Creative Season

It is that time of year again: Snowy and cold!

I began the season as I usually do, dreaming of hibernation or migration. I picture myself curled up for the winter in my fuzzy pjs, a stack of books ready to be devoured; I also picture myself hopping on a plane toward warmer weather, and not returning until May.

Neither of these is possible, however, so here I am.

To compensate, this is the time of year I focus on creating photos in my home. I keep my eye out for interesting colours and reflections, details of my daily life that I can capture without having to layer on snowsuit and fur boots. Inside, I do not have to think about how the cold and snow can transform into little terrors that leave damaging moisture on my camera.

Doubtless, I will get cabin fever and head out a couple of times, camera in hand, to capture those magical sparkles in the sunlight. But in the meantime, I will create - inside.

And so... A Jar of Jelly Beans!

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!