Red is not just red....

As a photographer of flowers...I have found that red is the hardest color to capture. I've finally been able to figure out the lighting and shadowing to capture red fairly good. I've started to take photos of vintage cars and have found that red is the easiest color to capture.

I just love photography because I am always learning new thing and new ways of looking at things. I just thought it was interesting that red is almost a curse in outdoor floral photography and a huge blessing in outdoor vintage car photography. Amazing!!

Update....

I've been out having a lot of fun photographing everything I can think of. And in those journeys I met some real nice people.
The two people I'd like to add to my list of links are
1) Wings & Prayer Alpacas
2) The Peaceful Owl

Wings and a Prayer Alpacas raise and sell alpacas. They are located in Amity, Oregon and if you ask them, they will allow you spend some time with their alpacas. They are so cute, friendly and extremely curious.

The Peaceful Owl is a photographer friend, Maureen who I have met on Redbubble.com. Her work is absolutely fabulous, soulful and simply gorgeous to look at.

What do I want to do with my photography?

I've had such wonderful feedback on my photography and lots of fun on Redbubble. In fact many of photographs featured in various groups. It has been wonderful for my "photographer ego". I just love it. It has really helped me develop ideas on how I'd like my photography to progress. Here is how I see me (and Chris) living in the future.

We have a storefront on the central coast of Oregon. Anywhere from Lincoln City to Florence. I want a gallery where I can display all my art, do some simple framing and matting and sell prints. Also have some of my Photo Art bookmarks, greeting cards, journals for sale as well. Also have a small cafe where we serve coffee and tea and just a few snacks. This is going to be a relaxing setting which overlooks the Pacific ocean. The other part of the building is where Chris holds her classes and sessions on grief/loss. I also have some classes on basic photography or composition. Also a place where I can teach energy medicine. This will be a safe place for people to come and just enjoy my photography and feel the wonderful healing energy of the ocean. I'd like a small place to display/sell local artists creations.

In the meantime, living in the Portland area, I need to find a way to get my business started. I wish people would just fall in love my photography and just start buying from Redbubble, Zazzle and Fine Art America and I wouldn't have to try and sell.

Chris and I have been talking. I love photographing flowers. We were thinking I should offer my services to people who grow flowers and I can take photos of their favorite flowers and backyard gardens or indoor gardens. I'm getting real good with macros and I've always had good composition skills. So this is one idea. I'm working on.

The other idea is to become a pet or animal photographer. I love animals and tend to speak to them better than I do people. I'd love to go take photos of people and pets in their houses or a place where they feel comfy and safe and happy. So that is another possibility.

Hopefully this blog will turn into my story of how I get my successful business started.

Any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'll keep everyone posted on my new adventures.

Outrageous

The pictures above are from a trip Chris and took to Astoria Oregon last Wednesday (july 1st). We were in the itsy bitsy tiny red jetboat pictured between a couple yachts. We took the trip because we love "jet boats". We've been on them on the Willamette, a nice calm little river, compared to the Columbia. Anyhow, on this trip our little jet boat was tossed around on the Willamette. Everyone on board ended up bruised and sore. The Capt. said that it was the roughest he had ever seen it.

Chris watched her pedometer and just from sitting in the boat she moved enough to have walked 2 miles. All those two miles were basically, the out little boat falling off on big wave and dropping anywhere from 2 to 6 feet and compressing all of our bodies. We all took a beating. I'm just now getting back on my feet again.

I did happen to get some wonderful photos before the waves got real bad. May want to check out Flicker site or Redbubble site for more photos.

Zazzle....

I've just joined Zazzle. It's a wonderful place to showcase my photography, plus the added bonus of being able get mouse pads, cups, prints, clothing that has my photography on it. I'm just getting signed up. Please see Cee Photo Art Zazzle site.

I've heard of Zazzle through Redbubble. And my friend Debbie suggested I sign up. Please check out at her Zazzle site. I've also listed under my favorite links her Redbubble site and her husband's Redbubble site as well.

Enjoy!! I love sharing beautiful things and brightening peoples day. Photography is such an uplifting way to brighten anyone's day.

Hopkins Demonstration Forest

Chris and took a drive and small hike this weekend. We started at at Hopkins Demonstration Forest and then since the weather was so very sunny and wonderful, we search for view of Mt. Hood.
Here are a few pictures.

