ON MY WAY TO BE ONE

Are you a professional photographer?

This is a question I've been facing very often lately.

I keep looking for the right answer. That is because to me, a professional photographer is either a master in the field, or a person like some photographers I know, who are very talented, experienced and skillful. Hummm...

I came up with my best answer (which I love): I am on my way to be one!

I've found, however, that answer to be kind of confusing for most folks who look at me puzzled, as if I hadn't answered the question at all.

After I realized that, I decided to say instead : "Yes! I am a professional photographer!. It sounds better to most people, I guess, and I need to get used to hear it myself.

I am a professional photographer not because I am a master or because I am in business, and never because of my equipment, my equipment size or brand or how many megapixels my camera offers, but because I behave like a pro.

What does that mean? That means that I think (and I fight myself to do so) before I "click". I think, plan, compose. I study, I do research, I practice and I practice again. I make choices to create my photographs. That also means that I take pictures in my mind, with no camera and that "I notice" things.

I am on my way to be better, that is for sure and part of the excitement is to envision all I still have to learn. That is such a happy wish! A colorful, hopeful, determined tireless wish.

Busco mi Arco Iris en cada recodo del trayecto.

TORMENTA DE VERANO

Wet, Humid, Vibrant, Green, Hot!

ESTA BOCA ES MIA

http://rasgadodeboca.blogspot.com/2009/06/esta-boca-es-mia-por-ana-maria.html

Check this out! (Spanish only)
Aqui pueden ver/leer mi fotopoema titulado: Esta Boca es Mia!
Tambien hay versiones de muchas bocas que cuentan cosas y envian mensajes..!

I am in my hammock
Yo estoy en mi hamaca
My eyes are dreaming
Mis ojos estan sonando
That is why you cannot see them
Es por eso no los puedes ver
My blog is under construction again
Mi blog se esta construyendo otra vez
Time to sleep
Ahora es el momento de descansar
to come back
para regresar....!

SOMETIMES.......

I get a migraine headache..and have to lie down, hiding myself from any type of light...and sometimes...I just keep looking through my favorite window and paying attention to the shadows...drawings...shadows...
These summer days seem endless.
My Labrador and I are planning on sleeping until Fall shows up!

MUNDO AL REVES!

COMING BACK!

Keeping a blog updated is not always easy.
I just discovered that.
I have been doing a lot of things ....and now I just would like to put some words together to tell the story...but where and how...how will I start?
I have been doing different things related to photography, to start with.
In the first place, I've covered some events, like baptisms and graduations which includes portraiture, group pictures (!!!! the hardest...to me!) and ...being there...trying to catch something special...the butterfly..I I need that to feel that I am doing my work....
In the "Proyecto 52 1/2 (FDV)" we have been working on different photographic challenges, like flare, silhouettes, humor photography and location portraiture.
We also did some work with poetry and pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamary/3531572414/in/set-72157618489499043/, which I loved to death, and a very special project addressing domestic violence or more specifically violence against women.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamary/3519324362/in/set-72157618577289902/
My picture, by the way, was selected by Amnistia Internacional Venezuela among others as a potential idea/image for a future campaign. That was very rewarding to feel you could help others to help with an idea or a photograph.
On the other hand, I was offered to exhibit some of my work at an artsy store in town. It has been an exciting process that is taking lots of work. Indeed, to get even a small print matted involves a decision making process: selection, proof, type of printing paper, size, mat color...and then...to write a note conveying in few words the message of the picture...how did you find that leaf? Where and when was that sunset?. I haven't finished yet, but I certainly hope I will do that in the coming weeks.
I also got new photographic equipment and have been reading manuals, learning tutorials and getting used to my new Canon. I must say that I am in love with my camera and my new fast lens. How couldn't I? Your camera, lenses and even your monitor become your eyes' extensions. It is so wonderful to see beyond reach! I also attended a Canon seminar two weeks ago. It was a breeze...just to get used to the camera. A great review for me.
I am about to finish my course in professional photography at the New York Institute of Photography. I think the material is great. Lighting, however, has been very difficult for me to learn, as a distance learner. I think a subject like lighting requires "hands on" learning, but I also have discovered that learning about lighting is something that never ends...it has to be with equipment but it has also to be with the ability to "see" it with your eyes.
In my last unit at the NYIP there is a chapter dedicated to nude and glamour photography. That was new for me. Not less fascinanting was the unit that includes photomicroscopy!
With my friends at the " I've learned about new techniques, like making a bokeh
using high speed photography http://www.diyphotography.net/diy_high_speed_photography_at_home and I have realized that I know very very little about Photoshop.
At this time in my career, I still have a lot to learn about exposure and composition to get involved in deep editing, but I think that PS could be a very very creative tool to express things that escape reality.
I may love to get into that in the future...

