Sometimes when I'm on Facebook and Twitter I'll keep a timer running to keep disciplined and not lose track of my schedule. One day I watched the timer ticking by one second at a time and it occurred to me that each jerk of the needle represents the precious time in our life clicking away.
That time is lost to us forever so we better make the most of it. Hopefully you're living every day toward the purpose you were sent here to accomplish. It makes all the difference!
They can be enjoyed all over the world by lake, sea, or mountain top. A vibrant palette of hues that explode through the sky as we bid another day good bye. Imagine the peace you could feel by enclosing yourself in a room surrounded by the sunsets of the world...
Here's a few of mine along with a poetic tribute to the radiance of each day's completion.
I'm partial to the purple, lavender, pinks as purple is my favorite color. I find that fall captures those shades as soon the temps start to turn usually in late September, early October.
This one hangs in a light purple frame in my purple carpeted office. Keep your art close by as a remembrance of your past journeys and inspiration of future travels!
Kind of spooky...Great brooding mood sort of shot. One thing that's beneficial about a picture like this one is the dark space is a wonderful canvas for poetry. So expect to see this baby again decorated with some tantalizing text!
A family enjoying a stroll. Do you have photos like this of you and your family. Don't they deserve to be displayed?
One of the benefits of living at the beach is enjoying a beautiful sunset every night of the week and each one has a unique imprint.
A peaceful completion to another day,
As the sun descends and dims its rays.
Each one a different collection of hues,
Red, orange, purple, pinks, or blues.
Across the sand its reflections glisten,
Backlighting a silhouette of lovers kissin’.
Through the trees its fingers reach,
Beckoning you to take one last peak.
When Mother Nature draws her curtain,
We know she’ll return, of that you can be certain.
Do you have a collection of sunset photos? Are you a poet? Have you combined artistic talents? Please share your passion!
When the fall leaves erupt with their brilliant golds, greens, reds, and oranges so does the opportunity for outdoor portraits!
It's my favorite time of the year. When you can walk outside and take in a wonderful lung cleansing breath of fall air. Pumpkins, mums, cute little Halloween costumes...apple season, baking pies, and the holidays approaching!
These shots were captured at a
local pumpkin patch.
Nature does provide the best
backdrops!
If you'd like to engage the ShutterQueen to photograph your little trick-or-treater please let us know. Gather everyone together and we can make it a family portrait!
To view more samples, check out our photo albums. To hear a message from the image artist herself, click on the audio file on the top left of the blog.
What is your favorite way to enjoy this short season we call fall?
I've never understood why people own fish. Some aquariums are huge. with high dollar tropical price tags swimming, eating, and hanging out in their colored stone and herbivorous hiding places. They do come in an array of brilliant colors and housed inside their aquatic mansions I suppose they are quite a conversation piece.
I recently watched a show called Pet Palace, which demonstrated just how crazy we humans can be over our animals. One family owned seven parrots, a dog, and a couple cats, another shared their home with eleven cats. Even monkeys, cats and dogs resided together. How would you like to have an alligator and lizards living in your basement?
One of the things that struck me as interesting is the way they all had redesigned their homes around the animals. A bird sanctuary for the parrots, a jungle gym play room for the monkeys, and color theme rooms coordinated with tropical fish. Just imagine how bright, inviting, and vibrant your house would be if you planned the decor around your hundred dollar a piece exotic fish?
A lot of maintenance for pets that do not offer any cuddly companionship. However, I must say, I was given a betta fish in a vase as a gift. And that little red, two inch character would swim out of the live plants or from behind a colored stone and over to the side of the bowl when I'd lean over and tap on the glass. He'd wiggle his fins in recognition. I kid you not, he was looking right at me and as I'd talk, he'd flutter even more. So perhaps there's more to these micro water pets than I thought!
Are you a fish owner? Do you have a large centerpiece aquarium positioned in your den? Did you color coordinate that room around your fin fluttering friends? Why fish? I'm curious...
They're the world's largest bear, largest land carnivore species, largest predator, and unfortunately, classified a vulnerable species. In Alaska you can visit the tundra by tour bus and come face to face with an 800 - 1500 pound male polar bear or a female half that size. But if you haven't made it to their arctic neighborhood and the closest you've come is the San Diego Zoo, you can still capture great shots!
