blooms and all their color.

This image is straight out of the camera with the exception of resizing and border.  I made many, many images today and there are very few that resulted in this level of abstraction.  But I really like this!  I'm tempted to play around with filters and effects and texture layers...and I very well may.  I just need to find a few more hours in the day.

I'll probably stay with this type of work at least while I have spring blooms for subjects.  I'd love to know what you think!

Flowers For Steven

This week, the Round Robin Photo Challenge is dedicated to Steven....a founding member of Round Robin, a fantastic photographer and author of (sometimes) photoblog.  I "met" Steven way back in the early days of AOL journals.  His photography centered around the same types of subjects I love most....macro work in nature, flowers, reptiles as well as his beloved cat Pickles.

I will have to thank Steven for helping me gain confidence as a photographer.  He was a regular visitor to my blog as I was just getting the courage to post my images and he was always very supportive and encouraging.  And his blog certainly served as a great source of inspiration.

We all lost track of Steven a couple of years ago.  He had decided to take a blogging break.  It has now been learned that Steven passed away on October 10, 2009.  I know many of us who shared Steven's passion for photography and had the good fortune to know him feel his loss with a very heavy heart.

Round Robins are paying tribute to Steven this week with flowers.  Wherever you are Steven, I hope you know how much you are loved and missed.




Please visit the linking list here and help us remember our friend.

Steven's Flickr Photostream can be found here.

Travel Plans

I've got some pretty big travel plans in the works for later in the month.  Some is somewhat business related and some is just for fun.  There's going to be lots of photography involved.

I'll be heading down to Florida for an extended stay as of April 18.  The very short version of a long story is....I've got a photographers credential for a 3 day music festival.  I'm very, VERY excited about this opportunity!  For several years I've been photographing Bruce Hornsby and his band at concerts I attend.  Bruce is playing at the Wanee Festival but this time I also get the chance to shoot the entire lineup of the event.  I was stunned that the pass came through and can't wait to add bands like Hot Tuna, The Allman Brothers, and Furthur to my portfolio.  A dear friend of mine who works festivals lined it up and we are traveling to Florida together.  This is not a paid gig but it is a chance to do some networking, expand my portfolio and there's always the possibility that I will be able to sell some of the images back to these bands.  It will be three long (but FUN) days....with many days of editing to follow.  I can't wait.

The festival is being held about and hour and a half from Jacksonville where all my family now lives.  I thought I should extend my time down south to visit with my mom and my siblings.  Then I realized that the Florida Birding & Photo Festival is the following weekend.  I attended this event three years ago, had a great time, learned a lot and came back with some images I was delighted with.  So why not stay just a little bit longer and enjoy the opportunity to immerse myself in nature and bird photography??  No reason, I guess....
:)

I've got a ton of things I want to wrap my arms around here before I go so that when I come back, it's all about getting down to business.  I met with the Small Business Development Center counselor yesterday and I'm pretty clear on what I need to do.  I've got some gear coming in....everything I need for my portable studio.  I'm rebuilding my website to put stronger emphasis on the focus of the business and soon I will be setting up a new blog specifically for business related topics and communication.  I think the most overwhelming thing I need to consider right now is products.  Once I take the pictures,  I need products to offer the clients.  At the trade show, I picked up tons (too much) literature on products.  Now I need to wade through it all, make decisions on what I want to offer (what I think I can sell), and get some samples ordered.  It's going to be busy around here until I head off to the Sunshine State.

Katherine Fisher Photography update

It's slow going but I'm taking steps to getting this business launched.  Last week I did the official paperwork with the county and opened my bank account then  I spent the weekend in NJ at a Professional Photographers conference.  I'm very happy that I decided to make an investment in attending the event. I didn't meet a TON of people, but I met a few and got linked up with a women's networking group on facebook for members in the NY/NJ area.  So I feel like I have somewhere to turn with questions or when I need a little support.

I learned a lot about lighting and got my mind set on what equipment I want to pick up to get going.  I've figured out what I need to put together a functional yet portable studio.  I do not want to have clients here at my house....there are all sorts of liability issues there.  But I do want to be able to produce images that qualify as portraits....not just decent snapshots.

