Raising the Bar

36 Photos, originally uploaded by KellieAnn Reynolds.

I spent a few hours last night pushing photo after photo into tiny frames, meditating on the year of 2010. I picked the photos for each frame based on how they looked in such a small square. I don't know why I wanted to do it, I just did it... very thoughtfully. Good thing, too, because I needed to update my blog. Here's what went through my mind:

2010 was a big year for me, photographically speaking. 2010 symbolizes the year I decided to go full-time as a photographer.

Until now, a lot of people will have been unaware that I lost my day-job nearly 2 years ago. Don't feel bad for me, it was the best thing that could have ever happened. In the past, I have worked for corporate banks and medical agencies as a back-end collector, and I worked for a lowest of the low telemarketing firm, as well. I loved my bank job and maybe I would still be doing it to this day if they hadn't relocated our department to Arizona, a move I only occasionally regret not making. I also freelance as a graphic designer and have had some success working for authors and websites (making banners and mailings) as well as logos for independent businesses. People also commission me for one-of-a-kind works of art. I get a lot of enjoyment out of my job in design. Plus, I am good at managing myself. And when photography came along, it took over my life in such a new and exciting way ... I figured why not go full-time? So, with the support of my darling husband, we used some of our saving's and I started my own photography business. Was it the best decision I could have made? Not just Yes, but Hell Yes!!

Yes, because I have the freedom I need in order to indulge in creative endeavors to stay sane. I get to be my own person to-the-max (people really like me!), and I [mostly] get to make my own schedule. I have the privilege of meeting new people and create with them. How cool is that?! Very cool. And, the biggest reward of all is that I feel a huge sense of accomplishment at the end of each day that I rarely felt from the other jobs I've held. However rewarding that may be, those awesome perks are such a small part in the overall scheme.

Those awesome perks are NOT why I started my own business. I started my own photography business because there was work to be done! Parents were asking me to take photos of their kids graduation ceremony (and the party's are always fun, too!). I even shot for a few non-traditional weddings, as well. I was getting asked to show up at 1st Birthday parties to take candid photographs of their child smashing their cute little fingers into cake. Bands and Musicians wanted to stand out from other bands by having me shoot their promo material. People inquired, Do I take Pet Photos? Why, yes I do! And the best part? They were all offering to pay me to do just that. So that's exactly what I did.

And now, it's what I do. I make pictures with people. A dream come true! Now I just gotta keep the ball rolling. :)

Until next time,
XO-kA

35 Things

I sometimes recap the years (usually around my birthday) by going through my old journals and finding bold and highlighted entries exclaiming things of mass importance or exciting moments, or super sad experiences, and there are some silly entries that I wonder now why it was so cool back then. I usually get a chuckle, and sometimes I get hit with something very profound.

In the archives, I ran across an old list of things I wanted to do, big and small, before I turned 30. Whether they were achievable goals or not, I had plans. I wrote the original list on my 22nd birthday. Wow. 22. It was just 8 years ago, but I feel like I have come along so much further than time wants me to think. :) And, I wanted to start a photography business way before I had really given it any serious thought. In fact, I wrote the list and promptly forgot about it. I'm pretty happy that I actually accomplished a great deal of the things. Some accomplishments, to this day, are very surprising.

Anyway, I had to revise the list some, being that I turn 30 in less than a week. The old list starts with 1 and goes down to 22. I reorganized the list to mark the olde accomplishments first (1-16) as well as leaving the original [unfinished] goals intact from 17-22. Then I added a few new goals, listed from 23-35. :) Happy reading! 

Make a list for your self and share it with me!

 

