Week 30 ~ Something Funny

 

Indeed. Something funny is definitely going on in the reality TV and modelling world. Why, you ask? Well, it seems that no one, but no one is willing to give the talented and gorgeous Ivana B. Downwright-Glamma a chance. She has sent out millions and millions of copies of her head shots to ALL of the agencies and to ALL of the reality TV production houses around the world (yes; yes she has...) and has not received one single reply. No. Not one. And I think you can see from her portrait shots I've included here, each image is a winner. To be honest, I don't understand it. I've seen a smattering of reality TV. I've seen the adverts for the Kardashians, for Jersey Shore, for that Essex mob and I've even seen tweets about The Shire, and Ivana B. can offer so much more. Viewing tastes have changed, they are less sophisticated than they once were. Perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps Ivana B.'s days of being in the spotlight were over before they even began. Not all is lost though, she is still a favourite at the Doomsbury Retirement Home for the Photogenically Challenged where she gives up her time sharing hair and make-up techniques with those who lack the skills and finesse that she so clearly has by the bucket-load. *

* Ummm...none of this is one little bit true.

A Most Prolific Blogger

Now that's what I consider I am - A Most Prolific Blogger. Except that it isn't actually true. In my imagination it is though. I have all these wonderful blogging ideas that pop into my head at the most inopportune times and I never seem to get a chance to write them down. Then of course, when I do have some spare time, do you think I can remember all those grand posts that I had mentally drafted? No. I can't even remember the witty titles I give them. I guess it's a good thing that I don't get a chance to write all those mental posts out, as you'd be here so often reading the hundreds of posts (well, maybe not hundreds, but there would be lots and lots more than you see here...)that you would never get anything else done. And then you'd have to feed your family those baked beans on toast you tell them they love so much. Again. So, really, it's a good thing that I do curb my posting here, because it was my intention all along to save you time.

However, while you're here, let's catch up on the past couple of weeks of my photo project. Week 28 was Pattern and Week 29 was The Colour Green. I had a specific sort of pattern in mind, and again time was limited; and the sort of tree fern with lush new growth that I was looking for, was nowhere to be seen. So, the image below was all I could manage to find that looked remotely lush and pattern-like.

My usual choice of shallow depth of field in a way enhances the pattern of the leaves on either side of that tiny frond. It's not a shot I can tick off my list, but that's ok too.You don't want to tick too many off a list - goodness knows what happens when you get to the end of a list!

And then we have the lovely Miss E, being ever so patient with the finicky sunlight and clumsy, yet excitable, photographer. Dressed in Op-Shop green shirt bought for the occasion for the sum of $4.00, it was just the green I had envisaged to compliment her gorgeous red locks and green eyes.

Our afternoons are still so short at this time of year, and this is attempt no.2 to capture the image I could see in my mind. Attempt no. 1 is here, and it has a very different feel to it even though it was perhaps only half an hour later, on the previous day. If you follow the link, you'll see the lighting details for both portraits.

This week is Week 30 and the theme is "Something Funny". The shots are done and the dozens of posts, along with their witty titles, have been mentally written and the project due date is tomorrow. I have a big weekend planned, so I hope to write a quick post again before too long.

New Beginnings

There's something in the air at the moment, as everywhere I turn, there's change of some sort going on. Some of the changes are minor, others not. Some are game changes, others not. Some are simply part of life and living and some are even exciting and squeal worthy.

This morning, Red Bubble, the website where I sell my photographic prints,  had a major site change. My day, being what it was, I didn't get to spend much time browsing there, but my initial thinking is that I quite like the new look. I've just noticed that my avatar makes me look as though I'm peering out of a porthole, and you can just see that Nutella jar I'm about to tuck into - so that is quite cool! I like the serif and slightly larger font - but that may be an age thing. Or maybe my computer suddenly has larger font...

