February 7, 2010

Snowed In

Posted by agoolsby under Shooting From The Hip | Tags: , |
Leave a Comment 

I described in my last post a bit about my trek to photograph the snow as the sun set over my neighborhood yesterday.

Here are a few of the photos I managed to capture.  The fish eye lens was fun to work with, but I did learn my lesson about setting my ISO to auto.  That grain you see in the latter shots is what happens when the camera thinks it’s a good idea to shoot at ISO 3200.  It’s not a failure if you learn from it, right?

And the dark object in the bottom of the last image, that would be my leg – in snow up to my thigh. At first I was taking time to pack the snow to make steps for myself.  But I soon gave that up in favor of just trudging through to get closer to my subject.

Enjoy! I’d love to see your comments and critiques.




 

February 7, 2010

The Gift of Passion

Posted by agoolsby under InsideOut, Shooting From The Hip | Tags: , , , , |
1 Comment 

I love the snow.  Maybe it’s because I grew up in the South were it was an unusual occurrence, but it always feels like a special treat.  Granted, being stuck in my house and having a sore back from shoveling aren’t my ideas of a great time.  But there’s something about the snow that calms things down and forces us to slow down.  It seems to bring people in a normally busy city together in a way that they don’t typically interact.  Neighbors help each other shovel walks; people from different parts of town join in snowball fights, building snowmen and making sledding trails.

I’ve been so thankful for this calm over the past couple of days as our area received about two feet of the white stuff.  And I’ve been reminded to be thankful for so many other things, too.  Thankful for a warm home, power that stayed on, strength to shovel – and sight to appreciate the beauty of the white blanket God so artfully laid across the area.

As a photographer, that sight extends to a desire to capture that beauty.  When the snow finally stopped falling, I grabbed my camera and my trusty rain boots and headed out just as the sun was setting over the trees (see the next post for photos).  I knew the beautiful light wasn’t going to last long and began to run through the 2 feet of snow on the streets toward the open fields at the edge of my neighborhood.

Somewhere between high-stepping through snow and almost slipping in the ice, I realized how blessed I was.  Not only was there an amazingly beautiful sight in front of me and a collection of gear in my hands to capture it, but I had a passion.  A passion that didn’t care that I was out of breath or that I could barely feel my fingers.  A passion that could not stay inside when the pink light of sunset was streaming through my windows. A passion that came back in and saw things that could be improved in my photos the next time around – and was determined to seek tools and lessons to make those improvements possible.

I feel like I have so much to learn and put into practice to be the photographer and artist I want to be.  But the joy of having and acting on that passion is like a high; like a drug you just have to have more of.

There is something addictive about doing what you know God has put in you to do. It feels good to do what is good, but when that good thing is tied to where He is leading it takes it to the next level.  I think for me that photography is tied into my purpose.  Taking a picture of a snowy field might not change the world, but it is a learning opportunity and a way to invest those talents that will hopefully prepare me for those shots that will change the world. The photo that reminds a young girl that she’s beautiful and valuable; the one that gives the world a glimpse into the life of people they have never met and helps them see how similar they really are.

What is your passion?  What are you doing to strengthen your ability to pursue it?

I challenge you to run through the hard stuff today toward that thing that God is calling you to.

 

February 2, 2010

A Lesson in a House

Posted by agoolsby under InsideOut, My Random Life | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 

For the past 3 years I’ve lived just outside of the city and spent countless time and dollars commuting.  Not so much for work, but for the rest of my life.  I absolutely love my house and really wish I could just move it.  But since that’s not possible I’ve taken steps to move closer to all of my friends.

I was really hesitant to give up my home and become a landlord, but then I saw a house that made me excited about the change.  It was an amazing house built in the 30’s in a great location.  Plenty of space for entertaining, a huge yard for my dog to run in, a spacious modern kitchen, and even a place for a bit of a photography studio.

Just when I’d fallen in love with the house, I got word from the owner that he’d leased it to someone else.  I was pretty disappointed.  There have been no other houses that were that nice and just what I wanted.

But then I remembered that it’s largely about perspective.  While I’m disappointed about what didn’t happen like I’d expected or hoped, I trust that there’s another place out there that will be just as great and even more perfect for me.

It’s funny when a rental house reminds you of life lessons.

