“It’s Time.” Self-Portrait Challenge. Levitation.

Hi everyone!

            I hope everyone is doing well and keeping busy.  I myself have recently joined a group of photographers that meetup every month.  My goal is to become inspired and most of all learn.  So,  I recently entered a photography contest that focused on fine art photography.  The challenge was to create your own levitation photograph.  I had never done this nor did it ever occur to me to do it.   Challenge accepted!  My first thought was that it would be great as my self-portrait challenge.  My second thought, when the hell is the occurrence of levitation perfectly acceptable or expected?  I could not simply take a photograph of myself levitating.  I felt the thought to be incomplete.  I had to create a story.  I had to create a world where levitation would be expected, where levitation would be the only logic.  So, this is the result.  As far as the long hair, I have an incredible set of hair extensions.  This was used to show motion and direction.

 

“It’s Time.”

Fine-art photography really is a challenge for me.  It is completely out of my comfort zone.  Yet, I am achieving my goal of being creative and becoming inspired.  I do feel that I need to work more on my blending of different photographs.  It was also extremely difficult for me to make sure that the different layers had the same hues, brightness, contrast, and color balance.  This  artwork is actually a composite of five different photographs.  On another note, I discovered a really neat way of doing sun rays.  I will post the link to the youtube video later.

Enjoy!

Aimee Michelle

“A Bit Mad I Am.” My version of the Mad Hatter. Self-Portrait Challenge.

Hi everyone!

              Here is a new challenge that I imposed upon myself.  I really wanted to push my Photoshop limits.  This is my version of the Madhatter.  It’s a bit mad, but then again, that is the point.  I am really enjoying the thought process of creating.  I really feel that we get so caught up in work and in just trying to make every hour of the day productive, that we forget and do not dedicate time to ourselves whatsoever.  I believe I spent about three days at a time for two weeks tweaking and playing with this piece.  There were several times in which I wanted to give up.  I don’t know if it’s art, I don’t know if it is technically sound, but what I do know is that I did best.  I will continue to do my best.  They may not all be gems; however, I do feel that they are a necessary part of the creative process.  At this point in time, I have the opportunity to take a step back and dig in.  Rather than work for a pretty penny, I have the chance to look within and invest in myself.  I have the chance to explore and learn.  I am going to take advantage of it.  On a side note, much to my dismay, the hair is all mine!  I was making the best out of a bad perm.  All I wanted was a bit of volume and some soft curls.  But nooooooooo, that’s too much to ask for.  So, enjoy my new hair-do!  Can you say mousse!

Till next time,

Aimee Michelle

“A Bit Mad I Am.” My version of the Madhatter. Self-Portrait Challenge.

“Feeling Colorful. “

Hi everyone! I have been trying to challenge myself creatively. My first attempts were not so risque, but they were a step in the right direction. This is me. I feel that this is a work of art and not just a portrait.  I am wearing a tutu on my head and glow in the dark latex body paint on my face.  I also painted in Photoshop to enhance the look.  I used a black light and had my camera on a timer. I call this, “Feeling Colorful.”

Enjoy,

Aimee Michelle

I Am Up For A Challenge.

I have been tormented every night by millions of thoughts racing through my mind and have no control.  These thoughts come upon me for my mind is always trying to find solutions to problems with no answer. Life goes by so fast and changes regardless if we are prepared or not.  I have been trying to remedy my insomnia for quite some time now.  I now realize that I need to find an outlet for theses thoughts and emotions.  But what?

That is when it dawned on me that I am a photographer with all of the tools required for such outlet. Fall and winter is a time when my business slows down.  I will take advantage of this time to focus on myself and let my emotions out.  I am not one to cry, I don’t take a moment. I work, I keep going, and I stay extemely busy regardless of whether I want to or not.

So, I am going to experiment with conceptual photography.  I’m going to try and get these ideas out and they are actually going to be self-portraits.  I am a bit conceited, but not enough to make duck faces every five minutes and take “selfies.”  This is going to be something new and very challenging.  As always, I am up for a challenge.

Aimee Michelle

My GlOB I miss you! BLOG Love.

