Going WITH the sunlight till the very end.

I know it has been FOREVER since I last posted. Lots of stuff has been going on, just not directly related to this blog. 

BUT 'tis the season for me to start shooting again!

This past weekend our dear friend Joe graduated from Columbia University's School of Engineering with his Masters! It was very exciting and a lots of family flew in for the occasion. Needless to say- photos were a must. 

The sun was fading fast but the light was GORGEOUS. 

Here's an amateur mistake that I've seen a lot of people do (and I'm so thankful I had one oopsy so I could show you!)

Which image do you think looks best? (Both are straight out of the camera ((SOOC)). 

There was the most AMAZING golden light but you do NOT want that on your subject's face. I had Maris and Joe step two feet to the left and BAM! The bottom photo happened. (Realistically, she could have stepped one more foot over, but I'm satisfied.) 

There's no camera tricks, no artificial light. Just straight shooting.  I exposed for the people, not the background. 

Here are a few more images from the festivities. (Also SOOC).

The Grad!

 Joe and his Momma that flew in all the way from Australia!

 The whole gang.

^ This is my New York family. :)

Below are two edited images that I played with. 

 ^ Maris and Joe.

Maris and her Daddy the next day. So beautiful. 

In other news: I will be in Metro Detroit from June 3rd till sometime in the fall. 

Glad to be back! And I hope to keep up with this, at least once a week.

Its been a MONTH?! WHAAAAA?

You know how you can sometimes just lose track of time?

This happened for me, for the past MONTH.

So much happened while I was gone.

•   I went to an amazing lecture, met some people who have already become amazing friends. 
•   Got to see a ton of my friends (and shoot with them) that I haven't seen since last Summer. 
•   Almost broke my ankle. SEVERELY bruised/ possibly fractured it. (I was off of it for about 4 days?)
•   My Gramma S was in and out of the hospital and now she is in a rehab facility. (TBD when she'll be out of there.)
•   Made some awesome connections for the Detroit project and found more supporters!
•   I was able to get in about 5 days of shooting for clients/ friends. (Blogs to come!)
•   Kicked ass on my instagram with updating it all the time. (FOLLOW ME!)
  

 

And I got back to 'the city' (NYC) just in time to celebrate my 29th Birthday with my Husband and good friends Maris and Joseph (originally from Montana!) 

Here's how the day went down:

My birthday morning shot! I still can't believe I made it to 29. How did this happen?

Before going to the Natural History Museum we hit up a restaurant called SHAKE SHACK. AMAZING burgers! And it was right across the street!

After wandering the museum for a few, we went into the store. I found this book... I knew she was with me today. 5 years almost to the moment of her going into open heart surgery. Time has flown, but I know shes watching over me. And has helped to get me to this point.

Little funny story about these Dino's, up until about 10 years ago I would NOT have gone anywhere near this floor! You want to talk about irrational fears? Yup, thank GOD for getting over them! :D

We then headed over to the East Village to look for 'Obscura Oddities' the store from TV with the weird two headed baby calves. It wasn't that cool... very small and the stuff was pretty standard. So we continued to wander, and we saw an adorable bar that had 'spiked hot spiced cider'. The below photo is the after shot. Those cheeks are red not from my blush :D

We had an impromptu birthday cake ice cream stop. It was 30 degrees out, that's totally reason enough for ice cream! lol.

Then we finally made our way to Chinatown! See Canal and Bowery street? Will you be standing next to me? :P

We made it to the last and best stop of the day! McSorley's Old Ale House. I was pumped about this stop all day! It was opened around the 1850s and NO WOMEN were allowed in until 1970 per a court order! So yes, I felt very honored. They have two kinds of beer- dark and light, and it's cash only.  The food is limited but amazing. I can not believe I went back in time with this place to a simple NYC. It was amazing! Best find ever.

