Wednesday, October 24, 2007

looking up


looking up
Originally uploaded by emster214
Well, I think fall has finally arrived. I've been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, but with our rain showers today came a cold front. Winter here we come... ugh. It's been one of those days where I feel like I won't be warm again until next May.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Day 29


Day 29
Originally uploaded by emster214
Someone asked me this evening what day I was on, and I was thinking it was like day 27 or something. I just now realized that I only have ONE DAY LEFT of my 30 day photo project. Wow, it all went by so quickly.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Day 28


Day 28
Originally uploaded by emster214
As I near the end of my photo project, I feel like I am getting more and more desperate for new and original ideas. I know that photographing matchsticks is probably one of the least original things I could do, but I tried...

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Day 27


Day 27
Originally uploaded by emster214
I ate at Cracker Barrel tonight, which was nice for something different. (I don't go there too terribly often.) But they have these addicting little games on the tables you can play with while you wait. I finally solved this one... after about 15 tries.... yikes...

I'm almost a bit sad to say my photo project is nearing an end. I have three days left in my designated thirty, and I must say, I've been quite impressed with the response. I went from having about zero people reading my blog on a regular basis to having close to four. Maybe. That's a generous estimate. :-) It's got me thinking about other possible photo projects I can undertake for next month. Maybe.

Any ideas??

Day 26


Day 26
Originally uploaded by emster214
A wedding on a Monday? Sounds crazy, but that's what it was. The couple wanted to get married in a pretty cool playhouse place, but the only day it was closed was Monday. So Monday it became...

The ceremony was a little different, but I liked it. They had two different poetry readings, and a great soloist who sang from up on the balcony of the playhouse. Cool stuff.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Day 25


Day 25
Originally uploaded by emster214
Can anyone tell me if these are alpacas or llamas? I've googled it, but so far the only real differences I've read between the two are height and ear shape. (And the texture of their fiber, but that was hard to tell because they looked pretty well shaved to me.) But based solely on ear shape and stature , maybe the little guy on the right is an alpaca and the other two llamas??

For some reason when I look at this photo, I think of the three wise men...


This over-achiever was hamming it up for the camera. Which (I'm not gonna lie) I loved, because I think I got another image for my farmyard/barnyard noses calendar. Those of you who know me know that I talk about making a noses calendar with all of the animal noses I've shot over the past few years. (I think I'm up to about 6 different animals now.) So nobody go stealing my idea cuz it WILL happen one of these days!!

Anyway, the shy guy behind him cracks me up, because it kinda seems like he wants to get in on the fun too, but he's too scared.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Day 24


Day 24
Originally uploaded by emster214
I went to the Andre Viette Daylilly and Wine Festival in Fishersville, VA, today. There were absolutely gorgeous gardens and flowers, not to mention a TON of arts and crafts and wine vendors. It was way fun, but a difficult place for pictures just because I didn't spend a whole lot of time near the flowers, AND it was quite bright and sunny most of the time. (I grabbed this shot in the shade.)

Friday, July 20, 2007

Day 23


Day 23
Originally uploaded by emster214
A get-together at my cousins' house yielded this image... a tiki torch candle thingy at night...

It has become more of a habit for me to carry around my camera everywhere I go. As I evaluate myself as the project nears an end, I think I've actually sort-of accomplished a few of the goals I set out to accomplish. Cool stuff.

Day 22


Day 22
Originally uploaded by emster214
I went over to my friends' (Sara and Nathan) house this evening, and they were kind enough to let me take a few pics of their son London as he was getting his bath. I'm loving the hair-do in this shot, and the classic London expression. Bathtubs are a great place to do portraits because of the wonderful white walls everywhere. I have to confess, this is my first ever naked-child-in-the-tub photograph.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Day 21


Day 21
Originally uploaded by emster214
Just driving around, looking for my photo as usual, and I happened upon this. The perfect fence for photographing at night with my lensbaby.

What I find amazing about this photo is that I didn't saturate it at all. I swear. Not a bit. The only photoshop tweaking I did was to adjust the levels and add a slight vignette.

A brief mid-project evaluation: Not to brag, but I am very pleased with my performance so far. I have only skipped ONE day so far, and I feel much closer to accomplishing my goals. I can't say I've shot anything extraordinary from this project, but I can say that I've shot some great things I would never have found otherwise. Bringing my camera everywhere with me is (slowly) becoming more of a habit. I feel (strangely) more self-satisfied when I am shooting things on a regular basis. And I certainly feel more accountable to this project due to my (very few) blog readers. If I take a crappy photo, I am ashamed to post it, and continually search for something to impress. I guess popular opinion is a good incentive for me after all. :-)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Day 20


Day 20
Originally uploaded by emster214
This was one of those days I had my camera with me when I wanted it. (This seems to be happening more and more lately - a nice result of this photo project.) I went to eat with my cousins tonight, and parked outside the restaurant was this firetruck. I liked how the coat and helmet were just sitting inside (and the window was down - nice!) I realize this is not an award-winning photograph, but who knows when I'll be able to be that close to a firetruck again. So I was glad to have my camera.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Day 19


Day 18
Originally uploaded by emster214
Yay! I'm finally caught up with posting all of my previous days. Now it should stay pretty current through the rest of the month. I really can't believe that I'm going on Day 20!! This whole month has just flown by.

