unimaginable

words.
so many words
never used enough.
we always settle for the simple
the easy
we don't give the exotic a chance
experience it
give those words a chance
change everything
words change everything
the power of one single word
is unfathomable

101 Things I've Learned about Being a Photographer

Wrote this a little over a year ago.

 

1.     Think before you shoot.

2.     Shoot first. If needed, ask permission later.

3.     If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing right the first time.

4.     Sometimes it might be luck, but it never hurts to actually know what you are doing.

5.     Like an other form of art, photography is a 'learn with experimentation' kind of thing.

6.     The same techniques don't work for every camera (or every photographer).

7.     Lighting is everything.

8.     Take advantage of any and all surroundings.

9.     A picture can have all the elements to make it a photo of quality, but it can still be incredibly boring.

10.   Don't always go chasing after the perfect shot. Sometimes you just have to let it come to you.

11.   Don't be afraid to 'shoot from the hip.' 

12.   Photoshop is not a verb. You are processing your photos in a digital darkroom and it should be treated as such.

13.   Photographers are not terrorists, but some people will act like it. Be polite and conscious of this.

14.   Know your rights as a photographer. (I'm still working on knowing all these. There are a lot of inconsistencies that I'm sorting through).

15.   The most difficult picture to take is a self-portrait.

16.   Anyone can buy a camera and develop an ego to go with it.

17.   Don't be afraid to shoot at night." I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day. " - Vincent Van Gogh

18.   There is such a thing as perfect light; the first hour of sunrise and the last hour before sunset.

19.   Juxtaposition is almost a never fail subject.

20.   Telling someone you are a photography student is never a lie.

21.   Always have business cards.

22.   Every 10 feet there are at least 10 more pictures to take.

23.   Going out with a specific idea or assignment is great, but don't miss the other great photos along the journey.

24.   Communication is key when working with models.

25.   Invisibility is key when working on the street.

26.   Mundane can be made interesting if you know what you are doing,

27.   If someone asks you to delete a picture, just do it.

28.   It's good to have a favorite lens you know how to use, but don't be afraid to experiment.

29.   Even the dirtiest, grossest, broken things can translate into a gorgeous photograph.

30.   Don't be afraid to look up.

31.   Or down.

32.   Put your work out there.

33.   Have the balls to accept the criticism that comes with it.

34.   Connect and network with other people and artists, but don't get to the point of annoying. It will only move you backwards in the art world.

35.   Always make the women look good, and everyone will be happy.

36.   Anyone can take a photograph of a person, it takes skill to photograph a personality.

37.   There is no such thing as an 'original' idea. You can only reinvent the old ones.

38.   Being a shy photographer translates into timid photographs no one will relate to.

39.   No matter what the picture is of, if the composition is wrong no one will like it.

40.   Practice makes for experience. Experience makes for knowledge. Knowledge makes for a better photograph.

41.   Don't be a push over when on assignment. You are the one with the camera, so take charge!

42.   There will always be someone more successful than you.

43.   There is no such thing as perfect photo.

44.   You can't 'photoshop' and bad picture into a good one.

45.   Look at pictures you think suck so you know what not to do.

46.   Don't look to too many other photographs for inspiration. You'll just end up trying to recreate them instead of reinventing them.

47.   Knowing how film works helps to understand the digital process.

48.   Film is not better than digital.

49.   Digital is not better than film.

50.   Photography is a dedicated lifestyle.

51.   A costly lifestyle... But, if you are passionate enough, you will figure out how to make it work.

52.   You'll miss the picture if you are worrying about the equipment.

53.   Having the best most expensive camera on the market does not make you a photographer.

54.   Always have your camera on your person.

55.   Always.

56.   Sunny 16 is legit. Learn it and USE IT! (I wish I had learned this rule sooner).

57.   If no one is looking at you funny, you aren't doing your job right.

58.   Don't be afraid to take pictures of people.

59.   You may waste an entire day taking hundreds of worthless pictures, but you only need that one to make it all worth it.

60.   The more you take, the more likely you are to get 'the shot.'

61.   There is no such thing as the 'right' camera.

62.   It's possible to take a great picture without using the rules, but it is very very very difficult.

63.   Candid > Posed.

64.   Be smart. (like... don't wear a dark sweatshirt with your hood pulled up and use a huge telephoto lens during a street photography walk).

65.   Make copies of everything.

66.   Don't just tell a story with your photos. Make them ask questions.

67.   Don't do it for the money. You probably won't get very far.

68.   You can't be a photographer because it is 'trendy.' It takes a lot more work than that.

69.   Talk to your subjects.

70.   Photography has been around for centuries, but techniques will trend in and out.

71.   Technical flaws aren't always bad.

72.   Not everyone will like or understand your work.

73.   Don't make too much of your work available to see. It will make your more successful work seem less impressive. Only put out your best.

74.   A point-and-shoot is still a camera. I =t can do the same basic job a DSLR can.

75.   You don't have to look at only photography to inspire you. Don't be afraid to look elsewhere for inspiration.

76.   Don't be lazy.

77.   Have prints made of your best works. Having the physical thing will inspire you to do more.

78.   There's always going to be people who take a crappy picture of a flower and call themselves a photographer. GET OVER IT.

79.   Technology is making it easier and easier to take a cool picture. Take pride in the fact that you know how to do it in 'real-life.'

