This is what we get up to when the power’s out
We celebrated Halloween a tad early this year when the wind, once again, blew our power out. The girls put on their brand new fairy wings and tutus and danced up a (or should I say another) storm. And brought our power back after 20 mins.
Hubby has a surprise for me tonight, taking me somewhere mysterious and, hopefully, very expensive.
ps. Did you notice the new muted green walls? We painted them a few weeks ago. The gaudy-awful orange got a bit much after two years.
Shutter Geeks unite!
Obsessed with apertures and full frame sensors, cross processing and high key conversions, strobes and bokeh? Don’t know wth I’m talking about but love taking pictures anyway?
Come join my group of Shutter Geeks! It’s fun, it’s free and best of all, it’s geeky!
Courage
Everyday, a little further
a little deeper
a little more.
If I take one more step
I may make it
I may get there
I may fall.
I may even get a little wet
but I will try
Starting life as a (ahem) photographer
As some of you may have noticed, I’ve been taking a lot of pictures.
I’ve also been exploring the possibility of turning this hobby into a business. I’ve built a site. I’ve read close to ten books on the fundamentals and then some. I’ve camped Photo.net, Flickr and Digital Photography School for perhaps twice as long. I’ve practiced my behind off in recent months on my kids, the kids of my friends, gone on photowalks, bugged the hell out of more experienced photographers, and basically just photographing anything that’s not strapped down.
And yet, I’ve been a little afraid of calling myself a photographer. Much as I’ve been afraid of calling myself a writer (and I’ve been writing a while). Heck I can’t even call myself a blogger without feeling like a fraud because there ARE people who actually BLOG regularly who don’t even claim that.
When I go out with Lokes for his social gatherings with business colleagues, I say I’m a stay-at-home mom, and then Lokes will let slip the fact that I blog, write and is now a “portrait photographer”. I cringe because they all make me sound like I am doing everything and therefore am not good at anything. Really, a writer? One miserable short story, that’s all I’ve published the last two years. A blogger? I am perhaps the laziest, most inconsistent blogger in the history of lazy inconsistent blogging. A portrait photographer? This is the worst because I’d have my camera with me and people will start asking to have their pictures taken and my fingers get clammy and I’d stutter a little when I say, “Okay…ss-say…cheese?” and I’d start thinking, “Great, now I have to spend my evening trying to save my semi-semi-pro photos…”
Usually, the photos turn out great (without the help of Photoshop too!). Sometimes, I also blog or write something worth reading. And yet, my self esteem is taking a very very long time to catch up on whatever it is I’ve set my heart on doing. That is why I’ve had problems “marketing” myself beyond building a blog. How do I get rid of this fear of feeling like I’m not worth getting paid for my services?
The only thing that motivates me is a practical consideration: that times are getting harder, and one income may not hack it much longer, and I will need to GET OVER myself THIS MINUTE before it’s too late.
Nothing like a little tough love.
July in pictures
Hello my lovely internets. Are you still sticking around? You must truly love me!
So I’ve gone for TWO campouts since we last talked, taken pictures of my friend Sharon’s baby, and then some.
And yes, pictures are worth a thousand words, especially since I’m now, so to speak, in the business of painting words.
But I’m only putting a few pictures here because copying and pasting script from Flickr is not particularly fun. For “the good stuff”, please visit my Facebook (you will need to “friend” me), my photog or my Flickr(yes, I scatter them so you will see some different ones in each site).
Here we go!
Rae and her best friend H at the lake after a full day of sun and fun at Pearrygin Lake, our first campsite.
Dosewallips State Park/Dabob Bay – where we went camping last weekend. This is a place for oystering/clamming.
That’s a big one!
This is Baby K, who is my first baby model. Isn’t he just the cutest? He smells glorious too!
And this is a flamenco dancer I photographed at a dinner party yesterday.
That wraps my last three weeks! Now how about you?
I know, I’m nuts
Check it out, y’all. Tell me what you think!
A new adventure
After much encouragement from my family and friends, I’ve decided to take this photography thing one step further. No, I’m not ready to charge yet (although some donations to Lokes would be appreciated – the gear is burning a hole in his pocket), but I have set up a site for my portfolio and will be putting some of my work there.
Also, I’ve signed up as a volunteer photographer for Flashes of Hope (you can read what they’re about there), and am offering up my services for anyone you may know, who live on the Eastside or Seattle downtown areas, who have someone terminally ill in the family or going through difficult final moments with a loved one who may like some positive memories captured for keepsakes. I don’t charge but in exchange, will use (with permission) some images for my portfolio.
Of course, if anyone wants to pay me to take photos of their kids/family events/weddings, I will gladly accept the commission at a very reasonable price with the caveat that I am not a professional (yet) and don’t own any fancy equipment, but I will give you a CD of all your images and ask to use some of them for my portfolio.
With that, I give you Jennifer.Tai Photo.Artistry. If you like my work enough, please write me a testimonial at my Flickr profile (which I will reproduce at this site of course). Or leave me some comments.
Technorati Tags: photography, jennifer tai photo artistry, jennifer tai, portraits
Shutter Sunday: Precious moments (as in, you won’t likely see another one like this anytime soon)
A moment to treasure, for sure. Perhaps I should bring them here more often!
Photos: Waterplay series
Thank goodness for the beautiful late afternoon weather we’ve been having. The kids have had waterplay three times this week!
Photos: Daydreamer series
Have been practising with light – and my kids.
Technorati Tags: photography, portraiture, portraits
More of recently-blogged-about vanity
This is what I do with my free time:
No, not pose naked in front of the camera.
Altering reality, like this:
Agenda: I now possess the skills to teach my children the trickery of advertising.
Technorati Tags: photography, Photoshop, self portraits, portraits, SPC, self portrait challenge