Torment Within

Not many people outside my friends and family know this, but I suffer from seasonal and chronic depression. Not to the point that its crippling, but enough that it can mess with my life for a while. Recently, I was going through one of my tougher nights and was discussing it with my very good friend Kenn. I told him I needed to change how I was thinking about myself and my depression. He gave me some very good and sound advice about how to go about that and how to start dealing with it. He offered up the suggestion that I start documenting it through photography, so that I can show myself and the world what is going through my head. So I set to it. The process involved using a tripod and a slightly lower shutter speed. The reason behind taking my shirt off was because I felt that there needed to be a connection, a rawness to the emotions, wanted them to feel real. The main feelings behind my depression are loneliness and isolation and that's what I tried to capture. The series will be continued, with myself and with other people as well. Depression effects many people, so many different points of views are good. If you would like to see the full series, check out my photography page on facebook at: Photography By Joe

Miss North Dakota Collegiate America!

Hey guys, its been a while. Life has been busy, but in a very good way. School has been amazing, and kicking my butt. Still working hard to attain what I want in my life. I have done quite a few photo shoots since the last update, but i only want to focus on three, the rest i will cover in another post coming soon. This time i want to focus on three or so shoots i did with one Miss Codi Miller, who is Miss North Dakota Collegiate America. About two months ago, she came to me to help her choose her photo she was going to use for her competition in North Dakota. After looking through her photos, i turned to her and said, "Non of these photos are you. How about i do some photos for you and see what you think of those." She agree and we went out and took some photos. I was really excited about it cause Codi is a beautiful girl. My friend Katheryn was helping me by working the reflector. We went out and got some great shots. She loved them and chose the one she was going to use for the competition in North Dakota. She went off to the competition and won, and not only that but she won Miss Photogenic! Here are some of the photos from that shoot:

Shortly after that, i took her out to do another shoot for me, and for my fan page. I chose a spot near Deadwood, SD, called Mount Roosevelt. There is an amazing tower at the top of a hike, and the colors during the fall are just amazing. Thats the part we focused on, the colors. We went off the path, and wandered through the woods looking for great spots to photograph. She had a purse with her, so i decided that we were going to go with a more fashion feeling and use the bag as the main focus. Now i will be honest, after this shoot, my feeling was that Codi's posing skills were to "pageanty" but she proved me wrong later on. We got some great shots from this shoot that i was happy to put on my fan page, check them out below:

So after winning Miss North Dakota Collegiate America and Miss Photogenic, she had to meet with me again to go through the photos for the national competition. We went through the photos and we just didnt feel we had what we needed. So we planned another shoot. It had started to get cold, so we decided that we were going to do it in the studio here at Black Hills State University, but beings that i havent taken a studio course, i am not allowed in the studio by myself. So my friend Rob helped us out, got us in and set everything up. I have to be honest, i really was not feeling this shoot, something just felt odd about it. After thinking about it later, i decided it was because it was the first time i was in control of a studio session and i dont think i knew enough to run it by myself. Anyway, Codi did an amazing job, she brought me exactly what i was looking for, which was humble and sweet. The photos turned out great and as far as i know she loved them. She chose the ones she wanted for the national competition and sent them in, after getting her directors approval. Here are some of the shots from the shoot:

 

 

Now to Codi i would like to say thank you for letting me do your photos, i had so much fun with them. And you are a beautiful person and soul, i wish you all the luck in the competition. You are going to do amazing!
Check out my fan page Photography by Joe to see the full albums.

Live your passion every day.

Today, i will start my blog off with a thought, what if you could live every day of your life by your passion? How do you think your life would be different? Thats what i am doing now. I dont think i mentioned it in any of my previous blogs, but i am now in college! I am a photography major, which i am sure isnt surprising what so ever. And now that i am here, i am living my passion out ever day. Everything i am doing, from math, to German, to my photography class is leading me to my goal of doing photography as my career.

My first photography class is called "Basic Photography". Its a black and white film class. I havent havent used film since high school. Its interesting because i didnt think i would like it, but i was delightfully surprised. You see, there is something.....i dont know......gratifying, (yup thats the right word), about watching your pictures appear on a piece of photo paper. the amount of time it takes to print the photos is calming. And looking at it from a different point of view, I kind of love the fact that i cant see the photos right away. Its feels like a gamble every time i press the shutter release. And the pay off is seeing the photos show up correctly on a roll of film. So as i close this blog, i ask once again, how would your life be different if you lived your passion every day?

The Alyea Way

Hey guys, its been a while again since i have posted. Lifes been a little busy for me lately, but in a good way! I've started college at Black Hills State University (GO JACKETS!). I am going to be majoring in photography. So its just been a little hectic and things have fallen by the way side. So i am catching back up.

