Composition and Perspective (Midwest)

I have a new freelance design client and scads of new work. So...what do I decide to do? Add a photography project to my plate. I know, insane, right?

I decided to partake in the weekly assignment via the C&C Photography blog. I'm catching up on the assignments, so this is the project from last week.

Here is how I interpreted the assignment:

First I gathered random objects and very quickly arranged them as a still life. I did not spend much time on composing the objects. I figured I would challenge myself to create a pleasing composition without arranging and re-arranging it in front of my camera. I didn't move any of the elements. I just moved my camera, my focal point, my distance to subject, etc. Here are my results.


#1 take one image "as the eye sees it" from straight on
Notice how I placed the objects in front of a window? I did that on purpose to make different shots look completely different exposure-wise.



#2 stand on a chair and get a birds eye view


I combined two instructions into the for the above shot
#3 one close up or different angle
#4 shoot off center using neg space in composition



#5 extra credit "un focus" create a painterly or impressionistic feel
This one was tricky, and I don't think I quite got it right. Oh well, I'm not being graded on these, right? Right!

Portfolio Work (Midwest)

I have been a busy bee these days. I have been building a local client base steadily for the last 6 or so months. My plan is to have a pretty full plate of design work come September of 2010. That's when all three of my kids will be in school full time! (No time to cry about that today, but it's a comin'.) I could spend my days getting manicures and watching Oprah, but I can't wait to be working again. Yes. I'm a design dork.

Anyhoo, I find it so interesting how my photography is working it's way into my graphic design work. Yesterday, I photographed some packaging samples for my portfolio. I have no studio lighting, so I had to work with available window light and white foam core for bouncing that light. All this time I spend behind the camera is really paying off. Though these aren't perfect, I feel like I was able to work with what I had and make a presentable solution.

Also, It was fun to go through my file cabinet and leaf through labels, boxes and other samples. When I pull out a sample I have all these fond memories of my old clients and the times Laurie and I spent working for them. I miss those days. And Laurie, I miss you the most. I'm glad we are going to be together in New York for a whole week!

Real Simple (Midwest)

A big excited thank you to the people over at Real Simple for featuring one of my photos on their blog. My photo is the second one on the right in the second row. Yay!!!

Yee! (Midwest)

Our entire family is finally finished with the summer swim team season. This year our pool hosted the end of season All City Swim Meet. All City is the largest swim meet in the Midwest and one of the 5 largest in the country. Almost 2000 kids competed!

The entire meet was run by parent volunteers. Each family was responsible for 4 half day shifts. I was the person in charge of taking photographs for the website. This was a great gig. I got to view the event from right up front. I had access to the entire venue, even the hospitality suite! It was exhausting, but I really feel like I got to see the magic of the meet.

Here is a (chronologically backward) slide show of my photos from the event. There are almost 200 of them!

Moo! (Midwest)

I don't know if any of you know this, but June is Dairy Month in Wisconsin. Do you care? Probably not. But, for me growing up in the country in Southern Wisconsin, it was a big deal. Ok. Not a big deal. But, an excuse to eat more ice cream, and celebrate cows. For many more years than I care to admit my dad wore a different cow t-shirt each day in June. (Just re-reading that sentence makes me groan a little bit).

It seems appropriate somehow that I participated in a photo shoot last week that involved cows. I know. Glamorous. Yet, fun. My main purpose was to do some business portraiture and a few shots of people doing what they would be doing if they were a consultant, a vet, a farmer and some cows in a barn. (I'll leave that up to your imagination.) The clients were fun and it was a good experience for me.

This week I'm going to finish up a few letterpress projects to ship to California for Renegade San Francisco. I can't wait to journey back to the Bay Area and to hang out with Laurie. Hopefully, I will have some brand new journals to debut.

Happy June, people. Drink some milk!

Moonlighting (Midwest)

Last Sunday I assisted my talented friend and mentor, and photographer extraordinaire, Kate on one of her family photo sessions. I think this is the sixth time I've helped her do her thing. As you can see from Kate's photo above I'm having a lot of fun. I did some kid wrangling, reflector holding and a lot of picture taking.

I really enjoyed the family we were shooting. They have 5 kids and they are so incredibly sweet with each other. Being the oldest of 5 kids I'd like to say I can relate, but I remember one too many battles from my childhood.

Anyway, since I have my camera with me most days I get a lot of "are you a photographer?" questions and I never really know what to say. I have finally come upon the right answer which I feel fits me. I respond by saying something to this effect,

"Well, I'm a graphic designer, but I occasionally moonlight as a photographer..."

