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Welcome
Welcome to my blog! My name is Farrah Braniff and I am a photographer in Houston, Texas. This blog is a place for me to feature my own personal imagery, images from my studio, my travels and the news and happenings of my family. I have two little boys (ages 6 and almost 8). You will see them a lot on this blog. They are my inspiration in so many ways. This is a great place to learn a little about me and my work. I hope you'll take a moment and look around. Use the navigation links at the top to find the entries by category and explore my other sites and projects. Have something to say? Please leave comments on my posts or email me: farrah@farrahbraniff.com. Thanks for stopping by! |
Dear Santa,
Like Sayer, I would also like to thank you for the all of the gifts that you have given me over my entire life. I specifically remember the pink splatter paint capris from Esprit back in 1983. Those were the bomb. I am also very grateful for all the cameras, lenses and other photo related gadgets that you have so generously bestowed on me over the years. My current love of photography has long been encouraged by your generous gifts.
Thank you for the contagious energy of Christmas that adds a little bit of luster and sparkle to our lives every December. Thank you for making me take time out of my hectic day to stop and think about the ones I love. I really appreciate that you make me do silly things on your behalf like disguise my hand writing on the gift tags of my children's presents. It instantly takes me back to the Christmases of my childhood and the (not so disguised) cursive handwriting of my Father. Come to think of it, he still does that and has now started doing it for my children. That warms my heart and soul in a way that you cannot believe.
Thank you for the twinkling lights. There's just something about a string of Christmas lights that can transform anything into something far more magical. I speak from experience, you should have seen what wonders they did for my college apartments!
Thank you for bringing magic to my children. We enjoy every minute of sprinkling reindeer food on the lawn, setting out the milk and cookies and the late night present delivery. We don't even begrudge you the early wake up time. The sheer joy and excitement of the Christmas routine is worth every paper cut, yawn and last minute errand.
Above all, thank you for inspiring Sayer to write a note like this. It is like a little window into his heart that almost brings me to tears and, yes, I did sign it on your behalf in (not so disguised) cursive handwriting. Watching him run downstairs to check and see if you signed it was the highlight of my entire Christmas season.
Farrah
It makes sense that the very first items in my BRAND NEW ETSY SHOP (eek!) would be images from my trip to Marfa, Texas. Marfa is an unlikely spot for all of the amazing art and quirky coolness that's there. It's a little bit of a hidden gem. Those who have experienced it know that there's gold there but for most it's been kept secret. I've been hiding out too for a while but that's over now!
Today was a great day. It started with encouraging words from a friend and ended with the first batch of my artwork photographed and a new Etsy shop opened. It's amazing what you can do when you're motivated!
It all feels pretty shaky though. While photographing my collages today, I was stressing about the idea of selling them and what to charge and so on all the way down to how do I ship them and what to write about on the blog? I had all of these same growing pains years ago when I opened my photography business and it was awkward and painful back then. Part of me is wondering why in the world I am putting myself through it again!?
Essentially, I decided to start slow. I'm going to be offering up on Etsy select groups of prints (my favorite images). Each week or two I will add something new. I have plans for note cards, prints of my collage work and even some original art. Deciding what to start with on Etsy was really challenging especially since it was the very first items. I feel nervous now about pressing the save button on this blog entry and making it official. I'm seriously encouraged, though, by all of your comments, tweets and Facebook posts. From the very bottom of my nervous heart, THANK YOU!
(the image at the top of this post was photographed in Marfa, Tx. and is one of the prints available now at my shop!)
Julie Schultz says:
Congratulations on your new store! Do you think you will be teaching a collage class this year?
(01.06.11 @ 06:53 AM)
The kids and I celebrated our last day of the Christmas and new year's holidays with a little playdate on the beach with their friends, Joel and Rosemary. For those of you on the east coast or in the midwest who are snowed in and freezing you may think we're crazy. The beach in January?! Living in Houston is pretty close to living in the tropics so winter is on the mild side. It's the gift after our very long and HOT summers. Don't hate us, just come visit us in July and all will be forgiven.
When I see this image, I can't help but sing..."breaking rocks in the hot sun". Well, now that I think about it, it wasn't hot so I'm not sure why that comes to mind. It was actually pretty cold but kids are impervious as long as they're excited about what's going on. The funny thing is, there was no clear purpose to the digging. It was just digging for the sheer joy of it. They didn't dig in the same spot. They just dug like crazy until we told them it was time to eat and then it was over.