 I also got my own creation from Vernon Bea Studio. I have been DYING to have a custom piece from her and the Hubby got me one! Not just any piece though, an owl (WHICH I LOVE) named 'Peculiar'. He says 'How ironic that would be yours...'. What's that mean buddy! She even wished me a Happy Birthday on Instagram! I love her!

Check out Vernon Bea Studios on Etsy:Click Here

(Her stuff goes FAST! So if you see something, buy it now!)

or on Facebook: Click Here

She's a Michigan girl too, so I love her an extra amount. 

I will catch you up on my shoots etc soon! And then be back on the path to tutorials/ regular blogs. 

Scarlett J

:( UNEXPECTED BREAK FROM THE BLOG!

I'm very excited to announce that I'm going 

home for about a week and a half to Michigan! 

Currently I'm trying to tie up loose ends and get a proposal together to meet with people about my Memories of Detroit project. As well as attend a lecture at the Scarab club in Detroit.

So I will be MIA for a few days, possibly a week.

But I will be back!

So in the meantime,  please check out my old blogs and make sure you're up to date :)

XOXOXOXO-

Scarlett J.

Basic lighting for eye glasses. Probably not for the very, very basic shooter.

I was asked how to properly light someone that wears glasses.

((This is not gospel, but what I have found to work)).

Although this can be tricky, it all depends on your style and what you have available to work with.

If you're in a studio, it becomes much easier because it's merely a matter of getting the right angle (primarily by top lighting a subject/ reflecting off foam core into face). When dealing with children, do your best and pray. :) But top lighting is still the easiest way in the studio with kids and fill from the side(s) depending on the look that you want with soft boxes or foam core/ reflectors.

(Double click to see bigger)

Natural Light--
Now, if you're on a budget, or just trying to get some snap shots at home. I highly suggest not worrying about any kind of lighting. Just put the ISO around 800 (if in low light around the house) and do your best with the aperture set at its widest setting (could be 1.2-- 4 depending on the quality of the lens, sometimes higher).  Also, make sure your focal points are spot on your subject because depending on what your widest setting is, there can be little room for error. But the bright side? NO REFLECTION!

Pop-up Flash (aka: on camera flash)--
If you have a camera with a Pop-up flash, I consider this to be disastrous. (Not that the camera has one, but the final product). Anytime that I have used a Pop-up flash there is never a true consistency in my images as well as the colors always being off because its not strong enough to truly light the area of the subject so you have a mixed lighting situation. You can never really get the color temperatures even and correct in the image (look above). Also, there's no way to bounce light so all that you have is reflection in the glasses. Poor POOR quality image all around. 

**If this is all over your head, I'd love to give you an in person tutoring session. Contact me for availability and prices.

External Flash with Gary Fong Dome--

This is where you can start to control the light somewhat. Simplest way to explain this is to bounce the light either straight up or up and towards the back of your head (like a 45 degree angle). Think of it as you want the light to fall on the subject's glasses in a perpendicular angle. So that it's not direct. If you can somewhat get this, you're golden. If only the rim reflects the light- just take it out in Photoshop. :)


Below is an example of direct flash (outside, obviously not indoors) with the Gary Fong Dome. Unfortunately these lovely ladies do not have glasses on, but I thought I would show the difference. I NEVER use my flash without the Dome on top. The quality without it is soooo 1990's. :P

Its amazing how much more professional the Dome helps your work to look.

Is your transcript a reflection of who you are?

I Haaaaaaaated going to school to get a 'Psychology' degree. I didn't feel like it fit who I was or who I was trying to become. (This was long before photography was ever a thought in my brain).

I took a lot of classes that didn't make sense to me. Why do I need to memorize definitions? Really? How is this useful in everyday life? Let alone how is the definition going to cure anyone of their schizophrenia? I think in terms of theories, not definitions. Blah.

So needless to say, I did not do so great with my GPA during my time at U of M (mainly in my psych classes). But I also minored in History-- which I LOOOOOVED!

