Kat Eye Studio

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Standing Tall

At our favorite place to camp on the Oregon Coast, Washburne State Park, there is a half-mile (~1km) path to the beach from the campground. I find it the most interesting path, because the forest changes dramatically 3 to 4 times along the short distance. It starts out in this stately forest and ends in grass covered dunes and an expansive beach. I love this forest, where the trees stand tall and the ground is covered by layers of soft and squishy pine needles and moss. It’s very quiet and peaceful, walking through these trees. It can also been very eerie, depending on the light.

Lucky me, the sun came out from behind the clouds and lit the trees up from behind, making them glow.  I tried black and white with this image, and it does look great, but I couldn’t let the green of the moss on the ground and the trees disappear. It’s too much a part of my experience of the place. Which do you like best?

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Don’t forget…

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From Windy Coast to Windy City (Coming to Chicago!)

We spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend camping at the Oregon Coast. “Camping” is a relative term – we have a travel trailer so we camp in great comfort. The trailer is especially important in Oregon, where it rains. A lot. Over the years of living here we’ve progressed from tent to tent trailer to travel trailer, and have extended the time of year we are able to all seasons.

This weekend we had a rainy Friday night and Sunday morning, but a gorgeous day on Saturday. It was an enjoyable day of walking on the beach and then visiting Florence, a cute little town on the coast. I captured the remaining piers of Florence’s former ferry landing, inspired by this week’s Picture Inspiration prompt, “long and tall.”

But that’s the not the big news – I’m coming to Chicago this week! It’s a last minute work trip, planned Friday afternoon. There was a need for someone with my background to go and recruit at a conference, and I’ve never been to Chicago. After several months back from Italy with no travel plans in sight, I’m ready to visit someplace new and jumped on the chance.

If you are in the Chicago area and would like to meet up in downtown Chicago for a coffee and a photowalk this week, contact me via email: kat [at] kateyestudio [dot] com. I’ll be in town Wednesday through Saturday and will be squeezing in sightseeing with my camera as much as possible. I hope to meet a few of you there!

Linking in to Lisa’s Creative Exchange today.

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    Moving off Auto

    There is so much information on digital photography on the web, it is fantastic. It can also be overwhelming, when you are a beginner. Where do you start?
    I thought I would take a moment today to talk about Digital Photography Basics, an online course I’m teaching starting October 16. I’ve mentioned registration is open but I haven’t talked much about the “why” behind this course on the blog. 
    It is no secret that I love the creative aspects of photography. I love to study composition, and why a photograph works visually. I love exploring how to express myself through my images, and helping others do the same. Underlying all of that, there is a technical foundation that I build on. I couldn’t express myself in the way that I do without having a good understanding of how to use my equipment. Exposure and post-processing are just as critical as composition for that expression, look at today’s photo as an example. The technical and creative aspects all work together.
    That’s where Digital Photography Basics comes in. The technical foundation you need for expression is not as complicated as you might think. There are some basics you need to understand about how a digital camera works, and how you can use that basic information to create better images. It doesn’t take expensive cameras or complicated software to create great images, it takes your unique vision and an understanding of the camera and software YOU have. This course helps you learn to use what you have better, whether it’s a point-and-shoot or a dSLR. It takes you off “auto” so that you can express yourself in new ways in your photography.
    Here’s what past participants in this class have said:

    “[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!”  

    “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.”  

    “You really do have an artist’s eye and a visual way of presenting the information, yet with the thoroughness of a scientist… both of which I appreciate.” 

    I especially like that last one… I think this course may be where my artistic side and my technical side truly do come together. As an engineer for my “day job,” Digital Photography Basics is the place I bring that “techiness” to my classes. For me, the technical aspects of photography are secondary to the artistic aspects, but only because I understand the technical part enough I don’t have to consciously think about it. It takes a little bit of time and study to get to that point. You can get there too!
    If you are looking to get to “move off auto” and get a better understanding of the technical side of photography, Digital Photography Basics is a great step for you to take. I’d love to have you join me! 

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      Tied up in Knots

      The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
      — Anna Quindlen
      I was surprised by the response to yesterday’s post. It seems that many of us feel that we are the loner much of the time, different and outside of normal. I thought it was just me. It is ironic that we may feel excluded by our differences, yet in our feelings we are experiencing the same thing.
      My current morning reading, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown, speaks to the universal human desire for love and belonging. We want to be in the bucket, with the other flowers. The irony, she points out, is that we often strive to achieve love and belonging by fitting in and “hustling for worthiness” and acceptance. When we strive to fit in, acting like we think others want us to act, we no longer honor our authentic selves and we short circuit any true connection. She says, “… To fully experience love and belonging, we must believe we are worthy of love and belonging.”

