My Wish for You in 2017

Used with permission from Sarah B. Calligraphy.

Hello, everyone!

I just hope that each of you remembers, as this new year starts, that you are capable of handling whatever life throws at you, and that you are capable of achieving whatever dreams and goals you have set for yourself this year.

Storyteller

When I was a little girl, I walked around with a notebook and a writing instrument, prepared to write down anything that inspired me -- a conversation, a story idea, an observation: anything.

When I picked up the camera, I became a visual storyteller.

I started recording the everyday that was around me.
Here is one of the very first photos I took with my very first digital camera in 2008:

It's nothing fancy: just a set of salt & pepper shakers by a bowl of creamers and next to a sugar container. A few loose crystals of salt or sugar are on the table near the containers.
I took this at the restaurant that I would frequent with both my parents and my then-boyfriend, and I took it with a point-and-shoot Kodak EasyShare.

My love of documenting the everyday continued.

The top of the bookcase in my room.

My then boyfriend's arm guarding the remote to the television.

Evening light coming through the window in my mother's back door.

Milk as it hit my morning fruit loops.

The silhouette of a vase of flowers and a speaker atop a television in my room against a late-spring sky.

The previous autumn's sunflowers still looked amazing against this late-spring sunset.

Then I got a new camera. It was another point and shoot, but this one had macro capabilities.

An accidental selfie in a salt shaker.

My maternal grandmother at my paternal grandmother's memorial service.

Up close and personal with my kitty.

My mom won the jackpot on the nickel (or penny) slots.

A line of autumnal trees against a painted white plywood wall when we got my dad's car from the mechanic.

It was more of the same as it was with the previous camera, except now I could get closer to things. Ha.

I'm now on my fourth camera -- my second dSLR -- and I have photographed a lot of other stuff in the last eight years. (All photos shared on this blog so far have all been from 2008, when I started getting into photography.)

When I first got a camera, it was to share images from my life in an easier way. I wouldn't have to get a disposable camera, then get the images put on a disc, and then upload from the disc onto the computer, which is what I had been doing.
In fact, buying a camera came to me as a bit of a chance. I went to bingo with my parents, as was the Monday-night tradition in those days, and ended up winning a jackpot blackout game along with another patron. I took everyone out to dinner afterward, paid a bill, and bought my Kodak point-and-shoot, which was on sale for a whopping $89. (My winnings were a grand total of $200.)

My mantra hasn't changed much. It's still to share the beauty of life that happens all around me.
Only now it's more of others' lives than my own.
When I'm at a shoot and it's time for posing people, I'll do it. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but I'll do it. It doesn't come naturally to me to do so.
I see beauty in life as it happens: in the gradual messiness that a kitchen acquires as a meal or snack is prepared; in early morning snuggles shared on the weekends; in the smiles that are shared as a family plays a board game; in the wonderment as a family decorates their home for special holidays; in the casual way that one partner embraces and hugs another without any prompting... I've always felt this way. I see specialness in everything. There is a wonder in the life that surrounds us.
If, at the end of our lives, all we have to look back on are the photos of people in coordinating outfits found in yearly Christmas cards, photos of our parents in their wedding day garb, and photos taken at school against scenic backdrops that will not match the life that we lived. Life is so much more than all of that -- and that's what I've been in love with. That's why I so hastily and hungrily took photos of EVERYTHING that I saw: fence posts, meals, tree trunks, animals (1) (2) (3) (4) (5), insects, crab-apples both in bloom and in fruit...
Sadly, over the years, through the busyness of life, I have fallen out of the practice of taking photos of everything. (I still take plenty of photos of my food, my dog, and my husband when he's sleeping, but those are mostly with my cell phone.)
When I'm second-shooting at a wedding, I am trying to document the day. I let the main photographer get the shots that she needs (those portraits listed out by the couple) and I try to get the story of the day. Even when I'm the main photographer, a lot of the detail shots I like to get are documentary shots, ones that the bride or groom wouldn't see in the course of their day, or ones that will help tell the story of their day. In the example below, the bride's dress is being fastened by her father, whose wizened hands -- after decades of being a tailor -- expertly found the troublesome thread eyelet on her dress.