 

January 24, 2010

Listening Through the Pain

Posted by agoolsby under InsideOut | Tags: , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Picture the situation.  You have long been a slave under a ruler of a foreign country when along comes a man who says God has told him to demand the ruler let you go.  You are excited and hopeful, right? Well, that is until the ruler responds not by letting you go, but by making your job even harder. Understandably, you aren’t exactly happy with this man who’s offered to speak for you.

This was the case for the Israelites and the man delivering this ultimatum to the ruler was Moses. But the Israelites aren’t the only ones that were probably confused & frustrated.  Moses was left wondering why God asked him to do this and why the ruler didn’t respond they way he expected. Nevertheless, God assures him that He’s heard the cries of the people and has not forgotten the covenant that He made with their ancestors.  He tells them they will be freed and that God has said:

“I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”
Exodus 6:6b”

But remember what happened last time he told them that.  So it’s not that surprising that “they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage” (Exodus 6:9).

Of course, if you’ve read Exodus you know that there was in fact an amazing plan.  There were a lot more rejections from Pharaoh and many more miracles, but in the end the Israelites were finally freed by the hand of God.  Since we already know the ending it’s easy for us to read this story and think how little faith they had or how ungrateful they were being.  But when you think about what they’d been through it puts it in a different light – makes them seem a little more like one of us. I don’t know about you, but there have been many times when I couldn’t hear what God was trying to tell me because of the pain in my heart. Times when I couldn’t believe what He was saying because I was so discouraged by my circumstances.

The next time we feel that deafness from pain, frustration, and discouragement, let’s be careful to listen for that quiet voice that’s reminding us that there’s an ending we can’t see.  The one that is telling us we are loved and part of an amazing story.  Part of a story that shouts,

“I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God…”
Exodus 6:7

 

January 22, 2010

Vegas Sights

Posted by agoolsby under My Random Life, Shooting From The Hip | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 

After hearing for months how funny it was, I finally got around to watching The Hangover tonight.  Glad I did! Definitely laughed out loud more than once. In the theme of Vegas, I thought I’d share a few of the photos from my trip to Sin City for Autodesk University.

 

January 22, 2010

A Great First Show

Posted by agoolsby under Shooting From The Hip | Tags: , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

I want to thank everyone who was able to make it out last night to the In The Beginnings art show! It was a great collection of amazingly talented folks and I was excited to be a part of it.  Kudos to Diana, Dave and the rest of the NCC crew that made it possible; it was certainly well done and a great evening of visual art, performance, and conversation.

For those of you who were not able to come, there are still prints available for purchase. If you are interested in purchasing any of the photos below, let me know.  They are matted 5×7 prints.  They are $30 each with 50% of the proceeds going to Convoy of Hope & their efforts in Haiti.

Thanks again for making my first real show so much fun! And for those of you that are just joining me on this journey, welcome.  It’s good to have you along.





 

January 8, 2010

Giving It Your All

Posted by agoolsby under Shooting From The Hip, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 

It seems there has been a lot of talk lately about what it means to be a professional photographer vs. an amateur.  I usually identify myself as a “serious amateur” when people ask me if I’m a professional photographer.  I have a day job that is not related to photography and only occasionally receive money for any of my photos.  So, I think I fall into the category of amateur.  I was encouraged in this when I read David duChemin’s post on the subject. That post reminded me of the importance of loving photography and the art of making images.

But recently I’ve been thinking about what it means to strive for excellence in my photos.  I see amazing photos by all the pros that I respect and it makes me realize how very, very much I have to learn. Not always having a client to please is a bit of a double-edged sword.  While I have the freedom to shoot what I’d like, I also don’t have a client with expectations that push me to take my craft to the next level.

That means it’s up to me to set goals, give myself assignments, and do all that I can to motivate myself to not only get out there and take pictures – but to keep learning and improving. For me now, that is taking on the form of setting up a more official photography venture.  If nothing else, to help remind myself of the end goals.  To make me remember what I eventually want to shoot and give me a bit of motivation to take daily strides to get there.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and striving toward excellence in the thing that you love to do? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

 

January 6, 2010

Snowy DC

Posted by agoolsby under Shooting From The Hip | Tags: , , |
Leave a Comment 

Just before Christmas, DC was blanketed in two beautiful  feet of snow.  It is amazing how beautiful things can be when covered in the white stuff, things that normally might not be the most attractive. 

