Day in the Life. Clouds. Pictures. More Clouds.

I don’t know about you, but I sure am happy it’s the weekend! However, it’s been a great few days in photos. I’ve had my “head in the clouds,” most days, which has resulted in the constant state of “looking up.” It’s a good thing, looking up. Have you ever noticed that the physical act of looking up also lifts your spirits?

So it’s no surprise that one of the first things I personally like to do every morning is look out my window and UP at the sky. Yesterday morning, particularly a treat. The alarm clock went of early! Way too early for my liking, not much of an early bird unless there is skiing involved. However, yesterday I had to be in Boston for an editorial asignment, so, I got up!

I’d like to thank the Universe for this particular image, because the beautiful scene was clutch in getting me out of bed! Coffee was pretty key too!

Awake. Caffinated. Inspired. I was pretty ready to head South for my assignment. Though I am unable to share photos from the shoot till late September, I can give a hint to the location…

Anyone notice the cloud reflection in the windows… I pulled me head out of the clouds long enough to complete the photo-shoot, did an about-face, and headed home to Vermont. Normally, the view out the front windshield is captivating me, but my rental car’s ridiculously clean side-view mirrors revealed these beautiful little snippet views of the clouds I was leaving to my stern…

Darn that little iPhone4 is a handy little camera!

I have to admit, was pretty stoked about heading back North, home to me Vermont Sky, but never has the view from the side-view mirror been so lovely!

The wake-up call was not nearly as early this morning, but my head has remained in the clouds and think it will for sometime…

Stopping at the East Warren Community Market is a daily ritual, but this morning, besides being gorgeous out, check out the back of this mini-van?!?! Come to find-out, as if the sky was not inspiring enough, turns out we have a new graffiti artist in the valley…one who does not cause damage to the side of a building, but turns an otherwise dirty car (part of living on and around dirt roads,) into pieces of art.

What I really found inspiring, much like the clouds, this lovely piece of art will not last forever. Rain. Carwash. Windshield wiper. It’ll disappear like that! Just like the clouds overhead. You have to enjoy and appreciate it when you see it.

This week has been remarkable in terms of Vermont sky-scapes = GORGEOUS! Though all the pretty pictures aside, I feel like the week was a lesson in looking up and out. Taking in the world around. Listening. Watching. Paying attention and smiling.

iPhone Photography. Clouds. Vermont Landscape.

“EEEK!!!”

That would be my reaction when I am looking out my window or driving around Central Vermont (or really anywhere with a great “sky-scape” perspective of the world above.) Today has been one of those days where the sky “spoke” to you, if you listened.

The clouds where not just beautiful, cool and expressive. They were SPECTACULAR! I mean S.P.E.C.T.A.C.U.L.A.R., and then add a few explanation points!

The first photo from the day was on my iPhone4; I was coming home after a few errands, and drove RIGHT past the entrance to my road because I knew if I just went up the road a little bit further… I could get THIS photo!

When I pulled over to take the shot, had no idea I had an audience, you know, when you have that feeling someone is watching you, turned around, and two kids sitting on a rock where like, “huh???” I waved. Hopped back into the car. Practiced my three-point-turn, and back to the house so I could take THIS photo with the Canon 7D/70-200mm at f13/320s.

It was terribly difficult to keep my head out of the clouds ALL day. The best views were to the West and it continued to build and build. I had to fight the urge to bail on work and literally just drive around taking cloud and sky photos. The struggles of living in Central Vermont. Like I’ve said before, “hate me,” but you too could live here! At least visit!

So, I “struggled” through my day, teased and tormented by the beautiful world above me, when it was time to take a short drive to my friend’s house. Little side note: I am an awesome “chick-sitter.” Before your imagination runs nutty on that one, my friends have chickens and I’m looking after then while out of town.

At any-rate, I could not resist. I faught the urge to shoot till after all the young chickens were safe and sound in their home, went out into the middle of Warren Common Road and with my iPhone, took THIS…

To be frank, though I am happy with this little photo, it still does little justice to the visual experience in-person. Generally speaking, the sky is always beautiful in these parts of Vermont, but it’s not everyday where the clouds just scream,”LOOK AT ME,” like they did today. I do feel a little bit behind on my work-list, but that will be there tomorrow, today’s clouds are already gone…

East Warren Community Market Farmer’s Market. Part One!

