Hey all. This was a busy month for me, or at least it felt that way. The first months of the year always race by, which is rather disappointing. My photograph this month is a self portrait. I decided last year that I would take one around this time every year until someday I have a substantial collection. A very gradual project but I think it will be interesting to view my own growth in the future. So this is me, at 22, in 2016. This is my third or forth month living in Oregon and everyday I'm happier, when I'm not worried about money. The trees get fuller and more green every single day, more than I've seen in my entire life and it's mesmerizing. I'm so grateful. It's also been very warm and sunny with a few rainy days, which back at home it's still been snowing, something that I'm also glad to be away from. It's wonderful to be able to experience Spring for what feels like the first time. This month I didn't get to explore as much sadly, but I did get to photograph my friend Rachel for her blog quite a bit which allows me to explore parts of Portland that I haven't seen yet! Will I ever see the whole city? I didn't get to do much shooting outside of that which is never my favorite, but I did get to see Courtney Barnett at the Crystal Ballroom! This was my first time getting to attend a concert at this grand venue with strange and lovely architecture and it was spectacular. I met friends and everyone danced while the floor shook. A band called Alvvays opened for them, which was also a treat since I had been wanting to see them live for awhile too, they are so fun. I'm ready for May, ready for roses, ready to get out and explore more, ready to see more shows and meet more people.
Here are some photographs that I took this month!
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Happy New Year! I'm excited to be posting my first post of the year. This month was a little hectic for me, packed full of almost nothing but stress and fatigue. Last month, I decided that it would be a good idea to look into moving to Oregon. Ever since the decision was made, I had been riddled with anxiety and worries which is to be expected from someone moving and even more so from a young woman like myself moving away from home for the very first time and did I mention, on my own. So as the moving date approached and I scrambled to get everything in order, I was more and more anxious and very much in denial. My family and friends said goodbye to me, but I didn't feel any different and I left my job and I tried to take in everything that I could of my home town and my rituals at home and with my friends, but everything felt the same. I couldn't sleep for weeks, and it was awful. I had a wonderful going away party with as many friends and family and I could fit into my house. I spent my last free day with my best friend and my dad. The morning of the move I packed my remaining possessions and tried not to get too sad leaving my father and my cat but I cried hard while I drove through town, empty in the dark. By the time the sun was rising and I was focused on my task at hand, getting there. The drive wasn't nearly as arduous as I expected, which I was glad of. I spent one night in Idaho and the next day I arrived. After a few days of dreadful sleeping on the floor all my things arrived at the apartment and I have been making it feel like home. Oregon makes me so happy and it's full of beauty like I've never seen and Portland calms me in a way that I can't describe, while still being vibrant and exciting. It's a little sad that I had to leave everyone that I love, to be somewhere where I think I can thrive, to be somewhere that I can be happy but I haven't regretted this decision yet and I doubt that I will. I cannot wait to see where the rest of my journey takes me.
I'm going to have so many photos this year so stay tuned! This is a bit late, I'm sorry for that! Well this month was quite a lovely one. Besides the fact that I worked quite often, I got to spend very much time in Denver with my sister and her friends and enjoyed it very much. I stayed for awhile this time. It was nice being around in the fall when the leaves are floating down the street and everyone is just a little more bundled than usual. While I was there, I got to see a band called Sunflower Bean with my sister and friend Tucker. My sister and I walked to the venue, the Gothic Theatre and waited for the show. I got to meet the bass player Julia Cumming and talk to her a bit and the band signed my CD and Tuckers LP for him. It was great! We danced along and then had a fun night of playing guitar afterword. My sister and I spent the week touring coffee shops and going to the record store. There was another concert that I got to go see while visiting and that was Girlpool. I also got to meet Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad, who were very sweet and kind and sold me one of their yellow records. The show was everything that I wanted, packed into the small Lost Lake, we all sang along and felt filled up with music. It was the best and I was so happy that I got to experience their songs live so close to them. Halloween was fun as usual even though I didn't do much this year. My friend Alex and I dressed up and went to see her brothers band play, which was enough for me.
See all the photos from the shows in my Digital Photography Gallery! This month seemed like a hectic one, but had a few advantages as well. Labor Day weekend, I drove down to Denver to visit my sister and spend time in the city. It was refreshing and very much needed. We found good coffee on Broadway, we dined downtown in the city lights and noise, we found nice antique shops, went to Taste of Denver, and ended up seeing Joan Jett in Civic Center Park! It was probably the best time that I've had in Denver, Colorado so far. The rest of this month was spent working my new job and starting to miss college a little bit. My job requires me to be on the road some of the time and staying in different small and desolate cities in the state. I don't mind in part because being out of town is always nice for me and I love driving and traveling. Even if the destination isn't always incredibly desirable, the journey is usually relaxing. On the way home from one of my recent jobs I stopped at the historical site Independence Rock, since I hadn't been since Elementary school. I'm so glad that I did; it was so beautiful, calm and solitary. In my spare time this month, I've been playing music and getting coffee with my friends and considering when I might move. I enjoy September most of the time, when it's just starting to be autumn and I made sure to get some photographs of the newly changing trees.
