It's the new year, and my passion for photography grows deeper the more that I don't go out and shoot. I know that sounds a little crazy, but it's true. When I'm stuck at my shitty job waiting for the money to come in, I come up with some great ideas for photographic themes, and I write them down. I think of shots that I bet no one has ever shot before, yet I have no time to take the pictures. I'm just so busy these days trying to make my daughter enjoy her childhood, and I have been devoting my free time to her and her happiness. I want her to enjoy every aspect of her life. I want her never to have to worry about anything. So, with all of that comes a lot of responsibilities and sacrifices. One of those is my love of capturing things that I see.
It's now February 2010, and I apologize for not keeping my website and blog updated. Though my recent past has been filled with time-consuming activities, not much has changed. Nowadays I have begun to read and learn more about photography, art, and history in my times of boredom, which was something that has always been kind of hard for me. I love to learn new things and broaden my horizons, yet I am a visual pers
on and reading has never really been my thing. I always seem to learn faster by looking at the examples and paying attention to demonstrations. So, the fact that I have been enjoying the comfort of books is rewarding to me. I truly feel like I'm growing to be a well-rounded individual with the knowledge of very different useful facts. Every book I read is a learning experience, and with every book I learn more than I expected. It's a great feeling!
Anyway, today's a different day. I can't really say that I haven't been shooting anything because I'm always taking pictures of the baby. She changes over night, so I definitely like to record her growth. I also recently shot my friend and favorite model Karen for some up-to-date photos that she requested. An old friend of mine once told me that I don't shoot people well. In truth, she told me that I really suck at it. When I first heard that, it didn't really bother me because I honestly don't like shooting people. Yet after I thought about it, I decided that if I am a photographer I can't just not be good at taking certain types of pictures. I like to shoot things that don't move and have insecurities that I have to edit out of my pictures. I HATE EDITING! I hate sitting in front of the computer for hours making people look like something that they're not. So, I'm on a mission. I'm going to set up appointments with friends of mine who are willing to be patient and work with me, and I'm going to get better at shooting portraits. I'm not a portrait photographer whatsoever, but no one is going to tell me that I'm not good at something. I hate that feeling. I decided to do some research on angles. Angles are what people call "having an eye" in pictures. The angles are what makes us either look at a picture or turn to the next one. I researched for weeks before I shot the new pictures of Karen. I wanted her to really like these because she said that they are going to be the ones she would frame and hang in her house. I shot the session with my Nikon D50 with my 50mm lens in a natural-light setting in my house. I also shot her outside in my neighborhood. We are great friends, and she gives me complete creative control, and she was extremely pleased with the result. She claimed that I made her look sexier than she was. That made me happy.
So, that's all I have for you as of today. The Saints won the Super Bowl, and everyone thought that was impossible. Will I ever figure out a way to become a photographer who does exactly what he loves and is able to make a living? Anything is possible...
Here are a few examples of my new approach to portraits:
