Subtle Smile with Samantha

1. This shot with Samantha was another that almost didn't happen.

We were supposed to have a formal photoshoot but I got a call (back when people did that sorta thing) that she was going to be late. She was finishing a paper or trying to, for the last 4 hours.

As annoying as it was, I've been there. 

By the time she was able to turn it in AND arrive, I felt like the good photo'ing light had been lost.

Bought her a lunch to try & brighten her spirits, til I saw something right then & there at the Barnes & Nobles cafe. Pulled out my camera & started clicking away. 

Not remotely the photoshoot I was planning on but when the moment strikes, you just have to go with it.

Its not ever the tools the photographer uses but HOW they use what's available.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If any particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Laundromat Diaries with Brittany

 1. The "Laundromat Diaries" was a VERY early series entailing sticking models inside a giant laundromat dryer & seeing what happens & what kooky things I could be got.

Brittany climbed into the dryer & played around for a bit. I like recession & repeating shapes so I made sure to include the neighbor dryers into the frame. 

This also was an early submission piece back when I attended SUNY Potsdam.

I stopped doing this series a few years later after a heated exchange with another customer who wanted to get his laundry done on a hot Summer's day. Because God forbid he use any of the other 10 empty dryers but that's neither here, nor there. Nothing physical happened but was enough for me to move on to other "stupid" ideas.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Skeptically Passive Kira

 1. The model is Kira & was taken back during my college days. 

She worked in the Student Union manning a table looking for volunteers for something. I chatted her up, gave her my schpeel, & said I'd very much like to work with her.

In a voice that was one-parts skepticism & another part flattery, "You doooooooo?"

I said yes & gave her my contact info & where she could see my work. Also threw in that she's welcome to bring a friend if it'd make her more comfortable.

I left thinking I'd never hear from her again. Sometimes women will agree to do things to get out of an uncomfortable situation and was pleasantly surprised she reached out & set up a shoot date. I knew a spot in the next town on thebanks for a wooded creek & milked that as best I could. 

It took a little bit for her to get comfortable but once that happened, she did just fine.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Wooded Melissa

 1. Melissa is a college friend & we shared many an Art History class together.

This was taken years after our respective graduations along a trail in my hometown during one of her periodic forays back to NY state.

The dress she's wearing was originally intended for use at a mutual friend's wedding but I got fired when the bride freaked out thinking I was blowing her off when instead I had no reception due to living near mountains. Bummer but at least that firing saves me from the drudgery of editing.

*shrugs shoulders*

That might have been one of the last times I ever shot a wedding. Not for the bridezillas but more because all the pressure I put on myself. I'd quote the editing turn-around 3-6 months but I'd damn near kill myself getting it out within 45 days WHILE ALSO having a full-time dayjob. 

I just don't like having stuff hanging over my head.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Sooty Handed Brooke

 1. The shot below was produced by sheer dumb luck.

The model is Brooke, an interpid teenager, who popped my radar back during the MySpace days (mid 2000's?). 

I approached her about simply taking portraits, pitched my idea, & was relieved to have her talk to her mom about it. I had no idea she was a teenager but encouraged her to give my info to her mom & invited her to come along.

I'm always a little nervous when working with minors because though they may be kosher with my age-appropriate pics, it can be a complete crapshoot whether the parent will see it that way.

Regardless talked to her mom  directly & everything seemed to be on the level.

The overall premise was to shoot inside a burned out hotel, to contrast the prettiness of the model against the dirt & grime of the old fire damage. Before anyone asks, it was in a semi-rural area & there is no shortage of abandoned building where the residents were there one day & literally up & left the next.

As we're shooting, Brooke's hands get all sooty from touching the burnt wood & just randomly starts wiping them on her arms & face.

I chuckle & am like, "I'm going with it" & snapped away.

Stuff like that you just can't plan no matter how hard you try. Those manufactured moments never have the same effect as when they're spontaneous.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Imperfect Audrey

 1. We all change. I'd LIKE to think its human nature. Yet the pic of Audrey often get criticized for being terrible.

So what's wrong with it? 

If you'd believe some people, just about everything. 

