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.

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.

Artists Inspired Blog Circle Contributor

Spring Freelensed Part II | Scottsdale Photographer

©CeriHerdPhotography

Spring in Scottsdale is a wonderful time to be a photographer and a perfect time for daily photo challenge. Yesterday I published a gallery of my favourite nature images from my Spring Freelensed Project (Part I), but Spring isn’t just about nature; it’s about making the most of the great weather (and conversely, getting out the heat as the summer approaches). So today I bring you my favourite people (and dog) images from the project:

 

If you’d like to see more images from this project, you can see them on my facebook page…here. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Thanks for stopping by,

~ Ceri ~

Spring Freelensed Part I | Scottsdale Photographer

©CeriHerdPhotography

Spring in Scottsdale, AZ is a wonderful time to be a photographer. The blooms, the blossom, the outdoor lifestyle, the light. Oh, the light! The perfect time for another freelensed project! A freelensed picture every single day, from the first day of spring to the last.

“Ok but hold up, Ceri! What is freelensing?” I hear you cry. Simples. It is a technique that can be done with any camera that has interchangeable lenses. Detach the lens, hold it close to the camera body and manually focus by tilting and adjusting the position of the lens. Using this technique, you can create really interesting slices of focus, extremely shallow depth of field and amazing sun flares. It takes some practice, believe me it did not come easily to me, but with perseverance your results can be magical!

As I sit here in the sweltering heat of the summer, avoiding the outdoors at all costs, I am finally finally finding time to share a few of my favourites. First up, a blog post dedicated the best of the natural world. Enjoy!

If you’d like to see all of the images from my Spring Freelensed Project, click here. If you have any questions or you’d like to share what you like (or don’t), please feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by,

~ Ceri ~

Bennett | Fresh 48 | Scottsdale Photographer

© Ceri Herd Photography 2016

I recently had the pleasure of meeting adorable baby Bennett ~ 24 hours new ~ and his beautiful family at the hospital where he was born. It was such an honour to be welcomed into this intimate space, observing the first moments of a newly extended family, watching parents and siblings form lifelong bonds. Fresh 48s are really the most wonderful of sessions. Here are a few of my favourites:

If you love Mila and Bennett’s embroidered clothing and bunny stuffies, check out their momma’s Facebook page Perfect Stitchuation. She is so talented!