Lemons to Lemonade.

I really do need a long holiday.
I'm bored with the routine everyday things I do.


It's so bad I'm even getting bored with the internet. Yes, even my blogging has slowed WAAAAY down as you can well see. I used to post every day- or at least five or six times a week, but now I do good to post a couple times a week. And most of those posts are either rants or they have to do with some gripe I have about a family matter, or they are about a bad dream I had or about missing my dad. Very negative stuff. I've tried working on my book and lately I work on it for an hour or so every morning when I come in from work when the house is quiet and nobody is wanting me to do anything or ask me where somthing is, and at the end of the hour I have a good bit accomplished, but after reading over it I decide it's not good enough and I delete the entire mornings work. Such a waste. I have tried watching the vids on BREAK & BOFUNK to get in a lighter more carefree and relaxed mood- sometimes/occasionally that will brighten me up a bit- but again more often than not I just get bored or I just turn it off and walk away in disgust at some of the STUPID stuff people do in the name of entertainment.


I have ideas tho........ such as I want to do a special photograph of each of my darling grandsons. Actually I want to get a special photo of the whole family(individually)but I want to start with the Grandsons. I LOVE photography and was well reminded of that when I took pictures at the wedding I attended this past weekend. I got some really beautiful shots- some very creative ones- and it made me very happy and proud that I got almost EXACTLY what I wanted to get. My only problem is around here most people don't like to be followed around with a camera until I get that perfect shot. I really like setting it up more like an interview. I pick a spot and take two chairs if none is available at the place I've chosen. Each spot is chosen specificly for the person I'm photographing. The Park is a great place to take kids, one with a playground preferably. It's a bit harder with grownups. You have to choose somewhere they will be relaxed and happy and comfortable- but not someplace with too many distractions. It defeats the purpose of the photo shoot to be somewhere you will be interupted too much.(Altho I have to admit that sometimes these interuptions provide some great shots- but that's the exception- not the rule.)

Kids are both easy and difficult to photograph. They get relaxed and playing or concentrating on something and they pretty much forget you're there with a camera.
On the other hand, sometimes they move so fast that you can HAVE the perfect expression on their faces but before you can press the button they are off , interested in something else that has caught their eye and all you have for a shot is a long, bright blur. And sometimes that's a great shot because it defines them perfectly. You'd be suprised what parents would like, so I always take a couple of those more "creative"("Yeah- that was a great shot- It turned out just perfectly, didn't it?") shots and throw them in as well.

The most difficult age group to photograph by far is the 20-50 year olds. Male or female- doesn't matter. They are very concerned about how they look and who is looking at them. They either don't like being followed around with a camera or they are constantly "hamming it up" for it. That's not what I like to get. My objective is to get the REAL person. The inner spirit, so to speak. Paulius is the perfect example. He absolutely detests being photographed. Every once in a while he will let one be taken, but he hasn't let me really PHOTOGRAPH him. Not the real him. I'll get it tho. He'll eventually let me. I have faith.

Older people are the greatest to photograph. They just want to sit and talk. And all you have to do is listen(or pretend you are). The elderly get so wrapped up in telling you their stories that they loosen up and relax and let these great emotions dance across their faces. They don't usually mind you if you get up and get something to drink(just to be able to change angles for the shots). They just want to talk about what matters to them. If they are worriers(about the camera) I take a portable cassette recorder along and tape the conversation-WITH their permission, of course- and then their focus is more on the recorder than the camera. After the interview/shoot I just give them the tape to take home with them. They think you've given them some great gift...maybe you have...just a while to let them talk about what matters to them.

You know, this post started out as something completely different and it turned into something positive. Lemons to Lemonade as my Grandmother used to say.
I don't feel nearly so bad and bored now.
Maybe I can take a couple days off before the holidays get here. Maybe do a couple of those photos.
Keep your fingers crossed and thanks for listening!