Changing the World One Photograph at a Time

Barbara is an amazing woman. I liked her from the moment I meet her; her good energy and her free spirit. It really was a miracle that we got a pregnant woman as well as a newborn baby in the studio with less than three-day notice. That just says a lot about Barbara - her work is full of miracles. Barbara's company is called Surrogate Support; it does exactly that providing support for families who choose or need to have a surrogate mother to deliver their child.



"WOW. These are amazing! You are FABULOUS! The highlight of my whole trip was the photoshoot with you. You are definitely a miracle worker...I have told a zillion people how amazing it was that you pulled together a new born baby and a pregnant woman ..and presto! Lindsay magic!" - Barbara McCollough LICSW

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The Society of Hispanic Engineers 2008 Conference was a pleasure to cover; from the middle school students creating hands on projects to hearing Jaime Escalante speaks to a room full of people. What an amazing organization SHPE is!

It was a photographers dream backdrop; a run down motel, a classic car, and a beautiful model. People sat in folding chairs and smoke rolled cigarettes as we took pictures as the sun went down.

Photographer Michael Henry (michaelhenryphotography.com) and I have a completely different way of shooting. Mike had a vision and he worked diligently to achieve that goal as I on the other hand shot everything with a quick photojournalism style. Totally different but both amazing!

Here are some pf the picture we took. May I take the time to introduce a new model: Mary Rose

Here is a picture Mike took of me!

The sun was setting, there was a slight breeze, and orange light poured over the desert. Sunset is the best time to take pictures. So wherever you are, whatever the background, always shoot in the evening light. In college my professor would tell us "get up early, shoot in the morning light, stay late and shoot in the evening and spend the rest of the day in the bar."

So with our high heels and dress clothing my step mom, my dad and I braved the desert terrain near Campbell & Sunrise. This was not a photo shoot; we just wanted to have a few memories of the weekend since they had flown in from Los Angeles for a weekend visit. We got it, we were there at the perfect moment, capturing the beauty of my family as well as what a wonderful vist we had.

Oh my god! It's amazing to see these men in action. I was impressed with the dedication and determination it took to train for this event. It proves to me that what we put our mind to we can be successful at. We just have to do the work. To me they were all winners.

Why does everyone shrug at the thought of taking their photograph?
Why do woman hate the way they look?

It's the most common statement I hear when I have my camera in my hand. "Don’t take a picture of me, I look terrible." The funny thing is that I can see the beauty in everyone. Everyone is beautiful and if shot properly we don't look like a dear in the headlights caught off guard with three double chins.

And actually I understand. I have always hated being in front of the camera. And if I happened to be in front of one I felt an immediate sense of dread. Now someone was watching, was a I standing right, did I have lipstick on, did I look fat, please don't look at me.

So what can I do to understand and change this?

I started on this journey of photographing myself, trying to understand which postures make me look the best and why, trying to relax and feel comfortable, and finally playing a role of some kind like an actor on stage instead of my clumsy body.

It has been a journey for me. Here is a preview of the exploration that I have done.

Always turn your face at an angle - it creates definition

Take lots of pictures

Don't use a wide angle lens. It makes your forehead look BIG




PLAY!

Pretend to be someone else

Alway turn your body slightly away from the camera - it makes you look thinner