Dec 21, 2016
Six years ago I was a failed journalist, bartending and waitressing to pay off my student loan debt. I had a laptop, a camera, and a new dream. I thought hard, and daydreamed a lot, about my business name.
Back then, I wanted a label, I wanted to seem bigger than I was. Using the pronoun “we,” whether it was for my blog, a podcast, or a Facebook ad, always felt so wrong. Like I’m inventing an imaginary staff to make me feel more important.
Back then, I was still afraid to call myself a photographer; now, I have the audacity to call myself an artist.
I am not a corporate office with too many synchronized office chairs, time sheets, and meetings about meetings. I am a real person, and I let my feelings influence everything I do.
I present rebekahnemethy.com! Reflectivephotos.net is not totally gone, the url still works and redirects to the new one, and you will continue to see the old logo here and there. But the best part is, now I have a place to share everything I do, because everything I do will always be me. (Shout out to Deb Ozarko for logo design and tagline genius!!)
So what have I been doing?! I’ve always wanted to paint for charity, and it just so happens that HeARTs Speak’s annual fundraiser is going on right now. HeARTs Speak is the organization that feeds my soul, and they are the inspiration behind so much of what I do for animals.
So, for every donation of ANY AMOUNT, I’m giving away original art in the form of tiny paintings. Pictured are 10 that you can choose from, and if more than 10 of you donate, I’ll make more paintings. The 1st to give are the 1st to choose, so act now! https://www.crowdrise.com/works-of-heart/fundraiser/rebekahnemethy
Here are some quick facts about HeARTs Speak
- 400,000 shelter pets were given the chance to shine last year with professional portraits from HeARTs Speak members!
- HeARTs Speak’s Perfect Exposure Project donated photography equipment and training to 9 high-intake shelters across the U.S. in 2016. (I’m proud to say I helped with 3 of them!)
- There are over 600 HeARTs Speak members internationally who volunteer their time and expertise to shelter pets.
- HeARTs Speak members help out at 1/3 of the shelters in the U.S. and volunteer about 15,000 hours monthly.
Please help me help them! You can help us make an even bigger impact in 2017 by donating to my fundraising page. No amount is too small and every single person who chips in will receive an original painting gift from me, shipped to your door for free. It’s the least I can do to express my gratitude for your help.
Thank you <3
P.S. Happy 1st day of winter!!! We’re over the hump and the days are getting longer again. Woo hoo!
Sep 14, 2016 |
Our creative space at the 2016 Create & Incubate Retreat – thanks for the photo Kimberly!!
It’s a shock that I got any sleep at all. My social anxiety and a fear of flying solo across the country had my stomach so twisted I almost forgot to eat breakfast… if you don’t know me, that’d be like a frog forgetting to how to hop, it just doesn’t happen.
Worries, real and imagined infected every thought that swam past the back of my eyeballs. Will a flock of geese bring down my plane? Would I even survive on a deserted island? Will my connecting flight connect? Or will I be held up at the anal probing section of airport security?
Should I trip that girl cutting the line? Better play it safe and just will her to trip herself… After several hours of inner banter and turmoil I arrived in San Jose only an hour late and with both my shuttle man, Zack, and my new friend, Pam, ready to whoosh me off to Los Gatos for five days of creative bliss.
Pam showing off some gorgeous art! She’s been exploring a series that features her client’s word of the year.
I might use creativity in my everyday life… photography and writing are like my arms, I love them and I know how to use them almost subconsciously, but there’s something about obligations and deadlines that lowers the fun factor drastically. Not all creations need to have a purpose, and I was soooooo ready to make things for no reason!
Zack whipped us around the narrow road that wound steeply up the mountain to the Presentation Center as he, Pam, and I BSed about weather, wildfires, and how we came across Melissa and her creative retreat.
We were early, but Randi, a mosaic artist who was a 4-time retreat returnee, was even earlier.
“What’s your creative thing?” Randi was returning my question, and I had the urge to justify my presence. I’d already seen Pam’s beautiful art via email, when we arranged to share a shuttle from the airport, and now I stood before another, no-doubt, uber-talented artist.
Fortunately, five years of reading Melissa’s blog had prepared me to catch myself in the act of self-doubt. I didn’t tell Randi that I wasn’t a real artist who doesn’t really know how to draw… but that’s what I thought.
