Lightness

With these images I wanted to capture the lightness that one feels while dreaming; the place where dream and reality is indistinguishable. Both of these images are composites, digitally altered in photoshop and with vscocam.

Autumn is a season of dreams for me. The cold air, the leaves, the drinking my weight in lattes, scarves, and creativity flowing from all areas of my life. I feel magical. I feel alive, while nature is taking a turn with death.

Haunt

I snapped this right as the sky was opening up to pour rain on Loveland, Colorado. I reached my car just as an early fall downpour started. It was a moment of pure joy and satisfaction.

Personally, I am not a fan of haunted things. I scare easily, and then get embarrassed. What I do love however is the idea of haunting. Especially because the English language allows me to describe something as "hauntingly beautiful" or imply that I am being haunted by the fact that I have yet to consume my afternoon latte. What haunts me about this photo is the experience of taking it. Up close this building is, at best, falling apart. The huge peace sign is an old Christmas wreath made from greenery and lights, and on the weekends this place is used as an art gallery. It really is something to see. At dusk, right before a rain storm, it draws you in and you become apart of it.

Little Leaves.

Found this on a walk today. I might have helped the leaves get into line, a little. I think I will go back and rescue this gorgeous piece of wood, it really needs a loving home to live in. I will be listing this photo on Etsy later, both as a Polaroid and a large print. I think I will even make one for myself.

Dreams

I had a hard time getting out of bed today. I was having the wildest dreams and I hate to admit that they were too good to share.... with anyone. I love dreaming. If I couldn't dream, I would have no reason to sleep because their are too many things to read and make and listen to. Here is a little inspiration for your day, curated from my dreams.

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A Long Run

Yesterday I ran 9.5 miles and ended up stuck in blizzard like conditions. Thankfully my sweet parents rescued me. I snapped a few shots with my phone before the snow started. It was lovely. Not another soul on the trail, cool weather, and quietness. I did hear a few gun shots in the distance from hunters, which was kind of strange for me. Here are some of my favorite photos:

The river was frozen in most places, except for this gorgeous spot. I sacrificed my PR time to enjoy the trail and the river and the birds. It was wonderful to have so much uninterrupted time in nature (even though it was freezing)

These horses were definitely channeling the Beatles.

This adorable guy was not happy that I was taking his photo. I think I spooked him, but he got me back by charging at the fence. Needless to say, I don't think we could be friends.

I hope to do a similar run next week, hopefully the weather will be a little nicer and I will get some sunnier photos.

Winter Lingers

We have had a few nice days recently, but snow is on the way. Winter lingers and I long for the consistent warm days of late spring and summer.

Purchase prints of these images here

DIY Photo Backdrop

I get asked all the time how I achieve my bright product photography. It all comes down to two things, lighting, and, the backdrop. This is the simplest DIY project you might ever do. It has two steps...ready? 1. Buy a piece of ply wood from Home Depot or Lowes. 2. Paint it white or beige.

That is it. Take your photos in a naturally lit area and then show off all of your hard work. My backdrop is about 26 x26 inches.

I have used this one piece of ply wood to make jewelry pop and food look heavenly. Occasionally I will add a piece of fabric or some other texture to give a little bit more depth to a photo. Here are a few of my favorite photos I have taken using my plain white wood backdrop:

I would love to hear other ideas for photo backdrops that you use!

As always, thanks for reading! 

Picture Poetry

I came upon a shop tonight that made me feel like I had just reconnected with a long lost friend. The combination of word & image drew me in in a way that neither probably could have done alone. The daydreamer in me is having a field day...walking down lonely road, plucking roses & wildflowers, wondering what is beyond the trees and feeling like today, a risk for a great pleasure is worth the disappointment. Thank you, the swan & the fox. 

Click to view each photo for sale: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Hope you have a fabulous & dreamy Saturday night,

Story Time Family Shoot 9.12.12

I had such a fun time taking pictures of the Schnell family. They are an adorable group of people and their kids are just cute and well behaved (which means easy to photograph!) I knew though that no child is perfect so I came up with a story book theme for their shoot. The parents read to the kids and I hovered around with my camera capturing each adorable reaction and expression.

Today is really rainy and cool, I wish I could be out enjoying my favorite weather, but Wednesdays are my long days at work. Tomorrow is a day off and I plan on doing some photographing around town, so stop back by for another photo filled blog post!

PS: I would love some feedback about the photos! Do you ever do themed photo shoots? What are you favorite tips for working with children?

 xo,

Photo Shoot 9.9.12

          I wanted to share these beautiful photos from a photo shoot that I did back in June for some dear friends of mine. As a photographer, it really pays to have good looking friends! I love the way the light and color worked out in these shots and thought this would be a great start to my new blog. 

          I have started this new space as a fresh start. I am taking a break from my crafting business (wild paper flowers) and focusing on design and photography. I wanted a place where I felt I could write about whatever I want, so I am starting a personal blog (instead of one tied to business). I can't wait to get started writing, sharing my art, and collaborating with other bloggers and artists. (creativity loves company!) Welcome to Earth Colored! 

The name came from a discussion with my husband (who will probably get blogged about...a lot). I told him I wanted to start a new blog and get rid of all of the blogs/projects associated with business. I told him about design, content ideas, etc and then I asked him this: "When you think of me, what color scheme do you think of?" His response was earth tones. I played around with that idea in my head and thought that maybe it was more than just a color scheme, but an integral part of who I am. Sure, I love earth tones. Deep greens, browns, teals, golden light from sunsets, color really comes from the earth. 

One of my favorite quotes of all time is: 

"All art is but imitation of nature." -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I constantly long for the beauties of creation. I am grateful for a creator who placed me in a world worth exploring, creating in, discovering myself in, and discovering him in. When I forget to be grateful, I just need to remember what I am here for, to create and to write, and to show other people the beauty and life that the world has to offer them.