It was so amazing to watch her hunt down beautiful light while encouraging us to play with it and try something new.

This was my take at “directional light”.

This was shot at a beautiful mission in San Antonio, inside a room with just a sliver of window light. It was hot, not just warm, but like full on clothes dripping WET, makeup melting off HOT! There were around twenty of us shooting side by side, trying to get in for our shot, and then quickly backing away to make room for someone else. Despite all those distractions and my ankles burning like fire (either from burning grass –apparently that’s a real thing in Texas– or fire ants), I slowed myself down long enough to feel the moment. To just step back and let the fact that I am here in Texas, shooting alongside a group of amazing photographers, in this gorgeous light, wash over over me until all I could feel was grateful for this opportunity. We played in lots of different light around the mission, but the light in this room was peaceful and still. In order to translate the feeling I had while standing in the room, I made a few deliberate choices when selecting my camera settings. I  wanted the images to feel slow, patient and deliberate with a painterly quality, so I slowed the shutter down past where I normally would for a portrait session and left myself open to just feeling free enough to break the rules. Which after all, is exactly what we were there to do.

Since the toning is warm and modern (though inspired from vintage film) I selected the triangle creative aperture option.

  F13 | 4.0 seconds | ISO 200.

F3.5 | 2.5 seconds | ISO 200

F3.5 | 2.5 seconds | ISO 200

F18 | 4.0 seconds | ISO 200

 F3.5 | 2.5 seconds | ISO 200

The first time I listened to it, I did so with my eyes closed. My mind was still and then I simultaneously heard and saw footsteps, running to be exact. I could hear the pounding of my blue Nike sneakers (they make a different sound then my other running shoes) on the ground and the way the gravel sounded as my foot rolled off the ground for another stride. I heard the sound of deep, heavy breath. I knew from the sound of the breath that my mind had chosen winter for the season because it’s the loud echo of breath that you hear when you are running in below 30 degree weather. I instantly flashed to the thought of exhaling and being able to see the hot steamy breath. The story my mind had created was one of ritual, motion, and passion. Everything exactly the same as the time before. The rhythmic motion of my stride balanced with the controlled deep perfect sounding breaths as I run in my own version of perfect weather and on the perfect course.

This first image titled “The Ritual”  is a double exposure intended to represent the sight and smell of evening primrose set against the backdrop of the night sky during a run.

This second image is titled “The Motion” and serves as a symbol of the grace, speed, and agility illustrated by runners.

The final image in this series is titled “The Passion”.