Blog Circles Archives - Page 20 of 21

April 6, 2017April 6, 2017

Share Six Blog Circle | April 2017 – Connection

Connection | Scottsdale Photographer | ©CeriHerdPhotography

Connection: A physical connection between two subjects; the connection between the subject and their surroundings; eye contact; a special bond.

When I think about {connection} or special connections, I instantly think of my children and in particular the first day my youngest little one went to school with his big brother. They insisted that I drop them off at car line instead of walking them in. Whilst I choked back tears I respected their wishes and admired the little one’s courage. I glanced back as I drove away away and saw the big one put a supportive arm around his brother’s shoulder to support him and gently steer him in the right direction. It was the sweetest most tender moment, I knew immediately he was in safe hands and my tears turned from ones of sadness (for they grow so fast and don’t seem to need their mama quite so much) to ones of pride and gratitude for their special bond.

I may not have a physical image of that moment 18 months ago but the picture of it stays in my mind as clear as day, and I do have countless images of that sum up their relationship, of the times they love each other, support each other and hate each other in equal measure!

If I ever ask them to stop what their doing for a picture (which isn’t all that often, because it normally ends in the 5-year old objecting somewhat angrily) that supportive arm quickly swings over the little’s shoulder.

Here they are taking their “pictures of the day” (just like momma) of a view from a hotel room and admiring each others work:

I think this was actually in the midst of an argument but it looks like there is love in there too, don’t you think?!

Their happy place. Barnes & Noble. Comic books. Side by side.

“Smell my armpit!” That is love!

OK, I think that was more than six. Sorry not sorry.

Please click HERE to see the talented Kathy Ledbetter of KG Ledbetter Photography’s interpretation of this months theme.

Join us for this month’s theme by posting your {connection} images on our Facebook page at Share Six and to our Instagram gallery, by tagging #sharesix and #sharesix_connection. A new theme will be posted on 6th May.

March 14, 2017March 13, 2017

Artists Inspired Blog Circle | March 2017 – Green

Scottsdale Photographer © Ceri Herd Photography

I had a plan for this month’s installment of the Artists Inspired blog circle. A clear and concise plan. 10 days before publishing the blog we would be travelling to Texas for Spring Break (which happily coincides with my birthday each year) and I was bound to find lots of {green} there. Surely!

…except I had it in my head I was looking for orange and made no attempt to search out green at all!

Anyhow, no matter. A day at Big Bend National Park presented me with plenty of green to share with you.

…but then, two days after we returned home from our epic road trip, having already selected my {green} images and with only 2 days until I have to post my blog link, as I was enjoying a dog walk at dusk, I was struck by just how much green there is in the valley at this time of year, more so than either of our previous years here thanks to winter rain showers. One week away and the valley has exploded with colour and life in our absence; the air is thick with the smell of blossom! I couldn’t not share it with you! I hope these few images, taken in somewhat of a hurry, capture a sense of that life.

These first two may not look like much but there is grass! Grass where I’ve never seen grass growing before! Green where normally there is brown! How cool is that?!

Ok so this last one isn’t actually from my dog walking route; it is from my original blog post with images from Big Bend National Park. I’m including it here because I loved the juxtaposition of the small and delicate wildflower being threatened and yet protected by the prickles of the spiky prickly pear.

This blog is part of the Artists Inspired Blog Circle series. Click here to continue the circle and see how talented photographer, Channon Williamson, interpreted this month’s theme. Be sure to follow the links all the way round to complete the full circle.

The Artists Inspired Blog Circle is made up of an exceptionally talented group of photographers from all walks of life, from all over the world. They are wives, mothers, friends, daughters and visual storytellers who draw from their own experiences to create art that is inspiring, unique, beautiful and thought-provoking.

March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

Life {Unscripted} Blog Circle | February 2017

Unscripted Photographer Scottsdale | ©CeriHerdPhotography

Whether you’ve come straight here or you’re working your way around the Life Unscripted Blog Circle, thank you so much for stopping by.

I am beyond thrilled to have recently joined the Life {Unscripted} team. Seriously! LU was the first photographic community that I found on Facebook, or any other place for that matter. The support that the team showed me from that initial contact 2 years ago, as well as the amazing array of talent that they showcase each month, shapes the photographer that I aspire to be now. It really is an honour to have been welcomed into the team. I feel like I have circled back around to where I began.

