The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles :: NY

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. – Aristotle

So often, my first instinct is to reach for the wide angle lens and shoot a traditional landscape view.  But there are times when the details call so strongly to me that I know focusing on the whole scene is a waste of time.  This was one of those moments.

What I like about this view is that is leaves you guessing…there is no sense of scale.  There is just texture, and color and depth.

Those of you who follow my other social media may already know what this is…but for the rest of you…any guesses?  What do you think this is?

(I’ll give you a hint…it’s not Mars!)

Practice Makes Progress

Last weekend I spent some time reprocessing some older photos for a write-up on the Outbound.  As I looked through my older shots, I kept asking myself, “What the heck were you thinking??”

The shots themselves were solid compositions (in my opinion) but the edits were….well…not.  They were okay, but they didn’t reflect where I am as an artist today.

Art is funny that way, ya know?  Trends change.  The look that was popular a few years ago is most definitely not what we see now.  A few years ago, many of the landscapes you saw were run through HDR software, so they had very even tones across the board.  The highlights and deep shadows were pulled back, and the lack of dynamic light was over-shadowed by the fantastic colors.

The Vortex :: CT

Older version of the same image is significantly different based on both growing my editing skills and current trends.

Now, you’re seeing a trend for extremely dramatic light…lot of deep shadows during the magic hours.  Think Ryan Dyar or Marc Adamus.

Now, these shots are stunning.  But having watched the HDR revolution come and go, I can definitely see it’s a trend.  I have no idea how long it will last, before the next editing style gets its 15 minutes of fame.

Which brings up a good point, I think….  Your edits really can make or break an image.  It’s important to learn to use your camera in the field, but in today’s world, your edits can hold almost as much weight.  If you put together a well composed photo in good light, but the edit doesn’t highlight the strong points of the image, it will get overlooked in favor of an image with the more popular editing trends.

Now, if you make art for you…then you do what looks best to your eye!  But if you make art for a living…then you need to catch the buyers eye or you can’t put food on the table.

For me personally, I strive for a photo with dynamic, molded light.  I don’t often go so far as to create surreal images, but rather, I’ll try to enhance the light as it falls normally. Molded light is…well…my newest trend. 😉

The shot above was taken at Enders Falls in CT.

For more information about the edit and/or classes, contact me at seespotsphoto at yahoo dot com.

Also, if you’re an iPhone/iPad user, check out my newest article on seeing in Black and White in issue 9 of Light and Landscape magazine.

The Mountains Are Calling…

The Mountains Are Calling :: NH

The mountains are calling and I must go.

Warmer weather is coming. Adventures are close on its heels. I can’t wait. 🙂

So many of you have been looking for an update on the soon-to-be book. We have officially started formatting (first 4 chapters are done-done!) so hopefully we will be prepping for a release soon. There will be some fun hoopla surrounding the release, but you need to get our newsletter to be part of it. 🙂 Sign up for that here!

Poetry of the Earth

Poetry of the Earth

And he showed me things

Many beautiful things,

That I hadn’t thought to explore.

They were off my path,

So I never had dared.

I had been so careful,

I never had cared.

 

This is an image of Crawford Notch, in New Hampshire taken last fall on a scouting trip with my photo partner in crime (partner in photo?) David Pasillas. There is something very powerful and empowering about just exploring, finding beautiful spaces and the capturing memories. As I said in a recent interview with Laura Macky, I wonder how long some of these spaces will be around and I feel so grateful that I am able to see and experience them before they change, for better or (more likely) worse.

 

The sky was full of movement that day, opening and closing windows between the clouds. I took a few versions of this over the course of perhaps 15 minutes, and the highlights of the landscape were significantly different for each.

 

It wasn’t the golden hour, or the deep shadows of blue hour…but watching the light dance across the scene was its own brand of magic.

Hope Rises

Hope Rises

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius

 

In the news this past week, I’ve seen powerful images of the people of West Africa who have been devastated by ‘the Ebola’, NYC gripped with fear, polls suggesting we close our borders to countries in need (which is reactionary and virtually impossible to enforce in today’s international society), three separate attacks on the brave people in uniforms that keep the citizens of Canada and the US safe and the pain of another community affected by a school shooting.  CNN is a total bummer.

 

With media being what it is, and the state of our world being what it is….it is so easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in the face of all of the negativity.  “ISIS!  Ebola!  and YOU! ” It’s easy to fall prey to the fear.  If you let it, fear will drown out the voice of logic that tells you not to worry yet.  You’ll want to close yourself off, wall yourself into a little room and wait until the problems disappear.  And that’s just in the global community.  What about your own personal life?  Your own problems?  Work is tough, or worse yet, work is slow.  Your son needs braces.  Your cat just passed away.  Your debt seems insurmountable….  RUN!  Run away!  If I ignore it long enough, it will go away, right?

