• BLOG: Today's Lens
  • New!
  • Folk Art
  • More
  • Abstracts
  • Visit Us!
  • ORDER
  • Gallery/Retail Inquiries
  • US
Menu

Affirmation Photography™

Shining nature's healing magic into everyday life.
  • BLOG: Today's Lens
  • New!
  • Folk Art
  • More
  • Abstracts
  • Visit Us!
  • ORDER
  • Gallery/Retail Inquiries
  • US
Shur Shot Wings, Decatur, GA 2018

Shur Shot
Wings, Decatur, GA
2018

Day 60's Lens: Anything Goes

September 9, 2018

"Live frugally on surprise." ~ Alice Walker


Bouquet Cemetary Garden, Decatur, GA 2018

Bouquet
Cemetary Garden, Decatur, GA
2018

 

 

Yesterday was GNPA's first annual Jeff Woodlee Memorial Shootout.

It's like a scavenger hunt on crack, racking all over shooting for an hour and a half--things I'd typically never look to shoot.

Like this "bouquet" of fading black-eyed susans at a Decatur cemetery for the Wear and Tear category.

 


Welcome Sign Cemetery, Decature, GA 2018

Welcome Sign
Cemetery, Decature, GA
2018

 

 

 

Or this "friendly" welcome sign behind barbed wire beside the cemetery's entrance (for the Enclosure category).

NOT happy with the wire not being in focus, but did I mention we were RACING to get everything done in like NO time???

 


Faded Glories

Faded Glories

I mean, I'm used to writing under pressure. But with my photography, I like to work into shoots and projects, FEEL my way into a subject. It's almost a Zen state for me.

So, the cut-throat race and pressure of go, Go, GO!, does't lend itself to my best work or most creative space.

This "Fading Glories" image was for the Two of Anything category (as was the camera's in the opening image). Here, we'd lost the light/cloud cover and the petals's highlights were starting to blow out. But we had to work with what he had.


Blurred Vission

Blurred Vission

Ultimately, it was the indoor shots where this "nature" photographer began to relax.

The environment and lighting was more within our control (not shifting every moment), and we knew exactly what we'd arrived to shoot.

Wings in Decatur is this amazing spot to purchase used/vintage camera gear, and I had a blast. 

I was finally being creative, rather than searching for ANYTHING that might be useful to my Shootout team.

There were stacks and stacks of filters. With this image and the vintage cameras above, I worked intentionally with my soft focus lens--to create a "vintage" feel in-camera. This image was for the Tools category.


All-in-all, it was a challenge.

I LOVED shooting with new people and meeting great photographers and joking around with our team while we all scrambled and stressed and processed images more quickly than we were comfortable.

A Zen state, it wasn't. But that's the point, I'd gather. Shoot instinctively but with purpose. Create, but think before-hand, work smart, get as much as you can done in-camera rather than in post, and execute when there's very little time to re-take anything.

"Shootouts" (scavenger hunts)  will never be my bliss. But the anything-goes challenge of it taught me tons about my strengths and weaknesses and how I can grow my creativity and basic camera skills.

I highly recommend trying it--even if you're challenging yourself, without the team dynamic. Pick an obscure topic, give yourself firm deadlines, be honest and true to those guidelines, and then see what you come up with!

Oh! And be sure to share your results with others, so they can learn from your journey, to ;o)

In 365 Day Challenge Tags Affirmation Photography, Inspiration, Atlanta Creative Photography, Nikon, Atlanta Photography, Atlanta Fine Art Photography, Atlanta Nature Photography, nature photography, abstract photography
← Day 62's Lens: PeaceDay 59's Lens: Place →

Latest Posts

Featured
Feb 4, 2019
Day 216's Lens: Learning to Create
Feb 4, 2019
Feb 4, 2019
Jan 28, 2019
Day 209's Lens: Getting Started
Jan 28, 2019
Jan 28, 2019
Jan 16, 2019
Day 197 Lens: One
Jan 16, 2019
Jan 16, 2019
Jan 10, 2019
Day 191 Lens: Variations
Jan 10, 2019
Jan 10, 2019
Jan 8, 2019
Day 189 Lens: Fresh Cover
Jan 8, 2019
Jan 8, 2019
Jan 2, 2019
Day 183 Lens: Affirmation Photography™'s Best of 2018
Jan 2, 2019
Jan 2, 2019
Jan 1, 2019
Day 182's Lens: What if we...
Jan 1, 2019
Jan 1, 2019
Dec 29, 2018
Day 179's Lens: Fine Tuning
Dec 29, 2018
Dec 29, 2018
Dec 28, 2018
Day 178's Lens: Resolve to Create
Dec 28, 2018
Dec 28, 2018
Dec 7, 2018
Day 159's Lens: Working at "something."
Dec 7, 2018
Dec 7, 2018

Affirmation Photography™