So there you have it. That answer makes me feel better about spending too much money on camera lenses and it keeps me from feeling guilty about not taking on more graphic design projects.

Here are a few of my photos from Sunday's shoot.

Blooms (Midwest)

As summer approaches I'm taking so many flower photographs for my photo a day project that I think it's transferring to my letterpress work. It seems like all the cards I'm working on have some sort of floral element to them these days. Can you see what I mean?



These cards are from my flower illustrations, but I'm still trying to find a way to incorporate elements of my photographs directly into my letterpress prints without re sketching. I must deliberate that some more and get back to you...

I hope everybody had a nice Holiday weekend!

Coming up for Air (Midwest)

I've been a pretty lame blogger as of late. I'm smack in the middle of spring break and the kids are keeping me very busy. Since, I'm heading out of town for a couple days I figured it would be a good time to post before I dash off...

I have a couple design projects running right now. I'm quite pleased to have print projects on my plate. I was sketching brochure ideas the other night and it was so fulfilling. I plan to work as much as I can this weekend (around Easter activities) to get a jump on the work I need to get done.



Oh also, I was able to do another photography assist gig last Monday. I helped hold reflectors, talk to the model and even shoot a bit (see photo above). I'm really enjoying my camera. Every day (well, most days) I look forward to taking my picture of the day. Even when I don't have my camera with me I find myself noticing things and thinking "that would make a nice photo". Sometimes when I'm talking to someone I catch myself moving so I can view them in better light. This really surprises me. Now I need to find a way to incorporate my photography and my letterpress. More on that soon...

Monday (Midwest)

This is a photo I took yesterday. I hooked up with the Madison Flickrmeets people and did a little photowalk on the Near East side. It was very cold. 31 degrees I think. Windy, and snowing on and off. My fingerless gloves, which I thought were so clever and helpful for picture taking, turned out to be stupid. My fingers hurt and I cursed my foolish fashion sense as I drove home one handed. Would I ever let my kids wear fingerless gloves? No, I tell you. No.

But hey, I am excited to discover that Lucky Bee Press had a mention in the Holiday Card Guide at Poppytalk. Laurie, isn't that exciting?!? I signed myself up for a spot in the next Poppytalk market. I'm hoping to get some Christmas card traffic. Thanks Poppytalk!



This week's calendar is looking pretty good for me. I need to print. I would really like to bang out a couple notebook covers and some gift tags. I might even hand set some metal type. I'm really looking forward to it. It's been too long.

Finally, my Internet connection is back. I had about 9 days (9 days!)* without it. It was very frustrating. I had to jump onto Joey's laptop to read emails. I even checked my email at the Apple Store in the mall the other day. I used the 17" Macbook Pro they had on display. It was mighty nice. Want. Want. Want.

*Anyone catch the Ferris Bueller near reference here? 9 times? Yeah. I know. It was subtle.

Ok. Kids are up. I must make breakfast. Toodles.

Bokeh Sunday (Midwest)

"Bokeh is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field", as per Wikipedia.

You may have already figured out that I'm into bokeh since almost every photo I post on this blog blurs out. When I take a photo I'm purposely trying to use focus and depth of field to enhance my composition. So, in an effort to improve my photography skills I signed myself up for a self imposed photography project. I joined the 365 Bokeh flickr group. My task now is to shoot and post one photo per day for a year (gulp) that incorporates bokeh. Yes, I realize I may not be able to squeeze this into my busy schedule. I might even have to eliminate a boat cruise here a manicure there, etc. Oh wait, I don't get manicures or go on boat cruises. I'm good!

So today, besides shooting one photo, I need to make more of these notebooks for a wholesale order. Other than kid activities, those are the only things on my calendar. It should be a nice day.

Say Cheese (Midwest)

Last Sunday Kate picked me up and we headed downtown to do a little photography shoot/walk. We sneaked into the Hilton and headed up to the top of the building. From there we discovered that the top floor party room was left unlocked and unattended! We had to enter. The room had a bar, a bookshelf with arty vases and vintage books, and an amazing view looking down onto Monona Terrace and the lake. My first thought was to mix myself a drink, but then I remembered the task at hand which was learning to take pictures.



I'm still in the initial stages of mastering my camera, so I mainly just try to take a picture that isn't blurry. I do consider the composition as I line things up, but it's pretty much an unplanned let's see what happens approach. Kate talked about where to stand to catch interesting light, and about background color and scenery. It was very interesting. Lots to consider as I continue practicing.