 

Wrong.  In my experience, that rarely seems to work.  I’ve never known a problem to solve itself.  At least…not in a way that favors me. haha

 

Every day we wake up is a blessing.  Every morning that we draw breath is an opportunity to improve ourselves and the life around us.  Yes, the world is full of problems.  Yes, our day to day is full of problems.  But if you focus on the problems instead of the solution, you’ll never rise above your current situation.

 

At one point, a few years back, I came to a cross roads in my own life.  My problems and anxiety piled up.  There were moments where facing anything except the inside of my eyelids seemed monumental.  But I had a realization.  In the grand scheme of things, my life wasn’t so bad – I had a job, which some people couldn’t say.  I had a roof over my head, which some people would give anything for.  I was a free female living in a country that recognizes basic human rights.  I told myself, “it could definitely be worse.”  I started to focus on the things I did have and that moment, when I chose to be the master of my own life, changed everything.

 

It didn’t happen all at once, of course.  First it was changing my thoughts.  I focused on the positives and suddenly I didn’t feel like I was drowning.  Before long, I began to feel empowered.  Dreams?  Pffft.  Like problems that don’t solve themselves, dreams don’t come to pass without work.  I didn’t have dreams, I had goals.  Once I began seeing what my hard work could accomplish, it became easier to see that the changes in my own life were affecting the people around me.  It was easy to see that strength and generosity walk side by side.  Every part of my life became better and the people around me benefited because of the power of hope.  Seeing that there was room for positive vibes in my life gave me the strength to shape my life into something special.  I just had to be willing to be the change I wanted to see.

 

Be strong.  Take another step.  Believe in yourself.  Be loud.  Be compassionate.  Let’s shape our future – the world’s future – into something special.

 

Every day that the sun rises, hope rises.  Shine on. ❤

 

This image was taken in Acadia National Park while out exploring with my friends, Mike Mezuel, Mital Patel and David Pasillas.  They are rad dudes, and inspiring photographers.  Please check their work out.  And if you aren’t already doing so, make sure to follow along on my instagram or twitters or the facebooks…a lot of behind the scene shots from these sort of adventures end up there.  Like that time we….oh…nevermind.  *look away* 😉

Hint of Red (October)

Hint of Red (October)

 

heh heh… See what I did there? 😉

 

This is another image taken in the White Mountains in New Hampshire a few weeks back.  As far as photos go, this is a pretty standard waterfall image, but I did spend a little time in the editing process trying to mold the light….a lesson I learned from David Pasillas.  This image, along with several upcoming shots that you’ll see (once we edit them haha) will be part of our super secret project that hasn’t been announced yet.  But it will be.  (And we really hope you love it!)

 

In the meantime, thanks for your continued support.  If you like the shot, share it.

 

xo

Shannon

The Forest Through the Trees

The Forest Through the Trees

“There is always music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.” -Minnie Aumonier

That is the kind of sky I live for.  A natural symphony.  A masterpiece.  The kind of light that makes anything look beautiful.  Those few precious moments, just before the sun falls below the horizon, lighting up the sky and the forest with the most intense shades of rainbow…

*sigh*

The editing process for the images I took this day was touch and go.  I wasn’t sure if this photo was any good.  I wasn’t sure what I would ever do with it (I have a number of images sitting on hard drives like that) but a few things made me decide to publish this.

First, I was feeling very inspired by some of Lars Van De Goor’s beautiful forest images.  The quality of the light and his edits are gorgeous.

Second, I had some wonderful feedback and encouragement from a loving boyfriend and a good friend.  There is a lesson to be learned there.  Always surround yourself with positive vibes. ……Ain’t nobody got time for haters. haha

 

10 Tips for a Successful Photography Start-up

In Wildness

In Wildness is the preservation of the World. -Henry David Thoreau

 

When I saw that quote, I felt it in my bones.  So often, my heart cries for the wild, to be out among the trees and splashing in streams.  But while that sense of adventure sustains my soul, it’s not what my business needs to succeed.  And that, my friends, is one of the major obstacles for us creative brain types.

