This year kicked off with a new feel for my photography. December I officially closed my photography business. Say what? Yup. The client work I have now is much more selective. I'm not going to get in to the nitty gritty of the  "Why?" right now, but it boils down to this "I'm more of an artist than an entrepreneur."   So with the marketing, client qualifying, accounting, and all that goes with a business out of the way I am able to shoot what I want when I want.

So for fun, I have jumped in to Macro Photography. Shooting small things up close and personal.  I still do and LOVE   my portrait work.  That will never change. People are interesting. We all look, act, and feel different; so I expect boredom will never peek it's ugly head with that. 

Just like with portraits I have successes and failures, trials and errors.  I miss things. I'm so focused on one thing, that I lose the bigger picture... Like the one below..I did not see the spider in this shot when I shot it. My focus was the spikey ball of the plant.

I know what you're thinking "How could you miss that?" It's easier than you think. I was concentrating on nailing focus where I wanted it. Lesson learned.. you would think. Nope! I missed this one too. I was curious as to why the bee was dangling. I knew he was dead, but figured his leg was caught on the petal somehow.

So, here I am, learning, seeing, and not seeing apparently.  I never get sick of learning this craft. There's always something that I never heard of before, tried, or achieved yet.  Whatever is burning inside you, feed that fire. Don't go on and on dreaming about the dream and just live it already. Why does everyone think you have to get famous or make a lot of money doing what you love?  You know that saying "Do what you love and you'll never work another day in your life."  Let's face it, we just don't want to work. I kid, if you can make a living doing what you love go for it! If you can't or really don't want to at this point in your life at least still do it.   Remember what Dr. Who said "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

My friend makes the Arkham Knight Harley Quinn inspired baseball bat. She asked me for some product shots, and had a model already. I had to do this shoot, there was no way around it. Wicked awesome cosplayers. Let me tell you what, I had a blast. I got to play with angles and light in a whole new way. You should check out her Etsy store here.

I was worried when they were running behind, but it worked out perfectly. The lighting was awesome and the colors popped. If we were shooting earlier, I would not have gotten the look out of The Polk Theater marquee that I got.

I put a bare speed light behind her, because I knew the marquee would not illuminate her, but I wanted it to look like it did. I got some nice rim light and the effect I was after. I lit her from the front right with a speed light in a softbox umbrella.  This allowed me to expose everything in the frame.

It was  a good night, I think everyone enjoyed themselves.