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Don't forget to follow me on twitter:  http://twitter.com/C35Lawmedic 
and also "Like" my facebook page
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daylily-Dreams-Photography/103577386667?ref=sgm .

A Beautiful Day in the Country

It is a beautiful day in the country as the fall color is peaking, the roosters are crowing (and attacking my shins), the hens are laying eggs (nothing like farm fresh eggs) and the dogs are cuddled up by my feet. I'm house sitting and as usual, working hard and enjoying the country life.  I entered a photo poster and a poem in a career day contest at school. The poem won, hooray. It was about overcoming adversity.  The photo poster was about living your dream. It didn't place in the top three because it didn't really talk about career week so to speak. The original photo is by a classmate Donna R. who took a picture of an instructor's window. I took the photo, cropped it, created a reflection, text, reflection of the text in photoshop. So, I am going to post it here but of course since I didn't take the original photo, I had to include Donna, who inspired me to create the finished product. I will have to say that I am proud of my photoshop (elements) skills.  Guess I haven't forgotten everything. Thanks Donna for being an inspiration to me and to others!

Warm and Beautiful

It never ceases to amaze me how the weather can change in just a day. Yesterday is case in point where those Carolina blue skies and warm temperatures beckoned me outside with my camera. On a whim, I decided to make a day trip up to Hanging Rock State Park. It was only 35 miles away and heck, I used to commute 50 miles each way to school at RCC.  I stopped at a mom and pop store in Walnut Cove. I believe the name was Whitleys or Whittens, so I will have to stop the next time.  Anyway, the young lady working there was so nice and confirmed that I was heading the right way. She even jotted directions to get to the lower cascades waterfalls. I bought a couple of apples that were so delicious.  I didn't make it to the actual hanging rock but instead hiked to three of the four water falls.  I will have to save the upper cascades and the hanging rock for the next time. The staff at the visitor's center was great too. I am going to post one of the waterfall pictures that I took.  I didn't have a neutral density filter with me but it was late afternoon and in shade so I just played  with the aperture priority and increased the f-stop until I got what I wanted with regards to misting the water. I might not be in the actual photography program at RCC until next summer but I do continue to be a student of photography and hope to continually learn and improve. Really, even as a graduate and professional photographer, are we not all students, trying to learn and improve our craft as we move along in our journey?

Brrr, Baby It's Cold Outside!

Despite the suddenly frigid temperatures, I still had a wonderful day of hiking at the Environmental Center in Jamestown, NC off of Penny Rd and on the Fall Foilage Tour on the pontoon boat at High Point City Lake Park. The tourguide also happens to be the Park Supervisor and a fellow UNCW alumi and was quite knowledgeable.  We saw several Great Blue Herons, some nice Fall color, a beaver dam (which I also saw on the hike) and even a Kingfisher. I didn't know that they were so small. I stayed around the park and shot some more pictures and then drove to the Sheets gas station for a large hot chocolate. Yummm!

Another Day at the Park

I spent a good deal of Thursday at the High Point City Lake Park, where I had the good fortune to meet to of the park employees. Shawn, who like me loves nature photography, enjoys taking pictures during his lunch break. He graciously showed me some of his work, which is located at http://shawnrmcentee.smugmug.com/. Wow, it is some phenomenal photography, and work like that is something I aspire to do. Gary was the other employee who gave me some great information about the environmental center off of Penny Rd. He also told me about the fall foilage tour, which I was fortunate enough to get a seat in. I found out it is on the pontoon boat and goes all around the lake. There may still be some seats left on the 2pm tour, which is Saturday, November 6th, so call (336) 883- 3498 to see. At $4 for a 45 minute boat tour, it is less than the cost of a movie, to get up close and personal with nature. Bring your camera and I hope to see you there.

With that said, it was a cold dreary day at the park but I had a great time walking around and taking pictures. I think I was one of only about 4 people other than the employees who was enjoying the park despite the weather. I had a couple that I think might rate being put on the blog. Here they are.

