Best Friends & Music

Last weekend I got a chance to see two of my best friends that I haven't seen in a long time. Chris and Brandy have been together forever...even before I met them in college. Chris taught me how to play the guitar and Brandy keep me motivated during never ending papers and exams (thank you Brandy!). Although they live pretty close by, we don't get to see eachother that often. I got the chance to see Chris play Saturday night with his new band and it was the perfect opportunity to practice shooting in low light situations with my new 50mm lens. Here are a few pics...

Chris plays every instrument...he is one of those talented people that can play any instrument...and play it well. Now he is playing the keyboards and running sound for the band.

The band is purely instrumental with a great mix of guitar, drums, keyboards, bass...and yes...a violin!

We got to see a few other bands too that were so talented...it was a great night!

So as cliche as it sounds...there really is nothing better than good friends and live music!

p.s. I know I am a little weird about constantly changing my header picture...let's just go with it!

If you love Photography...

...then you will love this book. Promise.

I just got Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide to Shooting from the Heart. When a photograph captivates you and stirs your soul, you know it instinctively. You not only see the image, you feel it. But how do you capture shots like that with your own camera? How do you make your photographs worth the proverbial thousand words? From portraits to landscapes, still-lifes to documentary shots, Expressive Photography will not only show you why certain images sing, but will also teach you how to create your own compelling photographic images-one click at a time.

*I love this shot because it reminds me of a poster of Bob Marley that I had hanging on my wall during college!

This book is a collaborative effort of an amazing group of women. My favorite feature is that with each picture they describe how they took the picture, what didn't work...and how they got the perfect shot. Not only are the advice and pictures stunning, but it lists the women who make up the Shutter Sisters, tells a little about them AND lists their blogs. Meet this amzaing group of women here.  

Weekend Photography Challenge....

                                                                                  D5000  55mm  f/5.6   ISO 1600

So if you haven't noticed, my jewelry shop is closed...just temporarily!

I am moving, so I am faced with the arduous task of packing up my studio {sigh}. Random beads, chains and papers are everywhere...so this is going to take some time! I have been trying to decide whether I should organize now while packing or organize when I am unpacking. The procrastinator in me has decided: just wait. My shop should be up in the next month or two. In the meantime I have been using the one thing that doesn't have to be packed until the last minute...my camera!

My favorite site right now is Digital Photography School. This fun and informative website is a community of photographers of all experience levels who come together to learn, share and grow in photography.

The BEST feature of this site is their Weekend Photography Challenges.

I love having some sort of focus for my pictures over the weekend...even if I don't stick completely to the assignment I always learn something. A past challenge focused on texture...but somehow I ended up taking a TON of flower photos!

Here are a few:

                                                                 D5000  55mm   f/8   ISO 200

                                                                                                  D5000  55mm  f/8   ISO 320
                                                   

                                                                                           D5000 55mm   f/5.6 ISO  1600

                                                                                                           D5000  55mm  f/8  ISO 400

This Weekend's Photography Tip:

How to Photograph Fireworks

Perfect! You have a couple of days to read the tips to ensure your photos
 of the holiday weekend turn out great.
Pictures don't need to be perfect, but it is amazing what a few helpful tips can do!

For those of you learning photography, you will love this site. Enjoy!!

On the road....

        After driving for 10 hours from Atlanta to Washington DC,
I wondered what in the world I was thinking driving that far...

...until I saw my niece Olivia....

I completely forgot about the drive....what drive?

 Will share more pictures soon!

Maleah Matthews Photography

My favorite shop right now is Urban Design  featuring photography

by Maleah Matthews. I love the vintage/modern style photography. Her shop offers not only offers prints, but also notecards, bookmarks and gifts.

She also has these great calendars...

and postcards...

and I just bought these two bookmarks this morning....

 

I really love her shop , you should definitely take a look. For the month of May all prints, 8x12 and smaller are BOGO FREE! Print of equal or lesser value is free! Check out her blog too!

Orchids...

My Mom grows the most absolutely beautiful orchids. My obsession is jewelry, her obsession is orchids. I absolutely love flowers, I always have...but I couldn't grow a fern if I tried. My Mom's sun-filled room of blooming orchids is awe-inspring.
Take a look...

 

Aren't they just beautiful? Did I already say how much I love flowers?

Dazed and Confused...

Kelley gave me the new Adobe Photoshop CS3 and I have been playing around with it for what seems like hours and to tell you the truth...haven't really made much progress as far as learning how to use it! I did download the Pioneer Woman's actions and those have been a lot of fun, but on my own...well, I am mostly confused. Sometimes I think to myself, "This is the coolest program ever!" and other times I just want to revert back to using Corel Paint Shop Pro because that is what I have always used and am comfortable with...but I won't! I WILL learn Photoshop! The picture above is one taken last week when I was in Florida visiting some old friends and I just love it for some reason! I used PW's actions to enhance it and I love the way it turned out. Now that I have been at the computer for about 2 hours drinking coffee I am about to go for a run and start my day.

Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

RICHARD MISRACH

I was introduced to Richard Misrach’s work when I was at the High Museum to see the Monet exhibit. Misrach is known for his photographs of human intervention in landscapes. In 2001, he made a series of large-scale, lushly colored photographs of swimmers and sunbathers in Hawaii. Working from a hotel adjacent to the beach, Misrach adopts a floating viewpoint that eliminates all reference to the horizon or sky to record people wholly immersed in the idyllic environment. The photographs, which are vast in scale and perspective, turn nature into ethereal, nearly abstract patterns of color and light.

Here are a few photos from his On The Beach series...keep in mind that these pictures are HUGE! Some pictures are as large as 6 feet by 10 feet! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

You can read more about Richard Misrach and see more of his work at http://www.artnet.com/awc/richard-misrach.html