The calm after the storm

It's been an incredibly fast few months! I'm finally now getting to the point where I can settle my life and do things like fix up my car, book more wedding events (I'm shooting a lovely couple named Amy and Matt in May!), and play with new photo equipment like my remote shutter release! I'm having fun with self portraits and new hairstyles as you can see.

I'm taking a trip at the end of the month to see my good friend Mere in Atlanta. I can't wait to explore the area around Atlanta more, and do a photo/sculpture collaboration with this talented girl!

I'll have wedding photos to show off in a week! I'm photographing Alyssa and Chris in some really scenic spots around Cincinnati, and their wedding sounds like it will be a blast! I can't wait to show those photos off!

It felt like Fall this weekend, and that made me happy, so you get to see some Fall-themed photos! Congratulations!

New Business Cards- WOO!

I got my new business cards from Moo, and I've gotta tell ya, I'm in love!
With their "printfiniti" option, you can print up to 50 different images on your business card order.

And I had a lot of fun with that.

Oooh, and did you know that these cards are made from 100% recycled paper (super thick and beautiful), and their factory uses wind energy to make the paper? This just keeps getting better!

Their printed quality is top-notch too. The colors are right on, and the image is sharp.

You can also order a sample of their cards, free of charge and free shipping too! I love this company, and I hope they're really successful.  It's not so common to find quality and eco-friendly commitment together.

Your first order is 10% off, and I would recommend them to artists, anyone selling products (pictures of all your merchandise in your pocket!), and people who like great design and good customer service.

Adventures in portrait photography

Hi there! It's been a little while since I posted, because I've been busy managing an art studio and teaching kids to be wildly creative, and doing a few portrait sessions on the side.

Veronica and I had a shoot the other day, which was a ton of fun! We played around with makeup and outfits first, and then set up cute Victorian style chair and went to town. This is my favorite shot from the shoot:

Yesterday, I spent the day with my little brother, who is 19 years old, and therefore, very snarky. He had an idea for a photoshoot: a parody of all the senior photos of kids holding guitars and looking thoughtful.

I call it "How NOT to play guitar in 6 photos"

Haha, too much fun. But seriously, isn't my kid brother adorable? I'm so proud that he's going to college this Fall, and so excited for all the experiences he'll have there!

The Dog Days of Summer

Well, it's been a long couple months since I've last posted, and here's why:

I got married!

I'm now Mrs. Mindy Burton, and I'm thrilled about it!

Now that the hoopla is over and life is starting to slow down to a manageable frenzy, I have picked up my camera again and started shooting whomever and whatever I can.

Including dogs! I've got a soft spot in my heart for these furry creatures. My fiance husband (still trying to get used to that one) adopted the sweetest black lab mix a year ago, and it was one of the best decisions of our lives.

My coworker Jennifer has a very sweet dog too, named Annie. She is a total supermodel, and I had a blast getting these great shots the other day. I swear she is better at following directions than most humans I photograph!

Spring is in the air!

It's the first day of Spring, and although it's felt like Spring all Winter long, I feel obligated to post some happy nature photos to commemorate the day. After all, who doesn't like flowers?

I am so proud to be featuring the ceramic sculptures of Mere Gehres!

This girl is one artist you should know about. (She also happens to be my best friend). Her work will blow you away. Seriously, hang onto your top hats, people.

I helped her photograph her most recent work, which were all themed in a similar way. Each of her almost-life-size sculptures are nude and have some sort of "rip" or hole in them. Some of them are pulling stuffing out of themselves, like demented stuffed animal-human hybrids, and some have BRIGHT PINK HANDSEWN VELOUR INTESTINES. I'm not even kidding you. See for yourself:

I am always so amazed with her unbelievable skills, and what she comes up with! I'm also so lucky to have her as a friend. She's my bridesmaid in my upcoming wedding, and someone I've seen twice a year or more since we met at Bowling Green during my one semester there. We were just talking on this visit about how friends just "click" sometimes, and that was exactly what happened with Mere and I. We like the same things, we've changed in the same ways, and we even start experimenting with art concepts and materials at the same time, without even talking about it! I'm pretty sure we're somehow the same person.

