Apr 25, 2014

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Photographing a flower is a process for me, it’s not an event. Think of this lily as a jungle and my camera and I are explorers… of course there’s nothing dangerous about the jungle on my set but there are endless things to discover.
A movement of my light can cause drama, a shift of angle can reveal a new detail, and then there are all those amazing things I can do with the camera to change the look and feel of my flower.
Sometimes I discover that my flower doesn’t have to be a flower at all… it can be a peacock if I want it to be! Do you see it?
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Apr 18, 2014 |

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Ever ride a yo-yo? I feel like I do-every time I set out to create.
Feeling inspired is pure euphoria and I often spend weeks, days, and even months, daydreaming about my next photo.
By the time I break out my camera though, I’m falling down again. I take a photo, it sucks, I change some things, and repeat. Sometimes I’m on to something right away, but other times I just can’t get there and I start to feel like a tails up penny on the floor… there’s no picking me up.
My first attempt at this photo (after 3 hours and 100 shots) was a total failure. I took a break. I slept on it. Then I tackled it again. What’s my point? If I had given up I wouldn’t have gotten this. Now I look at it and the euphoria returns.
P.S. Thanks to Melissa Dinwiddie for making me realize I’m not alone in this vicious cycle of artistry! Check out her blog post on the creative process. This is also what inspired me to do what I’m about to do next… oh no…
P.P.S. I’m going to share… gulp… an ugly outtake. Quick scroll down and look at it before I change my mind!
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!

This is my lump of clay before I molded it with light.
See another photo from this series & a sneak peak of my setup!
Feb 28, 2014

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Not more than 100 feet off the shore of Lake Atitlan, I crouched over the swaying flowers in the late afternoon sun.
The wind was bittersweet. Even at 5,125 feet the sun is hot in Guatemala and my skin welcomed the air, but keeping the teeny tiny flowers in the frame of my camera and in focus presented its own challenge.
It’s not often I find myself outside photographing flowers. I hate the harsh natural light most hours of the day. The garden at my hotel was breathtaking though, so I took the opportunity to make it my playground for the day.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Feb 21, 2014

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I tossed the velvety scarf into the air and, when it landed, I explored its curves with my camera.
After many attempts at molding the fabric into the sexy scene I envisioned, I finally gave up on sculpting and decided to give randomness a try.
The result is a bit more up close and sensual than my initial idea, but I’ll take it because it was given to me! If something’s not working sometimes it’s worth it to stop forcing the issue and just let it all flow.
Now if I could only relax and apply that theory to life, well that would be a miracle!
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Feb 7, 2014

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Gracie and I were rushing back to the house after her mid-day potty break. More likely, I was rushing to get back to website building, email answering, or social media wrangling… one of those most urgent matters.
As we trotted across the deck that little leaf called out to me like an old woman stretching her wrinkled hand out for spare change. I felt bad for it, being encapsulated and drawn into the icy depths below.
The way I see it: ugliness + sadness = beauty.
It was nice to slow down for a second and just witness nature.
What are these numbered posts all about? Read the introduction to my Photo & 100 Words project and find out!
Jul 6, 2013
When I took these photos it was a bitterly cold day and I was feeling very blah. I wanted to photograph something – anything, really.
My usual subjects are pets, flowers, and bugs so there was no chance of finding anything new to photograph. Actually, if I remember it right, we were about to get snowed in. Well anyway, I was determined to force myself out of funkland.
I had Nick pick the ugliest thing in our apartment and he chose our stove. No argument there – I’m pretty sure my landlord painted it white when it started to discolor so now when I clean it there are always specs of white flaking off onto my sponge and revealing a nasty yellowish brown color beneath.
So I decided to get out my macro lens and try to make our repulsive stove into a beautiful piece of art. It was a spur of the moment photography prompt, and here’s how it came out:
The whole oooogly stove. Just so you know what I was working against – I mean with – here.

Ok so I didn’t make anything spectacularly beautiful, but they certainly are interesting if nothing else – right? Oh and in case you’re wondering what the one on the left is: it’s a patch of the backboard between the oven light switch and the clock. My macro lens is definitely my favorite toy to play with!

Thanks for reading!