The Coolest Woman Cave Ever!

Seriously, I found heaven on Earth ... in Kenmore.  Staci has the coolest "Woman Artist Cave" I have ever seen in my life. With skylights and windows, this artist's haven is lined with cabinets and work benches to accommodate any type of project you could imagine. Stations dedicated to painting, sewing, and various crafting, with equipment to burn, melt, etch, blast and bake!

Staci was kind enough to allow me access to her special world so that I could grab some beautiful "hobby" shots for this month's stock photo focus. On this visit, we explored a little glass cutting, glass bead making, and oil paints. She also showed me how she knits handbags out of recycled plastic grocery bags! Staci is a one-of-a-kind artist that truly has many irons in many fires; for more on Staci's projects check out her blog: Studio Whimsy

Rock-Stacking

Today was the "Rock-Stacking" hobby shoot. I showed up about an hour before my rock-stacker ethusiast so she wouldn't have to actually stack too many rocks before the shoot. Being a novice stacker it was interesting watching Linda find the zen balance within each stone as she coaxed it into balance. I didn't realize how intensely popular and serious cairn landscaping can be!

The whole scene made for an awesome playground after the shoot for two incredibly energetic 10-year-old-boys who couldn't wait to knock every single pile to smithereens! And they did ...

I had more giggles and laughs over the wind and Linda's hair ... There were a few times the gusts would whip it around in such a fashion that you couldn't tell if she was coming or going!

Another awesome day playing with the camera. I am blessed.

Hey Hobbyists!

Calling all Hobbyists ... 

This month's focus at Dreamstime is "Hobbies". "They say hobbies keep us active and occupied, enhance our creativity and stimulate the brain, generate good mood and positive thinking."

Thank you to Kerri at www.bazaargirls.com for a fun filled photoshoot

Since hobbies are about undertaking activities, this is exactly what we want to see. We want to see you in action while knitting, scrapbooking, cooking, skydiving, coloring, bowling, painting, crocheting, dancing, sculpting, woodworking, stamp collecting, making pottery etc. We're not interested in seeing the baked pie or the crocheted hat you get in the end, we want to see you working to make these. Here are the instructions for this easy do-it-yourself project: take a hobby, give it to one or more people, get them outside or inside, add some happiness and enthusiasm, mix them together and ACTION.

Deadline is coming up so if you have a fantastic hobby and are interested in signing a model release and working a trade, give me a shout!

Sweet Sunshine!

Clear blue skies, sweet sunshine ... and everyone jumps for joy!
I love the Pacific Northwest.

 Well, everyone ... except this poor gentleman who is still trying to figure out what to do with his shipwreck.

Textures

A perfect place to study texture, line and color ... the local nursery. Fortunately, I happen to know the owners of Secret Gardens Landscape Supply (off of Airport Road in Port Townsend) and they let me play out in the flower beds and garden knickknacks  These texture shots are close-ups of the glazed pots and stone planters.

A Bird Came Down

A Bird Came Down

A bird came down the walk:
He did not know I saw;
He bit an angle-worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a dew
From a convenient grass,
And then hopped sidewise to the wall
To let a beetle pass.

He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all abroad,--
They looked like frightened beads, I thought;
He stirred his velvet head

Like one in danger; cautious,
I offered him a crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home

Than oars divide the ocean,
Too silver for a seam,
Or butterflies, off banks of noon,
Leap, splashless, as they swim. 

Emily Dickinson

"No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, you are surely lost.

Stand still.

The forest knows where you are.

You must let it find you."

February Photo Playdates

Photo Playdates ... Completely inspirational! There's something about traipsing about the usual haunts with a fellow photographer that makes everything look new again. It's also refreshing to shoot just for the pleasure of shooting. I usually try to set a specific goal for myself for each shoot (ie. reflections, black & white, texture, time value, depth of field, unique perspectives). Switching up the focus helps me keep flexible and creative while also brushing up on a specific technique.

Fort Worden is littered with abandoned concrete military bunkers. A perfect location to study texture and black & white. Now a State Park you are required to have a parking pass for access, but it's certainly worth it. Fort Worden (Wikipedia)

Point Wilson at Fort Worden is probably one of my favorite locations to shoot. Perhaps it's the fresh sea air, the calming churn of the waves, or the gorgeous lighthouse that makes a fabulous backdrop for family portraits or the classic tranquil scenic. 

LBDriver ... local photographer/artist and awesome conspirator! She writes a fun blog that includes recipes,  art projects, and humorous daily blather.  A View From the Laundry Pile

Port Townsend proper is the "perfect artist's haven". With so many like-minded kindreds there is usually a unique artsy display just around the corner.  The boat haven and marina boasts some of the most finely crafted wooden boats in the world. The annual Wooden Boat Festival, usually held in September, is a remarkable event that brings thousands and thousands of visitors to our town from all over the world. Wooden Boat Festival  (And my birthday is in September ... coincidence? I think not)

If any of my photographic minded friends and family want to schedule a Photo Playdate in lovely PT ... call, email, write or text! Have camera, will play!