Reflections in Water

I have left almost to the last the magic of water, an element which owing to its changefulness of form and mood and colour and to the vast range of its effects is ever the principal source of landscape beauty, and has like music a mysterious influence over the mind.

- Sir George Sitwell (On the Making of Gardens)

Nature, Patience, and Photography

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply
not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story. - Linda Hogan

In today's society, where we all want what we want when we want it, a society of instant gratification and the expectation for things to come easily, it's far to simple to ignore the virtues of patience. Now, I in no way am exalting myself as a patient person; far from it. It's a lesson I'm constantly learning and trying to teach myself, but not something that comes easily to me.

Building a business in 2010, in the current global economic meltdown, definitely has it's challenges. It can be easy to sit down one day & say, "I've tried everything, and the business is not coming. I give up." You work your tail off trying to promote yourself and your work, you send out business cards, portfolios, etc, only to not book any jobs. Or, even better, you get the job offer, but they want to pay you some ridiculously low figure. At these times, it becomes all too easy to throw in the towel.

But whenever I have these moments of frustration, I have to look back at what the world would be if all the greats had done that. What if daVinci had said "No one is recognizing my work, my art, my labor. I'm just gonna go on to something everyday and easier. This isn't worth it." Think about all the modern conveniences that may not exist. But they do exist - because he persevered and had patience.

Think about nature. Think how long it takes for a tiny plant to be become a tall tree, or a gorgeous flower. But nature doesn't say, "Ya know, I'm kinda tired of doing this. It takes too long." Looking at nature, in particular, always helps me to bring things back into perspective. Very few things are an overnight success, and those that are usually don't have a lot of staying power. We can't always expect everything to be easy and quick. Sometimes you have to be willing to push yourself past the frustration and the waiting to get to the good part, to be a success.

So my point today is simply to say, whether it involves photographing a subject (plant, animal, human, still life) that you just can't seem to get just right, or building your business (photography or otherwise), look to nature as your motivation. Think about Autumn. It's an amazing & beautiful season, but for most of the country, a short season. Still yet, most everyone agrees that the nine months or longer of waiting are completely worth the wait to experience the beauty of the season. And getting that perfect shot, or building your business to be exactly what you want it to be, will be worth the wait as well.

Patience may be a virtue, but it's one of the best lessons you'll ever learn, and once you do, probably the one that will make you the most successful.

Trip to the Beach

My birthday was this past Thursday (9/23), so I took a few days off work. Once we finally had some sun here in Seattle, I took the morning and went to the beach. So this week I'm simply posting a few images from my trip. Enjoy!

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

--Jacques Cousteau

Farmer's Market Bounty

Hello all!

I decided last week to post photos of my "take" from the farmer's market, and just never got around to it. So, I'm posting my photo essay of what I got! I really encourage everyone to support your local farmer's market. Small farms in America are really disappearing fast. I'm really lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest where farmer's markets abound with the fresh harvest.

Garlic, shallots, peppers, and a Thai eggplant!

Purple bell pepper, hot serranos, and more eggplant

Fresh fillet of sockeye salmon, just out of Alaska not 24 hours before!

Cucumbers for pickling :)

Local artisan bread and cheeses!

Who doesn't love a nice wine with some crusty bread???

I'll be making some blackberry jam this week!

Beautiful fresh berries; get 'em before they're gone as the season comes to an end.

I hope you've enjoyed this kindof rustic imagery, and will give your local farmers a try.

Photo Essay: Beginning of Autumn

I hope everyone has had a good week, and is enjoying their holiday weekend! I had originally planned to put up a photo essay of my visit to Lopez Island for this week's blog, but I was rather inspired by nature this week. You can really feel fall coming in the Pacific Northwest, and this year promises to be a mild yet wet winter, as per the Farmer's Almanac!) In the next weeks, the leaves on the trees will really start to turn, and you'll be able to see Autumn in all it's glory. So instead of a photo essay of Lopez Island, I've put together a photo essay on Autumn instead. Some of these are older photos, but they represent the season to me.