Melissa showing some of the calligraphy she created for her Instagram feed as her posts went viral and her followers doubled!
Instead, I told her that I’m a photographer (my confident artist title) and that I left my camera at home and brought a limited amount of markers to play with. Now as I replay this memory, I guess what I actually said was just a sugarcoated version of “I’m a real artist, really, but my ‘real’ art isn’t here right now, so please don’t judge me… I just want to play with some art supplies I have no experience with.”
Huh… I still have to work on that I guess…
But even though I was still, apparently, defending myself, I can also tell you that was the moment I dropped my guard. I knew I was being ridiculous, I didn’t have to justify myself because I was with my people in a safe space.
Amy was hard at work on the nitty gritty details of producing her play! She took some time away from her laptop to play and these altered book covers were the beautiful result!
Melissa pulled into the parking lot several minutes later with Amy riding shotgun. Everyone was hugging and kissing hellos, and as soon as Melissa saw me she threw her hands up, “Rebekah!” she said as she pulled me into a hug. You’d never guess it was the first time she met me.
Next thing I knew Kimberly had arrived, and from the purple streak in her hair and her pioneer potty mouth, I solidified my earlier assumptions: these are my people.
Kimberly created several watercolor studies at our retreat! Here is the last one in progress, and I just love the Zentangle elements she started to add – Kimberly is a Zentangle Instructor too
We all worked together to set up the “Incubator,” our creative space for the retreat, and we were like a family reuniting.
I’m not sure if it’s me getting older or me getting more intuitive, but I immediately felt at home with these women. I was having a déjà vu party all week long, like I’d known them all forever.
It wasn’t until the next day that Josiah, Amy’s hubby, showed up. Just like Randi, Amy and Josiah were also longtime veterans of the Create and Incubate retreat. The family vibe I got was very real.
Josiah got busy creating the first pages of his graphic novel about a character who is discovering his way out of the 1st dimension! Great story and art!
That first morning I was pleasantly surprised by Melissa’s catalyzing sessions, they weren’t just motivating and energizing, they were hysterically fun too. We played all kinds of games that connected us first as individuals, and then, it often felt as if we became one entity.
This might seem like a weird analogy, especially coming from me, but it was a somewhat religious experience. Being raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, my first experience inside a Catholic church was quite jarring. I joined my best friend’s family at mass one Sunday after a sleepover, and the droning, monotonous tone that buzzed out of the pews truly alarmed me.
It was during one of our games that this memory came back to me. As we chanted, “hoo-ha, hoo-ha,” moving up and down to the beat, it was the very first time I understood how comforting a tribe-like chant could feel. I finally got it… twenty-something years later, I could finally relate to those churchy chanters.
Drawing and photo by Kimberly – it’s a representation of our bunny game!!!
Of course we were not worshipping the hoo-ha god at the retreat, that was just how one game started.
Just imagine eight people standing in a circle, one person saying, “bunny-bunny,” two people saying, “tookie-tookie,” and the remaining five chanting, “hoo-ha, hoo-ha,” all at the same time. Now imagine a different set of body movements for each of those roles, and the people playing those roles are constantly changing as the chanting gets faster and faster.
One of two things happens during these games, we get into a flow, or we eff it all up and find ourselves in a fit of hysterics. The bunny game was just one of many games we played, and whether we were in our zones of genius or cracking up at our mistakes, we were always having fun.
When we weren’t playing games, chatting at mealtimes, or sleeping, we were creating. With a never-ending list of creative projects it took me a long time to narrow down what I would do during the retreat. I wanted to experiment with something new, but by the time I’d decided on markers it was too late to order them online.
All the tools I used!
I rushed through the aisles of AC Moore to discover a very limited selection of Prismacolor markers. They also were waaaaaay more expensive sold as individuals than the package prices I saw online. I picked a pretty blue and purple, and the colorless blender I was dying to play with, but I was inexperienced with blending colors, so I grabbed all of the cool grays; they were the only ones I was sure would work together. I also knew that limiting myself would make me more creative AND limit any unnecessary decision-making.
When I started unpacking my supplies, I discovered that I’d accidentally bought one warm gray marker and internally rolled my eyes at myself. “Great, I wasted money on this one random warm marker, and now I’m probably missing a cool gray,” I mentally reprimanded myself.