Tonight I was updating my LinkedIn account and going over my old transcript. I was SHOCKED to see the classes that really influenced me are honestly a direct reflection of who I am today! Its also a direct reflection of my passion (obsession) and what I want to focus on in my life.

I've been researching and trying to put a proposal together tonight for a potential trip to Detroit next week to help build my Memories of Detroit project. I can not concentrate on anything but Detroit, Detroit, Detroit so I had to write about something Detroit related.

I only hope that some day I can transfer my passion on to others, whatever that passion is, I hope its contagious. This feeling is like an exciting high that never really comes down, there's always something else to do, create, learn and share with the world.

I truly hope anyone reading this can some day share in expressing their ideas, how I hope I express mine.

Scarlett J

PS- Next weeks blogs will have more images and will be more photography based!

Woe is me? Not anymore!

I've had a rough couple of days with trying to contain my thoughts and feelings towards 'friends' high and mighty attitudes and thoughts.

I am sick of trying to talk to 'friends' and hearing nothing but "Oh I can top that problem! Look! I have it worse! They shouldn't be in the news because I should be, my life is horrible".

Or hearing stuff like "I wish that skinny girl would just hush about not being able to gain weight, here I am not being able to lose this baby weight and that girl won't shut up about not being able to gain it!"

Or even not being considerate and hearing other people's ideas, thoughts or concepts. I don't care what your stance is on any issue. If you're not willing to listen to another point of view, in my opinion you're not allowed to talk to me about yours. The only way we will have a well-educated society is by listening to each other and trying to make decisions based on hearing all the facts.

I have a friend that I love dearly. When I was younger, he would make fun of me because I was such a spitfire and he could get me crazy over just about any controversial issue. (He just loved seeing me go nuts, my personality was a little less tame back then lol!) I wasn't mad at him, I was getting mad that he refused to listen to me.

I honestly think half of the world's problems would go away if we would just listen to the other people around us. That is all that most people want in life. We want to be heard. If it is by our significant other, our kids, our parents, lawmakers-- whomever!

You have to be able to see the other side of whatever you are opposed to, or else you're really not understanding the issues at hand and you're not doing your 'friends' justice and basically, wasting your time.

This is from a series I started last year called "What have we become?"

 I hope to continue it this year.

Scarlett J

"The Decisive Moment"

When photographing, the number one way to get that 'decisive moment' is by practicing. 

Every one that I know starts out 'machine gunning' their photos. Just trying to get something good some where in the batch.

That changed when I took a photojournalism class. It was one of the HARDEST classes to adjust to because I had to slow down. Concentrate. Be engulfed in my work and focus on the moment that the action is at its peak. 

The moment when the bride is smiling the most, when that a tear rolls down her face, or when the flower girl yawns while dropping her basket of pedals everywhere at the alter.

See, photojournalism isn't just for sports. Its a training phase for the rest of your photo career. I HIGHLY suggest taking a class if given the chance. Even if it's just for your personal photographs.

On to the Decisive Moment, coined by Henri Cartier-Bresson. He said "There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment". If you are a hunter (Lord knows I don't want to touch this topic in this day and age...) but if you are or know someone that is think about when they shoot. (Especially if using a bow and arrow). If they shoot too soon, they will miss. Too late? They will miss. So on and so forth. Its that same idea. It takes tons of time and practice, practice, practice.

Be thankful we are in the age of digital and not film. Imagine how many thousands of dollars you would 'waste' on film just trying to practice.

Lets look at an example: 

(Click on the photo to see it larger)

The first picture is missing a little something. Its ok, but no real action or emotion coming from it. 

The second, some people would be happy with it because it's sweet and you can feel the connection. 

But once you see that smile in the third, GAME OVER! That's the image that you want. 

THAT is the one that will go on the wall.   

Here is the final image (all of the above are straight out of the camera (SOOC))

Did you learn anything? Please share!