Ah! I want a Holga camera also...I'll keep you posted.

Hope you enjoy this trip with me!
Talk to y'all soon!

UNIVERSO DE CHOCOLATE ^ IT'S a CHOCOLATE's WORLD!

Estas fueron mis primeras reflexiones cuando iniciamos la semana pasada con nuestro reto fotografía gourmet:
Que es una "delicia", gastronómicamente hablando? Es un plato que bien deleita nuestras papilas gustativas, o es extremadamente hermoso en su presentación, o huele muy rico, o anade un sabor nuevo que nos gusta, o es una mezcla de algo que contiene ingredientes que nos fascinan y que nunca imaginamos juntos, como por ej, tequenos de queso de cabra de hojaldre con miel! Y si todos esos factores se reúnen, tenemos a una verdadera delicia enfrente de nosotros! Que es una delicia, neurológicamente hablando? Que es una delicia, psicologicamente hablando? No puedo dejar de pensar en el psicoanálisis freudiano y la etapa oral del desarrollo psicosexual. Que es una delicia, culturalmente hablando? A que sustantivos acompaña el adjetivo "delicioso" en castellano? Como lo usa usted, como lo uso yo, como se escucha en la calle? Estamos en reto fotografía gourmet!
Hoy, estoy celebrando que con mi propuesta fotográfica: "Universos de Chocolate", obtuve mi primer reconocimiento publico como fotógrafo. Mi foto fue seleccionada por el jurado como la foto de la semana y forma parte del blog Fotografos de Venezuela fotografosdevenezuela.blogspot.com/
Debo decir que yo puse todo mis sentidos en este reto. Lo hice desde el estudio y lo hice desde el placer. Todos los participantes tuvimos la fortuna de ser guiados en el campo de la fotografía gourmet desde la voz, las metáforas y la experiencia de Eduardo Arevalo, fotógrafo venezolano quien tiene anos de experiencia en el área de la fotografía y cuyos proyectos en el área de la fotografía gourmet son verdaderas delicias, desde muchos puntos de vista, incluyendo lo técnico, artístico y visual. Su texto nos aproximo a cada "delicia" considerando textura, estructura, color y volumen, entre otros, antes de fotografiar nuestro sujeto. Tratando de buscar resaltar estos aspectos en mis "modelos", utilice luz artificial, luz natural, un intento de caja de luz. Probé ademas todos los ángulos fotográficos que pude, me pasee por bombones de chocolates (siempre!), por el "kibble" de mi Labrador, por pequeños dulces con flores de "fondant", por malvaviscos, por galletas, por pretzels, por creps de nutella. Intente(fallidamente) hacer mi primera foto de fuego, con una sambuca flambeada con sus granos de cafe de New Orleans, especialmente seleccionados en el "Fresh Market", desordene mi casa, no dormi por las noches, medio dormí por el día, totalmente "tomada" por el proyecto. Mis amigos, Claudia y Esteban, se unieron a mi búsqueda preparando "mole" http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamary/sets/72157616323881895/ , un delicioso plato de la gastronomía mexicana en el cual el pollo es mezclado con diferentes tipos de chile, almendras, maní, galletas, y el ingrediente mágico: Chocolate! En el camino hacia el disfrute del mole, me encontré la mini-torta mas bella que he visto en mucho tiempo, y en una aproximación macro, encontré mi foto, mi foto de chocolate. Mi foto de universo de chocolate feliz!
Gracias a todos los que me acompañaron en esta aventura, desde mis docentes, cada uno de mis compañeros en el proyecto, hasta las personas que estuvieron alli mientras captaba mi delicia con mi lente, quienes disfrutaron conmigo este manjar, después de la sesión de fotos, excepción hecha de uno de mis amores mas importantes, mi Labrador Retriever, porque los perros no pueden comer chocolate...sin embargo...el es un labrador "chocolate" también, y con sus ojos color miel atraviesa mis días de belleza, glotonería, vitalidad e incansable disposición cazadora de sus objetivos !