I've also recently upgraded my camera, and this is one of the images from my first session out with it. More changes; getting used to where features are located; learning the new features.  The steep learning curve begins again. The first and last images from my beloved 50D, were of flowers. I was determined to change that pattern, and start with something a little more adventurous than flowers! (See what I did there - I forced a change upon my comfortable routine...nothing like jumping right out of the comfort zone.) Moody, misty landscape shots in the Blue Mountains National Park seemed a little more adventurous.

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
T.S. Eliot

So now, if you'll excuse me, what I need is a good night's sleep so that I can awaken tomorrow and embrace the changes that simply keep coming my way.

Linky Love #3

Goodness gracious me - how long has it been since we've had some linky love, you and I? Far too long, would be the correct answer! And really, it's not as though I haven't been browsing here and there and discovering new things; it's simply been because life and other commitments have demanded my attention. And that attention, I will now give to you.

If you have kids who find themselves home thanks to school holidays, and who also happen to love junk food - then I think this reason would be ok to break the "no junk food" rule. Just once. And while they're quiet and busy with their printing, then you should so kick back and really enjoy a coffee or two. Whatever you do though, don't feel all invigorated and try and climb the nearest water tower just because you think you can see the city better from there. Because I guarantee, it will end in tears.

Have you noticed how jaded we feel these days? You know, it's not just you and me who feel this way. It's almost everyone at one time or another. And have you noticed how easy it is to get carried away with this feeling, and be dragged down by the sheer weight of the negativity that suffocates your every positive thought? You end up growling at everyone and everything; the furrows in your forehead become so deep that the Grand Canyon is losing tourists to you; and you wake up one morning, look in the mirror and wonder just who the hell that horrid narky person staring and glaring back at you is. Well - follow this link and read the advice contained in it - you know, life doesn't have to be this tough. Really, it doesn't.

So, until the next Linky Love - smile, and be happy :)

Week 27 ~ Black and White

 

 A few weeks ago I ordered a book on the photography of Berenice Abbott and it arrived earlier this week. I'm looking forward to reading more about her, her story and to learn a little more about her photography, style and influences. So this week, I was inspired by her style of no-nonsense portraits and have tried to channel her in creating this self-portrait.

I look at some of her portraits and I'm left with lots of questions - why has she posed that person to gaze out of the frame, and this one instead to glare directly at the camera; many of the poses seem uncomfortable rather than relaxed, they are unusually cropped, and unconventional, so it leaves you with a feeling of tension - hence the questions. I hope that I have conveyed some of this tension with my example this week, and I thought it fitting that the theme this week should be Black and White.

Now, you would never know that the hat I am wearing - a gift from a dear friend - doesn't match the colour of the coat. Tee hee! Black and White photography is very forgiving of mismatched colours.

And in other news this week, one of my images was featured in the new Photographers Connection website Blog! Yeh!

Week 26 ~ Silhouette

 

Another week completed, and this proved a little challenging. I had already planned on doing an indoor shoot due to time restrictions, it was then a matter of finding a suitable subject. A tip when shooting a silhouette is to ensure the subject's lines are simple. In fact, the simpler, the more effective the silhouette. In my example, I chose a giant dandelion - it's about the size of an orange - and I've had it sitting for months in a vase, remaining intact this whole time. Of course, it's dry and brittle and needs to be handled with care, but it was perfect for this week's challenge. Next, the lighting. I used my halogen desk lamp to point toward the seed head and kept a bit of distance between the seed head and the background. I'm determined to get the hang of the Olympus E-PM1 and really use as many of it's features as possible so I was pretty excited to find where to change the metering, and now have it set to Spot Metering. There really aren't many buttons on the camera, and the few buttons seem to double up on what they can do. It's a challenge remembering what each button does and when! But that's not a bad thing :) I then screwed on the Lensbaby macro filters as the macro function on the camera isn't really a close enough macro. Playing with different DOF and points of view, I showed a couple of friends the shortlisted images before settling on this one. It's always good to have that impartial second opinion, I find it helps me improve my photography skills.

This week's theme is "Black and White" and I'm scheming in my head, in readiness for the friday shoot. :)