photography & some other things

birthday bedroom makeover!

2011-12-12T00:45:00.001-05:00

My sister and I re-did my niece's room for her 13th (yikes, I feel old!) Birthday.

We let Em pick the wall color. Everything else was kept a secret until the big reveal!

Such a HUGE difference between the old and the new!!!

Here are a few before and afters... including one of the happy Birthday Girl herself!

I shot video when she came in the room... a few stills:

25% of my etsy sales will benefit Toys For Tots!

2011-12-05T20:43:00.001-05:00

Hello and Happy Holidays!!!

So, I've already blogged here about the book my photos are in, and I'm happy to announce that Play! Toy Camera Photographers for Tots is finally available and can be previewed and/or purchased through blurb. (All proceeds from the book will benefit Toys For Tots) Based on the preview, it looks great! And would make a great holiday gift!!!

I'm so excited to be part of the book and decided I wanted to do something more, so for the month of December, I will be donating 25% of all sales in my etsy shop to the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation!

I'm excited to be able to use both my fine art and portrait photography in a way that will benefit children at this time of year! :)

a book to benefit Toys For Tots...

2011-11-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

Back in August, I submitted 3 images to a Composing With Images Press call for entry. The requirement was toy camera images that convey the theme of "play".

I waited until literally the LAST minute... I finally submitted 3 of my favorite holga kid images... A few weeks ago, I got the email- they chose ALL THREE!

My images are going to be published in a book! The title and theme of the book is PLAY! All proceeds from the sales of the book (as well as all the submission fees for the call) will be going to the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation to benefit children affected by areas in the United States ravaged by tornadoes in 2011...

The cover of the book was just announced, and they're expecting to have the book available for purchase by next weekend (my birthday weekend!) I'm very excited and can't wait to see it!

(follow me on twitter, facebook and/or google+ for updates!)

Here are the 3 images that will be included in the book:

free shipping in my etsy shop this weekend!!!

2011-11-25T12:56:00.001-05:00

Decided this a bit last minute-
I'm offering free shipping in my etsy shop from Black Friday, 11/25, through Cyber Monday, 11/28!
I'll be adding a few new prints to the shop over the course of the weekend so check back often! :)
OR, follow me on facebook and/or twitter for updates!
And feel free to spread the word!

hand-picked. handmade.

2011-11-16T20:21:00.001-05:00

Hello!
Just wanted to share that I am included in the current exhibition on papernstitch.com!

About papernstitch:
"papernstitch is an online exhibition space that was created to promote talented artists, designers, and makers selling handmade goods. the exhibition space is curated monthly and showcases the best of the best on an international level. hence our tagline: hand-picked. handmade."

I'm honored to be a part of it!

This image will link you to my shop:

some mums

2011-11-01T19:51:00.000-04:00

pink mums

from September 17, 2011

apple picking

2011-10-10T21:09:00.002-04:00

and now for a break from all the summery flowers!

went apple picking with the sister and the nieces today.

I absolutely do NOT recommend going apple picking on a holiday.

The place was loaded with lots of rude people and kids with no manners.

BUT it was pretty and the apples were fantastic!

Whoville 2

2011-09-26T21:53:00.000-04:00

red cypress vine flowers

from September 3, 2011

Whoville...

2011-09-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

I think of all photos I've taken of morning glories, these are my favorites. Especially the purple ones. I don't think I need or want to photograph any more morning glories. (Or, any more flowers for that matter!)
Of these, my favorites are the last two. I can't decide which one I like best.

From September 3, 2011

rainbow sherbert

2011-09-12T21:16:00.000-04:00

abstract dahlias

from August 25, 2011

mum's dahlia

2011-09-09T19:57:00.001-04:00

Not much to say...

From August 31, 2011

spiral-y macro morning glories

2011-09-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

I'm digging these about-to-open morning glories... I love the shallow depth-of-field... Although I think the pink ones may need a square crop... maybe...

From August 19, 2011

macro morning glories part one + a dahlia

2011-09-04T18:43:00.000-04:00

So I keep shooting morning glories, and I'm ending up with more that I hate than that I like... I kinda like these. I think I might have a few from yesterday that I like better, but I'm still editing those... I have to say, I do LOVE the colors in these...

From August 19, 2011

Exhibit at EPOCH Assisted Living

2011-09-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my uncle and I hung my work at EPOCH Assisted Living in Norton, MA. They have a gallery wall designated for artists and photographers. They show a new artist every month. I think this is such a fantastic idea! It's a nice space. (It's a HUGE wall!) One of the dining areas also gets a nice view of the gallery wall... And the hallway gets lots of foot traffic; at the end of the hallway they have a room used for meetings by various outside companies and groups. The woman who told me about the space has even sold a few pieces in the past! Wish me luck!

I over-documented it... enjoy!

abstract macro flowers

2011-08-31T21:35:00.001-04:00

let's see... petunias and dahlias... from August 4, 2011...

Twilight? Dusk?

2011-08-30T20:44:00.000-04:00

Is it twilight or dusk?

Not sure. Supposedly dusk is the "darker part of twilight" but I'm not sure if this is considered darker or lighter...