Though the subject matter is pleasant to look at - the lighting is poor, my shooting angle is wrong, the high film speed (to use an archaic term) creates unnecessary grain, there's an unsightly lenses flare going on, I haven't presented the model in a flattering angle, her pose is wrong, etc, etc. 

And if I'm being honest, they're right!

Why do I bring all this up?

This piece is another pivot point in my work where I no longer completely care. Those very imperfections add to an interesting mood specifically when I & others see a sultry yet mysterious vibe. 

From my experience, one can learn all the technical things. But if a person doesn't have that spark to make whatever they're creating interesting or the capacity to convey whatever it is you're trying to convey, there's only so much stale technical mastery can do salvage the situation.

Will this cause me to lose clients or turn off people off? Maybe. But would they have hired me to begin with? Probably not. 

Everyone has an opinion on everything these days EVEN WHEN they've prefaced it with "Well, I'm not an expert but-" & then goes on to pontificate for the next 4 minutes why their NON-expert opinion should matter. Great job on undermining your own crediblity.

Experts who've dedicated their professional lives in their chosen field are dismissed and rank amateurs are lauded for opinions on topics THEY THEMSELVES have said they know nothing a about.

I guess that's simply the age we're living in.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

One True Talent in Life Gabrielle

1. Gabrielle was a college Art History classmate of mine. 

With not a lot of persuasion, I coaxed her into a photoshoot. Nothing big or elaborate, just two creative individuals seeing where that creativity takes us.

Somewhere along the way she oh-so nonchalantly says, "Making goofy faces is my one true talent in life." So I of course asked her to prove it. 

This was the result:

I really appreciate people who can relax & poke fun at themselves. Its also a schtick I have Gabrielle do whenever we shoot to which she's been ever gracious to indulge.

I also distinctly remember it being an ultra cold day in March & having a 20-page term paper due the next day that had yet to be started. Priorities, right? I guess that's what A LOT of coffee is for.

2.  I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Avid Reader Jenna Q

1. The following recent shot reminds me a quaint incident I had with my first shoot with Jenna Q.

It was her 2nd semester at the local college & replied to an online ad I posted for a project that I either soon petered out or wasn't in the direction I was hoping for.

But whatever.

We kicked around other ideas & among those many emails she mentioned that she was an avid reader, with her favorite author being Kurt Vonnegut. So much so, she got "And So It Goes" tattooed along her ribcage. For those not in the know, its a frequent refrain in one of his most famous works.

Vonnegut is one of the most strangest authors I've ever encountered not because of his subject matter but his writing style. 

What do I mean? 

If you read multiple things from the same author, their flow & cadence is similar enough where you can kinda tell its from them. Its akin to a painter's brush stroke or a photographer's compositional eye or editing style. To the keen eye, you can tell its from the same creator.

However in the 5 of books I've read from Vonnegut; Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, Player's Piano, & Timequake; that isn't REMOTELY the case. S5 is different from Cat, Cat is different from Breakfast & so on while no of those 5 have remotely the same flow read as any of the others.

But I digress.

In our preshoot conversations, Jenna mentioned that "Slaughterhouse Five" was her favorite book & she didn't have her own copy & was bummed  because if she wanted to reread it, she'd have to borrow it from the local library.

As a fellow book lover, I vowed to put a stop to that problem & purchased said copy.

At the end of our shoot, I gave & she opened the wrapped present & squealed with delight & jumped up & down with excitement. Seeing how happy the gift made her, brought a slight smile to my stoic face.

I don't care what people say, being nice matters. Kindness especially when there's nothing to be gained by the act, is a strength not a weakness.

I don't remotely pretend that I'm good at living up to those lofty ideals but it happened that day with Jenna.

2. Currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Lingerie Crash with Nicole

Nicole is a sister of a frequent collaborator & thus was familiar with my work. She reached out & wanted private pictures produced to give to her fiancee, a surprise Valentine's Day gift if you will.

We bounced ideas & what I was capable of, challenging because I usually take a hiatus during the winter time being that I have no studio & indoors lighting really doesn't play to my strengths.

However a photographer colleague knew of my plight & offered his place to shoot. I'm a fan of natural light, so I used his dining room that had a large window. 