The past few months have been a bit of a blur. With germ infestations on a seemingly weekly basis for the smaller people in our family and my own camera fatigue, I have barely picked up my camera, so for this post I want to focus on getting back to normal. A “normal” day: not trying to do fancy things in-camera, not stressing about capturing every part of every day in magic light. Just a normal, balanced and relaxing day – a dog walk that is more about the children running than the dog walking (hence why you will barely see her here) and some boy time in the garden on our new-to-us hammock. This may be just “normal” but for me it was a breath of fresh air. Enjoy!

Next up is our wonderful LU Mama, Crystal Raynard of Crystal Raynard Photography. Please click HERE to keep following the circle.

March 6, 2017March 3, 2017

Share Six Blog Circle | March 2017 – Restore

Scottsdale Creative Photographer | ©CeriHerdPhotography

I am thrilled and honoured to be to joining the talented Share Six team! Share Six is a group of photographers who blog 6 images each month; each month is a different theme. This month our theme is {restore} and what a wonderful theme to kick start my involvement!

As 2016 came to a close I was competing my 365 (in fact 365 + 3 months). I was completely burnt out from the pre-Christmas rush and the endless months of daily shooting. In the last days of December and moving into the New Year, I was not thrilled with anything I produced. I couldn’t find any artistry or *see* what I was looking for. At all.

As January passed by and I took some time away from the camera, I continued with the struggle. My desire to create was still strong but my fear of failing stopped me from picking up my camera.

At the beginning of February I had a sudden realisation that I needed to make an effort to change my mood. This funk was not going to go away by itself.

In order to love the final image, I need to love the process of creating it.

In these past few weeks I have been attempting to {restore} myself. I took some time to focus on the specific aim of “creating.” My Share Six images where not specifically taken for this blog but they were taken specifically to restore my artistic soul. I played with each of my favourite creative techniques, techniques that push me technically and artistically. All of these images (apart from one) was taken within a one hour time frame around noon on a bright and sunny day. You’ll will see which is a different time of day (it was the following afternoon, with much lower and more golden light).

Freelensing

ICM – Intentional Camera Movement

In-Camera Double Exposure

Shooting Through : Prism

Macro

Shooting Through: Convex Lens

Over the coming months I’ll be doing a series of “how to” blog posts explaining how and why I do these different techniques. If you’d like to keep up to date with those posts make sure you subscribe to have them delivered them directly to your inbox >>

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I {restore} my creative soul. Time to stop being burned out and overwhelmed with the catch-up task ahead!

Please click HERE to see the talented Aubrey Dettmer of Applewood Photography’s interpretation of this months theme.

Join us for this month’s theme by posting your {restore} images on our Facebook page at Share Six and to our Instagram gallery, by tagging #sharesix and #sharesix_restore. A new theme will be posted on 6th April.

January 14, 2017January 14, 2017

Artists Inspired Blog Circle | January 2017 – Grey

Desert BW | Scottsdale Photographer | ©CeriHerdPhotography | Family photographer

{Grey} (or {Gray} if you’re American)…

I will admit, this month’s colour had me completely stumped. Unless I really go hunting there is nothing grey here, just the desert. So if it is not here right in front of my eyes, what is it fundamentally? Grey is black and white. I almost said “merely black and white”. But in photography black and white is everything. It is the crux and backbone of it all so I should not say “merely” at all.

With that in mind, I would not be me if I did not take that as an opportunity to try something new. You see, these two boys in this desert location, I would never see a black and white image. I am just not that photographer. Some photographers, some very wonderful talented photographers, see their images in black and white before they have even taken them. To me that happens but only occasionally. These boys to me are life. They are bounds of energy. They are love. They are colour. Similarly, so is the desert. I moved here expecting a barren wasteland but I was so wrong. There is a full spectrum of colour (just maybe not grey) and so much life, I struggle to see it in monotone.

And so I took a walk from last month and made it {grey}. (And I did the conversion in a way I had not tried before, because, hello my name is Ceri and I can’t help but experiment). In the process I had a lightbulb moment. I see texture. I see connection. I see I need to make more effort to love the black and whites in my life.

This blog is part of the Artists Inspired Blog Circle series. Click here to continue the circle and see how talented photographer, Brandi Geoghagan, interpreted this month’s theme. Be sure to follow the links all the way round to complete the full circle.