Tag Archives: photography

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Note-taker (Project 52, Week #5).

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Note-Taker. Taken January 31 2012 in Mt. Lebanon PA

Hello friends.  I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted to the blog (a week, I know).

Just a reminder…if you want to keep up with my daily goings and comings without having to wait for me to post to this blog… you should like my Facebook page (hint hint) and/or follow me on Facebook.

This week, I found myself on the other side of the state of PA, in Pittsburgh, and more specifically, in the municipality of Mt. Lebanon, which is about 6 miles south of Pittsburgh.  I made the trek to visit one of my oldest and dearest college friends, who relocated from the hot Southwest to Pittsburgh to take a job as the assistant director of the beautiful Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

Last night, the library hosted a lecture on the history of Pittsburgh jazz.  The lecture was given by Pittsburgh-bred pianist, arranger,and historian Tom Roberts. It was a full house, and Mr. Roberts truly delivered an enlightening and spirited talk.  I learned a lot about Pittsburgh’s vibrant and rich jazz scene which goes back many many years.  What was fascinating to me was the Pittsburgh-Chicago jazz connection…my ears always perk up when my hometown is mentioned.

Of course, I had my camera, and volunteered to document the event.  Of all the photos I took, this one, in particular, is my favorite, for all the obvious reasons.  I guess his reasoning was, if you have to sit through a 2-hour event, you should get as comfortable as you can.

:-)

And because this is Wednesday, I’m linking to my sister in photography’s blog, Tickle My Whimsy.  If you haven’t started a photography project for 2012, there’s still time to jump in.  Just click the badge below to learn more about how you can get involved.

And I’m so sad that it’s Wednesday, because now I must prepare to return to Philly this afternoon.  I had a blast, met a lot of wonderful people, and learned something new…but as we all know, all good things must come to an end, right? Goodbye Pittsburgh.  You haven’t seen the last of me.  I’ll be back!

Peace and blessings!

 

Project 52 - 2012 Week #5

So You Wanna Be a Photographer, Huh? Learn How to Find Joy in the Moment.

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January 13, 2012

This morning, I came across this quote from Anais Nin, one of my favorite authors:

“My concept of love clashed with my desire to create. Everyone’s life and love were more important than my own.  Creation I considered a danger to my loves, my human relationships. In creation I would reveal what I was, in opposition to the roles I played to be whatever anyone needed.”

I’m not a relationship expert, nor do I claim to have the key to unlock all the secrets to what it takes to have a successful, fulfilling relationship with those we love.  I’m a photographer;  I like to take pictures; and I never professed to ever being or wanting to be a relationship blogger.

However, I think Ms. Nin was on to something very profound that deeply resonated with me as I read it.  As a matter of fact, I was like, awwww snap… I need to blog about this.

Okay.  I freely admit that I struggle with trying to strike a consistent balance between loving those in my cipher and loving and devoting all my waking hours to my craft and all that goes along with it.  Both spheres need, require and thrive on  passion and creativity and focus in equal measure…however….the reality is….

When I’m with the ones I love, I’m thinking about photography.  And when I’m doing my photography thing, I’m thinking about the next time I can spend time with my loved ones.    

I’ll be honest.  Sometimes it’s completely frustrating, and I find myself want to shut everything down.  It’s that deep.  But I recognize that this is completely unrealistic…so it requires that I dig down deep and deconstruct the root causes for the frustration.

Let’s see… #1….I don’t like juggling multiple roles, even though I’ve mastered the ability to do so.

Sometimes I get so frustrated that I want to shed all of my other roles and just live my life in complete solitude as a photographer and a blogger.  The questions pour forth:  Why do I have to wear all these other hats??  Why do I have to give of myself to other people?

#2….In my mind, I fail miserably at being all things to all people at all times, and I think that comes when I don’t feel like I’m getting sufficient feedback or acknowledgement from those that I care most about.

#3…. I sometimes find that the thing that I long to do the most is the thing that I’m NOT DOING AT THAT GIVEN MOMENT.  And it makes me angry.  Ha! What’s a girl to do?  I have to remind myself:   I’m a work in progress, which means that I’m working on loving the idea of being in the moment.

Because the reality is, the very thing that helps me see the beauty in the mundane, the very thing that helps me be the photographer I strive to be, every single day, is LOVE.  And love does not do well in a vacuum.

Without the love of my kids, my extended family and friends, I can’t create.  And that means, that when I’m spending time with them, I must draw on those expressions of love, as they are given to me…they are precious gifts.