To the Eskimos and Inuit people the polar bear as a power animal, is a symbol of purity, death, rebirth, and transformation. It's white color represents purity of spirit. To some native tribes they serve as an ally in getting past fear both physically and mentally. Their energy is very powerful and these magnificent creatures are masters of physical and spiritual sustenance.
You think maybe this one decided no more photos? Should I take it personally that he turned his back on me, the annoying tourist? Imagine a room in your house with ivory carpet and matching leather furniture. Maybe accented with burgundy, which is said to symbolize wealth, success, prosperity and indicates your potential power! Ivory is a calming color, pure, soft, and clean. A shot or two of a cub would have been nice but there weren't any available. You could mix in a mural with photographs. Here's a simple table frame idea:
If you're looking for decor that's different, wildlife might be the perfect solution. Especially if you have vacation photos residing in a shoebox under the bed. You could add in brown and black bears too. I just like the creamy white ambiance, the commanding presence, and the spiritual beliefs attributed to polar bears.
Whether it's ivory bears, some other wildlife, or a totally different subject, play around with themes and your favorite colors. Most importantly dust off those photos, enlarge, and frame them, and share your experiences!
Do you have theme rooms in your house? I'd love to hear and see!
My roommate found this kitten on a job site he was working on, brought him home, and plopped him on my lap. We were living the wild life back then and not able to provide the loving home every animal deserves so we found someone who could. He'd be ten years old now and I hope he's lived a fun frolicking life as he appears here.
Here Fishy Fishy...If you've ever owned one of these furry little critters you know they are into everything. It's like having a toddler. He was fascinated with my fountain. Here he is playing spider kitty with my rocking chair! Even those little claws could do some damage...
Hide and seek under the table cloth was a favorite game of his!
If only you could teach them to tie them back.
He left nothing untouched in my house, including my heart. I was sad to let him go but he was given to a family with kids, so he had playmates better able to keep a playful pace than I could.
They are such a hoot to photograph! Are you taking advantage of capturing all of your kitty's capers? If you need help with kitten or grown up cat portraits let me know. Don't let the memorable moments pass un-preserved. These little mischief seekers don't stay this way for long!
The Model Flower
I'm gently shaken awake by an easterly breeze sweeping across our garden. I emerge at dawn, stretch, and let the sun bathe over me. A late evening rain had cleansed the thick coat of pollen from my petals and quenched my thirst to prepare me for the humid day ahead.
The Photographers Hunt
They lie in wait. . . shadowed, sun-drenched, or protected within their leafy blinds. The image artist must leave behind all that they take away on their humane journey to capture virtual evidence of nature's floral beauty.
Positive Mood Swings
One of my goals for my next house is photography theme rooms. Imagine a tranquil haven where your masterpieces visually inspire you and your visitors along with real bouquets that enliven your senses with their sweet aroma. Coordinate them by species, color, or where the photo was taken.
Picture sipping your morning coffee and reading something that kicks your day off to a positive start in a room decorated with yellow roses, tulips, pansies, and daisies all framed to your individual decor preferences. How mesmerizing would that be when the sun beams through the windows and caresses your skin? Creativity, self-confidence, optimism, laughter, curiosity, and enthusiasm are all enhanced when we welcome more of the sun color into our lives.
Desire, action, passion, courage, will, energy, and change. Red words! It motivates and emotionally changes the mind. Need to stimulate your physical and mental being for a presentation? Spend some time in the red room. Begonias, Geraniums, Lilies emit fragrance and flair that will leave a lasting impression on its residents and guests. Add some roses or carnations and spend time within these four walls beside your significant other and feel the intrigue, mystery, and romance come alive.
Personalize your home with your favorite colors, pictures, and fresh flowers to pique all of the senses. Whether you're a professional artist or an amateur shutterbug, give your photos the appreciation they deserve by grouping your favorite images together and designating a room or at least a wall of real estate for them to live on.
SEE MORE OF MY PETAL COLLECTION ON FLICKR UNDER SHUTTERQUEENINK
How do you use color, art and photos in your daily life? How does it affect your emotions and productivity?