Since my last post, i have done a couple of shoots. The most notable one is the senior session with Kayna Lee. These photos turned out amazing. She is a friend from one of the places i worked this summer. The way she styles her hair and the way she acts works perfectly for my kind of photography. I was a little nervous at first because this was my first paid senior shoot (i had done some before, but not paid). So i went somewhere familiar, which was a location that I had went to with Lisa that last time i was with her. So knowing the area really helped. Then we went to my dads antique auto lot, and did photos there. Kayna wanted 50's pinup style photos. I have got to say these have become some of my best pictures to date. Everything just seemed to work perfectly. and my angles just brought out what was needed in almost every shot.

Which brings me next to one Miss Hannah Alyea. This shoot happened this weekend. It was a senior session, and i have to say, it seemed like everything was working against me. Sky started out fine that day then clouds started to slowly roll in until it was pretty overcast. Usually thats not what most people want for their senior pictures. But Hannah is one of those girls who's personality shines through everything, even a gloomy drab day. She was alot of fun to shoot. I had gotten to know her through a dance show we had done together, and so naturally she came to me for her senior pictures. So even though the day was drab-ish, we had fun and her personality shined through. And we got a little creative and simulated rain. So in the end it came down to the editing to really make everything pop and come together. The photos feel very fall-esqe. And Hannah has seen them and is very excited with them. We will also be doing another shoot because there was one outfit we didnt get to that she wanted to do. So check out the few photos on here then go check out my fan page on facebook: Photography by Joe

Walters' Editing Comes to a Close

As i sit here at 2:00 in the morning, waiting for my photos to export out of "Lightroom", it finally hits me. I am dont editing the Walters' wedding photos! I've gone through 1,003 photos, narrowed it down to 283 photos, and applied my own personal touch and editing to each one. I have to be honest, the work became a little monotonous near the end, just because of the shear volume of photos, but they turned out great. I tried to give each photo its on special touch so that the feelings behind it could be properly conveyed. Sam and Ian make such a happy, beautiful couple, that its heard not to smile when you see the photos. I teared up twice at the ceremony and twice at the reception. My hopes is that i have done them both justice with these photos and that they will love what they see. So as my brain fights the fog of sleep, i wait for them to stop exporting, then i will set up a time this coming week to meet with Sam and Ian, and let them choose the photos that they would like to be printed. and i can rest a little easier knowing this project is done and i can present it to them. Hopefully their love of these photos will last as long as the love between them.

~Joe

Editing the Walters

So i have been slowly going through the Walters' wedding photos and i have begun to edit them. And to be honest, i had forgotten how much of a creative process editing really is. From know what works in what situation, what colors and how deep shadows need to be, to making sure that you dont let your creativity overblast and completely ruin a photo. I think i am reaching a perfect balance right now. I am just working on the base edits so far, nothing as major as blemish removal yet, just your regular editing through "Lightroom". The photos are starting to look great, the have enough traditional wedding feel and just enough of my edge and style. Both of which compliments the other well! (hah in my opinion anyway) But my edge and style really comes out in the editing and that is what Sam (the bride) wanted. I love deep shadows and high contrast, but done tastefully for the most part. And what is making this editing process longer is the amount of photos i took and the fact that its my first wedding and i am not exactly sure what brides and grooms look for in photos. So i am doing what i can and what i know to make them look great and hopefully they will have many great photos to choose from.


This whole process has been such a learning process. I know so much more now about wedding photography then i did before and its a great feeling. and as i edit this photos and see the beauty and the happyness in them, i cant wait to see the looks on Samantha and Ian's faces when they are done. I will be posting one sneak preview photo below. Be watching my fan page on facebook for updates and the full album coming soon. Photography by Joe

Feel free to click on the photos below for full image.

~Joe

The Walter's Wedding

So sitting here in my hotel room the night before the Walter's Wedding. I am probably as nervous as the bride and groom are. This is my first wedding, and i am worried that i wont be able to pull it off. Today was the rehearsal and i was able to get out and take some photos, which is good so that i know where i need to be when it all happens. Now while i am worried i wont be able to pull it off, i know that i actually will be able to, which excites me because that means i will be breaking into the wedding photography business. Which is very lucrative. But not only is it lucrative, you get to meet alot of amazing people. And as a side note, doing this wedding has made me start thinking even more what i want my wedding to be like. I just know that i will be extra picky when it comes to a photographer, since i know what i am doing lol. So wish me luck guys and i will post photos soon!

April's First Session.

As i stated in my previous blog post "Passion", i have been enlisting the help of friends to model for me. I had been talking with my friend April about helping for a while. So the other day i was sitting at home waiting for work to start when i got the urge to do a shoot, so i got ahold of April and had her come over. So as you can imagine the shoot was a little spur of the moment. but we got out there and got some amazing shots. Now somthing about me, i love contrast, i love doing photos of a beautiful outfit with a trashy background or semi trashy ripped up clothing and a fancy elegant background. Thats kind of what i did with most of the photos in this shoot. We have a small junk pile on part of our property, so thats where most of the inspiration for this shoot came from. Now something else you should know, April loves fashion, and she will be hopefully helping me with makeup later on on other shoots. So check out the photos and leave me a comment and let me know what you think! and like always, dont forget to check out my fan page on facebook: Photography By Joe

Passion

Since my last post called "Conclusions" my level of passion for photography has doubled, maybe even trippled. My brain is constantly making new ideas for photoshoots and i have been reaching out to friends to model for me so i can work on my skills in a more editorial fashion. as i look back through my photos and see where i started and where i am now, i  can see alot of improvement. So i am really excited about where my photography is going to go in the future. The ultimate goal for me is to get published in a magazine like Harpers Bazaar or Vogue. But that will take years to accomplish, but i am completely up for the task! Nothing is going to stop this craving in me to create beautiful photos, i am going to accomplish my dreams and i will be enjoying evey minute of it! So keep watching, i am going to do amazing things!

