Kat Eye Studio

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Develop a Photo-Heart Connection

This image, shared last month, speaks to my heart and soul. I love the textures of the wall, and the complexity of what I see in the window: Outside, inside and the reflection. It represented what I was feeling at the time, a low point for me creatively, a winter reflected in an otherwise normal, but unique, exterior. But within that winter, hope could be found in the blue sky and the blooming flowers. While it may not be my top image of 2011, it is definitely my favorite for the last half, since moving home from Italy.

As I’ve come out of my low point in December, I’ve realized that one thing I am craving is connection. Connection, like this, of my heart to my images. Connection to other photographers who seek this same relationship in their photography. Looking back, it is not a surprise I felt this way, without a Find Your Eye course running in December. The connections I find with the participants seems to fill this need for me. I’ve described it as finding “kindred spirits.”

As I’ve thought about 2012 and what I want to do, this theme of connection keeps coming up. I want to extend the connection I find through Find Your Eye to everyone, so I’ve brainstormed this new idea for a monthly blog series: The Photo-Heart Connection.

The idea: At the end of each month, review the images you worked with in that month for the one that gives you the strongest connection to your heart and soul. Write about that connection to the image in a blog post or in a photo description on Flickr, then link into the monthly link up. You can get to know the other photographers seeking the same connection, by visiting the links and reading their experiences. We will find our kindred spirits.

The Guidelines:

  • This is a monthly link up, open from the 1st through the 7th of each month to post on your previous month’s photo-heart connection. In my Photo-Heart Connection post on the first of each month, I’ll share my image for the previous month as I did above, along with ideas on how to deepen your own photo-heart connections.
  • Pick one photo, with which you feel the strongest heart connection, to share. The photo shared can be any photo that you worked with in the last month, either newly captured or edited.
  • Write about your heart connection with that photo. Why does the photo speak to you? What do you feel?
  • Link your permalink into the Photo-Heart Connection link up.
  • Linked entries must include the Photo-Heart Connection button (available on the sidebar here). We want to share and build the sense of community of photographers seeking the photo-heart connection.
  • As you can, visit the links of fellow participants. Comment and discuss your experiences and build your connections.
  • The goal of this link up is connection – to your images and to other participants. As such, the focus is on quality over quantity. Links will be moderated to ensure they follow the guidelines, including both photo and writing about the photo-heart connection.
  • For reminders, be sure to sign up for the Kat Eye News. I will time the newsletter to arrive the last week of the month to remind you of the link up beginning on the first.

Participation is open to all! You don’t even have to link in if you are uncomfortable sharing. You can do this monthly exercise on your own to achieve an increased photo-heart connection. For those of you who have taken the Find Your Eye courses, participating will keep you moving on the journey you started in class. It will also be a great companion to any other photo project you might have going this year, such as a 365 or a 52-week project, deepening your experience.

I have a feeling that if we all do this monthly for the next year, we will see some incredible things happen in our photography. I also have a feeling that other companion ideas will come out of this, on the theme of connection. I hope you’ll join me to develop your Photo-Heart Connection this year. The first link up will be posted on February 1!

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Announcing: Digital Photography Basics On-Demand

Happy New Year! Remember how yesterday I was talking about new things to come in 2012? I’m so excited to start off the New Year with an announcement. The Digital Photography Basics e-course is now available “On-Demand.” Rather than waiting until I offer it, the course is now available at any time throughout the year. If you or someone you know got a new camera for Christmas, this course will be a great first step to learn how to create beautiful images with that new toy!

But I always feel weird talking about my courses, so instead I’ll share what a few past participants have said:

I have taken a photography workshop [before], and I must say, yours blew that one out of the water. I was never frustrated in your course; I gained confidence in my abilities, and I actually learned how to use my camera. I’ve learned so much in this course, and now I’m looking forward to moving beyond the basics to finding the art in my photography. Thank you so much for an awesome 6 weeks! – Sarah

I looked forward to the lessons every week. They were so well written and understandable. I had taken an “in – person” class before, but I learned so much more from this one. The lessons flowed well from one week to the next. The assignments offered great opportunities to practice. – Kathy

[My favorite thing about the course] was the simplicity of the technical information. There was no confusion – just straight forward… here’s the info of how and why, set your camera like this, go play. Perfect!  – Marji

I loved learning about the technical aspects of photography. I’d always found it challenging before but you presented it in an easy, understandable way. I loved that you paired each lesson with photographs. That made everything so easy to grasp.  – Annie

The class was well worth every penny I spent. Every time I pick up my camera, I’ll be using something you’ve taught me! – Cathy

It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to read those quotes! If you want to learn more, you can visit the Digital Photograph Basics page and also listen to this interview about the class. You just might learn a little bit about me too!

One of my themes for 2012 is empowerment, and having participants leave my courses feeling empowered is an underlying goal of all of the courses I create. While I love the artistic and creative aspects of photography, it has to be built on a strong foundation of technical knowledge. Digital Photograph Basics is a great first step to build that foundation. I hope you’ll share this course with anyone who might be interested in learning more about digital photography.

