Does She or Doesn't She?

Thank you every one for your wonderful comments on my last post, you guys make my day, and for that I am forever grateful!

One of the comments from my last post was from my sweet friend Loi who you all may know from the fabulous blog and shop Tone on Tone.   He asked if the image of bluebirds was a single image, or if I had merged more than one image to incorporate the 2 birds.  It's a great question, and I'm so glad he asked it.

 

                        (same image as the first one but cropped and desaturated except for the bird)                        

Although I do post process nearly all of my images, I have to admit that I've not mastered the craft and real art form of merging different elements from several images without things looking "shopped."  Some photographers cringe at the thought of merging several images to create one finished image, but I don't subscribe to that theory...I'm just not handy enough to be able to do it well.  It is even thought that the renowned photographer Ansel Adams did this in order to get that perfect shot.

So none of the images I post either on my blog, or on my website have elements from one image overlayed into another image...but maybe one day!  Have you ever seen an amazing image with the perfect full moon...it may just be the combination of several images, and I think that's cool! 

Now, the artwork I create with Mary Beth is created using lots of layers....sometimes more than 100, but when it comes to cutting and pasting with more realistic imagery, well I'm a bit of a flop at it so I stick with basic textures and actions to create each picture.

But that's not to say that you can't do plenty with textures and actions, which in its own way is the baby step program into combining images.  As you can see in this post, taking a basic image and "playing" with it in PS or PSE can be very rewarding and it can give your images a whole new look.

So for now I will be content with creating images that rely on all of the elements being in the shot from the get go.  Am I confusing you, because I'm starting to be a little confused myself!

One day I hope to be skilled enough to take a bluebird from one shot, a flower from another, and the moon in another and pull them altogether into one amazing shot.  I just have to wait until I can create something that someone with even the keenest eye would say to themselves...."hmm, does she or doesn't she?!"  Don't hold your breath though, it will be a long time coming! :-)

I hope you all have a very Happy Weekend.  There are lots of cool flea markets in my neck of the woods this weekend so I might just get into a bit of trouble!

Colors

I think one of the greatest gifts of photography is the way it makes you appreciate the subtle nuances of light and color.  From something as simple as dappled sunlight on a leaf, to more dramatic shadowing that is best represented by a black and white image.

Sometimes when I take an image I know exactly how I want it to look when I'm done, but other images start to unfold while you are in the process of editing them.  I think all photographers find this to be true.  They will begin with the image and then they let it speak to them, maybe it tells you it needs to be cropped, or that the contrast needs a little boost, but each image has its own voice.

Some choices are no brainers of course, like an image full of vibrant color, or a place you want to remember not only for how it looks, but for the colors that make you want to return there over an over again.

Sort of like the way we try to capture that perfect sunset on the last day of a wonderful beach vacation.  You want to be able to look at that photo 6 months later and be transported back to that very moment in time and have it inspire you to want to be back in that place the next chance you get.

But other images call for a less is more approach, and it's at these times that black and white can be such a powerful tool.  For me, black and white is a "just the facts ma'am," kind of image, one where you focus on the subject matter without the distraction of color.

Black and white images evoke strong emotions and allow the viewer the chance to impart their own feelings onto a photo.  In the image above it could be said that Miss Misty Belle is sad, when in fact she was just sleepy and wondering why I insisted on taking her picture when she was trying to nap.  Devoid of the color it takes on a more melancholy feel and makes you really focus on her eyes.

Whether you think she looks sad or sleepy, the point is it that black and white imagery makes the emotions in photographs really pop.  Perhaps this is why it is so popular these days with wedding photographers.  I don't have a single black and white or sepia image in my wedding album, and although I love our photos, I am bummed that they lack that raw emotion that you can only achieve with a well done, dramatic B&W image.


 

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think every photo should be processed as a black and white image...that would just be downright boring!  But I do think there is a place and time for colorless photos, and I'm happy that I have that option with my own photos.

