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A picture is worth a thousand words

We’ve all heard that  ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’

I’m not sure I could come up with a 1000 different words every time.  But, I think the point is that images allow each of us to make our own connection.  We can each pull 1000 words to describe what we see and probably how we feel when we see it.

We  attach our own emotions.

And attaching our emotions is the key.  This is how the majority of us process information to make decisions.

Purchasing decisions.

Think about the last major purchase you made.

 

What was it?

Did you do research?  Did you head to the web to investigate?

Did you rush to the store to touch it, feel it, try it out?

 

Did you proceed with caution?

Or was it an impulse buy?

 

Regardless of your process, no doubt you encountered images of the product along the way.

On the company website.

In a magazine.

On pinterest.

On an email blast.

In a brochure.

On the packaging.

 

 

 

Did these images make an impact on why you made your decision?

In the next few weeks I really want to focus on images and branding.
Take the journey with me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter wonderland

Winter is almost over!!!!

But not quite – Mother nature had one last storm up her sleeve.

I’m not a fan of winter – really at all.  I’m in love with it from December 15th to January 1st.  Then, I’m completely ready for Spring.

But a winter storm provides unique weather – which can make for a great photograph.

Of course, I am talking about snow scenes, snow storms and ice.

Here are a few tips on photographing the (hopefully final) winter wonderland that awaits you outside.

I thought I’d use my friends R and Z as models.  These Frisian horses are native to the Netherlands – they love the chilly weather!

A freshly fallen coat of snow is one of the most beautiful scenes of winter!   And if you happen to kids or animals  – get your camera ready and send them outside to frolic!  I know I said/typed frolic.  I hope it’s the last time I do that – but it seemed appropriate!

Photography tip – Change your meter reading by +1 to 1-1/2 stops to compensate
Photography tip – Try using a moderate wide angle and a moderate tele focal length
Photography tip – Evergreen trees covered in snow provides a classic and amazing shot.

 

Photography tip – Ponds and lakes also provide a great scenery for a photograph
Photography tip – Use a slow shutter speed. Try shooting the scene in focus and out of focus.

Keep checking back for monthly photograph tips!

Make New Friends

Make New friends, but keep the old.

One is silver and the other gold.

Do you remember that song?  Did you just sing/read it with me?

It takes me back to first grade in girl scouts – ok, Brownies I think.  Before the cross over bridge ceremony.   After school – in the cafeteria we made crafts and had snacks.  My mom was one of the leaders.  Which is absolutely hilarious to me as I think back on it.  But at the end of each meeting we stood in a circle, crossed out hands right over left and held on to the person next to us.  Someone started and hand squeeze, and it went all around the circle.   Then we sang – (do it with me):

“Make new friends but keep the old.

One is silver the other gold”.

I’m honestly not sure which is which – is silver new or old?  Both are valuable and important.

But I can tell you this:  I did keep some of my brownie/girl scout friends.   A few of those ladies have grown up to be my very best friends.

But the beauty of the song – as in life – is that we get to make new friends too!  That’s exactly what I got to do last week.

Dr. Kathleen Boyle Dalen popped into my life on Valentine’s Day for a shoot we need to do for an award she will be receiving.

Kathleen recently found out she was nominated, and selected to be only 1 of 5 women to be recognized at the 2013 Green Gala with the Pearl Award!  Pretty phenomenal I think!

The 2013 Gala will have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) focus including honoring five women achieving excellence in this field with the Pearl Award.

 

 

Kathleen has several “day jobs”.  She is the Vice President of  PREP-KC  ;  Kansas City’s Partnership for Regional Educational Preparation where she works closely with the leadership of Kansas City’s urban school districts and post secondary institutions to support the implementation of research-based strategies to increase college and career readiness for urban students.  And she  is also an adjunct faculty member at Rockhurst University.

We did our shoot at Rockhurst – the campus is simply gorgeous.  As we were shooting, Kathleen ran into one of here students and made time to chat about their upcoming class.

