Photography by Lisa Van Alstyne

Such a long hiatus

2013-01-23T00:32:00.003-08:00

Quite frankly I just haven't had a whole lot of anything to talk about. Blogging is constantly at the forefront of my mind, and I do have ideas constantly floating around. It's just the actual sitting own and writing something worth while for anyone to find interesting enough to read.
So I think one of my New Years resolution is going to be to post once a week for starters, this is of course with hope that it again turns into a daily part of my life again!

And since I have nothing atm to talk about other than a baby bump shoot that I did a few days, that's what is going to be talked about!
Note to self:
1. Give no more favors to friends for shoots until I have the right lighting
2. No more shooting in their homes, clutter and background "stuff" just causes way too much editing time for me and I gotta tell you. No matter how good you are at editing, you know that the person was extracted out of the background.
3. Run the show, don't settle for less then what you were trying to capture

It really is some simple rules that would have saved me tons of frustration and editing time. My time is worth more than booking multiple settings to "redo" a sitting because of bad lighting.

Can you see whats wrong with these images? Because they are glaring to me!

iPhoneography

2012-05-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

So, this is a test of the iPhone management service. Buckle up and check out the beautiful view we found locally a free nights ago.

It's been forever

2012-04-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

It really does feel forever, to me at least, since I posted to this blog last. I guess I am just dealing with some major artist block. I have been looking over past pictures, trying to dredge even an ounce of creative inspiration out of something and it's just been.. meh.. nothing to really write home about.

I've been thinking, maybe I need to restart my inspiration series, for myself mostly!

Today is just a short blurb, I kinda like how an image turned out that I edited. I was shooting for a bright springy picture and ended up kinda dark.. I always end up kinda dark.. why is that??

2012-03-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Going with my whole love of colors, I have a new color palette mix using Chasing Dreams free Color Palette templates.

As always hope that this inspires a color mix for you! Or better yet, download the templates and play around and find your own color palette!

Cowgirl Love

Southwestern Palette

Lilac Love

Vector Photo

2011-03-29T22:12:00.001-07:00

Vector Photo
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

This weeks school project was creating a vector image. I took a pic of my son and voila... 10 hours later, I am about half done o.O.
So maybe, I won't get an A+!!!

Massachusetts revisited

2011-01-05T08:31:00.001-08:00

Massachusetts revisited
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Revisiting some of my older images.
Oldified an image of a gas station that we found on a backroads jaunt while we lived in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I believe this was on 8 down near Connecticut.

Gold Tree

2011-01-03T21:51:00.001-08:00

Gold Tree
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Had some fun today with transparencies, gold leaf liquid and photos.
Photo is not mounted yet, hence the brush strokes. I think it looks kinda cool this way though!
Sadly you can't see the sparkle from the gold leaf, trust me, it is beautiful!

Desert Snow

2010-12-30T17:10:00.001-08:00

Desert Snow
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

You don't expect to make snow angels in the winter in Phoenix. Sand angels, yes.. But this winter we have had a special treat. Snow in the desert. A wide band of snow bearing clouds descended on us this afternoon and the Phoenix East Valley was treated with a very rare treat of snow and true cold weather!
4 Peaks as seen from the Apache Trail. The top didn't come out of the cloud cover once the storm moved in.

Schools out, schools out, teachers let the monkeys out!

2010-12-22T21:42:00.001-08:00

One week of freedom and in that week I haven't posted?? I am such a slacker anymore.

I have some pics from my last project that I want to show off, my son and his girlfriend an up and coming model did alot of modeling for me. I love how the two of them will pose all day if I don't tell them ok.. leave me alone now! lol

See the full gallery on posterous

I am definitely starting to enjoy portrait taking and looking to expand the knowledge from school. I am starting a group of fellow photographers in the Phoenix east valley area. My dream is to create a group of people who help each other. Let's hope that it works!

Here is a few more pics of the kids with added friends, taken before a school dance.

See the full gallery on posterous

Baby Steps

2010-11-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

Baby Steps
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

aking the first step towards portraits is huge. You would think that it would be as natural as just point, click after years of taking nature pictures. Right?
You don't have to pose mountains, or ask a saguaro to turn just right and look over it's shoulder, you don't have to worry about the light falling just right on a cheekbone. Mother nature makes sure that the light is just the right shade. I am definitely out of my box of comfort during this learning process. Thankfully I have some wonderful models with patience and understanding. And don't complain about the orange tinge upon their faces... yet ;)

My beautiful neice Ashlyn.

Testing cross posting using Posterous.com

2010-11-20T21:02:00.001-08:00

It will only be 6 years of waiting if it works. Keep your fingers crossed! *Cheers*

So very absent

2010-11-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

I challenge myself to post here more often. I put out our hard earned $$ for this site and here it sits, like a red headed step child most of the time. Forgotten, left behind, neglected. I can use the term red headed step child because my first born has red hair, and I am irish, it gives me the right ;). Not dissin red headed step kids promise!

So, back to why I am here, school semester is near to over, we're in the last few weeks and the end of the road is near. At least for a month then it will be back to the grind.

I have been busy busy, hence my neglect of the site. I could put up all the pics that I have taken since summer, but they definitely fall into the description of Photo101 and lack the beauty, spontaneity and simple life that I am used to exhibiting. I do have a couple to share though, ones that I worked on despite being pressed to finish homework. Sometimes you gotta break the rules right?

Darkroom Evolution

2010-10-04T20:50:00.001-07:00

Evolution
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

First of the pics that I have been taking with my 35mm for my photog course. All natural lighting @ sunset.
Evolution consisting of the first timed print, 5-25 sec
2nd with 2 1/2 filter
3rd 3 sec longer exposure with 2 1/2 filter
final image uses #3 filter

Using Ilford XP2 400ISO. Wet darkroom on Ilford Multigrade IV pearl surface.