That means that  I must put aside the anguish and frustration that may creep into my spirit, that comes ever so subtly to sabotage the joy that comes with sharing and loving others at any given time, and not looking at it as time taken away from me being able to work on or think about my photography.

This is vitally important, because when I’m doing my photography thing, I must convert the satisfaction and joy I gain from those moments into gifts that I can give and share with those who care deeply for me.

And friends, this simply means that I have to accept myself for who I am, and be very grateful that others accept me for who I am as well.

Unlike Anais Nin, I’m 100 percent certain that my desire and drive to create does not threaten my relationships.  In fact, I truly believe in my heart that my desire and drive to create are the very qualities that people are drawn to, and in fact, enhances those relationships as well.  It’s definitely not, nor should it ever be, an either-or proposition.

Peace and blessings.

T.

So You Wanna Be a Photographer, Huh? Well, Get Yourself Some TOUGH LOVE.

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When first starting out, it’s natural to surround yourself with supporters, friends and family and “fans” of your work.  Their positive words of encouragement, pats on the back and “way to go’s” are nice and satisfy an artist’s need for a confidence boost from time to time.  Nothing is better than a nice pick-me-up from folks who know you, care about you, and want to see you succeed.

But there will come a time in an artist’s life when he/she realizes that he/she must take his art to the next level.  And the only way that can happen is if he or she takes the brave next step of looking at his/her work self-critically to identify those  areas needing improvement and taking the necessary steps to correct any errors or mistakes going forward.

I reached that point this year.  I knew that I had accomplished all that I could accomplish ON MY OWN, and that I wanted and needed to take my work to the “next level” (I understand that this may mean different things to different people). I knew that I was ready to grow as an artist.  So I did three things.

First,  I joined a community group of women artists of all stripes who have committed themselves to meeting every month, sharing plans, discussing short/long-term goals and holding each other accountable for making sure we all stay on task regarding what we have committed ourselves to accomplishing this year.  Now they aren’t going to be critiquing my work per se.  But – and this is very important – they will help me brainstorm projects and tasks, offer valuable suggestions and feedback, and help me to course correct if I venture off my chosen path.

Next, I joined a Project 52 group this year, which commits me to sharing an image of my own choosing every week with other participating photographers.  I understand that at the end of 52 weeks I will have a body of work that will mark my growth as a photographer.  Along the way, as I interact with others in the group, it is my hope that they will be able to help me look critically at my work so that I can improve.

And finally, and most importantly, I have put it out in the Universe that I’m looking for a mentor and a teacher…someone with whom I can establish a one on one relationship, who can critique my work with an objective, dispassionate eye, and then give me concrete suggestions, tools and feedback for improvement.  I wanted someone who has a knack for deconstructing images, someone who can look at my work and tell me in no uncertain terms what I can do to improve any and everything from my technique, to working with the proper camera settings, i.e., shooting in manual mode, being more strategic about picking my shots, and many other areas in order to improve the overall quality and depth of my work.

I made a conscious decision to put my ego aside so that I won’t get in the way of my own growth.  I’m the type of person that always thrives on challenge and the opportunity to show someone what I can do.  And I know from experience that one on one mentoring relationships have always worked well for me AND,  that when the student is ready, the teacher will come.

Most importantly, I’m committed to working really hard over the next 12 months under the watchful eye of a mentor so that I will be ready to make some strategic moves when Year Three rolls around.

The point I’m trying to make is this:  Help may come through a support group of photographers, or a teacher or a mentor or an experienced, seasoned photographer who can help you grow and develop as a photographer.  The bottom line is to get some, and the trick is to figure out what works for you in your situation, and what your comfort level will accommodate. Mentoring relationships may not be your cup of tea, but I laid out a few options aside from mentoring that may be of benefit to you.  All in all, if you are looking to be successful in photography, or any endeavor, for that matter, you can’t do it in a vacuum.

I would love to hear from you in the comments on how you benefited from being mentored, mentoring someone else, or working within the confines of a group to take your photography or other endeavor to “the next level.”

Peace and blessings,

Tieshka

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Standing Her Ground (Or, X Marks The Spot).

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Standing Her Ground (X Marks the Spot). Taken January 10 2012 in Kensington neighborhood, Philadelphia, PA.

Two words:    Quintessential Kensington.

So You Wanna Be a Photographer, Huh? Well, Prepare Yourself for the Haters.

