go explore!

process is really important to me.
over the past few years i've discovered its beauty,
and this series was so key in helping me.

i feel blessed to have been chosen for Jesh's contest,
and I am so glad that so many of you have been inspired
from seeing all of the amazing work.

i want to thank you all for taking the time to vote,
(i got second!)
but more importantly-- I'm excited that your eyes
got to see such creativity and authenticity.
I think that all the images have a certain quality about
them that reaches inside of the viewer and connects.

dont you think so?
what connected with you?
for me its hard to put words there...
but, something made me want to look for a long time.
i think i went back to the website about a billion times,
because so many of those photos are so lovely.

i got a few questions about my process for the photo I had in the contest. It was done by layering two slides-- my friend Evan and I went out shooting together, got the film developed, and then experimented by using different materials to manipulate the images. We used fire, lipgloss, markers, paint, dirt, tape...
whatever we found :)

the whole thing was kind of done on the fly.
we didn't have a specific goal, our goal was just...
to experiment and see what happened.

thats why i love embracing the process.
i dont think that image would have happened if i didn't experiment. it didn't exist in my mind before i started... i just had to let go and look and shoot and play and relax

so, back to the details.
its two slides layered together:

the first is the green with the sink. It was taken at the LA flower market, and the green was created from the flourescent lights.

the second was a cool moment-- some friends and i were at breakfast at the Biola cafe, and I looked up and saw all of those branches. I remember pointing my camera up and clicking-- and since it was film, had no idea if it turned out. When i got the film back, i loved the composition, and loved the way it mixed with the starkness of the green one.

So, now they're friends.

There are about 100 more in the series-- some done by me, some by Evan, and I picked my 20 favorites to print. The green one that I entered in the contest is my ultimate favorite, and here's a few more:

lipgloss, fingerprints, shadows

ooooo. underexposure. love it.

this one has wire woven through it, and that vignette is from using a DSLR lens on a film camera.

For even more, and to learn more about the process, click here


Once again, what an honor to be able to share my work among such talented people.
And thank you friends for taking the time to go vote :)
I do appreciate it. thank you.

Now, take the time to go look at the world you live in-- record it in the way that makes the most sense to you. For me its photography, but maybe you could cook, write, paint, talk about it, or just simply look and enjoy. :)

enjoy today,
go explore a little,
and i hope your heart is lifted.

love
shan