 

Success as a photographer requires a few things.  First, you must be willing and able to embrace your artistic nature, to work on your skills and to learn from critiques.  Second, you need to suppress your artistic nature and embrace the ideas of organization, planning and structure.  And finally…throw in a dash of drive, perseverance and belief in your worth to round out your business plan.  Afterall, the qualities needed to hike 10 miles over two days in bad weather, to endure physical discomfort and to stay focused (all of which happened to get the above image) are the same qualities that will allow you to keep your eyes forward, looking to your next goal or milestone even when you run into problems, mistakes and failed attempts.

 

Alright, lets explore these ideas, shall we?

1) Define your success:

The first step to success is to define what success means to you.  If your aspirations stop at “making some money doing what you love”, then so be it.  If you plan on reaching for the stars, well, I applaud you…set attainable goals for yourself and build on each baby step.  I promise you, no matter what path you choose, there will be many people that will question your methods, your pricing and your judgment.  Ultimately, it’s up to you to sort out the useful suggestions from the criticisms that will pull you away from your dreams (while trying to shove you into someone else’s definition of success).

2) Remember your roots:

You got into <insert your art genre here> for a reason, right? The willingness to create is a wonderful thing, and isn’t to be taken lightly.  Having a creative outlet can enrich your life in so many ways, and remembering why you do what you do can help sustain you when times are tough. You will make mistakes, and it will suck.  Remember, that’s part of the learning process.  Don’t let too much pride or a stubborn nature become another obstacle to your success.  It’s not easy to open your eyes and ears to useful critiques (key word being useful…see #1) and grow based on that feedback.  But grow you must if you’re looking to stand out in a heavily saturated market.

3) Invest in yourself:

Growth can’t happen without effort on your part.  Find a workshop you can afford and attend it.  Watch youtube videos on the latest editing technique.  Read blog posts and tutorials on how to achieve what you want to achieve.  Study up on the newest whatever it is…giant ring light, light painting, luminosity masks…etc.  There will always be more to learn, and making the effort to do so will show in the quality of your work.  That is important because without a solid portfolio and understanding of what you bring to the table, it’s very difficult to understand your worth and sell yourself to a client.

4) Be thoughtful and organized:

The difference between having a dream and having a goal is planning.  A dream is a nebulous half formed idea that you hope will happen to you someday.  A goal is something you work towards, step by laborious step, until you’ve achieved and moved on to the next goal.  To reach those milestones, you need plans.  And lists.  And a calendar.  And lots and lots of sticky notes.

For example, yesterday’s to-do included…
~ Between 10-11 am = promote blog tour project on Twitter, business Facebook page and in a Facebook group.  On twitter, use link to blog tour page.
~ 3ish pm = Twitter post attaching blog tour photo to catch people’s eye
~ Between 4-5pm = post blog tour image on Instagram, tag someone likely to re-share.  Link Instagram to personal Facebook page so friends and family see to post
~ write out tomorrow’s blog, set release between 10-11
~ plan tomorrow’s promo… market on wordpress, link new blog to a Facebook group (landscapes, nature, etc), #tbt on personal page with old trip/image to promote
~Monday post newest blog shot to 500px, pinterest, and 500px Facebook group at 8a, 10a or 4-5p
~Next Tuesday, post about art hanging at Francesca’s restaurant in Canton, CT.  Tag them on FB to increase views.

5) Invest your time and resources wisely:

So…why do I choose to post on social medias around 8a, 10a or between 4-5p?  Because our generation checks their phones and social medias before they go to work, when their attention starts to wander at work and they need a coffee break, and then as soon as they get out of work but before they are home and start the routine of picking up children, cooking dinner, doing homework, etc.  Posting at times when my target market won’t see what I have to offer is a waste of time.  Furthermore, I’ve read that some social medias track people who spam their feeds and write them out of the algorithms.  No idea if that’s true, but it helps ease my conscience about not posting non-stop. haha

Why do I choose not to post on Fridays?  In my experience, unless you’re posting early, you won’t get much feedback.  Once 5pm hits, people are focused on their weekend plans, not what pretty picture you have to offer that day.  If I do post, it’s generally a fluff post or a personal post.  And yes, those personal posts are also work.  Your market wants more than just a nameless, faceless artist in their feed.  Art is an emotional experience and you want people to invest in you so they eventually invest in your art.

Are you starting to see what I mean about investing wisely?  It’s not just financial advice.  Keep track of what does and doesn’t bring you results.  Cull the useless stuff, be consistent about the stuff that works and be on the look out for new ways to put yourself out there.

6) Be bold.  Be personable.:

As I said, personality counts here.  If you have two photographers of equal skill to work with, and one of them is an arrogant jerk, or a socially awkward weirdo, or completely aloof, disorganized and/or never returns your emails and phone calls… while the other is funny, nice, tries to please the customer, communicates well and in a timely fashion….  Well, I know who I’d choose.