This shoot was great for me to become confident in my ability to take art slides. I now have a backdrop system that allows me to take portraits and more. It was so funny to me that I started naturally photographing her sculptures as I would a real person, getting similar angles, and some close-ups. Her work is extremely nuanced and convincing because of the way she constructs her figures from live models and photos. I really enjoyed shooting photos of them.

Now I'm thinking that I should offer professional-quality slides to art students who need good shots for their portfolio, but are broke (yeah, I hear ya. I'm only a month removed from art school. I know how it is).

So I'm considering charging $30 an artwork, which results in 2-3 edited shots for each work, (for 3D, it would be a front, back and detail shot, and for 2D I would do  front shot (of course), and a side shot if it makes sense (to show depth of a canvas, for example). 

I've had a good deal of experience photographing my own 2D work over the years. I pulled together some of my favorites to show off, because I like to brag (ha!):

In closing: I take photos that make your art look good.

Merry Christmas! Here's what happened to me in 2011!

Hi everyone,

I hope you had a great Christmas , and are having a great Hanukkah this year. I have been thoroughly enjoying the first year celebrating with my fiance and my puppy at home. We have been having a blast developing new hobbies and hanging out. Matt has been playing his bass a lot, and is thinking of starting up a band with a couple of friends. I got this shot while they were practicing. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a movie.

This whole year has been one of the best of my life. I just got hired as the manager of an art studio up in Madeira, teaching art classes and learning about marketing and product photography. It's been a lot of fun, broadening my photographic interests into still-life photography and formal portraits. Up until now, I've been doing more on-site projects, but I recently bought a backdrop system and I'm enjoying the kinds of shots I can get from it, such as this self-portrait I came up with.

Right now, I'm developing curriculum for a brand new class at Creativities: photography! We're considering merging our Sewing & Fashion Design program with Photography for this class. It will be called "Make it and Take it!" The concept is this: sew a self-designed piece of clothing or accessory, then design a backdrop and props for a collaborative photo shoot! The students will learn about studio lighting, camera controls, sewing, and the fashion design process! Throughout this whole process, Creativity will be coming out their ears!

I'm also getting into product photography, like I said, and I've been photographing products for Creativities since they opened 2 years ago. It's hard to believe we've been open for 2 years. It's been a whirlwind since I joined the team and I've loved every minute of it! I've also developed and maintained the email and web marketing campaign, which has taken me more into the world of graphic design and web design. I started making graphics from my photos, such as this one:

The things I photograph at the studio are so ridiculously creative. I always feel challenged to display them in an equally creative way. For example, we have been running a lot of classes and workshops for little girls who have American Girl Dolls. They can make accessories, clothes, and furniture for their dolls at a quarter of the catalog price, and learn creative skills while doing it! We are running a workshop this week that features doll-sized "Ugg" boots, and scarves. Here is my promotional photo:

I'm planning on getting into display design at Creativities soon. We just ordered a ton of new fabrics, and I'm planning on using some folded paper forms to arrange with the fabrics to create an interesting display for our vintage-themed textiles. I created the forms for my last class at DAAP: installation art.

Did I mention that was my last class at UC? I am now DONE with school! Graduated! It's been 5 long years, many jobs simultaneously held down, Deans List status almost every quarter, and this last quarter, joining a class 3 weeks into it, and STILL emerging with an A! I feel so proud of myself, and I'm in a great place in life.

Another one of my classes was screen printing, which I am also hoping to expand at Creativities. We have gotten into t-shirt screen printing in the past, and I would like to incorporate it into the next class session of the Draw/Sketch/Paint class. I dove headfirst into this process, and produced a print that is 4.5x6 FEET, and is made up of thousands of tiny monkey heads. The print is titled "Dunbar's Number" and is a depiction of how big our social groups can get, depending on our brain size. If you want to read more about this fascinating study, here's more information on it. This is what the whole image looks like:

Here are some detail shots of each part of the print. Each monkey is roughly 1" wide.

I also made a print combining ink with white charcoal. I wanted to explore the physiological side of humanity, so I made a diptych print showing the anatomical [in]side of two people:

As if all this weren't enough, I'm also planning my own wedding for April 2012! of course, since I work at a ridiculously creative art studio, I am planning on doing a LOT of it myself, or with the help of my close friends and family. I'm so lucky to have such great people around me at this point in my life. It makes everything easier and so much fun!

So, everyone, that's a not-so-short update on my life, and what I'm getting into! 

Have a great New Year!