Would your audience recognize you in person from the photo on your website, blog, and social network profiles? Readers discover who you are by the biographical information you provide on your profile. But many times before they access that, their first impression is our one or two inch square "mugshot." While we all want to look young for as long as possible, consider allowing your audience to see who you are today rather than who you were five or ten years ago!
Here's some suggestions to help you receive the most from your photo session:
1. A headshot means a shot of the head and shoulder area not from the head down to the waist. You want readers to see your face and eyes. Most profile pics are fairly small. If you try to scale down a half body photo your head is going to be tiny.
2. Discuss what's included in the investment with your photographer. How many and what size prints will you receive? For business use a CD is usually sufficient. Find out if the final images on the disk will be touched up, if necessary, or is that an additional charge? Also, think ahead for usage purposes. You should get a small resolution jpeg file for web and a larger tiff file for print marketing material. Ask if there are any restrictions on using the pictures across multiple mediums of advertising?
3. Clothing is an important detail. The background chosen by the photographer needs to coordinate with the color and style of your outfit if shooting in a studio. Outside, deciding on casual VS formal is crucial and if the final portrait is being displayed in black and white then combinations of patterns and textures become the first consideration. Medium to dark wardrobe shades generally photograph best for both color and black and white. Whites and pastels should be worn under a dark jacket for optimum results. Keep in mind that each social networking site, blog, and website needs a photo of you. Request that your headshot session include modeling in a variety of outfits and multiple poses of each.
4. After the perfect ensemble comes makeup and hair. Makeup should be applied a little darker than what you'd normally wear during the day (a little more so for black and white). But ladies, make sure it looks like you're going to a business meeting and not a fancy ball. Men, I probably don't need to address the hair issue. Women, think professional, not Glam.
5. A little Botox, smooth out the wrinkles, remove blemishes please. Anything's possible but remember, looking our best is important but so is being ourselves and not an actor or actress playing the part. For your main picture opt for smiling, approachable, relaxed, and happy. Display prints featuring the other creative expressions, poses, and action shots within your profile, blog posts, and website.
6. Sometimes in-studio with a background is necessary. For a different setting try going on-location. I recently did headshots at a Hilton Hotel on the beach for a professional speaker. We were in one of their executive boardrooms with comfy leather chairs, gold print wall paper and warm lighting. The environment provided the perfect ambiance for her.
The most important advice. . . HAVE FUN! You should have a laughing good time during your hour of fame. You might even get a small taste of what a 10,000.00 a day professional model endures. Sometimes a new client will start out feeling intimidated about being in front of the camera. But by the end of a photo session with the ShutterQueen they are landing in the perfect pose with no instruction at all and leave with a smile on their face, ready for the next one!
Do you have questions or concerns about having your photo taken or what to expect?
Photographers - Do you have other suggestions to share?
Happy Halloween. . .time for goblins, witches, ghosts, pumpkin carvings, trick or treat AND costume parties! Here's a little nugget of trivia on the origins of costumes:
At the turn of the century, the basic costume was that of a ghost, simple, easy and recyclable. People started to get a little bored with these though so they moved into their closets and began dressing as whatever they had lying about the house, using hats, shoes, old clothes and rags to create what they could. Companies, always looking for the quick buck and ever eager to please, cashed in on the new fad and began putting together basic costumes to be sold at the dime store. Today we have masks of all types and shapes and costumes that seem to have a life of their own.
Halloween is the perfect holiday, it’s a universal Mardi Gras allowing everyone to become for one day, what they have always dreamed about while literally partying in the streets. It’s a time for the old to become young again and the young to try on a ‘grown-up’ role. Halloween candy is so much more than chocolate and nuts, it’s a great equalizer, a time traveler wrapped in cellophane. It allows us to see where we’ve been and where we may be headed. Taken from - http://www.essortment.com/all/halloweenhistor_ryqj.htm (in case you want to read more spooky tidbits)
Getting decked out in elaborate Halloween attire this year? If you have a splashy affair to attend and you've taken a significant amount of time to decorate yourself in a unique costume don't let the moment come and go in one night. Record and share it! The photography mogul loves to party and specializes in exclusive coverage of such events! But why read about it when you can experience picture proof. . .