Scarlett J

(Please comment and send me questions if you have any.)

Goals for 2013 and the rest of my life.

Being two weeks in on the start of the year I've realized some things; starting the year off with a bang with an old friend and starting this blog is the best start to a year I've ever had.

I feel completely different. Like last year happened about 20 years ago.

I've been running through some things that I would continually like to change in my life. (So this is kind of more of a list to myself).

1. Plan and then let go. Let my work just happen and let happy accidents come out instead of hiding them. They are far more beautiful than stiff, icky work. 
2. Do the work that allows chances and progress to happen. If I do everything I can do to succeed, progress is bound to happen.
3. Take more photos, instead of just the photos I need just for assignments. I typically only take "the perfect shots" when I go somewhere. But looking back, I really like some of my location scouting images that were total 'BS' images. Again, that idea of letting go. 
4. Allow others to help without feeling guilty. They are there because they want to be, not because they feel like I'm making them be there. They love me and want to be around me. 
5. Take your Negative Nancy self and shove it. If you want to rain on my parade, please go find Eeyore and hide. 
6.  Eat less Cheese and Pop (soda for those outside of the Midwest). Sooo I'm kinda lactose intolerant. It really messes up my energy/ health/ other stuff we're not going to talk about lol! Pop and Cheese make me feel heavy and not my best.  But MmmmMMMmmmm do I love me some Faygo!
7. Encourage collaboration amongst people of equal talents. 
8. Appreciate those that have passion and want to thrive from it, whatever their passion is. 
9. Let me be who I really am, and fully understand my past to better understand my future. Just in the past two weeks I feel like a different person. I've self examined so much its unbelievable. Who I am, why I am this way, and what made me get to this point. It's awesome the difference it can make when you're honest with yourself. 
10. Allow myself to use Lightroom on my own images just to share (STOP BEING SO OCD ABOUT EDITING EVERYTHING!) Images can be loved without the 'perfectness'... I guarantee I will struggle with this until the day I die.
11. Try to stay away from the computer and cell phone and have more 'Family' time with the Hubby and Pup. This probably should have been first, huh? 
12. Eat more Fruit and Veggies. 
13. GO TO DISNEY WORLD! :)
14. Find investors/ people that believe in my work enough to invest in me financially.

I always have to be difficult. My goals are more of lifestyle changes instead of something easy like eat less ice cream and go to the gym . Maybe next year! 

 Outside our old house in "The College Ghetto" in Ypsilanti, MI. 

Prettiest sky I ever saw there. Summer 2012 

Scarlett J

Passion inspired by Walt Disney.

All Disney images are from Here: The Official Walt Disney World Facebook page

I'm currently 28 years old. I have gone to Disney World five times in my life, and the last time being 12 years ago. (It's time to go back! The Hubby has never been and I'm obsessed with getting there this year!)

Disney has inspired me in different ways throughout the years.

When I was little it was to always have fun, never stop learning and always try to teach other people while you are having fun. History should not be something that we dread, neither should science and other "boring" subjects.

As I've gotten older, I've learned that the curiosity that Mr. Disney talks about doesn't have to be just pretty fantasy type ideas to be curious about. It can be anything.  Anything including bringing old memories to life, or tip-toeing into areas that others might be afraid of because of rumors that they have been told.

Welcome to my current world! My inspirations these days come from places that look more like this:

 Location Scouting image from Detroit, MI. Spring 2011

From this type of an image, my mind runs wild. This could be a location for a high fashion photo shoot. A location that depicted a loving family home at one time? An Artist studio? What stories could this place tell if the walls could talk. My work now takes more cues from the location, instead of the location just being the background.

This past weekend was a big weekend for me. I launched my Scarlett Jewel Facebook page to make it easier for more people to follow my blog and interact with me. And yesterday I launched Memories of Detroit, a page where I hope people will share their happiest/ positive memories that have occurred in the city of Detroit to help inspire more of my work and to also combat the constant negative response that I get anytime I refer to the city. I want to prove that my hometown means more to the people than the press likes to lead on.

