contest

Have you seen all the beautiful new products & contest for pro photographers on http://www.DesignAglow.com Not only a great company, but they are holding a contest for an ephiphanie bag. I love these camera bags. My camera gear longs to live in one of these bags.

bags

This one isn't about my photos at all. This one is about the one item at the very top of my Christmas list for 2010. Maile Wilson has created a line of camera bags designed for women. These bags couldn't be cooler. They look like a purse but can handle all the detritus I carry around as well as pamper my gear. It's a dream come true. Check them out here: http://www.epiphaniebags.com.

skateboarding

I have found a new thing to photograph that I just adore...skateboarding! Not only did I get to build a new website for someone who skates, but I got to head over to SkateBarn West in Renton and try my hand at photographing indoor sports. I learned quite a few things on this trip:

• I love photographing skateboarders!
• I adore the shadows created by the odd structures and the selective lighting.
• I really need to invest in faster glass.

I have a Canon 50mm/1.4 which is my favorite lens, sadly it's broken and I need to send it back to Canon for repair. It would have been far superior to what I used. But as in all photographic situations, I don't cry over the lens I'm missing, I try to make the best photos I can with what I have. These are a couple of the ones I liked. They are grainy like crazy (oh, how I love grainy photos!). I also decided to play with Photoshop on these. Though I have to be honest, this was just me goofing off.

crawfish

Summer! Know what summer means to me? CRAWFISH! As soon as possible after the season started, we got crawfish shipped up from Louisiana. Vincent, over at Critter Runners in Texas believes, as do I, that everyone should be able to enjoy Louisiana crawfish if they want them. I love the Pacific Northwest, but I miss the music, the parties, and most of all the FOOD from Louisiana. These are few shots I took at the boil we had. I bumped up the ISO to 1600 and shot them with a shallow depth of field. You can't see it at this size, but they are nice and grainy—just the way I like them. The thing is, this is my last post with my 20D. Next week I'm the proud owner of a Canon 50D and a double-glass Lensbaby Muse. Be on the lookout for a few new projects with my new gear.

rusted

Finally! After nine-very long-very broke months without a job, I'm happy to say, I am employed. It's only a two-month contract, but it's something, and I'm very thankful. The other cool thing is that I'm working with a company near Gas Works park in Seattle, so I had a chance to take a few photos. I usually don't trek that far from home, so it was a nice excuse for a photo trip. Turns out it was freezing and raining and windy, but I managed to get a few shots in before I ran back to my tall, skinny, vanilla latte (I prefer almond or coconut, but a certain local coffee pusher won't carry the good stuff), which was tucked safely inside my warm car. Hopefully I'll get back there soon on a beautiful, slightly-cloudy day.

redbubble

RedBubble is a fantastic site that helps photographers and artists sell their work. Artists are able to upload their t-shirt designs, drawings, digital art, and photographs. They offer them for sale and set their price. The customer chooses the format they wish to purchase. You can get cards, prints, framed work, and even canvas prints. I've just started uploading my photos and will post here as I add new sets. My current set is all about banana plants. My favortite setup is to have several of them printed and hung together in a single frame or in multiple frames. Any work I have available for sale as a print will be available on this site.

snow

This year has been particularly snowy for us. The other morning my daughter came and got me to check out some bird footprints that she found in the snow at her bus stop. I, of course, grabbed my camera. I also caught her building an igloo. Then discovered that I loved the look of my rain barrel with snow covered rose bushes. I hope you like them too.