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On the advice of someone who I respect and care about, I am going to start writing a series of blog posts from time to time entitled “So You Wanna Be a Photographer, Huh?”  The person noted that I’m going into my second year of shooting and should share what I’ve learned…the good, the bad and the ugly of my experiences, most of which have nothing to do with photography at all and everything to do with making good choices so that you can pursue your life’s dream with the level of self-awareness that is so necessary to achieve some level of success and satisfaction.

At any rate, I spent a few days reflecting on the advice I received, after which I decided that this was a good idea, and would be fun.

So here’s the deal.  I plan on writing these posts when time permits and when I’m inspired to do so.  The posts will consist of straight talk – the type of real talk that I wished that I had heard before I plunged head first into the photography abyss.  My approach to this question is designed to put a more personal spin on things that you probably won’t find on other photography blogs.  It’s the type of real talk that I hope will make you think very hard before taking the plunge as I did.  I’m going to stay away from jargon and photography-speak and try to make these posts enjoyable for photographers and non-photographers alike.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I may invite some guest bloggers to opine on this question as well….different perspectives are always nice.

So I hope that you will continue to follow along on this part of my journey.  As always, thank you and peace and blessings.

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“So you call yourself a photographer…”  She said it with a snarl so vicious that dreams I didn’t know I had almost died at that very moment.  It shocked and disappointed me, because I really looked up to this person and respected her opinion.  Luckily for me, I don’t give up that easy, and I kept pushing forward.  Lesson #1:  Everyone should not be privy to your plans and dreams.

I’ve learned very early that when you step out on faith to pursue your life’s calling, haters will come out of the cracks like disease-ridden roaches.

There are usually two kinds of haters, I’ve observed. First, there are the watchful, passive aggressive haters.  These are the kind who will stand back and watch you. They don’t say anything encouraging or constructive, but they don’t say anything overtly negative either.  Either way, you get the sense that they are standing back, waiting for you to  fail, fall on your face or otherwise embarrass yourself so they can step up and say, “See, I knew it!  You should have stuck to (fill in the blanks.)…you’re good at that.”

The other kind of hater is the spear-chucking, poor impulse control kinda hater.  He/she will come out straight, no chaser, with their venom-spewing comments and nasty remarks that offer no value to what you’re trying to do whatsoever.  You will have no doubt in your mind that he or she is not digging what you’re trying to do.  I welcome this kind of hate, because at least I know where they are coming from and I can take steps to erase them from my reality.

What do these two kinds of people have in common?  Well, more than likely, these people aren’t pursuing their life purpose (or don’t even know what they’ve been put on this earth to do, for real).  They are stuck in jobs or personal situations that are oppressive and spirit-sucking.  Because they hate where they are in life, they will find ways to try to thwart your journey.  It’s a very powerful commentary on why it’s important to conquer our fears and just step out on faith and do what we are put on this planet to do and trust that the rest will take care of itself in due time.

Bottom line:   No one likes (or really needs) haters.  I have enough going on that I have to manage.  The photography business is competitive enough and I’m always second-guessing my skills and capabilities, because, frankly, there are like 20,000,000 photographers, a lot of whom are very talented and are all looking for the same big break (or a bunch of little breaks).

Anyone who has worked as a freelancer can relate to what I’m about to say.  When you don’t have the benefit of support/encouragement/constructive criticism of a team of colleagues as you would in a more traditional work situation, it all falls on you to make things happen.  The pressure makes you hyper-critical.  I find myself constantly assessing and re-assessing my skills, my approach, my relationships, the whole shot.  It’s akin to having a whole family of haters in your head who have taken up permanent residence, constantly second-guessing you and filling your head with doubt.

The point is this:  I don’t need any help from the likes of you, dear hater.  So if you are in a hateful kind of mood and have nothing constructive to offer, please go play in traffic.  Thank you and have a nice day.

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What Inspires Me? The Freedom (and Space) to Do Me.

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I was walking to the library the other day and realized that I haven’t written a “What Inspires Me” post in a minute.  Funny how time flies when you’re having fun.

I’ve been really busy shooting, editing, networking and trying to move my photography practice forward that I haven’t taken the time out to jot down some of my thoughts and reflections on this blog. For that, I should be taken out and flogged.  But before you pull out the rods, switches, the cat o’ nine tails and the sjambok (whatever that is), please indulge me for a few minutes.