I was taking food pictures every day of last week. I was extremely motivated to do this assignment because I love food, I love beautiful dishes and also because food connects me with love, pleasure and life celebration. As a member of the Venezuelan Photographers Group (Grupo FDV), our weekly challenge last week was gourmet photography. During this process, we were mentored by Eduardo Arevalo, a Venezuelan photographer whose whose gourmet pictures are extraordinarily beautiful, from multiple points of views, including technical and gastronomical approaches. In that regard, we were enticed to extensively consider texture, structure, colors, and volume of each dish, among others variables, before using our camera.
I must say that I purposedly acknowledged each dish with each one of my senses. It was literally, a delicious week and yesterday, I harvested my first photographic public recognition: My picture: "Universos de Chocolate" (Worlds of Chocolate) , was selected as the picture of the week and it is exhibited at the Fotografos de Venezuela's blog:
http://fotografosdevenezuela.blogspot.com/
I am immensely happy for this achievement, especially because I embraced this challenge with all I truly have: my head, my heart and my soul! I was inspired and I was restless!
Thanks to all the people who came along my way to support me and to enjoy this rich adventure by my side!
You can follow my photographic path during this week here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamary/sets/72157616159722739/
and here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamary/sets/72157616323881895/

WILD LIFE

Afternoon walk
Originally uploaded by Swamibu

I am an animal lover and I will always be!
I wanted to be an ethologist and ended up being a psychologist instead. Now, I just want to be a photographer. It is that simple!
As a matter of fact, living in North Carolina has brought me closer to mother nature in a way I could have never expected before. Animals touch my soul. I cannot explain it with words, but I can sure feel it. It is something deep, strong and full of life!
Hope God gives me the grace to photograph wild life one day!


Reflexionando acerca de mi pasion por el reino animal, y navegando en mis deseos de fotografiar animales salvajes en su habitat, si Dios lo permite!

BABY PICTURES ^ BEBE EN FOTOS

Finalmente, termine mi revelado digital con mis primeras fotos de bebes. Fue un trabajo muy hermoso. A veces no sabia si dejar la cámara e irme a "ver" al bebe con mis ojos y no con mis lentes! Por que? Por la inmensa ternura, por la belleza, por la fragilidad, por el milagro de ver una vida que comienza. Las manos y los piececitos fueron una gran aventura: Se mueven como mariposas! No lo sabia!
En esta sesión de fotos también me encontré, entre otras cosas maravillosas, con la maternidad, con la relación madre-hijo, con ese vinculo que parece abstraer dos seres a un universo único y solo para ellos. Encuentros mágicos!



This past Friday I had a wonderful opportunity to take pictures of an incredibly cute eight-week baby boy.
I shot indoors, using my electronic flash and a tripod whenever I could, but I still had to shoot at 1/20 sec. My camera is a bit slow, especially when shooting in RAW... and those little hands moved real fast! Couldn't believe it! . I think these pics are my best baby pictures so far! I am working now on color management, especially for skin tones and other things. I spent a lot of time with my pictures after shooting! You can really look at them in so many different ways, that sometimes it is difficult to decide which one is the "one"!
Hope I'll be ready to share them with ya this week.