35 things before 35

1. Move into a Place-Called-Home with Chris ✓
2. Buy a Brand New Car and Pay it Off ✓
3. See the band Tool as often as possible without repeating set-lists ✓
4. Design and Sew my own Dresses, Bags, and Hair-things ✓
5. Start making my own Facial Cleansers ✓
6. Get Married & Stay Married ✓
7. Do Not Ever own a Credit Card ✓
8. Start a Photography Business ✓
9. Bake more Cookies and Muffins ✓
10. See more Movies at the Cinema with Friends ✓
11. Grow a Delicious Fruit and Veggie Garden ✓
12. Sculpt Clay Trinkets and Jewelry ✓
13. Write a Book ✓
14. Pack More Bento Lunches ✓
15. Forge More Friendships ✓
16. Be More Confident ✓
17. Grow My Hair to Mid-back ✓ New Goal: Grow Hair to Tailbone!
18. See 'Everything We Can' at a Toronto Film Festival
19. Wear (Pwn) a Classic Swimsuit and matching Swim Cap
20. Visit New York for a Weekend (never been!)
21. Learn to Sing and Play Guitar (Write and Perform a Song for Chris) [currently learning guitar]
22. Cross-country Road-trip to Hollywood (stay in Arizona for the bulk)
23. Finish writing my Childhood Memoirs
24. Have Picnics with Chris
25. Frame + Hang more Photos in the Homestead
26. Be super-organized
27. Do several Trash-the-Dress Photo-shoots with a Lovely Bride (and Groom)
28. Organize, Design, and Sell T-shirts
29. Own and train a Guard Dog
30. Open a Studio
31. Enter & Win a Photography Contest
32. Get Published
33. Do Yoga on a more Regular Basis
34. Upgrade Mine and My Husband's Photo/Video Equipments
35. Buy a House

 :)

Website Feng Shui Is Important

I read more blogs than I write. It's been too long since I wrote in my own blog. I have been busy working, designing a new website, and just biding blog-time until I get that new website up. My husband has designed his own (3D motion-graphics and Visual Effects tutorials) website and is currently in the code-building stages with CSS in Wordpress - the same avenue I plan to take with my new launch in 2011!)

In hindsight, I should have started this blog next year. But I couldn't wait, so I set up this blogger account. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this blog, or Blogger. I love the usability and ease. But it doesn't feel like mine. I want all my stuff like peas and carrots. I want to have full-control over everything on my blog and my website. Functionality, design, etc. Blogger does a good job of making this blog as much 'my own' as possible, but there are some things in the ToS that cause the brakes on my unicycle to go squish. The principal still stands; I want my own stuff together with the rest of my stuff. It is logical, organizational, and it would be much better overall for my business. Neat 'n tidy. But I always work with what I have got, and so far what I have is working good [enough]!

This blog is currently being used for personal reasons. Documenting things while I transition from being no-one in particular, to being a kick-ass photographer. I would hate to not have these beginning stages documented. Even if it is not as consistent, or as interesting, as I would like it to be. That will all change after the New Year, which I am thoroughly excited for (and terrified of).

As for my perfectly good portfolio? Oh, I like it alright, but I don't love it. And I don't want to sound ungrateful. I did win free hosting for one year, after all. Yes, I'm happy with it... for the time-being. But there are a lot of technical reasons why I have a love/hate relationship with my portfolio. I'll be doing a full review on the hosting service when my term runs out, so stay tuned for that.

Why I Want to Be A Professional Photographer (and why it's crazy)

I have not yet had a reason to question why I wanted to be a photographer, until today after an unrelated discussion with my father. If you had a conversation with me, I would be able to answer that question before it could even be asked. I'm creative. I'm intelligent. You would get that from me. In a heart beat. But the real question I have for myself is, Why on earth would I want to become a professional photographer?! Really. Why would I do that to myself? The answer surprised me as much as the question itself. I actually enjoy the challenge of running a photography business. Of course, I love everything about photography, but that isn't the main reason why I want to be a professional.


When you're running your own business, you've got to be several people all at once. And you most certainly have to have discipline. As a free-lance photographer, I am my own manager, book-keeper, research team, marketing director, ad designer, website administrator, blog publisher, and networking agent. At the same time, my work has to stand out from my competition, which consists of the already-established pro's out there, and the "free" photographers, which seems to be anyone with a camera.

Some people will hear that you're a photographer and assume it's all rockstars and lollipops, but there is a lot more to it than that. A lot more. Photography may seem like a dream job, and for me it is, but there is a lot of effort and care put into running a gig like this. Including occasional self-doubt.

In all reality, the smallest part of my job is considered the fun stuff. Having professional gear to work with, for one, and knowing how to operate the equipment with my eyes closed, above all, is fun. Attending workshops, experimenting, reading countless books, practicing. All that is fun. Traveling is fun but comes with wheels and an engine, at minimum. Shooting is by far the most exciting part. Meeting interesting people, coming up with new and impressive ideas, capturing the images at new and appealing angles, playing with lights and shadows, being one with your subject. It's all very exciting, and yes, it is fun, but it comes in small doses. When the shoot is over, the job keeps on going. I upload, cull, and begin editing the images, one by one. Processing and doing full retouches on a single image can eat up a lot of time. It can be tedious, but extremely rewarding once the work is completed. Personally, I get a rush sending the final images off to the printers. There is nothing like a professional print compared to seeing it on a computer screen. It honestly is near-magical. That magic is exactly why people hold photo-albums so close to their hearts when they bring it out to show their friends and family.

