Please visit my website: www.arteagraphy.com

thank you for following along. and stay tuned for the next project and for more updates on this one.

Monday October 11, 2010, 7:00 a.m.

I am pleased to post that the photography project I've been mindlessly raving about will go public on the above date. Shout for joy everyone!!! I have actually decided to continue the project for as long as I want because it's such a lighthearted and enjoyable concept to work with but for now I am calling this part of it complete and I am displaying it for the world to see. Thank you for reading all my silly notations on my little adventures doing it. Knowing at least a few were reading affected my efforts in this. I learned so much by doing things I hadn't done as often as I should have been and I just had to share it before I exhibited the results.

I have been editing like crazy and researching on how to make it all finally happen. And I welcome all critique and high fives after viewing. Also if after viewing you'd like to be a subject for the ongoing project feel free to contact me. Hope you view Monday morning or anytime after that and keep visiting here to view other future activities for this project and others to come.

Above is another sneak peek!!

Things Happen and Things Don't Happen

I glance at my calendar and realize it's the end of September and the beginning of Autumn. AND THIS PROJECT AND MY WEBSITE ARE STILL NOT UP AND RUNNING!!! Aghh!!! That's so bad. But i will still gladly inform you that we are making very good progress. The project is actually complete but I am working on the other images going on my site. Things happened this month, like a two week time away from home among others, and things didn't happen like my website being up. I'm still very excited to get this baby up and to continue working. Here's another sneak peak from the project.

Sneak Peek

These are bits of the project. I've desaturated them for the blog. These days I continue to edit images for it and for the website, which is coming along. Thanks for taking a peek and feel free to let me know what you think about them. I hope to show you the the completed unit very soon.

Edit

I have officially stopped shooting for the project for now. It's actually an ongoing thing, but for now I am stopping to display the finished pieces on my webstite within a week or so. Yes! Now it's time to edit and upload to my professional photo website. It's very exciting to know I have completed something like this. Honestly, I am terrible at completing projects like this. Going over the shots I am actually a happier with the results than I thought I would be. Please keep reading here for the official go to my website date. Once again, thanks for all who allowed me to invade their space and those who are excited about this with me. Have a great start this week.

Outdoor Church Signs R Cool

Ok, so I like looking and taking pictures of church signs for the project. And I know this is dorky but it's quite neat the way they appear to work. While I was shooting one nearby early morning, I actually arrived just in time because I was able to catch it with the sunrise behind it and the sign still somewhat glowing from whatever light is inside the sign. They seem to be solar powered and glow at night, then automatically turn off when the sun illuminates it. Haha! I just thought that was the coolest thing, that these signs are hightech. : ) Or is it God's light turning them automatically on at night to shine brightly. Haha, sorry, just had to take note of that. Enjoy your week and thank you to everybody reading this who either let me take their photo or is just actually interested in this project.

By the way, I want one of those signs now to put random quotes out on my front yard. That'd be neat!

Back to Business

Today, I took some photos of mechanics hard at work during the cool of the hot summer day. I walked in with them as they slid open their garage doors and felt the breeze from the switching on of the shop fans. It was time to fix automobiles. They were very friendly and easy going men in the midst of a seemingly overwhelming amount of work. But they know the drill, they've been doing this type of work for more than twenty five years! It turned out one of the men's daughter is attending A&M Commerce, where I went to school. Here I am a Commerce photography grad taking pictures of a dad who's sent his daughter to Commerce, eight hours away, to graduate, too. A small world it is indeed.

...I hadn't blogged because I hadn't been working on the project. :( There was a slight transition in my life during the past two weeks and a summer cold/flu made the matters all the more difficult to work with. But Thank God I am up early again and documenting the world. Due to a week and a half of 24/7 baby sitting next week, the project is expected to be online on my professional website on the late first or early second week of september. Good times up ahead!!! Below are some shots for the blog from my location this morning. Oh and feel free to visit another blog / slash photo journal type thing at http://betzyandthelightfriend.tumblr.com Thanks to the automotive shop for letting me visit with you and thank you for reading this.

The Week Behind

Let's look back at highlights for this week's project activity.