In here spare time, she is also an Educational Policy Fellow of the Institute for Educational Leadership, was appointed by Governor Nixon to the Board of the Children’s Trust Fund and serves on the Donnelly College Board of Trustees.

Having the opportunity to meet, shoot and spend time with Kathleen was fantastic!  She is truly an amazing woman – someone very deserving of the 2013 Green Gala Pearl award!

I am truly thankful I had the opportunity to meet her, and happy to call her a new friend!

 

 

Kansas City Artist Coalition

 

 

 

THE 30TH ANNUAL BENEFIT

 THE KANSAS CITY ARTISTS COALITION IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

KCAC’S 30TH ANNUAL BENEFIT ART AUCTION TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2013.

Collectors, art enthusiasts, friends of the Artists Coalition join with us to make this a great event! Hundreds of pieces of art donated by the region’s best artists will be offered in this auction. It’s a great opportunity to view the work of local artists in one location. The auction will no doubt be the most fun you’ll have buying art this year and it’s fabulous way to start off any year!!

I am so pleased to announce that AFFASCINARE, show above, will be on the Live Auction docket!

AUCTION PREVIEW EXHIBITION

Wednesday – Saturday, January 30 – February 2, 11am – 6pm

Sunday, February 3, 1pm – 4pm

Wednesday – Saturday, February 6 – 9, 11am – 6pm

Sunday, February 10, 1pm – 4pm

Wednesday, February 13, 11am – 5pm

Free and open to the public.

ANNUAL BENEFIT ART AUCTION

Saturday, February 16, doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $25 at the door.

http://www.kansascityartistscoalition.org

2013 National Bird Convention

I am hosting the 2013 National Bird Convention.  Well, some of my neighbors and I are.  We didn’t offer, and we were not asked – but none-the-less we are.

At least 200 Wild Geese have parked there very noisy selves in our backyard.  Awesome.  Goose poop is abundant.

Then – somehow word got out that the Farley’s throw a mean backyard party -so the seagulls showed up.  lots of them.  Noisy in a whole new way.

Not to be left out, a family of bald eagles decided to take up residence too!

I’ve been reading up on bald eagles a bit – but nothing I read indicated they were avid ice skaters.  The lake is frozen – makes my toes cold just looking at them!

 

In addition to the 200 geese, 199 seagulls, these 2 bald eagles have a baby – so 3 eagles total.

 

Our backyard is incredible noisy, and there is always something to look at.  But I am enjoying it.  I hope all the birds have too- I am assuming so, since they are all still hanging around.

 

 

Social Media Wallflower

I have absolutely no problem talking to strangers.  I over share, too.  I am a complete open book – in person.

But, I have figured out that when it comes to Facebook, LinkedIn, and blogging I clam up.  I am shy, and a complete introvert; a social media Wallflower.

I have made thousands of excuses.  Lit.tra.lee….

I can’t find my voice..

I have a hard time envisioning who my audience is…

I don’t have time…

I can’t think of anything clever to say…

The list most certainly goes on – but these excuses  – or “reasons” I continue give are not getting the job done.

So – intentions for 2013 have been set, and getting my social media act together is at the top of the list.

Here goes:  I INTEND and RESOLVE to blog, every Monday for 2013.

Wow – that was easier than I thought!  :~)

 

 

 

 

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Dear Editor,

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say that there is no Santa Claus. Papa says “If you see it in the Sun, it is so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia,

Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.

All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy.

Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your Papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?

Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.

Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, or even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond.

Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else as real and abiding.

No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, maybe 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of children.

Written by Francis P. Church in 1897

Secret Italy

The aesthetic of Italy is wide-ranging but always enchanting.  There’s no greater place to experience an abundance of historical beauty through architecture, landscape, and the personality of the people who live there.  If you’ve been there, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  But if there’s no trip to this wonderful place in the near future,you can get a little closer at my exhibition, Italia Secreto (Secret Italy), Oct. 5 at First Friday at the Crossroads.