And speaking of color, I would be crazy to process this last image as a black and white.  Imagine missing out on that blue...not a chance!

Have a wonderful rest of the week! :-)

Here is a lovely song about color...enjoy!

Photographs and Memories

(Daguerreotype of my Great Grandmother taken by my Great Grandfather)

I hope that each of you goes out this weekend...

to create a few photographs and memories of your own, so that some day, someone will treasure the things you capture through your lens!

Happy Weekend Everyone, I'm off to take a few pictures.

Texture Love

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and emails about my blog anniversary, it's been a fun 2 years!

I thought I would stay inside today and play with textures.  It's a blustery day outside, and I've messed up my ankle somehow and have to stay off of it, so processing pictures is a perfect way to pass the time.  And, messing around with photos is way more fun than vacuuming!

In the photo above I used one of Kim Klassen's textures, and I have no clue which one.  I should write this stuff down, but that's probably not going to happen...sorry!

This one has another one of Kim's textures and I used a brush texture on it too to give it a more painterly look.

Kim creates such beautiful textures, I find that I go to them time and time again.  And she is also so very generous with her free textures.  If you've been wanting to try using textures, I highly recommend you sign up for one of her e-courses, she has some starting soon.  Click here to find out more.

My sweet neighbor gave me these beautiful pink tulips yesterday.  I had given her a needlepoint pillow that no longer looked good in my house, so as a thank you, she gave me these pretty flowers.  I think I made out in the trade!  Although the pillow does look mighty nice in her green velvet wingback chair, so it was a win, win for both of us!

I put the flowers in this pretty pink vase I have had for years.  It came with the sheer pale pink ribbon which I love, so I thought it was the perfect choice for my pretty in pink flowers.  The texture I used on this one is another free one but from Boccacino.  I don't use these textures often, but when I do I fall in love with them all over again!

And here is the same image, but with script added from a free brush set by French Kiss...I love cool new brushes to play with!

Well that's it for now.  I hope you are finding something to hang out and do that makes you happy today too!

Kelly Moore Love

I'm so glad to hear from the comments on my last post that I'm not the only one that gives directions based on old landmarks!  If we all stick together, we can convince others that our way is best! ;-)

I was going to wait and post this tomorrow, but after reading a post today (more on that later) I decided that the fates were telling me to post this tonight!  See that beautiful leather bag in the photo above?  Well that is my lovely new Kelly Moore camera bag.  The truth is that it's not all that new now, you see I bought it just before we left for Europe last month.

If you don't think that a trip to Europe, with the responsibility of carrying all of my camera gear won't break in a new bag in a big hurry, well you'd be very wrong, I put this baby to the test, and it passed with flying colors!

But there is more to this bag than just good looks...though it does look uber chic in the 2 photos above as it is enjoying the views of the Neckar River from the terrace at our hotel in Heidelberg, Germany doesn't it?!  Just me and Kelly, my gear, and a cool San Pellegrino...so worldly isn't she?!

Yeah, she's a seasoned traveler now, but before she flew across the ocean, visited lovely train stations, and learned a little French and German, she had quite a story to tell.

I think you can tell a lot about a company not only from their products, but how they treat their customers.  In my frantic, and frugal ways, I thought I would simply use my big camera backpack for our trip, but then in a moment of panic just days before we left I had a change of heart and went searching for the perfect camera bag which wouldn't be too bulky and could disguise itself as a purse...providing me with everything I needed to look cool while still being able to capture everything I wanted on our trip.

I went online and searched for reviews or anything I could find on camera bags that would suit my needs and I kept coming back to Kelly Moore bags.  The reviews were good...check #1, and they were just so darned amazing looking...check #2...so I was sold!