When I see this image, I can't help but sing..."breaking rocks in the hot sun". Well, now that I think about it, it wasn't hot so I'm not sure why that comes to mind. It was actually pretty cold but kids are impervious as long as they're excited about what's going on. The funny thing is, there was no clear purpose to the digging. It was just digging for the sheer joy of it. They didn't dig in the same spot. They just dug like crazy until we told them it was time to eat and then it was over.
At one point, after lunch, I look over and all three of them had covered themselves up completely BUT were still carrying on a casual 5-7 year old conversation. Sayer was saying to Joel, "So, are you in first grade or second grade?".
Hilarious. The very best thing about children is that they keep you laughing. I hope you all had amazing holidays and lots of laughter and family fun. For me, the end of the holidays is always a mix of wanting to get back in the groove and not wanting to leave the free time behind.
Tomorrow, I'll be easing back in and putting my new plans in motion. My first step is to block off time on my calendar to devote to my book project and my art pursuits. Right now, the kids are asleep, David Gray is playing and I'm feeling excited. The feed back that I have received via Facebook, Twitter (farrahbraniff) and here on the blog has been tremendous. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. I feel empowered.
Hilarious. The very best thing about children is that they keep you laughing. I hope you all had amazing holidays and lots of laughter and family fun. For me, the end of the holidays is always a mix of wanting to get back in the groove and not wanting to leave the free time behind. Tomorrow, I'll be easing back in and putting my new plans in motion. My first step is to block off time on my calendar to devote to my book project and my art pursuits. Right now, the kids are asleep, David Gray is playing and I'm feeling excited. The feed back that I have received via Facebook, Twitter (farrahbraniff) and here on the blog has been tremendous. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. I feel empowered.
This year I resolve to be brave. I am not going to be afraid to wear my
heart on my sleeve. I am going to reach out. I am going to take that big
first step.
Let me give you a little back story. I have been an artist for a long time. I went to an art high school and then on to a fine art college. During all those years in art school I got indoctrinated as to what "art" was and was not. What "fine art" was and what it was not. There was art that got hung in galleries and museums ("fine art") and then there was what I actually do now, commercial portrait photography. Polar. It was drummed into me that you either made this high, conceptual fine art or you took cheesy pictures of families all grouped together on a hay-bale or all dressed in black turtlenecks in front of the faux library background. There didn't seem to be any middle ground and, for a long time, I couldn't see myself in either place.
Obviously, the world of portrait photography has evolved (I can assure you that I do not have a single hay-bale or library backdrop) and the world of art has opened up in a lot of different ways too. Artists are finding all sorts of creative ways to gain exposure for their work and earn a living off of it. Sadly, while the world may have changed, I still hold on to those learned ideas that what I do for a living isn't really art. So, for me I have to compartmentalize my work. I have the work that I create at the studio for clients, the images that I take in my daily life and travels, and then the (what I still perceive to be more "real art") artwork that I make on my own. They are like three separate parts of myself.
I haven't pursued showing my personal art work because I wasn't sure if it was good enough or if people would take me seriously. After all, I don't have an MFA or a long list of gallery shows and (gasp) I own a portrait studio! I have sabotaged my own efforts to finish a photographic how-to book that I have been working on because I was busy second guessing it and trying to make it perfect. Today, I have resolved, that the fear and second-guessing has to go! So what if my art sits on Etsy and no one purchases it. So what if a gallery sees that I have work on Etsy and that I photograph babies for a living and that makes them not take me seriously as an artist. So what if I never get a gallery show. So what if I finish the photography book and no one buys it. So what if someone else writes one after me (or before me) and theirs is a bestseller. So what if I take time away from my studio to put energy into all of this only to come up empty handed and wondering, what next? So what. At least there is a "next". There can't be a "next" if you're resolved to stand still. Right?
Starting with this blog post, I am going to push past my fear, create a timeline for finishing my book, and I am going to make this the year that I put my personal artwork out into the world. I am going to find a way for all of the previously polarized selves to come together. One of the ways that I am planning on making this happen is to chronicle the journey here on my blog. My hope is that you will read along as I take nervous steps into new arenas and that, knowing you are there reading as I go, will help me be braver.
