Travelin' About

So I'm making some progress at this freelancing stuff.  Did a little consulting at the Poughkeepsie Journal and wrote a story on Electric Windows 2010 , an artistic street festival that is happening next Saturday (7/31) in Beacon where 30 artists will be creating 8 x 12' paintings to be hung in an old blanket factory building for permanent display. (Below is a courtesy photo) I'm also writing an article on Getting Freelance Work for a Photography Forum called Photoenthusiast but, every time I write a suggestion, I am following through and following my own suggestions, so it's taking me a bit of time to complete it. For example, I recommended making a list of e-mail contacts to send a notice to, letting them know you are currently for hire. Got my list together - now to send the e-mail. I did get to shoot this week, too. My son-in-law wrote a play and the music for it based on the myth Persephone. He got an art grant and gathered some very talented folks together a...

"You don't take a photograph.... You make it."                                                            –Ansel Adams This seems truer than ever after taking a full day seminar with Scott Kelby on Lightroom 3 in NYC yesterday.  It was inspiring watching him make blah images pop.  Naturally I downloaded the free trial version today and can't seem to do any of the great things he did yesterday. Perhaps the free trial is missing some of the bells and whistles. The photo above needed only a little cropping as my post production work. I was blessed with a beautiful sunset and I like the silhouette effect I got as I approached the scene. I really like this image, although I remember that sun to be a much more vivid orange. It was a hazy day and I captured that, but the sun seemed to pop right out of the haze and I haven't found ...

7.12.10 Today is my first day of retirement - er, that is the first day of my life as professional photographer. It's kind of a mixed bag - I have so many ideas I want to pursue, yet I kind of feel like I'm on vacation. It's a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I have an agenda - declutter my office, mat and frame beach pictures to sell this weekend at LBI, make a wedding album to show my work, update the website, figure out how to use some new software, practice lighting techniques with some new equipment I purchased recently..... Oh dear, I've got more on my list than I'm going to be able to handle. I gave myself an assignment to start the new career off - photography my brother's family. Now THAT was a challenge! Even with a great deal of help, trying to get 5 people to smile at the same time was quite an effort. There are 3 I like: Even so, the baby, Brynn just doesn't look happy. I may have to do some cloning of heads. I did do a bit better just tr...