Artemis + Nero's Sneak Peek

More kitty cuteness on the blog! :) These two sweet cats belong to one of Kevin's law school buddies who was kind enough to allow me to photograph them recently.  It was great getting to take their photos and gain some practice with my new lens!

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Artemis.  She is definitely the friendlier of the two, and was fairly tolerant of me constantly sticking the camera in her face all afternoon...

She seems to like to lay with one of her paws extended, since the majority of the photos I took of her have her in some version of this pose...

And this big fluff ball is Nero. He was definitely a bit on the shy side while I was there, and only made a brief appearance when Alex bribed him to come out with some treats. Unfortunately, I only managed to capture a few quick shots of him before he ran off and hid again...

I couldn't resist this one of Artemis hoarding the little toy mice. Too cute!...

By the way, I didn't do a thing during editing to enhance those eyes. Aren't they gorgeous?...

Hanging under the table...

And another one of Nero. The photos of him just screamed out to be in black and white. I tried to find one to keep in color, but I just couldn't do it!...

Thank you, Alex, for allowing me to crash your Xbox party and photograph your cats! It was a pleasure meeting both of them and taking their pictures.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Photography 101 | Coming Soon!

I'm very excited to announce the start of a new series on my blog: Photography 101!  I've been wanting to write this set of blog posts for months, but I wasn't able to dedicate enough time to them until now.  I'm so thrilled to finally get started with this new endeavor.

I suppose perhaps I should start off by explaining why I decided to create this series.  During the time I have spent in the world of pro photographers, I have learned that there seems to be two schools of thought.  Some photogs are insanely friendly and will do anything and everything they can to help out a newbie.  Others, quite frankly, treat newbies like they are lower than the gum they scraped off the bottom of their shoe, forgetting that they were once newbies themselves.  I absolutely do NOT want to ever fall into that second category!  I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of others, and I want to "pay it forward" if and when I get the opportunity.

Learning to use the manual settings of a DSLR camera can be a challenge. I've had so many people tell me that they own a DSLR camera, but only shoot using the automatic settings.  They tell me that they want to learn how to shoot in manual mode, but have no idea where to start.  Are you one of these individuals, dreaming of learning manual mode, but wondering where to begin?

If so, I assure you that you are not alone!  I remember sitting in my Intro to Photography class on the first night, feeling completely overwhelmed and like I was NEVER going to figure out how to shoot in manual mode.  I remember asking my professor if there was some sort of thought process I should be going through to figure out what settings to use.

As time went by, I realized that I do in fact go through the same thought process every time I compose a shot, and I am going to share that thought process with you through a series of posts over the next few months.  My plan is to start off explaining each camera setting, what it does, and how the settings all work together to create an image.  Once I've covered the basics, I will detail the thought process that goes into how I select my camera settings for each photo I create.  From there, I will go into a few other topics that may be helpful to you as you learn manual mode.

I am by no means claiming that my way of shooting in the only way, the best way, or even the right way. What it is is MY way, and it works for me. I hope that you find some of the information I provide useful as you travel the path to figuring out how to best use manual mode to create your own beautiful photographs.

While I can provide you with tips and tricks, what I can't tell do is you how your individual camera controls work to change each of the settings.  So before we get started, I would recommend digging out your camera manual and reading up the following things:

1. How to adjust your aperture

2. How to adjust your shutter speed

3. How to adjust your ISO (International Standards Organization) settings

4. How to read your camera's exposure meter

Then join me next week and get ready to become a manual mode master!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Punkin's Sneak Peek

Meet Punkin! I had the honor of photographing this sweet kitty over the weekend, and it was such a pleasure spending some time with her. She's two years old and was just recently adopted into a new family. She had only been in her new home for a few days, but she already looked settled in and comfortable.

This was my first opportunity to shoot a photo session of a cat, and it was really a lot of fun!  It was a nice change from photographing dogs, and made me really miss owning a cat.

Alright, alright, enough blabbing.  On to the photos!

I think this first one is probably my favorite of the bunch.  I'm always a sucker for a cute black and white pet photo!...