I was a little insecure, being that I am a real newbie to the industry.  Most people there have been shooting professionally for years.  I felt a need to be apologetic each time I introduced myself admitting I was just getting started.  But people were encouraging, especially when I expressed my interest in specializing in pets.  EVERYONE I talked to said it's an great way to go IF I really like animals and have the patience to work with them.  Many photographers don't like the fact that they can't be directed.  It set things more solidly in my mind that this is the direction I want to go.  A bonus in one of the workshops I attended was a video showing how the instructor dealt with pets in his studio.  It was very enlightening and feel much more confident after seeing his approach.  I really think I can do this!

There was a lot of emphasis put on incorporating video into your marketing strategy using an online service called Animoto.  I would have never consider this without seeing the impact of the videos the instructors shared.  The service couldn't be easier to use and the product is pretty cool.  Here's a little video I put together using images and clips I have...it will most likely become the introductory centerpiece of my business site.

Photo Art Friday 3/9

I'm a couple of days late posting for Photo Art Friday but it looks like the links are still open...

I started playing around with one of the portraits I took of my dog Indie.  I posted the originals in my previous post.  This image was taken with my DSLR but I imported it to my iPad to use  a few of the digital art apps I have there.  From there, it came back to my laptop and photoshop for some further adjustments and effects.  I love the original, but I'm continuously amazed at where the software can take you.

Biz Update 3/8

I'm slowly making strides to launching my photography business. Yes, the research and studies continue, but I'm seeing that I could procrastinate real action in lieu of study indefinitely. So this week, I've taken a few baby steps forward.

I have no formal business plan as of yet but I have lots of notes (on paper) and I am getting a vision of what is possible, what is manageable, and what my ultimate goals are. I also have a feel for what my initial investment needs to be, both in terms of money and time. So, armed with this skeleton of a plan, I finally discussed it with my husband. He was good....he managed to listen more than talk and advise, and I came away feeling like I have the support I need from him. That was a big hurdle for me and I'm feeling good that it's behind me.

On advice from my wonderful blog friend Monica, I joined the Professional Photographers Association as an "aspiring photographer". It's essentially a junior membership that's discounted yet comes with most of the full membership benefits. I learned off the bat that there is a weekend long conference in New Jersey at the end of this month. After studying the schedule, I registered for this event. There I will be able to take advantage of sessions on children's photography, portraiture, photoshop techniques, lighting, and internet marketing. I'll also get to visit the vendor floor, learn about product options and get accounts established. I'm hoping to come away much more prepared to schedule my first sessions for portfolio building purposes. I see myself actually opening to business no later than the end of April.

I've looked into my local resources for small business information. Turns out, there is help available for small businesses at the university that's right in my back yard. I'm planning to call them today to see what they can offer and make an appointment for a consult. A mentor would be a godsend.

In the interim, I enrolled in an online class on pet photography which began this week. Pets (dogs in particular) are a niche that I think would be a great fit for me. Clearly, there are unique challenges to this genre. The first assignment was to photograph your own pet in varying ambient light situations. My dog Indie is VERY camera shy. It doesn't matter if it's my DSLR or an iPhone...his tendency is to run from the camera. So, it's been a challenge to get him to cooperate as my model. Many treats later, I think it's finally starting to click that the camera can be his friend. These are the photos that I've posted for the assignment.








Next week, we'll be getting into adding and manipulating the light for more of a studio look. We're also supposed to photograph the pet of a neighbor or friend. I've got someone lined up with four small dogs to be my subjects....so it begins!

I'll admit, I've had moments of severe hesitation over the last few weeks. Am I out of my mind? Especially in light of the instability of our situation, with my husband's lack of a job...I sometimes question the timing of taking this step. But I've decided to approach it from a learning perspective. Regardless of what happens or where I end up going...what I learn, my experience and my portfolio go with me.

Creative Exchange March 5 - 9

A quick little post for Creative Exchange.  I missed last week and wanted to make sure to participate this time.  Plus it's always fun to see where these journeys with photoshop layers can take you.

Snowdrops? In February? REALLY??

For this week's Creative Exchange...


I photographed snowdrops on Friday here on Long Island.

A very welcome sign of spring but...just tooooo early.



Does that mean it will be 110 degrees in May?

From the Latest Tour...