During the runup to our planned shoot, we had a Nor'easter. Basically a large snowstorm x50 - large amounts of snow falling quicking + wind, making the driving conditions treacherous at best. The Nor'easter wasn't really a surprise because that's all the local newscast reports for days on end.

I called Nicole the night before & asked to be contacted PRIOR to leaving. She assured me she would, only to get a text the morning ofter that she was well on her way.

I'm grumbling because, she's local which means now I have to make my own drive to my photographer colleague's house for the shoot. The snow had mostly stopped but the roads weren't really clear, a trek I was NOT looking forward to making.

The journey was slow going for obvious reasons. The road conditions were complete sh*t & I'm just trying to be careful as I can to make it there in one piece. A  normal 1-hour trip was coming close to 3 hours.

I wasn't even 5 miles from my destination when I slid through an intersection & T-boned another driver. I was clearly at fault but am super thankful no one was hurt.

Called the photographer colleague for a rescue & was brought to the house. The girls would tell of their headache journey where their car did a 360 on the interstate yet thankfully were only the ones on the road.

After we shot & they brought me home. Nicole had extended family in the area & made it an excuse to visit them & we thus parted ways.

Nicole's original stipulation was that I was NOT to post her pictures anywhere online. However I approached her many years later with the intent to tell the story behind the shot you see here & she just laughed & was like "go for it," so I have. I guess time & having a couple of kids with said loving fiancee (now husband) evaporated whatever concerns she had at the time. Or at least that's my guess.

There were some serious ramifcation of totaling my car but think I'll save that for another time.

We did a lot of great stuff during this shoot but the above is probably my favorite. I'm liking the light & shadow play, complimented by her athletic physique (though 'm not sure it translated in this picture) yet contrasted by her lacey lingerie outfit.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Theater Portrait with Ciara

1. This is Ciara. I forget how or who found who but we were doing this session at her college.

Most of my shoots have a pretty loose structure. Enough to get something done but not so bound where we're not able to toss the book out the window if a situation presents itself.

We were wandering around the performing arts center where the theater hall itself gave me an idea. I lugged out my photo-strobe light (a piece of equipment I loathe using simply because it changes my shooting style) & set it up & shot.

Afterwards Ciara expressed how happy she was because "As a theater major, it never occurred to shoot in the very theater I've loved." If my model friends are happy, so am I.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

Shiloh Profile Study

 1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. This is Shiloh, one of the earliest models I ever worked with who wasn't initially a friend.

We met on one of those social networking websites that went nowhere. Arranged a shoot w/ mutually agreeable terms. She came down to my area & we shot.

I was still shooting film (this is a scan of that print), my camera was on a tripod (something I almost never use), we were in a forest, sun was setting, she was moving ever so slightly, & clicked my shot. This was the result & remains my one of my all-time favorites.

I cringe at how little I knew back then & am forever grateful for her creatively leading while allowing me to see what I saw. To say nothing about how she was able to draw at her inner actress.

That day we went our separate ways. Yet years later, we ran into each other (literally) when I transferred schools and discovered she was student there too. The Adirondacks is quite expansive but there are only so many colleges to choose from & we both have familial roots there.

The story continues but I'll leave that for another time.

Adirondack Group Shoot with Erin

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.


2. I used to go to group shoots. Basically, its sorta like a get-together models & photographers & them shooting each other in relatively short segments. I have nothing against them par say but unless I know the person arranging it, they no longer played to my strengths. Meaning, I believe my creative strength is best when establishing & developing a rapport with said models over the time available. 15 minutes rarely doesn't do much for me. Nothing against other people doing them, they're just not my thing.

I schooled at SUNY Potsdam in Northern NY. Its a stunningly beautiful part of the state but ultimately a not-well traveled model route. There is more lucrative places to hit up in more dense population centers, maximizing earnings in a shorter amount of time.

I got thinking, why not a group shoot?

I discussed it with another photographer friend & he told his friends & soon enough there were 5 us willing to shell out money for this. We put out a casting-call & 7 models were interested. 1.4 model to 1 photographer seemed about as good a ratio as we could expect considering where it was to take place.

