Photography for My Self

Wow - am I ever long overdue for a post!

I just started reading this amazing book, Inner Excavation: Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry and Mixed Media, by Liz Lamoreux. I can't wait to really get into it - there are some great exercises for photography that I am anxious to try.

I've been trying to find a good photography book for a really long time. I've looked in bookstores and online, without success. It seems there are a lot of the same type of books out there, and I feel I've read enough of the "how-to" types. I was searching for something new, something that goes beyond how to use my camera - I already know that!

This book is exactly what I had hoped for. I happened upon it when I did a search on Chapters online, and now I want to purchase every other book it mentions, too!

Finally, a book that satisfies my need to learn more about expressing my self through photography, that looks at photography the way I do: As a way of exploring the world through this incredible medium. Thank you, Liz Lamoreux!

Speaking of Cleaning...

...I've started a Clearance Bin in my Etsy shop. Time to clear out some of my older photos to make room for new ones. That means select listings are marked down to half-price. There is only one listing of each of these, and once they're gone, I won't be renewing them.

Check them out at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/photoworksbydawn?section_id=7230675

A New Look!

It is time for a change!

I've been madly cleaning my house these last few days, and I decided it was time to clean my shop, too. I've created a new banner and avatar for my photography, updating the image but keeping the colours and clean lines. I hope you like the new look!

Liquid Lumination

So I got out the glasses, water, the food colouring, and some lighting... To some, this may not be a recipe for artistic creativity, but the more I played around with these items, the more excited I got. The light reflecting in the coloured water, playing with the curves in the glasses; the possibilities were endless.

For me, these moments are what photography is all about: Losing myself in the moment, in the light and the colours, finding visual poetry in the ordinary.

A Slipping-Away Summer

It has been an unbelievable gorgeous summer this year.

Summers are never long enough, even when the weather is miserable. But this year, we've been blessed with fabulous sunny days and perfect temperatures.

If only it would last!

Carnival, Check!

It's been a great summer for photos, so far.

A few things I've always wanted to capture, but due to uncooperative weather or running-around-children, I have not yet managed to shoot them.

Carnival (at night!): Check!

Fireworks: Check!

Butterflies: Not yet, but in the plans.

Clothes-on-a-line: Check!

Beach (always on my list): Check!

Shallow-depth-field-flowers (which I can now do much better thanks to my macro lens): Check!

With any luck, this gorgeous weather will continue and so will my list!

Changing Point of View

I have begun getting ready for my next craft fair: The annual Salt of the Earth Artisan and Craft Expo. In doing so, I have taken out and re-evaluated all my old photos. Many of them, I still like, and am proud of most. Time, however, has changed the way I look at them. Time, and I would say, experience. I have changed my mind about several of them, tossed some in the garbage, and put others in a "maybe" pile. I may be my own worst critic! Nevertheless, it helps me learn and continue (I hope!) to improve.