Modish Completed

Modish is FINALLY completed . . . and I know there are a lot of people who will be very happy!! There has been a lot of buzz and excitement about our new release. Some have been waiting for a long time and let me tell you . . . it was worth the wait. It's an awesome collection!!! I absolutely love it!! I am having so much fun creating new things with all of the elements!! For a limited time, we will be offering a bonus disc with three extra templates which were all created with Modish pieces! Here is a sample of one of the templates available for those who purchase Modish by October 9th. Have fun and don't let your photos go undressed!!

Traci

I wanted to upload a shot from the senior session I shot today. It was such an enjoyable day. The weather here in WV is starting to change and to feel a little like fall. So, I though this outfit was really fitting and quite simply too cute for words!! The senior is Traci Roberts from Westside High School. Traci and I had a great time and her photos are going to turn out awesome!!

Modish

Well, here is a look at a photo I created with items from the soon-to-be released edition of photoDUDS Senior V.3 Modish. I am so excited because the collection has turned out so cool!! I will be traveling to Michigan early in the week and then to upstate New York on the weekend to give seminars on senior portrait photography. So, they should get a nice look at the upcoming Modish collection. We hope to be shipping the new DVD in about 2 weeks.

The Many Faces of Brayden

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!! I have been diligently working on the computer most of the weekend. As I was working on Brayden's images, I decided that I had to share his cute little face with everyone. Every time he comes in to the studio he is so cute and animated! I love to photograph him!! So here is a gallery his mom ordered for their home. Enjoy. I'm sure he'll bring a smile to your face just as he did mine!

photoDUD freebie

I am posting an image of a photoDUDs template which is going to be added to the freebie area of the DUDS' site. So many photographers were asking about testing the product for ease and compatibility, that we decided to offer a "free" wallet size template. Why so small you might ask? We wanted to keep the file size small for quicker downloads. It's really just designed as a demo test file. So, go to the photoDUDS site and give it a whirl!!
I think it turned out pretty cute. I must give a shout out to the senior appearing in the template . . . it's Allison Hainer who attends Man High School and her photos turned out awesome!!

iPod

I recently was inspired to shoot images which centered around the iPod . . . what senior doesn't love their iPod, right? The subject is Erin Stone from Logan High School and we had loads of fun creating all sorts of images of her with an iPod. (Note: The added photo on the screen of the ipod is of Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips. This is a shot I took earlier this summer from their performance at Bonnaroo 2007.) Anyway, I will probably be posting a few more shots later from this session with Erin so stay tuned . . . .

The White Stripes

Recently, I read an article in Paste Magazine about The White Stripes. I found something Jack White said in the article to be quite interesting and poignant. He stated this in response to a question about people and journalists suggesting that he and Meg had sold out.
"I’ve never understood it. I’ve always thought it was strange what happened with the underground and punk publications that really championed us when we were in our early days making seven inches. It just seemed like as soon as two other people heard of us they could care less. It’s ridiculous to champion underdogs and once they succeed to abandon them. That’s a whole lot different than building them up and knocking them down. There’s this abandonment that happens.

Where’s your sense of longevity with the things you love? If you abandon a band as soon as other people like them, then you don’t love it for the right reasons. You like music for identity. You have an identity problem. [laughs] That’s not loving music. Loving art for its own sake means you don’t care what people think—which is exactly what they’re supposedly standing for. Somebody explain that. I don’t get it, man."

Anyway, if you've never read Paste Magazine go pick one up. It's an awesome magazine whose tag line is "looking for signs of life in music, movies and culture."

Here is a photo I shot of The White Stripes at this year's Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Rock on Jack and Meg!!!

WPPI-March 2008

I am very excited to announce that I have received a platform to speak at WPPI in March of 2008 in Las Vegas!! So, to anyone who plans to attend my program please remember, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." So, if I were to fall off of the stage and embarrass myself . . . your lips must be sealed. All kidding aside, I am very pleased to have received this prestigious honor and I promise to put on a great show. See you in Vegas!!

Vacation?????

Believe it or not I am on vacation . . . well, not really. It's very hard to explain. I am on a Home Vacation . . . for those of you are wondering "is she crazy and what exactly is a Home Vacation?" I guess it's not really a vacation since I plan to work all week trying to get caught up on all of my orders, proofs and work in general. I am continually working 12-14 hours a day trying to keep up with everything. However, it is my hope that this week I can get caught up enough to relax and maybe take a short breath. (This is better and less expensive than the trip we had planned to Los Cabos, Mexico, right?) Believe it or not I am a little more relaxed than usual, so maybe it's working a little. As you can see, I did have time to post today so that's improvement!!

I am posting a photo album layout I designed for GP Albums today. They requested I submit some album designs for their upcoming catalog and re-designed website. The images were shot of Katherine earlier this year during the ever-popular Boone County Coal Festival.

Rangefinder Article

I am very proud to announce that the August issue of Rangefinder is now out and that there is a feature article about me and the photoDUDS product. (Yes, pinch me so that I know it is real!!) Moreover, I was astonished when they called to tell me that one of my images would be featured on the cover of the issue as well. I am so thrilled to receive this recognition and exposure and I would like to thank Charmaine Beleele and Bill Hurter, for without them it would not be possible. If you would like to find out more about Rangefinder and read the article please click here.

New Website is Here!!

Finally!! I have finished the website and it is now live. Be sure to check back often, as my friends at Dinny's Designs have created a website that is totally self-managed. This means that I can update much more frequently and change text, photos and content as often as I want. So, hopefully I will be able to find a little time in my CRAZY schedule to add new and exciting things to the site.
Since I have to post text without some sort of image I decided to post a self-portrait I designed in Photoshop. The images were all shot in Austin about a year ago with my Lensbabie.

New Website Coming Soon!!

I am so very excited!!! I have been working very hard on my new website and I think I should be able to "go live" in a week or so. The site was designed by my friends Diane and Steve at Dinny's Designs and I think it's awesome!! Here is a preview of the homepage . . . BTW, the address will still be the same at www.foresterphoto.com

Holga Camera

I recently received a fun camera for my birthday . . . It's called a Holga and was originally designed in Russia in the early 80's by the state-run optics manufacturer LOMO PLC.
In 1991, some Austrian travellers on vacation purchased one of the original Russian cameras and were immediately "charmed by the unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry images that the camera produced." The camera itself is constructed very cheaply . . . it is entirely plastic even the lens) and most have light leaks due to the cheap construction. These Austrians purchased the distributing rights and began to push the the idea of "casual snapshot photography" or Lomography.
Lomography emphasizes the "don't think just shoot" style of photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique." Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography. Here are their mottos for Lomography:

1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go and whenever you go.
2. Use it any time - day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4. Shoot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.

Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am a perfectionist when I shoot. I have found it very hard to take snapshots when I am travelling because I want everything to be just so and due to that fact I rarely photograph out of the studio. So, the Holga is kinda perfect for me. It's supposed to look sort of weird or bad so then I have no worries. I am posting a couple of shots I took with the Holga while I was recently travelling in NYC. Enjoy!!

iPhone

Well, I have to admit it
. . . I was one of the 500,000 people who purchased the iPhone in the first weekend it was on sale. We just happened to be in New York City the weekend of the launch. So, we simply had to stop in the SOHO Apple store to see it in person. I was hooked. Now, I have been an Apple person since 1984 (yes, my first computer was a 512k and I've never owned a pc) but I really wasn't planning on purchasing an iPhone right away. But, after seeing the device in action I was in love!! I worried that I would have buyers remorse but after only three weeks of use I can't ever imagine life without it. For me it's a perfect fit.