Either way, the sky was pretty...

Abstract Delphiniums

2011-08-26T19:50:00.000-04:00

Just a little behind on posting- I made these images about a month ago... when I discovered I could get even closer with my mickey-moused "macro" set up... Still in the process of editing these down...

Macro Delphinium

2011-07-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

I just bought these Delphiniums the other day, and I took them home and promptly started shooting some macros! The color in these are totally natural- from the sunset and just-past sunset light. The flowers themselves are pretty pale blues and purples...
Still in the process of editing down, some of these are so similar to each other, but I can't decide...

macro sunflowers at sunset

2011-07-16T15:33:00.000-04:00

more macro flowers

2011-07-10T16:58:00.000-04:00

a couple of my favorites...

2011-07-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

Finally set up my scanner last week... or was it the week before?

Anyway, I've been scanning some of my older stuff.

Below are two of my favorites...

more macro

2011-07-03T12:24:00.002-04:00

I have an opinion

2011-06-10T23:42:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've vented on my blog. I think the last time might have been back when Leno stole The Tonight Show back from Conan...TEAM CONAN!!!

Anyway, I think I might try to start writing little opinion posts... maybe...

So one of my favorite new websites is pinterest.com. I love it! If you don't know, it's another social media type of site. You "pin" (or save) things you like onto different customized "pinboards". They're pretty much visual lists of things. Images you like, DIY projects you want to try, decorating and fashion inspiration. You follow other peeps and can "pin" or "like" what they're pinning. Everything you pin has a link to the site it came from. So it's also visual bookmarking. And this is GREAT for me, since I'm a very visual person, and my bookmarks list in Firefox ends up being pretty useless for me because by looking at the titles of the bookmarks, weeks or months later, I have no clue why I bookmarked that site.

Sometimes I get sucked in on Pinterest for an hour or two. But I tell myself that it's great inspiration for my photography, painting or decorating. AND the DIY stuff will save me $$$!

So here's where the venting starts: A couple weeks ago, I saw this. (It's a picture of a baby with a string of plugged in Christmas/twinkly lights. They're PLUGGED IN, and she's got them in her mouth.) I was immediately HORRIFIED by this. And I couldn't believe the number of times I was seeing it "re-pinned". I finally pinned it myself- to a new pinboard I created called "NO". I ranted a bit and added this link to a post I found on bloomberg.com. (It explains the hazard that Christmas lights pose to kids due to the fact that: "Fifty-four percent of holiday lights tested in a U.S. study had more lead than regulators permit in children’s products, with some strands containing more than 30 times those levels.") So not only is there the fact that they're PLUGGED IN and the baby is chewing on a live electrical cord, there's the lead.

So. NOT a very good idea to let your kids chew on them.

Since I first saw this image a couple weeks ago, it pops up on Pinterest once in a while, with comments claiming it to be "cute", and a "possible Christmas card idea". I cannot tell you how much this makes me crazy. How do people not know this is a bad idea? Every package of lights I've ever purchased comes with a warning to wash your hands after handling them due to the LEAD. LEAD, people! There's a reason why the U.S. banned lead paint in the seventies!!! Kids/people were ingesting it and getting sick! Here are some facts.

But what prompted me to write this post is that just now, I saw this picture. (This time it's a photo of an adorable dog with the Christmas lights draped over him.)

I am completely horrified that this is seemingly becoming a trend. Or maybe it has been a trend and I'm just seeing it now.

I don't like to see things that endanger kids or animals. Maybe people don't know about the lead content. Or maybe the strings of lights in those photos don't have the high lead content. But the viewer of those photos doesn't know that, and without knowing the possible risk, might try to re-create those photos for their holiday cards, and end up making their babies and pets sick. I would hate to hear that story on the news. And I don't mean to lecture, I just wanted to vent a bit, and maybe someone will see this info and think twice about re-creating those images.

To end on a positive note, check out Pinterest! So fun! Come follow me! And let me know if you need an invite!

macro flowers

2011-05-22T20:56:00.002-04:00

I need to get a little bit better at posting here, huh?
Here's a few pictures I made yesterday using my point-and-shoot-plus-old-50mm-slr-lens combo. The "macro" focus is quite a bit limiting and I have to get so close the the subject that I end up blocking most, if not all, of the light. But I like the challenge...

Enjoy!
Happy Spring!

location scouting

2011-03-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

I've had this idea to photograph my nieces in this area at Borderland State Park in Easton. One of my favorite spots in the park is the area behind the Ames Mansion. It's a cool little rock garden with stone steps to different levels which lead down to the remains of the mansion's old swimming pool.

I went the other day to check out if the spot still existed. It does, but it's kinda ugly right now. Definitely have to wait until spring. And even though I think my little Coolpix has been dropped one too many times and is dying a slow painful death, I took a few pictures and got a few more ideas for my shoot. Below are some mostly silly pictures of my not-so-little-anymore munchkins.

We also made it down to the the Lodge- just an empty stone cabin type of building at the edge of a pond. BUT, they did use the outside of it for a scene in "Shutter Island"!