Hughes Water Gardens

Chris and I went on a photo shoot to Hughes Water Gardens yesterday. The lilies and lotus are not quite in bloom yet. It's been a cold spring/summer here in Oregon. I did get some good pictures.

Chris went on her 2nd photo shoot. She has my old camera and it's fun to watch her have a little fun with it.

Heirloom Rose Gardens

This weekend Chris and I went to the Heirloom Rose Gardens. It is starting to get late in the season, but I got a couple real cool pictures. A couple I'm not sure to do with, so I'll just play with them for awhile, but I'll give you a sneak peak at what I took.

Flickr

I've just added a bunch of photos on my flicker webpage http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceeneuner/.

I've been having fun learning how to create a community both on flickr and on Redbubble. I'm sometimes overwhelmed by how much information is on the web. I've not really looked into finding a community on the web before. In fact I wasn't even sure what a blog was until I started this. I know I'm having fun and I hope you are too.

I'm really glad I have time off of work right now, so I can play with all of this. It does take time.

LIncoln City This weekend

Chris and I took some time and drove to Lincoln City and Depot Bay this weekend. Got some great photos. I got some real cool pictures. Give me a couple of days to work on some of them and I'll get them out, but here is a sneak preview.

Law of Attraction

One principle I live my life by is Law of Attraction http://abraham-hicks.com/. So I've decided to bring that into my blog. The past 8 years I've gone through huge transformation. It all started when I was in my 40-day coma (see my Lyme Disease blog http://isimplywantedtolive.blogspot.com). And part of that transformation was to re-discover my artsy side. I absolutely adore taking pretty photos. And when people I know have seen my photography I get the biggest thrill to bumps. It's such a joy to watch people's faces light up or hear peoples comments. Many of them are "I didn't know a flower could be so beautiful", or "my husband takes pictures like these, but not this good". People just enjoy getting my photos.

***** FREE OFFER ******

I need your help, and in exchange I'm offering a free print. Here's the scoop... I'm using my blog to teach digital photography tips and tricks. I need pictures that you have taken that aren't "quite right". You know what I mean... those ones that are just a little... uummmm.... almost but not quite. I'll fix them and talk about the before and after on my blog. You'll get credit for your picture on my blog AND a free 5 x 7 print.

Email me at ceeneuner@wbcable.net

Delicate Blue Flower

Here is a photo that initially doesn't look particularly good. There are way too many weeds in the picture. I cropped out just the one blue flower with the old stump as a background. Now the shadows from the grass allows this photo to have more depth.

I have purposely not enhanced this photo in any other way. I just want to demonstrate how cropping a picture can make a difference in its composition. Play around with your photos. You may be amazed at the different look and feel you can get. That is the art of photography. You are the artist.

I simply wanted to live

Hi Everyone,

Some of you know that I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease. And because of this I will most likely be on antibiotics for the rest of my life. My journey to this diagnosis has taken 25 years to discover.

I've started this blog so I can share my journey of recovery from Lyme Disease. And allow a place for other people to share their stories as well. If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested my blog is http://isimplywantedtolive.blogspot.com

Thanks
Cee

A City Rose

I took this picture in my backyard. I thought it was an interesting perspective with a single rose through a chainlink fence. I then turned it into a dramatic black and white photo in Photoshop. You can even see the veins in the rose. A photo can be a work of art and you are the artist. Use your imagination and see what you can do with an ordinary picture. Changing a photo from color to black and white (gray scale) can change the feeling, sometimes quite dramatically.

New Flicker Site

Hi All,
I just finished posting some items on my new flicker target="'blank"> acount. There are more photos out there than I have on my store front....just for your pleasure.

Thanks
Cee

Three picture photo arrangement

Picture arrangements don't have to be intimidating. They can be fun, because you get to choose what you want. As in this example, I'm matching both a topic along with a blue colored theme. I'd first suggest you start by working with your favorite color. My favorite color is blue which made it easy for me to use ocean views as a theme.

Acquiring fine art for your home or office can be affordable. For example, in this arrangement, I have one 14"x11" and two 5"x7" prints. Matting for these sizes of prints can be purchased at any hobby/craft store and frames are easy to get. For a 5"x7" mat, you'd need to get a 8"x10" frame. And for the 14"x11" mat, the frame is 16"x20".