Slowly but surely the cancellations came in, a disappointing prospect but not entirely unexpected. Come shoot day, the only model who showed up was from VA who I picked up at the bus station. & for the record, she seemed pretty enthusiastic about the trek. So we all carpooled to various scenic sites in the autumnal Adirondacks (a stunning sight in its own right) & all did our photoshoot thing.

It comes time to pay the model & the rest of us photographers were so grateful she showed, we decided to give her all the pay that was meant the canceled models. It was easily quadruple what was initially promised. The look on that undergrad face was priceless.

I certainly hope you've enjoyed today's edition.

Danielle and her New Ring

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything particular shot, any model, or any set interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. During this shoot with Danielle, she kept maneuvering her hand in a particular way & I couldn't figure out why. Only then did I realize she was trying to show off her new engagement ring.

Yes, I know I'm slow & not great at picking up on social ques everyone else takes for granted. I'm sorry.

(Apparently the blogging system, will cropping the width if I go any larger so you're going to just have to deal with this not-so-great size)

I certainly hope you've enjoyed today's edition.

the Pretty Little Blonde Jennelle

1. I'm currently selling my work. If any particular shot or shoot or set or model interests you, please email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what interests you & I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away for pennies on the US dollar.

2. Back when I was in school, there was this pretty & fashionably dressed blonde that I'd often see around campus who kept being all friendly w/ me. Try as I may, I couldn't place where I knew her, nor figure out why? So one sunny day, I stopped & asked where she knew me from. W/o skipping a beat, this once strange pretty blonde replies, "I'm in your philosophy class."

Sometime later that semester, I not only got her in front of my camera doing "artsy-fartsy" stuff (her words) but also met her roommate Meg. After the semester ended we went our separate ways, I continued at the university while she transferred to a school up in Montreal til many years later she contacted me through a social media site & eventually set up a photoshoot where we shot this pic.

Some subjects even after a many years lull, still just feel right.

Birth of Slutty Minnie Series with Brennan

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything interests you, don't hesitate in emailing me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what pics or sets interest you, I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away.

I posted the picture below a number of years ago back when I was opining about the current issues of the day but I'm re-presenting for different reasons.


2. This is part of the "Slutty Minnie" series with Brennan. 

The idea arose when I got ahold of a headband version of Minnie Mouse ears. There was a pair of leather bondage cuffs leftover from a previous shoot & how fun & messed up if I paired the two.

We were shooting in a photographer friend's living room & could hear him in the next room. We easily got what we needed early in the set but continued shooting as an excuse for him to see us since it'd be fun to see his reaction. And he did.

The model & I would find out later that he was pissed off! Fear not, it was the "I'm pissed because I didn't think of it first" version.

& thus the series was born.

I certainly hope you've enjoyed today's edition.

Kiss in Waiting with Benny & Moni

1. I'm currently selling my work. If anything interests you, don't hesitate in email me at farenell.photography@gmail.com.

Just tell me what pics or sets interest you, I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away. 


2. The story behind the "Kiss in Waiting."

The models are Benny & Monique. They were based out of Rochester at the time & were also involved.

There was a creative phase where I didn't want to be known by any one-shot. I felt it was to limiting to say nothing about having my creative interest in being all over the place.

During one of my visits to Western NY, I met up with Benny & a bunch of his friends & I would also be introduced as "the guy who shot 'Kiss in Waiting'." Their eyes would immediately light up with interest & they'd nod & smile.

The lesson being that there are certainly worse things in this world than being known for an iconic shot.

Columbia the Muse

1. As a lark when I was getting my Bachelors, I posted a flier looking for models. It went vaguely something like-

 

Wanted Photo Muse

Benefits:

1. Copies of the Pictures
2. Inspiration for the Arts
3. Fun Story to Tell your Grandkids when You're Old & Grey
4. Everlasting Glory.

I wasn't expecting much of any response but as happens so much in life, the model found me which led to the start of an exquisite work relationship. It was creatively hot & heavy & petered out once we went our separate ways. But man, was it memorable!

This shot below was a source of several different media variations, one was pastels & another was mixed media. I wish still had any of my collegiate (nonphotography) portfolio but they didn't survive several moves. Such is life.