Ok, we get it, there's been a LOT of murders and bad stuff that go on. But what about all the good stuff? What about all the happy people that take pride in their city? I hope and pray that through this page, I will find others that want to make Detroit's image better instead of constantly pushing it down.

I'm praying that I can find people who are as invested in the city as I am to support my project and future projects to help the city have a better image.

My main (obsession) passion is Detroit. If any of you reading this knew a fraction of the history that the great city of Detroit has, you too would understand.

• The pride of women working in the factories to help the country during the war by practically taking over their husband's jobs when they left to fight. 
• Minorities standing up for their rights to have an chance at a life that they equally worked as hard for. 
• And even going back so far as still having historical landmarks standing that are some of the oldest in the country.

Detroit is constantly overlooked. It has some of the most beautiful Art Deco architecture anywhere in the country, still standing. (Sadly, a lot of it is crumbling, but could be preserved if the right individuals come along).

The point is, You've gotta find your "Detroit". What is your passion? Why? What makes you tick? Mine is more than just Detroit, it is architecture and storytelling for people that were once silenced.

It is making things happen that you were once told were not possible.

Thank you Walt, for constantly inspiring.

Scarlett J

My Work Versus 'Their' Work.

 DISCLAIMER:  I say these things to start an open dialog, not to point fingers or look down on others.

I love the look at the other photographers' styles that are big right now. You know what I'm talking about-- the creamy skin tones, the vintage colors and settings, some even have textures.

But I just can't do it. As much as I've tried, I can't get my work to look like theirs.

Primarily because I refuse to purchase the actions & presets they use.

You can't purchase talent. You shouldn't be able to mass recreate someone else's work with your own photos. That's a cop out in my opinion.

We all judge our work compared to 'theirs'. I know we're not supposed to, and those that are probably happiest and most content don't but realistically we do. And its hard to get past that point but I think I am personally on the cusp of coming into my own and not worrying about what everyone else is doing. 

I'm ok with my images not looking the same as everyone else.

Being original is what I've come to pride myself on.

Its how I keep pushing myself to move forward and I don't get bored with my work.

There are times when I come across one of those photographers with perfect creamy skin tones and vintage edits and just melt a little, wishing my images could look like theirs.

But then I think-- Remember Glamor Shots? Remember how AWESOME they were in the '90s and everyone tried to recreate that?! Ya... How do those look right now? Pretty silly eh?

I, personally, want to be timeless not dated.

 Ann Arbor, MI circa spring of 2010 (Canon's Tilt Shift Lens)

And to have my own style by being original.

What do you want?

Scarlett J

"What can you do for me...?"

If after getting to know someone for a week or so, sometimes not even THAT long, you get the vibe that they are one of those people that is constantly thinking "What can you do for me, to make me bigger and better"... RUN. 

This is not someone that will build you up, or even help you in your photography career or throughout life in general. They will only drain you, and distract your focus.

Over the past few years, and espeically in NYC, I've learned to differentiate between a few different kinds of people.

• Type 1: Passionate, giving, loyal people
• Ex: People that give without expectations.
• Type 2: Selfish 'ME, ME, ME' people. 
• Ex: Teach me this, help me that, do do do for meeeeeee!
• Type 3: People that 'play nice' but are only really doing it because they want something from you. 
• Ex: I'll rub your back, but I'm going to expect a lot in return.

Type 1: I fall into the first type. And the people I bust my tail for do as well. 

Meet my photo Homies:

Left to right; Kam, April, Kyle.

Kam shot my wedding after the photographer was a no show. April shot our engagement photos and bridal portraits just so we'd have them. Kyle, well... I'm not sure how to explain Kyle but he is always around to help when he ANSWERS HIS PHONE! And can help.
I love them all and we all help each other out as much as we possibly can. Pulling strings for the others, giving ideas, props, clothing, models etc. THESE types of friendships are what makes photography enjoyable. 

