October Summary

October came and went way too fast. I kept meaning to update but couldn't find the time. (Well, didn't make the time is a bit more accurate). So today I'm just posting a quick collage rather than trying to play catch-up like I originally intended. Instead I'm going to try and focus more on next month's endeavors. Which may include some film shots from my new Holga (which I am super excited about). My goal for next month is to make more blog posts than I did in July (13). 

See you next month!

i cross my heart & hope to die, these dreams of yours are gonna fly.

Lately I've been feeling lost. I've hardly been using my cameras. I don't go adventuring. I stay home with Dan every night. I feel like my lifeforce has been sucked out of me. Everything is at a standstill. I think I just need to try hardfer. I'm not ready to abandon my dreams yet.

change of pace.

Last week my friend Peter asked me if I'd be willing to do a shoot for him. His manager needed updated pictures of him in underwear. It's something I'd never done before but being my good friend I wanted to help him out. I was a little anxious, especially about finding the perfect location. I don't own indoor lighting, and trying to think of a good spot for the shoot, especially based on the content, was proving to be a challenge. Eventually I spoke with Adam from Bellamia Studios and he was nice enough to lend me his studio for the day. The finished product (although far from perfect) is something I am proud of.

This was such a new experience for me, I've never used studio lighting outside from my work. It was different and I had so much fun. Peter is a fantastic person and friend. I couldn't have asked for a better model and I look forward to hopefully getting to do this again in the future.

Royal Pines with Dan

 I unfortunately haven't been out with my camera for a while due to a number of different things. But about a month ago Dan and I went to Royal Pines, a nearby nature park. We had a good time, I tested out my lensbaby but didn't come home with anything that didn't make me dizzy looking at it. Here are a few of the shots with my regular lens though.

  Hopefully I'll be able to get out with my camera and post some new stuff soon!

Dan and I recently went to Orlando. We went to see Something Corporate, one of my favorite bands ever. While we were there I kept my camera put away, opting mostly just to use the Hipstamatic app for my phone rather than dragging a DSLR around with me. But on the ride home I took her out (clover, my camera). I also successfully turned a 2 1/2 hour drive into a 4+ hour drive by taking us way north of where we ever had any business of being. This did get us sidetracked to Cassadaga (the psychic capitol of the world) somehow, which didn't bother me any. The whole being lost thing didn't actually really bother either of us. The drive was way too beautiful for that!

The only picture I really got of Cassadaga. Now I want to go back!

Dan was driving...

...I was playing.

The biggest rainbow ever, caught very snapshotty through my front window.

Sunset and me in the mirror.

I always save my favorite for last, don't I?

I heart faces Week 34 - Beach Fun

 This week's challenge at I Heart Faces is "Beach Fun". Living in Florida how could I resist!

Hands Across the Sand 06/26/10

This was taken at the Hands Across the Sand rally in Lake Worth, Fl. There were actually demonstrations going on all across America's shorelines to stop off shore drilling in lieu of the BP oil spill. The line was 1,000 people long in Lake Worth and I was lucky enough to get to capture a small section of that line.

Hey there, Lanuria.

Dear Courtney,

     As I write this letter you are already getting settled in the Land of Snow and Cheese. I want to keep it short and simple and just say I will miss you in about a month since that is about how often we hung out. Also, I look forward to my new life as your e-friend. Now for some pictures!

You are always representin' Azeroth.

'splorin Lake Okeechobee.

Posing for me makes me happy!

Wonder who you're texting?

More posing for the camera.

And the guy who's stealing you away from me, well he's pretty cool (and he puts up with you), so I guess it's okay with me.

That doesn't mean Dan and I will miss you any less. Come back and visit soon, bring cheese, etc.

The three of us, adventuring.

Love,
    Tara

P.S. Be happy I didn't post the embarrassing pictures. =P

There is wonder to be found in those pages...

Reading is definitely up there in my favorite things to do, so when I noticed my Memere and Goddaughter reading "James and the Giant Peach" together I couldn't help but sneak a photo.

My new toy!

Happy birthday to me! My family all threw in and ordered me the LensBaby Composer for my birthday. I was super excited when UPS was at my door today. I'm even more excited to take my new baby out and play with her. I'm sure there will be pics to follow.

Self Portraits: Feet

So, I'm home sick from work and I have nothing to do and no new pictures taken (it's been a busy week). I was going through my old pictures and realized I take pictures of my shoes/feet a lot. So here they are. Feet self portraits!

This one was taken with a film camera in my mom's backyard three years ago.

Another one from three years ago. My legs look kind of awkward but I like the lyrics I wrote.

   These four were all at Wakodahatchee, one of my favorite places in the world, at different times throughout the past two or so years.

Taken at Halpatiokee. When I lived in Stuart.

With my feet on the dash the world doesn't matter.

Those lyrics above happen to be one of my favorite lines from a song. I feel like it's one of the truest statements ever. When I'm riding in the car with Dan and our cameras, no matter where we are going or what's going on in life, I am happy. I'm with him doing what I love and nothing else matters. Pure bliss.

Tropical Storm Bonnie?

Dan and I heard a tropical storm was headed our way, so to prepare for impact we... grabbed our cameras and went to the beach. However, we were sorely disappointed when we received barely any rain and only slight gusts of wind.

Of course I still took some shots of Palm Beach. You can see the "storm" in one of them. As much as I wished there was a bit more of a show, I am happy to say that South Florida was kept safe and sound.

Meet Ziva...

She's our new puppy. Well dog, she's a year old. Dan and I adopted her about a month ago. I thought it might be too soon but it was a good decision and I couldn't be happier with her. She completes our little family.

These are just a few of the thousand pictures I've taken of her. Isn't she the cutest?

iheartfaces Week 30 Challenge: Purple

Another new challenge website I wanted to try my hand at is iheartfaces. This site, among many awesome things, has a portraiture related weekly challenge. Portraiture is not my strong area in photography so I thought it would be different. This week's challenge theme is purple, my favorite color. So what better week to start than this?

                                Model: Dan Gershman  Shot with: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS

                                Focal Length: 48mm        ISO: 200
                                Aperture: f/9.0               Exposure Time: 1/125

Photo Friday Challenge: Sky-High

I decided to start entering some weekly challenges. I googled and found a few different sites that host the challenges, this one being Photo Friday . Their challenge this week is "sky-high".

Taken 01/19/09 with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS

F/7.1       Exposure: 1/1250

ISO:200      Focal Length: 55mm

Happy Birthday To Me!!

 Today is my 23rd birthday and I figured I would celebrate myself by posting a few of my favorite pictures up.

This is my turtle Apollo a picture I took last October.

Here is a great blue heron taken at Wakodahatchee awhile back. Not the best picture, but i like it.

This is my mom. She is beautiful. 03/06/2009

Fireworks from 4th of July 2009.

Sandhill Crane taken at Halpatiokee Regional Park. 05/16/2009

The next two are probably my two favorite landscape shots I've ever taken.

Taken at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. 06/17/2009

Taken at Royal Pines, right by where I live. 09/22/2008

Let's open up a restaurant in Sante Fe

I just came across this photo of Dan from a trip to Miami we took way back in January. We had one of the little metro movers to ourselves. This picture just makes me think of Rent. If you haven't seen it there is a scene when they are on the subway and they sing about just leaving it all behind and starting over somewhere new. I think about that all the time. Just packing up and going. Nowhere in particular, just see where life takes me.

"Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Oh, sunny Santa Fe would be nice. Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe and leave this to the roaches and the mice."