Of Losing Oneself in the Search - Latest image and speed edit video!

I'm sure you have experienced times in your life when everything seems to be falling apart and nothing feels familiar anymore. You might not recognize yourself or your behavior and actions anymore. So many changes happen that you have never asked for or wanted and you feel like you cannot keep up. You struggle through, doing the best you can to not lose yourself along the way.

But maybe you DO lose your way, a part of yourself, of what you have been used to, and the day comes when you just need to acknowledge that. It becomes quiet, your mind becomes quiet. You adjust and get used to what's new, what's changed and what's lost.

And right there and then you discover slowly but surely that you have gained more than you have lost, that the lost parts of yourself and your life that you mourned for a long time needed to go just like dead branches on a tree. They needed to be cut off so you can grow again. These transitional periods in your life give you more than they take away. Eventually, they allow you to unlock gates that lead to better, brighter roads ahead. In the end, you find yourself.

Of Losing Oneself in the Search


Exhibition Photos!

A few days ago I told you a little bit about my ongoing exhibition. Today I went there again before the place opened because I had to take down one print. It was sold (yeah!) and will be delivered on Monday. I took the opportunity to snap a few photos when everything was still hanging to show you what it looks like :) have fun and stay inspired!

(click on the photos to see more!)

My Exhibition 2015/2016! A little piece of me...

I have had three exhibitions so far. All of them showing my other photographic work which you can see on www.busybee.at. Every time I was nervous, every time was nerve-wracking. With these fine art portraits I thought that it would take me much longer to build up the courage to show them publicly, printed and framed, on a wall, spotlights on. Surprisingly, it didn't take me that long. The thought WAS nerve-wracking but then everything happened very fast.

first set of images

first set of images

I got a lot of encouragement from the people around me, a date was set, images selected, printed, hung. Instead of planning an opening and making myself even more nervous, I decided against an opening and went with the "they hang, it's too late anyway" attitude ;) . An exhibition is always unnerving. But it gets really bad when it takes place in your hometown. Many people know you, see you around town and many of them see your images. In the grocery store, or anywhere else, you start seeing yourself as "the girl dressed in blue fabric, emerging from a giant birds nest". It is pretty funny when you really think about it!

Nerves and insecurities aside, the images are received really well (at least that's what I heard) and for me it was a bit of an ice breaker. If I do get the chance to show my new work again towards the end of 2016, I will feel less nervous and I can promise right now that my images will be bolder :)

Typically, I sell my images "off the wall" and they are sent or delivered after the exhibition ended or customers can order prints without the frame, I collect the order forms and get to work. It doesn't happen too often that I get to meet buyers. The day before New Year's Eve I DID meet buyers from Denmark that had decided to purchase the image "Curiosity". This was absolutely exciting and it made me truly happy to package and hand over this "little piece of me" personally. The buyers told me where they lived (an island in the North Sea!) and what meaning the image has for them. BEST part of my exhibition adventure! :) These are the brief moments that are the BIG reward for working on concepts, finding dresses and props, shooting in awkward places and/or positions, and hour-long, sometimes daylong edits. It reminds you why you create. I don't create to use up space on my computer's hard disk. This would be a very lonely and unfulfilling existence. I create and give a small piece of myself which then finds a new home, gets new meaning, and, hopefully, makes somebody happy!

my second set of images

my second set of images

"Breeze" and a video decision

Is there a deeper meaning found in everything? Do I only create images to express a thought or an emotion? Simple answer: No, I don't. Mostly, yes. But not always. Sometimes I create just for the pure fun of creating and the sole purpose of those images is their visual appeal. That's the case with "Breeze". I'm working on a few other concepts at the moment and until they come to fruition, "Breeze" scratched the creative itch ;)

I love watching other photographers' speed edit videos and have great fun making my own. I find it very inspiring to watch an image develop step by step and the added music contributes to the overall feel of an image, IMHO.  Sometimes, however, I just want to be "by myself" when I edit and don't want to worry about the recording software and the cutting and the music.....As much as I love making the videos, I have found that they sometimes stand in the way of being productive. An idea for an image comes to mind, I shoot, edit and rather quickly my idea is realized and I can move on to the next. When recording a video, an entirely new editing process begins after the image editing has just been finished. And instead of working on a new idea, I spend a lot of time putting together the video. So, this one is very quick. I decided to do these quick ones more often in the future but will also continue making longer ones. :) I hope you still enjoy it!