Here are a few more photographs I took this month. I hope everyone's September was good. This month seemed to go so quickly. I left the state of New York on the 1st and spent until the 10th in the wonderful and warm state of California, which I always enjoy very much. My aunt and I got to spend this week and a half relaxing and enjoying the time off that we had. We went to San Diego, which I've never really spent much time in, we went to Los Angeles of course, my favorite, and the beach a couple times. I returned home, to my own dismay, and was welcomed by a new job. This is exciting because it is my first full time job and also my first job with the title of "Photographer". Although I had to leave my two current jobs at time time, one of which I have worked at for years. I'm ready for the opportunity and ready to have the experience and take the steps that I need to get where I want to be. This is the first time that I won't be returning to school in my entire life, which is a strange but validating feeling. This month I felt much more motivated and ready to make changes and I'm very glad. Here are a few photos that I took this month in Southern California.
This month has been as slow as it has been quick. The days seem to go by slowly although I cannot believe that it is so far into the Summer already. It has been slightly uneventful but only compared to the last few months that I've had. I have been spending my days enjoying the sunlight, reading books like Roxane Gay's "Bad Feminist" and J.K Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy", practicing guitar and learning new chords, and writing on a new blog. When I have time I've been trying to hike as much as I can. It's been nice to try and focus on other things. Being able to spend time outside is wonderful and a luxury that I will never take for granted. This month, I got a new job and don't start until next month; I have to admit that I am slightly nervous but very excited for something new. Wyoming is so beautiful during the Summer that I almost can forget all it's flaws. That's all for now! Here are some photographs that I took venturing around town (tthis month. Stay tuned for next month because I'll be in New York City and California!
This month has been a pretty nice one, even with midterms and a snowy and cold first couple of weeks. This past week has be suspiciously beautiful, which makes me ache for real Spring. This month I haven't done much to be honest. I judged some art for a magazine at the college which was a cool experience, I also judged a photo contest a couple months ago, I'm not sure how this keeps happening but I really enjoy doing it. Mostly I have been spending my days reading very intensely and listening to music every second. Also, I've been printing black and white silver gelatin prints like crazy since this is my last semester of college and probably my last chance to have access to a darkroom for awhile. I'm enjoying it, I have so many prints since I've been at school! Anyway, I have a couple things planned for the next couple months so stay tuned!
Here are a few other photographs I took this month! Wow, February! This month has been incredible. I can't believe the good weather we have been having, I have never seen a winter in Wyoming this nice. This month I went to Denver to visit my sister and go see my favorite band in the entire world. It was the first time that I've ever taken a trip completely by myself and it was so nice. It was wonderful seeing my twin sister, I hardly ever get to see her since she lives in Colorado now. We had a blast. Denver is so fun and very pretty, I always enjoy it there. The concert was probably the best things that has happened to me so far this year. It was.. just amazing. I saw Sleater-Kinnney, if you were wondering and I shot the show which I'll probably make a separate post about it so I can show my favorite photos! My photo of the month this month is my favorite picture I took at the concert of my biggest idol, Carrie Brownstein.
Here are some more photos I took in Denver! My first post of 2015! This is so exciting! Well this month has been amazing, mostly because the hectic Christmas season has long ended and I am able to enjoy some of my time off of school. I always love the beginning of the year, so many things to plan and look forward to. And of course, at the beginning of this month I was in California for a week, which was very rejuvenating for me. I love traveling, I love getting out of Wyoming and being able to relax for awhile. Also, I always get good photos in California! What a wonderful trip. This semester is my last at Casper College which is going to be very bittersweet, I feel a bit sad about it since I've had a very nice time there but I'm looking forward to being done. I have a feeling this year is going to have alot to offer me! This photograph I took at Huntington Gardens near Pasadena, California. These below are some photographs that I took this month while in California! See more in my Digital Photography Gallery or on my Flickr!
This all an opinion post! Some of these things may not work for you, and that's okay! They are all based on personal experience and what I think has helped me grow over the years!
