Franklin County Area Photographers - Meet Up and Photo Hunt Equals Some FUN Photographs!

I've said it before and I will say it again, I love FCAP. 

Franklin County Area Photographers was founded by my buddy Tyann Marcink. In fact, it was one of the main reasons we first connected and got to know each other. 

Now, she lets me help her maintain the Facebook page/group and set up various activities, photo hunts, challenges, and more. I really love having a part in it. It not only helps me meet new photographers, but it also helps push me out of my comfort zone to create new things. 

Below are some of my favorite images I took at our most recent event. The captions are what the image represents from the Photo Hunt handout we used on our shoot.

If you haven't had a chance to look up Franklin County Area Photographers on Facebook yet, do so. Even if you don't live in Franklin County (Missouri), you can find inspiration there!  

"I Made That!" and "Joyful"

"Sharp!" and "Up Close and Personal"

"Fresh" and "Alive"

"Pattern" and "Alive"

"Fuzzy" and "Up Close and Personal"

"Reflect" and "Abstract"

"Beneath Your Feet" and "Vibrant" and "Reflect"

"Backlight" and "Alive"

"Vibrant" and "Backlight"

"Vibrant" and "Backlight"

"Shadows" and "Alive"

"Round" and "Up Close and Personal"

"Round" and "Up Close and Personal"

"Shadows" and "Smooth" and "Alive"

"Backlight" and "Movement" and "Vibrant"

"Backlight" and "Movement" and "Vibrant"

"Backlight" and "Shadows"

"Yellow"

"Abstract" and "Yellow"

"Smile"

"Smile"

Do any of these images "speak" to you?

All are available to order as framed or unframed prints, canvas, metal, or wood - you name it! 

Contact me!

~ M of MK Designs 

mkdesignsphoto.com 

Franklin County Area Photographers: Getting Me OUT and CLICKING!

Sometimes I feel antisocial.

OK, a LOT of the time when I am off the clock I feel antisocial.

I am surrounded by people with my day job, side jobs, and more. Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in a sea of people.

Well, yesterday (Saturday) around 5:45pm I found myself sitting on my deck thinking, "Why did I RSVP 'yes' to this...why?"

However, I am someone that when she says she'll go, she goes. And, I am also someone who remembered she helped select the date of the event, so that would be even WORSE if I didn't show. 

I am thankful I did. 

As my images from the photo walk show, it was a beautiful time to go on a shoot!

The Franklin County Area Photographers group that my buddy Tyann Marcink http://tyannmarcink.com founded several years ago has helped me in many ways. 

#1. I have expanded my (not-so-anti)social circle and made new friends. I enjoy their company greatly, even if I don't see them face-to-face as much as I'd like. 

#2. It gets me off my deck, couch, bed, etc. and SHOOTING. 

#3. How else would I have been able to test out a fixed lens for free yesterday if it wasn't for this group? (Thank you Mr. Covert!)

#4. In all honesty, this group has gotten me through difficult moments. How? See #2, but also note that when they first started hosting Photo Challenges...well, those lists of topics were a guide for my weeks. I would make it a part of my routine and, at the time, it was a WONDERFUL thing to zone in on instead of filling out disclosure papers, etc. for a divorce. 

#5. Now, all these years later, I am in a much happier place in life, but I still find that FCAP is a beautiful part of who I am. Tyann lets me help her with the group at times (even when I am antisocial), and when I look at the people it has brought into my life that I otherwise wouldn't have met... well, that's a joy to me. See #1. 

#6. This has pushed my photography to new places. I have tried new things. I have looked at the familiar in an unfamiliar way. 

This group reminds me of my photo buddies I had back in the day at CMSU (now UCM). We often would bounce ideas, share our images with each other, talk shop, and do photo walks before they were even called that. 

Whatever your hobby, escape, or passion is: make sure it's a healthy one that benefits and grows you as a person. Also, find your "people" - a group like FCAP is a prime example of how much we can benefit from the pack and not always being the lone wolf. (Yes, I made a reference to the classic laugh out loud comedy: The Hangover. Why? Because it's my blog and I can.)

You can find Franklin County Area Photographers on Facebook. Follow our page and pop in from time-to-time to see what we are up to. We have; photo walks, events, giveaways, SUPPORT, and more! 

Until next time, 
~ M of MK Designs Photography

PS Thanks for stopping by! 

Pink!

Ahhh Valentine's Day is coming up... the month of "love" :-) This has me thinking of the color "pink" and how I see it! Enjoy this visual mashup of PINK today. 

Pink is a beautiful color, because it is one of the colors that the sun makes at twilight and in the dawns.

We got into an argument over the color of love. I said it was pink, and he said it was red.

I had a dream about you. The sun was setting on our relationship like the sun was rising over the ocean. It was so beautiful, with all the pinks and soft blues.

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Photos by MK Designs Photography / Fine Art and Portrait. Quotes found online at Goodreads (www.goodreads.com). Please contact me if you would like to order any of my images. I can do framed/unframed prints, canvas, metal, and more! My site: http://mkdesignsphoto.weebly.com

Have a great day!

Push Yourself to Take the Photographs No One Else Can (or will) Take

As you guys know, this MK Designs photo gig is not my "meat and 'taters" in my "meal of life." I would call it more of my "dessert." 

Teaching is my main pursuit, but the art of Photography is interwoven into my career. The thing that captured my heart at a young age is something I now try to get other kids jazzed about!

First, it was teaching Photography via Photojournalism (Yearbook). Then, a few years ago, I hopped out of Photojournalism (note: I still teach Broadcast) and into the Photography courses at my high school. 

They are housed in the Art Department and I can say that move has not only enriched my life, but it has made me feel more whole. 

There's not a day I am not working on, with, or for the art of Photography. Yes, it is for my students and their advancement, but I get so much joy from the experience when I have students who grow and step up to the challenges Photography presents us.  

I  face the task of teaching kids how to see and view the world creatively. That's hard.

We don't use Photoshop. We pretty much learn how to use the camera, maybe a touch of iPhoto, and/or some free online editors... but the key is to do as much as possible in camera and not rely on processing. (note: If they want to learn Photoshop, we have tech classes for that program. I am not anti Photoshop, I am PRO learning your camera and training your eye!)

Often to end the semester for Photo II, as a part of their final exam, I have students use objects I provide to quickly (and creatively) photograph and maybe lightly edit them on iPhoto or another basic platform. 

This time around...APPLES! 

I can't thank my neighbor across the hall, Juli of Olive and Ash Studio, enough for her apple donation!

I was impressed by the range of images I saw. Housed in this blog entry are my faves from the experiment.

I feel an assignment like this teaches us all to practice this lesson left to us by William Allard: “You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper."

None of these images are mine, they are my students' images and they gave me permission to post them here - please do not copy or use without permission. 

If you'd like to see a similar blog post with an assignment like the "apple" challenge... here's the link: http://mkdesignsphoto.blogspot.com/2014/06/learning-how-to-see.html

Thank you for stopping by. This could very well be my last blog post for 2014... or not? Maybe I'll find the time to get one last one in for the year before it is 2015. Since more of you guys are reading, I just might have to! 

Until next time,
M of MK Designs