Day 61 Jerry

Not happy with anything I shot today, I went outside with camera in hand and walked around the block. Well not around the whole block just around the corner. I saw a guy riding a bike and yelled out "Hey come over here" he did and I asked him to ride in a circle around me so I could take a picture. He did and I showed him the result. He seemed to like it but said he had to go somewhere. I said O.K. just one more time. He rode his bike around me again and this is the picture. I have only just begun to play with the open shutter while popping the flash. I love that the results are surprising.

Day 60 good and evil

Yesterday I met a man and handed him twenty bucks, he handed me back a mask. I used that mask tonight for Picture 60. My husband and I stood in the street taking pictures with an open shutter while popping the flash. We did this for nearly an hour and have completely different results on every frame. Some of the images have lights traveling like maniac light beings, but I edited my choices down to two simple ones. I studied them for awhile trying to choose between the two when it dawned on me that one of them looked evil and one of them looked like an angel. The evil mask guy has tiny flecks of red light looking like embers leaving the mask and traveling to the left. (you might have to click on the picture to see the embers) The house in the background in it's tilted and disoriented state also looks ominous, as if it's not quite safe with this evil guy lurking outside. The angel mask guy has an obvious halo and the light seems to be falling down like stardust from the heavens. The other small bits of light remind me of angels fluttering about. The house and jeep outside are more normal in appearance giving a safer feeling to the picture. It's almost funny I chose these two simple images to pick between. I didn't make the connection until I started to study them. Now that I have made the connection, how can I choose between them? After all what is good without evil?

Day 58 Barbecue girl

Saturday my husband and I attended a barbecue hosted by an associate of his. I took a picture of a young girl who seemed to enjoy having her picture taken. She kept posing for me and was just as nice as could be. I didn't post the picture because her parents were not there. It has taken a couple of days to get permission so instead of taking down my previous post and reposting, I am submitting this here as the best photo for day 58. I think if you look at both fly strips and barbecue girl, we can all agree barbecue girl is the best photo!

Again I was playing with an open shutter and then popping the flash to freeze a moment within that time. I do believe the halo that resulted from this camera play makes this girl look like an angel. But then again, all little girls are angels.

Day 59 Pride in San Francisco

People pranced peacefully down the streets of San Francisco today wearing bright colors, feathers, silks, spangles, beads and leather. Crowds of on lookers cheered as flamboyant beauties passed by. Yes I went to the annual gay pride parade and it was fun getting out there taking the kinds of pictures I used to. But truly I have a desire to photograph something better. I must have, as not one of my images impressed me and they all seemed pretty much the same. How do you choose a picture when not one stands out? Ask your spouse to pick one. So this picture is my husbands pick of the day.

Day 58 fly strips

Around horse barns fly strips are a common sight, especially in June when flies seem to be everywhere. I remember reading an essay years ago which detailed the cruelty of fly strips. The flies long and suffering death stuck to glue, while young girls walked by each day not giving them a second thought. But in nature there are spiders whose venom can paralyze a fly and keep it that way until the spider is ready to dine. Not to mention I walked into the tack room earlier this year and a fly flew into my mouth. I mean it flew IN. I immediately drank a diet Pepsi but that disgusting feeling did not leave, not then, not later, not now. My only regret about fly strips is that they do not catch more flies.

Day 57 Tyler

I remember being in a beginning photography class and by summers end viewing the classes completed work. There were two pictures that to this day stand out in my mind. One of them was of a guy behind a couch, only the guy appeared in three different places. Since then I have wanted to do that multiple flash thing and believe it or not twenty years later have finally done it. Tyler a dog we didn't expect to have but enjoy is the subject of this flash experiment because he stands out with his gleaming light fur and shinny teeth. I have two other dogs but older and not quite as photogenic in this photographic practice. Tyler is every bit a lab and a real people pleaser. I hope my friend Jenny enjoys tonight's picture.