#1: Take Art Classes! Something that has substantially helped me look at things differently and more successfully is taking other Art classes. Which is something that is pretty easy to do if you are at an Art school but maybe not as easy if you aren't in school. When I took my Drawing class, my teacher told us that you only learn to draw better if you learn to see better. I think that when you learn how to draw correctly, you learn to look at things very clearly, very in depth and closely. You learn to see light in drawing too! This knowledge is something that has been taken with me into Photography. When I took a Color Theory class I learned so much about color and how to see it, this is very important! Take a design class and learn about composition. All these things can be transfered into your photographs even if you don't realize it. #2: Practice! Obviously a popular saying is "Practice makes perfect" and even though it's a cliche, it's absolutely critical in any form of Art. The more you take photos, even if you don't like them or have nothing interesting to shoot, it helps you improve. You could take one photo of the same subject once a year and every photo would be different as you grow as an artist. Try taking a photograph every day! Take your camera with you everywhere and practice, practice, practice. #3: Know What Works! In my opinion it's very important to know if a photo actually works! We had a photographer in our gallery once at my college and only three of her many photographs were visually appealing and seemed to be successful photographs. It really sort of ruined the whole series of photographs for me because you just saw the ones that didn't work. Just throwing in more photos that you think are good but not great because you want more is usually a bad idea. A teacher told me once "your work is only as good as your worst piece." So if you are creating a portfolio and you have one bad photo and ten good photos, they will always remember the worst photo. So if you have to narrow down the number because that is your best work then so be it! Realizing what photographs work and which ones don't is a big step in taking better photos, because people only see your best! #4: Don't Get Hung Up On Equipment! Some photographers obviously need the best equipment for their jobs but you are the most important part of Photography. You will not improve just because you bought a more expensive camera or a bigger lens. Maybe your photos will be better quality but it could still be a bad photo. Photographing makes you better not your equipment. Obviously use the equipment you need when you need it and it's substantial to the photograph but don't get too carried away! You're the artist, not the camera! It's just your tool like a paintbrush is for a painting, remember that. #5: Try Many Types of Photography! I was trying to figure out if Film made me better at Digital Photography or if Digital Photography made me better at Film, and I just can't figure it out. Because it works both ways! I started in Digital Photography and it helps you get used to shooting in Manual and learning about your meter and really learning how to look at things differently. Then when I started doing Film I learned so much about the whole process of how to make a photo. You learn so much in doing Film that you can apply to Digital without realizing it. I suggest using a full Manual SLR and learning how to meter and doing everything on your own, learning to be able to see what your photo will look like in your head without seeing it on a screen first, that is so important. Knowing what Aperture, Shutter Speed and what ISO will make your photo look like without seeing on a screen. Then when you go to Digital, you know so much more about shooting without knowing it. You will know exactly what kind of photograph you want before you go shooting everything. Also, Digital makes you appreciate being able to take hundreds of photos at a time rather than 24 or 36 exposures but film makes you think seriously about every shot since you don't have an infinite amount. Learning how to develop and make prints in the darkroom is amazing, you will be amazed at how much you learn and having something that you made in front of you is great. So give it a try! Don't let Film die out because it's so important! #6: Learn How To Properly Use Your Camera! Something that I really get irritated by is seeing photographers that are very expensive and they are shooting in Automatic settings. The expensive SLR's were made so you can be in complete control of the photograph. Most camera's these days have a Manual option, and in my opinion you should ALWAYS SHOOT IN MANUAL! Why? Because you are in control, not the camera. I think that is very important. You camera doesn't know what Aperture you prefer for a shot or which Aperture would look better for a photo, it just doesn't. Your pictures will improve if you are in control and are getting the photos you truly want. If you know nothing about shooting in Manual and using you meter properly, you can read the manual of your camera to figure out the technical settings, you could take a basic Photography class, look online or read my post on it HERE. #7: Go Back and Look at Old Photos! Something that has helped me is going back and looking at photos of mine from a year ago, two years ago, etc. Maybe go back and re-edit photographs. I find that my tastes have changed so much since I have realized what I like to shoot and the way I used to edit doesn't please me anymore, so I do it to my current taste and love what I end up with. It might not have been a bad photo, it's just the way you edited it. That's why you should be very careful with editing, in my opinion. It can make or break a photo. #8: Get Inspired and Learn From Others! Something that really helped me is inspiration. That can mean so many things to different people but to me I think it's important to look at other artists and get inspired by them! Go to Art Galleries, look up photographers that you admire on Flickr or Tumblr or anywhere online, look at some in your area, any artists! I really was interested in my Photography teacher's work and took alot away from it and from him and of course I took things I learned and admired from him and made it my own and how I enjoyed it. I print and tone and display my photographs in the way that is comfortable for me, make sure not to steal things from people, get ideas instead. I look at other artist's on the Internet all the time, and wow there are some cool things out there. Go out on the town, wherever you are, look around and find things you think are interesting. Maybe be someones Intern like I did, you learn so much and get so many ideas from whoever you are shadowing. My other class mates really inspire me, we all do the same assignments but we all come up with our own things that are so different, and i love that moment when you say "I wish I would have thought of that!" Figuring out what your style is, what you like to photograph and what you are good at photographing is very important. When I figured that out, it set everything in motion for me and I felt so inspired and motivated by my work. Thank you guys for reading! I hope I gave you some helpful things to think about! If you have any extra questions you can comment below or go to my Contact page and leave me an Email! Leave me some comments and tell me what you think helped improve your Photography! |
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Each month I will be posting a Photo of the Month! Also I'll try to work in any requested posts or things I find interesting to post! Enjoy! Archives
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