Another part of my job is to design cards, albums, and collages. Most of the time, the client wants to be involved and so they should be! I want them involved as much as they want to be. The job is not completed until my client is happy. They hired me for a reason, so my job is to leave them more than satisfied. I want them to be proud of their images. I want my clients to tell their family and friends about their experience with me, but more than that I want my clients to show their friends and family their experience.

The least fun part? Taxes. Ha ha! Any job can sound like a cool job, but it's still a job.

We all live in 3-D. Desire, Decision, and Dedication. Make the most of your life, find a way to do what you love, and no matter what, don't give up. It's going to be tough, it's going to be a whirlwind, it will be slow, there's room for highs and lows, good and bad. It's necessary. That's life. Enjoy it. Make Memories. Make History. Make pictures? Don't mind if I do!

Introducing My Brand New Website!

www.KellieAnnReynolds.com

For the past few months, I've been thinking about how badly I want/need a photography website. To get my portfolio out there, drum up hype, gain clients, new friends, artistic adventure. I wanted a website for a lot of reasons.


So, back in August, I entered a random contest through ThePhotoArgus and Twitter, then quickly forgot about it. A few weeks later, when checking my emails, I saw that I had won free website hosting for a full year, plus other goodies! So I got right to it and built up my very own portfolio. Optimism pays. It really, really does.

Picking out shots was a very challenging process. I have done this before when printing for my book. It is no easy task. Sometimes I can tell right away when a shot is awesome, other times, I over-analyze things. Somewhere along the way, I got into a depressive slump. I cried. I started to feel like my work sucks, that I suck, and I need more practice. Well, of course I need more practice. I will always want to study through various resources. But I definitely do not suck. I've been working with my gear for a little over one year now. I know that I have so much ahead of me than to worry about yesterday or 6 months ago. But it is healthy, I believe, to go through past work and take a step back to see the accomplishments and the downfalls, and just work even harder at becoming better.

I have an insatiable desire to work-work-work, play-play-play. I am forever coming up with new ideas and keeping myself awake at night with a pen and paper, writing new stuff down. Some ideas take more time than others, and I have a few ongoing projects that I plan to release in the future. I implement my creativity and listen to others creative input. I set up photo shoots in my dining room and backyard for fun, at parks, downtown, the boondocks. I get my family and friends involved, too. I work with clients. I win some and I lose some. There is no doubt that I love what I do. Photography has opened so many doors for me, much more than any other profession I've had... and I'll rock any job you give me. Honest. But photography, now... photography has consumed me.

So, now I have a photography portfolio. For the first time ever, I finally have my own nook in the world wide web. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. The web is HUGE. But I am more excited than nervous. I am happy with the outcome of my website and my branding so far. My life and work is an on-going commitment. I love being able to do what I do. And I want to keep on keeping on. I hope all my friends out there can do what they want to do, and feel the happiness that I feel and that so many others feel. While I am not yet exactly where I want to be, I am heading in that direction!

www.KellieAnnReynolds.com

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

[All Images and Content are Copyright 2010 by KellieAnn Reynolds]

I have lived near and around Northeastern Ohio for practically my entire life, however I have only been to the Cleveland Zoo twice in the last decade. The Cleveland Zoo has brought ZooKeys back. It was really popular back in the day. I have an old elephant key stashed away. The animal-shaped keys unlock audio story books full of information about the Animal Kingdom. The audio boxes can be found all over the zoo, and they now operate on solar power, which I thought was pretty awesome, except that the boxes have a big British Petroleum logo above it. The ZooKeys still have the same nostalgic appeal, but with an updated look much like a card rather than a key.

We didn't see much of the lions, but we did get to see the Clouded Leopard, perched so prettily on a branch, snoozin'. And, through the plexiglas, I spent a few curious moments with a Wolf's Monkey.






We missed seeing the Elephants due to construction, but we plan on returning to see the new African Elephant Crossing when it is unveiled next year. When we got to the Rhinoceros, we were told in secret that a baby rhino had been born and that she would be announced the first week of September. That explained why we were seeing one very lonely looking Rhino.



