Passing On Timidity

I try not to write about or reference in conversation, my brush with death 18 months ago, but it's a part of my life that I can't run from and it is making me a bit less shy related to my photography.

I always knew life was short, but in the last several months it seems my interest in many things has exploded...including being hyper-sensitive to time and wanting to do certain things...now.
I have also worked hard learning and practicing a relatively new craft, my photography.

Since I have actually started to sell a few photos and given many more away around the world, I am increasingly aware of many holes in my portfolio and what I am also now starting to think of as inventory. Those holes being: live model experience both clothed and unclothed (and variations on the term 'partially'), abstracts, image series, project studies, and studio knowledge.

To fill some of these holes it means throwing a bit of my shyness out the window and not resorting to casual shots grabbed from strangers here and there.

Since photographing people in natural light is of interest to me, I am now either letting people know that I take pics or I am asking people who interest my photographer's eye to let me photograph them. They could have something physical, a certain energy, vibe or spirit, an elder's life experience carved into their face...any variety of characteristics might catch my attention. They could be family, friends, people in my life or the lives of my family, strangers...makes no difference. I am starting to ask folks who have a certain "something" if they want to "model" for me.

Happily, (and perhaps to the dismay or shock of some around me), more and more people are saying yes. Some eagerly say yes with an "I'd LOVE to", or, "I DEFINITELY want to". Others eagerly agree after seeing some of my portraits on one of my websites www.flickr.com/photos/casualclicks. When asking folks (not that they need it), I give them permission to decline kinda like 'no harm, no foul' in basketball, and so some say no. But that's ok.

As of this moment, I have six people who want to get together for photo shoots either right away or after finals or when their work schedule permits or they will be in my area.

But, I still most wish a certain someone would let me photograph her without sticking out her tongue. But that's ok too.

Lakers...Who Cares!

As Laker frenzy starts to smother Los Angeles like a dense, Central Valley fog as the NBA finals begin, why should anyone really care about guys and an organization making 100s of millions of bucks for playing a game? Really!

If everyone boycotted exorbitantly priced leisure activities like the sports teams and entertained themselves for free by walking, or biking, or volunteering or in 100s of millions of other ways, society would benefit and common sense perspective might be regained.