Daughter Of The Earth

Gosh what a hippie title.

But it's true

For this specific shoot I had planned a very "hippie" style.
I wanted the warm golden glow of sunset as a backdrop to a beautiful open field, with the possibility of an old barn.
I had the perfect location in mind. However, as most things seem to go, the day I decided to shoot we were very pressed for time, and the location was a ways away. Not to mention it was an overcast day.

I decided to still try anyway, and when we were on our way I spotted a beautiful grove of these magnificent trees covered in gorgeous red leaves.
After a little convincing, we headed out on foot to the grove, and it was oh so worth it.

I love being able to do more personal photography so that I am free to experiment.

I am a huge fan of pictorialism. If you don't know what that is you should do a little research, because it is one of my favorite parts of photographic history.

I have always loved the idea of freelensing to achieve a pictorialist effect, and I toyed with that idea while doing this shoot.

After playing a bit, I am considering doing an entire shoot dedicated to freelensing. It definitely isn't easy, but if you have an idea of what you are trying to achieve, the end result is usually surprisingly successful.

These colors and the lighting, although not what I originally wanted, was perfect for the outcome. I was truly inspired by the things I saw and felt, and I hope to get out again soon to shoot another series of images.

Introduction & Such

"A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels,

in the deepest sense,

about what is being photographed"

-Ansel Adams

I remember that day so well.

The day I fell in love with the thing I have become so very passionate about.

My family and I, along with my grandparents, were going to no-man's land Utah to visit my aunt. I was young. 

We came up over a hill and to our right was a beautiful field of these gorgeous violet wild flowers. I asked my dad if I could borrow his camera, and the rest is history.

Ever since that day I have had such a deep love for photography. I have taken every class I could in high school, and college to help further my knowledge, and I soak up every learning opportunity like a sponge.

On my 17th birthday I got my very first camera, and haven't been without one since.

I. Love. It.

I grew up with an artist as a dad so I have been fully immersed in the art world my entire life. I always knew there was never a limit to what art could do for someone because of the things my dad taught me growing up.

For me, photography is an escape.

In the more recent years I have taken up portrait photography as a means to make some extra cash for my family.

Photography, in terms of being an escape for me, has dwindled.

I find myself getting caught up in the fact that everyone is getting cameras, and within a few weeks are starting up their own photography businesses.

I forget why I started doing this in the first place, and everything just becomes a competition.

Photography is no longer a release and a mode of relaxation for me.

My hope is that with this blog I will be able to rediscover myself photographically, and learn to not be so cynical of what the digital age (and pinterest) are doing to my business.

I want this blog to be all about my personal photography, what inspires me, and maybe even a tutorial or two.

The goal here is not to gain a lot of followers or likes, it is solely a way to get back to my roots and express myself artistically while possibly helping others along the way.