DISCOVERIES ^ DESCUBRIMIENTOS

This week, while doing some research for my fashion photography project, I discovered the work of Michael Cunningham and was totally amazed. Right now, I am reading "Crowns, Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats", and enjoying every detail in every picture!
I have always loved hats, but somehow never knew where or when to wear them. With this book, I came to understand not only the role they play in fashion but also in faith for some people. Even more fascinating, I have been able to reach the story behind hats for many women.
I would love to do some portraiture work following this idea!


Me gustan los sombreros, los abanicos, las flores en el cabello, los velos, las transparencias.
Me gusta fotografiar lo que me gusta!

FASHION ^ MODA

What's fashion? What's old fashion? Mode is a statistical concept! How is fashion photography related to sociology? Are they related? Do we dress to be part of a group? What's the dress code for our profession, age, social status, culture, beliefs? Who defines good or bad taste in fashion? Do we dress to express our personality or to deny it?
What are we looking for when we look at ourselves in the mirror? Does the image in the mirror "represent" somebody else? How do we develop our self-image?
These are just some questions I ask myself, as a way to "find" my picture for my weekly photographic project!

Keep thinking...!

In the meantime, while I was looking around...I realized that we are slowly approaching something very colorful...Spring! Spring is the latest Fashion!

MY TULIPS ^ MIS TULIPANES

My very first tulip! Mi primer tulipán!


Estamos en Abril! ^ We are in April! My tulips are blooming! It is very exciting!

A punto de abrir! Just about to bloom!



Mis tulipanes fueron sembrados en Septiembre. Estamos en Marzo, y están creciendo. Espero florezcan en la Primavera. Voy a tomarles fotos todas las semanas, hasta que suceda. Una forma de registrar la transicion en la Naturaleza, y de acompañar una ilusion!

GO GREEN ^ PIENSA VERDE

My picture for the project! Reuse your tumbler!/ Mi foto para el proyecto! Vuelve a utilizar tu taza de cafe! No mas vasos de plástico!
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I am far behind on my weekly photographic challenge, which this time is "Go Green!". I know...It is about environmental awareness, changing habits and the three R(s): Reduce, Recycle, Reuse!
I cannot stop thinking about endangered species also. I am just looking "for the picture", kind of finding the message" I want to send out.


Debo decir que no cumplo las reglas de traducción. A veces empiezo un párrafo en español, o a veces en ingles, y luego cuando voy a expresarme en otro idioma, mis ideas cambian. Considerando que mi blog es un espacio de libertad, he decidido permitir a esta inconsistencia fluir... al menos hasta que pueda conceptualizarla y siempre que me mantenga en el tema. El reto de esta semana para el proyecto 52 1/2 de FDV es conciencia ecológica. Por supuesto, me he pasado por el basurero y sus espacios para reciclar. También me he descubierto observando a la gente en el supermercado que no usa bolsas plásticas, sino de tela (go-green bags). Esto en realidad me recordó a mi abuela en Canarias y el carrito de tela con ruedas con el que iba al supermercado, asi como a las bolsas del mercado de "Quinta Crespo", aunque estas eran de plástico. Es decir, no reciclables, pero si re-usables. Revise la idea de llevar el"mug" a mi cafeteria favorita, para no seguir bebiendo cafe en vasos de cartón...Que es lo que quiero decir? Que es lo que voy a hacer? Cual es la idea?

SPRING NOTES ^ NOTAS DE PRIMAVERA

March is the month for the pictures at the daffodil field. It is almost a tradition in town! I enjoyed very much the time spent taken pictures of the daughters of a friend of mine at that location. We arrived at the field at 5:45 pm, when the sun was about to hide .... I just followed the girls through the field with my lens. The most amazing thing was to discover one of them becoming happier and happier around the flowers...I will never forget the golden sunset light striking the trees and dancing with the girl amidst the daffodils!