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
- Edwin Way Teale

Getting Back to Me

Spencer Spit State Park, Lopez Island, WA
© CND Photography 2010
I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau

Hello everyone! After a much needed vacation, I'm back and feeling refreshed. It's funny how alittle time in nature can really help you to refocus, ground & center yourself so you can get back to being productive. Personally, I never feel more centered than when I'm outdoors enjoying the planet! That's what I really needed when I went on vacation last week. With the economy being what it is, I knew I couldn't go far, but I wanted to get out of Seattle, so I went to Lopez Island (the smallest of the San Juans; highly recommend it for nature-lovers). It's a very small place, very natural. The locals are very protective of it and are very eco-minded. Many people don't drive or drive little, and often bike around the island. Not having done much biking since I was a kid, I thought this would be perfect opportunity to see the island, and get around. So I biked, hiked, and kayaked my way around the island for 4 days, which was really wonderful. I was completely exhausted, and had no idea my legs could be so sore, but it was completely worth it.

I'm hoping to have a photo essay put together by next week to show you some of the highlights of my trip, and the little cottage I stayed in (seriously, so cute and the perfect place to get back to nature while still being close to the center of town). Until then, I wanted to share with you the image above. This was taken at Spencer Spit Park, and it just a beautiful image of the island. This was the only day I was there it was sunny for more than a few hours, but that's life in the Pacific Northwest! Have a great week!

Change Your Mind

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change. - Buddha

My challenge to everyone this week is to look around, REALLY look. Explore the subject of your images as if it's something miraculous & rare, something you've never seen before. Study it from every angle. Try to find a unique approach. Sometimes we get so used to seeing something that it just becomes mundane. This is when we have to challenge ourselves as creative human beings to see the beauty all around. How has this improved your photography? Leave a comment and let us know.

Chasing The Dream

There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream. ~Author Unknown

I would like to make clear, first, that the image above is NOT mine, and unfortunately, I could not find the name of the photographer. However, it expresses exactly what I want to convey today, so a thank you to the photographer who this image belongs to...

Sometimes, life is all about perseverance. I've been working for several weeks to create an area on my website where you can purchase my images. Being a small, young business, I am on a budget like so many people right now. So, I set out to learn the CSS/HTML coding to make the page myself. I had a very definite idea what I ideally wanted the page to look like, how you would scroll through the images, how they would enlarge, etc. After spending two weeks trying to research online how to best do this and even buying a book on CSS, I finally decided I had done enough of the research stage, now it was time to get started on the actual editing and coding. I tried for a solid week to make the gallery exactly as I wanted it. Ultimately yesterday, I realized that I'm trying to make this elaborate gallery which I don't have the coding experience and knowledge to do. So, I tweaked my idea for the gallery layout, and voila, last night I was able to (finally) complete it.

I'll be honest, it was an incredibly frustrating process, and I have a new-found respect for those that work in I.T. :)! However, by pushing through and allowing myself the realization that you have to walk before you run (and make a less complicated gallery), I was able to accomplish the ultimate goal of having it be not only functional but professionally presented, even if it wasn't in the exact format I wanted.

To me, perseverance is an important part of life. And part of this is knowing that sometimes you have to be flexible enough to change the course, as long as you get to the same end goal. Sometimes, you have to push yourself to keep going and get to the finish line, but when you do, it's always worth the effort.

How has persevering helped you in your life? Let us know.

Day at the Beach

I absolutely LOVE the beach, always have. It's my "go-to" place to relax, reflect, and just enjoy nature. Today, I'm in the mood to go and enjoy the day, so I'm simply posting a few images from a recent trip down to the beach. Happy viewing :)!

3 EASY TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

So I said when I started this blog that I wanted to do a few basic tutorials and give tips for everyone to improve their photography, so that's what I'm doing today! Below are three basic tips to help you improve your photography RIGHT NOW!

• Apply the "Rule of Thirds" For anyone who hasn't heard of this, it basically means that, when looking through the viewfinder, divide your image into three equal sections. This helps you to get away from the trap many amateur photographers fall into, which is cutting your image in half (think top half of image as sky, bottom half as land, etc).
  
