A call to action…figures

It is a typical afternoon scrolling through the vastness of Facebook; funny posts followed by a share of some interesting recipe or some crazy viral video craving to elicit a strong emotional response. For the most part, at that moment I am bored. Just a few days prior, I finished up an intense photography project and was happy with the results and response, especially considering the subject matter is outside of my norm. There isn’t anything pressing in the pipeline and I am planning on using the next few weeks to rest up after having completed a marathon of editing since my hard drive failure fiasco during the summer. That is until I stumble upon this…

Photographers, heck… everyone, learn from my failure… PLEASE!

For those who follow me on social networks, you may have noticed that I’ve been somewhat quiet regarding publishing new images over the past couple of months. There is a very good reason for that, and I’m here to share with you why that is, and hope that you will heed the message of lessons I learned… the hard way.

Bones

Have you ever found yourself meandering through a crowd, watching people and how they interact with each other? I do that frequently with the hope that every so often, I’ll cross paths with at least one person who just blows me away with their positive energy. Someone who could inspire me and rekindle the fire of creativity. Last Thursday night, I was asked to photograph the 2011 Soupfest that was put on by the Cornerstone Foundation here in Rockville, CT. For those who aren’t aware, the Cornerstone Foundation has over the years “become a trusted grassroots, community-led, not-for-profit provider of social services that make downtown Rockville, Vernon, and surrounding communities better places to live.” Photographing events is something I periodically like to do as it gives me an excuse to hone my skills as a photographer, but also get to people watch. And tonight would offer some gems! This is my account of the one gem that shined the brightest for me…

Something new… Something fun: Why being open minded can be such a good thing

As many of you know, my photographic strengths are landscapes, nature shots and catching life unscripted. It’s what makes the world go round for me. There is great comfort in knowing what to expect and I can think out what my vision is. Recently, my comfort boundaries got blown to bits… in a very good way. 

There is no such thing as the “One Size Fits All” photographer

There’s something in the water folks! It seems the last-minute scramble for soon-to-be-wed couples to secure a photographer for September is in full swing. Over the past month, I have been excitedly approached by several people, some who are couples that are getting married, and others who know engaged couples that are looking for a photographer to capture their special day. It never fails that they quickly have a rather perplexed look on their face when I respectfully decline and offer to point them to some fantastic photographers that I know who would be able to help them. You may have a similar look on your face now as well. After all, with how sour the current economy is across the board, who in their right mind would turn down good paying work? I will… and I will give you some insight about why!

A valued compliment…

My daughter

I had a wonderful older gentleman spend some time admiring my work at yesterday’s Farmers’ Market. It turns out that he is an oil painter and has painted for many years. As he and his family were looking at the Rock Maple Farm prints at the front of my booth, he looked up at my banner, pointed to this picture of Kelsa and said, “Have you ever seen a Rembrandt? This picture here reminds me of a Rembrandt. Very nice picture!” That totally made my day and more than I think he ever realized!

This is one of my absolute favorite photos of my daughter. It reminds me of how beautiful a person she is and continues to be as she grows up.

I had taken Kelsa to the Hammond Castle Museum back in September 2009. We were just coming down from the tower in a narrow stone stairway. There was a single dim (probably a 40 watt) incandescent light high above us. I had quickly adjusted my settings and called out to her (she was a few steps ahead of me on the way down). She turned around and I snapped this photo. I was extremely lucky with the settings as this was a hand-held shot and my D80 with the 50mm f/1.8 lens combo typically does not do well in this extreme low light scenario. It didn’t hit me until I got home and processed my photos from the day, that this particular capture was so special. For a long time, I thought it was my “Dad bias” that made me feel this was a wonderful photo. But comments like I received yesterday now make me realize that it’s not just me who appreciates this frozen moment in time!

Hearing that seasoned artist’s comments, truly makes me feel like I have accomplished a wonderful thing and did wonders to boosting my confidence as an artist. It just goes to show you that a few words of encouragement and compliment can have an extremely positive and powerful effect on your fellow artist! I can never thank that gentleman enough for expressing his thoughts and feelings to me yesterday!

Opprimo multi-negotium

In the distant past, I remember playing in the back yard, bored to tears and struggling to find something to keep me entertained. I was a single child with two teachers for parents, so I had to learn the masterful art of self-entertainment at an early age. Those long summer days seemed to me like time had the consistency of chilled molasses. It’s amazing how kids’ perspectives on the time when school is out are magnified, yet for adults, there’s never enough time in the day, which is a year-round misery. Being a parent tends to put an underscore on this vast difference in time availability as we often get assaulted by those innocently (or not so innocently) repetitive inquiries, “So what are we doing today, Mom/Dad?” or the ever faithful, whiny “I’m booooooored!” that sends panic up and down a parent’s spine. Thoughts of how much we can bend child labor laws admittedly do cross my mind when this happens.