I decided to venture out in the snow to capture views of the Hill.  While my fingers felt like they might be forever numb at points, it was definitely worth the effort.  My main regret was not having a hood on my lens to keep a bit more of the flakes off the lens. Lesson learned.

Here are a few shots from the day.



 

January 5, 2010

Happiness is…Friends on the Fridge

Posted by agoolsby under InsideOut, My Random Life | Tags: , , , , , |
1 Comment 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a clear fridge kind of girl.  I have magnets, notes, etc. on there.  And pictures. 

I recently did the yearly rotation of photos, replacing the old ones with the updated shots folks sent during the holidays.  As I was standing in the kitchen yesterday I looked at the fridge…and smiled.  And it struck me – happiness is having people on my fridge. 

Of course, it’s not about how many photos or prayer reminder cards or holiday greetings I can accumulate to populate the surface of my fridge.  But it is about what all of that signifies.  I have people who matter to me enough that I want to see their smiling faces every day.  And I matter enough to them to include me in the distribution of hard copy photos and cards in a time when sending something in the mail is the exception instead of the rule.  I have people to love and people who love me. 

I have such a sense of gratitude when I think about that.  How incredibly valuable are quality relationships in life?! I hope that when I see those photos now I won’t just think of those people, but will also remember to say a prayer of thanks for all of the wonderful people in my life.

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”
Ephesians 1:16

 

January 5, 2010

Fear and Faith

Posted by agoolsby under InsideOut | Tags: , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

This morning, as I was catching up on Twitter, I came across this blog post by Kyle Chowning.  I’d seen a number of these quotes as he’d tweeted them yesterday, but the full post got me to thinking even more deeply about fear and faith.

It’s interesting to me that the pastor illustrated the point with money.  I know that money, more importantly parting with one’s money, is a huge faith challenge for most people.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been fortunate enough to not have a huge lack of funds in my life or that whenever I’ve needed God to come through with it in the past He has.  But for whatever reason, it’s not the one thing that makes me cringe when people mention leaps of faith.  But mention affairs of the heart and I’m in knots.  I start defending myself, making excuses and struggling to remember God’s faithfulness.

Maybe it’s because that’s the place that has been the bigger challenge in my life, the place I’ve experienced greater loss over the years.  Maybe because that’s what matters most to me.  I don’t know.  What I do know is that it is so often difficult for me to remember that God is good and faithful and trustworthy when it comes to provision for my heart. 

I think that must be what it feels like for the person who is truly struggling to make ends meet.  The one who feels like it has always been that way and that it must be their lot in life to always struggle, to never have enough.  It’s hard to believe for bigger things because you are scared to just end up in the same painful, humiliating place again. 

I believe God for provision of money.  I believe God is a passionately loving Father.  I believe God wants to know each of His children intimately.  But for some crazy – and yes, I know it’s crazy – reason I can’t fully find it in myself to believe those big things when it comes to my heart.  I am afraid.  Afraid to be let down again.  Afraid of unanswered questions.  I am letting that fear dominate where faith should be flourishing.  I think that if we get right down to it, this is a universal thing.  It’s not about money or hearts or jobs or houses.  It’s about trust and fear and faith.

I know that His Word says that He has plans for me – a hope and a future.  I know that He loves me and will work all of this craziness in this fallen world together for good for those who love Him.  Why can’t I truly believe these things when it comes to the deepest parts of my life?  I want so much to have big faith – in all things.  I think Kyle said it well when he said,

“Honestly, I don’t believe that I have the faith to commit to that kind of faith. That’s just scary faith…like stupid scary faith. It would surely end up in failure? Right? I mean, how in the world could I dare to believe that God could do that?”

I certainly feel like this on more occasions than I’d like to admit.  But it’s that kind of faith that we are called to.  I think that living an abundant life must require that.  Right?  How can we expect to have and feel and love much if we aren’t willing to risk much.  Deep down I know that He is worth it.  This life He’s created us for is worth it.  His glory is worth it.

He replied,”You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Matthew 8:26a

He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
Matthew 17:20 (Amplified Bible)

 

Next Page »