• Don't be afraid to take the subject of your photograph out of the center of the image. Once you have the Rule of Thirds down, divide your image into thirds both horizontally and vertically, which will essentially divide your viewing area into nine different sections. Experiment with placing your subject (person, pet, building, etc) somewhere other than center stage. This will often lead to better, more interesting images.
  
• Know that turning an image to black & white in Photoshop doesn't automatically make it art. This is kindof a pet peeve amongst art photographers. When you look at your images, ask yourself what value it will add to change to a B&W image versus leaving it in color. Is it an image that lends itself to an older vintage look like sepia? Is it timeless? This technique is best used to invoke a mood or atmosphere. Don't change an image from color to B&W unless you have a justification for it.

Try employing these techniques in your photography over the next week, and let us know how it goes. Do you feel your photography has improved? Why or why not? Feel free to ask any questions. I try to check for any comments daily. Happy shooting!

Freelance photography & being open to change

Working freelance is a strange creature sometimes, especially in this economy...

It's really made me look at how I work currently, and how I want to change my business going forward. I love the freedom of working freelance, and essentially choosing whether or not I accept an assignment. But there's also the reality that you end up waiting to be paid, sometimes much longer than was agreed upon. And it seems like, in our current economic situation, the latter is happening more and more often. It's during these times that I think it makes you really evaluate where you really want your career to go, and formulate a way to get there.


I'll always enjoy commercial photography assignments; I honestly enjoy the chance to work with products and people I would otherwise probably not get a chance to experience. I especially love working with small businesses; there's so much time and passion put into what they do. With that said, I think the changes in the industry have forced me to see how much I really enjoy doing fine art photography as well. Now I'm not saying that selling art in this economy is easy either, far from it. But I enjoy the creative process & complete freedom in it.

For those of you that are pro photographers or are selling your imagery, what do you think? How do you feel the economy has affected you and your business? What new strategies are you trying to employ in an industry that is, honestly, going to be forever changed?

Pay It Forward with Photography

Happy 4th of July for those of you it the U.S.! I hope everyone is having a great weekend. So this week, I will be showcasing a few images by other photographers as a Pay It Forward gesture. Be thankful for the freedoms we have; many in the world don't....

by Samara Peddle

by Danny Hammontree


Unknown Photographer


by Matt Knoth

by larainy

Unknown Photographer

iPhoneography: Fad or Here to Stay?

Hello everyone! I hope everybody is having a great weekend; I definitely took advantage of the sun yesterday, which is good because I don't know if it's going to really be around today or not.

So for the past 6 months or so, I've been hearing rumors of this new movement in photography, iphoneography. It's basically what it sounds like, photography done with your iPhone. I find this to be an interesting idea. I don't know that I completely see it as a valid form of photography, but people have always said that throughout the years about various forms of photography, so maybe I shouldn't judge. I know there are some photographers who are very into it, and people are even trying to specialize in it. Not to be too much of a purist, but, huh???

So I set out recently with my iPhone in hand to grab a couple of quick shots to see what I could actually do with this. I didn't have alot of time, and if I'm honest, I was distracted by the fact that there was actual sun (been a very gray summer in the NW so far this year). But I digress. I thought it would be best to just show you the results I got, so you can make your own opinions.


So, what do you think? You can only tell so much from this image, but it seems a bit blurry in places,and I have a pretty steady hand.

What are your opinions of iphoneography? Do you think it's a budding new trend in photography, something that will stick around, or just a fad that will quickly wear out? Let me know. Have a great week, and enjoy that sun!

Candace
CND Photography

Welcome to my blog!

I've FINALLY finished designing my blog; it's a miracle!!!

Honestly, this is something I've been planning to do for some time, and I'm glad that after multiple redesigns of the header, background, and the site in general, it's complete. YAY!

For those of you that know me, you already know I'm a professional photographer. So this blog is dedicated to that. My photography, work from other photographers I admire, photography tutorials on composition/lighting/etc, discussions of photography news, things in the industry, etc. A bit of everything I guess :).

Look around my blog, and let me know your thoughts. Do you like the design? If you have ideas you'd like to see on my blog, let me know that as well. Feel free to leave comments or ask me questions any time. All photography on this site is my own, unless otherwise noted (I always credit other photographers for their work). Have a great weekend all!

Candace

My Website
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