Anyway, I made a batch of snickerdoodles..... yum! Okay, well I can't claim all the credit because my mom did some of the work. Let's be honest... probably more work than I did.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Day 18


Day 18
Originally uploaded by emster214
So yesterday, my mom and I hiked (yes I hiked, believe it or not) down to this waterfall in Shenandoah National Park. Dark Hollow Falls, I believe it was called. The hike wasn't bad at all distance-wise (only about 1.7 miles) but the elevation gain was wicked. Okay, wicked for me at least, but I survived.

Day 17


Day 17
Originally uploaded by emster214
A nice picture (well I think it's nice at least, and I don't care if you don't agree with me on this one) of my mom. She is such an awesome person - I am truly blessed to have a mother like her. She stopped on her way back home to TN this weekend to visit me for a few days.

Day 16


Day 16
Originally uploaded by emster214
I actually went to the arboretum to try and find a photo for Day 16 (July 14). Found this little guy, who ended up being almost tame. I could approach him within about 3 feet before he scampered off. I'm not a big fan of squirrels but there was something about this one that was almost kinda cute. He's eating a piece of popcorn in this picture. (And no, I didn't feed him.)

Day 15


Day 15
Originally uploaded by emster214
I belatedly realized on Day 15 (July 13) that I hadn't yet taken a photo and it was almost pretty much night out already. As you can see, the results are not so great. Photos like these will encourage me to find better stuff to shoot because I'm a little embarrassed of how bad this is.

Day 14 (July 12)


Day 14
Originally uploaded by emster214
An interesting view on some church doors here in Harrisonburg. It's been hard getting back and not having all the awesome mountains and scenery everywhere to shoot. These last 15 days are going to be much more difficult than the first 15...

Day 13

Well I'm ashamed to say I took my first mulligan on this day (July 10.) It was a day full of traveling - I spent ALL of it on airplanes and in airports. That's no excuse, I know, but I didn't take a single shot. I guess that's not too bad... I made it thirteen days so far!

Day 12


Day 12
Originally uploaded by emster214
A scene along the side of the road on my drive back from Montana to Washington. I just couldn't get over all of the beautiful scenery.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Day 11


Day 11
Originally uploaded by emster214
I spent an entire day in Glacier National Park on Sunday, July 8, doing nothing but driving and hiking around. It was awesome. There were fabulous views like this one everywhere I turned. Waterfalls, streams, mountains, trees... spectacular stuff.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Day 10


Day 10
Originally uploaded by emster214
Day 10 of this photo project was Saturday, 7/7/07. I spent the lucky sevens day driving from Coeur d'Alene, ID, to Glacier National Park in Montana. SOOOO incredible. It was gorgeous. I had an awesome time just sitting on the pebble beach on the edge of the lake staring at the scenery.

Day 9


Day 9
Originally uploaded by emster214
Ah yes, a photo from the day of the wedding. Lera and AJ were such a great couple. They were fun and friendly, which made my job much more pleasant. It was so easy to tell how much they love each other, which was really refreshing. AND they were up for trying any of my ideas, even in the scorching heat.

I had plenty of great photos to choose from for my day 9 shot, and I'm not saying this one's my favorite, but I do like it. I think it's nice for something a little bit different than your traditional rings shot. Thoughts??

Oh, and by the way, I'm having serious computer problems (as in my computer won't recognize my external hard drive and wouldn't even start this morning) so I'll be in and out of blogging for the next few days until I get it all figured out. But no worries for you wedding people - I have everything backed up elsewhere!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Day 8


Day 8
Originally uploaded by emster214
I tagged along and shot a few things while Stacie did her sister's bridal portraits. Stacie is a friend of mine and an awesome photographer, so I was a little intimidated shooting her sis' wedding. I loved this totally unscripted moment though, when the bride crossed her feet to mirror her shoes. Nice!

Day 7


Day 7
Originally uploaded by emster214
As some of you know, I spent the 4th of July traveling to Spokane, WA, renting a car, and driving to Coeur d'Alene, ID. I went to photograph a wedding on Friday. I got there Wednesday evening and went up to watch the fireworks over the lake at the Coeur d'Alene resort. Pretty place. Anyway, this is Lera and AJ, the couple who got married, watching the fireworks together.

More stories and photos to follow...

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Day 6


Day 6
Originally uploaded by emster214
Well I was originally planning on taking a photo of my neatly-packed suitcase for my Day 6 image, but then I looked out my living room window and saw this. We had another thunderstorm this afternoon, and the sun came out right afterwards. I thought the way the water pooled up on my freshly-stained deck and the way the sun left shadows made for a nice patterned image.

I leave for Idaho, Washington, and Montana tomorrow, so I'll still be taking my photos of day, but they probably won't get posted until I get back next week.

Day 5


Day 5
Originally uploaded by emster214
A shot with my lensbaby, taken in my cousins' front yard.