Love that Fall color!

I love this time of year. The stifling heat of summer is finally waning and the bone chilling cold of winter has not yet arrived. 

That transitional period is just bursting with color and I have been fortunate enought to catch a glimpse through the eye of my camera. It seems like a magical time and the setting sun peeks through to give the scenes the kiss of evening fire.

New shots at City Lake Park

I had the opportunity to go out to High Point's City Lake Park. I enjoyed taking pictures of nature and wildlife. There was this tiny 2 inch turtle sunning himself on the park. Thank goodness for telephoto lenses. There was a rotting tree stump on the bank. At the base sat this multilevel fungus. It had some beetles living in and under it so I guess it is a bug condo. Take a look at the pictures. You can see the larger versions at my website, www.daylilydreamsphoto.com.

A new month and new photos

Hi Everyone,

Well, it is a new month, August 2010 and it is with mixed emotions that I see the RCC photography class that I began with, complete their first year. I am so very happy for my fellow classmates and friends because I know what they had to go through to get there. Summer session is akin to hell week that the Navy Seals go through to weed people out. Ok, not that bad but pretty darn close. It is quite an accomplishment that they have gone through.

The mixed emotion part of it is that I am no longer with them, having withdrawn, with only three weeks left. Suddenly homeless and now living in a shelter, I, at the time, knew that it was going to be nearly impossible to deal with basic needs of living and at the same time, the creative and academic deadlines that were pending. Maslow knew what he was talking about when he said that you can't be fulfilled unless you have those basic needs taken care of.

Lest anyone really think I have given up on my photography...reconsider. I still have my syllabi and plan on doing the work that I would have done had I still been there. So, in essence, it will be one huge independent study without the tuition bills. Speaking of bills, I am selling my photo art both on my website and by special consultation. So if you are looking for gifts, artwork, or anything that has to do with photos, go to www.daylilydreamsphoto.com and check out the photos there. There are several categories to choose from and I can do individual selections and custom creations. You can buy directly on the website or email me and let me give you quotes for a personalized order.

I have explored the area in High Point, NC and found the High Point City Lake Park which is actually in Jamestown, NC. If you drive around and away from the docks and fishing areas, there are actually some peaceful places. I will post two such views that you can see on the website.

Welcome to my new blog

Hi everyone,

For those of you who have been following my old blog, welcome to the new one. I might as well have my Daylily Dreams Photography blog associated with my daylilydreamsphotography@gmail.com address. I am going to begin to blog regularly, add a couple of pictures here and there and network like crazy. Quite simply put, I need to start selling pictures and picking up freelance work. So, if you will, please get the word out. The Daylily Dreams Photography is back and will be new and improved.

Lisa

Take me out to the Ballpark

Just thought I would post one of the photo's I shot for class at our first Baseball lab.  I need to go shoot some more pictures and as soon as I get a toothache taken care of I think that taking pictures will be more pleasant. So, this sport shooting is fun.  I like baseball and football, except when I catch the ball with my face instead of my hands.  Anyway here are a couple of shots I made.  One is from baseball and the other is from class football.

Sunsets and Moonbeams

I love the sunsets in Asheboro.  You never quite know what to expect but they can be pretty brilliant.  I want to get some good sunsets and/or sunrises with the sun shining off of the water.  I would enjoy a full or new moon shining over the Deep River or some nice lake.  I saw the perfect picture as I was commuting over the bridge heading to Burlington.  I didn't stop and take the picture and have regretted it ever since.  Live and learn!

This is a picture that I took with my digital to illustrate the word "broken" or "damaged".  I am not sure if lightening struck it or it was just split by winds but it was the result of some storms that had come through the previous week.  The mushroom on the right was a result of getting down to ground level in order to get the shroom from a different point of view.  I took both of these during the fall 2009 semester at RCC.

