Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Real Photography

Photography

               When I tell people, "I love photography!", they look at me with what seems to be distaste. "Photography," one person said, "is not a real job. Any one person can take a picture. It's as simple as finding something cool - and I say that in quotes - and press a button." I laugh at this, immediately knowing they are wrong.
               Photography is not as simple as taking a picture of something "cool". Photography is an art form. Finding the something "cool" is easy, but is doesn't yield a picture people will remember you by. You need to find something that captivates the minds' of others. You need them to stop for a moment and look at what's behind the main character. You want every detail to stand out. You want a person to see what you saw at that moment in time, something magnificent.
               Taking a picture is as easy as pressing a button. But imagine all the things Ansel Adams had to go through to get one picture. He had to climb mountain faces in crazy wind, travel through tall graces in the dead heat of summer, and trek through the forests' of Yosemite in winter. Some people think that doesn't sound fun, but it is truly an adventure.
               That's what photography is for. Telling a story about your adventure. Pictures are supposed to say a thousand words, right? Why not have them say a million... Or more? That's what Nina and I am are doing for this blog, to show that photography is not simple, it makes you go outside of your comfort zone and take a journey to the wild side of life. That's at least what photography has taught me. Telling a story is just the beginning of one of our pictures. We want you to see what's it like to be in our shoes... That is the real photography.
--Sierra

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

to find

I found this barn last December. It was cold, and rainy, but I was still far too scared to go inside. Far too scared to come into the dark, ivy covered building that seems so ancient it is an extension of the earth. I gazed upon it and thought, if only I was braver. If only.

So often we find things that are representations of who we wish we were. We carry on our sleeves our dreams, and assign them to whatever comes along. This barn is just a barn. But to us, us people, it's more than that. To us the forgotten object is a story. A mystery.

Sierra and I finally came here this Saturday. It was rainy, and dismal again. My mind had somewhat painted a picture of the barn always being like that. I wondered- what happened to the ones exploring before us? And why is everything exactly as it is? It scared me, certainly. The butterknife on the ground. The childrens toys scattered everywhere. And the broken down pile of what once was a house. Who lived here? And, more importantly- who will remember this place?

only us?

or someone more?


It's amazing how your brain can sculpt anything into a living thing.
nina.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Forgotten

Hello everyone. My name is Sierra. I am one of Nina's many friends. We are working together to bring amazing pictures of mysterious places to this new blog "In the Shadows". Nina found this barn earlier in the year and wanted to explore it. We thought today would be a good day to discover it. With a lot of coaxing from each other and a couple yelps of fright, we got these pictures from my camera. Nina will post hers later.  My camera isn't the most amazing one in the world, and it was about 10 degrees out, so they could be better. Anyways, enjoy this forgotten barn in the shadows...

--Sierra