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A little bit of confusion today at this blog.  One of the risks of being inspired is the excitement if can create which can pop one’s level of consciousness out of “the moment” and into something else altogether.

I know I’m being cryptic and I apologize, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment. :-/ So for now I am still very excited about selling my images online and I am extending the 15% off sale on orders over $15 through Friday 12/17/10.  Just enter code BD8495 in the “Coupon” section of the cart when ready to check out.

This is the 15th in my series of inspirational people or things that inspire me to continue pursuing my passion at photography and sometimes I just like a good image, you know?  I’ve written in the past about people whose process inspires me; some whose life’s work inspires me; some whose work ethic and desire to include and teach others inspires me.  I don’t know if this week’s pick falls in any of those categories but for me he just makes good pictures that I like to look at.   This week’s pick is photographer Alfie Goodrich.

Alfie is an English photographer based in Tokyo who runs a photoblog that was a finalist in the Best Asian/Oceanian photoblog competition.  I like Alfie’s minimalistic style where he simply presents his images against a black background.  Especially attractive are the mostly Japanese themes in his photography where Alfie tends to focus on street photography in Tokyo.  Armed with a loaned medium format camera and a lens that has an aperture of f1.2 he gets some sweet, sweet bokeh in his images.  They are just fun and beautiful to look at.

Check out his blog at http://blog.alfiegoodrich.com for a neat journey through Japan as viewed through a westerner’s eyes.  I find it to be a visual treat that keeps me interesting in creating images and sure hope you do too.

I received a good response to my previous post on Monday about the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos/ Muertos y Marigolds) Parade that took place on Sunday 11/7/2010 in the South Valley of Albuquerque and so I thought I might share some more images from that fun evening.  I hope you enjoy them.

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

This is the 14th in my series of posts about people or things that inspire me to pursue my art.  So far I have posted mostly about individual people who’ve influenced me and motivated me to pursue this crazy passion of photography.  Today I had the marvelous fortune to join with old and new friends for a little photo-safary in the South Valley of Albuquerque for the annual Dia de los Muertos “Muertos y Marigolds” Parade.  Apparently in olden days marygolds, due to their strong and pleasing scent, were used to cover the smell of the dead being laid out for viewings and so they have been incorporated into the day of the dead celebrations.

This evening a gaggle of friends and acquaintances put on our best paparazzi attire and descended on the dead parade.  Having shot this event once before I had an idea of what to expect: rapidly moving subjects, changing and dappled light, and photo-ops both in front and behind me most of the time.  So I went armed with two cameras, my flash set to fill, and an idea of what I wanted to create.  On first perusal of my results I’m not sure I achieved what I wanted, but I did get more shots that I liked this time.  I hope you like them.  It was great fun shooting and completely inspiring to see all the great work coming out of the evening.  Thanks guys!!

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

This last image is more along the lines of what I was intending to create-ghoulish images that bring to mind old scary movies and the darker side of this festival.  I had fun trying to get the right feel with this participant but she made me work for it.  I’m thinking of posting the series I’ve made of her in a day or two, so stay tuned!

I love to travel.  It is one of the joys my family really likes to allow itself.  And my camera likes the travel too.  All of a sudden there are so many interesting and exotic scenes to point the lens toward.  I almost feel I need a second camera to help capture all the wonderful colors, textures, people, buildings, and landscapes I come across.

But this year has been different.  Due to varying circumstance I have had less opportunity to travel and this has pushed my photography.  I’ve had to force myself to make images of things much more common to me.  It feels less exciting- less exotic!  I’ve known there is plenty of interesting subject matter within a short distance of my home, and even inside my home.  But compared to the new and exciting images to be made afar, staying near takes more effort, more work.

Thankfully, Stuart Sipahigil of “The Light Without” blogging fame, comes to some rescue in the latest ebook release from the good folks over at Craft and Vision.  Stuart makes a case for photographing close to home and challenges the idea of “ordinariness” by making a case for the extraordinariness in ordinary things.  He encourages the reader to slow down, be disciplined, to “lift up the ordinary”, and become a stranger in your own town.  Filled with beautifully stunning images all taken within close proximity of his home, Close to Home is a book to read and re-read to break out of your ordinary viewpoint into a more liberated viewpoint so that better images can be created.

I very much enjoyed reading Close to Home and gleaned lots of possibilities as well.  It is a timely book.

Special Offer on PDFs

For the first five days only, if you use the promotional code HOME4 when you checkout, you can have the PDF version of Close to Home for only $4 OR use the code HOME20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 or more PDF ebooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes start at 1:00am PST, October 28, 2010 and expire at 11:59pm PST November 1, 2010.

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

This the 12th in my series of people or things that inspire me to continue to create my art and today the person I would like to introduce to you is a bit closer to home.  He’s my friend Marc Gutierrez.  Marc is a semi-pro photographer from Albuquerque who has created an impressive body of work without ever specializing in one particular style or subject.  And while for some (read: me) that would spell a death-nell in their marketability, Marc has achieved just the opposite.  Almost without trying, it would seem, he has managed to make a name for himself here in Albuquerque and in the stock photography world.  Almost to his surprise he continues to sell images on Getty Images month after month.  Clearly he has an eye for this stuff and others know it too.

