My Rose

This featured Photo has to be my favorite that caught me by surprise. I find it funny when I rediscover a photo. I still have several photos to go through that are sort of scattered among hard drives from New Zealand, New Jersey, Sydney, and New York. I get caught up in a bunch of other photo things than I kinda fall behind as far as getting to my newer stock.

I took this in New Zealand while on a wine tour in Napier.

Thats pretty much the big thing to do there in Napier. I loved seeing the vineyards. I remember thinking how I loved the color red these rose bushes had, and how I needed to get a damn good picture of it.

I do love the original, but I find myself playing a lot with my photos, more now and this year than I ever had. I guess I am flowing with creativity. I did a few versions of this picture.

Of course I love Purple. I guess I have this dark side to me that I always am a fan of, the Tim burton style I favor, and connect with. The Nightmare Before Christmas fan in me, ya know. I like dark, contrast-y, blacks and deep, dark purple. It makes me feel happy. It's very pleasing to my eye. I cant really explain it.

I am absolutely connected to this photo!!


I also kept playing, I just wanted to add to it, make some changes. I feel like photoshop is sort of like painting for me. lol. Weirdly enough. I wanted to try some things, and the creativity kept coming. If I had stopped at the black and purple version I wouldn't have felt complete. As if I was really leaving something unfinished.

When I am editing photos, I can only really post one version of it...right? Not really, but I felt that way at this stage. I loved both the original, and the purple version so much that I thought "why not try to display them both in someway?" The above was what I came up with. Than I wasn't quite happy, so I tried a few other things. I than finally got to the last version that made me feel complete, and happy. :-)

I looooove this. It makes me smile. I love the black, the strip, the hint of the original, and the powerful purple! To me its perfect for what I wanted to do.

On my Website I have the final, and the orignal version in the galleries. The original is definitely strong enough to stand on its own so, thats why I have both versions up. And to hell with "rules" it's my business and I do what I feel is right. And you should too with whatever you're doing with your life. Do what feels right!! :-)

Where Am I Going....with my Business?!

Yes its definitely been awhile. That's ok though, we all have lives.

Side note...I watch this Law school chick on Youtube, she talks about Law School, and everything that goes with it. I discovered her sometime last week, and I watched all her videos because I am uber curious about Law school. Well at the start of every video she says "Yeah I know its been awhile, I've been really busy." Needless to say this became really annoying video after video. It made me feel like it was bothering her to make these videos. As if I was a burden on her of some sort.

Well Anyways...I do not want to make people feel like that if they read my blog, or if they happen to fall upon it in a few months, and end up reading a few at a time.

I wanted to write this one about the steps Ive taken so far with starting my business. I think ... at least I think I've come a far amount in this process. About 2 Years ago I told my mom about how I wanted to sell my photos...and it went from there. I than planned out and wrote down what exactly I wanted to accomplish: AKA a Business Plan! I pretty much made a timeline of where I saw my business going. I actually sat down with my sister and we wrote it out around a year and a half ago.

From there I knew a website had to go up. I kinda let that stew for a lil while I did another contract on the cruise ship. All the while kept taking photos, editing, and figuring out my logo. I feel like the Logo was a tough hurtle. I am super happy with it now, and every time I look at it I feel just as happy as when I first finished it.

One thing I went through was hiring people to do work for me that I thought I couldn't do myself. My website, logo, and the writing that was going to go on my website. Well what I realize...Im too picky to hire people. I figure if I didn't know how to do something I was going to learn. I just built a website I'm very happy with. I remember literally drawing it out, each page on small sheets of paper every day for a couple weeks. re-hashing how I thought the site should look. The writing I needed my sister to do. I'm not very good at writing my own Bio/about me page. I know my sister was better with words than I was. A good tip though for people starting a business...know your strengths and weaknesses, hire people and seek help if needed.

My website...done as you may know now...my next step??

Well I plan to enter art festivals. I have to figure out my booth(another big hurtle for me), and supplies I need. I also have to register my business, trademark my logo, and business name. I have to get a Tax ID Number, and get my business account in order. Yeah, Some of you may be thinking I kinda Should have done my banking first, but I wanted my website out first. I wanted my name out there first.

If anyone is wondering about this booth, or may have never been to an art festival here a few images. (not mine)

I realize how doing all of this is, but it doesn't stop me at all. Its what I wanna do. Luckily I'm a barista now, I think If ...well I don't think..I KNOW that if I had a set job right now I would have no time to do anything like I'm doing now. I had barely enough time to sleep let alone time to do photo editing, design business cards, websites, make lists, drawing out my booth design, and do paperwork. No way!! It wouldn't happen.

Now, I made my list of supplies needed, and the list of the next "to-do's," and I am on my way. I think I should be ready by next summer. Which I think might be a little ambitious. lol, but that's me!!

I don't have a fancy business degree...sometimes I wish I did only because I'd like the knowledge, but don't let little pieces of paper stop you in what you wanna do.

With all of this, Ive been getting a lot of new ideas for photography. Just when I think that maybe my creativity runs dry i think of some new video I wanna do, or some new project with pictures I wanna do. That's what I love about being an artist. I actually am going to dive into some portraits. Which when I thought of the idea I was a bit surprised at myself, portraits...at least studio portraits are not really my thing.

Here's to New Ideas!! :-)

Starting a business...???

Well I guess I have been on the journey to get this business going. I have to say its pretty tough when you're poor. lol. But it seriously is though.

You do a lot of hoping ....hoping that things work out-that the hard work pays off-that something will come out of all this chaos.

Ya never know.

What I am learning about myself is that My dream for film isn't a big a dream of mine like I originally thought. I have been chasing the film and video dream of so long...achieved some success.. I think me pursuing it has become a habit? I don't really know. I def enjoy a day that is on set or a day when I'm working on my own project. It would def be my top choice of industry to keep working in.


BUT...


I would love to have my photos in people's homes. I want people to love it the way I do. Maybe thats a pipe dream. Maybe not.

I have so much to do. I think it has been about ... maybe a year since I started to conceptualize this idea of a business.

"Mom, I think I really want to sell my photos for a living" But than after telling her she talked about how I should do weddings. NO!!! I hate that!!! I refuse to do that.

Well Maybe this was just a "this was what was on my mind" blog. All I know is I am bit torn on how to make this business succeed. My mother says cut my loses move back to Buffalo and just start there. If I am there I cant do film stuff really(not paid that is) and I'm stuck being a barista (if they will hire me) or like some crazy job I'll hate. Back to lifeguarding? Bartending? how about a new bank job. I think I would shot myself or someone if I ended up in a cubicle 8 hours a day.

While in NYC I do like being a barista. I think I am addicted to this coffee frenzy...or just the art of coffee. I find myself wanting to learn more about coffee, and wanting to become a better barista. I kinda don't wanna give up this barista thing. Also when film work doesn't come around Its a good skill to have to fall back on. lol.


I just wanna get to the point where I am ready for a art festival. I am gonna be super excited when that happens.

well I guess Im gonna keep truckin. lol.