This past Wednesday Brie and I attended a Tampa Photoclub meeting hosted by Divine Light Wedding Photography. It was my first time going to one of their get-togethers and I hope it won’t be my last – what fun it was! This month’s focus was on photographing children. We all went to a playground down the road from the DL Studio, and once there, the little models were free to play and run, and we to run after them with our cameras. These are some of my photos from the day.
I’ve been drinking my coffee from this small little cup, which I have had since the time my bedroom walls were The 100 Acre Woods. It is the perfect amount for me, and I can usually finish it before it gets cold.
I have never considered myself to be a very crafty sort of person. Well, maybe in the tricky, wily sort of way, I sometimes do. But when it comes to the arts and crafts, no. In fact, I’ve always looked a little enviously at those scrap-booking, painting, knitting, make something out of nothing, kind of people. However, this past Christmas I was inspired to make a present for a dear friend of mine. I set out to Jo-Ann’s, unsure of how or if my ideas would materialize. I am glad to say it turned out to be a very satisfying experience. So much so, I took some pictures to show you.
This is a jar of fireflies, or lightning bugs, as I often call them. To make the actual flies, I doubled a sheet of white tissue paper and cut five small rectangles out. Then I twisted the center of each and wrapped brown wire around the middle, so as to create a mid-section. The tissue paper wings I trimmed into their final shape and hung them by clear string. At this point, I had painted a one-part mason jar lid and poked five holes in it to pull the string through the top so I could glue them in place. The lid was then an eye-sore of strings and glue. This I solved by taking the center piece of a two-part lid and hot-glueing it on top of the other. You know what the best part is? The fireflies light up in the dark because I painted their wings with glow-in-the-dark paint.
This is a bouquet of flowers. These are not just any flowers, though. These are paper flowers, which means they won’t ever wilt. Okay, okay. Maybe they aren’t as beautiful as the real deal, but they’re brown, or in brown’s same shady family. Sadly, brown flowers don’t actually exist and my friend has always wanted them to. So, I faked it using green floral wire, scrap-book paper cut into different sized hearts, and beads from an old necklace of mine that broke. (It didn’t really break, I had to cut it up because it was hopelessly tangled). For a vase, I used a smaller mason jar with a painted brown lid.
Here is a sampling of the music I have been listening to this month. Iron & Wine is a new favorite of mine. Yes, I know I am a little late in catching on to how great they are. Their music is warm and comforting, like candlelight and a soft blanket. Corinne Bailey Rae makes really beautiful music. The other night I discovered she has a new album out titled “The Sea.” I purchased it without hesitation and I am happy to report no feelings of regret. It’s just a lovely as her first. Enjoy!
Some of the reasons why I love Brieanna Leigh and the fact that she is my partner in this business. Brie is really talented. She sews, she plays piano beautifully, she does graphic design, and decorates as well as, if not better than, anyone on any interior design show…not to mention the obvious fact that she knows what she’s doing with a camera. Brie is funny. She is hilarious, and makes me laugh in very unique ways – it’s side splitting and true fun. Brie is smart. She thinks through something, tries to see it from all angles, and makes a decision after a lot of research and thought. Brie is a ninja. She senses problems, finds the source of the problem, and attacks it with ninja-accuracy. I call her “ninj,” for short. Brie is a noise machine. She seems to always be making sound effects to accompany her actions, to emphasize a point, or simply to divert. This also goes for how she acts while around kitty-cats (which, if you didn’t know, Brie adores most any of them). Lastly, Brie is passionate. She finds something she loves, goes after it with all she has, giving it her all, then reaps all the benefits and rewards of working so hard. That’s why she is such a great photographer. I can’t think of anyone else I would rather work with and I am blessed to know her. If you ever have the opportunity, you should know her, too.
I’d like to take a moment and share with you some of the photographers whose work I really really admire. These people don’t know it but they have been incredibly influential in the development of my photography over the past 6 months. Though I am confident that I am learning to master a style of my very own, I would not be where I am right now without the inspiration of these talented artists. I admire each one of these photographers for different reasons and I think they each have a unique artistry. Check ‘em out and let me know what you think.
Hi everyone! We just wanted to to remind you that your Project 25 sessions must be scheduled for before January 1, 2010. Our session fees will go back to their standard rates after this. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, k?
There’s still time to book a session with us before Christmas. In fact, we are extending our Holiday Promo until December 23rd! This is a very streamlined package that includes a 45 minute mini-session with us and 15 high-resolution files to print and duplicate till your heart’s content. Additionally, you’ll receive between twenty to thirty photos in a low-resolution format for sharing over the web.
