Me

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Photography: #100DayProject Second Update

It’s Day 45 of the #100DayProject and I’m still going strong. Since we are almost at the halfway point, it felt like a good time to reflect on what I’ve learned so far.

  • Storage: I ran out of space on my hard drive. It was inevitable, but I finally had to do something about it. I now have an external hard drive, and I’ve moved several years’ worth of photos onto it, organized into folders by date and subject.
  • Editing: Once I tackled spacing issues, I had to face my inconsistent workflow. I was using multiple programs to edit and save photos with no long-term planning. It’s embarrassing, but I would edit them on my desktop, put them on the blog, and then get rid of the edited versions. Argh. Now, I’m close to having a good working system, which keeps edited photos and the RAW versions.
  • Skills: I’ve taken four classes so far—posing, exposure triangle, light, and senior photography as a business. I’m starting an editing class next week. It’s a lot to learn, and having to take and edit photos daily, along with everything else in my life, is proving to be exhausting.
  • Time: I’m behind on editing. Having to take a week to move things over to the new hard drive and organize all my photos has put me behind. I’m still going to share some of my bigger shoots with you, but some will just be practice.
  • Camera: I’m discovering the limits of having a camera with a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor. Also, learning a lot about how prime lenses work and dreaming now of all the beautiful gear I can someday afford.
  • Career goals: My timeline of taking a year to really figure out if I can do this for a business is proving wise. I’ve had a few freak-out moments, some big missteps, and I’m learning the well of knowledge is pretty deep. 

As I haven’t had time to edit or share any photos for over a week, I thought it would be nice to share some of these with you. My nephew and goddaughter are my models a lot, but you’ll also see my daughter’s friend Layla in here, critters from my yard, items from the Antique Trove, animals at the Sacramento Zoo, and my friend’s fairy backyard.

While I’m falling even more in love with photography, the editing and tech side of photography has me kind of overwhelmed. And I miss writing. I’ve not had time to do any at all, and I’m feeling weird about that.

It’s hard to believe my book is almost a year old. I need to promote it more, maybe throw a party for the anniversary, but then again, I feel like the book did its job. You know? I’m proud of the work I did, but I think when I have more books to market, it will find a greater audience.

All this to say, sorry I’ve been away, and here are some pictures for you to look at. Let me know if you have a favorite and if you see improvement. It’s hard for me to tell if I’m just spinning my wheels or if they are indeed getting better.

Thank you!

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Bonus photo taken of me by my daughter’s friend Layla:

  • If you’re unfamiliar with the #100DayChallenge, it’s simple. You choose any creative project you like and do it every day for 100 days, sharing your process on social media using the hashtag #The100DayProject. This year the dates are Feb. 22-June 2.
  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using various lenses and edited with Lightroom Classic.
  • To follow Anna’s progress in the 100 Days. visit Little Bits of Thread
  • See what my friend Angelica’s doing for her 100 Days, visit Journal of a Wayward Writer
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Photography: Apple Picking

It’s my favorite time of year—apple picking, pumpkin patches, fun tights, caramel apples, popcorn, beeswax candles and costumes. It’s the time of year I’m happy to linger beneath a tree or chase the setting sun. It’s also a time of change, letting go, and setting new goals.

I won a pitch session with an agent last week, and it didn’t go as planned. In fact, I learned it’s impossible to sell middle-grade novels at the moment and on the fly I pitched my YA novel from years ago. She loved the idea and agreed to read it when it’s ready. I’m proud of how I shifted gears in the moment, with only a brief stumbling of my words, but that story isn’t where my heart is right now. Should I pivot anyway? Is selling my books the goal? What if it takes me another ten years to write anything?

Obviously, this sent me into a creative existential crisis for a few days, but with the help of my incredibly creative friends, I found my way back to the truth. I want to write cool shit that makes me happy. My middle-grade novel is for my daughter. If nobody else reads it, then it’s okay. It’s her story, for her. Maybe when it’s ready the industry might be interested, and maybe not. If I start trying to write what I think will sell, then I’m going to be forever chasing a shadow that’s moving quickly across the ground. No thanks.

So, while I’m forever reinventing myself and changing, I do know wonderful things are happening all around me. I hosted a Halloween party at my home for the first time in years and it was a blast! My talented friend, who I’ve known since her birth, will be releasing her book on Halloween (CHECK IT OUT). I’m making strides toward my new health goals. I just listened to a story that reminded me how much I love twisted fairytales and writing weird things. I’ve got a bowl full of fresh apples on my counter and I cleaned out my garage.

So come with me to the apple orchard. Let’s see how the light hits the apples and hear the crunching of the leaves beneath our feet.

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  • Photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW

Here’s some bonus shots from my iPhone:

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Photography: Beach Time

I’ve got a lot more photos from my June road trip to share with you, including these from my time spent at Little Whale Cove. I recently realized, or perhaps remembered again, how seeing the world through the camera lens is a bit like a time machine. It allows me to slow time enough to capture a single moment. It’s magic.

I hope you enjoy these photos. As always, let me know if you have a favorite.

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My daughter sifting through the sand

My spot

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  • These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.
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Photography: Road Trip and Update

After years of regularly posting and commenting here, I think I’ve reached a place of burnout. I haven’t been fully present like I used to be. It’s not fun.

To get myself out of this slump, and at the advice of my wonderful writer’s group, I’ve decided to self-publish my 52 short stories into a collection available by Christmas. Having a physical book, my book, in my hands will be a dream come true. I need this to move forward.

In the meantime, thank you to those who continue to show up and cheer me on. Your comments are what keeps me going. I hope you’ll consider ordering a copy when it’s available. I can’t even tell you what that would mean. I’m giddy thinking of it.

While I do the hard work of making it happen, here are some photos from my recent road trip. Let me know if you have a favorite and have a fantastic week.

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#14, my friend’s dog Paris. Isn’t she the cutest!

#15, self-portrait

  • As always, all photos were taken by me with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.