When I'm shooting a family session, I keep my shutter going, even when the smiles are relaxing and the pose is breaking up -- you never know what goodness you're going to get! (The same goes for a kiss...The examples below are one from right after the bride & groom were pronounced, and one right before.)

The most exciting news of all -- the inspiration for me writing this post -- is that I have found a community of photographers who are documentary-hearted, like me.
In this community, I will learn and flourish and grow. I will enrich and expand the photographic voice that I've had all along, but just needs some fine-tuning. 

For the longest time, I've referred to the style of photography that I've been seeking to do more of as "lifestyle" photography. While it's similar, it's not the same. Lifestyle could just mean set at home, set in the home. Taking family photos in front of the fireplace, for example. There's still posing happening, but it's not at a park.
Documentary photography involves noticing details and hanging out with the client/s and capturing them as they go about their lives. Does a typical Saturday involve an outing on a boat? Great -- we'll get that, and lunch before. Does a Friday night involve having friends over for a game night? Fantastic -- I'll get you prepping the appetizers and stay through the end of Monopoly. It's all about capturing the details of everyday life -- and that is what attracts me and draws me in. I love it. I'm so excited. And I'm very grateful to have found the name of it and a community that will support me as I start to delve into it more. 

Stay tuned -- there is definitely more to come on this!

**Some keen observers will notice that there are some photos with watermarks and some without. After having two portable backup drives die on me, I had to go with what I could find, and most of those came from Flickr, which were heavily watermarked by me over the years. Most of the watermarks bear my previous incarnation's name -- Rebbecca.Ella Photography. They are still very much my images, though.**

Taylor & Joe

Taylor & Joe's story is over on my website. 

Check it out here.

Back in the saddle.

The last few years, I have been doing photography still. (Let's face it -- I never really left.)
My schedule has been very limited -- I haven't done many shoots -- but I still have stayed active behind the camera. (Most of the stuff I've photographed has been second-shooting for Juhl Photography, mostly weddings, but also a few senior shoots as a second camera, too.)

This year has brought me more business than I expected.
I photographed a dear friend's senior portraits in the Spring, as she was getting ready to graduate from Colorado State University in May.

Then I photographed two weddings in July -- one for the aforementioned senior's cousins and one for a coworker.

Krista and I have photographed at least six weddings this year together (including my two) but that's just what I remember -- there are probably several that I'm forgetting -- and there's another one coming up in a few weeks.

Let's see, what else has happened in the last few years photographically....

• I  learned that you need to back-up your back-ups. (Two of my portable back-up drives lost the ability to function. The data is still there but no computer can currently read or write to them.) That little thing cost me every photograph I'd taken from 2009-2015. Oops.
• I've been photographing a shit ton with my phone. (Especially since I got an iPhone 6 a few years ago.) Mostly food and my dog, but hey, it counts. 
• I have two Instagram accounts: one for personal use and one for photography.
• I fell in love with Nikon. I remember posting an update where I borrowed a camera from my community college, and it was a Nikon, but I don't remember if that was on this blog or my personal one. Anyway, to sum up what that post said, I borrowed a Nikon from the school and fell in love with its color abilities. I have shot a few weddings with one of Krista's cameras this year (some of my lenses stopped functioning properly) and she shoots exclusively Nikon. I fell in love with them. I bought a new camera yesterday -- a Nikon D3300. We shot our first wedding together last night since I got it -- and I loved it. The biggest thing to get used to (besides where the buttons are that controls my stuff) is that the lenses come off opposite of Canon. Yikes. I love that we can share equipment now -- that should make things easier.
• I was hoping to get a better camera than that -- it's very similar in range to my Rebel XSi in terms of what's on the market these days -- but that's still something for a future time. (Heck, this thing is already more MP and more fps than my Rebel, so I consider it a step up.)
• I have also enjoyed shooting videos lately. Ok -- really only one. Krista had me come along with her to a quinceneara and I shot video while she did stills. But it was enjoyable. (And it was with her D5100.)
• I spent some time with Creative Suite 6, and am now onto PhotoShop CC. It's wonderful.
• I changed my photography business name. It was Rebbecca.Ella Photography -- a name I adopted because it's my first and middle names and I thought I wouldn't have to change it once I got married -- but I have since changed it to Feathered Penny Photography to align with other endeavors I'm pursuing, want to pursue, or could potentially pursue. (My brain is ever thinking.)
• Most importantly, I have been haunted by photography the last few years. It has ever stayed on my brain as something that I feel like I should (and want to) pursue more -- and that hasn't changed, aside from being further fueled by discontent in other areas of my life.