I think it’s important for artists to take time for self-reflection and all that.  But I have to be honest with you.  Because I’ve been so busy with various projects and assignments, I’ve found it really, really hard to find the right words to describe what and how I’m feeling about my work and which direction I’m thinking about taking my photography in the coming year.

I feel like it’s too soon to really talk about it in a way that other people will understand and relate to.  Hell, it’s even hard for me to wrap my mind around.    And sometimes, I’m just plain tired.

It’s akin to making bread:  You knead and roll and stretch the dough for what seems like an eternity.  Then you sit it aside in a bowl, and cover it, to let it rise…you can’t rush the process or else the final product doesn’t turn out quite right.  When the time is right, I will find the right words to say to express my fully formed thoughts.  Until that time, I will let my photos speak for me.

But anyway, I was walking down the street, thinking about what to write, and being mindful of the fact that I can’t do both simultaneously for too long (without tripping over my feet).

And, since we’re heading into the season for giving thanks and counting our blessings, I want to pause and give thanks to all of those people who have played a role in giving me the freedom and the space to do me, the real me.  You all know who you are.

What does the “freedom and space to do me” mean?  I can get up when I want, work when I want, work on what I want, go where my curiosity takes me and tell assholes to kiss off when I feel like it and not live in fear of someone retaliating or doling out severe repercussions for speaking my mind or daring to disagree.  There is nothing more heady or intoxicating or more inspiring than knowing that I have complete autonomy over my life.   I love the fact that no one else is responsible for my failure or success but me.  This means that I can take all the credit for if this thing works, but most importantly, I can (and will) take the fall if  this thing swirls down the toilet bowl.

Besides.  I think I’ve paid my dues.  Lord knows, I’ve paid my dues and earned the right to do me.  So, let me tighten up my head wrap and keep this thing moving.

And Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate!

Let’s Connect!!!  Facebook | Twitter | Flickr  | Tumblr

It’s Full Moon Monday!!! Two More Likes to Go….

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Hello everybody and happy full moon Monday!

Last week was quite a busy one for me photography-wise, and for that I’m extremely grateful! It’s nice when others acknowledge my work and give me more photography projects to complete that showcase what’s going on here in Philadelphia. So let me say my thank yous before I get down to the nuts and bolts of today’s post.

First off, let me extend my thanks to De Lantz for shouting me out Thursday at his inaugural Coffee After Dark open mic session at Wired Beans Cafe in Mt. Airy. I really appreciated that. Thanks to all of the poets and artists who performed that night, and thanks to all of those who chose to connect with me on Facebook. Just so you know, the photo set is ready and will be posted up on my Facebook page later today.

I just want to say….the Philly underground spoken word community is really dynamic and I have some ideas that I want to explore via the photographic medium along these lines. More to come in the coming months!

Also, I want to also give a big shout out to Rob Wheeler, owner of Wired Beans Cafe, and the Wired Wednesdays crew of musicians, singers, spoken word artists and others for being so supportive of my photography efforts. Much love to each and every one of you all. You all are so talented, and I am so honored to be able to view all of it through my lens every week.

Finally, thanks to Zach Subar, editor of the Mt. Airy Patch, for giving me my first photo essay assignment that I completed over this past weekend. Check it out here. Many thanks to the Philadelphia Fire Department and Captain Tygh who granted me access to the crew on duty that I photographed. I had a lot of fun.  I also just found out that one of the images of the photo set was named Photo of the Week!  Cool!

Okay. I’m happy to report that I’m very close to meeting my goal of 100 Facebook likes before my birthday this coming Thursday, September 15th. Right now, I’m at 98.  98 is a good number…don’t get me wrong.  100 would be really nice, though.

Basically, it comes down to this: The 100th person to like my page will be eligible to receive a free 8X10 print of his or her choice from my body of work, which includes images posted here on my photo blog, my Flickr photo stream , my 500px site, Facebook and PictureSocial.

If this works out okay without a Jerry Springer-style brawl breaking out between #99 and #100 (I kid, I kid), I plan on sponsoring more giveaways in the near future to keep things interesting.  If you have ideas or suggestions regarding fun giveaways, feel free to contact me at any time.  I welcome all feedback.

It’s funny…no one wants to be #99. LOL!!  But someone is going to have to be #99….Sorry!

At any rate, see you over at my Facebook page, and good luck!

Thank you all.  Peace and blessings.

The Challenge: Ten Facebook Likes In Ten Days.

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Hello everyone!

