Practice of creativity

I recently got to participate in an open shoot put on by Meg Koning of Bones of Us and Michael Smith who are incredible photographers. I used to play regularly with photography, I used to do tons of creative shoots and worked out my knowledge of light, technique & most importantly my vision. When Covid hit in 2020 it effects so many of us in such unique and different ways. When I got sick in April of 2020 I had no idea that two years later I’d still be dealing with brain fog, lung issues, constant joint pain caused by inflammation. And yet I feel I got off easy compared to the people who have lost their lives, continue to lose their lives. I feel I got off easy compared to a friend who has had fevers daily since March of 2020 and now has permanent heart issues and brain issues because of it. After being sick and then heading into a crazy end of year schedule for 2020 with elopements and then an even crazier 2021 schedule that included so many reschedules from 2020 on top of my already very booked season. 2021 tested my limits, tested my health, tested my mental strength.

I just didn’t have room to play. I didn’t have room to create the way I wanted. I didn’t have room to work ideas out. I was in survival mode. I had incredible clients that gave me permission to create like crazy and I feel I did but none of it was for me. And I’ve realized over the years that I *need* to create for me too in order to make this creative career flourish.

So I made sure this year that I would have time to play. It’s been harder than I thought, still recovering from a boatload of pandemic anxiety & a whole new bag of physical & mental health challenges. I’ve found it difficult to be motivated to schedule things while also trying so hard to not be overbooked. So when Meg announced this open shoot I immediately jumped on board because I knew it’d help me be accountable to show up and do the dang thing. I had no expectations going into this. I just wanted to show up, be present and create where I could. If I walked away with one solid shot from the session I’d be happy. Michael & Meg pushed us to try slow shutter shots, double exposure images & to play with light in new ways. In my almost 13 years of holding a camera in my hands I had never done double exposure so I figured I’d go ahead and work it out.

I shot exclusively on my Lensbaby Edge 80 on my Canon R6. This lens is a fully manual lens, meaning I had to focus every shot manually. It also gives a tilt shift effect, lending way for artsy, imperfect shots. It’s been a goal of mine to feel confident with this lens as it’s something I’d like to consistently incorporate in my client work. I often like to challenge myself with shooting through things as well, so I kept my trust saran wrap in my pocket.

Our model was Marian who is an incredible dancer. Funny enough we found out that we lived in the same apartment complex for awhile and I had seen her perform in a few Wonderbound shows. She danced her beautiful heart out for us and I really loved getting to create with her. I hope you enjoy these images.