Watch “The death of Mr. Al Gator” on YouTube

Koyo being cute. I’m kinda falling in love with the new auto awesome movie feature of google~

Intro Part Deux

Hello and welcome. Now that Kate got all the important stuff out I am feeling much less pressured to write. If you haven’t read hers yet you should stop and scroll up down.

Now that that’s done, you did do it right? On with the show.

Why a blog? Why me? Well let me first say that this isn’t my first blog, not that any of my other blogs made it beyond six posts, but that’s not the point right? However, I will be working with Kate (again scroll down if you lied at the earlier question) which means I won’t be able to slack, procrastinate and all of those other maladies that seem to befall me. While I am a dreamer and a dreamer only, Kate is more of the dreamer/do-er combo of which I am insanely jealous over. So I know that this blog will make it beyond six posts and won’t be lost in wild of the internet. We have plans, we have dreams and we also have cake! The cake helps trust me. I am always trying to improve, learn and just understand more about photography, light, and all the other factors that go with it. The point of this blog for me and to share, show and learn, I was never very good at the “tell” part.

My photography style varies day to day. Its like my favorite saying about my age. “I am as young as I feel or as old as I look, depends on the day.” I sometimes love the basics, a black and white, and other times its heavily edited or HDR. You will also see a variance in the way I shoot the same subject. I’ve learned that though some of the photography “rules” are the same across cultures not all of them are and I often attempt to get that other look. I rarely shoot people whether models or street photography. You will see a lot of landscapes, nature, seasonal shots, temples and shrines (as I am living in Japan), and you will probably also see my dog Kouyou as she just moved to Japan this April.

I have a Canon 7D and HTC One. I usually shoot RAW but will use JPEG to get a few quick ones. I use photoshop when necessary but try not to do much outside of Camera RAW.

Sakura 2013

I picked two seasonal shots for my first post so you get a double dose.

Kyoto momiji (maple leaves) and Kinkakuji 2012

Also you will find that Kate is more adept at WordPress than I am and it will be noticeable as the blog goes on. In fact she is the one who set this all up! ❤

Don’t be afraid to push the button!

~Anne

Introduction Part 1

Hey all!  My name is Kate, and I’m one of the writers for this blog.  If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering something along the lines of “Why are you, of all people, starting a blog?”  Am I right?  I bet I’m right.  Well, I’d be happy to explain my reasons behind getting involved with this blog.  I want to improve my photography – both technically and knowledge outside of knowing how to operate my camera.  That’s the main reason.  The other big reason is that I’m beyond pumped to be working collaboratively with one of my best friends – Anne.  You’ll hear more from her later, as she’ll do her own introduction post.

Anne and I have known each other since 2006, when we met in college.  We’ve been friends ever since!  And even though she’s living in Japan and I’m still stuck in the States, the distance can’t keep us apart.  Anne’s actually the person that got me into photography as more than just a hobby.  She’s been shooting longer than I have, and I respect her and her work quite a bit.  But we both want to improve, hence us doing this blog together.

My current shooting style is based heavily on using natural light with minimal editing.  Natural light doesn’t mean I like to go out and shoot nature (although I like to go out and shoot nature), I just don’t use flash or external photographic lighting if I can avoid it.  HINT: I can avoid it pretty much all of the time.  Which works just fine for me.

Shot with a Nikon D3100, no editing.

I’m big into landscapes, although I do people as well.  Concerts are my specialty.  The low light really suits my style and I see it as a challenge to get the best shot in an environment where the lighting is constantly changing and the subjects are constantly moving.  I hope you’ll stick around and watch my shooting and editing styles develop and change.  I’ll leave you with my favorite photo I’ve ever captured, and one that means a lot to me not only because it’s one of my best works but also because of the story behind it.

Patrick Stump @ The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Fujiifilm Finepix J10. Edited in Photoshop.

One last note, I will be posting every Thursday to the best of my ability, so keep checking back every week for new stuff!

Get out there and shoot!
-Kate