If you wish, you can see the slideshow at the end of this page (Flickr slideshow) , or clicking on the link at your right: "Take a look at my pics ^ Mi Galeria".

Thanks to my friends for this wonderful opportunity!


Marzo, especialmente a principios del mes, es el tiempo en el que los narcisos florecen. Tomar fotos en un campo de narcisos local se ha convertido en casi una "tradición". Para mi, es una inauguración de la primavera! Estas fotos las tome entre 5:45 - 6:15 pm. El sol estaba ocultándose, así que la luz que aparece en las fotografías es la luz del atardecer. Una de las cosas mas hermosas de esta sesión es que pude seguir con mi lente a una de las niñas, hija de una amiga, en su proceso de "descubrimiento" entre las flores. Cada vez sonreía mas y mas y de pronto, y al mismo tiempo, en un segundo, pude ver la fascinación en su rostro, mientras la luz dorada viajaba atravesando los troncos de los arboles , su figura, su vestido de colores y los narcisos! Simplemente la manifestación de la belleza!
Si quieren ver el set de fotos , pueden hacerlo en este blog (al final de esta pagina: Flickr slideshow), o haciendo "click" en uno de los enlaces ubicado en la esquina superior derecha (Take a look at my pics ^ Mi galería).
Gracias una vez mas a mis amigos y amigas, por esta oportunidad!

THIS RAINY SUNDAY ^ ESTE DOMINGO LLUVIOSO

My Lab and I don't like rainy days. EVERYTHING is a big mess: We cannot play outside, the yard is muddy, I am moody...It is the rain, isn't it?
I went to a seminar on portrait lighting at ASAP this Saturday. I love to go to the Aperture Studio and see all the HUGE softboxes hanging from the ceiling plus all the photographic gear around. I also learned about beauty dishes, portrait domes, honeycomb grids...OMG! Lighting patterns are still a mystery to me. Photography is such an adventure in so many, many ways... I admire Carder's work, so I am happy I attended to the seminar. ASAP is also my favorite store in town. That is not surprising if we consider that lately all I think of is about cameras, lenses, lightboxes, softboxes, external hard drives, filters and so on.
Apropos of wishes and good things in spite of the rain, I am very happy that two Venezuelan photographers who are part of the FDV group and the "Proyecto 52 1/2 semanas" have received very interesting work proposals and recognition this week. Congratulations to Eleazar and Eduardo from the bottom of my heart! You deserve it!
I am very thankful to the FDV people. I don't have words to explain how much I have learned, how much I have laughed and how incredible it is to be part of the 52 1/2 semanas Project. Day by day we share a huge amount of information, creativity, enthusiasm and love for photography. It is unbelievable!
Synergy, that's the word!

Sinergia, sinergia y risa, y pasion y metafora y mil visiones!

MUSIC MAKES ME HAPPY! ^ ME GUSTA LA MUSICA!

I had the pleasure to take some pics last Saturday at a local event. I did not expect music there, so it was a neat surprise..especially because some people felt like dancing along with it!

Me gusta la música cuando me conecta con alegria, euforia, desenfado, y cuando me conecta con otros!

TRANSITIONS ^ TRANSICIONES

This was the picture that I finally added to the 52-1/2 semanas project! I DO love it!
Esta fue la foto que finalmente inclui en el Proyecto 52 -1/2 semanas. Es practicamente mi primer trabajo de produccion! Me gusta mucho! (March 15)
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My weekly photographic challenge is "Transitions". Transition, change, evolution. How to show that in one picture? How to show "change" and at the same time take care of exposure (Av, Tv, ISO, FL, distance, light direction, light intensity, light color, white balance), focus , composition, perspective, texture, color, contrast and so on?
When a baby is born, there is a transition. A pregnant woman is in transition. Death is a transition. A cosmetic surgery leads to transition. Now, it is raining. It was not raining one hour ago...Transitions....
Who or what will be the subject of my photograph this week?
I haven't even gotten the idea yet!
Any thoughts?

