I did a few photo walks with the Youth Centre photography group in March. Lake Tarawera, Hamurana, Tree Trust, Froude St.  Here is some highlights from those.

On a full on editing day, I was getting cabin fever. It started thundering and the colouring the sun and the stormy clouds produced looked amazing!  So I had to get out.  It was eerie.  Everything was so still.  Even the stream seemed to have stopped flowing.  The only sounds were the murmurings across the water of some kids playing in the sand.

So that was pretty much all the goings on behind the scenes in March 2014.  :D

Calico Jo

I find I get most of my photographic session inspiration from non photographic sources, e.g. storybook illustrations, artworks, poetry or lyrics.  I do like looking at photos though, and seeing new techniques I can experiment with.  I don't always use the techniques, but it is fun to play and try out new things.  

I watch any 'Next Top Model' series because I like seeing the photos, and the America's Next Top Model series playing in New Zealand at the moment is using 'Cinemagraphs'.  So I had to look those up to see how they were done and have a play around with them.  

Cinemagraphs are Gifs, but only part of the photo is moving.

I think the easiest 'how to ' online article was this one: http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/how-to-make-a-cool-cinemagraph-image-in-photoshop

So I've had two attempts.   The one above with Jessica and one at a maternity shoot.
It took me awhile to figure out how to tweak the photo contrast etc through the layers.  Also there was a lot of movement from the horse in Jessica's, so in my cinemagraph of her, I haven't made the tail move because it looked like it came off the horse.  What I'd need to do to fix that, is go through each layer and move each layer to match up correctly.

Not sure if I'd actually offer these to clients. I think it could come across a bit gimmicky.  It might depend on the type of shoot.  Fun playing around with it though.

If I want to see photos that are cool and out of the ordinary, I always stop by Brett Warren's website.  As I've said, I love storybook illustrations and his images definitely tell a story.
Brett Warren Photography Emporium

I also from time to time google or pinterest terms like "cool portraits" and see what comes up.  I recently spotted and am now following on flickr this talent: Jeen Na

I particularly like his landscapes over faces.

I might try a couple of landscape / face layering this April in playtime.  

Oh and if you like old artwork and vintage illustrations, go check out this website, you can start you own collection that you can use!  Rijksstudio

Calico Jo

I didn't realise I bought so much stuff until I took note of it........honest........
So this is justifying my purchases by relating it somehow to photography  :D

Music is essential when photo editing, brainstorming and creating storyboards.  Fully justified. 

Towards the end of 2013, I set a goal to try and organise myself a bit better.  Trying to balance life, homeschooling the boys, and a photography business gets tricky.  Things were a bit helter skelter last year, so I set about writing things down, putting things in order, scheduling, and taking snap shots as a type of journalling.  I found this really helpful, because once they were written down or on my computer, the ideas, plans, things to do, were no longer banging around in my head.  

I have taken a bit longer to get clients their photos, but I am no longer eating, breathing, 24/7 living photography and I actually think my photography is better for it.  So this 'Behind the Scenes' segment in my blog will be part of the process of writing things down and journalling.  

What actually goes on behind the scenes is quite a lot for one article so I'll divide it up:

• Life behind the camera
• Things I bought 
• Inspiration and Creation
• Walks with the camera

My impression of my March 2014: Weddings and Wanderings,
(and on a sad note, 3 sessions for NILMDTS)


Life behind the camera

I finished knitting a jumper..... and still haven't finished my husbands.

I have turned into a facebook grinch of late.  I don't enjoy it anymore.  I'm not even sure why.  So I started Google + and have had fun with the video hangouts.  I've found a lot of businesses are on there and using it, but not so much people in general.  My clients are still mostly using facebook.

So the next blog will be on the things I bought..... which will be tomorrow, as my lads are asking me 'what is for dinner?' which translates as 'I want dinner now'.

Family before Fotos! haha

Calico Jo

It was a summers evening in Hamurana, when I  photographed Jessica's Beauty Shoot.

Jessica does equestrian, so we had to include her horse, Amber.  So we chose the blue cheesecloth, and cut a couple of side slits so she could ride.  I had to climb up the big farm hill with the camera gear, but it was worth it.

xox
Calico Jo