So what's next?

I plan to reinvigorate this blog. Do more posts. (Especially now that I have a few weddings of my own to blog on here.)

I plan to post regularly about other things -- you know, those things that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog: inspirations, information, photography tips and tricks, etc.

That's it, really.
Not a heck of a lot.

I'll be posting more regularly, so see you soon! 

Irony.

In my second-to-last post, nearly a year ago, I complained that it had been two months since I posted.

Well, obviously, I haven't been doing regular updates.

This last year has just kept me crazy busy:
-starting the new job last July and the subsequent six-weeks it took to adjust
-photographing the WestHolmes wedding in September
-...and the six-week mental hiatus that followed a week later, after the floods affected my family and our land
-editing for the WestHolmes
-Christmas
-packing
-photographing the Shirley wedding
-editing for the Shirleys, interrupted by a move to Fort Collins, followed by more editing
-settling in to my new apartment and training my dog to be ok while I'm gone
-assisting Juhl Photography on two more weddings
-photographing the Brewer-Bradfield reception

One of my favorite parts of photography (the editing) has kept me in front of the computer pretty regularly, which can be a torturous thing now that I sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. And I don't want any part of photography to be torturous. That's not the point of passion.

Fortiter, et dicite. (Loud & clear)

I have made a decision, one that I have toyed with in the past, but now I am certain of it.

I am going to be taking a hiatus of an indeterminate length from client photography.

I will still be pursuing personal photography (art, landscapes, nature, family, etc.) but as far as services offered to others, I am done...for now.

Since July 22nd, I have been working a full-time job in a neighboring city.
With my commute, my work-week turns out to be about 60 hours. Even with the vanpool that I joined, my week still turns out to be long, as not all riders from the van work in the same place in the city.

I have done a handful of gigs since then, and each one has proven more difficult to complete than I anticipated. (Granted, one of the gigs was the WestHolmes wedding, and that was the Saturday before the flooding that occurred here in Colorado, and as my family was affected by the flooding, my brain was otherwise occupied for a month or so afterwards.) I was still finishing the edits for that one when I shot the next two. 

All in all, I have learned the hard way that I cannot devote proper time to photography while having my current schedule. I hate that it's my clients who have ended up suffering because of this. (I've still been able to deliver by my contracted date, but it's been within a week of it.)

Saving Grace

A few months ago, I started backing up my photos in a way that I never have before: the uncompressed PSD files in their own folder under the parent folder of the client. 

The file also contains the original SD files as well as all edited photos, under different files whether they are watermarked (for digital display) or un-watermarked (for printing). 

From the wedding I shot last month, this is the file hierarchy: 

I started saving the .psd files right before compressing the image ("flattening" all the layers) in case I need to access the files again, without having to remember all the steps I took to edit. (And since most of what I do when I edit is the same, that wouldn't really be hard to do in a pinch.)

I have found that saving the files in this way has saved me some time, even though it takes up more room on my backup drive. I strongly urge other photographers to do the same.

Man Oh Man

How can it be two months since I posted??
Please forgive my absence. Summer is here, and, like you, I have been busy busy busy.

I have photographed seven sessions since my last post (including three weddings!) and have much to blog from them.