An image from Cathryn Farley's Italia Secreto (Secret Italy) photography exhibition

Old Italy on New Technology

An image from Cathryn Farley's Italia Secreto (Secret Italy) photography exhibition

For this series, I’ve specifically chosen a new and stunning photographic technique of digitally printing on metal.  This process is reminiscent of the earliest forms of photography, such as daguerreotypes and tintypes but with a modern edge.  The metal extols light in such a magnificent way, and I thought it was the perfect choice to represent the illustrious, “caught-in-time” nature of Secret Italy.

Take a Piece of Italy Home With You

An image from Cathryn Farley's Italia Secreto (Secret Italy) photography exhibition

Whether you’re discovering these images for the first time or letting them rekindle memories of your own trip, I hope you’ll find I’ve captured a true taste of the culture there.  I’ll be exhibiting 30 images printed in various sizes, ranging from 16×20 inches to 30×40 inches, printed on luminous metal and professionally mounted.  Each one of them reflects an image of an Italy less traveled but no less adored.  I’ll also have high quality, hard-bound books with all of the images available for sale.

Visit Cathryn Farley on First Friday at the Kansas City Crossroads District

I’m hoping you’ll come out and visit me at the Crossroads District on Oct. 5. First Fridays are a wonderful time to explore Kansas City’s artists, and this a perfect time to visit the city’s galleries while enjoying the beautiful fall weather.  Both native Kansas Citians and visitors from out of town flock to the Crossroads District’s First Fridays, so it’s a wonderful evening out whether it’s just you or even if you’re hosting visitors.  It’s a great opportunity to show them the thriving creativity in Kansas City, and I’m excited to be a part of it!  I’ll be at the 2009 Gallery at 2009 Baltimore, and I hope to see you on Oct. 5!

An image from Cathryn Farley's Italia Secreto (Secret Italy) photography exhibition

Front Row Helper

I was at church a few weeks ago and our minister kept asking rhetorical questions.    But there was this on guy in the front that kept affirming the direction the the service was going – he kept encouraging our minister that his message was being heard.  About thirty minutes in – our pastor asked his 6th or 7th question, and right on cue, the guy in front row gave his positive response.  It totally threw our minister off. He was so pleased with all of this positive affirmation, he said thank you for helping me today.  Thanks for being my front row helper.

In fact, in life don’t we all need front row helpers?  Someone to encourage you, smile at you, let you know that you are on the right track!

I have several of those people in my life.  And I am thankful for each and every one of them.

But, I could not have survived summer with my front row helper  - Alex.

 

Alex was my summer sanity, my front row helper with my kids.

Every mom knows the challenges with entertaining  kids all summer long.  It was a tricky  deal for me to try and do that in the middle of running a business and working from home.

So – Alex saved us.  All of us.

She had fun activities for the kids to do while se was there, so I could really focus on getting my work done.

The best part was that because I could work worry free, my kids and I had so much quality time together to enjoy!

Thanks for being such  a fabulous front row helper!

Behind the Scenes

Photography is the science and practice of creating durable images by recording light. Almost anyone is capable of doing this – after all it is simply pushing a button on a camera while aiming the lens toward an object – but not everyone is skillful enough to capture art while doing so. However Cathryn Farley is not only skilled and trained, but authentically gifted. Whether she be working with objects, scenery or people Cathryn has a way of showing beauty in every element and aspect of her work. I feel honored to have found this out first hand.

As a yoga instructor I have a decent awareness of the human anatomy and a large appreciation of its beauty, but as a newbie to the modeling industry I am still learning how to work the angles of my face and body while being photographed. In my work with Cathryn she was incredibly helpful in giving me cues to guide me through our photo shoots.  Even in the case of last winter, she helped me to find comfort and warmth while shooting outdoors wearing a tank top in 30 something degrees and partially snowy weather.

When viewing the results of her work the photos seem effortlessly polished, but behind the scenes is the only place in which one can see the honest magnificence in what she does. In yoga we believe in finding ones “Dharma” or purpose. Cathryn has done just that. Photography is not only an obvious passion but a piece of her being. Her work radiates with intention.

Thank you for sharing your passion and inspiring so many around you.

Namaste!
Grace

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