80.   Ignore arrogance.

81.   Know what you're bad at and make it better.

82.   Know what you're good at and make it better.

83.   Learn for the experiences of others.

84.   Know how to take care of your equipment.

85.   Nature/Wildlife photography isn't for everyone.

86.   There is no such thing as the photographer 'look.'

87.   No photographic style is easy to accomplish.

88.   Some are gifted, some have to work at it.

89.   There is nothing wrong with a camera phone as long as you know how to us it.

90.   Don't be afraid to travel and find something new.

91.   Manual has its pros and cons.

92.   Automatic has its pros and cons.

93.   Different styles of photography have different rules.

94.   Black and white will not make a shitty picture better or more 'artsy.'

95.   Don't limit yourself.

96.   A photographer is still an artist.

97.   Share your experiences so others can learn from it.

98.   The internet is a great resource.

99.   If someone asks you for your opinion, be honest. BUT ONLY IF THEY ASK FOR IT.

100. Don't let one failed project ruin your whole career.

101. Never stop taking pictures.

robots

fields of threes
yellow and magic
stones upon mountains
paths to be broken
midnight for moonlight
lick it for luck
sweetness on sunrise
drink until mullets

train of thought

up
down
up
down
clearly there is something wrong with me
how i am feeling is not normal
it's not natural

up
down
up
down
i know i'm not the only one
it may not be natural
but they're common

up
down
up
down
there's tons of people out there to help
but you have to pay them
i don't want that

up
down
up
down
i have no idea why i am feeling like this
i know it's unreasonable
but here we are

up
down
up
down
why can't i just go back to the way i was
i used to be a normal person
why did things change?

I want

Of all the things I could possibly want in this world

All I want is to be someone's idea of perfect.

But isn't that what everyone wants?

Think about it.

You want to be your lover's idea of perfect.

Your parents

Your employer

Your friends

Your kids

Your peers

Yourself

All anyone wants is to be deemed perfect.

By someone

Anyone.

Everyone.

Just one.

things

walk on rocks

hold my hand

talk with silence

sink in sand

trip on hearts

whoosh in waves

skip the cash

fall for plays

chase the flowers

howl in wind

pace my breathing

love or spin

ignore the clouds

dance in rain

reward our vision

forget the pain

stare at shadows

sleep in sun

care & listen

scream then run

Sight - Illustration Friday

Participating in Illustration Friday for the first time today...
Thoughts?

You were thinking

Have you ever laid in the middle of nowhere and stared at the sky?

Have you ever stared at the sky and thought about nothing?

Oh, you have?

No, there is no way you have.

It’s impossible.

Maybe you thought you were thinking about nothing, but really you were thinking about the deep brilliant blues that kept changing as the hours passed and how fast the clouds swam through it.

You were thinking about the thick tall grass and being surrounded by hundreds of yellow dandelions.

You were thinking about the cool breeze on your bare limbs and how it complimented the warmth of the setting sun shining on your already rosy cheeks.

You were thinking about all the other times you have laid under the sky and how each season has its own sounds and scents.

You were thinking about the beauty of silence and how you wished it could be like that all the time.

You were thinking.

Ninety-Nine & Ready to Die

He laid on the bed ‘til the nurse came by,

“I’m ninety-nine and I’m ready to die.

“I’ve seen it all. There’s nothing left for me.

And if I can only leave one statement behind,

let me tell you that everyone is the same.

“They tell you when you’re young

everyone is unique and to judge each other for it.

But I’m telling you, we’re all the same.

“We are nothing but flesh, bone, and emotion

and we do nothing but hurt and kill.

That’s all that life really comes down to.

“Life baffles me. Though we all have identical pains

we insist on continuing the cycle.

They never learn from the mistakes.

“I have lost faith in all people.

I have set my standards low

in hopes to never be disappointed.

“Let me tell you, my dear, please learn from me.

No matter your methods of prevention,

disappointment will always be there for you.”

He turned to the left and closed his eyes for the last time

before he could see the nurse hadn’t stayed to listen.

Chai

I, Daena Elaine Urbanski, am 20 years old. I live in a not-so-small-but-big-either town in the ever so seasonally bipolar Northeast Ohio. I don’t know what I want for myself.

Things that are currently making me upset, being as specific as possible and appropriate for being on the internet where everyone can access it:

My brother and his engagement

My mother and her husband

My father

My friends

My job

…being alone

Ya know what, I think I can sum up all of my problems in one statement.

“I hate my job and I hate that I am no one’s priority.”

Totally living the cliché right now.

Sitting at panera

Sipping chai tea

And not doing anything productive.

And by that I mean I am sitting here

Creeping on facebook

And then blogging about it

What has my fucking life come to? I'm only 20 years old and I feel like I'm 100 and ready to die.*

I don’t really know but I just burned the fuck out of my tongue.

*Not like suicidal, but like "I am old. I have lived this life. I am ready for the next one. Ready, go!"

Everyone

Everyone wants to be different.

Everyone wants to be special.

Everyone wants to be that one,

but everyone is the same.

Everyone claims to make the effort.

Everyone claims to care.

Everyone claims to not be like the rest,

but everyone gives up eventually.

What makes me so different?

What about me makes everyone the same?

What is wrong with me,

and what makes me not worth it?