      In the light of that lone flower, we must each embrace our own differences and take them to heart. Stand alone with confidence in our own value and worthiness. When we say, “Here I am, with all of my quirks and differences, take it or leave it,” we are accepting ourselves as we are. From that grounded place, when we reach out to others and feel a connection, the connection is real. It is whole. It is sustainable, because there are no pretenses to keep up.

      Have you ever tried to keep up pretenses in a situation? Yeah, it ties you up in knots. After a while, you don’t know which direction you are going. You don’t know where you are, in the midst of it all. It’s not sustainable.

      I’m learning, again and again, how important it is to occasionally stand alone, in order to be myself. Whether it is in my art, sharing the photographs I love regardless of technical perfection or perceived photographic ideals, in my relationships, being honest about who I am and what I need, or even at my corporate job, sharing an opinion that may be contrary to the group, I have found the result of standing alone and embracing my differences is true connection. Instead of connection built on the unstable ground of insecurity, it is connection grounded in confident stability.

      When I value myself for who I am, others value me too. Go figure.

      To all of you who identified with that less-than-perfect lone flower I say: Congratulations. All you need to do now is untangle the knots and stand tall, confident in your uniqueness. Not an easy process, I know from ongoing experience, but so worth it. The reward I have found is connection, with people who are equally as unique, like you.

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      What’s going on around Kat Eye Studio…

      • Did you recognize today’s photo as a triadic variation? The current Exploring with a Camera theme is The Color Wheel: Part 2. Check out the post and join in the exploration.
      • Are you ready to get your camera off of full auto and see what you can create? Registration is open for Digital Photography Basics! Class starts October 16. Visit here for the details.
      • Want to know what’s going on in the studio? You can subscribe to the Kat Eye News to stay up-to-date on all the happenings.

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      The Loner

      One lone flower, tossed aside. 
      It makes me ask, can an image of a “thing” evoke emotion? As a “thing” photographer, I would answer yes. This image speaks to me through the isolation of the flower, discarded for not being perfect. The flower is not even in the bunch with the other discarded flowers, it is off on its own. Truly alone. But in its isolation, the remaining beauty of the flower can be seen. The gorgeous color and the shape, jump out at me against the concrete in a way that would be lost in the group.
      It seems there is a message here, that can be brought into my life. It’s ok to be less than perfect. It’s ok to be out there, on my own once in a while. Once in a while, being outside the group can help me shine my unique beauty. My unique view on the world.
      What do you take away from this image?  Does it speak to you too?

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      What’s going on around Kat Eye Studio…

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      Expectations Lost, Happiness Found

      What is it about photography, that makes me happy? I’ve noticed lately, that whenever I go out and photograph, even if it’s just for a walk around the block in the rain, that I return in a good mood. I am smiling and there is a spring in my step. I feel buoyant. The sheer act of capturing photographs, whether they end up good or not, makes me grin.

      Thinking more on why photography makes me happy this morning, I found that photography is one area of my life where I don’t have huge expectations or plans. I’ve learned to embrace the fun of letting myself be surprised. I follow my intuition and interests, as they pull me along in new directions. I find great joy in discovering what catches my eye on any given day. Amazing things have resulted as I follow those internal nudges – in photography, writing and my study of art in general.

      Take Saturday’s photowalk visit to the Farmer’s Market, for example. Of course I photographed the colorful vegetables, but what really interested me were the flowers on the ground as the vendors sorted and tossed and created beautiful bouquets. Normally I would be attracted to the finished bouquets, but at this moment I was captured by the haphazard nature of the flowers scattered on the concrete and in the buckets. To me, on this specific Saturday morning, these images were the most interesting to explore and compose. These were the images that held a story. Next Saturday, in the same place, it will be completely different.

      This gets to the “heart and soul” aspects of photography, or any art. Creating has the power to change how we feel. When we let go of expectations or plans, wonderful things can result. There is an interesting parallel here to the rest of my life I’ve needed to focus on as well: Letting go of control and expectation. It’s something that I am slowly, and surely, learning to do. It’s been a long road, but I am lucky to have something like photography to show me the way, with a smile on my face. 

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      What’s going on around Kat Eye Studio…