Once I let go of my expectations, though, I started to play, and soon realized that this one mistake I’d made at the store had led to so much creative discovery. I started out blending the grays into gradients, then I played around with the colorless blender and fell in love with the way it created watermark-like strokes when used on top of the other colors. For shits and giggles I decided to try the warm gray on top of the various cool grays and I fell in love with those results too.
Here are the effects of the colorless blender on top of warm gray (top 2 cards) and a combo of the blender and warm gray on top of cool gray (bottom 2 cards).
I played with as little thought about the outcome as I could manage. No deadlines, no guidelines, no audience, no price tag, just making something for making something’s sake. With every index card made that I hated, I learned how to make something I could hate a little less. I even made a few things that I loved.
I hadn’t done a true show and tell since elementary school, the last time I showed my work it was in my 1st year of college, but that was more of a critique session than a show and tell. I was pretty intimidated seeing all the beautiful art everyone created on the 1st day, and I wasn’t really looking forward to showing everyone my dinky little index cards. I was floored when everyone ooohhhed and aaahhhed at my work. Whether they really liked it or they were just super nice doesn’t really matter to me… the kind of support that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, that’s what I’ll remember.
I “love” this one =) I experimented with layers and this happened.
There were so many other great memories made at the Create and Incubate retreat, it was such a great experience that I’m already signed up for next year… actually everyone who went this year is coming back! I can’t wait!!!
I’ve always known that breaks are so important, but knowing something never has the same effect as doing it. I’m more refreshed now than I’ve been in a long time, and I’ve decided that this retreat should be a gift I always give to myself… now if only I could skip the flight… anyone down for road trip next summer?
Randi inspired this one when she used an expression about how “the universe is winking at you” – I used Melissa’s typewriter for the words.
P.S. It seems so easy to analyze the things I’m doing and the reasons I’m doing them now, but the truth is, I probably wouldn’t even recognize half of the stupid things I do, or any of the things I should be doing, if it weren’t for Melissa’s guidance.
The creative struggle is real in a culture that trains all the fun out of you.
I know that many of you reading this are creatives too, and if you think you could use even a tad more fun and creativity in your life, you’ll definitely benefit from Melissa’s advice.
Check out Melissa’s blog and podcast and look out for her new book coming out soon!
May 25, 2015
The Idea
Have you ever had an idea that you couldn’t empty from your mind? What was once just a passing thought soon turned into an all-out obsession? Then maybe you continue to push it away; it’s impossible, it’s out of your comfort zone, someone else should do it. Until that thought plagues you for so long you realize it’s not going anywhere, and the only way to get rid of it is to make it happen, as Nike would say, “Just Do It.”
That idea for me is My Rescue Rocks.
A Story About Fear
It was fear that kept it locked up for nearly a year. I flash back to my LGBT class in college, when Ester called me to the front of the room to read my essay. Maybe I wrote an excellent essay, but being the only heterosexual girl in the class, I never expected to be put in the spotlight for my perspective. As it shook in my hands, my paper made more noise than my meek, stuttering voice did. Ester stopped me, told me everything was ok, and to relax, but pointing out my anxiety just intensified it; I read faster and shook even more. It’s easy for me to write, but ask me to read what I’ve just written aloud to crowd of strangers and prey instinct takes over.
When I did my first test recording, just me and the mic, my finger froze above the record button. Even though I knew no one would ever hear it, I still had to coax myself to speak. The reality of “I’m actually doing this” overwhelmed me all at once and, as if an elephant were standing on my chest, I couldn’t breathe.
Little by little, I’m getting over it. These moments of fear may seem unbearable in the moment, but once I’m past it, it’s over, and I’m still alive. The only way past fear is straight through it and, now, I’m determined to come out on the other side.
Excuses to Fight the Fear
From a broad perspective, fear is just another excuse to run. So I just need a more important excuse to keep walking forward, and I have plenty of them:
- Innocent animals are killed everyday and many animal lovers are totally oblivious to the facts.
- Telling stories is the most powerful way to make a connection with people and spread ideas.
- Hearing a story, first-hand from the source, is even more powerful than reading it second-hand.
- Very few people have extra time to read these days, and more people are turning to audio for entertainment.
- I know too many people with amazing rescue stories that NEED to be told.
- Sharing these stories can inspire more people to support rescue, seek change, and save more lives.
