Whenever I’m feeling down, I remember this one very important rule that I hold myself accountable to: The world owes you nothing. You owe yourself everything. If ever I begin feeling sorry for myself because of how unfair life can be, I remind myself of how untrue that is. Life can be harsh, but the way we handle those situations can light our life for years to come. We have truly unlimited power to give ourselves the nourishment we need…
I wanted the last class I would ever teach at After Dark to be a big one, so I decided to end it with a set design class. I went out that morning with the very kind man behind Sweetlight John and gathered sticks, leaves, debris of all kinds, soil, cobweb, and a lantern. When it came time to do the class, I nearly forgot that it was nighttime! I was envisioning everything being lit by a window. So instead…
I remember the exact moment that I truly believed I was an artist. It wasn’t the day I picked up my camera, or the day I made myself a website, or even the day I quit my job and decided to write “Photographer” on my Facebook page in the “Occupation” section. It was sometime in between there, on a day roughly in June of 2009. Someone looked at my photos, then so new and unpolished, and said, “You could be…
Over 3 years ago I made my first video all about underwater photography. Looking back on it I find it endearing not just because it was put together so crudely, but because I haven’t changed much since then. I love putting videos together with just myself and a camera! So in that spirit I hope you enjoy this new video with updated tips on shooting underwater! 1. Shoot with a dark background. This tip is definitely one of those that…
Last week I felt like I needed to get away. I had a moment where I put my head down and just let myself dream. And when I did that, I thought of a fairy, and the forest, and what I could do with that inspiration. Soon it morphed into something entirely different, and I found myself, about one hour later, flinging my body onto a rock in the middle of a creek. And all of this is wonderful –…