Lea and I and Photography

If not for Lea, I am not sure I would have ever gotten into still photography. Lea, on the other hand, has always been the photographer -taking photos well before she met me.

When I came to Iowa State University I guess I was seeking an art degree. I wasn't interested in anything else, I honestly wasn't even interested in design -I just wanted to skateboard.

When I met Lea I think I was at a point in school where I still had no idea what I was doing.

I had initially planned to graduate with a focus in painting, but when Lea started sharing her photography interest with me, that influence began to shift my area of focus to taking photographs.

I always kind of wanted to take photos, but I never made buying a camera a priority -I already had other interests that kept me busy. I truly think, at the time, I just wanted to take photos because I could create a body of work faster (than painting) and just get back to skating. That's just what was important to me at the time..

As I got more involved in my photography work, I did truly start to appreciate it and got more interested in how I could manipulate photographs in photoshop -particularly in landscape photography. At the same time, Lea was doing her own thing and was starting to get more focused in portraiture. Lea was the one buying new lenses, lighting equipment, and camera bodies every couple of years and we would just test the new gear by taking photos of each other. I was (still am) way too tight fisted to want to spend that kind of money on cameras and lenses, especially at that time when we were in school and broke.

It seems this website has kind of evolved into my online journal more than anything. It is a place for me to gather my thoughts and work. Everything on here is a stepping stone, a visual timeline of me "just trying to learn things"

In the case of this post... these are a collection of photos that show Lea and I just learning how to take pictures :)

PS. I took the Clifton Hicks Survey a couple weeks ago and found out that one of my top 5 strengths is Context -simply put, I like understanding how things in the past make the present what it is.

Living and playing tunes at Lea's mom and dad's house.

Macro lens shot looking through an antique camera viewfinder.

Another one with the other pup.

State Forest Nursery across the road from Lowes. Miss this place -should go there again.

Another one from State Forest Nursery. We were taking a stab at Brenizer photo stitching. This photograph is stitched together from eight different photos.

Last one from the Nursery.

I think this was the first day we took out Lea's 85mm 1.4 lens. Such a beautiful lens.

My turn :)

Lea with Avie

Me with Kita

Getting photos of the dogs and playing with some post production actions we purchased.

They were staring at a treat out of frame :D

Lea and I gotta check out the Magnolia Trees every Spring.

Took a selfie of me admiring some tall grass.

We have just come to love capturing pretty things -a fresh snowfall, for instance :)

Dense fog on a frozen lake is also pretty sweet.

Family portrait to test some lighting.

More light testing. Are ring lights still cool? I still love how they manipulate your eyes.. Also wish I could still grow out my hair like that..

Anderson Access years ago. Capturing that dust being kicked up by cars driving by on gravel.

The beauty of the ominous woods.

We were searching for that beautiful light :)