Moonbeams

Ok, I am officially on Spring Break., well sort of.  I have worked in the darkroom printing from negatives and then mounting the subsequent prints to catch up and turn in a couple assignments.  I got out of there around 10 pm each night.  I am tired but the people that were working on projects at school tonight were so funny.  I never enjoyed being exhausted so much. LOL  So, last post I promised that pictures of my "War of the Worlds" zooming moon shot would be posted.  Here they are.  Actually I am going to include some pictures I took on Saturday, before the Tornados hit the area.

Complementary Please

Today, we turn in our complementary colors assignment.  This was fun because I was able to capture my own plant as the "green_magenta", a ladder at school as the "red_cyan" and although this is a little iffy on the yellow, a fake tanzanite ring for the (photographic) "blue_yellow" but still a good attempt at using macro spacing rings.  I also went out and played with the bulb setting with the moon last night.  Got bored with the same old shots, so I started zooming in and out while the shutter was open.  Looks like a "War of the Worlds" scene.  Pictures will follow.

Quack Quack Cluck Cluck

My friend got some ducklings and chicks at the local tractor supply.  She lets them take a swim in the evenings (the ducks) and the chicks run around the bathroom floor.  I got to take some pictures and she has  graciously allowed me to post some pictures.  The ducks dive and swim under water and it is hilarious.  If anyone has seen the movie "the water horse," the ducks look just like it when they swim underwater.  She has a brownish vinyl on the bathroom floor and the chicks thing it is dirt so the scratch at the floor and try to peck it and take "dirt baths".  This is priceless.  Take a look at these cool pictures.

The lightbulb is finally coming on!

Hah, Hah, Hah....I have to laugh when I look at some of my previous posts.  It is funny how your perspective changes as time goes by.  Been taking lots of pictures, both film and digital.  We just started learning large format.....coooolll.  It was fun, tedious, nice and slow and bizarre to see the image upside down.  I think I like it.  Of course this was only my first two sheets of film, so lets see what I am saying when I get it out of deep tank processing. LOL.

I got my own Bronica medium format camera.  It is nice to have the same camera for each assignment.  The consistency really helps.  I plan on continuing to shoot film after school.  I work on the 35 mm film too.
I am also enjoying the portrait and object lighting class.  I was lamenting over the awfulness of my lighting at Christmas and Thanks giving.  Now, I have more of a clue, so I will try again next holiday, if my family will tolerate it.  It is bound to look better.  I love shooting for portfolio because we get to have a little more creative freedom.  Most of our assignments are pretty technical like shooting the "sphere I & II" projects and the digital color assignments, although we do have some creative freedom within the parameters.  I liked the Analogous assignment because I did a photo safari around campus and found the lovely tree against the carolina blue (cyan) sky.  It is so zen and I like zen. I also had fun with some lizards that live in the rocks around a koi pond outside our building.

What is my problem with portraits?

I know that I'm a beginner and have a lot of learning ahead of me. But for some reason I just can't seem to get a tack sharp picture of my family. One or two came out including this one of my niece. I take lots of picture, needless to say, a lot of them are bad. I took my "portrait studio" stuff to my family at Thanksgiving. Things were clear but the lighting was just plain icky! Shooting in RAW helps but when you blow out a picture, no amount of post-processing is going to help. Hey, but what can I say, it is a learning experience. I now know how to better use those lights. The problem is that my family doesn't have much patience for my practice, with the exception of my youngest sister, her daughter and my son.

We learn basic portrait and object lighting next sememster.....hooray. I went back at Christmas...Happy Birthday Jesus...and tried again sans the "studio in the box" and my lighting and composition were pretty good but I was trying to hand-hold a 5D with a 75-300 IS USM and just wasn't getting it. I used the bar top with my elbows to steady myself, which helped a little. I used the flash that I had to get for school and put it down to 50% power and aimed it to bounce off of the ceiling. I got it to work pretty well, but you may be thinking, why didn't I just use a tripod. I had it and it was in the car and I was being lazy....yes, I admit it....lazy. Christmas day dawned with a hard icy cold rain and I just didn't want to go out to the car, which was parked on the road because the driveway at my Dad's house was covered in iced over snow slush. I tend to be a bit clutsy and was afraid I was going to take a nose dive on the pavement.

