Does anyone read this blog??

So I was just curious who actually reads my blog. Its funny when you put your stuff out on the internet you just never know who will find it. If you do read this, I would love for your to write a note. Its cool to think that people would want to look at my photographs, even if it is just my mom! FYI- I foot is almost all better and I am starting to shoot again. I have 3 shoot lined in in the next week so keep an eye out for new photos!

The Jefferson Memorial

Today I took some night photos of the Jefferson Memorial. I had to share a tripod because I have not bought my own yet, so I didn't get as many as I would have liked but added some of my favorites. I also added some architectural photos I took before dark. Soo tired, need to go to sleep!






Note: None of these were digitally edited.

Landscapes

This week I had the assignment of shooting a landscape. I took these at a golf course by my home. The originals looked fine, but I thought they looked even cooler enhanced.

I am a bad blogger...

I realized that blogging is about keeping people interested so they will continue to want to read, so I apologize for being a bad blogger… I promise I will improve!! For the past two weeks I have been pretty stationary (I am not really walking much due to my foot), but I have had a few photo shoots. Below are portraits I took for my friend Meg. Isn't she gorgeous! I have also been working on the more technical aspect of my photography. I started a smugmug web site where I can not sell my photos online, and have come up with an entire new pricing structure. I am working to get my smugmug site set up, but unfortunately I am not html savvy so its will probably take me a while to make it look awesome. I am still taking my photography class, and am taking a few seminars this month; one on how to start a small business, and another about wedding photography.

So all in all, I am moving forward. I go through ups and downs when it comes to photography. Sometimes I feel like I can conquer the world, and other I feel inadequate. I have very high expectations for myself, and I WILL achieve the level of excellence in photography that I want, but I have to keep reminding myself that mastering a craft takes time and practice! When I first decided to do photography as a business, I did not realize how much really goes into mastering photography, and starting a business. You have to think of lighting, composition, timing, camera settings, keeping subjects relaxed and happy, editing, uploading, web design, and the list goes on... Photography does take a lot of time, but I really find true joy in capturing a wonderful image so it is all worth it:-) Well I hope you enjoy some of my work below. Remember, I am offering some great deals right now (you can not get these prices anywhere else in the area, I have checked)! If you want to have a family picture, engagement, personal portrait, senior portrait, or children's portraits, please give me a call or e-mail to set up a shoot. I look forward to hearing from you!

Injured

I broke my foot on Monday. I would love to have a great story to tell, like I was rock climbing or sky diving, but I smiply tripped and was not able to catch myself. I trip quite often, but this time I got stuck on an uneven peice of sidewalk, and down I went. Now the break itself is very slight and luckily will only have to be in a boot for two weeks! This whole thing has really been quite an adventure. I am glad that I am now off the crutches and hope to never return. My foot is still swolen and brused and I will spare you of the hedious image.

Right now I will not be doing any photo shoots in July, but please contact me now to book your photo session for August. I have started to receive several inquires and my weekends are starting to fill up! (Note: I will be charing a discounted fee through the end of August, but my prices will go up after that, so book now!!)

My First Assignment

Well last week I started a 10 week photography course. I have been in the process of teaching myself photography for a while now, and thought it would be a good idea if I had formal instructions and feedback from a professional. I am excited for the class and know that it will only help me gain a greater understanding of photography. This week we had our first assignment, to shoot flowers. Now this sounds easy enough, but it took me a lot longer than I expected. First, I had to find the flowers. Thanks to my wonderful Mother and Father in Law (I was visiting SC this weekend), I was able to find these gems... The one stipulation of the class is that they could not be edited, so these are straight out of the camera:





Now we will just have to wait to see what my teacher thinks!!

Color Popping

One thing I have learned since I delved into the world of photography is that photography is not just taking a picture, you must also develop that picture. Now, I do not use a traditional darkroom, but I do use a digital darkroom. With editing software, I sort through my photos, choose the best ones, and take each one of those and edit them individually. Each image that I create has been processed to make it the best version of itself (I hope that makes sense). Recently I have been playing around with color popping and below are some examples of my efforts. I love to bring out the color and details in photographs, and to create images that have a real wow factor. I hope you like them!!