I am still working on the set of images from my shoot with JoAnn a few weeks ago. It’s been an arduous, but very rewarding process. I’m honing and refining my skill at editorial type photography through this because JoAnn was nice enough to lend me all her time as well as plan out a beautiful itinerary for that day. I saw so many wonderful places and she was a super willing model.

This photo is easily one of my favorites partly because it is just so natural. The light leak effect was done with some leaves in the foreground and the little bokeh bits in the air are actually floating seed fluff from nearby plants. The magical look didn’t require any Photoshop and I’m really trying to understand my personal style as I develop it.

I’ve read article after article from photographers, artists, and business people about solidifying your style and I’ll admit it’s one of my greatest struggles. I want to just buy a pile of actions from some other artist and just tweak my photos. That’s easy. It works. I can even be considered smart, efficient business.  But if my personal history has taught me anything, I need to find a way to do things myself and understand my color, depth and composition choices. I can’t just do it because it “looks good”. I want to know why it looks good to me.  I am looking into picking up some books, particularly On Photography, to help me understand the photograph, both as a product of my mind as well as a product of my surroundings and a force of it’s own.

Hey it’s Memorial day weekend! Hope everyone’s gonna have some fun! I know I am! :)