At the moment, I am putting the finishing touches on a child's portrait session, and loyal readers will recognize the subject when I get around to sharing the session here. I am also working on editing a wedding that I shot solo -- it came up suddenly and I only had a month to prepare. (Plus the weddings that I've second shot for Juhl Photography over the last few months still need edited and shared, too.) Jeepers. o.o

It isn't just photography that has kept me busy.

I have also accepted a new position, said good-bye to Target, and will be starting my career on Monday.

I will have less time for photography (as the job is 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday) but I will have the ability to purchase better, newer equipment. Besides, most of the time availability for busy families and couples is weekends anyway, so I won't have to worry about requesting time off for a session on the weekend.

I will be only accepting a limited number of shoots a month, though. More information on that will be forthcoming.
And with the job comes an eventual change in location: I will be moving to Fort Collins no later than November. (My car does not do well in the snow.)

In addition to all of that, I have been working on some craft projects. (I plan on devoting the next few days to finishing them and doing final preparations for next week.) Saturday is our first booth event of the year. Depending on how well it goes, it might be our last booth event of the year as well. We'll have to see how it goes.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I will update this guy with all my sessions as soon as I am able, but please forgive me if it takes a little while longer. I will need an adjustment period once I start my new job, as my days (including commutes) will be eleven hour days.

Filsinger Maternity

How appropriate that I'm blogging this session on Mother's Day. =)

Tanya already has one beautiful daughter, Jaedyn, and is expecting her second daughter, Brielyn, at the end of this week! We did a maternity-cum-family session and mama was positively glowing! I am looking forward to meeting the little one in early June after she is born.

Newborn Posing Workshop

I have been so blessed to be able to watch Kelly Brown's Newborn Posing Workshop on CreativeLIVE over the last few days. Most of the workshops occur on the hours I work at my "real-life job" at Target, so I am not able to watch as many as I would like, but Ce la vie. This was actually the first workshop I watched on CL, and it so inspired me and so empowered me that I am even more excited for my two newborn sessions scheduled over the next month!

One of my favorite moments in the workshop occurred on the first day when Kelly said that she had asked Sue Bryce to come to her studio and give her a kick in the pants. It was so encouraging to see that someone who is as successful as Kelly is had her moments when she was struggling, and that success really isn't just handed to anyone. That moment makes a photographer like me, who is struggling, believe that I can make it, too, with a "kick in the bum." =)

The second of my favorite moments occurred on day two, as Kelly was doing some of her post-production work. She did some of the same basic techniques that I do, and I was so uplifted and encouraged when I saw her darkening the eye line of the sleeping baby. It made me feel like I was doing something right! (Dare I say that it made me feel a little proud?) I was also a bit shocked when she color corrected the baby because the skin tones were a little red -- a problem I encountered on my last newborn shoot, and was sure that it was just a flaw that I had somehow created, probably by not setting my white balance correctly or something related. Seeing a pro have a similar issue arise in post-pro really gave me a boost of confidence. (Maybe the baby's skin was just red, and it wasn't something that I did at all.)

In the light of this workshop, when I look back over my just-published blog containing my favorite images from Colby's newborn session --my third ever-- I can see several things that I will be doing differently when it comes to posing in my future newborn sessions.

I am so sad to not be able to see any more of the workshop live as it happens. Real life is kicking in, and I have to go before watching the piece of the workshop where she poses siblings. I'm sure there are many more moments that I would favor and find uplifting.

Thank you so much, CreativeLIVE and Kelly Brown, for the wonderful bits of information, inspiration, and encouragement I have gained from the workshop! I am sure there will be many more on the downloaded package.

Newborn Colby

He was born on the day of --and in the middle of-- a really bad snowstorm, and he came a few weeks early, but he and mama were happy and healthy. (And they still are, two and nearly a half months later.)

These photos were taken on March 4th when he was 10 days old. They are my favorites from our session.

My favorite shot from the entire session. One of my favorites, ever.

Sleepy little guy.

Detail.

My second favorite shot, and it's a close second. It was the dad's idea to wrap the blanket around Colby like a cloud and I love this image. 

Contemplation.

Welcome to the world, Colby!

Beautiful

Beautiful, a photo by speckled_beckle on Flickr.

