Archive for 'Personal'
As we enter in to June, I think about what I was doing last summer. I had the privilege to plan and partake in Girls Camp. I went to Girls Camp as a Young Woman from age 12-18. I loved it. I became a better person because of it. I was able to draw closer to God and become more aware of nature and the wonders of it. I understood more fully what it meant to see nature as a temple. I found this quote by Anne Frank while prepping for camp. I read it all the time now. It reminds this home body to go outside and be reminded that nature is a cure for any ailments I may have.
Happy Summer, everyone!!
lw
We haven’t done fireworks like this in my family in years. Mostly just what happens when a family grows up, I guess.
We had Otter Pops out.
We had dud fireworks.
We had the chairs lined up at the end of the drive way.
We had matches that wouldn’t work.
We had the bucket of water ready, you know…for just in case.
We had Dad watering the lawn for practically 30 minutes, to protect the lawn and house from stray fireworks, until we told him to stop it and come watch!!
We had my younger brother trying to light me on fire…okay, that may be a slight exaggeration. haha.
We had love.
We had laughter…a lot of laughter.
We had an amazing time.
I hope you had a memorable 4th of July as well.
A few years ago I was able to take a short trip to America’s capital, Washington, DC. It was an amazing experience that I am grateful to have had. I grew to love my country even more after being able to tour such a beautiful city.
There were two places out of all that we visited that touched me the most. One of them was Arlington National Cemetery. It was the last place I was able to visit before having to board a plane back to Las Vegas.
At the entrance there is a sign that says “Please remember these are hallowed grounds”. I believe there are sacred places on earth. That we can find them when we need them most and when we stop to look for them.
Arlington National Cemetery is one of them.
There are rows and rows of headstones of men and women who died for the freedoms I am privileged to partake of.
There were a few times, despite the wind and the threat of rain that I was able to have a moment to see the peace, beauty and brightness that existed in such a place. I teared up a few times overcome with love and respect for such a place to exist.
Today I celebrate the greatest country on this earth. The privilege I enjoy to believe and have faith in what I choose; the ability to dream to the moon and back…..and succeed.
I also thank God for founding fathers and innovators who set a foundation that created a burning desire and will to maintain a country that begs for change, understanding, and freedom.
I had a conversation not too long ago. This is how it went:
“Lori what type of editing do you do in Photoshop?”
“I will edit blemishes, maybe lighten or darken a photo, sometimes bump up the color. If I am going to do any sort of major Photoshopping it will be obvious. But for the most part, I edit a photo so you don’t notice it.”
“What do you mean, so I don’t notice it?”
That is when I tried to explain, I don’t edit photos to prove I have edited a photo. I want you to see the people and places in a picture, not any sort of heavy editing in photo. It takes away from the purpose of why I take pictures. I want to show the light in people’s eyes. To see the beauty I see. Personality and relationships and love. I try to edit in the way that though there may be editing, I don’t want you to think about your photo being edited.
If you would have never seen the “before” picture, you would you thought I did a lot of Photoshopping to the “after” picture?
My goal is that your answer is no.
Granted, this means, sometimes my clients wonder what they have paid me for (hahaha), but in this day and age, when photos are manipulated to the point of awful distortion and lack of realism and truth, I don’t want to be a part of that.
I have thought time and again to go back to film for that very reason. It keeps you honest and makes you work hard and think better. But I also enjoy technology. I love looking at a picture right after I take it…if I need to. I like the option to take 15 pictures in 15 seconds. I am able to capture some amazing real moments when I am able to hit that shutter button numerous times in a matter of seconds. If you ask any of those who have been in front of my camera, they have heard that shutter go off a lot at times.
So I try my hardest to find the truth that film brings by thinking about the photo I’m taking while still taking advantage of technology.
I hope this brings a little more understanding to my post work and the work I do in Photoshop, or don’t do in Photoshop. (;
I am happy to talk more about things related to photography, the things I have learned about having a small business and about photography in general. I have had the opportunity to share a meal or two with a few different people to discuss anything photography related…or not related and I just ended up making a good friend! (:
Shoot me an email lori@loriwongphotography.com. Or Facebook me www.facebook.com/loriwongphotography. Or my website www.loriwongphotography.com.
I have not posted these two session on the blog yet, they are coming soon.