• Didn't ask strangers to model, just shot my mom, husband and landscape. I know, slacker.
• Shooting with new Canon 5D Mark2 <3, and having to buy all this other crap to use it properly.
• Shot about 4 times this week. : )
• Car started smoking up while shooting on Thursday.
• Shot some stuff on the mile walk to work on Friday, feet hurt. : (
• Brainstorming on cheap yet good ways to exhibit work soon.
• Passed up an opportunity to shoot a bunch of men on their morning break cause i was timid and tired from walk.
• Overall, great week and got some really good stuff! Thank God!

Thanks for following along, sorry didn't upload photos. Project looking to be done by end of August and up and showing on website first week of September.

Have an amazing weekend!

He Didn't Stop After the 6th Day

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...

I believe it and oh man, I would have loved to stand in midst of it all and photograph the creation. What a sight! My husband and I read Genesis 1-3 last night and of course I was imagining all the beautiful images in my head. I wonder if God took photos that we can probably see later. I know I would love to see that. : )

It hit me this morning that his creation continues even now. Every morning he is creating a new day. He never stops molding something new in us and for us. It's thrilling to know he is always at work for us. We rest in the evening to receive new things in the morning. New mercies, new agendas, new feelings, new goals, new dreams, new people, new things are always coming our way. We're in the who-knows-what day of creation! For someone who easily tires of the same ol', like me, it's one of his greatest gifts! His creation never ends.

Everyday, I have tried to wake up early to go discover these new things in the places that surround me. I capture it, so I can look back, share, and treasure what I've found. The plans are to show the new images God continually created for me to take photographs of. I want to embrace his constant renewing. Being an instrument to keep creating is such a privilege and I know I fall so short of the greatness he can do but I like to think I am blessed with witnessing simple yet really neat sights everyday. Then being able to share them leads to to other new exciting experiences.

The whole process of creating a body of work in photography is endearing and always keeps things fresh and surprising. At least, I know this process has been so. I wake up and have no idea where I will end up, or who I am going to meet and then I am challenged with photographing a place I haven't been before. I crop pieces of this new little world in my camera and later open all the pieces up in my computer. I admit, I get a little anxious everyday, can't wait to go home and download the images and study the new pieces of the project.

Sorry to ramble on, but God has never ceased to be amazing in every area of my life. I trust it's the same in yours. I hope there are good and new things coming your way no matter where you're at or what you're in. I also hope that you continue following me during the creation of this project, which will soon be complete.

"A Picture Tells a Thousand Words"

The title for this post was the reason a man gave me when refusing my proposal to take a few photos of him last Wednesday morning. He laughed at first then said, "Well, a picture tells a thousand words," and nodded his head to say no. I was a little confused as to what words he was afraid the pictures would say. He looked decent and he was just doing laundry. Hmm? Interestingly funny. 

Then I found the sweetest young lady named Dee. She was so cooperative and didn't seem nervous at all. I love people like her! I only visit places once to shoot, but I definitely will go back there. 

This project has been an amazing blessing in countless ways. I have had great morning conversations with so many different people. And it's been a very diverse group. From a young lady who wakes up to be at work in a convenience store at 5:00 am every morning to a man finishing wood work at sunrise in his backyard. And they all have been so friendly and open with me while i'm taking their picture. They all have their different reasons to approve my proposal. One understands because she's seen the projects her kids have in college, one wants to expose his work, and some just really don't mind. For whatever reason, I like the generosity i'm seeing in people in regards to their time and space. I like those who are being cautious with it too, they are strong in their opinion and aren't afraid to speak up for themselves if they disagree. So I appreciate and learn from both responses. 

Well, I can't wait to display the images all together and to hopefully have a mini exhibit for all to see. I'm very excited, it's my first project without teachers counseling me throughout so I expect a lot of room for growth, but I can't wait for the critique and development that will come afterwards, too. Yay! 

Sideline Photographer

I shot a close friend's wedding this weekend. I'm not an official professional wedding photographer, but somehow weddings find me and I have a really good time shooting them. Anyway, I was really excited about this one, but right before it began, I was told that I needed to remain on the sidelines throughout the ceremony. Honestly, I was shot down. As a photographer, I want the liberty to explore the experience without restrictions, and it had been taken from me so unexpectedly. Although, the instructions were very upsetting at the time, it helped me realize something valuable and edifying about my current photography work and this project specifically.

