An Introduction...

Here I am! After being urged for months to create a photography blog, I have finally done it. I am pretty excited, seeing as I will be able to share more work than I can post on my website, keep updating current projects, and get more feedback. I will most certainly be posting images after every shoot I do, and I will most certainly listen to your ideas for upcoming shoots.

Upcoming shoots? We'll get to that later on...
First, a little about me as a photographer.

I graduated September of 2009 (although the ceremony is in December) with my bachelors degree in Photographic Imaging at the Art Institute of Washington. I did very well, had a lot of fun, learned more than I could ever imagine, and met some amazing photographers. The best part of going to school for photography rather than teaching myself, was being forced, and trained, to work in areas I would never have tried before. Studio, location, environmental, photojournalistic, products, interiors, action, still life, food, and a million other ways of shooting. I got to do everything, and do it well, and now I don't feel limited in my work.

A few things I most enjoy working on are portraits & performing arts.
I find portraits fascinating, and embrace the fact that every person is different- both in their look and in their personality. I don't believe that two portraits should ever be the same, because no two people, families, couples, or kids are the same. I tend to create solid relationships with my subjects, whether I am photographing their pregnancy, family, wedding, or just-for-fun portraits. I connect with my clients and urge to make them feel comfortable, feel themselves, even in front of my lens. I love working with kids, and rather than making them jump into my world, I get into their world and take priceless photographs. Every time I get the chance to work with both families and individual's portraits, I leave feeling blessed to have had the opportunity to record memories, create a relationship, and create something I know they will love.

Performing arts? They are amazing. Grossly understated (although earning more respect with reality shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, Americas Best Dance Crew, Dancing with the Stars, etc), dance & performing arts are such an important part of society. I was fortunate enough to work on an internship at the Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland - what an awesome opportunity! I spent hours upon hours working with dancers & performers from the ages of 2 to 18, and saw so much talent it was incredible. Being able to photograph the students joy, talent, and movement was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had as a photographer. I sincerely hope that I am presented more opportunities to work with performing arts, and am able to capture the beauty of it.

Maybe I can talk a little about my equipment for the photo-nerds...Just because I'm excited.
I recently purchased the Canon 7D...what an awesome piece of equipment! If you're a Canon person and haven't looked into it...check it out. 8 FPS, 18 MP, 100% Viewfinder  and all the bells & whistles you could ask for. A definite step up from my 30D! I will most definitely be posting photos soon.

Had to throw that in there...It's been an exciting week.

Upcoming Projects! The most exciting part!
I have been working out a few different possibilities for some projects. We will see where this goes, but expect to have me asking you to model soon!
- My Dream - I have been working out ideas to bring the My Dream project back, bigger and better than ever. Even if I have already photographed your "My Dream" portrait, we may be photographing it again soon. I am still working on ways to make it a solid, exciting body of work...but get excited.
- The Nolander Yearbook - That's right. Be Ready.
There are a ton of other ideas floating in my head, but I should probably just take one step at a time.

Sunday I'll be photographing the "Brunch Service" at Mt. Oak Church-- Expect to see photos from that with the new camera.

That's all for now! I promise you, future posts will be photos, not words! If you want to make some pictures, please, feel free to get in touch!

Oh, I almost forgot! Be sure to check out my website-- www.jnelphoto.com and become a fan of j*nel photography on Facebook!