ISO-SS-Fstop Guide

2010-09-12T22:02:00.001-07:00

ISO-SS-Fstop Guide
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Had a bit of fun re-building the guide that I created last year. This one is a bit more detailed and... well... prettier.

Free for use, If you use it, enjoy and hope that it makes a difference!

Cats

2010-08-10T23:17:00.001-07:00

Cats
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Cats meow out of angst
"Thumbs! If only we had thumbs!
We could break so much"

They make my world go round.
Willow and TK-51 posing for me.
They are my only models who don't complain about always having a camera shoved in their faces >=D

All natural lighting

Dana Point with a Twist

2010-07-20T09:33:00.001-07:00

Dana Point with a Twist
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

A Miami twist that is. Overcast Dana Point with a bit of the '80s sherbet tossed in for color. Where is Don Johnson when you need him?

All photos are saved in jpg ultra low resolution. If your interested in purchasing any of my art in full original resolution please contact me for pricing.

Peaceful

2010-07-18T18:58:00.001-07:00

Peaceful
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

My beautiful unincorporated town of San Tan Valley.

We're trying to incorporate our town. I can't say we're little, far from it. We're over 80,000 strong. By all rights, we're actually a city, if we were just incorporated!
We are one of the largest communities in this part of Arizona and the largest in our county. But when $$ comes into the picture one of the very small towns near us is fighting to keep us unincorporated.
They want our tax dollars, but don't provide the support that we need as a very large growing community.
I really hope that this gets settled, I know personally I am not fond of my tax dollars going to help towns other then my own to grow, while we sit here *without* those tax dollars to keep our own roads repaired, or our own in town emergency services.

All photos are saved in jpg ultra low resolution. If your interested in purchasing any of my art in full original resolution please contact me for pricing.

Dry Beauty

2010-07-18T18:57:00.001-07:00

Dry Beauty
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Driving home to the beginnings of Monsoon season last week...
I've been waiting since last February to capture clouds again with my trusty Canon....
We're still waiting for the rain, but at least we have some beautiful clouds to keep us occupied out here in the Sonoran Desert!

Mask and Texture thanks to Jerry of Shadowhouse Creations. You can visit his flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/
Or his Blog
shadowhousecreations.blogspot.com/
For all of his masks, textures and just to see the beauty that he loves to bestow us with.

All photos are saved in jpg ultra low resolution. If your interested in purchasing any of my art in full original resolution please contact me for pricing.

Bookend kitty says "Leave me alone!"

2010-07-18T00:13:00.001-07:00

Bookend kitty says "Leave me alone!"
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

My beloved TK has never learned to give "the look" that my Willow monster has down to a science... you know, the look that just makes you melt and want to go all Elmira on your kitty. That look.. But TK has his perks. He loves me undeniably and would sleep curled up next to me til the end of time if I would just stay in bed with him. <3.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO P4C-970! Love, Colonel Jack O'Neill

2010-07-16T15:19:00.001-07:00

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO P4C-970! Love, Colonel Jack O'Neill
Originally uploaded by Lisa Van Alstyne

Malibu in early July.
Of course our first night there it clouded up and started to drizzle, and stayed clouded and drizzly the entire trip.

So having a bit of fun with freakish editing, sorry Malibu, but you just didn't give me much to work with!

All photos are saved in jpg ultra low resolution. If your interested in purchasing any of my art in full original resolution please contact me for pricing.

Flickr

2010-07-16T15:15:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

School Daze...

2010-06-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

So just a small update as I am heading out to church in a few moments. School is in session. I started my summer school courses last Tuesday and I am loving them. I have already learned so much and this is just an Intro to digi course. Guess I needed it if I am learning, even a little bit right!
Got a quick story that I just had to share though, I still giggle thinking of it. One of our assignments last week was to bring in 5 photos of either our own work, or what inspires us. I brought in 4 of my own and 1 inspirational. No one seemed to bring any inspirational photos though, only their own photography. Sooo... I loaded the flash drive into the computer and clicked on my inspirational photo first. Ooohs and Aaaaahs resounded. I was a bit flustered at first and replied with "Isn't it beautiful? But, well, this isn't my photography, this is a photo that I gather inspiration from." and the classroom broke out in giggles. It made the rest of the presentation of my actual photos a bit more somber after comparison, but much easier since the ice had been broken :). Sadly no oohs and aaahs over my photography hehe. Maybe by the end of the class?!

Inspiration went out the window!

2010-04-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

OK, so my 60 days didn't last, what with moving and all! Yeah... I got more junk than Sanford & Son... seriously! ;)

Anyways, starting to get my groove on again and actually signed up to get my Associates degree in Digital Arts at the local college. Going to be a long road, but it is so going to be worth it. Will try to keep the blog updated through it all. Even if only for my own personal memories of college days.
I did play around with making some logo's earlier for my pics and such. Masks good mkay?

Todays top tags Wordle

2010-03-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

Unpacking, more then just my belongings

2010-03-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

I always under estimate, be it about moving.. life... anything and everything.

I am still unpacking. Inspiration has been hard to come by as I see my studio get loaded with new boxes, every time that I finally get it empty of boxes. I want to just throw everything away and make my life zenified. But I go through the boxes and there are so many memories, cherished, and painful. Some to be repacked for a day when my heart can handle the pain.

Good new is though, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We're almost done moving out of our old place, and I am almost done unpacking what is here. Which means that I will finally have my studio set-up. What a dream come true! I can't wait to actually start doing something with my chosen profession besides take pictures of beautiful sunsets and pretty flowers!

Inspiration... yeah I think I got that covered!