I don't know what the weather has been like in your part of the world, but over the last few months, I have seen enough winter to last me a few years.

This time last year, we Colorado dwellers had already experienced one wildfire and were heading into a very destructive wildfire season.

Mother Nature has delivered us enough snow over the last few months to greatly reduce our fire danger. My area has lifted watering restrictions thanks to this second breath of winter.
That's been the only good part of the snow that has stuck around.

So, here it is, the first day that they are calling for 80 degree temperatures, and it is GORGEOUS outside.

Well, ok, today is a little warm for me.
But that's ok. I don't mind being able to have my windows open and get my hands dirty in the garden.

Liesl & Corey

This couple warms my heart so much.
They met in middle school, where she developed a crush on him. He found out about it. A cruel joke was played the same year that she was leaving the school.
Fast forward a dozen years. In the era of Facebook, he sends her an apology message and wants to meet for lunch. They do. Sparks start flying.
The rest --as they say-- is history.

One of my favorite shots from the entire session, maybe that I've ever captured. A completely perfect candid moment. 

Liesl is such a city girl. Corey is such a country boy. They go so well together. 

Corey's grandmother's cocktail ring: a ring as unique and beautiful as the woman he gave it to.

These two are filled with so much love they are carefree, like children. I love that.

 A September wedding is planned, and I am so honored to be a part of their special day.
Congratulations, guys! =)

Before and After

When I edit a non-artistic, non-editorial photograph, I do not try to overwhelm the image, as it is the main source of beauty and information.

I do cropping, tonal corrections, sharpness and clarity increases, and some retouching, but for the most part, what I see in-camera is what comes out on your disc.

Take a look at this example from my recent e-session:

The image on the left is the way that it came out of the camera, and the image on the right is the way it appeared before it was (nearly) done. There is a bit of shadow-lightening work that I still have to do, but, as you can see, the image remains mostly unchanged. There was a bit of color enhancement (notice how much more vibrant her hair appears?)), a bit of retouching (on his jacket) and some sharpening, but what you see is just an enhanced version of what I shot.

Blessed

It's been over a month since I've blogged anything, but it's been a great month!

I've been in the continuing process of trying to obtain a professional (non-photographic) position with the city. I should hear one way or the other before the end of this week.

In the last month, I have shot an engagement session, a newborn session, and a set of samples for a mini session. I am going to second-shoot another camera for Juhl Photography this coming weekend, and I have another maternity session on tap before the end of this month.

There are, of course, tons more photo events going to happen this year, including my favorite: the wedding of Corey and Liesl in September! The first wedding where I will be the main camera and not a second shooter. =)

It's been a great blessing being this busy!

I will share and blog my favorites from each of these shoots as I get them done.
(I still need to blog my favorites from the first wedding of this year, from all the way back in January!)

I also plan on blogging more. As of this moment, I'm not sure what I'll be blogging about, but I want to do it more frequently, and have it be more than just a sharing of my favorite images. (Isn't that what Facebook previews are for??) At least here, I guess, I can tell the story of the images better than on Facebook. =P

So stay tuned! This is sure to be an interesting (and blessed!) year.

Photo Books

It has been a long while since I have completed a photo book.

Quite a few have been started, but I have not actually published any since the first one in 2008.

It is important for me, though, to have updated hard copies of my photos. I prefer book form to print form, too.

I was looking through my first book, ...one, the other day and noticed how far I've come.

So, this year, I am going to make at least two books. One of them will be another 8" x 8" book of just Instagram photos, and the other will be a portfolio book. I may split the latter up into people and non-people, so it might end up being three books. I'll have to wait and see how massive it is. (I mean, I have three more years to draw work from than I did for my first book!)

Realization & Re-Evaluating

I met with another of my maternity clients on Friday to go over her session that we are going to do tomorrow. Luckily for me, she also happens to be one of my longest-held friendships as well.

But, last night, as I was making my list of things to do before the shoot tomorrow -- what to take and to remember to format my memory cards and charge my battery -- the real reason I stepped back from photography.

