I’m going to let this video speak for itself. It is a true testament to how much inspiration is flying around, and what a great community of artists we have here. 2011 was a great year, if for nothing else than the fact that we came together, shared, and inspired. Thank you for being here during the past year, and here’s to looking ahead at the year to come. The contributors with their pictures are listed below the video in alphabetical order.
I know that social media is taking over our lives and is seeping into the real world little by little (or a lot by a lot). There are people, artists, photographers everywhere vying for attention and trying to get ahead in their respective fields. I know how it is all too well. I am one of those people after all, when you look at it objectively. I was artistically born online, and beyond that, began my career in photography largely due to the encouragement from people I’ve never even met before. I call them “internet people” ;-)
Some of my favorite images from 2011.
I know it is rather obvious and unavoidable to run into so many end-of-the-year-recaps, but I fall into that category of people who just can’t help themselves. I will probably recap my year every year until I die in some sort of blog-type-thing, or maybe just in my head in years to come. Either way…one whole year. It seems like such a short amount of time and such a long amount of time. It just depends which day you catch me on. Usually though I’ll say that a year is a good long amount of time. It seems to go by quickly depending on how busy you are, or if you count how many times you’ve seen certain family members. But in the end, each moment is so special and so much can be packed into a moment that when you think about it, a year is a long time to reflect on.
Tagged "fine art photography", 2011 recap, behind the scenes, dark art, new year, photographer, surreal photography, whimsical photographyI went away last weekend to visit the Salton Sea, a little known AMAZING place southeast of Los Angeles. The sea is dying, and the fish that were carried there from the Colorado River died and can now be found in the form of bones on the beaches. Abandoned buildings abound and the entire area is quite desolate. The surrounding cities are all small desert towns. I was there to take in all of the decay and to see the nearby sand dunes. As I drove my car down to the beach to get a better look, my car got trapped in a soft spot of sand.
Just after getting stuck in the sand, capturing the moment.
I was seriously lacking in the video department lately. I had tried several times but the videos just weren’t coming together, or I would run out of time. I even ran out of battery last time I tried! But finally I’ve put together a new behind the scenes video featuring none other than the best model in the world: my cat Nyah!
I hope you enjoy the making of this picture. It was really fun for me to do, although painful as well. I think I had a hundred little holes in my feet after jumping and walking on sharp leaves. Oh well! I’ve had worse and will have much worse in the future I am certain.
The other day I was doing a portfolio review with someone and we both noted that when he used textures it gave his pictures an extra special…something.
Neither of us could quite put a word on what we meant, except for using the word: THICK
So, what in the world does it mean to say that texture makes photos look thick? I’ve thought about it, and what we both meant was that the photo looks more robust, full, and heavy with content. A picture will often look less flimsy, like there are more layers to it and there is more for the eye to see.
November seemed to be a great month for movement. There were so many submissions to the contest this month, and even after I went through all of them I still had a 3 page document of links that I wanted to include in this blog post! But I had to narrow it down, and my friend and talented photographer Lindsay Adler was here to guest judge this contest. We agreed on our favorites and honorable mentions, and so, without anymore delay, here are the winners of the November “Motion” themed contest. Scroll down for the winners, honorable mentions, and the December themed contest…along with new prizes!
Tagged brooke shaden contest, contest, december, easy canvas prints, facebook, journey, motion, november, photography, prizes, props, winnersThe things we can do with $5 and a little imagination are plentiful. The things we can do with so little are incredible. The things we can make out of nothing astound. We call ourselves creatives, and sometimes our actions show that more than others. I got to thinking about what makes me tick, the things that really get my creative juices flowing and make me want to create. While a big budget might be nice, and a whole elaborate set inspiring, those things are not the reason why I started creating. What I was drawn to instantly about art in general was the way that I could make something out of nothing. And by nothing I mean, literally, nothing.
Tagged "fine art photography", baby powder, behind the scenes, blue, brooke shaden, brooke shaden photography, cloud, dark art, dust, earth, field, jumping, making something out of nothing, photographs, positivity, reborn, surrealism, warrior, whimsicalEvery Thanksgiving I write a list of reasons why I am thankful. That list is always impossibly long and getting longer each year. My family, my friends, my career, where I live, my cats…it is an obvious list, that is certain, but of course it means something to me. Everyone who celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday probably has similar traditions, similar lists…You probably get together with family, eat turkey, say what you are thankful for. That is the reason why I love this holiday. Can you think of a better holiday than one that focuses on what we should be grateful for?
Tagged "fine art photography", bird, brooke shaden, decisions, flightless, nest, positivity, reflection, Thanksgiving, YOUOr in other words: The Greatest Night of My Life
My photo shown on The Today Show as Ron & Bryce Howard promoted the premiere. Also featuring the SUPER talented Miss Aniela!