Playing with Vintage {Maine Lifestyle Photographer}

Posted on January 3, 2010

It is so easy to get comfortable with a certain way of doing things. In regards to photography, post processing in particular, I have found myself seeking new ways of bringing to life the images I take. I visit hundreds of blogs. I sample hundreds of tutorials. I read hundreds of “how to’s.” But in the end I found myself slinking back into a familiar way of presenting my work. Maybe it’s my “style” or my “signature” – a way for people to recognize my images. For them to be able to say, “yep, that’s Darlene.”

But I want to grow. I want to feel expressive in a multitude of ways. I don’t want my post processing to be my signature. I want the emotion conveyed in the images to say “this is Darlene’s work.”

The following images are from a session I did towards the end of November. I’m still working on them. The good thing about taking so long is the images and I are evolving together. I am stepping outside my “photography comfort zone” with the intention of being open to many forms of expression. These images below have been treated with a vintage look. The hardest part about this change is when I put the original image and the vintage image side by side. I have to let go of the fact that the colors are different, especially skin tones. But what I’m loving is the energy shift. It really brings to life the feeling of the moment.

The direction of this post was inspired by the latest post on Shutter Sisters.

This image represents such a sacred moment.  I just love the synchronicity between Lea and Spartacus.

The Elements of Play – {Maine Lifestyle Photographer}

Posted on December 2, 2009

What is this magic that exists between horses and the feminine ? How do you describe their interaction, their natural curiosity of one another? How do you weave respect and trust into genuine play, especially when your playmate is a 1,000 pound animal who lives on instinct and can react in a millisecond? The images below will answer these questions for you.

I spent the day with Lea this past Sunday and I continue to be awed by her way with horses. I hope you will see as I do that there is nothing more sweet than Lea’s relationship with her horses, except for maybe the wisdom she is passing on to her 8 year-old apprentice. You will see how every moment is a spontaneous response to an internal call for delight; how scarves and movement, a tall hat or pink boa can enlist laughter and thundering hooves. You will see a young girl learning the art of leadership and the delicate balance between strength and a gentle heart. You will witness a woman’s heart flowering with mystery as she weaves her way through a timeless dance. You will see that the elements of play are vast and simple, yet full of enchantment and wonder.

Have you ever played dress up with your dog or cat?  I know I have!  But have you ever played dress up with your horse or horses?  If not, and you have a horse, you might consider it the next time you wonder what fun thing you could do together.

Lea says it’s a good idea to dress strangely for your horse so they become desensitized to unfamiliar things.  So get out the costumes and have fun!

Now doesn’t Spartacus look dashing in his top hat!!

Really, Xena doesn’t mind at all getting dressed up for the boys!

“Awe, what a good girl” approves mommy Lea!

As you will see, the energy of the day shifts in many directions, creating an ever changing mood.

Many of the fantasies young girls have about horses are not only full of potential that the horse/woman relationship promises, but are also tremendous symbols for personal growth in leadership, courage and empowerment.  -Melissa Sovey-Nelson

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.  – Havelock Ellis

Life is art and even a horse can be the canvas upon which you express your creativity.

We journeyed through the woods to a pond.  The light in the forest was fantastic.  In fact, the light of late fall throughout the winter months are among the most extraordinary forms of ambiance I know of.

Some blurry pictures tell stories anyway.

It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive.  There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger after them.   -George Eliot

Could it be, that the horse as messenger, is such a profound teacher because once upon a time when we listened to all healers, all creatures who, in one way or another, inspired us to remember what we already knew, the horse persuaded us to believe in ourselves?   As long as we do not ask the horse to forget who he is, he will remind us of who we want to be.  – Melissa Sovey-Nelson

Thank you, Lea, for an extraordinary day.  I cannot wait for our next “play date!”

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