2. I'm currently selling my work. If anything interests you, don't hesitate in emailing me at farenell.photography@gmail.com. 

Just tell me what pics or sets interest you, I'll see what I can do. I try to work within people's budgets but I'm also not going to like give them away.

Polanski

Everytime Roman Polanski appears in the news, I always hear about how "cruel" the prosecutors are for continually dredging this up & thus causing the victim more pain.

I have to disagree.

The prosecutors bent over backward to give him a sweetheart plea deal for drugging & then anally raping a 13 YEAR-OLD GIRL to spare her the agony of going through a trial.

Supposedly he fled because the judge reneged or was going to give him a harsher than expected sentence (which is his perrogative). Let's assume that's the case & not the self-serving statement that it is. If he truly didn't like the sentencing agreement, Polanski could have withdrawn his plea agreement & taken his chances at trial.

Yes this whole thing is being perpetuated because there's a big-name attached to a high profile criminal case. Its no wonder that the 13 year-old girl 33 years later wants to just put this sordid affair behind her.

On the other hand, its also about the integrity of the entire criminal justice system. Because it is a high profile name attached to the case & they let (publicly) let him go, its telling EVERY criminal out there that if you have the means to flee; it ok not to take responsibility for ones own actions.

I empathize w/ the victim but I care more about the integrity of the system because it effects EACH & EVERY ONE OF US. If someone rapes my sister, its ok because if the case is to tough, we won't hold the perp accountable. If someone beats their wife sending her to the ER, they won't be held accountable. If someone steals my identity, that's ok because they won't be held accountable. Victims have to have faith & trust the system because A. they won't report the crimes (a problem already showing in cities as well as immigrant communities) & B. it encourages people to take the law into their own hands.

I'm also bothered by the hypocrisy. If the Polanski did not have a high-profile name attached, no one in their right mind would think its ok to let someone go who drugged & anally raped a 13-year old girl. I guess that's what having a high-profile name gets you, reasonable doubt off-the-bat regardless of what the nondisputed facts are.

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In other more cheerful news...
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This here is Vanessa.

She was looking for actor-headshots but kinda wanted a natural light kinda vibe to it. I'd like to think I did the best I could under the weather circumstances provided (bright overcast sky that kinda blinded you even when you weren't looking at it).



Feel free to comment on any part of this blog if you so choose.

Political Irony & Jeanette

As I look at the self-proclaimed Tea-Baggers of the right protesting the policies of the current Obama administration, I really have to scratch my head.

They're fearful of losing their individual freedoms. Ok, I get that. But like where were they when AT&T, Verizon, & other major phone carriers in collusion w/ the Federal Government were listening in on your phone conversations w/o a court order? Or when torture, extraordinary rendition, & Gitmo were going on?

They're fearful of losing their tax dollars. Ok, I get that. But where was the outrage when federal government's spending more than doubled from what the Clinton Administration spent?

They're simply exercising their first amendment rights. Ok, I get that. But where was the empathy when Cindy Sheehan was exercising her own right to free speech?

They're worried about government incompetance about what might happen. Ok, I get that. But where was their outrage at ALL levels of government when Katrina flooded New Orleans?

They're worried about government giving away free hand-outs w/ nothing in return. But where was their outrage when the Congress from the President's own party awards defense contracts over the Sec of Defenses own recemmendations to axe systems like the Crusader artillery? Or the BS how Uncle Sam is now being a majority stakeholder in GM? Or what about the TARP bailouts pushed through in the closing days of W's administration & blessed off w/ little debate by a Democratic Congress?

They're worried about government intruding into people's personal lives, making decisions for them like "killing dear ol' Granny". But isn't that exactly what they were doing since 2002 when they ramrodded all these initiatives onto state ballots that define marriage being between a man & a woman? Isn't that also what a Republican Congress did in the Terri Schiavo case, interfering what should have been a very private family decision even after the courts ruled upon it?

Make no mistake, I completely get what's going on. The outrage is only just when its your side is the one doing it (whatever "it" is defined as). But like when the other guy is in power, you assert your rights because they're being trampled on. Don't believe me? The left is just as guilty. If it was about the war as they claimed for the last 6 years, then why did these Anti-War supporters stop protesting the Iraq War when all of a sudden their guy gets inaugurated? Or how Sen Chris Dodd (D-CT) created massive loopholes in the aforementioned TARP legislation for the applicable companies to take advantage of?