I went online to the Kelly Moore website and found that the bag I wanted, the B-Hobo was out of stock in the color that I really wanted (Walnut), so I decided on the mustard color instead.  Off my order went into cyberspace, and then I realized that I probably should have opted for a faster shipping method...so I wrote them an email and asked if they could expedite my shipment...No Problem was the happy reply I received back, so I was already loving this company who would now have to scramble to help me out for being dumb and not ordering it the faster way to begin with.


 

I was content...well for a few hours anyway, but I really wanted that walnut brown bag, so I did a Google search and low and behold there it was, in stock, calling my name but on another website...Adorama's website to be exact.

Now I know what you are thinking, fickle me, just suck it up and get your mustard bag and quit being so picky right?!  Nope, I wrote Kelly Moore again, and instead of getting what I deserved...a nasty gram saying, "look lady, make up your *&%^ mind!"  I got a lovely note that said, "sure, no problem, we can cancel your order and let you purchase it from Adorama, and we will refund your credit card right away!"  Oh baby, can you say customer for life...of course that was before I had even checked out the bag to see if it was worth its salt.

After wearing, stuffing, re-stuffing, and hauling my beautiful walnut brown Kelly Moore bag from castles to opera houses, up and down steps, over cobblestones, through train stations (like the gorgeous Strasbourg train station pictured in this post), through airports and beyond, I can unequivocally say that this bag rocks!

It held my passport, cell phone, tickets, credit cards, money, lip gloss, perfume, brochures...oh yeah, and my camera gear too, which included a big honkin' L series 100-400 mm telephoto lens, my 5D Mark II body, my L series 24-70 mm go to lens, my remote, spare batteries, and both lens hoods.  And it was easy peasy to grab things when I needed them, change out lenses, and it made me look like I knew what the heck I was doing!

In all seriousness, I can't say enough good things about this bag, I love it and I would carry it as my everyday purse if I wasn't terrified of wearing it out...which I doubt will happen, but when you find something you love, you want to have it always!  Yup, that's how I feel about this bag.  

But what I love most about this bag is how nicely I was treated by the company that makes it.  I was given the royal treatment and that makes me love it even more!  Tonight when I went about my usual blog reading I came across a post on Di's Blog about Kelly Moore.  It seems that she is more than just a great photographer, bag designer, and accomplished business woman...she's a pretty special person too...click HERE and you'll see what I mean, good things really do come to good people!

And for those of you in need of an amazing and truly workable camera bag that kicks butt, go HERE and order yourself one, you won't regret it, I promise!

When One Door Closes

Just like the old saying goes...when one door closes...even if it is a beautiful door, and one you didn't really want to close...

You have to be ready for the one that opens.  Because the door that opens may take you to places you never imagined, and lead to opportunities you never knew existed.

A place where you can spread your wings and fly, or simply sit and rest awhile.

You may have noticed that I have not one, but 2 of my galleries now set up on my sidebar with flash.  Mr. Tide decided that it was time I spread my wings to fly and after lots of discussions where I said things like, "but that seems pushy, and in your face," I think I am finally ready to close the door on being afraid to put my photography out there, and instead, to embrace this new venture fully by promoting myself.

I am also thrilled to now be represented by a wonderful gallery, and extremely supportive man named John Zaccheo!  John is an internationally acclaimed artist and has become a wonderful mentor for my fine art photography.  Thanks to my dear friend Mary Beth, who introduced me to John, I am now shutting one door and leaving behind the comforts of the "known" world, and stepping through another door in search of new and exciting adventures.

Sometimes it is scary to put yourself out there in the world, but if you don't then you will never know how high you can fly. 

When one door closes, do you bang on it and hope that it will reopen?  Or do you go in search of the next door, hoping and knowing that what lies beyond it may be far better than you ever though possible?  I dare you to swing that next door wide open and walk inside.  You may be the only one who knows you stepped inside, but do it anyway, do it for you!!!

If You Only Knew

When I wake up each morning and look out the window on my side of the room, this is what I see, a field full of wildflowers.  Well they are weeds, swamp sunflowers and some purple weed I don't know the name of, but I like to call them wildflowers, it makes them sound prettier.

