Self-portrait

by

Photography: Boldly Go

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”—Spock

What do you do when you want to practice photography and you’ve got no models? You find some around the house. These are silly, but they are me trying out some new settings on my camera. I’m starting to get the crispness I’ve been lacking. What do you think? Do you have a favorite?

I’m headed to visit a friend for the next five days, and I’ll be taking her portrait photos at sunset in a beautiful location. I felt legit packing up my camera gear, including my brand new fancy flash. Thank you to every single person who checks out my journey and follows along.

And if you know me in real life, or live in the Sacramento area, I’m looking for models to practice with. Please don’t make me keep using toys 🙂

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using a 14-150mm lens and edited with Lightroom Classic.

by

Photography: Folsom Farmers Market

I went to the Folsom Farmers Market last weekend with my wonderful nephew, Wyatt, who will be turning seven in a few weeks. As his parents sold their beautiful crafts, we wandered around, and I worked on my photography. I think my image quality is improving as I get quicker at adjusting my settings and learn more about the exposure triangle, but it’s slow going. I want to get better much faster than I am, but that’s true of so many things in my life right now.

I’m also in the process of developing my photographic voice, focusing on both how I tell stories and how I edit. I’m drawn toward a vintage, warm tone, and a more photojournalistic style. Close-up pictures are usually my go-to, but I’m aiming for more diverse shots now. Let me know what you think of these and if you have a favorite.

Thank you!

#1

#2
#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

#24

#25
  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using a 75-300mm lens and edited with Lightroom Classic.
by

#100DayProject: Watercolors-Week 5

“The first mistake of art is to assume that it’s serious.”—Lester Bangs

Welcome to the fifth week of my #100DayProject. While last week my focus was on happiness and light, this week it has shifted to mistakes. The first two paintings of the week were such a mess I started to wonder why I’m even doing this. My inner critic grew fangs and I became insecure and super wobbly. I dramatically announced to my family that I was quitting painting because “I suck” and “it’s too hard.” My family said nothing, wisely, and I eventually sent myself to my room and reread the guidelines I wrote down in week one:

  • be messy and imprecise
  • have fun with the process
  • don’t overthink
  • don’t plan
  • don’t judge the finished painting
  • be brave

With these points in mind, I tried again. With the exception of the flowers, these are all outside my comfort zone. They are messy and a bit strange, but oddly I found myself relaxing more in the mess. I wonder where letting myself live in this jumbled mistake zone will lead me? I’ve got nine more weeks to find out. Let me know if you have a favorite painting or haiku and thanks for sticking with me as I figure out how to take myself less seriously.

#1
under the big top
spring carnival awakes
can you hear its call?

#2
pitter pat splatter
colorful little clatter
what does it matter?

#3
fingertip dancing
fuzzy family photo
dressed in regal green

#4
messy self-portrait
hiding blue moon memories
tomorrow brings sun

#5
tulips reaching high
calling out your sacred name
remember—be brave