End of the Semester Update

Man, it’s been way too long since I have updated this blog. I wanted to update you guys on what I’ve been up to over here in the cool new studio. So I’m going to make this a catch all update.

While I was working on my thesis (Mother Road Revisited) I actually went back to my roots for a bit, and did this night photo of the Shasta Camper I traveled with.

I feel like I have a pretty good handle on light temperatures and how I want my night photography to go from here on out, I just have to find a project so to shoot at night again. I really do miss it.

 

A couple weeks later I shot a wedding in New Mexico, and then school started quite quickly. I ended up doing a photo shoot of a couple of my friends messing around with water guns in Dallas. Another night photo situation, I wish I had more reasons to be shooting with such a short shutter speed more often.

 

While I was in Texas, I ended up doing a photo shoot for a friend who is also in his thesis year at a school in London, England. He is studying acting, and his thesis revolves around RipVanWinkle. Because of this, he wanted to see if I could get his character in an environment that would illustrate Rip’s world. My dad has a green house that is being over grown by plants…and I thought it was perfect.

 

Once school had been going strong for a bit, I was hired to photograph a metal working shop for a brochure they were putting together to show the items they could make, and their machines..here is a product shot I did for that:

 

I had to go back up to St.Louis to rephotograph a couple things for my thesis, and ran into a friend from high school. We decided to go look at the chain of rocks bridge, it was pretty neat, and it is on Route 66. 

 

This year at my undergrad, the art department decided to do an alumni show, and I was asked to participate..So I put this photo of the batmen kids I photographed at a garage sale a friend of mine and I stumbled upon.

photo of gallery courtesy of Todd Goehner

 

In October I went to Washington D.C. to talk to George Mason University about my thesis project. I spoke for an hour about pulling together all the resources I needed, and how one would do all of the work I did in the length I did it, and still want to make art…

 

I think the talk went very well, and the audience asked a lot of really great questions. I got to see DC for the first time, and really enjoyed spending a couple hours a day on the subway. 

And obviously, I have been working very hard on my thesis, I finally have a working light box, which you can see in a video here. I got a friend to illustrate a 4ft x 8ft map, which we actually have mostly finished…

I still need to add a frame and some feet on the bottom of the map, but over all I think it’s done. The frame will do a lot for it.

I asked a friend to cut together some pieces of video for a research video competition I was entering my Mother Road Revisited project in and I just found out I won the contest! The first prize is 1000 dollars to put towards your research. So I’m excited about putting that towards my thesis. (see the video that won here)

If you want to stay in the loop about my Mother Road Revisited project, jump on over to the website and take a look at the blog.

Anyway, That’s an update on my current situation…thanks for reading, and I’ll work on updating a little more consistently.

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School Starts

Well, it’s been a crazy summer, and when summer started, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish over the summer, so I thought I’d update you on what it is that I _actually_ accomplished.

Reel Big Fish & Streelight Manifesto in Dallas

I told you guys I would be going to this concert. and it was incredible. If you ever get a chance to see either Streetlight Manifesto or Reel Big Fish in concert. You should definitely do it!

Hung out with my friends in Dallas (this is jesse)

While in Dallas for the show, I got to see some friends from high school, and I can never pass up an opportunity to take pictures of them (usually). Anyway, this is Jesse. and…he’s pretty cool, as you can see.

Did a Crazy photo shoot in a garage (thanks Tyson)

From a blog post a few months ago, some of you may remember this TV photo shoot. Tyson (my model for the shoot) did a music video with all of these TVs in the Spring, and I wanted to jump on that wagon and see what a photo shoot looked like. Thanks again Tyson for helping me set up and take down the whole thing, and being my model. It’s always a pleasure. If you want to see the other photos from the shoot check it out here

Work on a collab show with Joel Armstrong

An artist friend of mine, Joel Armstrong, is working on (and currently advertising for) a wire show about garage sales. He asked me to document garage sales via photography. So, I spent a lot of the summer going to garage sales with Joel, and shooting random items. It was a lot of fun. If you’re interested in the show, check it out here!

Work on more Collab with Joel Armstrong

Originally, Joel has asked me to photograph all the items he was drawing in wire. This was my first concept shot of what that might look like. In the end, he decided to go a different route due to a list of reasons, but I learned a lot figuring out this shoot, and the editing style.

Bought a Motorcycle!

I bought a motorcycle! My dad, uncle and I drove around the black hills in South Dakota on our motorcycles. I shot this the night before Dad came up and picked me up to trailer to South Dakota. It was a lot of fun. Learned a lot. Saw some giant heads on a mountain. The photo below is one of the places at the end of Spearfish Canyon on the West side of South Dakota. It is very much the middle of nowhere, but there were surprisingly a lot of people in this restaurant. Want to see more pictures from that trip? Check them out here!

Drove said motorcycle around South Dakota with family

 

Shot a Stair Trail!

I was able to shoot my first successful Star trail in South Dakota, right outside of Deadwood. Thanks to my dad for being patient with me while I set everything up.

Picked fresh fruit from an orchard with college friends (and children)

After South Dakota I hopped a plane to Washington. 10 Boarding passes later, I ended up in Spokane Washington with some very dear friends from college. We ended up picking berries and eating lunch at a fruit farm. The photo above on the right is the box of cherries we picked, and Jess’s son, Oliver in a cherry tree.

More Washington College Buddies hang out time

This is Shane and his son Benjamin sitting on the porch on a beautiful Washington afternoon. good times, good friends. beautiful weather.

Jess, Shane, Oliver and Benjamin in Washington

Zak Bek and Eli

These are the two families I went to visit in Washington. It had been too long, and I am so glad I was able to finally make it up there to see these guys.

Went to Portland!

After an epic journey to find a rental car that would let me drive one way from Spokane to Portland, I drove to meet my mom in Portland, OR. It’s a beautiful city, you should go sometime.

Drove Through the Redwood Forest!

A few days after Portland, my mom and I drove through the Redwood forest, and hung out in the area for a couple days. I tried to shoot as much as I could through these days, and if you want to see more of those photos check them out here!

Hung out in San Fran

After the Redwoods, obviously comes San Francisco. Peir 39 is where the seals hang out, so mom and I decided to stop by and see what was happening.

Shot Headshots for my friend that is going to grad school for acting (in London)

After I got back from that excursion, it was time to take my car down to Texas to get some work done on it. I rode a train to my home town, and met up with my dear friend Micah. He and I have been friends a very long time. Micah made it into grad school in Essex, England (which is very close to London). But because he is an actor, he needs an updated headshot every year. So, before he took off for across the pond, I did a handful of shots for him and designed a few things for his website. Check it out, he’s a pretty incredible fellow.

Had a Birthday! My Parents are the best.

 

So, last week, my second year of grad school started, every school year I have the joy of my birthday landing on the day of school starting, or very nearly on the day of school starting. But, my parents are the best, and even though they couldn’t make it up to Tulsa for my birthday, they did send incredible, beautiful gifts. Thanks again mom and dad.

 

Anyway, school is underway and I have some crazy cool things up my sleeve (or so I think). But if you’re in the Tulsa area, in a few weeks is the opening for Joels show (keep your eyes out for a blog about the photos I took for Joels show) and in about a month is the Indie Art Festival where a handful of art friends and I are going to be selling all kinds of incredible things that you can buy! Stop by if you get a chance.

Thanks for reading, see you soon!

Natalie

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