I am going to be a photojournalism major so I need to figure out how to get people in focus! Ok, more to come later.

Oh gosh, I haven't posted

So, this is supposed to be a blog of my journey from photography hobbyist to photography professional via the program at Randolph Community College. Let me say that I have, in fact, survived my first semester. Yes, survived is right but it has been more than survived...I would have to include grown, transformed, and refined my photography.

A little background...I have a BA and a MS degree, so school, or at least academics, have been relatively easy, sure hard work, but academically and grade-wise, I have been successful, mostly A's with one B between the two degrees. However, I was not prepared for the rigors of this particular program.

There is a reason this program has a national reputation. It is tough. My first grade was an "F"...OMG...that just doesn't happen to me...and needless to say, I was devastated. The instructors have decades of experience in their areas of expertise. I always thought I was a good photographer...but much like boot camp, I had a lot of bad habits to UN-LEARN! So they break you down and then teach you how to do things the right way. One great thing that they do is still teach film photography and processing. I can now process black & white film and print from the ensuing negatives. Is my processing perfect...no, I still have trouble rolling film and end up with little crescent moons on the ends...my fellow students know what I mean. Are my prints perfect, no...but they are getting better and I have a better "eye" for what a good and what a crappy print is.

Another thing that I have discovered is that some of my instructors are willing to go above and beyond to offer advice, constructive criticism, and time and it has nothing to do with my grade. The instructor that gave me the lowest grade is the first one I go to for advice. The bar has been set high and I plan on meeting it and exceeding it.

OK, so I cried a lot of tears this semester and have had to really change (it is a work in progress) the way I look at grades. The good news, one A, one B & one C. Any other time and this would have been horrendous but I am thrilled with these grades because I really had to work my butt off to get them and most importantly, my work has improved and the level of my finished product that I will turn in is much pickier.

Well, next semester, is going to be even tougher, but I suspect even more rewarding. I promise to post more often with the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. I have been taking pictures on my digital camera like crazy during the Christmas break, so check out http://www.daylilydreamsphoto.com/ and see what I've been up to. Hopefully see things improve as I learn more.

Thanks!

Lisa

Here I am, one step closer.

 I like flowers!  I think it is pretty obvious.  Every time I go out and take pictures, there is usually a flower or some other point of nature involved.  I am beginning to take people pictures.  It’s fun, especially the kids in my neighborhood.  They really ham it up and the parents appreciate a free print.  I am getting better but now I have the opportunity to really learn how to take pictures.  I was accepted into the Commercial Photography Program at Randolph Community College in Asheboro, NC.  It’s a phenomenal program with a great reputation. 

Their standards are high and I am going to have to rise to them.  I take good pictures but I want to take exceptional pictures and I am going to have to work harder than I ever have to get there.  It will be worth the effort.  I worked for years in jobs that I thought I might like but really just hated going to work.  Photography is my Zen Garden, my yoga and my peaceful place.  I can’t imagine what it will be like being paid to follow your dream and passion.

The biggest obstacle I face right now is financial.  My home, internet and cell phone have all been cut off.  I am trying to find work or work study.  At least I have food.  And through the kindness and generosity of staff and students, I have been able to get some of the supplies.  I still have to get a light-meter, tripod, T-square, more film and developing paper and another flash.  My flash doesn’t meet the standards.

I wish I had something really valuable or unique that I could list on EBay to raise money for tuition, fees, books and supplies.  Basically I would need it to go viral.  I do have a lead on two grants that I am applying for.  They won’t meet my immediate needs but they will help next semester.  Class starts in a couple of minutes, so I have to go.  Wish me luck!