Marc Gutierrez (c) Brian E. Miller Photography 2010

That being said, this is not really what inspires me about Marc.  It is his personality.  Marc is most assuredly the kindest person I have ever met.  Repeatedly I have witnessed Marc undertake acts of kindness toward others that make me want to be more like him.  He was one of the founders of the Albuquerque/Santa Fe Social Group on Flickr; a group that encourages and organizes “meet-ups” in the area for photographers.  He has repeatedly encouraged other photographers to attend, has lent gear, given advice, supported others’ work, left kind and supportive comments.  He has given of his time, energy, and money without expecting or even wanting any reward.

This is something to be recognized in an endeavor such as photography where often people square off along camera lines, film or digital lines, old school or newcomer, pro or amateur.

So check out Marc’s Flickr stream and his blog for a fun ride through and undefinable stylistic journey.  You’ll enjoy your time and might even make a friend in the process.

The image above was taken the other day as I wrestled with hindrances to my creative journey.  It is a bit removed, to my mind, from what I have been creating lately and a fuller explanation is forthcoming in another post later this week.  Check back soon!

The other day I wrote about the inspiration I receive from the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It is true, I do garner quite a bit of inspiration from this wondrous event. But that doesn’t mean that I am out there pointing my camera skyward each day; alas, rising early to make it to the launch field is not happening at this time.

However, I do have my eye out more for the vibrant colors that belong to the southwest this time of year as these images will attest. These were all taken at a fall harvest festival in Corrales, NM just over a week ago. I hope you enjoy them.

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

(c) 2010 Brian E. Miller Photography

Today is the 12th in my series of inspirational people or works of art that inspire me. As I thought about my subject today I had a lot of ideas, but realized I didn’t have enough time to really do them justice; it’s been a busy weekend and so I need to get this post up quickly. Then I realized I was quite motivated these days to create art due to an event happening in my hometown: the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Each year, beginning the first Saturday in October and ending 9 days later, hundreds of hot air balloon crews and millions of tourists descend on Albuquerque, New Mexico to take part in this colorful and spectacular event.  There are mass ascensions each morning with hundreds of balloons taking to the skies above the high desert landscape and each evening the Rio Grande Valley is illuminated with “balloon glows”: coordinated lighting of the balloons by their pilots and powerful propane powered burners.  You can imagine the photo-ops.

Indeed, the dollar value of camera equipment on the take-off lawn is stunning.  I had lens envy and I was only there for about 2 hours the other day.  Unfortunately the storm blowing in from the north was strong and only a few balloons even inflated.  Still, the opportunities for some fun images did presented themselves and the excitement was palpable; this is what I find inspiring about he balloon fiesta.  Everywhere one looks as the sun rises and the balloons take flight is a perfect photo opportunity and I am often highly motivate to go make some images each year.  I do hope to get back down to the field again this year and witness an ascension.  In the meantime you can check out some images here.

Craft and Vision, which I am a huge fan of, has released another in their series of Print And Process ebooks today.  Written by photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich this series of photographs takes the viewer through Kanashkevich’s journey to the East Java, Indonesia, photographing Mount Bromo, the ljien Crater, and the Island of Madura.  The photos are initially presented on their own for them to speak their own story, and then followed by the photographers thoughts on his process of making these stunning images of a beautiful and striking land.

These Print and Process ebooks, while not as initially attractive as some of the instructive books created by the good folks at Craft and Vision, are always a joy and wonder to read.  I find myself returning to them time and again as I dig deeper to understand the photographic process these visual artist travel while creating their art.  Each time I am inspired.

Special Offer on PDFs                                                                                                                   For the first four days only, if you use the promotional code JAVA4 when you checkout, you can have the PDF version of Journey Through Java – The Print & The Process for only $4 OR use the code JAVA20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 or more PDF ebooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes start at 1:00am PST, September 30, 2010 and expire at 11:59pm PST October 3, 2010.

(c) 2009 Brian E. Miller Photography

Boy we live in a world!  A world of non-stop availability and consumption.  Anything we want to know or see, and a lot don’t, is available right at our fingertips through iPhones, computers, iPads, billboards, TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc.  Media has made it a wonderful world; it has also made it a terrifying world!

Some time ago I noticed I was getting sad, and grumpy, and irritable.  I was just generally pessimistic about the state of the world.  My solution?  I turned off the news.  Not as a whole, I don’t have a magic remote control, but in my life.  I stopped watching the nightly news (especially local news) and I stopped reading newspapers.  It was all negative news anyway and therefore slanted and biased toward selling newspapers and news shows.  So I went on a “no news diet.”  You know what, it worked.  My mood improved dramatically.  I’m still on that diet to this day.

With that in mind I wondered how I could make a similar shift in my photography.  I spend a fair bit of time reading blogs and looking at other photographer’s work and while sometimes I get inspired, as my Inspiration Monday blogposts might suggest, I also find myself getting down on myself.  You see, I compare myself.  Sometimes I compare my skill level to others’ skill levels; I compare the quality of my output to others’; I compare the quality, intensity, depth, creativity of my projects to others’ as well.  And that can depress me with regard to photographing.

Hmmmm, where have I seen this pattern before?

So, what about going on a low-photography diet?  You know, to stop looking at others’ work and comparing myself against it, even subconsciously?  Especially subconsciously!  What if I just dream up a project and work toward it, without distractions, in my own little creative bubble, without critique, without comparison.  I might just have to pull back a bit to do that, but I’ve survived (thrived) doing something similar before.  And heck, I just might have the time to pursue those creative endeavors if I stopped.