Type 2: While offering guidance in Hawaii, I was met with a completely different type of person. One that was so selfish, it was incomprehensible. I would get calls/ texts at all hours of the night and on top of that this person stabbed me in the back. I lost all respect and loyalty for this person and had to rethink my friendships with all because it became VERY obvious it was never about a friendship, only 'me, me, me'. We all have to learn these hard lessons, this is when I learned mine. 

Type 3: *Big breath in.* This type of person could be one that plays the political game. They help just enough by name dropping or getting you into a location or event that they believe you owe them in a very large way. Like your entire career depended on that one shoot... (highly doubtful).  Stand your ground. Give credit where credit is due with this type, but never get in over your head when its obvious you need to get out because this 'type' will never be satisfied. Play your cards, but hold your temper. 'Save face' but quietly disappear.

Back to Type 1: I have two favorite "regular" (non photo) boys that need to be acknowledged. 

 

This is Justin. He turned into my main assistant for my "Memories of Detroit" project and I seriously can not imagine doing it without him. (He doubled as my body guard (haha, you see how skinny he is, right?)) In all seriousness, I could not have done it without him. I always need someone to go with me in Detroit. Either to navigate, take pictures while I'm driving to remind me of locations or to just be pretty and hold the reflector for me. :P Justin was my man! Only a phone call away, and pretty cheap rates! (Hot Taco for lunch and he was a happy boy!) Thank you so much Justin for being my bestie assistant ever!

 

(large format camera/ 4x5 film)

And here we have a shot of my Husband and I! (That's Kyle again holding the light! I told ya that boy is always around!) Somehow, my Hubby gets drug into my crazy schemes of randomness but seems to like it? lol. I'm very thankful that he goes with the flow and is the opposite of me (in that sense). He too does his own kind of photography that some day I will share (I don't think the world is ready just yet) lol. He's the reason I didn't back out of purchasing my first camera and is my other behind the scenes helper. 

For those of you that are loyal, true friends- thank you. 

As for the 'other types'... I hope I have more true friends in my life than your kind. 

Scarlett J. 

All rights reserved on Images- to Scarlett Jewel Photography.

When did your work improve the most?

I've had 3 distinct times that I remember getting that light bulb hovering over my head and saying "Oh! I get it now! WOW! This really makes all the difference!"

(This is after getting the manual settings on my camera).

[Check out my last blog if you're looking to purchase a camera.]

#1. When I figured out how to adjust focal points within the camera. 

          

 Before, I'd get pictures like this: 

See where the focus is actually on the grass, and not on the "little monkey"?

 After, I'd get pictures like this:        

The focus is exactly where I want it, on the mannequin.

It was a huge boost in confidence and feeling proud of my work. 

#2.  When I moved from my Canon Rebel XT, to my 7D. 

                 I had worked so hard with my rebel to learn everything that I possibly could. I took that thing everywhere and beat the crap out of it. Because of this, when I purchased the 7D, I was like a whole new photographer. I knew what to do, I was confident.

 Here's the last session photographed with my Rebel: 

 And here's a pic taken at my very first shoot that I ever did with my 7D: 

You can see where I still had a LONG road ahead of me but the separation of the background and sharpness in this images is a million times better than the XT. (BTW- I was an idiot. I think I pretty much came straight from the store to this shoot. I do not suggest this at all, under any circumstances! Practice first!) November of 2009

#3. When I started shooting with film, and a Large Format Camera. 

                  Somehow, I think I was always meant for this way of shooting. I am a nut for the pre production aspect of photography. I love how you MUST slow everything down. If there's only a few pieces of film, you only have a few shots to get it right. And yes, I have destroyed a couple of major shoots with getting everything wrong, but live and learn. 