She's just the sweetest thing...

Punkin is a pretty laid back cat, but we did manage to get her playing a little bit with her toys. And boy oh boy does she have a ton of toys! Her collection puts my dogs' toy collection to shame, and those who know how spoiled my dogs are know that is a tough feat to accomplish!...

Did I mention how laid back Punkin is?! She is one mellow cat! Nothing seems to faze her...

It just wouldn't be a cat photo session without a photo of her staring intently out the window, now would it?...

Chillin' in her bed...

More cuteness...

And after all that, Punkin was tuckered out and needed a nap!...

Thanks, Charlene and Jeff, for allowing me to come into your home and photograph your sweet Punkin! I know that you will have many, many years of joy with Punkin in your home and in your lives. Congrats on the adoption of your fur baby.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Ask and Receive

Yesterday the UPS man delivered this little beauty into my hot little hands...

And last night after I got it, I posted on facebook about firing off a few quick shots of my dogs with it in pretty dim lighting and how I was thrilled with the results.

I wasn't planning on posting the photos because seriously, how many more photos do you really need to see of Zoe & Lexi? But Talina of Talina Phillips Photography requested I post a few, and I aim to please. So, I did a quick edit on my two favs, and here they are...

I fully admit that I did brighten the photos up just a bit in photoshop, because I'm a fan of bright, bold photos.  But, I could have left the brightness unedited and it would have still been a-okay.

So, Talina, these are for you!

P.S.  If you aren't a fan of Talina, you're seriously missing out!  Not only is she a kick a$$ photographer, but she's about the nicest person you'll ever chat with.  She's my photog BFF, even though I've never meet her!  She's my go to girl when I need advice, ideas, suggestions, or have questions about all things photography related.  So, seriously, swing on over to her FB page, become a fan, and tell her I sent you!  The crazy thing is that she is married to the younger brother of someone that I do know.  I grew up with him, and we went to school together from kindergarten through high school.  Small world, huh?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

BBL 2011-2012 | Fast for 24 Hours

#5 FAST FOR 24 HOURS

Why Did I include this on my Bucket List?

Back in college I had a study partner who was Jewish. We lived in adjacent dorms, and often ate at the same cafeteria.  One day I asked him if he wanted to grab some dinner together and then study for an upcoming test. He said that he couldn't eat with me because he was fasting for the day, but he would meet me later to study. I didn't understand why he wasn't eating, so I questioned him about it and he explained that it was in observance of a religious holiday. As he was talking, I was thinking to myself, "I could never do that!"

But, why couldn't I?  It's only one day. Why couldn't I abstain from food for a single day?

I am a firm believer in the idea that our attitude determines a large part of our success and happiness in life. Too often, we sell ourselves short by deciding that we can't do something before we even try, which is exactly what I did that day when I told myself that there was no way I could fast for a day.  Well, here I am all these years later, FINALLY deciding to prove myself wrong.

I suppose one could ask why I even feel the need to prove myself wrong about this.  Is fasting for 24 hours really that great of an accomplishment?  Is it something to brag about or be proud of?  Of course not.  But my point is that I think it is important to pay attention to the messages that I am sending to myself about my abilities.  Sometimes it is necessary to shake things up a bit, to challenge myself to do something that I didn't think I could do.

The real importance in my undertaking comes from the fact that I've spent my entire life surrounded by middle class comforts, and I've certainly never known true hunger.  I don't honestly believe that fasting for a single day could even begin to give me a perspective on the suffering that many people experience who truly don't have enough food to eat.  But perhaps my day spent without food will help me become more sympathetic and aware of the hardships that others face on a daily basis.  And maybe, it will make me more willing to help others who are truly in need.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I was surprised that I had a much easier time avoiding food than I expected.  I thought I would spend my day full of constant cravings that I would struggle to fight off, but that really didn't happen.  I decided I wasn't eating until dinner, and that was that.  However, I was surprised how uncomfortable I was being hungry all day, and how hard it was to focus on the things I was trying to do with my stomach grumbling constantly.

