I try and photograph my kids every month or so...lately it seems more like every couple of months. I try and get a good mix of studio shots and casual, everyday type images. I would love to say that my kids participate and that, being a pro, I get amazing shots all the time. I won't lie to you though. Every other professional photographer out there will back me up too. It's really, really hard to photograph your own kids!

They're over my games, noises, props, etc. When I bring them up to the studio they just go crazy immediately. Sometimes, though, the shot that I don't love that day becomes the shot that I love later. That's the case with this crazy mess of a picture. The thing is, this is so very "them". It's mismatched, rowdy and fun. They're wearing their crazy socks and Sayer is wearing my studio t-shirt. It may have driven me crazy the day that I shot it but, in ten years, it's going to make me melt.

A week or so ago, we went to my uncle's 70th birthday party. They had a slideshow running throughout the party with photos from his life. It was a mix of moments. I was struck by how much I loved seeing the imperfect, casual, silly and even awkward shots. I kept thinking, what shots would be in our slideshow when we're 70? I'm guessing it would be more shots like this.

I think this might be my most favorite piece of art that I have ever made! I saw it clearly before I even started, which does not always happen. I have had this tiny statue of the girl carrying the suitcase for ever. I have a mini priest too but I haven't figured out what to do with him yet.

Anyway, back to the art at hand. The lower half is a pencil drawing with a round piece of crochet. The wool was found on a trip to Chile a while back. The snail shell was found in France. The distressed map images are fiber prints (prints made in a darkroom) that have been selenium toned and then distressed, overlapped and sewn together. The cord is simply braided string and the buttons are antique finds.

I promised that I would take you guys along on my art journey this year. To be honest, it's been hard keeping up with it all. I also feel a little unsure what to write about. I guess you can say that I am still trying to find my blog voice when it comes to my art.

I have all of my current favorite pieces up on my art wall at the studio. It's a stand alone wall with only this type of work on it. I've noticed that I don't point it out. I think I'm still pretty shy and nervous about unveiling this other side of my work. I get annoyed with myself for that and, with that in mind, I would like to invite you to my open house this weekend.

Did I mention that I'm terrified that no one will come? I'm also a little terrified of the opposite scenario. Regardless of these nervous feelings, I do hope that YOU will come! It's this Saturday, April 30th, from noon to 9 pm. My open house coincides with my building's open house and the Inner Art Corridor event. The I C Art studio crawl should be a lot of fun and I highly recommend you join in. While you crawl from studio to studio, stop by and see me. We're even doing free Facebook profile pics for our guests!

1824 Spring Street
Studio 216 (second floor)
Houston, Texas 77007

Hope to see you this weekend!

Have you ever cleaned your digital SLR? Have an idea how to do it, when or why? For most people, all of that is a mystery. This image belongs to one of my teenage students in my Hope Stone photography class. We have been prepping images for our upcoming gallery show. Adriana is soon going to learn how to clean her camera because, as you can see, it's filthy! In the image above, I have created little arrows to show you what dirt on your camera's sensor looks like. It's like your picture has been attacked by little gray amoebas.

These little gray dots are pieces of dust and dirt that have landed on your camera's sensor. This usually happens when you change lenses. If you change lenses a lot (like I do) you will have to clean your sensor more often. Many cameras have built in cleaning mechanisms that help shake off the dust, which helps you go longer between true cleanings.

If your camera needs cleaning, you can take it to a pro to have it cleaned or do it yourself. Cleaning it yourself isn't complicated but it is delicate and you need to know what to do before you begin. I would advise going to Houston Camera Exchange or Camera Coop and speaking to a salesperson there. They will have cleaning kits designed for your camera and can show you how to use them. If you are not careful with your cleaning, you can damage your camera's sensor and effectively kill your camera. If you are like me and need to clean your camera often, you should go ahead and learn how to do it yourself. If you rarely need to clean your camera then it may be wise to just leave it to the pros. The pros that I recommend are at Professional Camera Repair (for you Houston folks). Cleanings will cost you around $65.

So, when and how often do you need to clean it? If you have the little gray amoebas, then it is time for a cleaning. I would also recommend that you clean it if you have just returned from a beach trip and your camera was exposed to a lot of sand and salt water. I take my camera in about once a year for a professional cleaning (usually at the end of summer after we've spent a month in California). You'd be amazed at how sand can get into the tiniest of cracks.

But, what if you already have an image that has dust and marks all over it? The good news is that all or most of those amoebas can be retouched out if you know how. The how-to of that is another post entirely but here's an example of Adriana's file after the amoebas have been removed.

As I mentioned earlier in my post, my students are having a gallery show and we would be thrilled if you could come! They have worked hard and are eager to show off their work. Please join us at Koelsch Gallery on April 25th from 6-8 pm. The show comes down after that so you only have one chance to cheer them on!

Hope to see you all at the show!

One of my very favorite things about photographing little kids is that you never know what you're going to get. There's not a lot of posing that happens and the expressions are all across the spectrum. That's what happened here, all of a sudden, she just laid her head down and gave me this sweet face. It's my favorite shot from her session!

What about you guys? Any favorite shots this Friday? I'd love to see them! Leave links to your images, blogs, Facebook, etc. in the comments section below or add them to my Favorite Shot Friday Flickr group! Don't be shy!

Happy weekend!

This morning was magical. I hadn't been out for a run in a while and was going batty because of it. I had my normal workout at the gym (the best gym ever by the way, West U Fitness) and then headed over to Rice for a loop. All around the loop these amazing bushes (see the pic, I have no idea what they are) are blooming and the scent filled the air. Not only that, the weather was crisp, the sky was vivid blue and the sun was shining on everything! Pair that with Louis Armstrong on my headphones...like I said, it was magical.

As I walked, I was thinking about how the simplest of things can transform your view. If your eyes are open and you are watching out for them, tiny moments (big ones too) can be breathtaking. Recently, we went to see Cirque De Soleil. The boys have seen it once before and just adore it. Steven and I do too. I always sit aghast and amazed at what the performers can do with their bodies. At the most recent show, the first solo performer did these unfathomable balancing acts. At one point, he was up about 10 feet off the ground balanced on one hand with all of his body off to one side. It literally took my breath away. I can't even do a simple handstand! Sayer was on my lap and he whispered to me, "that is so beautiful! How does he do that?!". I whispered back, "that is his gift and he practices it a lot". Later Sayer asked what I meant by "his gift". I explained that we all have something special in us. An ability or talent that, if cultivated, can be like that performer we saw; awe inspiring and a gift to the performer and to the world.

So, as I walked today, I kept thinking, what is my gift? I've been mulling it over all day. For now, I would say that I have two gifts. I can see (in a photographic/artistic sense) and I can teach. These are the things that bring me tremendous joy and, hopefully, that joy spreads out to others who come into contact with it.

What about you? I want to know, what are your gifts?