Day 56 Maria and Suza

While walking along H Street I heard a woman's voice say hello. I turned to see Maria sitting down holding her little dog Suzie. I talked to her briefly and asked to take her picture. She consented and I took about five frames. She said she'd had Suza for about ten years. I told her I'd give her a print sometime next week. She asked me if I could take a picture of just Suza and I did. Cute little dog.

Day 55 Self portrait

I have recently reconnected with two of my high school friends and they both have asked for pictures, so today a picture for them. Not what they were asking for I'm sure but what I have to offer. I mean seriously, who am I if not someone who appreciates the physical comforts of life. My feet in front of a nice cooling fan during the middle of a hot day.

I believe I have finally made the transformation from photojournalist to artist. A quote for my pleasure and your perusal.

The difference bewteen the recorder photographer... and the artist photographer... is that the artist will, by experience and learning... force the camera to paint the imagination...the emotion... the concept and the intent... rather than faithfully and truthfully reproduce an unattractive and unflattering record. - Anonymous

Day 54 Christopher and Kelsey

My neighbor across the street is often playing with her grandchildren. For a couple of years I've wanted to photograph them. They always seem to have so much fun. And I must admit I am a little jealous that I don't have grandchildren of my own to play with. But then again who wants to be a grandma when your as young as I am. I photographed Christopher and Kelsey tonight while they were outside with their grandma. They both seemed to love having their picture taken, often posing in different ways and wanting to see the image. With a digital back on my camera they kept asking "let me see it, let me see it"

Day 53 Coco

I was walking in Empire past almond orchards and old buildings thinking I would never run across something I could photograph, when through the bushes I saw Coco. She was jumping and barking at me as I walked down the street. She was back off the highway on private property so I asked the guy who came out to investigate what all the commotion was about, if I could take her picture. He replied that his wife would have to talk to me, she did and consented to me taking Coco's picture. When I first saw Coco the evening light was shinning on her and the dust was back lit, I knew she could give me a good picture. But while I was waiting for the wife to come out she was perfectly quiet. I hoped she would jump at me. She did, but just for a minute. After that all my pictures were of a sweet Coco.

I'm always surprised how nice people are that they let me photograph them or their pets. I'm always grateful too. I expected to photograph a stranger today but you never know what the photograph fairy is going to give you. As a photojournalist I used to drive around the country side, and have seen so many dogs doing interesting things while chained up in the front yard, that I thought it would be a fun series. This could be a good start to that series.

Day 52 Whale of ice

It's fathers day so a picture from home. I took my macro lens with the idea of photographing my diet Pepsi but instead became enthralled with the ice. This picture reminds me of a whale popping up out of the icy water. In this June heat a nice cooling image.

Day 51 Josie and Chicky

I was walking along Ninth Street when I noticed Josie picking flowers through a fence. She didn't mind me taking pictures. Her dog, after a brief inspection, also didn't seem to mind. I asked her what the flowers were for, she said "after they dry I hang them around a framed picture of my boyfriend" When I asked her what her dog's name was, she said "Chicky, and she is a very well behaved dog. I treat her better than my boyfriend. She's more loyal and faithful."

Day 50 Cherries

Two years ago I learned about an awesome photographer, Chip Simons. http://www.chipsimons.com/index.html I adore his Black period and have wanted to do my own series of stuff on black. So today I have my first, cherries. As simple as it looks it didn't come easy. I played with all kinds of things, frozen strawberries, wine glasses, wine being poured, sliced pineapples etc... The cherries turned out simple but satisfying. Not to mention I drank a lot of wine along the way and ate the cherries.

Day 49 Steven in water

In keeping with my desire to have a series of images of my son Steven swimming in water, I photographed him today. I plan on photographing him once a month. This month I had several with bubbles and distortion that I really liked. This image was different though, somewhat artsy I believe. Usually when you shoot a lot of one subject and have many to choose from, one image might speak to you. And this image was shouting "Pick Me, pick me" So I picked it.