Category Archives: Photography

A Day with Morgan

Had a blast out on the town with Morgan a couple of weeks ago! One thing I love about shooting portraits is getting to capture the personalities of each person. Below are a few photos from our day on the trails of Austin. Along with some classic poses, I’ve included a shot of Morgan making a funny face which, if you know Morgan, happens a lot and keeps the moment lighthearted. Enjoy!

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A Moment with Karen

A Moment with Karen

Karen and her husband have been volunteering at Highland Lakes full time for over a decade and she took a moment to share some of her thoughts about her experience. This is part 2 of my interviews from last week for the Women’s Conference.
Check out more photos from the Women’s Conference: http://tiny.cc/hh3f2b

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Interviews at Highland Lakes

Interviews at Highland Lakes

Mrs. Ernestine has been a full-time volunteer at Highland Lakes for over a decade. I took a moment to interview her a couple weeks ago in preparation for the HLC Women’s Conference.

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A Few From The Ballews

I had a great time with the Ballews back in December and wanted to share a couple of my favorite images with you!

   

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Pinterested?

Something has captured the attention of people everywhere (even those who refuse to get on Facebook). http://www.Pinterest.com. There is a buzz about Pinterest and if you have not already heard about it, you will, so read on.

Pinterest is an online pinboard, where I can digitally pin any image or video I find online that I like to a digital board in my Pinterest account. So what? I can post images on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or Google+, why do I need another site where my actions are limited to pinning?

First, it’s exclusive. You cannot get on Pinterest until you receive an invite. You might not have been interested before, but now that it is exclusive, you want to get in. Granted, it is not too hard to get an invite, but it is a great marketing strategy.

Second, it’s legal (well, we’ll see if SOPA or PIPA have any affect). Pinterest cites the website where you found the image, which leaves users plenty of room to promote and advertise the things they like.

Third, it’s easy. Once you are in, you can install the little pin icon on your web browser and can start your happy pinning. Each pinboard you start can be organized however you want and you can start as many pinboards as you like: foods, football players, accessories, DIY projects, light fixtures, awesome photography, etc.

Fourth, it’s connected. You can link your Pinterest account with your Twitter and Facebook accounts to show everybody what you have been pinning.

Fifth, it’s accessible. As a designer and hobbyist, I would rather have a digital collection of the things I like and want to remember – a collection that is easily accessed wherever there is an Internet connection. I have quickly realized that this digital collection is much more valuable, usable, and share-able than a physical, cut-out-of-magazines collection.

Try it out and let me know how you like it.

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Portraits: Anna’s Shoot

Fine art photography has its place, but very rarely can a photographer avoid people and portrait photography altogether. So I suggest to new photographers that you get out there and start practicing your people skills! As I have begun to get more involved in shooting personal portraits I have seen that there are significant aspects to consider.

1) The person: their likes and dislikes, their comfort level in front of the camera, their humor, their personality, their physical characteristics (sparkling eyes, winning smile, awesome hair – whatever it is about that person that is picturesque and should be highlighted). A natural smile is what I love to capture as a photographer, and often it is so hard to find amidst the “cheese.”

2) The place: I am getting good at calling random people and going to random places to shoot portraits, but there is something to be said about planning out a shoot. Everything from the colors of the walls and the plants to the texture and colors of their clothing. But as an artist, I crave organic creativity as opposed to a canned method of design. So I like to find a solid middle ground between the two.

3) The time and weather: If you show up at a crowded park in the middle of the day, the sun will cast some memorable shadows on the faces of your subjects. Sunrises and sunsets offer the most beautiful and fleeting light, but with the right equipment (and maybe an assistant) you can get a good shot at any time of day. Cloudy days are my favorite – you get diffused lighting (little to no shadows) and a potentially dramatic background in your shots.

 

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#7in7 – Failure?

This was my view out my train window during a delay.

Well the odds couldn’t have been more against me this go around for the 7in7 challenge: I was out of town or on the road for work 5 out of 7 days, and then I lost my voice. But I decided that it doesn’t matter – I will still post the songs I started during the week. The main point of 7in7 is to stimulate the creativity in artists and make them produce work. Who says I can’t do 7in7 during Thanksgiving week? Or a week in December?

The song I’m posting today is called “Worth It” which was inspired by my extra long train ride home last week. But I will admit that unlike the person in the song, I was traveling by train to see my family. My first ever journey by train was a success and I recommend it (although I would give a couple extra hours for connecting trains or flights in case of delays).

Worth It (clickable)

I’m going home, going home on a train.

I don’t care how much time that it takes.

Every hour I waste sitting on those rails,

Will be worth it if I see him again.

I’m packing light – only for a day.

Leaving my guitar back in its case.

I’ve got paper and a pen, and the words here in my soul,

I will write him a song so he’ll know.

I close my eyes, and I can see his face.

I remember the strength in his embrace.

I miss his eyes, and the way his smile draws me in.

I’m on a train just to see him again.

I’m going home, going home on a train.

I don’t care how much time that it takes.

Every hour I waste sitting on those rails,

Will be worth it if I see him again.

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Weddings: A Video

To supplement my post on weddings last week, I’m including a video I made from a wedding I shot last year. Enjoy!

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