Week 12 - Reflections

This week's inspiration:

Reflections

Look around you...they are everywhere! Use your creative side and capture a reflection of anything.

I love the reflection of the palm trees in my little boy's sunglasses in this picture.

~ Cat Cruz ~

So not quite the reflection I had in mind, but this week the only reflection I could come up with was this "Reflections of the Past". My wife and I had the opportunity to help in recreating the past. There was a youth church activity for 4 days in which we remembered those who sacrificed on the plains pulling handcarts to the west. It was an amazing spiritual activity that I will not soon forget. Here is my Trek Family. We tried to pose with those straight faces of the past when smiling seemed not to be the appropriate thing to do.

~ Eric Morgensen ~

Went to a local car and tractor show. I didn't shoot as much as I should have. This one is the grill of an old 50's truck. ~ Brian Jones ~

There is so much more in this picture than the delicious treats in the window!

~ Kidest M ~

I snapped this one in a train station in Budapest while backpacking alone in Europe.......What me eyes see is an infinite road of endless possibilities <3

~ Lara Love ~

This is a quickie snap of one of a number of mirror messages in my humble abode. I See You, as in I see your Greatness - you can't hide from me. ;)

~ Natalie Diaz ~

 

 

 

The beetle reflected blue-green light so beautifully, I don't think I'll forget the day I took this picture.

~ Lauren Helm ~

See you next week my friends!!!

If you are interested in joining our photo projects please email us here: photos4inspiration@gmail.com

Week 11- Close up

This week's inspiration...

Close up
Get closer to your subject. Pick an object and get as close as your camera will allow and still be in focus. Whiskers, freckles, bubbles, grass...sometimes the smallest things are really the greatest.

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." ~ Napoleon Hill

I have a zoo membership and on a recent date with myself, this handsome, gorgeous guy approached me. He got so close his feathers were tickling my legs! After he put his feathers away, I crouched down and looked into his eyes. He was super chill and let me snap a few photos. I call this one "Whatchu lookin' at?!" He was about 5 inches from my face. Incredible!

~ Tabatha Conrad ~

~ Nicole Price ~

~ Kenna Hummer ~

Here is a shot of a tiny shrimp inside a bubble coral. The shrimp is probably about a ½ inch. The hard thing about taking a photo like this is that you have to deal with the current, breathing (cause your underwater), lighting, and a tiny creature moving. Some of my favorite shots are from diving although it is much more difficult to take photos under the ocean waves.

~ Eric Morgensen ~

My other two favorite subjects for photography are my furry adopted children, Rory (a 9-month-old golden retriever) and Nala (a 2 1/2-year-old toy chihuahua). Enjoy! :)

~ Cat Cruz ~

A sunny looking flower, NC in the summertime.

~ Brian Jones ~

Too dang cute and

www.beelove.us :)

Bumble bee feeding on a yellow bird of paradise in my new front yard

~Beth Iyaman, love life advocate! ~

I love cats.

~ Melissa Grove ~

See you next week my friends!!!

If you are interested in joining our photo projects please email us here: photos4inspiration@gmail.com

Week 10 - WILD CARD!

This week's inspiration....WILD CARD!

Basically you can send me anything you want...send me the story behind it, send me a quote, send me your favorite picture...or heck, just send me something that inspired you to take the photo!
 
Enjoy!!!

Snow plant ~ the bright beauty that fights it's way out of the brown decomposing forest floor. I love how mother nature is so generous with her gifts!

~Beth Iyaman, love life advocate ~

This is my nephew enjoying life. The image captures that wonder we loose as we grow older.

~ Caleb Friend ~

One of my favorite places to take my boys when they are not in school is the beach. It's fun AND it's FREE! :) One thing I love about my boys is that they are super grateful for everything we have and never ask for expensive materialist things. In this picture they are completely satisfied with soaking their feet in their homemade "jaccozy". Ahhhh the simple pleasures from a child's perspective...

~ Cat Cruz ~

A few months ago I had a woman speaker come to my college class and tell her life story and battle with HIV/AIDS. Ever since that day, I have been inspired to wear this necklace more often. This is one of the three necklaces (HEAR no evil, SPEAK no evil, SEE no evil) for HIV/AIDs awareness. Lin Daniel gave me inspiration for this photograph by opening up to me about all that she has been through.

~ Kenna Hummer ~

I just got back from Italy and while I was there I saw this beautiful woman taking a nap on the stairs near the Vatican. I immediately thought that it would be a fantastic photo so I started snapping away while those around me thought I was crazy. Shortly thereafter I showed them the result and they were mezmerized at how I saw something they had not.

~ Eric Morgensen ~

There's this gorgeous national park that I cut through on my walk to work. It had been raining the night before so all the plants and flowers still had drops of water sprinkled on their leaves and petals. It is amazing how much beauty there is in everything that seems to happen in this world if we just stop for a moment and notice it.

~ Kidest M. ~

The beauty here in Tulum, Mexico is absolutely breathtaking! This is a photo taken in Akumal, Mexico a quaint little cobblestone beach town with amazing food, artful crafts, and wonderful people!

~ Natalie Warr ~

~ Nicole Price ~

all i want to say is that this picture speaks for itself and takes my breath away every-time i look at it.

taken in Oceanside, CA.

~ Conor Meehan ~

 

This is my roommate. We met 2 years ago. Funny how the most unlikely situations change your life forever.

~ Melissa Grove ~

See you next week my friends!!!