I'm not afraid of failing, as some might take it to be from my post.
I'm afraid of it being successful.

Unfortunately, over the course of my life, I have come to expect failure from myself. I always anticipate falling flat on my face and making a complete spectacle of myself.

This makes no sense, though, because I passed some of the hardest classes my college offers with flying colors.

I think it is that I am just afraid, too, of not having proper time to devote to it.
What if my business takes off, but then I also get a new career position? A photography business takes a lot of time to be successful: marketing, interacting with clients and fans, scheduling, photographing, editing, delivering product, ordering prints and photographic items, meeting with clients, paperwork, and a whole mess of other things.
I'd rather get the career part figured out, first, and then fill in the gaps with the photography part.
I'd love it -- love it, love it, LOVE it -- if I could just do photography full time and have it be gainful. But that part also scares me.

So, for now, I am still on the periphery of the business. I am still honoring those shoots I've agreed to and any shoots which have been inquired about, but I may be back before too long.

2013: Stepping Back

Often in life, decisions are hard to make.
The following decision was one that came a little easier, all things considered.

At this time, I have decided that I am no longer accepting new sessions.

I will still honor sessions from anyone who has inquired about a session, and, obviously, those who have done a bit more than just inquire. However, at this time, and for personal reasons, I am no longer accepting new client work. 

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but please know that this decision has been a long time coming. 

It does seem kind of odd, though, doesn't it, that I am stepping back right when it seems things are about to really take off.
I've had more inquiries in the last six months than I've had in all the previous 18 months combined.
It was just last spring --starting a year ago this month-- that I took a Studio Photography class to learn about studio lighting techniques.
I've had many friends --Krista Juhl of Juhl Photography principally among them-- introduce me to new opportunities and open the door to new experiences in photography over the last year. 

So why step back? If things are going so great and things are looking up, why derail the train? 

I need a breather. 

Yeah, I know, that's rich. There are photographers out there doing six shoots every weekend and at least two more during the week, in addition to raising their children, keeping their house clean, and juggling everything else in life, but poor little ol' me, who has one shoot every quarter (if I'm lucky), has no children (except a fuzzy one named Bailey who requires a leash every time she needs to relieve herself), and has minimal housekeeping duties, needs a break. 

I'm just going to re-examine where I am and how photography will really, truly, fit into my life. 

Do I really want to continue to offer this as a business? Or do I just want to do it for fun? 

I've tried for the last two and a half years to make it be both, but a fun business hasn't made any profit, or really turned out much of an attractive portfolio. 

Photography has been one of the things that has made me the happiest.
I can capture the world around me and share my unique perspectives with people. 

...but does that require me to have a client list? Does that require me to have a sitting fee? Should it? 

I decided about a month ago that out of all the styles of photography that exist, that I am closest to a lifestyle photographer.
I like to capture people in their otherwise unmemorialized everyday, doing what it is they do. Natural poses for clients in natural environments. 

It makes sense, especially because it (1) causes a permanence to exist for fleeting moments and (2) that line of thinking is what drew me to take photography more serious anyway.

This decision, to take a step back, is not a permanent one. I will be back. 

I just need space, and time, to think things over. To reacquaint myself with myself.
Hopefully, to start a new career and move out of my parents' house -- again. 

And figure out where photography is going to fit into all of this, and how deeply. 

I will still be posting work. I still have clients on my list; I still have sessions scheduled on my calendar. (And there are five weddings on tap so far this year! Woot woot!)
And I will be posting personal work. I don't plan on being photographically lazy. There will be more landscapes. More art. More springscapes. More animalscapes. More lifestyle photography from my own life. And, perhaps, more expressive work as well.

So I am taking a hiatus. Hopefully you will be around to see what happens during and after.

Thank you for your understanding. 

Last Wedding of 2012

The last wedding I shot in 2012 as a second camera for Juhl Photography was a Winter Wonderland themed wedding.

It was gorgeous, and even Mother Nature obliged by laying down fresh snow a few days before! 

The following images are my favorites from that December day.