The Right say the current system needs change but the President's are to atrocious to even consider. What do they propose? I for one cannot think of a single thing because, for the life of me, I cannot remember them publicisizing a single proposal. Don't get me wrong, I know EXACTLY what they're doing. They're using the old defense attorney strategy in poking so many holes in the prosecution's case to win via "reasonable doubt." If that's the case, they're not really in favor of change at all like they claim but like the status quo. Ironic to say the least.

& people wonder why so many Americans are turned off by what passes for political discourse. Its so predictablely phoney.

Personally, I don't give to squats about one political ideology or another. My vote will go to whoever sorta are along my own beliefs system but more, for who can get the job done & bring results. If that means voting for the "other guy" or voting for a third party then so be it!

& people sometimes wonder why I'm so ornery. :-)

[/rant]

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Outdoor location shoots are always interesting in the sense that I'm never really sure if Mother Nature is going to cooperate or not. Unless its like winter & there's some sort of snow storm on the horizon, the weather report is borderline useless, even when its 3-6 hours before start time. It just is what it is.

My shoot w/ Jeanette last Autumn was one of those days. It was partly cloudy which means the sun was jetting in & out as the clouds moved. Extremely annoying particularly when shooting in the unforgiving digital medium...but certainly not impossible.

I'm choosing the shot below for a number of reasons. I really felt everything came togther at just the right moment. Her expression, the location, the color palette, the brief gust of wind to blow her hair in front of her face.



Feel free to opine about any part of this entry if you wish to do so. Just keep it civil.

What I did on my Summer Vacation

So I think I'm "over" the MySpace photoblogging thing. I just felt to much like a comment whore. Getting useful constructive comments were becoming fewer & far between. I'm not knocking it but I'm thinking that it was probably time to move on.

W/ this blogging site, I'm HOPING to narrow the focus on whatever I'm blathering about whereas I used to do to have it being a laundry list of the sets I'd shoot.

I'm not sure how well its going to work about but I'm going to give it a try.

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This here is my super-smart former classmate & good friend Kate. She's currently going to Binghamton & getting her Masters in Art History w/ (I believe, so don't quote me) a concentration on Early Christian art.

This past summer, she graciously invited me to her place in Western NY. I used her place as a base of operations while there squeezing in a few other shoots.

We had a grand ol' time...well, grand ol' by my low-key standards. It was definately refreshing to get out of Glens Falls for awhile. I just feel sometimes that its very confining. Its like, I'm perfectly fine w/ doing nothing but at the same time it makes me go completely stir crazy. I need to be doing SOMETHING whether its taking a walk daily or playing w/ my camera or reading a book outside. I love the area but I'm convinced I'm at that point where I kinda need to leave it again. I'm just trying to figure out how.

Anyways, back to the aforementioned Western NY trip. She & her family are based out in Sodus. The town itself is extremely rural but not quite 1-street & you'll miss it kinda towns...but close to it.

Lots of farm country, specifically lots & lots of apple orchards. I remember seeing a lot of cornfields as well. Course it could have been wheat fields & I would not have known the difference.

Got to see again her sweet, black lab Lilly. It was nice being able to play w/ a big dog again. Callie, the family's own Skiperkie (I probably butchered that spelling), is loveable but you kinda have to watch how rough you play w/ her.

Got to spend some time around Lake Ontario, being hypnotized by the crashing of the waves. That sentientment seems to reoccur in my life for some reasons.

I got a number of images of Kate but this one is in my opinion the keeper.



I missed it the first time during my look-through but Kate liked it during hers. Its kinda grown on me quite a bit.

We also shot in her Dad's church. She, or was it someone else, wanted to do it during a previous session but it never materialized, mainly because I balked. Its one thing to play games & suffer the ramifications involving the State but you do not mess w/ God. Maybe its the Catholic guilt thing but that's just how I am.

Anyway, Kate & I spent a couple hours in the church & presto! Went on our merry way.