I really didn't know what to expect from this, other than knowing that I would feel good for conquering something that I knew would be difficult for me. It definitely gave me a new perspective on being hungry, and a new respect for people who fast regularly for religious, or other reasons. And it absolutely increased my sympathy for those individuals who truly do suffer from hunger.

The details...

I could have made my day of fasting easier on myself by eating first thing in the morning, going all day without food, and then sleeping through the end of my fasting period, only to wake up and eat again.  But I didn't do that.  It kinda felt a bit like cheating, and it also seemed to defeat the purpose of what I was trying to accomplish.  So, I ate dinner as soon as I got home from work last night and then vowed to not eat again until dinner this evening.

I knew it was going to be a long 24 hours when my stomach started growling before I even went to bed last night!  I was hoping that I'd wake up and my hunger would have subsided a bit, since I tend to not be very hungry in the AM.  Of course, today had to be an exception, and my stomach began demanding food almost immediately.  Of course, I opted to ignore it and spent my day trying to keep busy so I wasn't thinking about my grumbling stomach.  When it became difficult to concentrate on other things, I tried to consume as much water as I could, and move on with my day the best I could. I was definitely happy when dinner time finally arrived!!

Do you want to see my entire 2011-2012 Bucket List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

BBL 2011-2012 | Make Pasta From Scratch

#2 MAKE PASTA FROM SCRATCH

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

I included this because I enjoy cooking, and Italian is my favorite food. So, it made sense for me to try my hand at making some homemade pasta.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

Umm. Let's just say it didn't turn out quite as I had expected!

The details...

I found a recipe online for homemade cheese ravioli, and another recipe for pasta sauce made from scratch.  So after buying the ingredients, I set out to make myself some pasta.  I really had no idea what to expect, since I'd never tried to make pasta from scratch, nor had I ever seen anyone else make it.

I have to admit that it was harder than I expected, and I struggled to get the dough rolled out properly.  It kept tearing, and I couldn't get it thin enough no matter what I did!  As a result, the ravioli was way too thick, and ended up a bit too hard after it was cooked.  I ended up eating only the middle out of each ravioli where it was a bit thinner.  It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either. The homemade sauce, on the other hand, was amazing, and I can definitely see myself making the recipe again to use with store bought pasta.

Here are a few random photos that Kevin took of me while I was working on the pasta and sauce:

Ta Da...

Do you want to see my entire 2011-2012 Bucket List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Happy Valentine's Day

Now get out there and smooch someone you love! :)

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Let's Play!

I thought I'd share a few photos that I took this afternoon of my crazy fur babies playing in the backyard.

Silly Lexi...

Doesn't that hurt?!...

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | February 2012

February's self-portrait was once again taken at our rental house in Phoenix. (I really need to get out more, don't I?)  In this photo I am attempting to show my frustration and exasperation with my crazy, insane hair.  I'm not sure if I succeed or if I just look like a bit of a lunatic.

I decided a year ago to grow my hair out from the super short style I had stupidly decided to cut it into.  (Why don't I ever learn?)  In at attempt to keep some sort of style during the growing out process, and with hopes of avoiding the 80's mullet look of my childhood, I let the top and sides grow, while continuing to keep the back trimmed.

Once I moved, and no longer had a familiar hairstylist, I basically just gave up all attempts and let it grow.  It's finally reached a length where I really need to decide on some sort of actual style, but I have no clue what I want to do with it!  Since it has no shape to it, I can't get it to cooperate no matter what I try to do with it, and it has been a huge source of frustration recently.

So, here I am blowing my hair up out of my eyes with a sigh of irritation, to represent the month of February...

While I'm loving taking my self-portraits, I'm finding myself struggling to capture images of myself that are completely in focus. It's challenging to know just where exactly to set the focus without a target in the frame, and using the auto focus feature is hit or miss. If anyone with self-portrait taking experience has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Truth in Photography

In the past year there have been several instances of Professional Photographers getting caught manipulating photos. Here are links to just a few of the examples that I can recall off the top of my head:

• altered snowy egret photo
• Kim Jong-Il's funeral photo
• copied lynx (and other wildlife) photos
• altered Iraq war photo

All it takes is a quick google search for "photoshopped celebrity photos" to find hundreds of examples of magazine covers, etc. where the models have been photoshopped to the point of barely resembling their real selves.

