Kat Eye Studio

by

Making Room for New Things to Grow (+ new formula)

On Saturday I went on a long-anticipated hike. Most of the summer, one of my favorite hikes has been closed while the Greenbelt Land Trust worked on forest restoration. They promised, “An opened viewshed, outstanding legacy oak trees, and vibrant riparian areas.” The intent was to return the forest to its historic state, as an oak savannah. Over the years, the conifers had overrun the oaks.

I was a little worried. After a few months of hearing wood chippers in the distance, would my favorite place even exist? What was it going to look like? I headed out on the trail with some anxiety.

IMG_5973.JPG

What I discovered was a mix of completely unchanged trail, followed by surprising views to the south. It was a stark contrast entering the areas which had undergone forest restoration. The ground cover was gone and the forest dramatically thinned. There was light and openness where there hadn’t been in the past. You could see the shape of the old oaks; see how they had struggled higher and higher for light in the dense forest.

IMG_5972.JPG

My emotions on the hike alternated between sad and exhilerated. The forest I had known was becoming something different. I felt a loss of the old while being energized by the new.

Part way through the hike I realized this experience was analogous to any change in life. Sometimes old things, things we have loved and cherished, need to end to make space for new things to grow. This can happen at the pace of nature or can be sped up, nurtured in a new direction, as in the case with this forest or in the case of intentional personal work.

The feeling of loss with change is natural. With that loss, it’s also important to look at the possibility that comes with the new. For this forest, it’s enjoying the increased sunshine, the views, and the sight of those lovely oaks against the sky which makes the loss of the old bearable.

I look forward to seeing what this forest will become, now that space has been made for different things to grow.

And I think of my own personal landscape and wonder: Are there places I need to clear out some old stuff, allowing the space and sunshine for new things to take root?

You can download the Stackables Formula I created for these images, named “Mulkey Ridge” after the hike.

Follow these instructions:
1. Make sure the Stackables app is installed on your iOS device.
2. On your iOS device, download the formula file from this link. (This is a Dropbox link, and you may be prompted to save the file to your Dropbox account, if you have one. Go ahead and save it to your Dropbox and then download from there.)
3. When you go to download or open the file, use “Open in…” and choose the “Open in Stackables” option.
4. Stackables will open and ask if you want to import the formula, click “Import.”
5. To use the formula, load a photo and then go to Favorite Formulas (the ones with a heart!). You will see the imported formula there.

Have fun! I’d love to see what you do with it.

by

iPhone Book is one step closer! (+ app review)

I heard from my editor yesterday… I should be seeing the galley proofs of my iPhone photography book in a couple of weeks. Yay!! I cannot wait to see those proofs, and I’ll be sure to give you a sneak peek when I do. It’s such a long process, I almost forgot I wrote a book over the last few months. (Well, not really, but I tried not to worry and obsess about it too much.)

With this reminder that a real book is in the works, don’t forget you can preorder it right now on Amazon, and it will show up in your mailbox in January when it ships. Preorders are hugely important to its success, so I appreciate each and every one! Thank you!

IMG_5948.JPG

On another note, today’s image is edited with the Formulas app, which is from the same creators as Stackables, one of my favorite apps. The Formulas app is a simpler version, with a list of preset formulas you can apply which include layers from the Stackables app.

The good is that it is very simple to use: Select a formula, adjust the intensity (0 to 100), and then either save or apply another formula on top. You can also add a frame in a similar tone. Super easy. Today’s image was edited with the Glazed formula at 100% followed by the Orange Zest formula, at a lower intensity.

IMG_5951.JPG

The bad is that you have no other adjustability. You can’t rotate the formula or change blend modes, either for a single formula or more than one applied.  Super frustrating, if you like a little control.

The formulas are very much monochromatic and highly textured, so if that’s your style this is a great app to add to your arsenal.