This is what it looks like when you're shooting:

Salem, MA. Shooting my cemetery project for school!

And this is the final product: 

Take a step back and think about your progress. What changes can you make to learn more? What do you want to learn in the next couple months?

Everyone learns to crawl before they can run.
Do you know how to wobble?
Almost to standing?
Keep moving forward!

Scarlett J

All photos are property of Scarlett Jewel Photography. They are not to be reproduced without permission under any circumstances.

What camera should I purchase?

 DISCLAIMER: This is the most logical way that I have found to purchase a camera. If you've gone a different route that is ok too! 

Also, I am a Canon Girl. So I speak primarily about Canon cameras.

When starting to shop for cameras DON'T let your husband just rush out and buy you one! Hubby may know more about technology, but not all instincts are good when it comes to YOUR camera. (I often hear "Oh, my Hubby is picking one out for me." I quietly shake my head...)

Ask yourself a few questions.

Do I:

1. only want to take photos of my kids and don't care about learning the manual mode? 
2. just want pretty pictures and don't care how I get them? 
3. want to learn the camera front to back, back to front so that I can create art? 
4. feel the need to possibly share my talents with the world and start a business? 
5. want to become the best, most talented photographer that I can be for myself?

If you answered yes to 1 and 2, please go to the store, place the cameras in your hands and see what feels best. Is it a Canon, Nikon, Olympus camera? Or maybe even a Point and Shoot is more your speed? If you want a DSLR for sure- buy a couple good lenses and go to town! There's nothing wrong with this approach. Chances are you will purchase one camera in your life and this is ok! You'll have a quality camera that you can capture your kiddos/ the landscape with.

If you answered yes to 3-5 then please, continue on.

In my last blog, I talked about purchasing my first camera. But I did not say what it was.

I started with a Canon Rebel XT. IMO, if you want to really learn your craft you should start with the crappiest camera you can get your hands on. And by crappiest, I mean simple. One that when you look at it, you are NOT intimidated by it at all. One that you can carry around because it is so light weight and that once you outgrow it you can even pass it down to your kids to learn on.

This is that camera:

When you start with a camera this simple, it is so much easier to completely master your craft. See how few buttons are on the back?  You are able to fairly easily learn how to use ISO (it only goes up to 1600 on this), exposure and composition.  See the top of the camera (far right) just turn the knob and that's it. BAM! No video, no crazy buttons etc. Just simple, easiness, focus and concentration. Its only an 8 mega pixel camera, so there's no need to worry about how grandiose your photo will be, this is mere practice. (You can still print nicely up to about an 11x14).

(You can pick up a USED XT on craigslist for around $150- 250.00 depending on if it comes with lenses etc).

Now, fast forward to 8 months down the line. I had already attended a class, I had a real grasp on manual mode and composition. I was ready to upgrade to this puppy:

Do you see how many buttons this thing has? Could you imagine trying to learn this thing first? Its silly. In my honest opinion, I kind of feel people that purchase these expensive cameras straight off the bat are slightly, well, 'out to lunch'.  (This camera, with an extra lens cost me about 3k when I purchased it in fall of 2009. It weighs a ton and is 19 mega pixels. Not something a beginner needs).

If someone is gifting you money to purchase a camera PLEASE use that money on purchasing lenses. Get a nice zoom lens such as the 24-70mm f/2.8 or a 70-200 f/2.8 (all Canon products). Or a prime lens such as the 50 f/1.4. Check out www.keh.com  for quality used gear and as always craigslist is a great option.

I HIGHLY suggest purchasing a 50mm 1.8 (~$100.00) or 1.4 (~$400.00) if you have the money. Its a great tool to get crazy sharp images with (compared to a zoom) and to practice 'zooming with your feet'. That is instead of just sitting in one spot and letting the action happen around you. Instead you get up and zoom in and out with your feet to best capture the action! Also makes for nice portraits! 