And you know those super cute baby photos, with the baby's head propped up in their hands?  Yeah.  Those are photoshopped, too.

I'm even guilty of it myself!  The photo I posted for this year's Christmas photo was a photoshopped compilation of two other photos.  Gasp!

Kind makes you start wondering if there are actually any "real" photos out there, doesn't it?

So, what exactly is the point of photography?  Are we capturing truths or are we telling lies?  

I've been giving these question a lot of thought recently, and ultimately I believe that each photographer has to decide for him or herself exactly where to draw the line on manipulating photos.  For me, I am comfortable with basic enhancements to improve the color and quality of the photograph, and perhaps I may occasional do a compilation image.  (The Christmas photo was my first attempt - which I composed to experiment with photoshop and test my abilities.)  But that's where I draw the line.  As much as I'd like to remove a chin or two from myself in my personal photographs, I think it is more important that photographs represent real life and real people.

But there is more than one way to misrepresent the truth with a photo.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so allow me to give you an example.

I give you those three photos of my dog, Lexi.  These images were all taken on the same day, in a span of about 30 minutes:

Here she is really just playing with Zoe, but she looks pretty mean and fierce, doesn't she?...

Here she's all tuckered out from playing and is crashed out, looking all calm and serene...

But the truth of the matter is that Lexi is neither mean and fierce, nor calm and serene. Instead she's just a crazy, lovable, goofball...

Depending on what photos I present to you, I can dramatically alter the way you see her.  It is so easy to misrepresent something in a photograph, and I think photographers have a responsibility to make every attempt to avoid doing so as much as possible.

What are your thoughts?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Photography Goals | 2012

New goals for the coming year on February 1st instead of January 1st?

Yep. Cuz that's just how I roll.

I could start off by making the classic joke about one of my goals being to stop procrastinating, seeing as how I'm posting my goals a bit later than one might expect.  But the truth is that I'm just insanely busy, so I haven't had the time to dedicate toward deciding what I want to accomplish in the coming year until now. Which does bring me to goal #1...

2012 Photography Goals

1. Dedicate more time to photography

I can't believe that I've lived in Phoenix for over 6 months and I still haven't opened up my shooting schedule and started looking for new clients. This makes me very sad and I really miss taking photos for others. But sometimes life doesn't turn out quite like we expect it to, and we have to play the hand we've been dealt.  Moving here didn't go quite as smoothly as I'd hope, and it has delayed my anticipated schedule a bit.

The good news is that I've started down a new path that will allow me to start spending more time behind my camera and finish up the final things I need to do to reopen MWP here in Phoenix.  So, sometime this Spring, you can expect to see an announcement that I'm once again open for business.  Of course, that's when the real work will begin!  I have to admit that I'm terrified about how I'm going to get started when I don't know anyone here.  Eeeek! But others before me have relocated businesses, so I know it can be done.  Right?  Please, oh please, someone tell me I can do this! :)

2. Get outside of my comfort zone, and start exploring more areas of photography

Put a willing person in front of my camera, and tell me to take their portrait, and I'm all over it.  I love taking portraits and I'm comfortable doing it.  Put me in the middle of downtown, and tell me to photograph the buildings and I'm going to stumble.  I don't know the first thing about photographing architecture.

Second Street Creative, who is designing my new brand, tweeted this today, "Quit being afraid to fail. It paralyzes growth and makes you complacent. JUMP."

I couldn't agree more, and that's exactly what I'm going to do: JUMP.  Maybe not off the buildings, but headlong into photographing them, and every other subject that I haven't tried shooting before.

3. Create more emotional and symbolic personal photographs

In my Intro to Photography class, we were given an assignment to capture symbolism in a photo.  I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept, and I crash and burned on the assignment.  When we shared our images, one of my classmates had taken photographs at a cemetery for fallen soldiers.  All of the tombstones were the same and her photos of row after row of graves were stunning.  The composition of her images was gorgeous, and the symbolism behind them was amazing.