After we exhausted our Hilton photo opportunities we strolled outside and shot flowers. The evening sun was low in the sky and seemed to get tangled in the petals and grasses. Very pretty.



The evening was perfect for strolling, chatting and taking pictures. It was such a nice little outing. I'm glad to have a friend who shares her creativity and skills with me.

Finally, I'd like to send a thanks out to Diana of Pravina studio. Diana creates simple and modern bags and accessories. She also maintains the blog, Heartland, which highlights her discoveries in the Midwest. I met her this summer at the Craftacular and she sent me a note several days later asking if I wouldn't mind being featured on her blog. Hello!?!?? Of course I wouldn't mind. Here is the post. Thanks again Diana. I'll see you at Renegade!

Moosday (Midwest)

Above: 10 Free Moo Cards came with my Flickr pro account. They make interesting card houses.


It's Tuesday. I'm adjusting to our new summer schedules and such. I have my brother from California visiting with his kids and my mom and stepdad, too. It's busy, but I'm still checking off action items from my to do list. Today I will order printing plates for my wedding clients. I'm excited to print their invites. I have a huge stack of blank paper just waiting for the job.

I ordered my business cards for handing out at the Craftacular. And, I printed up some letterpress soap labels. More on those and what they are for later. :)

Also, I've been having fun playing around with my new camera. I try to have it handy to snap some practice shots here and there. I'm pretty lousy at shooting people. Rarely do I get a shot where the part that is in focus is what I thought I was focusing on. I have so many pics that should be sharper. I did get a pretty decent shot of Sophie coming off the slip n' slide the other day. So, that was encouraging.

Finally, I'm working on some photos for our application to Renegade Chicago. We will attempt a joint application with Boh Bon Soap Co. So far I have shot a few table top scenarios of the soap. I have to shoot some shots with our cards next.



Tis time to get the kids suited up for swim team. Ta ta for now.

Welcome June (Midwest)

Summer feels nearer and nearer each day. Laurie and I have one more week on our table space over at Poppytalk Handmade. To celebrate our first on-line event, we are having a gift with purchase sale for Poppytalk Handmade customers. If any blog readers are interested you will receive a free set of 3 letterpress tags with any purchase at Lucky Bee Press. You need to enter the word "poppytalk" into the message to seller section at Etsy checkout. Ok. Sales pitch over. Onward...

It was a lovely weekend here. The weather was in the upper 70s. It was sunny and breezy. We were outside all weekend. Soccer games were played. The swingset got a workout. Dandelions were picked. I was able to get away for a couple hours to hook up with the Madison Flickrmeets group. We did a little downtown photo walk. I got in some needed practice time with my new camera. It was surprisingly easy to stroll and shoot with total strangers.

Today I would like to do a quick letterpress session, but outside is still calling me. It's another gorgeous day. There is always tomorrow.

Finally, I'm loving this photo.

I can see clearly now the rain has gone (Midwest)

Tis sunny. Was rainy. Was busy. Tis now not.

I've had a week like Laurie's out in California. End of the year is a busy time when you have school age kiddos. I didn't get to sketch or print. Not once. But, the weekend is upon us, and it will happen.

Big news here, I got my *new* camera this week. Purchased with my share of our economic stimulus check from GW. Yes. I invested in our countries' (and China's) economy. Anyway, I've been restricted from using it because it has been so rainy these last couple of days. Within the last hour it has cleared somewhat and I was out in the backyard stalking bugs, flowers and anything else that looked interesting.

Above you will see my first photo, shot number 0001 taken about 10 minutes after I opened the lens box yesterday. Those are my new glasses. I think they make me look smart.

This camera should be a nice creative outlet for me. And, it probably won't require a huge amount of extra time. I imagine stroller walks becoming more fun because I have a camera in tow. And, I look forward to photographing cards as they come off the press. Exciting stuff. Keep tuned.

Photography Lessons (Midwest)

I had the most fun day today. I went on a shoot with Kate. She let me use her fancy camera and lens. She even gave me a photography lesson and made me take notes! I felt fortunate to have her share her trade secrets with me. More than anything it was just fun to point, shoot and chat. The weather was beautiful and we had interesting subjects to photograph (our little boys).



I reviewed my shots as soon as I returned to my office. A good portion of them were over exposed or blurry, often both. But, there were some nice surprises in there, too. Here are some of my efforts.






Thank you Kate!!!