New Adventure...

So in the midst of an interesting week, I've come to a decision and I'm setting off on a new adventure come January. I've been wanting to travel around the US on an extended road trip of sorts, visiting people, couchsurfing, and taking pictures. While trying to make the decision between being a responsible adult and finding stable work where I'm settled already, or being somewhat irrational but albeit more fun and wandering randomly, I came up with an idea which has sort of made my decision for me.

I'm going to be a wandering portrait photographer... Granted, this is only a side "job" to help pay for gas while I build my portfolio with everything else photo-worthy (or not) that I come across. With the wonders of the internet, and digital photography, I plan on advertising online as I go that I'm wanting to do portraits in ____ City over the course of a few days, for a low sitting fee. I'll then provide my subjects (I like that word...) with a CD of pictures they can print for themselves. To this end, I've been working out how to set up a portable studio set on a budget. A friend of mine came to my assistance yesterday and patiently allowed me to photograph her while shooting the breeze and playing with my lights. The best of these photos are here.

Now I'm just waiting on my kitty companion. O.o

Art shows

I spoke with the art director for a coffeeshop here and I'm scheduled to display my photos there during the month of May. I'll post more details when I know them. Not a bad birthday present huh?

I also have talked to the art director for the Staggering Ox in Helena, and he wants me to bring some photos in to talk to him about when and where to put them. That will have to wait til at least next weekend, however.

Business cards!

So I've been trying to put some effort into Sydian Photography, hoping to turn it from a side project to side income. To this end, I've recently ordered and received my first three canvas prints, and 500 business cards. This is the image used on the cards, though with the name and website written above and below respectively. The back side of the card is home to my rainbow picture. :)

I've started talking to some people at the coffee shops around town looking to get my work displayed as well, and posted the canvas prints for sale on a site called Etsy.com, online sales of arts/crafts/supplies. I'm trying to be realisitic in that photography is a vast market, especially without a real niche. Also, I'm very much inexperienced and untrained, learning as I go but without the finances available at the moment for classes or more equipment. So at the moment, I'm carefully optimistic that I should be able to progress from this being a money drain to at least a sustaining side project where I'm not just dumping cash into my prints and equiment. Either way though, I'm having fun.

Deviant art

So I've posted a few of my photos from Sydian Photography on Deviantart, an online art community. Part of the reason I did this is to hopefully gain some criticisms and ideas, but also because they have a simple set up for purchasing prints and such, though they also take a large chunk of the profit. Easiest way for me to try and sell anything though at the moment, until I have the time to set up a system on my own site. Anyways, if you'd like to check out my gallery on deviant art, click here. There are also some older photos of mine up there that are not on my Sydian.

:)

Adventures in HDR

So I mentioned HDR photography before. I've uploaded a few of my attempts to a picasa album and thought I'd share the link here. The software I'm using is a trial version, so the final images are tagged with a watermark, but you get the idea. There are three sets of four images so far, each laid out in the following order; normal exposure, under exp, over exp, HDR image. The one of the windmills is my favorite.

I set out to get more photo's yesterday to practice with different focal points and such, but my battery died and I'm unable at the moment to find the charger. I think I may be purchasing a new one tomorrow. Grr.

4175 miles later

I cashed in my quarters at $396.25, and we hit the road at 3am Saturday morning, waiting only for me to shower after work. Over the next ten days Ammiel and I wandered to Texas and back by way of Denver and Salt Lake, visiting friends and family along the way. I rarely have time to read these days, so I took advantage of my turns in the passenger seat to read four books (I think Amm read eight or so... and I thought I read fast). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time was an interesting read, as was Terry Pratchett's Nation. I didn't find nearly as many scenic views or curious attractions to photograph as I had expected, but I did find a few, and often the sights were beautiful just not photogenic.

Day one of the trip ended with quick jump out of a plane with my sister and her husband at Mile High Skydiving in Longmont, CO. Day two was spent with Amm's wonderful grandmother Lorene, who treated us to a spectacular breakfast of baby dutch pancakes. Much of our three days in texas was spent either climbing/bouldering at the local rock climbing gym, or massaging each other's aching arms and hands. We camped one night in Arizona at my sister's second favorite drop zone, Skydive Arizona, in Eloy. Sunday night was at Amm's friend Micha's in Cottonwood, AZ, where we had the pleasure of meeting the most chill dog I've ever seen, The Professor, before heading on to Zion National Park for an overnight camping/hiking mini-adventure. Then Salt Lake area for two days, visiting two of my best friends and their adorable daughter, and a couple more of Amm's friends.

4175 miles later we returned to Bozeman in time for me to work my Thursday night bartending shift. Now its back to the grindstone, so to speak, and time to start saving quarters for my next mini-adventure; I'm thinking Seattle.

Sydian Photography

I've said before that I wish to be the ripple in the water, changing perspectives, sharing how I see the world. Recently, I've dedicated quite a bit of time to building a photography site to do just that. I'm hoping to get some of these pictures published in local and travel magazines, but also I wanted a semi-professional site to be able to show my work. Check it out at Sydian Photography. I'm not sure if I've really been blindsided by my passion yet, but over the last month and a half I've spent nearly as much time on my photos and art projects as I have on my two jobs. I even splurged and purchased a few more toys for my camera, including a remote shutter. I'm planning on teaching myself a new technique called High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, and hopefully will have some examples to post soon. In the meantime, if you'd like to see what it can look like, check out Stuck in Customs.

I've spent the last few months hording my quarters from tips (most of the drinks cost $3.25, etc, so I make about $20 bucks a week in quarters). I decided that when the crown bag was full, which equals roughly $400, I'd hit the road visiting people, adventuring, and taking pictures. The bag is nearly full so I took some time off work and planned out a trip. I'm leaving Saturday, for the Denver area, and next week I'll be in Texas. I'll be coming back via Arizona and Utah, stopping wherever I see a good picture, and hopefully adventuring on the way. On the agenda so far; skydiving at Mile High, a waterpark somewhere, climbing hopefully, Bryce canyon, the slot canyons, probably Zion national park, and visiting friends and family along the way. Any suggestions?

Back to work. <3