These prints are for sale on my storefront.

Picture of Contentment

Hi,

This picture is dedicated my partner, Chris. The day I took this picture the weather was wonderful and I was up on a cliff in on the Oregon Coast and just felt all the stress leave as I watched the ocean. OK I watched the ocean through the lens of my camera, but to me that is joy and wonder.

Chris is a grief/loss counselor and also makes prayer beads. She just opened up a website at ContentedLife.esty.com

Clarity

This photograph is one of my personal favorites. The crystal clear old Queens Anne stem as the ocean shines behind with its jewel-toned color. I currently have this as my desktop background. That way I can look at it and just relax and remember the day I took the photo. The sun was warm and bright over the Pacific from the Foulweather Lookout (south of Lincoln City, Oregon).

I really appreciate all of you for supporting me this week as I begin blogging journey.

I'm always open for suggestions on what you'd like to see on my blog. Or ideas of different photo art you'd like to see.

Also if you'd like to have a link on my blog, please let me know.

I hope this blog continues to grow and you get some of the same delight as I have in posting it.

Cee

A new look

Hi Everyone,
I've changed around my right column a little bit. I've split up my links into three categories. The top link list has various links to my own personal website and storefront.
The next link section lists other crafters, artists and photographers.
The third link list (below About Me) has a few person links I use for my own energy healing practice and personal growth.
Have a wonderful day!!!
Cee

What Photo Art is

I recently took a test from the University of Pennsylvania’s Authentic Happiness website, the VIA Signature Strength Questionnaire, which measures 24 character strengths. My top character strength reads as follows: "Appearance of Beauty and Excellence. You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to everyday experience." (See Authentic website at http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx.) This actually explains me in a very concise way and helps me understand my drive to have beauty in all aspects of my life. That's why I call my photography "Photo Art". I make bookmarks, prints and cards. To me photography and nature thrills and delights me, and I hope it does you as well.

I love walking all around my house and seeing the freshness of my photography. I just want to share it with everyone. I'm increasing my art to scrapbooking paper and collage backgrounds using my photography. See my site at InsideRedesigns.esty.com for a few more samples.

Adorable Pets

Pets bring such a joy and delight to my life. And give me endless hours of attention, love and entertainment. Actually all animals do. Here are some shots I've taken some of my own pets and some candid shots I've just taken of other pets. Animals give me plenty of photography practice because they are always doing something adorable or cute.

I have two pugs. Both pugs are fawn girls and were rescued. Mac was found in Bend, Oregon wondering the streets and weighing about 10 lbs after having a litter of puppies. The puppies were nowhere to be seen. I have had her almost 3 years now. And Shadow our newest pug we rescued from a puppy mill. Shadow had 4 litters in 5 years and the last time she had a litter she had 8 puppies and nearly died.

My one cat that was adopted lived in a cage (while waiting to be adopted) for 3 months or longer. He's still afraid to jump but is the most loving cat. I wake up with him sleeping on my side or stomach a lot. We've had him now for about 7 years.

I met this wonderful artist on line Tina, http://www.zhibit.org/tinawill. Her paintings are so fun and whimsical. I just adore them. She also recently adopted an unwanted dog and has created some delightful pieces of art.

Blowin' In

I have had the most remarkable weekend after getting some of my photos posted on InsideRedesigns.etsy.com .

Yesterday, I checked my Etsy site and noticed I had a message from Kay at kayskrafts.etsy.com. She added my “Blowin' In” photo to her Treasury, "Colors BlueGray no not on my hair" found at http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=55002. Now how cool is that!!

Kay works with fabrics and makes memory boards. Kay has many different fabrics and can enhance any color scheme in a room.

Anyhow, I'm entering into a new world of excitement and challenges. I love the idea that I can help promote other people's work as well. People are so very talented and all so varied. I just love it.

Bee Mine

Welcome to my blog!!!

This is a favorite picture of mine. When it is enlarged (14x11 or larger), you can actually see light yellow flecks of pollen on the white petals. It is a wonder to see.

For those of you who know me, this photo is even more amazing, since I'm afraid of bees. I was attacked by wasps when I was six years old, while building a bridge over a little stream on the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. I saw this bee and quickly snapped the shot and ran...and it turned out so well too!!!!!!!