They have a new Dinosaur! exhibit that I was so excited to see. The Dinosaurs are medium to tall, rubber animatronics that Roar and some will spit water on you if you're not paying attention. The dinosaurs are definitely cool, but I was hoping for something a little more entertaining. The most lasting effect of the Dinosaur exhibit is the Jurassic Park theme music, which we were humming for the rest of the day.

We looked at just about everything in the the Aquatics at the Zoo. Ocean life always puts me under a love spell. I've spent hours looking at fish in tanks. One of my life goals is to learn to scuba dive so I can take underwater photographs. The octopus was very dimly lit and we almost didn't see it tucked into a corner, bein' all squishy. I have a rule that every time I see an octopus, I will take a photo of it. Jelly-fish, too. And unicorns.








I put my camera away for the Butterfly house. I was paranoid about the moisture. This gave me a chance to really be immersed and impressed. These butterflies are exotic, they are from all over the world, so we had to be very careful. They fly freely in a greenhouse to classical music while you walk in a big circle until you are ushered out the door. But while I was in there, I was convinced that I was a magical dream princess. The butterflies are so beautiful and colorful and plentiful. Sometimes the butterflies would fly right past my face and brush over my cheek or get stuck in my big hair, and they even made my eyelashes dance from their butterfly breeze. It was awesome.

Have some bees, if you please.



Monkey Island seems to have noticeably fewer monkeys than I remember, but the monkeys now share space with a few adorable, teeny-tiny antelope creatures called a Klipspringer.





My favorite part of visiting the Cleveland Zoo? The Rain-forest. We usually save it for last since it's closest to the parking lot. I love everything about the Rain Forest exhibit. I didn't take any photos because it's dewy and humid in there with the waterfalls and sprinkler systems. After the Rain Forest, we had enough time to take a trolley up the hill to walk the Northern Trek. The seals were missing and the wolves were sleeping in far, far away land and I didn't have my tripod. But we saw the three bears, the Malayan Sun Bear, the Black bear, and the Polar bear. And few minutes before we were told it was closing time, the seals came out to play :)








It feels like a new experience every time we go to the Zoo. Next, we want to see the Columbus Zoo & Pittsburgh Zoo :)

One final thought: This was the first time I had a chance to bring a camera to the zoo with me, and I tell ya, I thought Zoo photography was going to be a cake walk. What I didn't realize is, animals are animals. They don't respond like dogs and house cats. Zoo animals will turn their back on you and fall asleep, meander over to the shade at the farthest point of the map, hide from you and hide their babies, huddle together in protective groups, and urinate when you first meet them, and for a really long time. I also forgot about the dirty, scratched up plexiglas windows and sometimes unattractive caging systems. But it goes without saying, I love a good challenge. :) Also, thanks to my patient and amazing family, I was able to hang around certain exhibits long enough to get these shots.


Cleveland Metroparks Zoo | Cleveland, Ohio

[All Images and Content are Copyright 2010 by KellieAnn Reynolds]

Go Crazy or Get Creative

Lady Bird, She flies, originally uploaded by Kazoomi.

Last week, I said I would be concentrating on picking out photos for my printed portfolio. I knew I had to pick photos that represented what I want to do as a photographer, which is to focus entirely on people-portraits. Of course, I want to stand apart from other photographers. For a moment when going through photos for my portfolio, I tortured myself into feeling like I needed better photos. More people. Different scenes. Super unique ideas. I've figured out I don't have to worry, all I have to do is stay focused on the goal. :) It's natural to want to succeed, master the craft, feel like you're the best. Maybe not the best out of everyone, but to be the best you that ever lived. That's a good goal to start with. No shame.

During the past week, something happened that gave me a swift kick in the ass. So I turned my tiny dining room into a tiny studio and experimented with self-portraiture. I did not have a particular goal in mind, at first. I just wanted to get off my ass and do something. I truly believe it's in us to go crazy or get creative. I don't really mind going crazy, as long as I can plan it like a vacation. :)

[continued...]

Mrs. Peacock, originally uploaded by Kazoomi.

Self-portraiture, as cathartic as it may be for an artist, can be mistaken by others as selfishness and narcissism. But I'm here to tell you that there is nothing at all wrong with the process of self-exploration. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't yet been daring enough.