Something Much Scarier
I look at my Gracie Lou lounging on the bed, I pat her pink belly, stroke her soft fur, and think about all the other dogs that weren’t as lucky as her. My imagination puts her back in the shelter, walking down a cold, cement-floored corridor towards a room full of strangers intending to steal her life. I want to cry, but I bring myself back into reality and envelop my dog in a hug, grateful to have her. She picks her head up and licks my nose, and I know she’s grateful to have me too.
The thought of Gracie’s right to live and love being snatched away from her is much scarier than talking into a mic. That’s all the excuse I need.
My Rescue Rocks, the podcast featuring stories about love, tragedy, and survival, will launch this summer! Get on the listener’s list to be notified when the first stories are available to download.
If you have your own rescue story to share please don’t hesitate to submit it here: rescue story submissions.
Join the Listener’s List OR Share Your Rescue Story
Nov 17, 2014 |
So what’s a blog hop?
It’s an ongoing weekly post that’s passed on from artist to artist. It’s an online adventure in discovering new artists and the beautiful things they are making. Last week Jennifer McIntosh, an artist I met in a Facebook artist group, invited me to participate and I’m super excited to be a part of this worldwide art project!
Jennifer is a very talented Australian artist who uses various mediums to express herself including photography, painting, and drawing. She’s currently working on a series of charcoal nudes using her own photography as a reference. Check out her blog hop post from last week to see more photos and get a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process in this series.
Charcoal drawing by Jennifer McIntosh
Jennifer’s ability to create such beautiful art in any medium is awe-inspiring! Don’t believe me? Check out her painting gallery and her photography gallery to get a taste of what I’m talking about. You have to see her painting titled “Sacred Cove” and her fine art photo “Reflections,” they are my personal favorites!
Now, for you fellow blog hoppers, a bit about my art
1)What am I working on?
Since January 2014 I’ve committed to creating a new photo and 100 words to go with it every week. I’m only 10 weeks away from hitting the 1 year mark! Although I don’t think I’ll be stopping anytime soon.
I’m currently working on a series I’ve titled, “Life’s a Blur.” Each photo in this series incorporates a mixture of motion blur with a still subject. I’d like to think of each photo like a meditation: stillness in a sea of chaos. This is my first journey into long exposure photography and I’m really enjoying the experimentation process.
“The Pocket Watch Between Tick and Tock” Photography by Rebekah Nemethy
2)How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It’s not often that my fine art photography is “found.” Seeing with my eyes is only half of it, I also see with my mind what something can be and I do my best to make my art into what my mind wants it to be. A minimalist result is what I strive for.
“Steady Heart” Photography by Rebekah Nemethy
3)Why do I create what I do?
Why does a bird fly? Because it has wings of course! So, the simple answer to this question could be because my father gave me a camera when I was 14 years old. I love making things, always have, and the camera has been my go-to tool for a long time.
I do have a bigger picture in mind, however. I would love to be able to say one day that my art really contributed to something bigger than myself. That something bigger is animal rescue. Right now I donate 10% of my art sale profits to several animal rescue organizations, and I plan on increasing that amount incrementally until I can share 50% of my profits with the fur and feather babies in need.
“Fall Spectrum” Photography by Rebekah Nemethy
4)How does my creating process work?
It always starts out with an idea, and most of my ideas are inspired by subjects I come across (this could be anything from a flower to a piece of trash), but sometimes I’m inspired by a color, or as is the case in my current series, a certain technique.
Once I decide on a starting point I start to brainstorm the set up. This often leads me to hours of sifting through my prop drawers and wandering through craft stores for new materials.
Each set I make is different from the last. Building my set is a creative process in itself. Sometimes building the set can take a full day if my idea is very involved.
Lighting is the next step, followed by the actual photography. I experiment with my lighting and composition and reshoot. Light, compose, reshoot, and repeat. I’ll shoot between 250-500 photos over the course of a day or two.
The selection process is next, only the best of the best images make it through; maybe around 10 images. Then each of those photos are color adjusted and retouched at the bare minimum. Sometimes there is additional Photoshop work, but not always.
Then it’s time to write a story to go with every image. Behind the scenes happenings, my feelings about the photo or a related subject, and sometimes even poetry accompanies my photography when it’s published.
Then I start all over again!
