Favorite Things.

With that last post still fresh on my brain, I figured I would share the one project I did do for myself recently, for no particular reason. I have set of shelves above my desk (where I spend most of my time), and those shelves are home to many of my favorite things. It started out as a place to display my photo books and small camera collection. But in the months since I moved in and put them up, it has become a home to most anything I love that has to do with photography, with a few other wayward items that I am partial to. The shelves themselves are covered in book pages from a Mormon book I found at an antique store. It is not significant that they are Mormon, just interesting. I didn't realize it until after I had started the process. One night I decided to make those two shelves the subject of my lens. Kinda like a self-portrait of sorts. I didn't rearrange anything, but simply photographed the things I've looked at a thousand times. Some of it is abstract, faces half hidden, words cut short or out of focus. It is how it looks even now (with the exception of a few new books). Even the treatment says something about me... it's grainy and grungy and old looking...just the way I like it. I dare not say it is art, and for most of you it won't be interesting I'm sure, but for me, it's a start at getting back in touch with what I love about what I do.

Four Cameras and JPG Magazines. Issue 7: Self-Portraiture.

Brazil.


My Grandfather's Brownie and some tintypes.

Another camera sitting on the trailers for "SAW" and "Shaun of the Dead".

Zombie finger puppet sitting on my name spelled with old type letters. Did you notice the "a" is really a "g"? I didn't for a very long time.

"Hell" and the crow. The book is photographs by James Nachtwey, and it has a funny story on how I obtained it.

R.I.P.

Time and Imogen Cunningham. I've shot one roll with this $1 TIME camera and it remains undeveloped.

Holga, civil war bullets, Edward S. Curtis. Oh Holga, I wish I used you more.

Beloved and Holga. To the left is a picture of a band, to the right, the only picture I've taken with the Holga that I really like. Taken in Brazil.

Shelby Lee Adams. Familiarize yourself.

One of the best gifts ever. "Horse" by Michael Eastman.

Little Brownie.

American South and American West and my dad's family camera from his childhood. "In the American West" is probably my favorite photography book that I own. Avedon amazes me.

Detail of the cover. Half-out-of-focus.

No People Post.

So lately I have been a little nostalgic for my days as a photo student. When photography was not about a client, or pleasing anyone but myself (and maybe my professor). I don't get very many opportunities anymore to just shoot for me. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and feel really blessed to be able to do it, but photography is more than that to me. I miss film and dark rooms, enlargers and smelling like chemicals, and watching images appear on paper in a dimly lit room. There was something so satisfying about knowing that you were truly creating an image. And I want to go back to that time with all that I know now, because 1) I could be such a better student, and 2) I wouldn't take any of it for granted! And I would take advantage of every opportunity that being a student gives you. Maybe one day I'll get to do that again. I didn't make a list of resolutions this year, but I hope that in 2010 I can carve out regular time to just create images for me. I culled through some old folders from this past year looking for images that weren't taken for any specific purpose. I didn't find too many (which reiterates my point!). But here are just a few that I did find. I'm not saying that they are great or magical, I'm just saying I like them. Mostly for personal reasons, but I like them.

My favorite time of year in my favorite place.

I shot these three after a very frustrating day...


Don't you feel more relaxed now? I did:-D

Hummingbirds in my grandparent's backyard.


It's abandoned, so of course I like it.

The cemetery at Andersonville.

My grandfather's "Little House". I don't think I had ever been in it except to take this picture. It holds a lifetime of projects and treasures. This is a portrait of my grandfather, without him in it. Why the water in the OceanSpray bottles you ask? I don't know, but that just makes me love this picture and him more.


My favorite thing at the State Fair.

I also miss experimenting.


Thanks for putting up with that. haha. Just felt like sharing.

Baby Sawyer!

I'm finally blogging up to date!! How exciting!! This is baby Sawyer. He was born on the 19th of December...a Christmas baby! You may remember that I JUST posted his mom's "maternity" shoot not two weeks ago, and this guy had already arrived! Oh well. I took these shots when he was just four days old. He was such a great sport for his first (of many) photoshoots. I am really looking forward to watching this little guy grow!

Big sister, Kennedy!

LOVE the monkey hoodie!






Kennedy was still getting used to this new addition:-D

But she's a good big sis!


The next three are my favorite! Contentment:-D

His daddy painted the wall scene... so neat!



Reindeer feet!

"I'm gonna punch you!"

Jill had always told me that when she had another baby, she wanted to use the star basket...

The McCutchen Family!

This adorable crowd is the McCutchen family! I shot their family portraits right before Christmas. It was a chilly day at Mordecai, but the good thing was that it was empty! So we pretty much had the run of the place, which is always nice! This little family is gearing up for some amazing things, and it was very cool to hear all about it. It was such a joy to shoot them! Here are some that I thought really captured their family well!



The boys!

The girls!



Leaf play!

She thought it was fun to put the leaves on herself!

She's super cute!

Smiley baby! love it!




He's just too cute for words!


I love this one. Sweet:-)




I wish you guys all the best!