I am going to be channeling Kelly Rae as I tell my story and take the first steps of submitting my work to shows and opening up an Etsy shop to sell my work. I'm going to trust my friend Brene Brown as I embrace the fear knowing that it is essential if I want to experience the joy as well. Brene's own career has shown me that you can live in many worlds at once and do amazing work on your own terms. I'm going to re-read Lynne Twist, Seth Godin and Hugh McLeod for inspiration. I'm going to have to say no to certain things in order to create space for the hard work that I have in front of me. I'm going to try and be my truest self all in one piece - integrated, brave and vulnerable.
So, my dear blog friends, here is an image of one of my favorite art pieces. It is called "Where You End, I". This collage was created after my uncle passed away. It's about marriage, love and how our experiences along the way shape who we are. It's about connection.
Let me give you a little back story. I have been an artist for a long time. I went to an art high school and then on to a fine art college. During all those years in art school I got indoctrinated as to what "art" was and was not. What "fine art" was and what it was not. There was art that got hung in galleries and museums ("fine art") and then there was what I actually do now, commercial portrait photography. Polar. It was drummed into me that you either made this high, conceptual fine art or you took cheesy pictures of families all grouped together on a hay-bale or all dressed in black turtlenecks in front of the faux library background. There didn't seem to be any middle ground and, for a long time, I couldn't see myself in either place.
Obviously, the world of portrait photography has evolved (I can assure you that I do not have a single hay-bale or library backdrop) and the world of art has opened up in a lot of different ways too. Artists are finding all sorts of creative ways to gain exposure for their work and earn a living off of it. Sadly, while the world may have changed, I still hold on to those learned ideas that what I do for a living isn't really art. So, for me I have to compartmentalize my work. I have the work that I create at the studio for clients, the images that I take in my daily life and travels, and then the (what I still perceive to be more "real art") artwork that I make on my own. They are like three separate parts of myself.
I haven't pursued showing my personal art work because I wasn't sure if it was good enough or if people would take me seriously. After all, I don't have an MFA or a long list of gallery shows and (gasp) I own a portrait studio! I have sabotaged my own efforts to finish a photographic how-to book that I have been working on because I was busy second guessing it and trying to make it perfect. Today, I have resolved, that the fear and second-guessing has to go! So what if my art sits on Etsy and no one purchases it. So what if a gallery sees that I have work on Etsy and that I photograph babies for a living and that makes them not take me seriously as an artist. So what if I never get a gallery show. So what if I finish the photography book and no one buys it. So what if someone else writes one after me (or before me) and theirs is a bestseller. So what if I take time away from my studio to put energy into all of this only to come up empty handed and wondering, what next? So what. At least there is a "next". There can't be a "next" if you're resolved to stand still. Right?
Starting with this blog post, I am going to push past my fear, create a timeline for finishing my book, and I am going to make this the year that I put my personal artwork out into the world. I am going to find a way for all of the previously polarized selves to come together. One of the ways that I am planning on making this happen is to chronicle the journey here on my blog. My hope is that you will read along as I take nervous steps into new arenas and that, knowing you are there reading as I go, will help me be braver.
I am going to be channeling Kelly Rae as I tell my story and take the first steps of submitting my work to shows and opening up an Etsy shop to sell my work. I'm going to trust my friend Brene Brown as I embrace the fear knowing that it is essential if I want to experience the joy as well. Brene's own career has shown me that you can live in many worlds at once and do amazing work on your own terms. I'm going to re-read Lynne Twist, Seth Godin and Hugh McLeod for inspiration. I'm going to have to say no to certain things in order to create space for the hard work that I have in front of me. I'm going to try and be my truest self all in one piece - integrated, brave and vulnerable.
So, my dear blog friends, here is an image of one of my favorite art pieces. It is called "Where You End, I". This collage was created after my uncle passed away. It's about marriage, love and how our experiences along the way shape who we are. It's about connection.
Brene Brown says:
Absolutely beautiful. The words. The honesty and vulnerability. And, the art!
(01.02.11 @ 09:21 AM)
Corin Hianes says:
I love this post and applaud you. My art has always revolved around me singing and for too long I have not tried to create with my hands and my camera. I was told at school that I could not draw. Having just turned 40, I have resolved to make this a year and decade of learning, creating and exploring.
(01.02.11 @ 09:32 AM)
Debra Kreps says:
My touchstone word for 2010 was BRAVE. It took me into, and through, situations I never dreamed possible. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Be amazed by where it takes you.