We as human beings have the ability to do that sometimes, turn weeds into wildflowers or reality into fantasy.  I had just been thinking about that when I popped by Jane's Blog and read her post, on what real life looks like, not the gussied up version we plaster on our blogs so often.  You can check her post out by clicking HERE.

Parts of Jane's post cracked me up, while other parts rang so true for me that it was a little scary.  But the truth is we are all living parallel lives in many ways, and knowing you aren't the only one with dog hair serving as a 5th food group in your house, or that the laundry threatens to eat you alive, makes you feel better.

For those of you with OCD, or who live perfect lives where children sing songs or write you poetry each day, or your husband makes you breakfast every morning (ok well that one is true for me), then turn away...no run away now!

No, that is not how real life is, because if it was, then shows like the "real" anything wouldn't be so popular.  Sitcoms like Father Knows Best (I loved that show!) and Leave it to Beaver would still reign supreme.  And don't misunderstand, I know that any show with the word "real" in the title is anything but real, but the premise that it shows people's vulnerabilities,  or the literal messiness that is real life is what people crave.

When I run in to people at the grocery store they will often say...wow you are so organized, you have so much going on...I don't know how you do it.  I often wander away thinking...were they talking to me?!  No, there must have been someone they knew standing behind me, because honey, if you only knew!

If you only knew how I cussed like a sailor this morning when I cut my finger on my #@$% tripod as I wandered around in my PJs at 8 am taking pictures.

If you only knew that I was frustrated beyond belief that after cutting my finger so bad that it bled like a stuck pig, all of the photos I took looked like crap.  So bad in fact that I am now sending my hugely expensive lens (the one that I've been saving for, the one that broke the budget this month) back to the store I bought it from!  And did I mention that the photo of the juvenile eagle 1 photo up, would have been awesome had the lens worked?!  Sadly, those juveniles don't just show up on my doorstep every day. :(

See that chart in the photo above, it helps you determine if your lens and camera are working properly to get clean, crisp photos (the ones taken with my new lens were horrible).  Yep, Mr. Tide and I spent precious time trying to figure out if it was me, or the lens.   All bets are off when a contest arises to determine if I am wrong or it the piece of equipment I am using is wrong.  9 times out of 10 it is operator error, followed by me saying things like ..."I can't figure this thing out!!", and I walk away in a huff.  Mr. Tide, the man who exemplifies the saying patience is a virtue, usually steps in, reminds me what time of the month it is, and helps in any way he can.  Lest you think he is perfect...he does however have the ability to walk past a folded pile of clothes for weeks without feeling a need to put them away!  And he believes that crumbs spontaneously generate from the kitchen counters, because he swears he wipes them down.  ;-)

If you only knew how much dog hair is on my floor right now you would swear a herd of alpacas live with me.  And yes, I vacuum frequently, but apparently I need to do it twice a day!  Ok, that is never gonna happen!

If you only knew that when the Verizon man showed up at my house yesterday I freaked out thinking, dear lord, I hope he doesn't need to go inside to check the line...maybe I can keep him in the living room and dining room which is straight and moderately dust free!

If you only knew that my dogs were barking and I had no bra on, not a pretty sight! (sorry Papa Jim and Doug if you are reading this!).

In blogland, time and reality are suspended.  There are no broken down barns like in the picture above.  It is edited, so all you see are the pretty flowers, the clean corners of houses, and the ramblings about finding the perfect this or that...but that's not real life.

I want friends who can call me and say, "ok, tell me if you think I'm crazy," and I don't, even if what they tell me would sound crazy to someone else!  And friends who I can call or email and say "ok, I cried because I'm afraid the plane is going to crash or my kids will get hurt while I'm overseas," and they won't tell me I've lost my mind, but will instead tell me that everything will be fine.