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know I am a HUGE Bruce Hornsby fan and I see him perform whenever I get the opportunity.  Fortunately for me, he tours a lot and usually does several shows within easy driving distance for me whenever he's on the road.  For the past several years, I've taken photos for him at the shows I plan to attend.  His office arranges for a photographers credential and I usually can move freely about the house throughout the performance to shoot. My images have been used in the packaging of his last three albums, including as the cover image on his Sony Playlist release.

Bruce is touring solo this spring and just did a series of appearances here in the north east.  In the past couple of weeks I've seen him three times...here on Long Island, outside Philadelphia, and in Princeton, NJ.  I'll never tire of seeing him.  He is constantly engaging himself in new projects and expanding his boundaries.  And while he still plays his older hits, they are ever evolving and always fresh.

Katherine Fisher Photography Week1

About a week has passed since I said "aloud" in this blog that I'm seriously thinking about starting a photography business.  One week in, and I don't feel like I've quite taken the definitive step that turns intention into action.  I'm close...so close.  I'm stuck at that point that is still safe.  The commitment is not yet made so I can still duck back into the shadows and pretend I never considered it.  I'll loathe myself if I make that move.  Here's where it all stands today.

Over the past couple of days I've become somewhat entrenched in self doubt.   I'm very fixated on "doing this right" and then things get completely overwhelming. I took a bunch of books out of the library and each turn of the page results in a list of things to think about that don't involve photography. Long and short term goals, target audiences, evaluating "the competition", taking inventory of skills and equipment, wants vs. needs, training and education options, professional associations, insurance, licensing, bookkeeping, portfolio development....ARGHHHHHH!

And I'm afraid to ignore any of it! I have a pile of books plus three notebooks divided up into topic sections and don't know where to start. I sit and read awhile, take notes, write down ideas, write down things I need to think about or learn, get overwhelmed, think to myself that what I should REALLY be doing is taking pictures, get up, walk around, get distracted and second guess everything.

THEN....I think about what it's going to like when I say out loud to Aaron that this is what I want to do. I can't image that he will be able to stop himself....the "advice" will come flowing like a river and it will be more discouraging than encouraging. My husband is a very smart man with a lot of business experience.  But when he communicates with me, whether it's about the house, or the kids or most anything....it's with an air that he is an authority.  It makes me feel stupid.  It makes me feel like giving up.   It's the way he rolls...he's always full of advice and "constructive" criticism.  He truly believes he's being supportive but it usually has the opposite effect.  I'm hesitant to seek his advice because once he gives it he expects you to follow it or "I told you so".  But if I want to do this, I have to come out of the closet with it. I can't keep it a secret from him once he gets home (he's been away the last couple of weeks). This part scares me shitless.

Something I was reading just talked about 'the point of no return'. The point where you KNOW you're taking the plunge and there's no turning back. The point where everyone knows you're going for it....and will be watching you, and evaluating how you're doing (whether they have a clue or not). I'm on the precipice of that point. It's SOOOO scary.
 
I'd liken this to preparing to jump out of a plane (which is something I have NO desire to do).  I'm anticipating (and dreading) the free fall. I need to get this part behind me.

Photo Art Friday ~ Kings Park

This week, the suggested theme for photo art friday is to use an "ugly" image.

Working with the intention to expand on the "ugliness" of an image invites a different approach to creativity.  So, it was an interesting exercise to say the least.  I took this picture through a broken window at the abandoned Kings Park Veterans Mental Hospital here on Long Island.  There are numerous buildings on the property (which ironically, is now a state park), but all the buildings have welded doors and boarded windows.  In a few places, the boards have been torn away and you can peek in at the decaying interior.  I would LOVE to get inside and snoop around but not at the risk of my health or of being arrested.

The hospital buildings are scheduled to be torn down soon.  It makes me sad really.  When I'm there, I can't help but think of all the lives....all the stories (many most likely horrific) that were housed within those walls.  I understand the draw photographers have to abandoned places.  These places invite us to attempt to summon up spirits and offer a thread of connection to times/places and circumstances that we can never know.  Fascinating really.  And ripe for the imagination to run wild.

Words of Wisdom from Ira Glass

I stumbled on this short message from Ira Glass today and wanted to preserve it as a reminder....a kick in the behind...when I have second (or third, or fourth) thoughts about my talent and my business potential.  Of course, in his case he's talking about story telling but it applies to all creative endeavors...photography included.


Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Creative Exchange February 22

This piece for this week's Creative Exchange is created with variations on a photo I took at the New York Botanical Garden.  One texture was blended with layers of modified versions of the original. 

When viewing the work of others, I'm often curious about the original image.  So here, I want to share the original, a mid point, and my final piece.  Working this way is a lot of fun, but it's complete trial and error....and I question if I could reproduce the effect.


Original (with adjustments to brightness, contrasts and sharpness)



Modified version to be blended with original (I LOVED this version and was tempted to stop here...but curiosity got the better of me)


The Final!

Today the weather was pleasant enough to open the windows for awhile.  I've seen a lot of activity at my bird feeder, so I decided to just perch myself in the study with camera in hand and wait.  Here are a few of my visitors...

Taking Steps

Since high school, I've dreamed of being a photographer.  I don't know why I didn't follow that path from the start.  I wish I'd had an advocate who would have told me to just follow my heart.  Instead, I was surrounded by practical people who encouraged me to consider "real" career options.

Being an impassioned tree hugger, I studied environmental science in college.  My dream evolved to becoming a naturalist and sharing my love of the outdoors with others.  Photography could follow along as a complimentary hobby.

But I got married, followed my husband's career, had kids and stayed home to raise the kids to facilitate his executive pursuits.  Reality was, one can't just be a naturalist anywhere.  And we lived where his career opportunities were to be found.

Now he's out of work and I find myself suddenly in my mid 50's and in the middle of a big-ass mid life crisis.  I have no career, no job experience to speak of, my kids are almost grown and I've been wringing my hands over what to do next.  As I consider the options, I find myself (perhaps selfishly) coming back to photography.  I've pursued it as a serious hobby over the last 8 - 10 years.  I have the technical chops, I am constantly working of being visually aware of everything around me.  I believe I have what it takes be "become a photographer".  All I lack, is confidence that I can differentiate myself and make a business from my hobby.  Don't get me wrong...I know I can do good work.  But spend a few hours on the internet browsing galleries and it's clear that there are thousands of talented shooters out there.  So I've wrestled internally about this for months and I keep coming back to one fact.  If I want to do this, the time is now.

I've had my own business before and I KNOW how hard it is.  The business wasn't exactly a failure but if finally overwhelmed me.  My kids were still relatively young and I was spread too thin.  I wasn't doing anything as well as I would have liked...including being a mom to my children.  So I had to make a choice and the business came to an end.  This experience also affects my confidence.  If I try again can I really make it work?

So this weekend I went to the library and got some books about starting a business in photography.  I just feel like I have to go about it in a very thoughtful way right from the start.  It's not as simple as making some business cards, putting up a web site and waiting for the phone to ring.  I've decided to be very deliberate in taking each tiny step and hopefully my dream can become real.

So, it seems fitting to try and chronicle this journey here in this blog.  After all....it is a dream.  I've got lots to consider, choices to make and a great deal to learn.  I'm hoping that in getting my thoughts out here that some ideas will come together more quickly.  And I'm hoping that by saying this publicly in my blog, I'll feel I've committed to something.  Will you all help me stay on track?

Photographically, I have some new skills to practice and develop.  But that seems secondary to everything else I need to plan and/or act on to bring a business to life.  I'll always be our shooting...it's what I do.  Finding and dusting off my business person hat is the bigger challenge.  But the first tiny step has been taken....I've told you I'm doing it!

Who's Crazy About Dogs?

ME!!

This past Tuesday I made my third visit to the Westminster Dog Show in New York city.  It's a great time for anyone who's crazy about dogs.  The dogs are beautiful and the people are tons of fun to watch.

It will be apparent from the photos that I have a super soft spot for golden retrievers.  I made it a point to get there early and scored a front row seat for the retriever judging.  My friends and I also spent a lot of time back in the benching area where you can interact with many of the dogs and lots of dog people.  I tried to use the opportunity to practice a little candid photography and capture the clear love of dogs that permeates the venue.

And so...the dogs and people of Westminster...

Photo Art Friday ~ February 17

Wow the last week flew by.  I was away for quite a bit of it...not far but away.  I visited both Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA and the New York Botanical Garden in an attempt to find some inspiration in color and escape the doldrums of this very uneventful winter.  I took this picture today in New York and worked with Bonnie's new texture Splash of Gold to create this effect.  It's my contribution to this week's Photo Art Friday.