The Whole Story
You have probably seen all of these photographs in albums on the Picture This Page, but wanted to know more about them. I will share with you the story behind each of these images and also inform you of the exposure and any editing done to them.
1. Sunrise on Lake Victory
This is the photograph that started it all.
Settings: I admit that the camera was on auto for this photograph.
Editing: Absolutely no editing has been done on this photo.
It was January of 2005, and my Youth Group had planned a retreat at a place called Camp Victory somwhere in Alabama. The plan was to spend a fun-filled weekend at this camp where we would get to do horse-back riding, paint-ball, paddle-boating, and a ton more. The first day there we were happily busy at all the fun things we could do and didn't go to bed until late because of a late-night Bible scavenger hunt we had done. Everyone went to bed anticipating a peaceful night of sleep before waking again at seven in the morning.
Others may have, but my cabin sure didn't get to sleep that long. It must have been two or three in the morning when the cabin's carbon monoxide detector went off, scaring the heebie-jeebies out of everyone of us. (Come on. Just imagine a bunch of teenage girls being waken up in the middle of sleeping by this high-pitched beeping alarm. Now you've got the picture.) Our cabin leader told us that it was broken. So we went back to sleep.
One hour later, what do you know except the stupid thing goes off again. We were reallly freaking out now, if not only for the fact that we just wanted to get some shuteye. She ran out to find someone who could do somehting about it, while we were left behind with the possessed carbon monoxide alarm. This time it didn't shut off for a long while, and by that time we couldn't get back to sleep.
Well, the sun was coming up and some of us decided to run out to catch it rise; I have always and always will love sunrises, and I was among them. Just a month earlier I had recieved my first digital camera for Christmas, and had taken advantage of the retreat by taking pictures like crazy. So with my dinky little three megapixel Kodak Easyshare, I captured this awesome display of God's creativity. I know this was absolutely not chance; it was Divine intervention.
It happened to be the next week that the art contest at school was announced, and I knew I absolutely had to enter it. By God's grace I won first place in the photography category and have since been hooked on the art of "painting with light" ever since.
(September 16, 2007)
2. Love Corvette
This image marks the spark of my interest in digital art.
Settings:
Foreground image (the Corvette) -- Shutter speed 1/226; F 14.5; ISO 100
Background image (sky w/heart) -- Shutter speed 1/1400; F 4.5; ISO 100
Editing: The obvious editing of this picture was the merging of the corvette over the heart in the sky. I turned the Corvette black and white. Then I simply cut and pasted; then I faded the edges of the corvette to give it that dreamy appearance. I also flipped the Corvette horizontally.
I believe it was 2002 (don't hold me to that), and I was invited to go to the Blue Angel Airshow with some friends of the family. Me being hopeful amatuer that I was, took my-still only 3-megapixel-Kodak camera. Anyone who has gone to one of these before, at least in Pensacola, knows that they always have antique cars displayed along with planes, and before the air-stuff began we were checking out the displays. I took several pictures of different cars, mainly Corvettes. The one above used to be blue, and I thought of it as the best of the ones I took.
After we had looked through about a million displayed vehicles, it was time for the airshow to really start. Before the Blues are always many other planes performing thier own stunts. If the Corvette was not in the way, you would see two little planes in the bottom left corner and two in the middle. They were the Red Baron planes, closing the heart they drew in the sky. If you ever get into performing stunts in a pane, remember: drawing hearts in the sky is a definite crow-pleaser.
When I got home, I knew I loved both of these pictures, but I never imagined putting them together. I didn't have Photoshop yet, but I had a program called Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10. I was playing around with the Corvette image, became bored, and opened the Red Baron's heart. That's when it hit me: wouldn't these look awesome together? Did I dare?
I did. (Obviously...)
I absoltely loved the result! Honestly it's not as great to me now; I guess I've seen it too much. Who knows, but I obviously hope someone likes it, unless I am subconsciously trying to embarrass myself. (Just kidding.) Anyhoo... Since putting these images together, I have really became interested in graphic design and love playing around with and exploring the features of Photoshop.
(November 18, 2007)
3. Hidden Treasures
My first big contest winner.
Settings:
At a November 2007 Gallery Night, I was priveleged enough to meet a member of the Arts Council. After seeing my art and talking to me for a short time, he told me that he thought I should enter a call-to-artists to compete for the cover of the 2008 Art's Guide. I gladly agreed and was sent the information later that week. From the time I recieved the guidelines and stipulations, I only had around a week to get a shot that I was happy enough with to enter. My only fear was that the theme was supposed to be modern, and I wasn't sure exactly what that would mean they were looking for.
I immediately thought of the Graffiti Bridge as a symbol of Pensacola's art; you could go to see it everyday and everyday it would have something new on it. It never stays the same. I had this vsion of the bridge beautifully backlit and with the beginnings of a sunset behind it. There was also a girl in a beautiful flowing dress casually leaning against it, but she was not to be the immediate focus. She was there to add another dimension to the image.
I latched on to my idea and asked one of my best friends to go with me after school one Friday to pose for me. I soon realized that the Bridge was not in the right position to catch a sunset, nor was it easy to capture a photo of the bridge at all without getting run over by the unending traffic. We did our best to see what we could come out with though, and I set up my tripod. The light was fading fast and the wind was blowing pretty hard. Maybe if it weren't for these factors, I might have captured some decent photographs. But the wind was shaking my camera even though it was on a tripod, and the fading light was making the photos grainy as the ISO was raised. It fast became clear that my vision would not come to light, not then anyways.
I didn't give up, though. I still wanted to use the Bridge as the subject. My mom took me out to the Bridge the next day and I tried many different angles and ideas. I climbed to the top of the Bridge (also covered in graffiti; there is not a clear spot of bridge to be found), and found some beautiful plant life. I found some purple flowers and snapped some photos of them, but I still wasn't sure that I had gotten what I wanted. I then found the most interesting pinkish-orange leaves on a weed in the ground. My mom laughed at me, but I ripped them out of the ground, and posed them several different ways on the ledge. Finally, I was happy and content that I had gotten a good shot. Right then and there, I told my mom that I was finished and we could go home.
The next day, I sent in my entries. The judging would be the day after that. After a couple of days, I hadn't heard anything. Before school one morning, my mom gave a pep talk of sorts, about how I probably didn't win but that it was okay because there were more experienced people who enetered and it was nice to have been asked to enter at all. But when I got to school, my best friend told me that I had indeed won! (She knew because her dad is friends with the Art's Council guy who told me to enter in the first place.) It was awesome!
It was also nice to find out that the judging was blind. None of the judges had any idea who's art was who's. I beat out a college professor!! Cool huh?
In the Guide, they featured a short bio of me and a photo of me. (See image below.)
Like it says above, aside from the cover I will have free gallery space, an article on me in Pensacola Magazine, and inclusion in an event at the Belmont Gallery.
As I receive more details on these upcoming events, I will most definitely fill you all in.
(January 26, 2008)
