play with emotions

The eyes are the windows to the soul, or so they say, and it certainly is an affective way to convey a sense of immediate intimacy with your viewer. 

It is important, however, to remember that it isn't the only way.  Sometimes it's nice to step back and use other elements of your photo to help your audience explore whatever emotion you are trying to convey.

Such as contemplation~

 independence~

playfulness~

or determination~

Play with finding different feelings in your own photographs.  Close up portraits, beautiful eyes, and haunting stares are always nice, but when you step back a little you tell more of a story.  Because, after all, a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words.

~charlaine

Meet Andrea

Andrea Blanchette

Eagle River, AK

Shoot with: Canon 60d, Samsung Galaxy

Lens: 50mm, 85mm 

Instagram: blanchettephoto

I got my first DSLR in 2011 after having my baby girl. I love to capture everyday moments and am drawn to photographs that tell a story, evoke emotion, or have a quiet sort of intimacy to them. Photography has driven me to tap into my creative side, which is hard work for an analytical gal like me ;)

Capturing and Enjoying the Moments That Matter

Sometimes I get caught up in the moment and forget to take a snapshot.  I know there is a fine line here.  It's good to just enjoy the moment.  As long as, I'm not regretting the fact I didn't capture the moment at a later time.

This is what is so beautiful about an iPhone.  It doesn't take much to capture the moment and still enjoy it.

How I capture the moments that matter:

1.  I keep my camera app out.  Easily accessible.

2.  I use Photoshop app first to add light and reduce the noise. Then I use VSCO app next.

3.  Vignette to bring focus to your main subject.

4.  I always post mine to Instagram 

One of the problems of digital photography, or curse, is that we take a picture and then where does it go?  Sits on our computer?  Maybe it will get uploaded someplace on the web?  So, I add a bonus 5th step.

5. Every 3-4 months I take my Instagram feed and publish in a book.  I use the previous book to see where I left off.  Blurb allows you to pull directly from your Instagram feed and recently Artifact Uprising allows you to do this as well.

This is one of my favorite iPhone captures.  There were people all around and things were a little chaotic and I looked over and he was blessing his food and everyone around him.  It almost felt like I was intruding but it was too sweet.  I knew I would regret it later if I did not capture this.  That day I looked at the photo several times and it brought a smile to my face every time.

 My mom passed away six months ago and it has been hard on our family but most of all my dad.  His heart hurts constantly but he finds peace in talking about her and telling stories about her.  On this day my dad took us to a place that he and my mom would go out to eat at in Las Vegas.  He had just told me a story about my mom and then he drifted off in thought.  His expression displays so much. 

My husband loves seeing me in reading glasses.  He kept trying to get a shot of me but the light was never right.  I was sitting alone reading and I felt the light fall on my face.  I grabbed my phone and captured the moment. 

I feel it is important to find ourselves in our photography.  Our loved ones need it.  No matter how difficult it can be....get over it.

Point of View

Recently I’ve been thinking about point of view (POV) in photography. The same image can be photographed a multitude of ways and each can produce a drastically different photograph and will change how a viewer sees or feels about the image. 

As photographers we use all kinds of techniques to convey POV, including camera angle, selective focusing, framing, etc. Do we take the picture from above? down below? at eye level? How close do we get and what else do we allow in the frame? 

Some photographers seem to have a recurring POV that emulates across their work. I am still trying to find out what mine is, but I have found that the photos that resonate most with me are those that feel genuine and evoke some emotion. Quiet, reflective, dreamy, spontaneous, moody, "stolen moments"... or maybe that's just what I am feeling tonight! 

Do you tend to lean towards a particular POV? Shy away from or embrace specific camera angels? Cringe when too much of the picture is out of focus?  Etc? 

Thanks for letting me share my photography thoughts of the day!

~ Andrea

Taking a good look at me | Earth & Skye Photography | Marina Spooner

- Earth & Skye Photography | Marina Spooner

Recently, I was asked to take a photo that defined me.  Usually, when presented with this sort of task, I shy away.  Why do I do that?  There are so many people/photographers/writers/creative folk that have no problem with this.  This time, I took it on.  I could do this.

Let me start out saying that I'm a natural light photographer that predominantly shoots newborns, children, maternity and families.  

When I look at my own work, I can see pieces of me.

Pieces that can be interpreted into style.

My style.  

I find that I want my images to show emotion whether it is serenity, happiness or vulnerability.  I want them to show motion as well.  I don't work out of a studio so I don't want my images to look like they came from one.

So back to the image that defines me...

When I'm alone, with camera, I find myself searching for beauty.  It doesn't matter where I am.  If I'm at home, I'm looking how the light falls into the empty bedrooms.  How the colors change from morning to night. If I'm out, I like to watch the sun dancing in the trees and falling on strangers or objects. 

I lean toward the 'hauntingly' beautiful for my personal work.  I don't set out with that in mind, it just ends up that way.

What I find beautiful. 

My son in the bathtub.

Homemade soup lit up by the late afternoon sun.

Striking colors.

Playing until the last drop of sun.

Silly games that are bursting with love.

And finally.  The image that defines me...

It is personal, vulnerable, mysterious and haunting.

It is me.

-Marina                                          

Come visit me and say hello on FaceBook

Meet Jamie

Jamie Eyre
Camera:
Lenses:

Blog or Website:
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33119197@N03/
Instagram:  @jamieeyrephotography

Bio:
Photography saved my life. It reminded me there is beauty in everything if you only look for it. I am grateful for that every day.