ANTI-social Anxiety
I’ve been very reluctant to post any new work lately. I’ve been so disillusioned with all of “social media” Seriously wondering if it’s really worth it anymore? But whatever…😕
Catching Rainbows © 2018
Princess Of Color Series Pt.1
My princess of color series was created to depict a more realistic and identifiable image of princesses to young women of color. The idea is to show girls of color that royalty looks just like them, as opposed to the traditional notion that we’ve been conditioned to accept throughout history. The series is meant to convey the message that you are beautiful and important just the way you are, so be proud of the skin that you’re in. Having a daughter myself, my goal is to get more people involved and have more representations from children of all different cultural backgrounds.
This first set of images feature Princess Madison.
(Please click on each image to enlarge)
Childhood
“Youth is fleeting, as life begins…innocence blows away, like whispers in the wind.”
-Robert N. Jones
Portrait Of My Princess
A simple black & white portrait of my daughter from yesterday as we stood outside enjoying a slight breeze and discussing our favorite foods.
Happy 15th Birthday Nas!!!
It’s mind blowing how fast time flies right before our eyes. I can recall everything I was doing at 15 as if it literally happened yesterday, and now I have a fifteen year old son…it’s crazy! It’s almost like watching myself growing up again in another body! Anyway, I’d like to wish my son a very sincere Happy Birthday today! I love you Prince!!!
Halloween 2015 Continued
After re-reviewing my Halloween folder I decided to add a few more images that I actually like that I completely overlooked the first time around. Seeing this new set of images made me really wish I had tried harder to take more shots that day. Now I have to wait until next year…
(Please click on each image for a larger view)
Climbing
I’m so happy and excited that fall is finally here! The weather has cooled down a bit and this weekend was beautiful. I decided to go out to the park with my son and shoot some nature. While shooting, a family seemed to appear from out of nowhere. This shot was captured when this little girl entered my frame to try and climb these big, slippery rocks. I quickly snapped 2 shots and when I reviewed them later on the computer I chose this one over the other. That’s just one of the cool aspects of photography. You don’t always have to search for every shot, sometimes they reveal themselves to you. As long as you’re alert and prepared, sometimes some of the best shots will materialize right in front of you.
Happy 4 Year Blogging Anniversary To Me!!!
I’m so very happy to announce my 4 year blogging anniversary! I can’t believe I’ve been at it this long?! Sometimes it’s very easy for me to write and post pictures, but other times it’s a very difficult task. You never really understand how much work goes into it until you start doing it. When I started out I had no clue how to even set up a blog, and by no means would I consider myself a “master blogger” now but, I have been expressing myself and sharing my work for the last 4 full years of my life. Needless to say I’m very proud of this accomplishment. I realize now how much dedication it takes to maintain a project like this in order to reach such a milestone.
Now I’d like to share a photo today exactly the same way as when I first started, with a picture of my little friend Adayah. As you can see a lot has changed! She’s no longer a little baby, she is, in her own words, a big girl now. I’m so grateful that her mother has allowed me to document her growth and development throughout the years as I’ve been privileged to witness her evolution as if she were one of my own children. This recent photo is just a quick snapshot from their last visit but, I hope to do a more formal shoot with the little lady to commemorate this special occasion very soon. Isn’t it amazing how time flies when you enjoy what you’re doing?
I’m honored and humbled. 🙂
We Love Summer!
It’s starting to get really hot out. Most adults try to avoid the heat as much as possible but, kids sometime seem completely unaffected by it. What is it about being young that gives kids the energy to have fun in any situation? Maybe it’s there active imaginations? Maybe it’s their naïveté? It could be a combination of both? Whatever the case, kids definitely know how to make the most out of their recreational time. Here’s a perfect example. I spotted kids outside enjoying their summer, trying to cool off in the intense July heat. What’s the best way to stay outside and stay cool at the same time? Water! Kids love summer and they love to splash around in the water. Walking past these children playing makes me instantly nostalgic thinking back to my own childhood. It’s a shame that growing up steals so much of this innocent joy from our lives. As I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the children having fun I can’t help but wish that it was me and my best friends all over again. Just being outside, living, totally unconcerned with the heat and relishing every moment of our free time together.
Block Party
Here are a few of my favorite random shots from the old school block party in the downtown area a few weeks ago. I walked around quite a bit despite the intense heat but, these photos are from a relatively stationary position allowing the people to walk into my frame. In essence I let them to create some of the photos for me.