If you only knew how other people really lived, you wouldn't be so self conscious about how you live.  You wouldn't feel the need to say, "oh my house is a mess, when you just spent the last 2 days cleaning!"  You wouldn't feel the need to crop a photo once you realized that a pile of mail, or a pile of anything was in the shot.

My life is anything but organized, perfect, or even pretty some of the time, but it's wonderful none the less.  It's full of the good and the bad that make for an interesting life.  I am constantly entertained by the quest for everything that is vintage and imperfect that seems to be the style trend du jour right now.

People are paying exorbitant prices for things that are chippy, rusty, and imperfect and then trying their darnedest to arrange them precisely into their picture perfect worlds.  Does this not sound crazy to anyone else but me?!  Why crave imperfection in things and demand perfection in ourselves...this makes no sense to me, but what the heck do I know anyway!

If only you knew how little I know, how much I have to learn, how far from perfect I am, you would all run screaming for the hills...

***I was asked to re-instate the comments feature on my blog, but please know that for now I won't be able to reply unless you ask a specific question.  I know that sounds ungrateful, because I do love reading every one of them, but right now it's what I need to do, and I thank you for your understanding!"

A Moment in Time

It's hard to believe that just a few months ago the idea of taking pictures of people terrified me.

I thought to myself, how can I ever capture the essence of someone's personality the way I can something static, like a flower, that I can move around and snap as many photos of as I want?

I thought that the pressures of capturing the "moment" would be too great, out of reach.

And that maybe, I would fall flat on my face and in the process, disappoint those I was shooting, the ones who really want themselves, or a loved one, captured forever and in a way that takes them right back to that moment in time.


 

But I decided to give it a go anyway, throw caution to the wind, because if you never try, you'll never know, right?

And there are worse things in life then failing or falling short of perfection.

And sometimes when you play it safe you miss out on great things, on opportunities to grow, and on chances to test your limits.

Sometimes we have to step outside of our comfort zone and find a new, and much larger comfort zone.

And sometimes the rewards are worth all the angst in the world...like capturing a moment in time to be cherished by someone forever!

Thanks to my friends who let me use them as models (and talk about perfect models!) as I tried to see if portrait photography is my thing.  I already have other people lined up who want me to capture their special little one or their child heading off to college in a year, and someone even asked if I would shoot a wedding!  *gulp*  The wedding shoot will not be in my future, at least not until I feel like I won't goof it up!

I feel so privileged to be asked to take someone's picture, and I'm so happy I took a chance.  I can't wait to see what's next on this roller coaster ride of life I'm on!  I hope you are each taking your own chances and discovering something new about yourself each and every day!

Never Say Never

(location where I did my latest senior portrait shoot)

When I started taking pictures I swore I would never take "people" pictures.  I had lots of good reasons why I wouldn't.  First of all, people have expectations when you take their picture, and I just didn't need that kind of pressure, right?!

Then I did one shoot, the one I posted here, and I thought, "hey this isn't so bad," but I still wasn't convinced.  There is this little thing called Facebook...maybe you've heard of it?!  Well one thing has led to another and I've done 3 more shoots now!  Two more of girls and their horses (one a senior portrait session) and one shoot was for a woman who is a finalist in an AARP contest.  Both of the girls found me because they saw the pictures from the first shoot I did on Facebook, you gotta love social media!

So, I've set up a Kat Warren Photography Facebook page, the link will be at the bottom of my post in case you want to see pictures from the other 2 shoots.

In other news, it's been hot, hot, hot here.  But even on the hottest days, there seems to be a lovely patch of shade I can find somewhere in my yard to sit and escape the heat.

Today it was down by the water, and there was an amazing breeze which made the actual temp of 90+ feel much less hot in this part of the yard.  And I wasn't the only one crowing about the breeze, Mr. or Mrs. Bluebird was quite happy too!

While I was enjoying the sunshine and cool breezes, I saw an egret (they always fly away when I go inside to get the camera) and a juvenile eagle who was dining on some fish on the other side of the creek, so too far away to capture.

