Mushrooming

A vibrant friend with a passion for mushroom hunting offered to let me follow her around as she foraged in a Pacific Northwest forest this past weekend.  I found myself wishing I had a faster camera that was more sensitive in low light - it was very dark!  But I still think these shots are cool

It was exciting to see someone in their element.  We learned a thing or two as she identified deer trails and pointed out fungal treasures with names like Witches Butter and Russula that I might have never noticed otherwise.  My kids who usually groan at the prospect of another boring hike were inspired and filled with purpose.  We climbed in loops and returned to the trail with a basketful.  The adventure was short and sweet and rather dark, but I snapped as many mushrooms as I could.  I can't wait to go again.

a new collection

I've added a few more photos in the portfolio on my 500px site.  I am diving deep into dreams and fears and imagination, utilizing creative and willing friends as models, the forest nearby as my backdrop.

arty things.

I rented a fancy camera and lens and ventured out into the foggy forest in early October to capture these images.  It's the first time I've ever attempted to create fine art photographs that reflect my artistic vision and tell a story.  I couldn't be more pleased.

http://sarahbsmith.500px.com

the bed.

The bed in the photo belonged to my folks and was passed along to my kids when they needed a bed frame.  It always reminds me of the comfort of my parents' room, decorated with long billowing sheer curtains and a floral comforter.  One of my earliest memories is standing at the foot of that bed in my parents' room, an an angle very similar to the view in this photo.  It's in my daughter's room now, and while I was looking through my test shots, I was struck by this photo - because it reminds me so much of that memory.  I wonder if somehow I subconsciously decorated her room to look like theirs because of this bed, perhaps to fill the room and create in her a comforting memory like my own.

poultry glamour.

Some glamour shots of our chooks, because I needed a challenge, and thought it would be fun to capture images of these twitchy, busy little creatures in a thoughtful way.  Plus, I hadn't spent much time with my feathered lady friends lately and thought some beauty shots could give a much needed boost to their egos...

summer afternoon with friends.

A hot summer day with old friends enjoying pie and homemade ice cream in the shade while the kids enjoyed trampolines, sprinklers and basketball.

experimenting with artificial light - a first for me

I took this photo of Rose after assisting her all afternoon on a fashion shoot.  She had the backdrop set up, so I asked if I could use it and take her photo using her camera.  We used the window light and a spotlight above her head, and she was laying down on her very cool and kitschy wood slice coffee table.  In Lightroom, I turned it on it's side, and used a pre-set to give it that cool blue, desaturated effect.  It turned out to be much more dramatic than I originally thought it might, but I'm happy with the end result.  It looks kinda futuristic, which is awesome.  She's a gorgeous model!  So much fun when I get to do stuff like this.

pinwheel

Pinwheels are a strange and mesmerizing toy.  I loved them as a kid, and would always take them apart and put them back together again to see how they worked.  I had Amelia hold a pinwheel in this photo because it's one of those classic childhood symbols.  really like the way the last little bit of light of the day is caught in her curly red hair and sweet freckly face.

dress up photo shoot in the garden

Here are a couple shots that were warm-ups to the staged photo from my last post on the new photo series I'm working on.  My adorable model is wearing my great great aunt's communion gown from 1916, and a crown of lavender and roses we made together, which smelled amazing.  We went out alongside my neighbor's house, where the tall foxglove bloomed and captured these images.  I think she looks like a little fairy.  So much fun!

Happy 4th of July!

park day (in the rain)

We dog sat on Monday and decided to take Scooter the Boston Terrier to Wright Park in Tacoma.  Wright Park is a beautiful place full of rolling grassy hills, a fun new playground and spray park, botanical conservatory (admission charged) and plenty of good food (coffee, burgers, froyo) within walking distance.  Next to Point Defiance, I'd say this is my favorite T-Town park to spend an afternoon.

In was a nice warm afternoon when we started at the playground, but started raining hard and we decided to dash/meander from shelter to shelter under each towering green tree all the way back to the car.  The squirrels found it very exciting to watch.

The rain let up and the afternoon finished with a bowl of frozen yogurt (serves mostly as candy topping delivery) at Gibson's across the street.  It was then that the sun made it's reappearance, in typical Northwest fashion.  :)

50 photos a day - summer begins

We've been spending a lot more time outdoors lately now that the weather has warmed up, so I've been attempting to shoot more landscapes.