i believe photographs are depreciating with every moment.let's defy it with some weird images.
self portrait circa 2018 from our home on queen anne hill, seattle.
we don't stop to ponder one image
at a time
instead, we hungrily consume fifty
in a minute
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most of us are seeking to live slower more thoughtful lives
well i say we ought to bring these intentions into our screen spaces as well, these spaces we occupy so often.
slow down the current of social media garbage + noise you cannot but slow down your individual intake you can
double exposure photograph* of my friend and often beautifully obliging model, lareesa. this was at rattlesnake park in 2019 i believe. the luminous beauty of it all is she was pregnant! and i photographed her and her sweet one near similarly beautiful water not long ago <3
this image is kind of the logo i think for my white guilt podcast episode. i have only made a sneak peek episode, and part one of white guilt. i recorded part two with my friend some time ago but have struggling to create space to put it together. i've been in deep reflecting mode. so i feel this is preventing me from putting any words out there that are too rash - i want to create something that speaks beyond my own wisdom. so that, perhaps, my spirit of anti-racism, may ignite another's pursuit of their own anti-racist spirit. it's very beautiful - truly i believe i love my soul now far more as i work to rid myself of lies, and shed, slowly and methodically, the white fragility which holds me from holding myself accountable.
(speaking in yoda because we're watching star wars right now lol.
damn han solo was sexist. keeps calling princess leia "sister" and saying things like "i'm not taking any more advice from a woman!"
goodness! we all internalized so much garbage.)
take care to breath the air of truth, too.
read a book - not your social media feed.
this photograph is a long time favorite. my sister and i put together a styled shoot in minneapolis when we were living there. the theme was "love like the sea" and i wrote a poem to go along with it. we worked with incredible artist hanna knutson to create two paintings in line with this vision of love like the sea. i was so in love with the gracefully playful movement that we were able to capture during this shoot - whimsical comes to mind.
this justice focused community library has some wonderful curated picks i'm slowly making my way through as book budget allows!!
https://bookshop.org/lists/estelita-s-library
this weird photograph is from a wedding. it's a reflection of one of the flower girls in a mirror that was placed on the wall near the dance floor. i think she is equally parts beautiful and terrifying in this image. as it's halloween, i ought to share it, i figured.
i really love this photograph. i don't know how i haven't shared it before. weird and eery eh? but also timeless in a way that's hard to describe.
i come back to this one all the time. i love that we ended up doing your classic autumn leaves toss, but it ends up looking cool and weird, as it should. i usually make sure to slow down the shutter speed enough so i can get some blur and movement. you can see remnants of the water soaking the bottom of ben's pants (as we had taken a walk in the creek earlier! so fun.)
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* double exposures are possible to achieve in camera (for select bodies). my digital camera is a 5D mark iii and has this capability. it takes practice for sure. i'm not a teacher, so i suggest looking quick on youtube on how to find it! but as far as achieving rad images? it takes practice. digital cameras make this far easier as you can check the outcome almost immediately of course. one goal i have is to create more space for these slower, more artistic, and somewhat risky, images during my professional shoots. i am sooo hoping to slow down the pace of my imagery. i shoot rapidly (as in many photographs in short sequence of time), but intentionally.
i would like to shoot slowly, and intentionally, with my clients.
something i do more with my nature photography for sure. i may start sharing tips and learning experiences on here! i want to say "i'm no expert...!" but the thing is. i am! i have extensive experience shooting in my style. And am an expert in utilizing the skills i've honed. and i'm happy to share them if they will help :)