Mailbox Anticipation

I don't think I have been so excited to check the mailbox since Jeremiah and I started receiving the RSVP's for our wedding.  Our business cards are done and on the way, my new lens should be here tomorrow, my new camera is on back order but should arrive soon...anticipating little packages is way too much fun.  Below is our first card design, after a suggestion by a friend that I give her a bunch of cards so she can distribute them to her friends, I realized cards were definitely a priority...and sooner than later.  

We are designing another card for our creative project...Artists in their Elements.  My Heatherann will be assisting our efforts and is going to use her amazing skills to handcraft one of her brilliant concepts...It will undoubtedly be handpainted, hand stamped and one-of-a-kind!  

Surprisingly, I am a lot more business savvy than I gave myself credit for and have really enjoyed the marketing process.  We are going to register our business name with the county this week and I am attending two networking events, one in September and another in October. Jeremiah gets such a kick out of my productivity...I am such a such a Capricorn sometimes! I don't think he realizes how much he inspires my necessary fire.  He has brought out the best in me since the day we met. Last night while we were cozy on the couch designing our card he said, "You know what I like best?  That you are writing and pursuing photography..the things you love most."  He has waited years for this and every picture we take represents a world of possibilities.

So far in August we have 3 photo sessions.  I would like to schedule at least 5...any takers??? My goal is to pay off my new camera by December.  :)

Portrait of an Artist-Justin

Portfolio development is not an exact science especially when trying to establish a niche.  I am in no way trying to pigeon-hole myself since people need photography for a wide variety of reasons.  Each moment belongs to someone, photographs capture them, they become the roadmaps to memories we want to cherish and return to.  With that being said, my favorite portraits are the ones that tell tales of legacy. Artists contribute something perfect to the world, their stories are often lost but worth telling.  I am grateful to know such amazing, artistic people...now I want to capture them in the comforts of their elements. 

When shooting Justin I wanted to create a high contrast series of black and white photographs.  I manually adjusted the camera settings changing my shooting mode to monochrome and increasing the contrast and sharpness.  I wanted hard whites and blacks and very dramatic line contours and reflections.  I shot in mostly manual mode with an occasional switch to aperature priority.  I did bracket by a half stop. I also increased the ISO in an effort to increase the "noise" in the photograph.  While this isn't always a desirable factor in digital photography I wanted to give the photos that classic "film" look.  I also stayed with a fixed focal of 85mm.  I broke a lot of "rules" with this shoot but feel that it gave my subject the integrity a guitarist-
songwriter of several amazing band projects deserves. 

Enjoy and feel free to contact me, ask questions, or comment, constructively or otherwise. :)
Check out Justin of Rinse, Repeat http://dants.net/home/rinse-repeat/

Ricoh-An Unlikely Love Affair

I was barely out of high school when I bought my Ricoh KR-5 Super II SLR.  It has a 50mm lens and 1.7 aperture. That lens kind of set the bar for my obsession with fixed focal ranges and my slight aversion to zooms.  Not because I do not see the necessity of zooms--I have two--but because taking photographs should never be done standing still; I need my body to move with the frames and not rely on the zoom to be my legs.

And I still love film. I can't let go of it. My prized project at the moment is setting up my basement darkroom. I have two Beseler enlargers, and enough trays, clips, and clothesline to host a "Dingy Darkroom Tutorial" hosted by Yours Truly.

But I digress.
My relationship with Ricoh wasn't always aligned. I wanted a Pentax. Badly. I thought I was settling with Ricoh. The day I bought the camera there were these tumultuous thunderstorms and for some reason I felt like it was Ricoh's way of saying, "Give me a chance; you could love me, I know it!"

And so I did. Madly.

This camera is possessed by the ghosts of all my best photographs.

My beautiful Ricoh,

You have been shaken in the dark by my unsteady breath

You have seen the world with more clarity than my eyes could absorb

You have captured moments that would have otherwise passed.

That brings me to the present day.



Immortal Voice

Part 1           
Writing gives your life immortality...it is your voice long after you cease to speak.


My decision to start a blog about photography was an easy one.  The hard part was deciding how to portray myself in connection to the art form. Do I want to say I am a photographer...hmmmm...I think so but am I? I mean I have a degree in photography, I am classically trained on the fundamentals of camera operation, I know how to process and create prints from scratch, but is that enough?  I think the digital age has jaded me to some extent...it is making photographers out of everyone and somehow it doesn't feel like a special skill anymore. But alas, I am ready to evolve.

I want to tell the tale-in-progress of StillLife Photography...my journey to confidence, overcoming my setbacks...my fears. I want to indulge in chance...try something new...believe in myself. I want to share pictures, offer tips, accept tips, and most of all I want to share a story...Total improv, no end in sight!

Simply put, I love photography...the way light ingrains itself and dances with shadows...I love taking pictures.  From Ricoh to Pentax from Pentax to Canon each new SLR relationship I establish gets a little more complex and I need to bridge the gap between my love for film and the necessity for digital.  Half full the optimist believes that digital and film can actually exist quite harmoniously and why not just utilize both?

Part 2
In 2005 I met Jeremiah and everything changed. It isn't enough to say I love him, he is the air that I breathe. Even after 6 years together I hate to be away from him. I admit I am an intense person but truthfully I don't know how to love any other way. In 2007 we were married and in 2009 we gave birth to our first son, Jonas.  Jeremiah bought me my first digital SLR, it was my wedding gift.  As a promise to his investment I planned to build my portfolio and perfect my digital SLR skills. I always knew photography would set me free but allowed myself to become comfortable allowing the idea of photography as a business to simmer patiently on the back burner. Now that idea is simply not complacent on the back burner...it needs to manifest. 

Part 3
Without getting into too much detail, (after all there are two sides to every story, each with its own sense of validity and merit)I was in discussion with my closest friend in the area (since moving to Warren County from my hometown by the shore) about starting a photography partnership together.  It made sense to me since we both got along so well...our husbands are lifelong best friends, our children are the same age, and we seemed connected at a very similar core.  To make (a very) long story short I discover through social media (the usual culprit) that my friend has partnered with another friend of hers.  In a matter of weeks they had a Facebook page promoting their photography, posting shoot after shoot...still thinking we were supposed to work together, I was shocked. 

The next turn of events included, lack of communication, a feeling of betrayal, and of course jealousy.  To be fair, I don't think she intentionally sought to hurt me but that was the unfortunate result. I struggle with the way everything happened, wondering what I could have done differently while missing her friendship everyday. 

Part 4
Jeremiah,knowing I needed a new perspective, proposed a new partnership...Him and me.  After some rather animated discussions I began to feel motivated again.  Jeremiah is a natural photographer.  He is technically charged as well as creative.  By profession he is a landscape architect, a skill that is evident in the composure of his photographs.  Since we compliment each others strengths there is no fear of competition or one person taking more responsibility in the role of the business than the other...we both have the same vested interest in making this work.  That is how we arrived at our name: StillLife Photography LightWriting by Nicole and Jeremiah.

We have two shoots coming up in July--portraits of artists in their element...a guitarist and an embroidery extraordinaire.  Things are about to get interesting.