Tune in tomorrow, for another announcement on my 2012 theme of connection. I can’t wait to share!

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Looking Back, Looking Forward

I debated on doing the obligatory end-of-year post. In the last week I wrote down a list of all that has happened this year, with the idea I would summarize it here. It turns out, just writing it in my journal was enough, I don’t need to publish a list for effect. It was enough to show me I had an amazing year. A year of transition, of endings and beginnings. A year of wonderful opportunities. In some ways, I’m sad to see 2011 go. As we roll over into the new year, it will be in a year I didn’t live in Italy. 2009, 2010 and 2011 will forever hold that special designation. 2012 will be the year “after Italy.”

Window in Bologna, Italy

But then again, maybe 2012 will earn itself a different designation. As I look at the coming year, I see lots of opportunity. I have some goals, but am leaving space for new ideas to form. I find myself drawn to the concepts of empowerment and connection, and I can feel things shifting to align with these ideas. Stay tuned, there are some new things to come I’ll talk about in the coming days. I’m sure there will be more as the year progresses. That’s the fun of looking forward, you never know what the future will bring. I find myself comfortable, even excited, with that delicious uncertainty.

Window in Ashland, Oregon

Happy New Year to all! Enjoy the last hurrah of 2011 today and the transition into 2012 tomorrow. It’s going to be a very good year, I can feel it!

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Art Close to Home

Yay! I have a great art museum nearby! {Insert celebratory dance here.} My visit to the Portland Art Museum on Wednesday was very fun and exciting, mainly for the discovery of a wonderful art museum close to home. After visiting some of the most amazing art museums in Europe, I’ve wondered what I would find when I moved back. Since I wasn’t into art before living in Italy, I hadn’t visited this museum before, despite living only 90 miles away for 11 years. I was pleasantly surprised at the size and scope of the museum. I decided to become a member so I can visit whenever we head to Portland. I already have plans to visit again in a few weeks, as there are several special exhibits going on that I didn’t have time to see on this visit.

One of the current exhibits I did see is Titian’s La Bella. This is quite exciting for the museum to host. I thought it was ironic that after seeing many of Titian’s works in Italy, this is one of the first special exhibits I find at the Portland Art Museum.

I found it a very emotional experience to walk into the European section of the museum to get to the La Bella exhibit, seeing works ranging from Gothic triptychs to Flemish still lifes, so much of what I had seen across Europe. I even wanted to linger at the numerous Madonna col Bambino paintings, just for the nostalgia. Ironic, when I would cruise through whole museums filled with paintings like these, just to get to the one or two painters I especially liked. Now I have an appreciation for these works that goes beyond art history, it’s an emotional appreciation I can’t quite describe in words.

I did get to the photography exhibition I was looking for, Through the Looking Glass: Photography’s use of Windows, Doorways and Mirrors. As a big fan of photographing windows and doors, I was looking forward to seeing this. It was compiled from the museum’s collection of photographs and it did not disappoint. One of my favorites was this work, San Juan (Home Theater) by Oscar Pintor. I would have been in heaven to come across this scene!

I also very much resonated with two Minor White photos, Water Street, Portland and Chinese Laundry. While I’m aware of his work as a groundbreaking American photographer, I don’t think I’ve seen his work in person before. I was struck by my reaction to his images.

There were many other wonderful works in this exhibition, you can view them in the online gallery here. If you are in the area be sure to stop in and see it while it’s on display, through February 28, 2012.

One of the best things about this museum… minus the special exhibitions, you can photograph in the museum. Yay! My enjoyment of an art museum is always enhanced when I can photograph and capture my personal experience with my camera. On this visit, I was drawn to the forms and play of light and shadows of the sculptures. I especially liked the shadows and light in this piece, Artifact Panel by William Morris.

All in all, a great visit and the promise of many more to come.

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Loving those Lights

Today we finish up Exploring with a Camera: Creative Lights. I hope you’ve enjoyed some new methods of exploring holiday lights. It seems the zoom technique has been quite popular and somewhat addictive. I completely understand! It’s hard to stop once you get started. Each image comes out so different.

I’ve been surprised that I haven’t seen anyone try the Layered Lights yet, this is one of my favorite creative light techniques. I leave you with one more layered lights image from last Christmas in Madrid, a reminder of how much I love the lights of the holiday season.

You can still link in today if you have Creative Light images, let’s see what you’ve been playing around with. Because of the holidays, the next Exploring with a Camera won’t be until mid-January. See you then!



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Variations on a Theme

Today I’m sharing an image I captured from the recent Christmas Parlour Tour I was privileged to photograph. I had fun capturing this image of a phonograph, with it’s interesting circles and lines. I had even more fun playing with the processing of it in Lightroom, and I couldn’t decide which version I liked more.

The warmer tones…

…or the dreamy black and white.

They each have a different feel. What’s your preference?

I’m off to the Portland Art Museum today, visiting their photography exhibition: Through the Looking Glass: Photography’s use of Windows, Doorways and Mirrors. It sounds perfect for me, does it not? I can’t wait!