Shelly Photography

2010-01-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

Street Level

Winter is one of my favorite months, I prefer the cold and wind of the cooler months the heat and stagnation of summer. I have been feeling rather rushed and chaotic after our big move, still finding where to put stuff, what works best, remembering where I put things. The economy, motherhood, first son in school, move, lack of sleep, even my food intolerances have taken their toll on my creativity. I feel rather lost without an outlet to process my world, I didn't realize it really until recently. Today, I got out to take a walk, just to get out of the house, to feel the wind on my face and experience my new world in a different way. I didn't bring my camera, just my cell phone (which does take decent pictures.) I didn't want my focus to be to take pictures, I wanted to feel something.

As I was walking, I realized I would have to go across the skyway over I-5. I then realized that I had never stepped foot on that bridge before, and I love bridges. The skyway has been there for some years now, and though I have only recently moved back, I would come to the island many times and had lot of opportunities to walk that bridge, but I never had. I was always driving. Always moving fast enough to get to where I needed to go to maxamize my time and crunch as much stuff into the trip.

Walking presented me with an interesting perspective. I approached everything at a much slower speed. There was time to stare as I was walking by, time to consider, time to wonder. I wondered how long the quaint catholic church on the corner had been there. I wondered about the historic house I passed, the last name was the same as one of the local streets, I wondered about the people in the shops, what kind of conversations they were having, what they were eating and drinking, why they ate there. I found an unexpected comfort in the steady rhythm of my footsteps, fast enough to get the benefit of exercise, but slow enough to be able to concentrate on other things.

The route I had taken wasn't very long, I took my time, stopping to take a couple pictures to remind me of this theraputic walk I took, a sort of memento to look back and recall how this day felt to me. I was reminded that for me, and I am sure for many other photographers, photography isn't just about "capturing the moment", I am actually sick of this phrase, it's so syrupy sweet to me. It's about truth. It's about all your senses. Can you remember the smells of your wedding day because of a picture you have? Do you remember sounds? Touch? I love some of the wedding photography, but it seems a lot of it is contrived and ends up being eye-candy instead of mementos. The walk I took today was real and unrehearsed and I felt like my spirit had a spa day. I am planning to take another walk soon...no kids, no professional camera. I want to live in the moment I am walking into. If I don't know what life feels like for me, how am I going to recognize it for others?

Senior Pictures

2009-09-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

From my last shoot.

2009-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

the latest wedding I did

more stuff

2009-09-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

a wedding I did recently, the bride was the coordinator for a wedding I did a while back, we hit it off and when it was time for her to get married, she gave me a call. Happy to count her as my friend. She is a wonderful coordinator and I will put a link up for her soon......

some new pic's

2009-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

some pictures of a recent photos-shoot of my niece and some pictures of my boys.

2009-05-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures I took of my one and only niece recently. She is such a little poser ;-) which made my job easy.

some older misc

2009-03-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty busy lately but thought I would post some older misc pictures I like.

Here are my sons when they were much younger

My oldest son on a cache

cool perspective

my youngest a while ago, old phones can be toys, and training for how to call mothers when boys move out.....

2009-02-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

These are some older photos I took some time back....one of my favorite boys.

1.10.09 Wedding

2009-01-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some pic's I took for a friend.

Wedding Pic's

2009-01-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

These next two are some of my favorite candid pic's, I was the 2nd Photographer on this job and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I love the emotion and real life that comes through in these.

She was excited and nervous

Misc. Pic's I have taken

2009-01-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

A girl I used to babysit when she was much younger.....she is holding my youngest son, who was about 6 months I think at the time.

A peony I have had for about 8 years, almost as old as my marriage :-)

This was a couple years back, when my oldest son was about 3 years old. I am pretty sure that is hot chocolate, positive it's not coffee.

more flowers

My youngest, his first Halloween

2008-11-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of my boys

2008-11-30T20:34:00.000-08:00

Family Shoot

2008-11-30T19:07:00.000-08:00

Some Wedding Pictures