Good things come in twos – right? Well, this is going to be blog one of two because I am SO EXCITED about the collection of photos from today’s inaugural East Warren Community Market’s Farmer’s Market, there is no way I can cover it in one post.

For starters, I have to add that today’s temps were well into the 90s and comparable to those in places like Texas?!? I can tell you that is NOT why I and many other folks moved to Vermont. Personally, I’m a snow-flake…

At any-rate, the farmer’s market. I digress, it’s so hot and humid I can barely think straight, let alone put words together, but I have to share this photo right away!

Hoops Vermont is this amazing company who makes amazing hoola hoops that inspire people of all ages to dance about, and this lovely lady was twirling to the music. I was watching, mainly because I am awful when it comes to the hoola hoop – when I saw the shot… The picture I really really wanted to end my day on.

That would be the picture above!

I asked her to do it again, laid on the ground and paired her silhouette with the wild sky-scape over the Green Mountains. I could not get home fast enough to edit and share! Though, this is one shot of an entire collection that includes an amazing group of  artist, musicians, gardeners, culinary wizards, pony rides, face painting, and I’m sure to be missing something.

Hence, why this is part one of two!! Back to editing the rest! Whoop! So excited!

Warren Vermont. Local Photography. Hot Summer Afternoons.

I take pictures almost everyday. It’s my job. I LOVE my job. However, even when you love your job, you need a little break.

Ok, so I still take pictures when I take my break, but this is different! I swear! I’m not being told what to take a picture of…

We are having an absolutely AMAZING summer weekend in Central Vermont. Amazing. Hot afternoons, but a cool mountain breeze that brings the temperature down by the time one calls it a night. It’s perfect.

It’s on weekends like this I HAVE to escape the studio and take ride to ALL my favorite local markets. In particular:  The East Warren Community Market at the corner of Roxbury Gap Mountain Road and Warren Common Road (I’m telling you this because if you come through, you MUST stop and tell them Jenn says,”HEY!”)

I buy local produce and TAKE PICTURES as I go. Most of the images below are from the Community Gardens behind the market, but the day’s strong contrast between the sky-clouds-mountains encouraged me on maybe a three mile loop of a drive, there are more, but here are the top few I thought readers/visitors would enjoy the most. The rest can be found on my facebook page.

I Love iPhone Photography and Central Vermont Clouds.

The scene out my front door never gets old! Taking pictures with my iPhone never gets old either. All images taken right outside my home, and with that iPhone! Wish I could convince my students how creative they really can be with just there little camera phone. They get stuck thinking a big fancy camera is necessary to take a beautiful picture for their own pleasure.

Sure, as a professional you must have professional tools to do the job. However, to be a creative person who enjoys creating beautiful images – you only need your mind’s eye and imagination. From there you do the best with what you’ve got. That’s how I got my own start in this field. I did not set out to be a professional photographer like many of my colleagues, who took out loans, went in debt, etc. to have the equipment.

That simply was never an option. The only option was learning to be a photographer with whatever I had available to take an image with. In the early days that began with a Kodak Instamatic 100, and a Kodak Trimlite Instamatic 38! Anyone else out there remember those?!?  It gets better, I won a Kodak Fisher Price 110 Camera at the New York State Fair back in the ’80s!! I’ll never forget the house-hold choirs my mother made me do to earn development of those pictures.

The camera that really helped photography find me was my Canon G9! I was traveling about the globe and all I really had room for was something small that shot a high quality image with manual controls. Man, I miss that little camera. I use to describe it as a “pug.” You know, like the big dog in a little dog’s body. The Canon G9 and it’s predecessors are like having a DSLR stuffed into a point shoots small body.

Sometimes size does matter when you need to pack your life into a knapsack and one carry-on. However, I will end on saying that as a professional who is responsible for photographing once-in-a-lifetime events like a college graduation or wedding – I’ll never underestimate the value in having my professional “rig” to count on. It’s heavy. Makes my shoulders and back wish I had a standing appointment with a massage therapist. It’s reliable. It’s super durable (fell down a hill just the other day and the camera held up better than my phone!)

As a professional, I never leave home without the big camera and all it’s gadgets. As an artist, I love creating images and really don’t care how, as long as I can!