You can NEVER have too many people in your corner.  Make friends.  Network.  Enjoy your peers…it’s part of the ride.

Often times, you are selling yourself as much as you are selling your vision and creations.  Be bold.  Introduce yourself.  Ask how you can become a part of their team.  Take chances.  Run a class or a workshop.  Build your resume.  Believe in what you have to offer.  And remember, price yourself accordingly.

7) This is a business, remember?:

Believe in your work.  You have spent countless hours studying youtube videos and attending lighting seminars.  You have dropped thousands of dollars on equipment, insurance, travel, etc…remember those expenditure sheets you fill out during tax season?  They hurt to look at, don’t they.  You have invested in yourself so that, in the end, you can get paid for your work.

For most new entrepreneurs, the goal is simply to cover your costs as you build a portfolio and your skill sets.  You will read a million blog posts about not giving away your work for free, about undervaluing yourself and the effect that has on the market, about how you paint yourself into a corner when you charge less than other professionals think you should…and I’m not going to say they are wrong.  There is evidence to support all of what you’ve read.  But everyone has to start somewhere, and I’m not going to judge you for charging an amount appropriate to your skill level.  What I will do, though, is encourage you to grow your rates as you grow your skill.

Yes, chances are you will lose clients who are used to paying the lesser rate.  But as you lose them, you will be gaining a new market.  Don’t be afraid to ask for more money if your skills and experiences can support what you’re asking.  Because…did I mention this is a business?  (Or, at the very least, an expensive hobby that you can convince others to help support? lol) Time is money and you should be compensated for yours.

8) Specialize:

I have news for you.  You’re probably not good at everything all of the time.  How can you be?  To really learn and focus on every aspect and genre within your art would require infinite amounts of time, talent and resources, which most people simply don’t have.  When you think of it in those terms, it seems unrealistic to expect to really that you will excel as a fashion photographer, landscape photographer, newborn photographer, astrophotographer and live concert photographer.  More likely, if you see one person offering workshops in all of those areas, they are excellent at one or two and passable at the rest.  (I will admit, there are a few people who are truly gifted and do well in multiple specialties…I can think of one guy off the top of my head who has his hands in a lot of pots and always makes quality images…but that kind of talent is rare.)

So, rather than make passable images that blend into the crowd of a million other passable images, find your thing and shine.  For example…I am primarily a landscape kind of gal.  If you’ve looked at my portfolio, you know this.  I am also a wedding photographer whose skills run to details shots, seeing bigger picture shot set-ups, organization, and couples portraits.  My second is an amazing candid photographer…I am not.  I know this, so for the most part, I rely on her for those shots and for her ability to manage the crowd and make children laugh for their portraits.

I am, speaking of, also 150% NOT a newborn shoot kind of gal and I’m okay with that.  (I’m afraid I’ll break them!)  But my second shooter…well…she just loves every part of newborn shoots and it shows in her work.  When we pick up a baby shoot, I don’t even bring my camera.  I’ll just hold the reflectors and hand her some props, thank you very much.

I know my skills sets and while I work to improve the rest of what I lack, I don’t expect to specialize in everything.  And again…I’ve come to terms with it.

9) Diversify:

Yeah yeah, contradictory, I know.  But really, what I mean is diversify your income streams.  Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.  Put on clinics.  Sell your prints.  Get hired for events.  Have an online store where you sell pillows and how-to-photography books.  If one source of revenue dries up, at least you won’t be claiming bankruptcy.

10) Be grateful:

Your attitude about life affects everything about your life.  Have goals, work hard but remember to appreciate how far you’ve already come or you will drown in a sea of negatives….all of the goals you haven’t met yet, the missteps along the way, the measuring yourself against other artists, etc.  Gratitude will go a long way towards giving you perspective and keeping you humble (and personable!)

and finally…the bonus…

11) You are you.  Don’t try to be someone else.:

At some point in our careers, we all mimic another person’s style because we admire their work or we envy their success…or some reason in between that I haven’t thought of.  That is a normal step in developing your own “signature thing”.  The key is to be conscious of it and try not to linger in someone else’s footprint for too long.  You will never be them and comparing yourself to them and their success is a dangerous path leading to a downward spiral.  Instead of chastising yourself for not doing what someone else does to the degree that they do it, recognize what it is about their style that you like and then incorporate it into your work, putting your own twist on it, making it your own.  Then, people can look at your stuff and wonder, “How did he/she do that??  It’s awesome!”