Scarlett J

What made YOU decide to start photography? What inspires you to keep going?

I think people typically purchase a DSLR to take photos of their kids.

I guess I wanted one to better capture the landscape of Hawaii and my memories.

 This is at the black sand beach on the Big Island in November of 2007.

Honestly, this photo was the breaking point.  Can you tell that's black sand? How about the turtles that are laying on the beach, do you see them? I didn't think so. I knew I wanted a good camera, I just wasn't sure how I would get one because it felt intangible.

Christmas day, 2007. (Taken with a point and shoot camera, edited by me in Photoshop.)

The picture above is from the last Christmas I spent with my Grandparents. Following this photo, within two months my life was turned upside down. My Grandmother (Gramma) was my best friend. She taught me everything that I know about lighting, colors, styling, what clothes look best on what body shapes, composition and the list goes on. 

She grew up wanting to be a clothing designer. One year for my birthday (I think I was 23?) she redesigned a bunch of her 'vintage' clothes for me to wear. I loved it. It was not only a gift to me, but one to her as well. It was creative, it wasn't just taking pants in or letting them out for my Grandfather's ever yoyo-ing waistline. (Chuckle- because all he did was eat bacon and sugar. And you see how skinny he is, right?). 

She was naturally talented. As I've been told by my Aunt and Mom, even when they had no money, my Gramma would remake clothes and repurpose decorations to make beautiful wrappings on Christmas morning. She was doing all this way before it was 'hip'. I know exactly where I got my resourceful nature from. She was the one that took me thrifting and garage sale-ing. "There's a quarter on that price tag, offer them 10 cents." With my cute little self and my long lashes I'd offer them lower and 9/10 I'd get it. (Anyone that's gone with me thrifting as an adult, has anything changed?) lol. 

Around the time that I was about five years old, she picked up the hobby of going to the Senior Center to learn how to paint, massage and she almost became a doctor of homeopathy.  (I think the reason was primarily to get out of the house, away from my Grandfather watching golf. But hey! She added a couple skills!) 

 She was pretty awesome. This is me at 6 months old. This was painted just a couple years after she started and every grandchild had a baby portrait painted that hung in the living room until the day they both passed away. 

This is a more broad example of her talents. She also quilted.

 When I was younger I spent TONS of time in my Gramma's studio area in the basement. Watching her paint, or painting random 'paint by numbers' etc. I had no clue the skills that I too picked up just from being around her. 

The number one way to learn is by doing. 

The way to not realize you're being taught is to observe and listen. 

Which is exactly what I did. 

Fast forward to Christmas of 2008:

I was in Hawaii, looking for a job and trying to find a new normal when on Christmas eve I received a registered letter from-- My Grandparents? All of the grand kids received a check for $500.00. I sat on this check until March of 2009. I didn't know if I was going to use the money for bills that, very much needed to be paid, or if I was going to do something to honor my Gramma. 

On March 23, 2009 I picked my (now) Husband up from the airport and went to the NEX (store). I decided I had found the best deal and I was going to purchase a camera. Even while standing in line to purchase the camera, I was having doubts. Asking him "What if I suck?" "What if I never use it?" "What if its a waste?" He assured me it was a good purchase and to take the risk. 2 weeks later, I was on a plane back to Michigan to start photography classes. I was hooked. 

The first couple years, I loved what I had the potential to create. I loved that I could use my psychology to make people feel beautiful inside and out and show them what I see through the eye of the camera. I loved that people looked, loved and appreciated what I had quickly become and developed. 

I now love how each time I pick up my camera and create something more unique and original than the last, I'm honoring her. I try to preserve everything I touch and I truly believe that by doing this, I'm extending her life as well as making mine richer than I ever thought possible. 

Thank you Gramma, for leading me to the water, but never forcing me to drink. 

  

 

 That's me and Gramma!

Scarlett J

PS- I miss you terribly, thank you for watching over me.