Take-out photo: take one

I never thought I would actually start my own blog—not that I didn't think it would be fun, but what would I write about?

My life as a professor?
Too dangerous. My big mouth would quickly become a liability. My strong opinions get me in enough trouble in person, so there's no need to augment the problem by immortalizing workplace drama on a blog.

My life as a photographer?
Well, it is a life-long passion as well as the business that helps support my teaching habit, but I have no desire to do one of those client du jour things I've seen so much of--Oooh look at these lovely engagement photos of Gretchen and Damien (OK, so I've taken the names from the credits of Mean Girls to protect the innocent)!!! Aren't they just the cutest couple ever! Gretchen's 3-carat princess-cut diamond just sparkles against Damien's red Abercrombie-logo tee-shirt (the one that he saves for special occasions)! I'm exaggerating (a little)--at least I've never actually had clients like that, but I've seen a good number of them on photo shoots.

My life at home?
Michelle has already got home life covered way more thoroughly than I could ever hope to, so...

Back to that photography thing.
"Take-out photo" is meant to be the free "to-go" DIY version of Marc Olivier Photography. Since I'm project-oriented, I have organized the blog around the idea of a "Monthly Special" (which, by the way, was inspired by seeing my wife participate in Self-Portrait Tuesdays). Most posts each month will relate to a "Monthly Special" challenge/project, often inspired by work I do for clients. Using "Mister Linky," I will encourage (read: beg) creative bloggers out there participate by posting their results and linking them to the Monthly Special Post.

What the...?
So, the first Monthly Special, for example, will be on the theme of "the grid" and is based on this 10x10 photo that I did for a client for Mother's Day:


In my first post for June I will walk you through a step-by-step guide to the "grid" project: the complete recipe from start to finish. Anyone can do it. All you need is a camera and the reasonably-priced program, Photoshop Elements (even though I use Photoshop CS3 in my business, I realize that not everyone wants to invest in that full program). Once you learn the basic principles, I encourage you to get creative with the recipe and modify it to your heart's content.

I have already come up with enough ideas for a couple years' worth of monthly specials while trying to fall asleep at night, so I hope there will be interest. I think this will be mutually inspiring and will keep me creating new things.