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