Some Inspirational Places

FOTO_DECADENT I have grown to love fashion photography, its like the cherry on top of the milkshake that is photography. Here is a livejournal community that I've come to for inspiration on multiple occasions.

VINTAGEPHOTO Another livejournal community. But this is all any subject. It's only requirement is that each photo is vintage.

MODCLOTH This is mostly about fashion, but there's also things that are loosely related to fashion that are blogged about. and I think that's what keeps it interesting for me. It's also got such a great store!!!

SWISS-MISS Ok so this girl is amazing, how does she find all this stuff? If it's not tested anywhere, I think she may be one of the top contenders for the most interesting links, images, or anything across the internet. a must for any blog reader.

FREEPEOPLE A blog for a clothing line that I seek out ..when it's on sale. but that's besides the point. It's an amazing collection of clothes that are always creative, and comfortable, and a little big bohemian. But the blog reflects that mood as well. The blog itself is a merge of art, fashion, and other interesting and beautiful things.

BRITTANY FORKS I know this girl, somewhat. We went to college together at good ole Mississippi State, but I was older than her and we just missed each other in social circles. But, I think it's safe to say that we may have been good friends. Either way, I like her collection of things she finds interesting. I find them interesting as well.

Gregoire Alexandre

Some really great studio work. Creative, graphic, beautiful and bold lighting. and using studio equipment in unexpected ways. Inspiring!

gregoirealexandre.com

Miles Aldridge

Another photographer/artist that I admire, is Miles Aldridge. I guess in most every case, if someone admires someone, it may be because I relate, or in the case of being a visual artist, I have the same affinities. Like 50's 60's retro inspired styles, but pumped up.

He caught my eye again recently because some of his shots actually reminded me of things that I have created recently. Mine are not nearly as impressive though. He is a master! But I someday hope to get close to this amazingness.











It's so hard to keep my mind going in one direction, or going for one goal. I'm like a goldfish. I have many visual interests. and I can't settle on one "style." is that bad? I don't want to settle. I want to remain varied. but be great at achieving all of them, and continue to change every time.

I can say though, that color runs almost everything for me.

Go to his website, also take a look at his bio. milesaldridge.com

How did it happen?

So during another experiment I laid down in front of the camera, which was going off at intervals with remote shooting running through my computer. I was just messing around on the bathroom floor making faces. There were a few of the shots I actually really liked, to my surprise, since I had no make up on, and it was fairly late at night, I felt I didn't look my best. But what a liar de-saturation is :) The make-shift lighting, is pretty different for lighting a face. If I was actually trying to shoot a portrait of myself, I may not have thought of arranging the lights in that way.

Here is one shot that I love.


See on flickr

Amanda and Seth

I helped Erin Fultz shoot a wedding this past weekend,
check out our photos in this slide show!.

I haven't shot that many weddings, but it certainly is hard work. But so much fun too!!

see my set on flickr

LiveJournal - the early "social network"

It seems that a lot of my friends who used to use LiveJournal, as if it was a daily "have to," are still using it. And I too use it sometimes, but usually just to let out rants and emotions that I otherwise have no one else to share them with. so my readers of those are my old friends from college. from back in the day when LiveJournal was the cool thing.

Is it still cool? are kids using it these days?
I'm assuming all traffic has gone to Facebook. (i love facebook too)
With that said though, is LiveJournal like this for many other people who used to use it daily? do they still use it? Are there other pockets of friends who use it to keep in touch?
Perhaps LiveJournal is now a collection of mid 20's and 30's individuals still keeping in touch with one another. LiveJournal, to me, has become a very authentic place. It's more like a collection of letters. And to think that it used to be weird quizzes and weird questions, and messing around with each other. showing off. and all the while a public journal.

But it's really pretty neat to think about how I can go to my old journal and read posts of those people I'm really close to. or once was, and will always feel close to and love.

and then I can go to Facebook and read about people that i knew in high school who I've completely lost touch with, people who i've met once randomly, and people that I know now and see on a regular basis.

Don't forget Twitter. I've set mine up to send me a constant stream of inspiration and quotes, and posts by people who I admire. But most of the people on Twitter, I don't really know. Of course there's some close friends on there. but that's not the majority of my stream.

Really, I can hardly remember what life was like without cell phones or things like Facebook and LiveJournal. It's all made it so easy, and strangely impersonal. Are we going to forget how to act face to face? I already have a hard enough time doing that as it is.

Vote for Me!

Loved By You sock puppet video

Loved By You from meredith norwood on Vimeo.

Stefan Sagmeister's Things I have Learned in my Life So Far

Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.

Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.

Being not truthful works against me.

Organizing a charity group is surprisingly easy.

Everything I do always comes back to me.

Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.

Over time I get used to everything and start taking it for granted.

Money does not make me happy.

Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.

Assuming is stifling.

Keeping a diary supports my personal development.

Trying to look good limits my life.

Worrying solves nothing.

Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.

Having guts always works out for me.


Amazon.

What do I enjoy? What do you enjoy?

Why do I work in the visual world?

My daily routine is thinking about what other people like to see. I work in Advertising, so it makes sense to create something that other people would be drawn to. But the truth is that everyone should make what they love. Somehow, when it's something you love, usually other people will see the heart you put into it.

I've noticed that when I'm taking pictures, it's a totally different thought process. I'll think mostly about the current situation. "If I try to take a picture of this person, will they get angry? or be offended? or just think i'm psycho."

I know the point is to shoot what I want to. But photography is so instant. Especially because of digital photography. There are so many factors that can change the way a photo looks, not only things like camera setting and lighting, but what's affecting the photographer. It's an interesting thing to figure out what the photographer was thinking about when they took a photo.

Oddly enough, my favorite pictures may just be the unplanned ones. Like this one.