One foot in front of the other

I've had kind of a rough week, in the sense that I've had all sorts of things on my to-do list that didn't have anything to do with picking up a camera, and most of my items to get done were incredibly energy-consuming, and not very fun.  But I'm trying my best to be consistent with my photography, as I can feel myself growing each week that I try.  Here are a few shots I've taken in the past few days...

It's hard to learn to do the right thing for yourself, when all you want to do is eat, sleep, or watch tv.  I've spent more time on my photography in the past couple months than I have (I hate to admit) all year.  But as hard as it is for me to pick up my camera or process what I've taken sometimes, I know I'll feel better at the end of the day to do the necessary work than if I hadn't.  It's a hard lesson to learn, and one that will take me years to master, I'm sure - but I don't like to think of myself as a quitter.  Sometimes you just have to know when to grit your teeth and do what needs to be done in order to get to the other side.

Apples and Beer

I broke out my studio/stovetop setup this past week to take some photos of apples and dirty dishes, which didn't turn out as exciting as I thought they would.  This seems to be the best shot I got out the group:

I was about to throw in the towel and put everything away, when Brian asked if I wanted to split a beer.  One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I'd taken two dozen shots of foam.  I did these by pouring the beer into a wine glass and giving it a good swirl, while holding it in front of the light.

I'm pretty excited by the way the photos turned out - especially since it proved how well my new stovetop studio works!  And needless to say, that was some of the flattest beer I've ever consumed.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

These past few days have been a really, really difficult time for me, photographically speaking.  After a busy, hectic week at work, I was more than ready to take my camera out for the three-day weekend.  I even had a list in my mind started, revolving around snow and icicles, after the foot and a half of powder we got on Thursday and Friday.  I was really excited to get some high-contrast photos of the snow, especially when I saw it was going to be sunny for the whole weekend!  But one thing led to another - our winter tire installation took about three more hours than I expected on Saturday, the sun started setting before Brian and I got to the ideal photographic spot on Sunday (I HATE winter, not because of the cold, not because of the ice and snow, but because the sun is never there for me!), and I woke up today not even wanting to touch my camera.  But I was able to get a couple shots in the less-than-ideal lighting yesterday, and I mustered up the energy to take the old camera out for a stroll this afternoon (although, again, I waited until the sun was starting to set...).

Here are some shots I got that I'm pretty happy about - although next time I'll have to make sure to get my ass out there BEFORE the ideal lighting goes down!

Dinosaur Head Reflecting on the Sidewalk

Salt's Effects on Ice

Off the Charts!

I learned the same lesson for the hundredth time this weekend - which is to take advantage of the ideal time to photograph, even if you don't want to.  Don't get caught without your camera due to unexpected plans, and don't make excuses when the time is perfect to get the shots you want.  I know I've missed out on thousands of opportunities of beautiful, spectacular moments (especially since I've moved away from home) - and I know I'll miss out on at least a few hundred more, but I hope at some point I'll get some sense knocked into me about this!  It's really not such a hassle to take your camera with you, or to pull it out for a couple shots, and you'll thank yourself years from now if you do.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

I've spent a lot of time pining over Garry Winogrand and his photography.  He really knew how to work the camera out in the streets, and I decided long ago that, although I would love to be one of the next Garry's, I just don't have what it takes to do street photography.  I don't know why I put such a barricade on my own personal growth with the camera, but I've decided at almost 25 years old that it's dumb to allow me to hold myself back.  So this weekend, I decided to hit the streets of Calgary with no fears of failure, and an understanding that, if I want to become a skilled photographer of the city, I need to start with taking at least ten thousand photos of it.

My dad had sent me an article this past week about the advantage of going out into the creative world with a list in mind.  It makes sense, really - it's much easier to go to the store with a list of groceries needed, so why wouldn't you do the same thing with your art?  So I left the apartment thinking about this:

People
Masks
Looking Up
Looking Down
Winter in the Fall
Things Usually Avoided
Reflections
Water

I found myself interested in taking a lot more pictures, and it also freed my lens to embrace everything I saw.  I was no longer a creep with a camera, or a vulnerable girl with a valuable piece of equipment (as I have had more comments, both positive and negative, about my camera in Calgary when I take it out than I have in my entire life), and it was a lot of fun to practice seeing into the city.  Here are some of my favorite shots I ended up with:

Moonscape in a boarded-up window

 Light reflecting on the sidewalk

an Elvis conspirator 

I've got about 9,800 more shots to take in Calgary before I can be totally confident about my photography skills out on the streets, but I feel good after this first walkabout with a list in mind.  I look forward to creating and executing more lists in the future - thanks for the great insight, Dad!