“Autumn in Orange and Blue” Photography by Rebekah Nemethy
Continue the blog hopping adventure with these awesome artists on 11/24/14
I discovered Kali’s whimsical work several months ago on Daily Paint Works. She paints and draws a variety of subjects, but her florals and owl paintings are repeating themes and they are my personal favorites. Kali creates, and posts, a new piece of art to her blog every single day, and has been since 2011! Her daily blog posts are always about something wonderful/amazing/funny/whimsical that happens in her life.
“Saluting the Sun” A painting by Kali Parsons
Kali’s actively working on a number of picture book manuscripts and has just recently started working on illustrating a story of her own. When she’s not doing all that, she’s a wife, mother, and a teacher of 3 and 4 year old students with disabilities at a local public school… and yes, they do A LOT of art.
Make sure to visit Kali’s blog to read her blog hop post on 11/24! You can also see what paintings she has for sale over on her Daily Paintworks Gallery
I also got to know Divinity’s work through a Facebook artist group, and I’m particularly in love with her “Sensual” series which the painting below belongs to. She is currently working on a series of Chakra Goddesses and getting ready for her first solo show as you read this!
“Ecstasy” A painting from Divinity Chan’s Sensual Series
Since that first encounter with a box of crayons, which inspired youthful works of art all over the walls and furniture of her home, Divinity possessed a desire to spread and share her love of color with the world. Synergy of bold and vibrant colors, and contemporary imagery, marks her artistic style. Divinity’s vibrant images will remind viewers of the joys of life, and spur vision and creativity.
Be inspired! Experience “Awakening the Colors of the Soul” at www.divinitychan.com Be sure to visit Divinity’s blog too on 11/24 to follow the blog hop over to Canada!
Oct 18, 2013
I’m super excited to be doing Halloween photos for Pets Alive West this year! Join us with your dogs on Oct. 26th to get a fun photo of your dog and support a terrific cause. Gracie Lou (my stunning model) and I had a fun pre-halloween photo session and we thought you would like to see what we have in store for you this howl-o-ween.
You can come anytime between 12pm and 4pm on October 26th to get your dog’s photos taken. A small donation of $10 will get you 1 high resolution digital file, $18 will get you 2, or get the most bang for your buck and donate $25 to get 3 fun photos! You will be able to print your photos and share online, and Pets Alive will be able to help more animals– it’s a win-win if you ask me!
Get directions to Pets Alive West in Elmsford, NY. I hope to see you and your pets there!
Sep 13, 2013 |
Well it’s finally happened. For the first time in my life I pointed a camera at people and they actually got excited that I was doing it!
Don’t get me wrong I know that there are people out there who love my photography, but the usual response from strangers at an event is to give me a half scowl and side step out of my frame. Ok so it’s not everyone, but it’s enough to sway my opinion on people portraiture.
So, anyway, I was totally delighted when I held my camera up to this adorable family and saw this:
Ok so I made up the quote to be silly, but just look at this adorable girl strutting her stuff for Pets Alive. I love seeing happy families!
Here are a few more of my favorites from the 2nd Annual Tail Wagger Dog Walk held at the beautiful Walkway Over the Hudson.
May 7, 2012
All of the photos from the Beacon Barks parade and street festival last Saturday are now available on my website. If your dog was photographed you can purchase prints or download the free internet sized copy of the photo(s).
Beacon Barks! 2012 Gallery
Here are a few more favorites from the day:
Apr 29, 2012
It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day for the Beacon Barks parade and street festival yesterday! I have a ton of photos to go through and process so I picked out a few of my favorites for now.
Stay tuned because I will be posting a link to all the photos no later than next week. Internet sized photos (like those below) will be available for all of you to download and use freely on Facebook and other social networks. Prints and high resolution files will also be available for purchase for those of you who want more.
I hope you all had a great day, I know I did!
Mar 22, 2012
Congratulations to Pam Barger and her dog Chimi! Preview photos of Chimi’s shoot coming soon… so stay tuned!
Jun 12, 2011
Thanks to all of you who visited the Reflective Photos booth at Woofstock 2011. What a wonderful day we had! Not a drop of rain fell, and although we could have used some sun, the overcast skies made for cool, comfortable weather.
Without further delay, the winners of today’s raffle are:
1st place (free photo session): Chris Johnson and his two dogs, Ollie and Winnie
2nd place (woof photo frame): Pamela Capalbo
Congratulations to the winners!