I have missed my blog so much.  It has been a few months and I have denied myself the satisfaction of working on my blog.  It is not so much work, but a conversation.  A conversation with you and with myself.  My blog has kept my sanity and for these pasts few months, it was almost non-existent.  So here I am, ready to make amends with my blog and bask in its love.

These past few months have been incredibly busy.  And as a photographer, that is a great problem to have.  What’s new?  Not only have I kept busy with my photography business, I am also running a dance studio. Eeek!  Just a tad busy.  Other than that, I have time to shower at least.

My photography business picked up during the summer and is now winding down into fall.  But don’t forget: tons of editing!  The dance studio keeps me busy on a daily basis leaving only the weekends to do events.  So my Sundays, have become gold.  Sundays are when I spend time with my family and catch up on sleep.

I have so many excuses for not keeping up with my blog, so I will just say it. “Blog I’m sorry for neglecting you.  I miss you. I love all that you do, and I want to build on our relationship.” That’s a good start right?

Aimee Michelle

WWPD? What Would Photographers Do?

WWPD?  What Would Photographers Do?  As a photographer, you are there to capture the moment in its truest form without any interference.  Correct?  To capture everything that it entails whether it be a couple getting married, children playing with the dog, or even a festival.  But what happens when the moment you capture is not a festive one?   What if the moment you happen to capture is one of a man facing his immediate death?  Are you still a photographer worried about your shutter speed or angle?  That historian who is all about preservation?  Or are you suddenly engulfed with the urge to interject?  To maybe save a person’s life if not more?  Is this wrong?  Who is wrong?  The photographer who did not interject or the photographer who did not get the shot to attempt to save a person’s life?  Here is where you figure out where exactly the line is drawn.  When do morals kick in?  Do they ever?  And at what costs?  Either decision has a steep price to pay.  So which do you choose?  When do you go from taking the shot to being in the shot?  It is all about perspective.  To you, you may have nothing to do with the situation; however, keep in mind that the person behind you yards away taking a picture, considers you in the shot and  part of  the moment. A recent example is of the photographer R. Umar Abbasi,who was able to get a shot of a man right before he was going to die on subway tracks.  Was he right or wrong?  Was there anything he could do?  Was it his natural instinct to take a photograph?  Do morals have anything to do with his actions? Fight or flight?  Another example that I came across on the web, Kevin Carter, who was a Pulitzer Prize Winner for  this famous photograph.  Soon after, he committed suicide.  How do we separate the human aspect of photography from our work if at all?  And when do we go from being professional to being human?

What would YOU do?

Aimee Michelle

My favorite pictures. The Self-Analysis of a Photographer. #1

My favorite pictures.  My favorite pictures are those that I can’t stop staring at.  They draw me in, they capture me, and I become mesmerized.  I can’t explain it, but they just do.  Many of them don’t even follow the “rules of photography.”  So does this make me a rebel?  I know that what I feel is my favorite, will probably not be for anyone else.  And that is okay.  Everyone is allowed to have their favorite anything.  So here is one.

Silhouette of a Family Portrait

I have heard that photographers who compile all of the photographs that speak to them, that they are usually a reflection of the photographer and have an underlying theme.  I’m not sure how true this is, but I will post from time to time my favorite pictures and eventually “see” if there exists such correlation.

Til’ the next Self-Analysis of a Photographer,

Aimee Michelle

What to do when YOUR in the picture. Bringing out the Emotion.

What do you do when YOUR in the picture? Do you panic?  Do you get nervous?  What do you do?  RELAX.  Breathe in and let out a big sigh.    You will find that by being able to relax, that your photo session can actually become really fun.  It is great to be in a wonderful pose and in the best angles, but as a portrait photographer, I realize that it is all about your face.  Body language is fantastic; however, if your face is telling another story, it does not work.  How do you get that certain facial expression?  Once you are in your pose and settled in, think about something, ANYTHING!  Think about someone that makes you smile or maybe a joke that makes you laugh.  Think about that special someone and all the great moments.  Go into character.  Think that you are a sexy spy or that mischievous librarian that is talking too loud.  The point is to have a thought in mind and react to it while in front of the camera.  In that way, your emotion will come through and bring your photographs to life.  This will make all the difference between a lifeless photograph that is without emotion, and a brilliant photograph, that has that certain sparkle in your eyes.  

Happy Photographing,

Aimee Michelle