Everyone of us has a tribe. If you are on facebook or pinterest or any one of the number of online communities you have a tribe and a way of communicating with a group of people. Today I want to teach you an easy way to engage with your peeps using an image. Images are powerful, they tell a story in one click with out you having to say a word. What you are eating, where you are at, who you are with. They are fun and easy and if you get good at editing on your phone you can make a simple snap shot into a piece of art you may want to hang on your walls. A chat up is a question like salty or sweet? Black and white or color? Something that asks your friends to tell you what they think on a simple topic. Well an image can do that in a really interesting and intriguing way.
This image was one I used while waiting in line at an amusement park with my kids. It was a fun way to engage with people and to keep my mind off of what was ahead. I enjoyed responding to peoples comments in real time. So next time you want to leave a status update or tweet something profound, think of a way to use an image and ask a question. You will be amazed at how people will respond.
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Pax~a
I had so much fun working with this young family. Surfboards, bikinis and babies. Need I say more.
I shot this session just as the sun was rising giving a whole new artistic meaning to the term dawn patrol. I knew I wanted a silhouette shot with Mary’s belly and the board, and I knew I wanted to get a soft hazy feel with some of the images by shooting into the sun. I didn’t anticipate the light being so stinking gorgeous and blinding this time of morning. I mostly shoot during the last few hours of the day called the “golden hour”. Well this session is making me rethink my entire thought process with that. Wow I had to double check my light meter a few times while shooting. As always, in the end, everyone ended up in the water. Really… don’t try to keep a 2 year old out of the surf, it will just make your brain hurt. I used to try and keep kids away from that, now… I just know it is going to happen, and just prepare to get some good stuff while they are getting wet…Real life photography.
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~a
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~a
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~a
This was the very first short film I created with my Nikon DSLR. I love experimenting with cinematography as it allows me to tell a story in such detail along with getting sound, movement and little nuances that you may not be able to capture with just a still image. I am hoping to add a bunch more film stories to my portfolio before the end of 2012. Any ideas on what themes I should explore? Leave me a comment or show me some of the video things you have been working on.
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Pax~a
This year, I want to share with you a wide range of artistic information to inspire you in your real, everyday life. Whether you want to hire me to capture your family or want to launch a business of your own this year, you need information and inspiration to kick start your process. Catherine Just, an award winning artist, was kind enough to write a guest post for me on 10 ways to Express yourself through Photography. I love how each photographic artist brings a different look, feel and inspiration to their work. Her images have a dreamlike quality that makes you stop and think and then draws you in. I am always intrigued by other artists work; how they capture their images or create their art. I LOVE tips #9 and #10 myself. Thanks Catherine for giving us your thoughts.
Here are a few tips on how to express yourself using the tool of photography.
1. Let go of your expectations. This falls under the category of perfectionism. It can keep you from moving forward and expressing yourself. Letting go of what you think your photographs “should” look like is a great first step to expressing yourself more freely. Remember what it was like when we were kids? I don’t think I ever thought to myself “ It better be a perfect drawing”. I just drew! It’s possible to let go of our expectations later in life.
2. Experiment with different functions on your camera. The photo to the left was taken by just simply making the entire image out of focus. It gives a dreamy quality to the image. Playing with different functions can open up new possibilities.
3. How about some self portraits? You can start by looking in the mirror and taking photos that way. And then you can use your self timer and place the camera on a chair, a stack of books, on the ground, or up on your dresser. You don’t have to have your face in focus for it to be a self portrait. Photos of your feet on the ground with different ground coverings like leaves, snow, rocks, etc…. are considered self portraits as well. The photo to the right is a self portrait I took with a Polaroid camera.
4. Exposure. What happens when you set your camera to take a longer exposure? You can do this while playing with self-portraits. If it’s a longer exposure, you will get some great motion in your images. What if you are jumping on the bed with a long exposure? A long exposure can be anything longer than a 60th of a second.
5. Create a photo a day. You can team up with some friends and do a 365 project together. Go to Flickr.com and start your own private flickr group where you all share the photos you take every day. After a year of exploring your world with your camera you will see an amazing documentation of your life. If you pick one subject to photograph every day that can be even better. You get to watch it change and shift through out the year. I picked my son’s Nap Time for a daily photo. You can view some of the series on my website HERE.
6. Visual Language. Sometimes heading to the thrift store can help you come up with new ideas for photo projects. I go up and down the aisles looking for inspiration. I don’t always know what I am looking for. I will ”know it” when I see it. Most of my self-portrait work in the series called “ Abajo del Rio “ was inspired not only by experiences going on in my own life, but in objects I found that helped me express my inner realities. I used Spoons to represent the lies we eat that taste like sugar and cannot stop eating. Spoons = Addiction to eating or believing lies. See if you can come up with a visual language all your own.