We’ve come to the end of another week, a week, that, I must say, was anticlimactic compared to the weather rollercoaster we in the Northeast were subjected to last week!

The good thing is, summer is winding down and it’s time to look forward to fall here in the United States.  I can feel it in the air already!

I’ve always loved the transition from summer to fall, and last year, I took a number of photos on the streets of Jersey City NJ that documented that change, including the one below. For me, nothing beats cooler weather, football and the leaves on the trees changing from green to brilliant reds, yellows and oranges.

In My 'Hood (Autumn in Audubon Park). Taken 10-22-2010 in Jersey City, NJ

As I’ve reported before, here and on my Facebook page, September is my birthday month! And, my birthday actually falls on the 15th!    So, I was sitting here, really pleased to have gotten my 90th like and was wondering: Wouldn’t it really be really nice to get to 100 likes on my page before the 15th, which is in less than 2 weeks? I say 10 days but it’s really 10 business days. In the big scheme of things, I guess it doesn’t really matter. And yes. I sit at home and think these things up all by myself in the wee morning hours.

That’s how committed I am to this photography thing. I’m not one of these fancy photographers with like 2 gazillion fans, or anything. I’m really humbled and grateful for all the support I’ve received over the past year or so since I started photo blogging. It tells me that I am on the right path and I just have to keep plugging away.

And to the 90 folks who have liked my page, THANK  YOU!!! I really, truly appreciate all the support and encouragement and feedback I’ve received from you along the way.  It means the world to me!

With that said, I’d like to have more people along for the ride, so I offer my Top 10 reasons why you, the unconvinced, should like my page:

  1. Because it only takes 10 seconds to do. You click the link, go to my page, and click the Like button. The end. And I get a notification and then I shout you out on my page and make you feel all special and glittery and singled-out, like a celebrity! How awesome is that?
  2. Because it’s becoming a pretty interesting and diverse community of artists, photography lovers, and friends of those of us who love photography. If you haven’t been following along, there’s so much you’re missing, because there is a lot that I feature on my page that I don’t talk about on my blog.
  3. Because you like me. Or at least I thought you did. I’ll know for certain that you really like me if you liked my page.
  4. Because I like you. A lot.
  5. Because it’s a great place to talk about street photography, which is my primary interest. And, I feature a lot of images that don’t make it to the blog. You may be missing quite a bit and you don’t even know how much!
  6. Because I don’t take photography so seriously that I forget that it’s all about passion and creativity and emotional connections between the image maker and the subject and the viewer. There’s going to be very little technical talk on my page.
  7. Because my page features photography that documents my time spent in three states! Three! Count them: New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania!
  8. Because I also like to link to other interesting photography-related and cultural/social interest blogs and websites. It’s not always about me and my work, because I believe that my work is constantly being informed and influenced by the world around me.
  9. Because once I get to 100 I’ll be quiet for a little while. And….
  10. Because it will be a great birthday gift to me!

Just so you know…. I’m planning something special for the 100th person to like my page, so stay tuned. I’ll have more details to share with you next week.

In the meantime, peace and blessings, and to all my friends and supporters in the US, have a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

The Votes Are In….And I’ve Decided To Choose (Drumroll, Please)….

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… “Lovers In Their Own World… ” as my street photo submission!

Lovers In Their Own World. Taken June 29, 2010 in NYC.

I decided to convert it back to color from black and white.  I found that there are a number of elements that become apparent when the image is in color that are lost when the image is in black and white.  In my opinion, these elements function as the glue that helps hold the composition together.

It was a tough choice to make, but I think it was the best one given the aims of the contest.  I am deeply appreciative to those of you who commented here, on my Facebook Page, over at LinkedIn, tweeted me, and otherwise took the time out of your day to share your thoughts and impressions on all four photos I put up for consideration.  It’s a real testament to the power and immediacy of social media.

Again, thank you.

HELP!!!! I Need Your Input!!!

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I am suffering from analysis paralysis…. contest anxiety…. general paranoia….or all of the above!

Here’s why:  I plan to submit one of the below images to a photography contest by the end of this week.  The problem is, I can’t choose which one I like the most.  It’s like being forced to choose a favorite from your many children.  Go figure.

At any rate, I would love your input.  If you get a moment, leave a comment here or on my Facebook Page.  Be sure to tell me which image you like the most, or if you’re feeling really ambitious, rank them from best to worst.

I’m tough, I can take it!  Thanks in advance, and peace!