"I am a Photographer"

I recently joined a great community called Clickin Moms. Yes, even though I'm not a mom. It's a community of artists, hobbyists, and professional photographers. They are currently hosting a fantastic project called "I am a Photographer" 

Here's a brief description of the project:

The “I Am a Photographer” campaign is a social project that encourages photographers to join together in a series of self portraits that celebrate our many identities and experiences as women in the photography community — Photographer. Woman. Artist. Mother. Advocate. Survivor. Healer. And More.

In recognition of the many roles that they hold, we asked women photographers to shoot a self portrait holding a word other than “photographer” that represents some aspect of who they are. For all they’ve been through, for all they do to improve the world around them every day in ways big and small, this is a celebration of strong, empowering, inspiring women in the photography community and everywhere.

Clickin Moms invited the entire CM community to participate in this project and will donate $1 for every image submitted by March 31, 2012 to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization.

Of course I wanted to help for a good cause so I thought all day of a word that I could use to best describe who I am....This is what I came up with...

View my post on Clickin Moms here.

Happy Accident

Sometimes you click at just the right moment to capture a face like this!

That's my Emma!

Shadow

Look just past a person and you may discover something even more intriguing...their shadow!

My day was filled with more shadow puppetry than I could have ever imagined. I was honored when asked to be the photographer for a fantastic upcoming show called Shadow Play by Trusty Sidekick Theater Company. I had never done a shadow focused shoot before and I was extremely excited. When I started photographing I couldn't believe the personality that this shadow took on. It was amazing to see it come to life before my eyes.

After the shoot I headed uptown to catch Miss Ophelia; a shadow puppetry theater piece. It blew my mind, such a simple production that evoked such emotion with cardboard, lights, two very talented actors and imagination. It was a wonderful, inspiring day and I wanted to leave you with some great photographs I found that highlight children shadows...

Remember, the next time you are out taking photos of your children whether it is with a simple point and shoot or your phone keep an eye out...you may find their shadow. 

Polaroid Wall

A wall of Polaroids at Tom Slaughters Studio in NYC!

Lights, Camera, Muppets!

This past month I went to see The Muppets and absolutely loved it. Growing up with them was great and seeing them again was fantastic! On Sunday I am going to see Being Elmo and have heard nothing but good reviews. I can't wait to learn all about the man behind (or under) the little fuzzy red guy! Muppet fever is in full swing...this got me wondering what it would be like to photograph The Muppets and this led to some research. I learned that John E. Barrett is the main man when it comes to capturing these loveable characters at their finest, whether on magazine covers, billboards or just for fun. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos of his (it was extremely hard to pick just a few):

Why I love Muppet photography: There is something amazing about the way John evokes the spirit of these inanimate characters. The lighting, compostion and style bring out Miss Piggy's and Rowlf's true personalities. It's a true testament to how important these factors are when photographing a portrait, they without a doubt affect the subject, whether human or made of fabric! Group photography can be very challenging especially when you have adults and children of varying sizes. I can't even imagine what it is like to step into the studio with these classy muppets! I love the composition here and think it is brillantly executed.

TIP: To compose your own family photos that will impress your friends remember to get everyone on different levels to create height and depth. Stairs are a great place to start!