I have it. I'm @RebeccaJ98. Until today all I'd really used it for was to text my status update so that my twitter would update my facebook. Today I decided to do a little browsing through the peeps I'm following. I found this little goodie. LOVE the Schizophrenic and Punch Quotes designs. So good.
A friend of mine emailed me the other day and recommended I share the following song. I love the simple comforts of it. I hope you enjoy.
Those of you who are friends with me on facebook may have seen a status update a while back about a blog entry I had brewing in my mind. It all started with this episode of the FOLIO Podcast featuring David Beckstead. About 28 and a half minutes or so in, while talking about the different types of art that David studied throughout his life he says that "It all came to fruition with photography and now being able to isolate these ideas composition and be able verbalize them has helped me to grow as a photographer and understand composition. I throw out to these photographers I say, 'one of the key elements to me is how you harness visual chaos'... Visual chaos is everywhere." Indeed it is!
When I heard David say that he asks other photographers how they harness visual chaos it was like a light went off in my brain. I had a vision for this post that would feature many of my photographer friends answering David's question - how do YOU harness visual chaos? However, one such photographer friend answered the question so eloquently (and verbosely ;)) that I wanted to focus on her response.
As some of you know I've spent the summer assisting for one of my area's best and most interesting wedding photographers, Susan Berman of Whimsical Photo Design. Susan is one of the most incredible, brilliant, witty, fabulous people I've ever met. She also happens to be a phenomenal photographer. I am so blessed to call her a friend.
When I first sent Susan the question her reply was "That is a FANTASTIC question! I'll have to email you my answer in a bit." I'm sure there was more about her 3 year old girl needing attention. That Mabz. ;) Here is Susan's answer...
"Think about how much our eyes are bombarded by on a daily basis in terms of visual stimulation. There is a ton going on. But in photography, the goal is to capture your subject, through that visual chaos, and make them shine. Make them the true subject of your image. To make them the only thing the viewer sees and feels.
I accomplish these goals through a lot of little techniques.
First, and the easiest, is to pick something that is visually not chaotic as part of the background. Popular choices include the ocean, the mountains, trees or shrubs. These natural elements lend themselves to a serene and austere background. This allows the viewer of the image to solely focus attention upon the subject.
However, these perfect backgrounds aren't always the easiest to come by! I use other techniques to bring subject into focus on a visually busy background. Through the use of bokeh, or low depth of field, I'm able to essentially 'blur' the background into nothingness; which allows my subjects to shine on their own. Bokeh takes out the visual distractions of everyday life and leaves the subject standing alone. This is a popular technique amongst many a photographer and a useful one at that. But, I prefer something a little different...
I love to use lighting to my advantage to bring my subject into primary positioning within my image. By using creative lighting I can make my subject stand out from the background. Various ways I do this is through use of backlighting (sunlight or strobe use), front/side lighting, shadows and highlights. The strong lighting of a subject, again, allows the subject to stand apart from the background or the chaos surrounding.
Adding in elements of visual chaos in the environment can add so much to an image. It tells a story, gives depth to the character of the person and/or subject so it's not necessarily a bad thing to have in your image. In fact, some of the strongest images I've taken purposely add those stories in order to give the image more story. However, by separating your subject from this visual chaos allows the viewer to both understand the context in which the image has been taken and the story in which the photographer is trying to tell."
Even if you're not convinced that Jesus is the way, I think we can all agree with Casting Crowns assessment of what the world does and doesn't need. One of the things I love about listening to this song is that after the second verse there's a section where they have young people (teens maybe?) sharing things like, "The world doesn't need my tithe, my hoodie or my translation of the Bible". Imagine that. ;) Probably my favorite line comes in the second verse, "God's got to change her heart before he changes her shirt." I love that! So often we (as a society and as individuals) make unfair judgments on people based solely on their appearance. I know I'm a lot more than mine, so I try to watch that. If only I were perfect. ;) I love Casting Crowns and have been listening to their first three albums on shuffle on my iPod lately. It makes me really happy. :)
Today's song is one that I'm sure we can all relate to at some level...
I heard this song on the radio the other day and I just love it. The music, the lyrics, the message. And while it's primarily about a young girl/young woman, I think it's just as true for the guys. ;) I feel this way about my husband, my dad, my brothers as well as all of the wonderful women in my life. To all of you who have made and continue to make a difference in who I am - there could never be a more beautiful you.
Earlier this month I had the privilege of second shooting/assisting Susan Berman, the INCREDIBLE photographer of Whimsical Photo Design at the wedding of Doug & Nadia. You can check out Susan's stunning work on her blog. I was able to grab a few shots that day that I like. I've been without my primary editing software for almost three months now, so getting through things is a challenge. I should be up and running again by the end of next week. :D Here's a couple for now!
I almost forgot the rest of my favorite pictures!! The night before C+B arrived I played around some with high ISOs and long shutterspeeds (for my photog peeps ;)) and got the following shot (processed two ways):
You have GOT to check out FOLIO Podcast with Scott Anderson. From FOLIO's site - FOLIO is a podcast about living an artful life, featuring in depth conversations with creative professionals and interesting people. It's SO fascinating and engaging.
I listened to episode 6 first featuring Me Ra and Brian of Me Ra Koh Photography because I've been following Me Ra's blog for over a year (or two?) now and I just love it. When I found a two hour interview with her and Brian I was THRILLED! I could have listened to Me Ra & Brian talk to Scott all day. I love the lifestyle they've created for their family. It's just awesome. You'll have to listen to find out more. ;)
After listening to Me Ra's episode, I've been getting into the others as well. Promise Tangeman, David Nightingale of Chromasia and Shawn Reeder so far. I'm planning to listen to the others tomorrow or the next day. They're great for the train commute!
If you check one (or all of them!) out, I'd love to hear what you think!
I almost forgot again! Since I set up last week's song to post while we were enjoying the fabulous OR Coast, I tried to remind myself every day to be sure and get this week's song up. I almost spaced it until I was in the car on my way home and heard one of Brad Paisley's new songs. It's a look at the past compared with the present and is titled Welcome to the Future... Now, I can remember having video games at home, but we never had a TV in the car. ;) Enjoy! If anything in these lyrics strike you, leave me a comment! I'd love to hear about it!
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