I had been feeling very unhappy with the latest results in my personal photo project. Like i wasn't pushing the envelope. As i reviewed the images i shot for the project this past Sunday morning, i realized they looked as though i was instructed to remain on the sidelines for the project, too. I thought back to the thoughts running through my head during the shoot that morning and remembered being very cautious and driven by the level of people's comfortability. And it showed in the images. The visual results showed weak exploration. It showed a photographer on the side just looking at scenarios and taking a picture opposed to someone who dug deeper and tried every possible angle, regardless of minute obstacles, and alas found the best photograph to represent the exploration.

But now, after the disappointment, a new procedure must take place. Hopefully new and better results will then follow. I plan to display unique and captivating angles of common places we see everyday. I see now it's going to take more effort, skill, and passion than I expected but thank God he made us creatures who can change and better at these and at so much more.

Also, If you know of any place that i can shoot at in Kingsville early weekday mornings or in Corpus Christi early weekend mornings please email me buttirwalk@yahoo.com or comment below. Thanks for reading. Photo above was shot during the project for the blog.

Stay Tuned

Word on the streets is that people are actually reading this. Cool! Well, i've been so vague probably as to what the heck this whole thing is about and on the who's what's where's and when's. Well if you are someone who I have handed you a card to verify the validity of the reason I went to shoot pictures at your place, I won't have your pictures up here. They will be up on my website, which is still in construction, God willing by August my website will be up and I will let you know here on this blog. So please please check here often. I update weekly. I am editing and going through a lot of photos from other things that I have shot besides this project. I am going to start looking for editorial photo and assisting work after my site is up, so I am trying to get some good stuff up. 

So, the plans as of now for this project is to show my favorite photos on the website in August and hopefully by Sept. or Oct. exhibit them somewhere in Corpus Christi and/or Kingsville, Texas. I hope to have a mini book for sale, too. So please check here for the dates and places for these events, too. There are a lot of firsts for me throughout this project stuff, so we'll see how it all plays out. Keep following.

Rise and Work

"We make plans, but God gives the final word..."

-summarizing a verse in Proverbs 16 that i read before going to shoot this morning.

I was determined to go take photos of joggers this morning, but instead I took photos of construction workers working on a new bank being built here in Kingsville. I have always wanted to take photos of construction workers. I finally had a chance to.

They were very nice, and although, i was very nervous at first, I was able to see and get some really good shots. The light was amazing and the sky was beautiful. It was an even blue and had some nice puffy clouds. It was a magical, yet speedy hour. The workers were very friendly. Even though, it was early, hot and they didn't seem to be doing easy work, they seemed of good spirits. As I was taking the first shots, a man with a worried look on his face walked up and asked what i was doing. He appeared very hesitant about this, he didn't want me to get hurt. I was told to keep my distance from the structure. Later I noticed there was a sign on the other side of where I was shooting that said DANGER ZONE. No trespassing or something like that. So glad I didn't see the sign before I trespassed or I don't know if I would have happily waltzed in.

So, it was a good start for the week, I'm going to try to take more photos with people in them this week. Have a lot of asking to do ahead of me. I actually rehearse what I'm gonna say in my mind before I get to the locations, but it never comes out like I want it to. I'm learning that sometimes, you have to just not think about a thing, and do it. Something will play out. Agreements and compromises can still be made even if you're not allowed in the area. And if you just get kicked out, it pushes you to try harder next time.

Thank you to the workers and all the people who have and will let me take their photo. And once again thank you for following along.

On the photos above. one is just a bit of sunshine coming up one morning while i was working on the project and the other is the construction site i shot at this morning. these aren't photos for the project.

Progress Report: Good!

Howdy Yall! My hubby and I spent a weekend in West Texas (Ft.Davis, Marfa and Balmorhea). A really amazing experience! I don't think you've experienced Texas until you visited these towns. Really. Anyway, so although i did not want to wake up at 7am on our eventful getaway, I DID! And I shot for the project. I'm glad I did too because really good things came from it! You'll see soon. I find myself really drawn to landscapes (natural and social) during the project but I need to work on getting more people shots.

