It’s no secret that I love using the color red in an image. Why? Because it’s evocative. It symbolizes so many things – blood, life, death, love, passion, anger….

No matter what it means to you, I hope to see it come through in your art!

I’ll pull some of the art that I see this week to feature!
Use the hashtag #PromotingPassionChallenge so I can find you!

Here is some food for thought. Enjoy the challenge, and remember to push yourself creatively!

A little while ago Lindsay asked me if I would be willing to take pictures of her for her upcoming birthday. However I wanted, in whatever way I wanted. That’s my kind of request! So I happily agreed and began planning. I found myself by complete coincidence in Seattle at the same time she was, so I took that opportunity to create a portrait for her in the one evening we had.

The journey started at Home Depot where I purchased a 2×4, cut it down to size, and then went about getting rope. It took, I believe, at one point four staff members to figure out how to cut the rope, and only after someone suggested scissors did the rope cutting really begin. We learned that sawing at a rope with an exacto knife is a very slow process. We took some pictures with the man who cut the board for us, and then we were on our way, chasing the remaining light to a park nearby where we were staying.

When Lindsay and company arrived we began shooting, her as confident as ever and me playfully giving direction, and after two photo shoots and, shockingly, not being arrested for public nudity in an alleyway, we finished up what was a great evening.

My video says it all about Lindsay, who she is and why I adore her, but just a couple words about the images.

I know Lindsay to be a number of things: a dreamer, fiercely independent, walking alone as she paves paths for other people, and full of potential. When I created these images I had those things in mind. I wanted to create two images that would contrast with one another. One is about the softer side, the dreams and the potential to drift above the clouds. The other about power. She is all of those things combined. And her one request to me for the images: RED. Lots of red.

I love you Lindsay! Thank you for letting me have fun, and for being such an amazing soul friend.

How often are we plagued with the repetitive thought that we cannot create unless we have something more to create with. A better camera, a new tripod, that awesome speed-light, or just a bigger budget entirely? There are amazing photographers out there who are able to spend a lot of cash for every photo they create, and that is a really wonderful thing to have at your disposal. I am not one of those artists, and to be honest, I get a lot of pleasure from that fact.

One of the things that inspires me more than anything is creating from nothing. I love to give myself a strict budget and see what I can do within those confines. Case in point, this picture was less than $10 total (In case you were wondering how much yarn you’ll need to cover a tree and a human for a pretty creepy photo shoot). Sometimes I challenge myself to shoot inside my house (I’ll be sharing that picture later this week!) or to use a household object as a prop. Self-portraiture is a perfect example of how you can shoot on the cheap, assuming you don’t feel the need to pay yourself and exorbitant amount for modeling. >..<

I still have moments where I feel that my work could be better (re: more personally fulfilling) if I had a grand location or prop or dress, but those instances are few and far between. And when I do have that craving, I get a bunch of photographers together to pay for the scene so we can all benefit and all afford it…because what better way is there to spend your time as a creative than geeking out with other creatives about that AMAZING ABANDONED CHURCH or that one of a kind carousel horse, or or or… you get the picture.

Never let your budget or access to locations and props hold you back. There is always something to be done with your unique imagination and the world you have before your eyes. There is always magic to be created.

Share with me your images created on a budget. Have you used really inexpensive props to create an image, or perhaps an unlikely location? Let’s inspire each other with the creative thinking that a tiny budget requires. Our images are our imaginations, and with that, anything is possible.

For these images I was smitten not only with the inspiration of creating something from nothing, but also by the concept behind it. Life giving life, or perhaps life taking life…whichever way you choose to see it. Red is such a powerful color because it can symbolize power, life, death, blood, etc. It is truly one of those emotional symbols in an image that makes me feel something instantly. A girl giving a tree her life-blood, or both of them sharing. Life giving life. Life taking life. Life-blood.