7. Look! Instead of putting the camera up and taking a photo. Stop, look, and see if there are other points of view that can help you express the mood you want to convey. Get closer. Get rid of what is unnecessary in the photograph by cropping it out in camera. Get down and see if looking up at the subject is more interesting. Get up higher than the subject… etc. Push yourself to explore what will work the best to create more emotion or interest.
8. Paint on your photos. I know this seems crazy right? But it can help you express. Go back to Step 1 if this feels hard. No, no. It’s fun. Just use what ever you have. I used watercolors in the above photo. This is to help you loosen up about the process and express with words or colors and add layers to it.
9. Investigate. Go online or to the library or art gallery near you. Dig into the photography world. Find who inspires you. Investigate what it is you like about them. Write down what it is you like. Learning from others can bring you so much inspiration!
10. Explore. Try out vintage cameras. Learn a new way of noticing the world around you by taking an eCourse. Take yourself to new parts of town and document what you see. Take a road trip and see what inspires you to stop and look. Take a photo walk in your own neighborhood and really become aware of what amazing things are right there in front of you!
Catherine is an award winning photographer with a passion for helping others achieve their dreams. Her photos have been published on the cover of National Geographic Magazine and inside Oprah.com. She leads Soul*Full Retreats and eCourses for women, merging creativity and personal growth. Find out which one is the best fit at catherinejust.com, and follow her on Twitter @Catherine_Just.
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter and if you are an creative photographic artist and are interested in writing a guest post on this blog email me at amberatamberbishopdotcom and I will give you all the fun details.
Pax~a
I use tons of different editing apps on my phone to push the images I take out and about to the next level. I mix and match and layer many different aspects of several apps to create my own unique feel. I wanted to give you all a few resources and tell you the apps I use a ton of, as well as point you to tons of other things that may wet your creative appetite. Play around and have fun. You never know you may just create the next piece of pop art.
I personally use Camera Bag, Film Lab, Photo Wizard and PhotoForge2. A few of them cost anywhere from 99 cents to 1.99 but it is a small price to pay compared to all the fun and enjoyment you get out of playing around. I pass many an hour sitting at kids sports practice editing on my phone.
Here are some other great articles on great phone apps for photo editing.
- 10 best Ipad and Iphone photo editing Apps
- What Iphoneography Apps are Hot Right Now
- 8 Best Android Apps for Photo Editing
Here is one of my favorite iPhone images currently. He and check out some of my other iphoneograpy.
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Pax~a
Self Portraits…otherwise known as “selfies” are a fun and unique ways to express your unique personality. Between flickr, facebook and pinterest, we are all online all the time. Nothing looks worse then to have a wicked boring picture in your avatar. So I am going to show you some quick ways to spice up your self portraits. Every phone on the planet now a days can take a picture. So we are going to use our phone all the way on this one. In fact if you think this post is fun, you should check out my post on all the crazy cool image editing apps you can download on your phone. This is all about creative art, expressing yourself and play…so let’s get started.
The sky is falling. – No not really, but it does help to look up into the camera. Why you ask…well you will open your face and eyes up to the light, and get rid of any shadows that would make your image boring and visually unappealing.
- take it to the streets – find an interesting place to take your picture. Think of texture or color for your background. People like to see you, and they are interested in where you are.
- shoot from the hip – it is all about perspective. Think about things differently. you don’t have to do the same old shot of you head and shoulders. Maybe your selfie is a detail shot, like just a portion of your face, your lips, your eyes, maybe your hands or feet.
- Reflect your Bad Self – Show us who you really are. Maybe you want to find a super cool reflection of yourself somewhere. In the glass of a store as you are window shopping or a mirror or in a puddle of water. Anything that reflects, can reflect your image and you can capture it in a creative way with your phone.
- Spice it up with a little edit action…there are some great, low cost alternatives to the super fancy photo shop. You can even use picnic for free inside of flickr or better yet, download a great editing app on your phone so you can edit it and post it all from one place.
These are some quick and easy tips to help you rock it out like all the cool kids.
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~a
If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~a
I love silly grins and hazy light, and flair and bokeh and non posed family time captured…held fast when silly little giggles and piggy back rids are rendered obsolete. I love the contrast between light and dark, I love texture….and it is an added bonus to get all of it in while hanging out with life long friends and their two stellar kids. Look close because you will see one of these little rock stars sporting her Hello Kitty necklace like a champ.
2012 is already off with a shot. It is going to be a great year. If you want to stay connected with more of what I am up to don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Pax~ a
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