Wishing you luck and joy on the journey. :)
(01.02.11 @ 09:32 AM)
Nikki Leonard says:
Very inspirational; just what I needed to hear! I too need to create a timeline to finish my book - sounds like this afternoon's task. And I love your collage and portraits!
(01.02.11 @ 09:41 AM)
Jeroen van Zelst says:
Good luck with this inspiring resolution! Putting this out here seems to be a great way to start, and after seeing your portraits and collage there's no doubt in my mind that you'll succeed.
(01.02.11 @ 09:52 AM)
sperlygirl says:
way to put it out there, farrah! YES!! here's to opening your heart wide and stepping with courage. :) warmly.
(01.02.11 @ 11:09 AM)
Kathee Waterhouse says:
I'll join you in your quest and courage to make art that is personal and matters to you, I am a mature 2nd year fine art student in the UK, I love your photography and your wonderful collage, I've just ordered Brene Browns latest book, so vulnerability and courage here we both come x
(01.02.11 @ 11:10 AM)
KimBoo York says:
What an inspiring message! Thank you - I have done the same thing in regards to my writing ("how will anyone take my literature seriously if they know I also write a self-help blog/romance novels/etc.???"). You are RIGHT, though - there is no "next" if we're standing still, and this is the year to put myself and my writing - ALL of my writing - out into the world. \o/
::::kbs
(01.02.11 @ 12:19 PM)
Lisa Guida says:
I love your collage - we all want connections yet sometimes it seems to much to say it outloud. be brave - back in 1976 as summerrecommended reading before attending The Maryland Institute of Art (only a on semester attendee) I read Ben Shahn's book the Shape of Content. I still have it - waterlogged, dogeared and treasured. The best section is "The education of an Artist" If you haven't read it I think you will love it. Embrace your uncertainty!
(01.02.11 @ 06:09 PM)
Julie Schultz says:
LOVE THIS!!!
(01.03.11 @ 10:08 AM)
tynan says:
great post farrah! your words inspire me to be more brave in 2011. I took some baby steps toward a huge dream of mine in 2010 and so far it has opened up great opportunities and allowed me to meet amazing people. 2011 will be a great year--good luck to you!
(01.03.11 @ 07:55 PM)
Farrah Braniff says:
THANK YOU everyone! I am overwhelmed by all the encouragement in your comments! Yes, let's charge on!
(01.04.11 @ 11:45 AM)
Trish Badger says:
Thanks for you honesty and inspiration! I LOVE your artwork, including your photos!
(05.09.11 @ 01:30 PM)
One of the first things that I teach in my workshops is how to use your camera's shutter speed to freeze or blur motion. Everyone asks the same question..why and when would you intentionally blur your images? This week I have a fun assignment for you that is all about using your shutter speed to intentionally blur your image. It looks like this...
It's simple to do. You just grab your camera and go outside where there are some lights (porch lights, car lights, street lights and so on). I took these at about 6 pm (it was just barely dark). My shutter speed was between 2.5 seconds and 3.2 seconds and my f-stop was at 7.1 and my ISO was set to 100. You can just use your shutter speed priority mode and set the shutter speed really slow. You will have to experiment to find the speed that works with your scene. Point your camera towards the lights, click the shutter release and then move your camera around in different ways until the shutter closes.
Experiment with different shutter speeds until you find one that works. The slower it is, the more time you will have to make patterns. Make sure your ISO is set low to 100.
Try moving your camera in circular patterns, back and forth and all different ways.
Look for different color lights and different size lights.
It's simple to do. You just grab your camera and go outside where there are some lights (porch lights, car lights, street lights and so on). I took these at about 6 pm (it was just barely dark). My shutter speed was between 2.5 seconds and 3.2 seconds and my f-stop was at 7.1 and my ISO was set to 100. You can just use your shutter speed priority mode and set the shutter speed really slow. You will have to experiment to find the speed that works with your scene. Point your camera towards the lights, click the shutter release and then move your camera around in different ways until the shutter closes.Experiment with different shutter speeds until you find one that works. The slower it is, the more time you will have to make patterns. Make sure your ISO is set low to 100.Try moving your camera in circular patterns, back and forth and all different ways.Look for different color lights and different size lights.In the picture above, you can see the electric wires and the outline of the trees. The way the background comes out is almost as interesting as the lights. They look a little like abstract paintings. So, there you go! Have fun and please add your images to my Monday Lesson Flickr pool or leave links to your images in the comments section below. Have fun!