Lighting Exercise

I had to do a lighting exercise recently, and there is nothing as fantastic as going back to the basics.
I specifically had to use a natural window light as a light source and wanted to capture the texture created by the light shining through the petals of the flower.

I could have used a reflector to direct more light onto the center of the flower to light up the central details, and I could have also upped the exposure a bit but, my intention was to attract to the finer details that you do not see with direct lighting.

I love the final result and cannot wait to frame it and hang it in my home.
Perhaps I will try some of the methods above to get a variety of different images. I had a lot of fun "playing" though, adn ended up with many images that I can work with. It reminded to keep it simple in stead of overthinking the technical aspects of photography. And I discovered how I can help myself to see the light and shadows at everything I look at, thereby enhancing the images that I want to take.

Photography and the weather!

The weather doesn't always work with the photographer and most photographers love shooting on cloudy days.
This doesn't mean that you cannot take stunning photos on sunny summer days!

Sometimes you just need to creatively look at a subject and look at how you want to catch the light and represent the final impact of the image.

Light shining through the leaves of a flower, reflecting off the many interesting objects next to some roads.

All of these make amazing subjects.

Play with the concept, and try to capture it.

I have found it very difficult to look and see the lights and shadows that make every photo an image with dimension. I still battle with it on a daily basis. Sometimes that effect you saw in your mind's eye just eludes your creative process completely.

Frustrating beyond imagination it might be, but I have learned to relax, lock everything else out of my mind and just to enjoy the moment.

Smelling the air, looking around (even if you have to pretend to be a tourist), and just absorbing the moment. And most importantly, I have learned not to rush myself.

Putting pressure on yourself to achieve is sometimes more destructive than the strictest critic.

Enjoying and taking your time with each project, is an unwinding process with amazing results.

Regardless if you sell your photography, or just do it for the love of it, it will be perfect for the emotion that you invest in it. Good emotions lead to creative interesting photos.




For those who are interested in buying a print, or contracting me for a project, feel free to contact me through my website or e-mail.
http://www.ericaeaton.webs.com
erica.eaton@rocketmail.com

Peace and Tranquility

As X-Mas is fast approaaching I cannot help but wonder at the small beauty that we  miss every day. When last did you just lie flat on your back and look up at the clouds drifting by, or on your stomach, absorbing the bustling life that we walk past every day.

Surrounding us every day is life, green and fresh. Vibrant colours that we miss amongst the rush and stress of every day. Feel the grass in between yur toes. Feel the touch of a soft breeze brushing past your skin. Hear the hundreds of nature calls drifting through the air. Smell the aroma of fresh growth and nurturing ground underfoot.

Our inspiration for every day life should be founded in nature. The vibrant and lively breath that makes our world so beautifull and special. No matter what country you live in, you have an amazing oppertunity to see our world as most cannot. Take that oppertunity and be greatfull.

Sunsets and New Year

As I sat outside yesterday afternoon, soaking in the beautiful sunset that signalled the end of another hectic but satisfying day, I reflected on the year gone by and the new beginnings brought by the upcoming year.

As every other person, I know that there was opportunities missed, goals unreached and adventures overlooked and many tears shed during a year of hard work, financial worries, and time management problems.
I also look at the great things that came about this year. Every proud moment with my children, my personal emotional barriers that I overcame, and the best friends lost and gained. Again, I hope for a better year next year, and this time I had to stop myself from making new year's resolutions.
We cannot plan for the ups and downs that the new year might bring. Natural disasters, crime, financial markets slumping, diseases and all the other potential upsets that might destroy all our neatly laid out plans for next year.

My plan is not to plan next year, I will take every day as it comes, treating as it should be treated: as a day full of potential.

Perhaps then I will look back at the end of the year and not see the disappointments at all, but only see the accomplishments and joy that I experienced on a daily basis.

So to the whole world I say: Merry Xmas, and Happy New Year.

So, the first day of spring came and went. Blossoms everywhere, the excitement of waiting for the Mulberries to ripen. New birth everywhere. And of course great photographic opportunities.

 The flowers, the bees, the baby birds.....and what is spring without that  floral scent in the air. With my excitement came the added opportunity to hand raise a tiny miniature pincher. Angel or like my husband likes to call her, Small Dog, had some really bad moments, and then the joy of her actually making it to the six week mark.

So now, I have this urge to just take photos. Of everything and anything. Not to make money, or promote my photographic business, although I might have given up on that idea for a while.
I just want to capture magic, share it with as many people I can. And who knows, maybe I can inspire others to live out their hobbies with abandon and total expression.





And now, summer is burning in it's full South African glory. The heat, the prayers for rain, the wishes for winter's cosy cuddles. Swimming on lazy Sunday afternoons in the kids blow up pool.

So go ahead, get the photos of the sky, the sunlight glittering off every possible surface...and create memories for yourself.

A Photo in every moment.

If ever you feel like your inspiration has faded away, try this:
Take snapshots!
Take those photos as a mom,dad or whatever. Take that out of focus picture of your childs smile,frame it and hang it up in your home. That image of your dog sleeping, or the one of your favourite tree. These images should be in your face al the time. They remind you why you love photography....to capture the magic that we tend to overlook everyday. Those moments that make YOUR life special.
What else could be a better motivation.

Online photographic communities for the serious photographer

There are so many photographic communities out there for the amateur photographers, and even for the serious professional (one who does photography for a living). What benefits do these site really have for you as the photographer. How many photographers can really say that they have earned clients and solid long term business from these communities? Who is really exposed to your creative work?

These days online magazines, social networks, e-mail and so many other Internet based sources do bring us all closer together, but it is only truly a benefit to your business if it is applied correctly. The Internet has to an extent replace the effort of actually going out there and looking for your clients. The days of meeting up with a potential client and "selling" your skills on a face to face basis seems to have passed and sadly with this passing went the issue of personal client relationships. Clients are numbers, they are potential victims. Clients are very rarely a person, a man/woman with a husband, a single mother, a grandmother.

Customer loyalty is bought with competitive pricing, branding enforcement and "value added services". How about getting back to that "face to face" , "how are you" moments. I would rather have 20 amazing clients that are with me because they value me as a person and vice versa, than 50 wealthy clients that will run off to the competitor the moment that there is a 80% sale!

Photography is one of the few areas where this is still possible. You don't have to take better photos than the expensive pro (one who flaunts their product and training before flaunting their personality). Don't provide your service and think about the potential earnings. Rather provide a service that you would like to receive, and with total empathy for your client and I can guarantee that it will be more successful for your business.
 Photography is after all about the people, art and expression, let your service be such as well.