Meow Meow is a Finalist in Best of Photography 2011!!!

Okay, so I collect my snail mail about once a week because there never is anything worthy anymore in the mailbox. Yesterday I'm casually opening a formal letter addressed to me-I have no idea-looks like a telemarketing/informational type letter, but formal none the less, from Photographer's Forum and it states that my photo that I submitted in the spring annual photography contest was chosen and is a finalist in the group and will be PUBLISHED in a hardcover 'Best of Photography 2011'!!! The book is sold to photographers, college libraries and instructors of photography, art and graphic design! (winners also receive cash prizes and or photography equipment such as lenses and such!!) Sweet and totally awesome to be a part of this! I am humbled and of course-giddy with joy!!! A nice boost to the old confidence area. Razzi rules. I luv her wacky cat personality. Thanks Meow Meow.

Senior Portraits Omaha Nebraska

Today was a fantastic (hot) day to shoot in a fabulous local park with tons of interesting locations to shoot. Haley is sweet and simple, but not plain jane. She is truly in love with her Converse and I love that! My favorite shoes too! I had a heck of a time juggling a couple of cameras plus the fact that I was the assistant to my humble self-so I also wrangled my 40 inch diffuser and reflector. Aaahhh but, all the serious hard work in the sweaty heat has it's beautiful rewards, an awesome senior portrait session with a beautiful teenage girl-sweet success!

Senior Portraits Omaha Nebraska

Megan is the sweetest thing ever! I've known lil megs since she was in kindigarten. So we go back about 13 years to 1999. These are just some of the fabulous shots I've edited so far-there are far too many beautiful images to choose from which is exactly what I was going for. With assistance from her bestie Leia-thank you very much-we had a successful morning-despite the enormous mugginess. Oh the dog days of Nebraska summers are finally here.

Microstock Portfolio launch

This shot may be the first in my portfolio. There are plenty of details I need to research prior to submitting to a stock company such as who I want to be a part of, sorting through images to find the perfect photograph that is ideal for stock, editing it properly, taking care of the model release forms-for this one I need to offer something in return to her mommy such as print or press products-that usually works! I KNOW the competition is FIERCE out there, but I will press on-I have discovered my niche market-I know it and if you stick to that niche area, people will recognize your work and remember what you FOCUS on. I focus on kids and pets. It's what I truly love to photograph and the more I shoot, the more I love it, and this is definitely the year of being SERIOUSLY active and involved and practically enmeshed in photographing pets and kids. I don't want to photograph weddings or nature or flowers or still life or even work in a controlled studio-I've tried it, and I will refer to others who are much more skilled and talented! Any who- baby steps along the way make it happen. Kids and pets, that is my FOCUS!!

Shooting from a unique perspective

4 years old is the ideal age to photograph kids. I guess anywhere between the ages of 2-18 for the most part they will cooperate and not throw a fit (ha ha-that goes for 2 year old's AND 18 year old's!!) as long as they have had food, and you give them a sense of purpose and direction, the will be perfect. Shooting at this perspective adds a cute look-the eyes are what moves me, I normally get down to small kids and pets at their level, but sometimes this works for me-I like to mix things up. Give me something sturdy to stand on-and I will create something unique and special!

Happy Birthday Leia

Leia's senior portrait session is finally complete. We spent 3 hours shooting in 3 locations. Her themes are 'classic/traditional', 'natural/romantic' and 'cool/edgy'. I am pleased with the results and can't wait to create prints and press products! A perfect model on a perfect day, wish all days were like this! 17 years ago was the best day of my life. She has brought some serious joy to my life and I am truly blessed to have her as a daughter. Happy Birthday sweetie!

Contimplating copyspace

So I've been behind my camera(s) a lot lately and the more I shoot the more I am aware of my surroundings. Photographing is all about involvement. Utter engagement. Total focus(sorry about the pun). And some SERIOUS deep thoughtfulness. I am ultimately creating a piece of art that will eventually be displayed on a wall to just simply look at. That's what art is. You dwell and just look at it deeply and soak it in to figure out (sometimes) what the hell was that artist thinking when they created that piece? Good or bad. You love it or hate it. It has feeling and moves you. Okay, enough deep crp. Sorry. What I am trying to say about this particular image is copy space. Yes, for stock art. I am building a portfolio of stock art to sell to people and business's across the world who need photographs for their projects. Big or small. Copy space on an image is crucial. It's that negative space on an image so the business can add their logo/lettering/info- seen in brochures. If you can pull it off nicely-it's beautiful. And this image has it (except I need to clone out the lettering on the bridge-oops) no problem though. Easy fix. I like the sweet and summer look she has. Teenage summer fun.

Olympus Featured Photograph of the Month of June

leia's junior portrait 2010

Olympus chose this image and found it worthy to be a winner. She is front and center on their photo gallery website which is soooo totally coool! It's a beautiful summer portrait-even though it was shot in the month of October- (of a beautiful model-thank you Leia for putting up with me) and I am ultra proud of it. It's certainly an honor to be chosen by Olympus-I truly love their products and will forever be using them to create amazing photographs! And I am humbled. But most importantly a super boost in the confidence area. LOL!

Happy 4th of July!

miss beautiful leia

photograph best viewed at full size-click an check it out!

Spending time with family and friends and blowin' up stuff is what it's all about. I'm spending a lot more time behind the camera when I go to social events. (is that kinda anti social?-I don't care, this in NECESSARY. If it's family-it's gotta be documented. I tend to focus on the kids though. I seriously find their sense of innocence mind blowing. Kids are always photogenic. They don't mind at all to be photographed and I LOVE that. Give them some fun and a full belly of food and they are perfect! Check out that bonfire. It's pretty small compared to previous years (really)! At the end of the bonfireworks 'event' bushes caught on fire and fireworks sprayed and shot out towards the crowd. Classic. Luckily, we have a family of firemen and women to control the chaos. No one was hurt.  LOVE it.

Ruff and Tuff guys from Nebraska

These 2 boys were focused on playing together ignoring everyone until I approached them and instantly they listened without any hesitation. They were completely agreeable when I simply asked if they could sit on the porch, hold a prop (ball) and just be a kid. Well mannered and never threw a fit. I created these images to tell a story of simply being a kid. I'm interested in creating a vintage look to some of the photographs. I love it more and more. They are ruff and tuff, but totally adorable!