You all know about The Zadge’s Top Secret Day Job.
Well, actually, you don’t know anything about it, cuz it’s top secret! But I assume you know that the Top Secret Day Job pays the bills. Which, by the way, have been quite significant since the evil Mr. Tumor tried to take on The Shone in mortal battle.
Well, take THAT you lame-ass troll, The Shone is kicking your evil ass! Go back to the dark, stanky cancer hole you crawled out of and don’t come back!
The Zadge needs the Top Secret Day Job because it helps her fend off evil.
Well, it also pays for the fun trips that The Zadge likes to take. And the massive renovations to her Baby Jesus of Bethlehem Am I Old As Hell Victorian home. And the good food and booze that she likes to, uh, sample. And the ambitionally-challenged cute young foreign slacker that she hooks up with in a tequila-haze in Mexico. Oh, wait, no. The Top Secret Day Job gives her the cahones to drop kick the sad puppy out of her house in under 36 hours of his arrival!
In any event, The Zadge needs the Top Secret Day Job for a whole host of reasons. Plus, more days than not, she likes it. And it provides good cocktail party stories.
But The Zadge really likes photography. And she has been messing around with cameras for over a decade now. She even started a little portrait biz on the side of the Top Secret Day Job, more to keep photography alive in her life as opposed to making any money.
Cuz The Zadge certainly would be one hungry and thirsty photographer if she tried to chuck the TSDJ completely!
But now The Zadge wants to focus on the fine-art side of photography. Which means working on a long-term project of images that may one day see the light of a gallery’s walls, or a book, or some other medium. Hence, the trip to Santa Fe to study with the fabulous Keith Carter.
So now I’m in the fetal stages of developing a project. The project idea is actually a play on the name of this blog: it’s tentatively called “Western Skies.” It may or may not also include images of “yellow dogs” – you know who they are! But I’m a little worried that the dogs may muddy up the idea. So far, my project includes some of the images I posted here as well as some newer images of Denver:
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| Colorado State Capitol |
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| Union Station |
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| Coors Field Baseball Stadium |
Any critique and/or suggestions you have for The Zadge’s Project would be greatly appreciated. And be honest – I’m a tough girl. I can take it.
After all, I was right by The Shone’s side helping him battle Mr. Tumor!
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I pine for the same things you do. My new Nikon and my beginner class have gotten me started on another journey as well! I love the theme of "skies" and the photos you posted!
The look is timeless and has that evocative feeling in a photo, that it could have been taken at any time in the last 50 years. Good work!
love the idea and they look great!
me
I love photography. I even went out a few years ago and treated myself to a humdinger of a camera, which I've never really learned to use. I've still got it set on the point and shoot settings, and am somewhat disappointed by that fact. All that's to say that I'm not qualified to critique your work, but I will say that your pictures sure are pretty.
I found those photos breathtaking and I think you should run with it. My brother-in-law is an architect and he taught me to always look up, wherever you are and looking at your photographs here reminded me of that. What could be more worthy than capturing a piece of sky? So opening and big.
Having grown up with it there is almost nothing better than a Colorado sky, good work and if you can get the yellow guys in a sky shot I say go for it.
And not to go all Cupcake on you but when we moved to ND my brother said "I traded mountains for sky" and that has always stuck with me.
I'm not a photographer, so I cannot critique your work, but I can tell you what I like. I like your pictures of the sky. Black and whites have always been a favorite for me. And yes, I'd like to see one with the dogs and the sky. Easier for you because your dogs aren't so low to the ground.
I really like the photos Zadge. Have you ever seen the book Denver Now and Then? You should take a peek at it if you haven't already!
My mom bought be a Canon 3000 (which is by all standards a very very beginner DSLR). Any recommendations on where to take a good class on how to get started? I cant get off the auto feature.
Beautiful and timeless. Your Coors Field photo out of the series of 3 stands out the most to me because of the lighting and the contrast. It has a really nice tonal range – the brightest whites to the darkest dark tones and everything in between. They are all gorgeous though!
I love the work you did in NM too and I am really curious how you metered for it – is it like an HDR image with 2 separate exposures, just with a wider aperture? Did you use a lens filter?
Thumbs up – X 2!
Thanks all for the great feedback! Sara – thank YOU for the input! No, I didn't use a filter or do an HDR in Photoshop. I actually just shot the New Mexico shots straight, with Matrix Metering, and a fairly open aperature (f 4). And then converted to B and W in PS with some toning. Just lucked into really great pre-storm skies!
your pictures are wonderful! good luck with your art, i find colorado so inspirational… i have begun painting again after a good 6 year haitus while i was in school. maybe someday soon i will see on on sante fe!