This project is harder than I thought. I'm already struggling to find unique things and unique angles and I'm only on the first week. I think it is (so far) successful in one of my aims: it truly is making me look for photos ALL the time. It's hard to find time to just go out and shoot (especially after a long day at work) and this forces me to find new things in my everyday routine.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Day 4


Day 4
Originally uploaded by emster214
Today was such a great day for some much-needed R&R. Jamie and I laid by the pool for a considerable portion of the day, just reading our books and chatting. The weather was soooooo perfect for it.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Day 3


Day 3
Originally uploaded by emster214
I visited my friend in D.C. this weekend, and we managed to make it up to Baltimore on Saturday. This image was taken from the top of the World Trade Center Observation Tower in Baltimore, cropped considerably, and rotated 180 degrees to make the shadows right-side up. My idea for this shot was inspired by Vince Laforet's spectacular ice skating image which completely blows mine out of the water. Of course, he gets to use a helicopter, whereas I have to make do with an all-enclosed observation tower. The complaint I have about my own photo is that I only brought my 50mm lens and my fish-eye with me, so I had to take this photo much farther away than I wanted. I'm afraid I lose a good deal of sharpness and resolution with the severe cropping. But now I guess I'll know what to do differently for next time.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Day 2


Day 2
Originally uploaded by emster214
Lucky... or not. Just an ordinary lotto ticket.

I'll be back with more after this weekend. I am headed up to D.C. to visit a friend and (hopefully) find a few more interesting photos.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Day 1 - June 28


Day 1
Originally uploaded by emster214
Today was a tad stressful for me, so I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to finding something interesting to take pictures of. BUT, I am committed to this project for a month, and I figured I sure can't quit on the first day. After all, I have at least one reader to hold me accountable. Thanks Jamie!

So I was driving around, trying to wind down from a hectic day, and it started raining. The neat part about it, though, was that the sun was still shining off in the distance. I came across an empty gravel lot where a large pool of water had collected. I parked my car and sat there for a few minutes, just staring at the rain dripping into this oddly beautiful puddle. What a great reminder - to see that beautiful things can come from a nasty gravel puddle on a rainy day.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Photo Project: Rules and Goals

Wow, so I've been looking back over some of my previous posts from, well, almost two years ago now. I've noted the steady decline in my readers, the clear decline in my quality, and the obvious decline in my posts. What conclusions am I left with? I have been a horrible blogger. I have no hope in trying to regain my once-loyal fan base, but I do have hope for the future of my blog.

Along with the installation of my new cable Internet, I also acquired a few new ideas. One of which is a 30-day photo project, creatively titled "My Photo of the Day" project.

I hereby pledge to take (AND post!) at least one photo a day for the next 30 days. Here are my rules:

1. I can use any sort of camera, any sort of lens.
2. While I do have to take a picture every day, I don't have to post once a day, although that would be ideal. (This rule was constructed with my upcoming trip next week in mind.)
3. I am not allowed to post two too-similar pictures, even if they were taken on different days.
4. I am allowed 3 mulligans - or exemptions - from 3 days during the month if something unforeseen comes up. I will do everything in my power not to use them.
5. Begin date: June 28. End date: July 27. Exactly 30 days.

Here are my goals for this project:

1. To discipline myself to be constantly searching for photos and photographic opportunities.
2. To stretch myself by meeting new people and venturing outside of my comfort zone.
3. To become in touch again with the thing that I love, photography - not bogged down by everyday chores and routine.
4. To find the extraordinary in my ordinary life.
5. To generate new ideas and further develop my creativity.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

change?

Well God certainly has a sense of humor.

I'm not sure a broken right wrist and the possibility of surgery was what I had in mind in my last post when I expressed a desire for change, but that's what I got.

It'll be awhile before I ask for any more change.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

change

Starting this year has been hard for me.

I look back on the past 23 years and I am suddenly very afraid that my life has become stagnant. 2006 was the first year since 1983 that things haven't changed significantly for me. When you're little, life is full of changes - eating solid food, crawling, walking, potty-training, speaking, writing, starting school, reading, etc etc etc. Just when you think you have being a kid under control, you have to learn how to be a teenager. Your body changes, your friends change, you learn how to drive, and how to be a general pain in the butt. But it doesn't stop there - suddenly you're whisked away to college where you have another solid four years of change. Moving into and out of dorms, new roommates, a whole new set of friends, new diet, new classes - a whole new lifestyle.

Anyway, I've been out of school now just shy of two years. The first year was satisfying - completing an internship, starting a new job, living in a new place. The second year was fine too - I finally felt like I had a chance to catch up and take a breather; I had an opportunity to start this thing called the rest of my life.

But now, as I look out on the year 2007, I'm craving that change. That sense of something new and exciting to look forward to, another landmark in my life. And I don't see it.

I guess the realization I'm coming to is that now, at this point in my life, I must create the change for myself. It's not going to simply happen anymore. I have to make it happen.

I'm gonna work on that.

It seems like when you get accustomed to change, change becomes the norm. A sudden lack of change, then, is a huge change.