for the love of processing

I love taking pictures….. and I love processing. In fact, I would say it's a LOVE-LOVE scenario. 

It's a process for me. I imagine a photo, set up the 'scene', click the pic….then off to my computer to finish the vision. I may do just a few tweaks, or I might take it even further….edit, effect, texture, and even type. This is my way of making art…without using my paints and brushes.

I dove into photography and photoshop at the same time. I took my first few photos, then moved immediately into photoshop. I wanted to apply textures to my images. In fact it was because of the textured images I was admiring online that I picked up my camera in the first place. It seems a little backwards when I think of it now. Eventually I began to learn the other pieces of photoshop and grew to love everything about processing.

A few years later, along came Lightroom! It's been life-changing... at least creatively speaking. I often wonder what I ever did without it. Thanks to Lightroom's catalog feature my images are now organized and easily accessible; something I thought may never happen. I can crop, edit and so much more; quickly and efficiently on several images at once. It's quick, painless and completely non-destructive. Lightroom also works beautifully with photoshop/elements. It really is an incredible program. 

Where do YOU fit in all of this? Lightroom, Photoshop, another editing program….or no thank you; editings not for me? Share with us today.

Today we are giving away a space in my new Lightroom class, Round Trip - from Lightroom to Photoshop and back again. The next session begins on January 15th. To enter, simply leave a comment under this post before Thursday at midnight EST for your chance to win a complimentary space in the Round Trip Class. Even better, double your chances by joining our mailing list. The winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck!

a metaphor for self

 

I have a special affection for film. I love the loading of film into a camera. The careful process of threading 35mm film onto the spokes, the advancing of the pick-up reel. I love when I put a pack of film in my Polaroid camera and close the film door, that it immediately comes to life, clicking and whirring and shooting out the dark slide. Film feels so timeless, so classic to me. There’s simply a magical quality about shooting with film. Because you have a limited number of frames when using film, each click of the shutter is special. And that makes you slow down. Film helps you be thoughtful and selective in what, when, and how you shoot. There is a deliberate-ness that comes with shooting film. For me, I feel a wholly different experience when I am shooting with film compared to when I shoot digitally. When I’m out with my Polaroid cameras or my Canon AE-1, I find the time to be contemplative. Meditative

Along with that meditative process, shooting with film feels like allowing for the imperfect. It’s like saying “yes” to the flaws, to the not-so-spot on composition, to the under- or over-exposure. When I’m shooting with film, I’m not shooting 20 photographs of the same vintage car to get the shot “just so.” I’m taking my time, looking through my viewfinder composing and re-composing. And then when I feel ready, I click the shutter, usually just once. And I hope for the best. Sometimes the photograph is just what I had in my mind’s eye, and sometimes, many times, it’s not. And that’s all right with me. Shooting with film takes practice. And that practice means accepting that imperfections are part of the process. Seeing that those imperfections are okay, that they are what make that very image unique and special. That those imperfections are actually quite perfect just as they are – just like us.  

We are works in progress, too. We are the perfect imperfections of being human. Each of us flawed. Maybe a bit off-center. Sometimes over-exposed, like when we feel the harsh spotlight on us. Or maybe we’re more under-exposed, like when we don’t feel seen. As with shooting film, in becoming who we are, we need practice. Practice at being comfortable in our own skin. Practice at speaking up and voicing our needs. Practice at finding our place in the circle. Practice at being who we really are.

Shooting with film is helping me become a better photographer. It’s helping me focus on practice, my one little word for 2012. But more than that, shooting with film is helping me become the truest version of myself.  

Do you shoot with film? What does shooting with film feel like for you? Has it taught you any lessons? Please share a photo you shot with film with us today.

Image and words courtesy of guest shutter sister Meghan Davidson, contributor to Film26.

Wind, Hair and Weather Challenges

I must admit that one of the things that I've always wanted to experiment with in fashion photography was hair. Fans are fashion photographers best friend's when it comes to creating dynamic hair images. But what about wind? Oh! I'll tell you... That is very different! You really cannot control in which direction that wind blows, so capturing something other than a mess can be incredibly challenging. This past week I had a crash course on wind as our beach location welcomed us with 20mhp winds!  I had no idea how wind could really impact a photo shoot. Honestly, up to this date I'd worried about rain and harsh sun, but wind... Well. That just wasn't on my radar at all, and I got my butt seriously kicked. Thank goodness there was this old beat up piano abandoned on the beach, just so my team could hide behind it between shots (I hope assistant and friend Stefanie Renee has a behind the scenes shot of this :)). Everyone was wrapped around in blankets, towels, and whatever they could get their hands on, to keep the wind from freezing their brains off!

We braved it, though. And as you can see in my recent blog posts, we managed to turn things around, by trying to make the best of what we had to work it. Sometimes we were able to use the wind to our favor, sometimes we weren't. But every single time we tried regardless. There was no winning at all. Everyone was great! Personally, I had Tim Gunn's voice in my head the entire time: "Make it Work. Make it Work."

This shot here was taken near our home-base above the beach where the weather was mellower earlier in the day. It is a favorite of mine because it actually looks like we used a fan! Funny how that goes, right? Sometimes we need a fan to make it look like wind, and sometimes we need the wind to have more of a fan look (or a controlled look). For what it's worth, I'm counting this as my first "fashion hair" shot! What do you think? :)

Have you ever been faced with a difficult weather challenge on a shoot? What did you do to make it work? Please share your stories and images with us.