Kat Eye Studio

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Eighteen Months

Today wraps up 2012. It’s a time to look back at the year. Lots of best and worst lists have been generated. Year-in-review articles abound. But lately I’ve been thinking bigger than the last year, looking back at the last eighteen months. Because tomorrow it will be exactly eighteen months since I moved home from Italy.

This has been on my mind lately because the last couple of months have brought a dramatic shift for me. I’ve settled in. At home and work and in my photography, the shift has been evident. 2011 was the year of transition, half in Italy and half in the US. I thought by the end of 2011 I was “here” but I wasn’t. Looking back, I can see that for a long time, I’ve had one foot on each continent. I’ve quietly pined away for the scooters and the subways. The international travel at a moment’s notice. And really, who wouldn’t? It was a fabulous experience. A dream come true.

But slowly, surely, as 2012 progressed I’ve woken up from the dream and found myself here. And, maybe surprising myself a little, I’ve discovered “here” is a fantastic place to be. I’ve shed my old expectations and stopped looking for Europe through my camera’s lens. I’ve embraced the place I am in and found what brings me joy. I can see this last year was about releasing the past. I’m all here now.

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As part of this shift, I felt that I needed to find out who I am as a photographer since moving back to the US, so that I can move forward. When I was preparing and printing photographs for the Fall Festival in September, I actually got tired of looking at my photographs from Italy. I never thought that would happen! So for the last few months, I’ve had in mind this project, to go through all of the photographs I’ve taken since moving back to the US, and find the best ones. I felt the urge to get myself organized and build a more recent collection to work with.

A few days ago, I started with 19785 photos, whittled down to 2752, then to 290, to 160 and finally to the 86 highlighted in the video. (Don’t worry, the video is short – less than three minutes.) They are an eclectic bunch… from small towns and big cities to the scenery of mountains and ocean. But they all have one thing in common, representing steps on my journey to find myself in this place and time. They’ve been there for a while, slowly building over eighteen months, just waiting to welcome me home.

And after you’ve watched the video (be sure to watch in HD – it looks awesome!) then listen to this song, This is Home by Switchfoot, which inspired me to make the video. It expresses my feelings perfectly. I wish I could have used it with the video but didn’t take the time to secure permission, so I’ll share it this way.

I’m excited and ready for the new year! I’m finally home.

Join me tomorrow for the Photo-Heart Connection monthly link up, as we review photos from December and maybe — if you’re feeling adventurous — the whole year, to find the strongest connection with heart and soul. I have no doubt that starting this practice has been an important part of my journey “home” this year. Be sure to read the guest posts from the last week, sharing the impact the Photo-Heart Connection has had on participants in 2012. And then come back and join us as we continue our practice in 2013.

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Color or Not?

Today we are continuing our study of the Lights of Night, this time with a tripod shot from my weekend excursion. One of the things that captivated my attention were the tree shadows. Probably no surprise, since I’ve been obsessed by trees lately! The question at the end of the day becomes… How to process them?

Do I leave them in color, with the interesting color from the streetlights…

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…or do I convert to black and white and eliminate the color?

I tried both, and prefer the color. It doesn’t have the same feel of night in the black and white, and I like that warm glow from the lights of night. What do you think?

While you are thinking about it, you can visit the other participants of Exploring with a Camera! And have you gotten out at night yet? Brave the weather and give it a try! Dress warmly, bring an umbrella if you need to, ask someone along as a “spotter” and get out into the night. The holiday lights won’t last too much longer! Visit the Lights of Night post for lots of links to night photography resources. See you back here!


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Night into Day

I’m taking a little break from the Lights of Night to share some of my favorite digital paintings from the last week for Paint Party Friday. I continued my exploration with the new process, moving from monochromatic paintings to multiple colors. I love the feeling in this first one, which I call Winter Fire. It does have kind of a fire-and-ice feel to it, doesn’t it? I like how the trees are just barely visible, but you see enough of them to make them out. What do you see in this painting? What is your interpretation of the scene?

Another favorite this week is a study of lines. Nature’s lines. The lines you find in nature often seem chaotic, but there is a pattern to them. I love seeing the pattern in things, whether it’s in nature or in an engineering problem. Just call me goofy!

Finally, in the spirit of the Lights of Night theme that I have going on this week, I thought I would share a digital creation that is not a “painting” but has the feel of night. This one was taken during the middle of the day, but I love that I can give an impression of night through my processing. I call this work “Night into Day.” Hmmm… maybe I should try making a painting out of this one, and see what happens!

If you want to see more of what I’ve been creating you can follow me on Instagram or Flickr. I’ve been posting new work there daily.

Happy Holidays to the Paint Party Friday crowd!

PS – Don’t miss the giveaway of a spot in my upcoming Find Your Eye: Journey of Fascination series over on the Moms Who Click blog. You can still enter!

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It Comes Together

Isn’t it fun when something new comes together in your art? It’s like all of the preparation and experimentation and play lead you to this place where everything just clicks. There is a moment of “a-ha!” and you discover that you have a new process. That happened for me this week!

I think I discovered it on Saturday, when I created this digital painting:

I loved it. Absolutely loved it. And so I tried something similar with the next one:

And, oh my goodness, if I didn’t love that one too! And then I realized that I had discovered a new process. A certain type of photo, a certain sequence of editing, and I could get these gorgeous tree paintings. I’ve been experimenting all week and starting to learn what does and doesn’t work for the aesthetic I want. I’m playing within this process with variations.

I just can’t get enough! I find that after my dark, moody binge a couple of weeks ago I just want this color. And texture. And light. It feels like freedom.

Happy Paint Party Friday!!

I normally don’t post twice in one day but things got away from me with getting new eCourses ready for registration this week! Here’s what’s going on…

  • Fuel Your Creativity, a one-week eCourse to kick off the new year with a creative burst, is open for registration. This is not a photography course. Everyone is invited!
  • An all-new eCourse in the Find Your Eye series, Journey of Fascination, is open for registration too. This series will run January/February.
  • December’s Exploring with a Camera will post tomorrow! Visit Friday and see what we’ll be studying this month.

Whew. I think that’s all for now…

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Affinity

Is it wrong to have a favorite tree? For some reason it feels a bit like saying you have a favorite child if you have more than one. Unfair to the other trees.

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But unfair or not, I do have an affinity for this tree. It’s just off the parking lot where I work and I’ve photographed it many times over the last couple of weeks. It has the most interesting branches, and a clear view behind it. I love those seed pod things (sorry, not a botanist) hanging in the top branches like a decoration. They seem a bit like tree jewelry to me. A little something extra that makes this tree unique.

So tell me: Do you have a favorite tree?

A quick reminder today… It’s the last day to link in to the Photo-Heart Connection for this month. I talked earlier this week about belonging, and if you are looking for connection and a place to belong, there could be no better place than with those participating in the Photo-Heart Connection. Such a lovely group of kindred spirits! I encourage you to visit and get to know them, if you haven’t already.

Have a lovely weekend!