For those at the other end

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC and Portrait Professional

Without those wonderful people that actually enjoy being in front of the lens many of us photogs would be lost! For that I thank you one and all! There are a few of us out there that have jumped into the self portrait world. I have done it myself once in a while, mostly for experimental purposes, but I just don’t have a form that suits the work I do. I rely on friends, family and models to tell my tales. Many of my stories that are screaming to get out would remain untold in my head without the assistance of these wonderful, confident folks! Thank you so much!

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Nikon D600
1/200 sec. at f/5.6
ISO 800 and 48 mm focal length
Lightroom 5 Perfect Effects

So many choices every time I open an image. I am finding that if I want to follow through on a concept I need to take the image from start to finish in a short period of time. If I set an image aside for a couple days or longer, I find myself in a different creative space and essential create a completely different world. The up side of that is that as my skillset grows and my vision matures I will be able to go back and repurpose old images. I love the feeling that I can create the world as I would like to see it, it is even better to know that as I change my mind I can not only create new worlds from scratch I can recreate new  worlds from the images I already have.

Getting by with A Little Help From My Friends

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC

No man is an island, or so I have heard. There was a time in my life when I would have poo poo’d that and asserted my false sense of independence. I say false need because now that I have embraced my need for other people in my life I can see that even in my “independent” phase I had people there supporting me and helping me along the way. Human beings are social creatures and even when we try not to believe it we seek out the confirmation of our self worth in the eyes of those around us.

Time Management

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Perfect Effects

Today’s image brings two old sayings to mind and begs the question, which one is the better way forward for me right now? Should I continue on the “busy as a bee” path or should I follow my heart and “take the time to smell the flowers”? Summer is a very hectic time for me. Albeit the time drain is, I am sure, totally of my choosing. I am stuck in that age old rutt, am I ready to give up the comforts of a totally stuffy and smothering 9-5, or will the financial hit be more painful than the stifled creativity I have to deal with now.

Spiritual Cleansing

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC, Perfect Effects, Define

Its a shame that in the off season the water is too cold to get my models to line up for water shots, and that in season there are too many people around to get the shot as I really want it. Had there not been a fishing boat less than 50 yards from the shoot location the bra would have been gone, and this would have been exactly what I was hoping for from the shoot. It still works well for me as it is, but I think it would have made a stronger impact without the contrast of fabric on skin. Either way a beautiful shot. I love the gentleness of the features.

Parting Glance

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC, Portrait Professional, Perfect Effects, Define

Even though I have more to do than hours in a day today I wanted to post a quick blog before I disappear into the great white north. Connectivity is a once a day deal up there and I most likely will not be posting anything until I crawl back down under the bridge (a Michiganism for those of you from elsewhere).

Preparing for Lift-off

Nikon D600
Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC, Perfect Effects

Today finds me very excited about the future. I love it when I schedule a new shoot that has been cooking in my head. The hands on building of the vision is becoming a large portion of the creative rush for me. I finished gathering the props yesterday, and I have drawn out a basic outline of location today. I also set up a model and scheduled the shoot for tomorrow. YAY!