Moving Forward

Photos from week 2 of Rose Coloured Glasses. The first 4 were taken at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden the day I went to see the Tibetan Monks. 

 Rainy Day

 Lanterns

 Framed

 Golden Orange

And lastly, a self-portrait:

Tired

(On the day we were doing them, I was tired and stressed and in desperate need of a nap. Some days are just like that.)

It's been difficult shooting through this class. I've been having problems with my vision for some time now and recently found out that it's because I've had at least 4 attacks of optic neuritis since February. Over the summer, I'd finally learned how to shoot manually, but with the damage to my vision, everything I was shooting was coming out blurry, even with my glasses on. What I perceived as focused wasn't. Vivienne, ever the supportive teacher that she is, encouraged me to go back to shooting on auto. (Unless, of course, I am trying to achieve blur.) 

Despite setbacks, I still feel I learned something: I always feel better when I am creating, even if that becomes a challenge. I just have to keep moving forward.

Rose Coloured Glasses, Week 1

So Rose Coloured Glasses began on Monday. I'm back into the regular practice of shooting for class and it feels good. I just realized that I've been shooting now for 22 straight months. This is by far the largest body of work I've ever created and I'm pretty pleased about it.

I shot these birch trees up at the lake. They are one of my favourite trees because they remind me of home (the prairies) and you don't see too many of them here in BC. Yes, I have favourite trees. I'm weird like that. My other favourites are blue spruce, (my grandfather had them on his farm, so they also remind me of home) arbutus trees, and of course, Canada's beloved maple trees.

Autumn berries, up at the lake.

The trees are just beginning to turn now. We had an Indian Summer, so it was sunny and warm right up until a couple days ago. Now we're socked in with fog and it's supposed to rain. We haven't had rain in ages.

I love this sunlight and blur shot. I paired it with the Harvest Prayer I posted on Thanksgiving. 

 The secret world on a sunflower.

I think this is my favourite shot this week. I took it in my studio. I collect vintage scissors and pieces of old quilts. I love shooting still lifes.

Learn Something!

So Vivienne, photography teacher extraordinaire is offering Light Hunters for the very last time as a monthly e-course! This means that you have the opportunity to take the class on a pay-what-you-can basis. Normally the class is $39 and you can pay the full rate (worth every penny!) or choose a rate that works for you. Either way, it's a a great investment.

This is what I was able to accomplish during Light Hunters when I took the course. I enjoyed seeking out subtle light and capturing it. It added more depth and dimension to my work. 

Also on tap for Autumn, Vivienne is also running Montage, which is an amazing class that teaches you how to combine video footage with still photographs to make wonderful soulful videos. This is a really cool class-I took it over the summer and managed to complete two videos. One is on my "About" page and is autobiographical in nature and the other is on my "Videography" page. It's a celebration of some of the graffiti I love to photograph here in Vancouver. (Both pages are listed on my sidebar, for future reference.) 

Montage is a great class if you are looking for new ways to use your photographs or if you're a creative and want a beautiful and unique way to promote yourself or your business. Some people in my class used what they learned to make meditation videos and one made a video to celebrate her wedding anniversary. The possibilities are endless!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am now looking forward to taking Vivienne's latest offering, Rose Coloured Glasses which begins next week.

Just so you know, I am telling you all this because I want to. I only recommend classes I've taken with an instructor and love. There's no kickbacks or perks for me in sharing this information, other than having the satisfaction of helping to support an artist and instructor who has changed my artistic practice forever, for the good. 

When I started taking classes with Vivienne, I was not a photographer. I had a cheap, crappy point and shoot camera that was in the process of dying and I'd never taken an artistic photo in my life. I was clueless, but I had a desire to learn and when the opportunity presented itself, I leaped at the chance. You do not need to own a fancy camera or be particularly techie. If you have a desire to learn, you have everything you need. Whether you use a camera or just your iphone, it doesn't matter. Vivienne's classes are about playfulness and experimenting. She took someone who was completely green and transformed me into someone who is deeply in love with photography. 

She's just THAT GOOD. 

5 Shot Friday #2

I'm celebrating the arrival of Autumn with this 5 Shot Friday, created with photos from last Autumn.  If you've read my blog at all, you know that this is the season I wait all year for. I live for Autumn. 

This time next week I will be preparing for Canadian Thanksgiving. In Canada, Thanksgiving is centered around the celebration of the harvest and family. It always falls on the second Monday in October. Our Thanksgiving is earlier in Autumn than the States because of where Canada lies geographically-our harvest season happens earlier than that of our our southern neighbour. 

Right now, we're experiencing warmer than usual fall temperatures, so the leaves have not yet begun to turn. Hopefully that will happen by next weekend! I can't wait!

Meanwhile, to help me celebrate this most beloved of seasons, I've signed up for Rose Coloured Glasses with the incredible Vivienne McMaster. (At my friend Greta's urging. Thanks G!) It runs from October 8th-19th, so there's still time to sign up and celebrate with us!