This morning, I was shooting a billboard here in Kingsville that fits perfectly in the project and as soon as I began to explore different angles, my battery died! Aw man! I hadn't charged it since we got back this weekend. So I drove home and ended up ironing my husband's clothes, instead of shooting like crazy before I went to work. Boring... : ) Well it made him happy. Note to self: before you go on a shoot, make sure you're prepared.

Oh yeah, another cool random photo fact, our tent neighbors at Davis Mountains State Park have been on a mission to shoot photos of themselves in front of ALL the Texas courthouses. They're shooting film and if the right shot doesn't come out after they've printed them, they simply go back to that city or town. Haha, I thought that was so nerdy, cool, and crazy. ALL the Texas courthouses.

Thanks for readin, and keep following me on this adventure.

good times for a change...

"Little town, it's a quiet village,

Everyday...

like the one before.

Little town, full of little people

waking up to say..."

I read about a man who is walking from New York City towards the northwest of the country. Wow. That's the kinda crazy things I want to do. For now, though, I am staying in this little south texas town and simply adding new challenges to the project. Besides the whole waking up around 6am goal (which is coming along), I am walking the mile to work every morning to shoot along the way for the project and to get more exercise. 

I thank God for my simple mind. I love doing this project! There's something about standing on the side of a major interstate highway feeling the morning breeze, hearing the loud trucks drive right beside me, and seeing the soft sun light dress everything around me. I know the town folk here find it odd that they are driving off to their jobs or already busy at work and I'm just walkin around taking their picture. Oh well, the silliness is worth the experience and hopefully the results as well.

Once again, thank you to those who have let me bother them so early and take photos. Oh and I don't plan to show photos until it's up on my site hopefully towards end of July, but we'll see what happens.

Second Week

Thank God for all these interesting and nice people who have let me photograph them. Some have refused, saying "It's weird" or they don't want anything to do with "no website." It just makes the project all the more enjoyable. The real challenges I'm finding are in those who accept and then, on I go, trying to portray them in a manner suitable to the project. Very difficult for me. I don't know much about documentary photography, but I'm looking a lot at William Eggleston's work. Look him up, he's good! If you recommend any good documentary books, please let me know. I have only shot in Kingsville right now. I really like what a small town looks like photographically. I can't wait to shoot in Corpus, too. I'm excited that I have been able to wake up at 6ish!!! You don't know how difficult it is, but I'm doing it, woohoo! Also all it really takes to get past the timidity to ask people, is to try it a couple of times. It's getting easier, even though I feel silly talking to them about it, it's becoming more natural and fun. Thanks for reading and keep following along to see what becomes of this. I encourage you, too to start on whatever project has been lingering in your mind. Stop thinking about it and just do it. 

Oh yeah, and pray for me. My arm has been hurting, so it's holding me back a bit. God willing, I heal soon and can hit this project full force. 

The First Project

Hello there!

God has blessed me with an exciting gift. I received my bachelor's degree in photography at Texas A&M University-Commerce, which I believe enhanced this ability A LOT! Sadly I've been on hiatus, kinda slacking for almost 3 years. No more though! I now embark on my first documentary project! Yay!

Simple concept and project. If you don't know what it is yet, I won't tell you, yet. A good portion should be done by September. You will see it on my website then, God willing. Please keep checking here or my facebook page (if you're a friend) as to when the project is done and on-line. God willing, it will go a little beyond my website, we'll see. The project consists of shooting mainly in Kingsville, Corpus Christi, Texas, and hopefully some in Dallas, Austin, and Conroe, Texas. Plans are also being made to shoot outside of Texas in the very near future, God willing. A little insight: not only is this my first body-of-work project, but it requires me to do something that i am terrible at... waking up before 7:15 a.m. and approaching people to ask them to do something they probably won't be up for. Keep following the blog to see how it's coming. You reading this will really help and keep me accountable in finishing it and doing a really good job. Also THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who have accepted working with me on this and are letting me invade your space and time. Your cooperation is going farther than you think! Thank you to Sam Fleishman and his photography, it was the final push that inspired me to do this, finally.

FYI: I'll be posting about once a week.