At the end of this year, I will turn 30. Only recently have I discovered exactly what I plan to do with the rest of my life and how I will pursue a career in art photography. I have always been an expressive, imaginative person geared toward the visual & performing arts. I love story-telling. Music, movies, and books have been a consistent and reliable source of inspiration and motivation for me. I have given chance just about every kind of artistic outlet there is, just to see what feels right to me. And while I do not know where my career in photography will go, I do know that I'm going somewhere I want to be.

Amerikan Geisha, originally uploaded by Kazoomi.

Portfolio à la mode!

I recently celebrated One-Year of Being a Photographer. Well, to tell you the truth, I've been taking photos diligently for two years; the first year with point-and-shoot cameras, but only since last year with more professional gear. In the last year, I took 8221 photos, edited over 1500, uploaded over 300 to the web, printed less than a dozen photos, and less than even that are put into frames or albums. The prints I do have are beautiful. So beautiful that the love I had for a shot while editing doesn't even compare. Prints are windows to the past, some have amazing views, while others prove we were once kids, and that our parents were actually pretty cool. It may sound silly, but it's true. And that's why I love photography. It reminds me to live.

It's the right time that I decided to build a portfolio. It's part of the plan I have in mind that keeps me going. Although some have expressed that portfolios are becoming obsolete with the digital age, I still feel the desire to create one. I asked my handyman father in-law if he'd help me out with a bit of know-how on tools and supplies so that I could design my own portfolio. And, as usual when it comes to tools and supplies, he already had most of the stuff I would need to build one!

This week, I'll be concentrating a great deal on picking out the best of my work to send off to the printers. There is also much to be done about picking out exactly which materials I will decide to go with when making my portfolio. Now a riddle: Acid, Blasting, or Burning?

A Fair Day in the Life of a Photographer

Ah, the mouthwatering aroma of carnival food. I followed that smell down the road with my loveyhubs in the passenger seat, his hand auto-planted on my thigh while I maneuvered our spaceship through the cute little town where we live. It wasn't planned, but we went to the fair!! I saw a child riding a magic bullet with the determination of an inventor, and took a sneaky peek at lovers cuddling on a Ferris Wheel eating candied apples like sophisticated wine drinkers, imagined the lonely Carousel living happily in my backyard, and left on the high note of seeing a really cute, really old couple sharing an Elephant Ear on a wooden bench and laughing, genuinely laughing as if the war had finally ended.

No care in the world. Wouldn't that be grand?

[All Images and Content are Copyright 2010 by KellieAnn Reynolds]

JayCee Fair | North Canton, Ohio

Hello? Hello Yourself!

[All Images and Content are Copyright 2010 by KellieAnn Reynolds]

[Photo taken by my husband, Chris]


When I started to write this first post, I had no idea where I planned to go with it. I don't know that any first-time bloggers would know exactly. Ideas are like kites, you gotta run with it! [Dude, did I just make that up? Awesome!]

Here you will find that I love to take photos and enjoy writing pretty sentences with lots of commas. I love to draw and make cool illustrations on my computer. And I simply have to Do It All, or else I'd much rather suffocate, drown, or be burned half to death than keep in all of my steam, man. Besides, I am far too inspired not to share my beans. Everybody has some beans they wanna share. Or at least, they should!

If you were to ask me personally, I would say that it's much easier to make pictures, than it is for me to explain certain things. I'm told by My Honey that I can go way far-out. But that's what makes me draw on ideas. It helps my brain feel like a muscle. I'm a dreamer. Anything is possible.

I bet if I worked hard, I could be a Jedi Queen and Warrior at a lot of things, good things. At least I'm not saying, Hey-ay! I want to be like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Meatloaf... As if a PB&J had TONS of personality. In that case, I'd only be 1/3 of my cool potential. I just want to be me. And I wanna be more than even that. I want to provide for my family doing what I love. Who doesn't want to do that? Only people who haven't asserted themselves. Even I could play the role of a Queen, on a confident day. And my version of Queen has by her side a King every day of her majestic life, and she can spend a lot of time with him while they totally rule together. :)

Back to why I started a blog. Since I have made the effort, I plan to post on my new blog as much as my schedule will allow. At least once per week, I'm just going to put myself out there, right here. Really! See all the scenes, walk some walks. I'll put up fun things to look at. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Right for now, I feel like I'm the only one who will read this. This blog is like singing in the shower. ♫ ♪