remained

A while ago I wrote about how I went scouting for shooting locations and I shared some pictures from an abandoned army camp in my area. So on my day off, I asked my boyfriend to go there with me so I could shoot. I didn’t want to go alone because it can be a really creepy place. It was an overcast day which means great light for me. This was actually the first time I shot in the open like this, in a place where anyone could appear in any given moment. So this made me a little nervous. I looked around for a while trying to find the right spot and then I set up my tripod and my camera and took some shots. Luckily we weren’t bothered by anyone, but there were some people lurking around the area, so we decided to go and I didn’t have the time to do a second shoot. The safety issue is bothering me a lot though. I love old or abandoned locations but it is too scary going there alone, let alone going there with expensive equipment. I ‘d love some tips about how to overcome that!

 

 

When I was shooting this, I didn’t have an exact concept in mind, but there was a particular feeling I wanted to portray. It was during editing that I dicovered what the meaning of this image is, for me anyway.  It is about choosing to stay somewhere, although you could leave. Maybe you stay because you like where you are, or maybe you are too scared to move on. I hadn’t planned on including the bird at first (it is a pica), but while I was going through my stock pictures of birds, I thought that this one fit this concept completely. A bird that chooses not to fly. Both subjects in this image have decided to remain where they are, at least for the time being.

I am not sure whether it’s a bad thing not to have an exact concept in mind while shooting. This time I think it worked for me, but I think that knowing what you want can be a great help when you make a picture. It can also be a great help  when you are searching for a title, which proved to be quite challenging for me this time!

I should also mention that this was the first time I used frame expansion for one of my pictures! It was tricky, but I learned a lot for the next pictures I will take.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I wish you all a great new year!

in motion #2

It feels like ages since my last post. It is getting harder and harder to find time for photography these days. On one hand there are a million things that demand my time, and on the other hand it gets dark so fast in the afternoons which makes things even harder. I have been trying to make the best out of my house as a shooting location, since it is not easy to go out, but this has proven to be harder than I thought. Do any of you have any helpful tips about shoting at home? If so, please leave me a comment, it will be greatly appreciated! Well anyway, I have some pictures that I want to edit when I find the time.

This one was taken the other day while I was experimenting with slow shutter speed.  At first I thought I’d make a mini series out of it, but I am not sure. For the time being I decided to upload just this one, which I like most. The title is a tribute to a band that I love dearly, the gathering. You should check them out if you don’t know them.

in motion #2

in motion #2

in motion #2

In other news, I recently started writing for Artcore magazine, a greek online magazine for art. My first article is about the very talented Kirsty Mitchell. It’s in greek, but here’s the link anyway if you are curious about it.

Hopefully in the next few days I will have a new picture ready.

I can fly

I spent the last few days in my hometown, visiting my family. We live far from each other, so I don’t get to see them very often. I had a nice time, the weather here is still very warm and I also managed to do a couple of shoots. I also raided my mum’s and sister’s closets for old clothes they don’t wear anymore, to use them in future pictures. I have the habit of giving away clothes that I no longer wear, which I guess is good for other people but not so good for photography! Luckily for me my mum and my sister tend to keep stuff around forever!

The picture I show you here was taken in my bedroom. It’s not very fancy I suppose, but I like the simpicity of it. My main goal for this picture was to see if I can pull off a levitation picture. I feel good about it, given it was my first try! I also shot one more picture in the bedroom, which I will be working on. And I headed out for a photoshoot at the lagoon! So stay tuned for more to come!

I can fly

I can fly

 

before the storm

It’s been a while, I know! In my defence, I had to resume my academic obligations (I am a post graduate student, as well as a working girl), so I had to change my priorities a bit. But I still found the time to take a picture or two. This one was not planned, but it stuck with me.

I had a very different picture in mind, but while shooting it I decided to try this pose instead. I only took two pictures and I really liked what I saw, so I decided to go for it. Editing did not take me that long either.  I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

Fun fact: the pillow featured here was my beloved feather pillow from Ikea. Then I decided to wash it. I shouldn’t have… Well, at least I got to use it as a prop, so now it will live forever!

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So, two weeks after my first post on this blog, I am finally ready (or at least I hope I am) to post my very first picture heading on a new direction. I have decided to use myself as a model, at least for the time being, for two reasons. First, that I am available at any time (well, obviously) and second that I am still trying to find my own pace, so I think it is better not to drag anybody else into what I’m doing, yet. Once I feel more confident I will certainly use other models as well! I feel very uncomfortable and vulnerable posting self-portraits, but excited at the same time. I think this will be a very exciting journey!

As you can see, this is a composite image. I have spent the last three weeks editing it, but I can’t really tell how much time I actually spent on it because sadly I didn’t have time to do it every day. During editing I learned a lot from the mistakes I made, both when shooting, but afterwards also. It has been a really valuable lesson for me.

I hope that from now on I will be able to make my workflow faster, so that I can post more regularly. I have plenty of ideas, but I think that for the time being I will try to focus more on simpler concepts. Perhaps avoid excessive editing.

So this is it for now! I know it is not perfect and I could probably keep editing forever to make it better, but I decided to just go for it. I hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback, it will be much appreciated!

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ps. Happy October!