Same Area Different Results Part #2
Today I’d like to share the second part of my 3 part series on photographing the exact same area at different times of day and on different days. I’ve specifically chosen the Whitewater Express area downtown along the riverwalk as well as the Broadway Street area which is where there tends to be the most regular concentration of people. Sometimes this very small area is full of people and full of photographic possibilities, while the next moment or the very next day can yield very few interesting results at all. There are many factors as to why this happens such as, weather, events, weekdays versus weekends, time off from school, time of day, etc. My point is, though it can be very frustrating we have to keep trying. You never know what will happen or when it will happen so you must put yourself in a position to witness whatever may occur. It sounds easier than it is especially on the slow days when it feels as if you’ll never shoot anything interesting but, I guarantee that if you keep moving and stay alert you will find something that peaks your interests to capture.
(Please click the pictures for a full sized view)
Spring Fling April 2015
Spring Fling April 2015 has come and gone yet again. This time it lasted for 2 long weeks. My goal was to attend as many times as I could during both day and night so I could shoot multiple times to get many different looks. Since I didn’t find out until the last minute that the event was going to last that long, I wasn’t able to go back as often as I wanted to. These photos represent my first day there which happened to be my most successful day.
My family and I arrived early on day one before all of the crowds poured in. I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to come back with all the people that usually attend but, I decided that at some point I would. Unfortunately at some point never came! I was very disappointed because there were plenty of photographic opportunities for me this year but I blew it. I am however very grateful for the shots that I was able to get this time. Editing these shots is an entirely different story… Working on the edits was very difficult this time. I wanted to try something different, a specific look I had in mind. It’s something that I’ve been longing to do for a while but never willing to actually sit down and do. I wanted each shot to have bold, bright colors so I edited every single shot in this gallery individually. This was not a batch edit. I NEVER edit this many photos individually! Whenever I post lots of pictures in a gallery I usually post them straight out of the camera with no adjustments. The reason why is because it’s far too time consuming and I feel like batch edits can’t possibly give each shot the special attention it deserves. This time each shot has it’s own signature color profile. It was very tiring but I’m happy I did it. Now I know I have the patience to actually sit down and do it and I feel that it will only help me later on during my post processing sessions.
You know, as photographers we all shoot for many different reasons. Most of us shoot for the love of it. We also shoot for ourselves first and foremost but, we hope that when we do release photos to our viewing audience they understand all the hard work we put into it. Sometimes our satisfaction comes from just knowing others “get it”. This was a hard one y’all! I hope someone out there “gets it”. As always I’d like to thank each and every person that stops by my blog and enjoys my work. Your views, messages, and support are greatly appreciated!!!
Happy Birthday To My Prince!!!
I’d like to wish my son a very happy 14th birthday! I love you with all my heart!!!!
Shadow Skater
I took my son out recently to practice riding his new skateboard. This should prove to be a very interesting process. Stay tuned to find out what happens…
School Daze
Taking my daughter to the bus everyday at 6am. Unfortunately being the true night owl that I am I usually go to bed on average between 3am-5am. Now do the math. Needles to say, I’m always very tired! It’s way too early to be up….but it’s for my baby.
“The Embrace”
Could you figure out what it was? Well, it’s actually an abstract shot of my children hugging. Taken about 2 years ago to test my new camera and lens, this was the very first shot with my new gear. I was so impressed with the amount of detail in the file I decided to keep it. Later I grew to appreciate the emotional value of the image. Although my children very rarely get into any type of fight or disagreement, I thought it was a particularly genuine moment where they shared a very sweet embrace with one another. It’s kind of hard to decipher because there’s so much hair in the shot but, that’s exactly why I love it! It just goes to show that sometimes the photos we dislike or maybe think very little of at first can eventually turn out to be some of our most cherished. I’m so happy I decided to keep it! ❤
Transformation
The more my son ages the more I see him as a miniature version of myself. He is starting to become a direct reflection of me as a teenager. Watching this transformation as both a parent and observer is quite amazing…it entrigues me, while making me happy and sad at the same time. I’m very curious as to how much more we will have in common and how much he will differ from me as he grows into an adult and fully develops his own personality? I will continue to try and document this process in the hopes that he will someday look back at it all with his own children and appreciate my effort to catalogue his development as a person created in my own image.
Christmas Parade 2014
Here are just a few selections from this past weekend at the Christmas Parade in downtown Columbus. Enjoy!
Halloween
Halloween in downtown Columbus, 2014. Lots of kids, people, costumes, candy, fun, food, a 5k race, and good music!
What You Talkin Bout?!
One of the signature faces I’ve grown accustom to seeing on a regular basis over the years. This little girl has so much character it’s ridiculous!!!
Interrupting My Drink
Dayah looking perplexed or angry as she sips her drink in the intense summer heat. I love all of her many facial expressions. Taken 4 years ago during her first photo-shoot.
Young Mike Flashback
Here’s a flashback to 2010 when my son wanted to wear his hair curly in honor of his favorite performer, Michael Jackson. I can’t believe how young he looked here! Or even that this pic is now 4 years old!!!
Versatility By RNJ 