I have disabled comments for this particular post because frankly I haven't had time to respond to the last 3 or 4 posts worth of comments and emails, and I'm hoping to do that this week.  I still have one story due, and I'm busy with helping line up trades people to finish up a few repairs noted by the inspector on my parent's house, so we'll see how it all pans out in the end!

Here is the link to my Kat Warren Photography Facebook Page if you'd like to take a look at my last few shoots.  If you don't have a Facebook account you can also see the pictures on my website by clicking HERE, the main gallery will scroll through all of the people shots I have up so far.

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Snapshot

Sometimes you take a photo and you just love it, not for any particular reason, the lighting can be wrong, it may not be as sharp as you had hoped, and no one else may even share your enthusiasm for it, but that's ok.

When professional photographers shoot a house for a magazine or a book, they have to make sure of all of those things, like lighting, and composition, and it truly is an art to create photos like the ones we oooh and ahhh over each month.

These were all taken at my friend Sheryl's house, you may remember her as the person who made my wonderful living room chair slipcover, and I just love these shots.  They were taken before I got my new camera, and although the lighting isn't just right, I still like the way they turned out, and isn't that what it's supposed to be about anyway?

My one story is done, woohoo, but now it's time to buckle down and clean this much neglected house of mine!  At this point, I'm pretty sure the dust bunnies will scare away the Easter Bunny!!!  I hope you are having a productive day too!

A Request and A Winner

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments about my encounter with the skunk and my moon photos in my last post.

Also on my last post I got a lovely comment from Leaf and Ink asking to see some more pictures of my dogs.  You see when you're a dog lover, and over at Leaf and Ink they clearly love their puppies, you can never really get enough of seeing dog pictures, especially herding dog pictures.

I had to chuckle when I saw the comment and thought, you know I do need to post a few pictures of the pups.  The only problem is that I've not taken very many pictures of them lately.  I did take a few of sweet Misty Belle last Friday morning at the crack of dawn just before we took her in to the vet's office to be spayed though. 

I am now officially one of "those" dog owners.  The kind who worry when their dog gets spayed and my strong maternal instinct has now extended to my furry friends as well.  Oh it was always there, but now it's bad! 

Thankfully Misty came through her surgery with flying colors, and my vet also understands this sort of neurotic pet parenting and called several times following the surgery to let me know how she was doing.  I'm sure they've seen worse, but hey I can't help it if I love my dogs and want them to be safe and happy!  Besides, sane people are so much more boring than us crazy neurotic types anyway, right?! 

I actually sent these pictures to my daughter this morning and told her that Misty wants her to come home for a visit this weekend.  It's been awhile since she's been home, and I knew that this face would make her want to come home!  It worked, though she did make note of my not so subtle guilt technique.  Hey, sometimes you just have to bring out the big guns...you know what I mean?

And now on to the winner of my Giveaway.  Random.org seems to hate me lately and although I saved the image it is now floating somewhere in cyberspace never to be heard from or seen again!  *sigh*

The winner is #28 who said...

28 ...Living in Southern Maryland makes me feel lucky every day. Having a happy healthy family is also something I am lucky and grateful to have!

Turns out the winner is a local girl!  Kelly, shoot me your mailing address and I'll get the magazine in the mail to you right away.  Or maybe I'll just show up on your doorstep and deliver it myself and you can fix me dinner...what do you say?  Ok, I'm just kidding...kind of! ;-)

Before I go, I wanted to share this amazing video with you all that my daughter sent me this morning.  I just love how this student put a twist on traditional time-lapse photography.  Not only are the images gorgeous, but it makes me long to go to Paris again!

Le Flâneur (music by The XX) from Luke Shepard on Vimeo.

 

I completely forgot to Spread the Love in my last post...sorry!

Ms. Bake-It

Completely Coastal

Pondside