 

So, there you go.  11 tips to help get your business mind right.  It’s not a complete list…and if I put my mind to it, I might be able to think of more…but then, what would I write about in future blog posts? haha  It’s also, most definitely, not the only way of doing things but it does highlight a lot of the lessons I’ve learned based on my experiences.  There is no substitute for your own personal experiences, but maybe, just maybe you’ll find something on this list that will help you grow your passion too. 🙂

Oh…and as for the photo at the top?  You know…that pretty little header to lead off all of these tips?  That is a view of Tuckerman’s from Hermit Lake on Mount Washington.  It was a dark and stormy weekend all around, but every now and again, the clouds would break and the sun would light our way. 🙂

Grow Old With You

Grow Old With You

I want to make you smile, whenever you’re sad. Carry you around when your arthritis is bad. All I wanna do, is grow old with you…

Yesterday I spent a little time cleaning up the to-do list.  I worked on some edits, set up some meetings, tended my social media gardens and FINALLY finished a new logo watermark.
Now I know, people tend to be pretty split on the watermark issue.  For a long time I never marked the images, mostly because I never got around to putting together a logo I liked.  Then I came up with this idea…probably about 2 or 3 months ago, thought it was super genius…and didn’t have time to follow up.  haha

New Logo!

So…what made me decide to finally mark the shots?  Well, two things.  First, I want there to be some way for people who are interested to be able to find me, as images often get separated from their captions…. And second, I wanted to make an attempt to at least show that this is a product of my heart and soul, in case push ever came to shove.  It’s easy to remove for someone determined to do so, but at least I can tell people I tried. 😉

Now, what I didn’t want to do was make an obnoxious, obtrusive, glaringly obvious watermark that detracted from the images.  I wanted something that had a way to find me (website), a personal touch (that is, in fact, my handwriting at the top) and still looked polished.

Not too bad for someone who is awful at graphic design, eh?

Now, as for the shot itself…  3 exposure manual blend, luminosity masks mostly. The image was taken in Bolton, CT at one of my favorite parks for engagement shoots. These trees reminded me of a photo of my grandparents, grandma folded into grandpa’s arms, looking off into the distance together.  Sunsets like that just sing romance. ❤

What’s Your Thing?

 

Moments of Light and Dark

Finding your photographic style is a major part of developing yourself as an artist, developing your brand and defining your market.  It’s also something that many of us struggle with.  I know I certainly do.

Let’s start with a few examples, shall we?

For those of you who love HDR, I think it would be safe to say that Trey Ratcliff has built a solid HDR brand for himself.  When you see a Trey photo, you generally know it’s a Trey photo.  Bajillions (approximately, give or take) of photographers bracket…but not all HDR is created equal. Trey has an editing style unique to him.

The obvious B&W iconic photographer is Ansel Adams.  Strong landscape compositions and well defined tonal ranges, as well as his involvement in the National Parks systems made him a recognizable figure with a recognizable feel to his images.

When I think of light painting and luminosity masks I think of Ryan Dyar.  I know he didn’t invent the technique, but he ran with it and his images are evocative and emotional because of it.

I recently ran across an Instagram feed of two nomadic lady photographers who have style and branding down to an art.  (You can follow their adventures at www.ourwildabandon.com) Their images scream vintage and fill viewers with nostalgia.  The realities of road life may be difficult, but they market the hell out of the freedom of the open road and the joy of discovery.  They have even gone so far as to have distinctive poses for their images and a great witty yet friendly tone to their banter which makes them very likeable.  As with the others mentioned above, this may not be a unique style, but they wear it well. 🙂

So…now that we’ve had a little breakdown of what style means in a real life setting… its time to ask yourself, “What’s my thing?”

Are you set on saving the whales?  Are you an artist determined to emote through surrealism? Do you love deep shadows and solid highlights?  A clean symmetrical tapestry?  Square canvases? Good will and human spirit stories?

(In answer to your unasked question, yes, I associate all of those categories with a particular artist!  Because you know…it’s what they do and they’re damn good at it.)

It seems to me that while flexibility and the ability to cross photo genres is important for sustainability over the short term, defining who you are as an artist is an important step in long term success in today’s highly over saturated photo market.  To stand out, you need to find your thing and shine at it.

Shine on, my friends. 🙂

Ehhh…see what I did there?  Lighthouse photo?  Shine? Ehh?  Ehh?  The above photo was taken in New Haven.  Edited with luminosity masks, with some artistic license taken to remove some distracting items.  The antennae had to go, ya know??  Anyway…

Feel free to give us all a taste of your thing with a link to your portfolio in the comments and what your focus is!