El reto fotográfico de esta semana es Transiciones". Transiciones. Moverse de un estado a otro. Una transición es estar en un camino, sin haber llegado al destino. Estar en el proceso de metamorfosis, sin haberse transformado. Como una mudanza, como un viaje. O como las cosas en las cajas, en el nuevo lugar? Como un embarazo, como un trabajo temporal, como una oruga antes de convertirse en mariposa, como un huevo antes de convertirse en?, como una idea gestándose antes de "armarse", como un patrón para hacer un vestido, como un vestido a punto de ser terminado, como unos ingredientes a punto de ser mezclados, como una receta en preparación, como los granos del café antes de ser café, como el café a punto de ser bebido, como una carta sin terminar, como una herida sanándose, como el primer día de clases...como?
Como el invierno transformándose en primavera, como la hoja descomponiéndose, como el sol cambiando en el horizonte, como los colores de la luz, como el Amor...como yo.
Alguna idea?

HAPPY SHOOTING

We had an amazing sunny weekend and I was very excited I was shooting at different locations with different people. I'll be posting some of those pics during the week, but in the meantime just wanted to share this Saturday sunset with y'all! See if you can find the sun!

Para olvidar el invierno, este fin de semana fue soleado, azul, cálido y con brisa. Fue un fin de semana muy emocionante para mi porque estuve experimentando en mi rol de "fotógrafo" en diferentes eventos y con diferentes personas.. Estaré agregando las fotos que tome durante la semana, para compartirlas. Hasta entonces les dejo este atardecer del día sábado. Sera que encontaran al sol?

Title/Titulo: El Sol anda por ahi

MACRO WEEK

This week, macro photography was the weekly challenge for "Proyecto 52 1/2" hosted by the group Fotografos de Venezuela on Facebook and Flickr.
We have been exchanging techniques about macro photography, how to do macro without macro lens and how to use perspective to show relative size.
This is one of my favorite pictures for this project!
Title: Kiwano Melon

MINIATURAS

Fotografiando Miniaturas

He estado pensando en este reto y en todas las miniaturas. A mi me gustan las cosas pequeñas. He estado pensando en todas las cosas que se podrían ver en el microscopio, o a través de una lupa.
Me refiero a las cosas visibles. He pensado mucho en el cuerpo humano, en los pequeños orificios, las pestañas, los bigotes, las pecas, un lunar, una cicatriz en la piel. La piel y sus recorridos. Las venas. El lóbulo de una oreja. El ombligo. Los pies. Los dedos. Un dedo.
Y he recordado las "quincallas", y con ellas todas las gomas de borrar y todos los lapices.
Me gustan las cosas pequeñas, las cajitas, los sobrecitos.
Me gusta lo diminuto.
El detalle.
Lo que no se advierte a simple vista.
Hay otras cosas que he aprendido a ver a través del lente de mi cámara: La actitud de un sujeto. El deseo de gustar, la resistencia, el desacomodo de no gustar-se, la inhibición, la desinhibicion, la desilusión, la candidez, el condicionamiento al sonido del flash. Y he visto a la lagartija que se escapa, al gato que se queda quieto y expectante frente al lente y a mi perro, quien no quiere saber nada, y se aleja. He visto muchos rictus, muchos gestos. He visto "expresarse" a gente "inexpresiva" y "moverse" a otros que me parecían inmutables.
Me he imaginado muchas cosas para el reto de fotografiar miniaturas. Me he estado preguntando como cortejar armoniosamente lo pequeño y lo grande, como mostrar lo relativo.
El concepto es el sueño. Llevar el sueno a la realidad es el "arte".
This is a craft. I like to be a craftswoman.

Y en el proceso, cosecho imágenes...