Conclusions!

In the last few weeks i have had such a renewal of my passion for photography. Is it strange that when i think of photography, i get a fluttering in my chest? I dont know why but i love photography from the tips of my toes to my head. And i have recently been fighting with myself about what i want to go to college for. I have been deciding between becoming a high school history teacher or going for my photography, and i think i have come to a conclusion. I got a tour of the college and got to go into the photography department. And i think thats what sparked my renewed love for photography. Seeing all the photos up on those walls, seeing all that creativity, seeing the dark rooms! There is so much more i want to learn about photography, so i have decided that i am going to go for photography. i wont be wasting my creativity, and if i eventually want to go to school again to be a teacher, i can always do that. But i want my photography so bad! and thats what i am going to get. I want the world to look at thing differently, I want people to realize that they over look the beauty in the simple things that surround them every day. That there is beauty in the things they take for granted. And thats what my slogan means "Finding Extraordinary in the Ordinary" And to celebrate that, here are three photos that i havent published anywhere yet. Enjoy and dont forget to check out my fan page Photography by Joe on facebook: Photography by Joe

Some realizations

I have been thinking about alot lately relating to my photography. And the biggest realization is that i am at a point that i have learned all i can on my own. Its gotten to the point that i am giong to have to either take some classes in photography or really start interning more with Lisa so that i can start filling in the gaps of what i havent learned. Also i have hit a limitation with what i can do based on the equipment i have and what i am lacking. The first think i need is a good D-SLR, i would also like some studio equipment (i.e. lighting, back drops, and props), and to ended it all, the simplest thing i need is some reflectors. I have also come to the realization that i need to find my vision, right now i take photos because they will look good, or be pretty. I dont really have an artistic vision yet. I think i am kind of focusing on the LGBT teens and sucide and a little bit on the darker side becaues i kind of know that personally. But it just all comes down to figuring out how to express it and get it across in a way that shows my vision. But now that i am aware of it, its all stuff i will start working on. So watch for changes!

A Shoot with my Sister

Last week Lisa let me borrow her camera for the weekend (her backup of course). And my first thought was, who should i take photos of and the first person to come to mind was my little sister Mariah. Now something you need to know about Mariah is that her style is along the punk/goth/jugalo(ect). So when i do photos with her, i really like it cause it fits my more extreme style. You can just get super creative with it and she will go with whatever you ask her to do. So she makes a great model. I feel that the photos turned out great and i havent done all the editing i need to on them but here is them about half edited. Lol now you may ask why i would post them half edited, I do it because i want to share them with you because i am so excited about them. i will do another blog post when i get them completely edited. Feel free to post and let me know what you think! and to check out the full album, go to my facebook fan page: Photography by Joe.

And The Ice Came

So Rapid City got hit with an arctic freeze today, and when i woke up this morning i looked out my bedroom window to see all the trees covered with frost and ice. And the sky was gray with snow clouds, some of my absolute favorite weather. My trigger finger was itching all day to get out and take some photos. So finally around 4pm i got my camera, bundled up and went out and took some photos. The snow was lightly falling and there was no wind, it was just perfect conditions for taking photos. So when i was taking the photos, i wanted to capture a feeling of chilly frostiness, in the sense that everything may be covered in frost but at the same time everything is beautiful. I knew that when i was going to be editing the photos, i was going to use mainly black and white, and then add alot of contrast and add more black to the photos. I really like how these turned out! Here are a few samples but feel free to check all of them out on my fan page on facebook:
Photography by Joe

 

Artists Appitite

Its been a while since i have posted a blog up on here. Been kind of busy with work and starting a relationship, but I figured it was time to come back and post again. The title of this blog is in reference to any artist has an appitite for creativity, and if you dont do something creative, you start getting manic and almost panic attacky (at least i do). Lately i have been getting alot of that feeling, because i havent gotten to get out much and do photos just for the sake of taking photos. I havent been able to help Lisa with many photo shoots lately because i have been sick or she has been sick, or our schedules just dont match up. So my artists appitite has pretty much been starving lately. So when i woke up this morning and looked out my window to see fog rolling in over the pine trees, i knew i had to get out and take some photos. I only got a couple, but i have been editing and playing with them and i have to say my appitite isnt quite so starving any more. Its funny what just three simple photos can do for you. So here are the photos, they are also up on my fan page on facebook: Photography by Joe