If you like a little bit of flexibility and control, as I do, then it’s probably not a great app for you. I’ll stick with Stackables, where I can experiment and adjust the layers to my heart’s content. 

That’s the beauty of mobile photography, there is something for everyone. You just have to find the right apps!

by

Settling in to Home

The home should be the treasure chest of living.
– Le Corbusier

There has been an interesting shift I’ve noticed in my photographs over the last couple of months. More and more images of my home seem to be popping in. Whether it’s new art I’ve brought home, a cat curled up in an interesting place, my welcoming front door, or the play of light and shadow on the wall… They are all home.

It’s like I’m nesting. Settling in place. I’ve always liked my home, but now I love my home. 

There are a number of different changes in my space and my perspective that are influencing this shift, but it all comes down to this: The things I choose to grace my space matter. The clothes I choose to put on my body, the art on my walls, the clutter (or lack thereof) on my desk, all influence my frame of mind. The more I choose to surround myself with things I love, and eliminate those I don’t, the more I feel at home. The more I love my home.

In The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the author has a method for creating this shift. She asks you to sort your belongings with the question, “Does this spark joy?” If yes, it stays. If no, it goes. When you surround yourself with things that bring you joy, you are happier. 

I know this to be true. Even before reading the book, I have been slowly doing this in my own evolving way, and have been seeing the benefits. I am to the point that nothing new comes into my house unless it is something that really does bring me joy. I’m not willing to compromise any longer. Creating my personal space is one part of creating the life I want to lead and the person I want to be. 

It feels good to be in my space these days. Maybe you can tell, by the photographs I’m sharing.

by

What is good for you, and good for others too?

I love a win-win, don’t you?

Kat-Sloma-Photography-5897

Every year my friend and colleague, Dave Seeram from PhotographyBB, participates in one of the biggest photography events of the year: The 5 Day Deal. Until September 15, you can get some amazing photography resources for a great price, and some wonderful charities and artists are supported as well. The Complete Photography Bundle will power-up your photography, no matter your experience level or type of photography you practice, with something in there for everyone.

One of the best parts of the deal is a full 10% of the revenue from the sales goes directly to four specially chosen charities: Help Portrait, The BOMA Project, Camp Smile-A-Mile, and Flashes of Hope. I personally participate in Help Portrait each year, and find it incredibly rewarding.

In addition to these charities, Dave and PhotographyBB (who, by the way, will be publishing the upcoming re-release of my Digital Photography Basics eBook! Yay!), have committed an additional $10 per bundle to the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation to support cutting-edge children’s medical research.

They’re looking to raise over $300,000 for these charities this year, and to do that, they’ll need help. Head over to The Complete Photography Bundle to check out the sale. Even if this deal is not right for you, please share the sale with your network to help raise awareness.

Not only is this a great deal on wonderful photography resources, it supports some great causes. That’s win-win to me.

by

Time of Transition

Can you feel it? Change is coming.

I can feel it on my skin, through the chill in the morning air.

I can feel it in my family, through the words floating around my house… Schedules and homework and supplies and lunch money.

And I can feel it stirring deep in my soul, through the shift of my artistic focus.
  
I’m going inward, taking the time to tend to the inner landscape, preparing myself for the darker, quieter days and months to come. Perhaps I’m preparing myself to create the art to come as well.

I feel it, deep in my bones. Change is coming. 

I am ready. Are you?

by

Just One Week to Workshop

Are you wanting to take great photos with your smartphone? I’ll teach you the secrets of capturing great photographs and simple photo editing techniques to make them stand out from the crowd. 

Join me in Corvallis, Oregon in the afternoon on Saturday, September 12 with your iPhone or Android phone, and you’ll learn some skills. More details and registration links are available here.

Today I’m sharing some recent images of my kitties, created using my iPhone and the techniques and apps you will learn in the workshop. These are a great example of the immediacy the phone camera enables in my imagery. If I had to run off and get my big camera, these images would not exist.