If you are interested in joining our photo projects please email us here: photos4inspiration@gmail.com

Week 9 - Motion

Week 9 inspiration...
Motion
Photography is a static medium. That means that it is still, it doesn't move. This week I want you to convey motion in your images. Blur it, stop it, suggest it. How you convey motion is up to you! Have fun with it!!

We even included a EXTRA assingment...
**Extra assignment for motion photo by Natalie Warr**
Long Exposure
Use a shutter speed that is set to 1/15 sec or slower and set your camera up using a tripod, a flat surface or just your hands to produce your image.

Shutter speed is the length of time a camera's shutter is open. For a short exposure we would use a fast shutter speed ( ex: 1/60 of a second or faster) and for a long exposure we would use a slow shutter speed ( ex: 1/15 of a second or slower)

Long exposure is a technique that is often used to create interesting effects with water and lights.
Most traditional long exposure images are taken with a tripod or on some flat surface but it is possible to create exciting images using this technique while just holding your camera so that the motion of the camera is combined with the long exposure.

Here are some examples of Long exposure images
http://digital-photography-school.com/long-exposure-photography

Good job everyone...you clever critters you!!! :)

I really learned a lot this week. Although I didn't have time to capture a shot I intended in my mind I was able to capture the night driving on the freeways of Italy. No I wasn't driving. While a passenger I was able to start learning this incredible skill. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with.

~ Eric Morgensen ~

I took this picture while in Venice last year........we are all just light after all.....

~ Lara Love ~

So this is a pretty strange photo, I know. But something about it draws me in. It was taken at Billy Galewood's (Bushwalla) album release party at the Belly Up. He had just released balloons that were floating into the air, the crowd was swaying and moving to the sound of the music, and then Billy began hula hooping! For fun, I decided to take a long-exposure shot to see what kind of movement I might capture. It turned out to be something that I feel captured the energy of the moment...the creativity, silly, off-the-wall fun of the evening. The transcendent swirls of color and light that his funky beats evoked. And yet if you look closely, you can make out three faces captured in stillness. Overall, it's not the prettiest picture. But for some reason I am drawn to the different elements within!

~ Lauren Helm ~

This photo was taken by me at a backyard party recently. A cold winters night is usually not the time you want to be outside at midnight. This outdoor heater was what kept us out in the cold, and you can see that even though the effect showing is because my camera was using a slower shutter speed, to me it shows the radiating motion of the warmth from the heater.

~ Conor Meehan ~

~ Francisco Lovko ~

~ Kenna Hummer ~

I fell in love with the way leaves dance so violently in the wind during this weeks inspiration! Motion is so hypnotic! ~ Kidest M ~

I am sharing two motion pictures which I have cleverly titled "slow motion" and "happy feet". Enjoy! :)

~ Cat Cruz ~

~ Melissa Grove ~

See you next week friends!!!

If you are interested in joining our photo projects please email us here: photos4inspiration@gmail.com

Week 8 - Shadows

Week 8 Inspiration...

Shadows

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.
~ Samuel Smiles

This is not a scary monster...it is just a happy little boy acting out a play behind an umbrella at the beach. :)

What a great day. ~ Melissa Grove

This was taken last year of me and my BFF goofing off at Disneyland. We went for a belated bday celebration for my boys last year. It was the boys' first Disneyland trip. That place truly is magical. :)

~ Cat Cruz

 
 

~ Eric Morgensen ~

This is a photo I took with my son.....His hand and mine formed the symbol of Love. We love each other even in the shadows. ~ Lara Love

A meaningful photograph for me. My first artistic expression in a long time. In addition, it portrays my energy lately; chained to the wall and shadowed by my own restraints. Happy to look through the lens again, exciting. Thanks for the inspiration Lizard! ~ Luke Teel

~ Lex C ~

 

This little assignment made me really notice something. Everything under the light casts a shadow. Everything in my home, everything on the streets and outdoors, living or "non-living" - if it rests a few inches above the ground, it will cast its colorless silhouette in every direction. And light and shadow always go together - light doesn't need the shadow, but the shadow in order to appear always needs some form of light. Interesting right? Even more so if you apply it to what it means for your own Light and those shadowy colorless moments that may arise. ~ Kidest M.

Taken early one spring morning in my backyard as the sun was warm enough let me get my shirt off and bask in its radiance. ~ Conor Meehan

See you next week friends!!!

If you are interested in joining our photo projects please email us here: photos4inspiration@gmail.com

Special Assignment #1...FREE THE SLAVES!

Wow, we are completely honored that Free the Slaves asked for our support through our photo talent.

FTS puts forward a plan to bring slavery and human trafficking to an end and for that, we acknowledge them and support them completely! Thank you FTS for allowing us to contribute through our eyes and spread the word of your amazing work.

We were asked to create a photo with the word FREE in it.

Good job guys! GREAT shots and creative eyes!

A message from Tawney, FTS Outreach Coordinator:

Dear powerful observers,

Thank you for creating such beautiful photos through the eyes of freedom. I'm extremely grateful to have support in a journey that could be discouraging if there weren't so many people being the change. This is an issue that doesn't involve controversy, it's illegal everywhere, and we have the power to bring an end to slavery forever if we all do our part. Thank you for doing your part and welcome to the Free the Slaves family.

Tawney Bevacqua

Free the Slaves

Outreach Coordinator

~ Mike Peleshok ~

~ Cat Cruz ~

~ Eric Morgenson ~

~ Melissa Grove ~

~ Tristan Prettyman ~

~ Beth Iyamen ~

~ Natalie Warr ~

More speical assignments to come...