Cruise through our Halloween photo album to see more fun shots.
I was in my photo lab, Richmond Camera, the other day and overheard Mike from behind the counter making these first three suggestions to another customer. Thought is was worth passing on so I elaborated:
10 Ways To Generate New Photography Ideas
1. Join a local photo club
Associating with like-minded people and seeing the world through their eyes can give you the creative boost you need to get snapping.
2. Visit the library or bookstores
Travel, food, photography books – all kinds of ideas to motivate you and your camera into action.
3. Buy a map
Especially if you’re new to the area, go out and explore, camera in hand. Make sure you keep good notes so you can revisit your favorite spots.
4. Visit photography websites
Whether it’s portrait, landscape, architectural, or food there’s a website out there marketing it.
5. Stroll through the mall
Many of them display portraiture from local artists.
6. Check out social media sites such as Facebook and Flickr
These sites are growing by the thousands daily. Not only can you borrow posing and location ideas but also once you have your own collection you’ll have a place to post them.
7. Take a class at a community college
Nothing like a homework assignment to encourage you to see things in pictures.
8. Be observant
Restaurants, doctors offices, accountants, attorneys. . .most every office is decorated, many with photographs. Open your eyes and look around as you navigate through your day.
9. Art Gallery
Sometimes being in a colorful environment surrounded by unique masterpieces sparks a renewed energy to venture out and create your own.
10. Be Quiet
Find a serene and tranquil setting. The ocean, waterfall, beach, or the forest. Close your eyes, practice some deep breathing exercises, and release the noise and stress. When you eliminate the mind clutter, your imagination comes to life with amazing results.
Treat your mind like you do your computer. Delete unnecessary files and replace them with useful, positive data. Inspiration can be found in unusual places at the most unexpected times.
Please let me know if you try these suggestions and find them beneficial.
How do you re-energize your inner shutterbug? If you would like to offer additional ideas please post your comments here!
If service is the rent you pay for your existence on this earth, are you behind in your rent?
Robert G Allen
Philanthropy - The effort or inclination to increase the well being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations.
One week ago at The Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hilton hotel 300 people gathered for the 6th annual Party In Paradise Event in a united effort to battle for a cure to end Diabetes. Pictured here are some of the devoted volunteers and attendees that band together each year to make this fundraiser a smashing success.
Sometimes I find myself fretting and stressing out over life’s daily occurrences? An alleged fifteen minutes commute according to mapping services on the computer, turns into an hour. I long to be living in 2055, like Nora Robert’s characters do in her JD Robb series, where they press a button on their cars and glide over traffic. Hint hint to auto makers. . .
Need to zip off a crucial email for an impending deadline? But your Internet has decided to take five.
Are these life-altering events? When you’re pulling your hair out and may feel like doing the same to the person or people sending your day into a tailspin you may be tempted to shout YES! But try spending time in an environment with a wife who lost her husband, from a diabetic induced heart attack, or with a parent who spends several times a month in a hospital while doctors try to regulate her blood sugar to a safe level. Where on life’s scale would those daily struggles be if you met a six year old that had to give herself insulin shots? Are your problems looking smaller yet? If not, go volunteer.
Stop complaining about dealing with challenging personalities, the contract you didn’t win, or the dreadful fear of picking up the telephone (for the salespeople reading this). Be appreciative at meeting new people, happy that you will, as sure as any of us can be, wake up and be able to seize another opportunity, and be glad that you have a hand able to grip a phone.
Makes you think, all those things that upset us so are really unimportant in the proverbial big picture.
What are you doing to revamp your perspective? When you map out those business and personal goals make sure you add in community service. How do you decide whom to devote your time to? For me diabetes runs in my family. Personal experiences are quite often what drives someone to a particular organization.
Whichever ones you choose, realize they could not succeed without the help of volunteers. Giving is not always in the form of dollar bills. Perhaps you have an expertise they could benefit from. If you have two hands or even one, there is a task you can perform, a place for you in the accomplishment of the ultimate cure-discovering mission.
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