Project 26 | F Is For . . .

FAMILY



 

Continue to Katuisca Guzman Photography to check out her interpretation of the letter "F."

Project 26 | E Is For . . .

Environment, Editorial

 

& for 10 minutes. GO.

 

I am amazed by the beauty all around us. I was blown away walking through Old Town Sacramento & seeing the vast possibilities for capturing unique, beautiful pictures. The old buildings with the overgrown foliage took my breath away - I couldn't stop smiling at the juxtaposition between crumbling structures & new life creeping in everywhere.

 

My model & I had such a wonderful time exploring together. Sure, I may have embarrassed her a little bit by dance walking down the street, asking her to pose through a window while waiting for our food at a restaurant, & taking some shots in the downstairs women's room because I loved the tile in there. But really, there are so many places of subtle beauty & interest if we just open our eyes to see it. I am constantly looking around for different ways to take potential photographs. I try to keep my pictures honest to who I am, as well as to the one I'm photographing. Pushing myself to try new things & embracing all there is around me to create something artistic & fresh.

 

STOP.

 

Continue the circle with Katiusca & her take on the letter "E."



Project 26 | D is for . . .

Double, Dark & Light, Diagonal Lines

 

 

& for 10 minutes. GO.

 

Life constantly surprises me with its ups & downs. Shouldn't I be used to that? It's not like everyone doesn't experience the roller coaster. It's going back & looking at life, realizing I've been here before - it's a repetitive cycle of trying to figure out all that life has to teach us - sometimes the same lesson time & time again. I have experience with plenty of dark moments in life, but I strive to see the light amidst the dark. There is always light in life. Sometimes it's the smallest glimmer, but even so, attach yourself to it & hold on tight until the light spreads & fills you. Don't give up on it. Don't let the dark consume you.

 

Especially in recent years, I've been able to more fully appreciate the saying, "Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle." Life isn't as perfect as we like to pretend it is. But that doesn't mean that it isn't still good . . . amazing really. Think of those around you & see that by reaching out & possibly even being a light to someone in their own darkness, a darkness that engulfs them without you realizing it, can bring them hope. Be kind. We all have our moments of needing the extra support. Of needing a light or a hope of light in the dark.  

 

STOP.

 

And now on a lighter note (pun not intended)! This session was part of a Valentine's Day boudoir special. We had such a great time taking the photos, rearranging furniture, shooing the kids out or distracting them with phones, & chasing the light around the room (it kept changing so fast, & I was determined to catch the stripes - I'm a huge sucker for stripes, shadows & reflections. Have you noticed? Haha).

 

  

 Next up, visit Katiusca Guzman's blog post on the Letter D.

Project 26 | C is for . . .

COUPLES

 

& for 10 minutes - GO.

 

So I know that couples tend to feature in engagement sessions. But come on! What about pictures for couples who are already married & can celebrate that fact! Especially in a time when commitment isn't always taken seriously. I can't remember the last time Scott & I had special pictures taken with just the two of us - our wedding day? If anything, I love him far more now than I did when we were engaged. We have a history together. A difficult, but loving history, a history that has brought us so much closer.

 

I am not accustomed to posing people for photographs. I'm a candid shooter. But I found this week matching up with "C"ouples could be a great opportunity to practice. This couple was awesome! They were hilarious, fun, super nice, & I loved getting to know them during this process. We laughed a ton during the session - about the potential awkwardness of standing over them to take a picture, naming our plants (in my case, with the hopes they will actually stay alive), & the fact that I'm not the only one who draws stick figures for posing inspiration (Houston has experience with photography as well).

 

I look forward to working with more couples & really hope to convince those who are beyond the engagement & wedding day to celebrate & document their love with pictures of their own.  

 

STOP.



 

Continue on to see what Katiusca came up with for the letter C.

Project 26 | B is for . . .

 BEAUTY

 

& for 10 minutes - GO.

 

What is beauty? Beauty is all around us. In the morning light creeping through the shutters, the soft touch of a child's fingers brushing your face, in the tender moments with those you love, or even just the memories of them.

 

I kept wanting "backlight" to be my theme for this week's letter, but my plans to shoot kept falling through with crazy schedules & the sudden forecast change from sunny to overcast & rainy skies.

 

I am glad for the challenge to try something different though. To come up with a "B"ackup plan. My friend, Kye, was able to run over to my home last minute to let me shoot some pictures. I especially loved the tender ones with her daughter. Kye is a true beauty, - not only is she gorgeous, but she is kind, compassionate, & selfless.

 

I am also grateful that I had the chance to take a few shots of myself with Will. He is growing to love photography, even at his young age, something I hope to continue to share with him as he grows. While taking pictures, he would run & jump up next to me, waiting for the timer to go off & then hold as still as possible to compensate for the low lighting & slow shutter speed. I love the special moment we were able to capture of us cuddling. He is my cuddler. My beautiful miracle boy. One of my greatest joys in life. Life wouldn't be nearly as beautiful without him & all those I love in it.

 

STOP.



 

Continue on in the circle to see what Barb, our newest group member, came up with for letter "B" this week.

Project 26 | A is for . . .

AMBIGUITY

& for 10 minutes - GO.

I've had a hard time figuring out how to interpret "ambiguous" into photography. What does it mean exactly? Unclear? Unsure of intent? Not typical? Whatever the true photographic definition is, I'm pleased with the way it has stretched me this week.

It's our first week of our 26 ABC project, & I cannot WAIT for all the things I get to try along the way. We choose whatever word we want to go along with the week's letter of the alphabet & just go for it. I'm a total nerd & love my lists, so I went through the back of a bunch of my photography book indexes & wrote down terms that came up. I hope to spend this year stretching & experimenting through this project, & I am thrilled for the opportunity!

I often go back & forth on whether or not photography (or anything I attempt to do) is something I can possibly excel at. I know I'm not alone in this. We all have our moments of self-doubt, of comparing to others, wondering if we're doing things "right." For some reason, this week I've been worrying myself about this more than normal. But then I realized that I have something to say with my work. Whether others understand it or not shouldn't matter because I LOVE the beauty in creating. Is my work typical? Maybe, maybe not. I like to think that it's honest, even if it is a tad obscure at times. I often have the quote come back to me, "Comparison is the thief of joy." We are ALL blessed with innate abilities & gifts - perhaps that innate ability is to push yourself to continue trying until you become something you never thought you could be. Whatever that thing is, that gift that's deep down inside of you, PLEASE don't shun it before you've given battle to it first. And I mean a true & honest battle. Keep pushing & trying if it's something you are passionate about. If you have something to share or say, don't let those self-deprecating voices in your mind & the taunting from the outside cause you to cover the light you have to share. Even if it's something that you can't get others to see eye to eye with you on, it's still something that will allow you to grow & progress until you are overflowing with joy & purpose.

STOP.

Next up, Jackie Petersen Photography. I love this woman. She is wonderful all around!