Ever since then, I have known that I wanted to work harder to add more symbolism, and emotion, into my own photography.  I know this won't be the easiest thing to do, especially when embracing the less happy things in life, but I want my images to feel real and to evoke feelings and emotions in those who view them... even if it is only me, and my memories and feelings that are brought back.

In the spirit of symbolism and emotion (and because I don't feel right about a blog post with no photos), I want to share these two images that I took last February when I was participating in a month long online photography class called "The Joy of Love" hosted by Willette Designs.  When viewing wedding photos of others, I'm always drawn to the photos of the rings.  Some photographers have the most amazing and creative ideas of how to photograph them!  So, for the class I decided to try my hand at photographing our wedding rings, and this was the result...

I do like the composition of the photos, but what I like even more is what the photos mean to me, and how they make me feel when I look at them. My wedding day was the most amazing and magical day of my life. Not because I had a fairy tale wedding, and I felt like I princess, but because it was the day that I joined myself to the person who I was made to walk through life with. Our wedding rings are a symbol of what we have together, and nothing could ever be more precious to me.

And, there you have it, my 2012 goals.  Since we are already a month into 2012, I guess I better get started!

If you've made it this far into the post, I thank you for sticking with me.  I do try my best to aim for more photos and less words, but I realize I didn't quite succeed with this one.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Street Photography {on a whim}

I know I've mentioned it before, but I am a portrait photographer at heart. While I love experimenting with other subjects, my first love will forever be taking pictures of people.

I spend a lot of time looking at portraits taken by others, and I am always drawn in by the gritty, real life photos often captured by street photographers. Many of the images seem to speak a truth that words could never convey, and the haunting images have become a part of my soul.  While I long to capture the same types of portraits myself, the simple truth is that I don't have the guts.  I've lead too sheltered of a life to feel safe or comfortable spending time in the inner-city areas where so many of the images I love so much are taken.

However, I have been toying with the idea of taking street photos in more warm and fuzzy areas of the city.  Not too long ago I posted a thread on Facebook asking for opinions about how people would feel if they were approached by a stranger asking to take their photo.  The responses were mixed, and I'm still a bit hesitant to jump in with both feet and try my hand at it but I'm still giving it very serious consideration.

Which is probably what made me take the following photo while I was photographing my husband recently.  This girl was sitting there on the ledge, talking to a male who was sitting inside the opening on the other side of that large cement structure with the writing on it.  I was taking photos of Kevin, and she was off to my left just a little bit.  On a whim, I turned slightly, aimed the camera at her and fired off a quick shot.  I felt a little silly taking her photo, and barely took a second to compose the shot before pressing the shutter, and quickly turning the camera back toward Kevin.

You can image my surprise when I got home and looked at the image, only to realized that I actually liked it.  I look at it and can't help wonder what her story is... who is she?  where does she come from?  who is she talking to?  And then there is the writing... who wrote it?  who was the intended recipient? was it this girl or someone else?  if it was someone else, did she see it?  There's just also something about the position of the girl and her expression that I find myself drawn to for some unexplainable reason.

I will probably find myself taking more street images in the future, but I suspect they will probably be images I take on a whim, like this one. It will take a while to work up to being able to walk right up to someone and asking to photograph them.

So, have you ever done any street photography? If so, what was the experience like?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Kevin's Sneak Peek

Although, I'm not sure sneak peek is really appropriate since he's already seen all of the photos, but I figured I may as well stick with tradition.

On Sunday, I twisted Kevin's arm into allowing me to take some photos of him. It was the first time that I've taken any portraits (except for my own) since we moved!  It felt good to be behind the camera, but my brain felt a little slow to wrap itself around the idea that it was supposed to be acting creative and scoping out good shoot locations.  Luckily my husband was a good sport, and just stood there patiently as my sluggish brain tried to kick into gear and remember it's job.

Kevin has had the same photo as his Facebook profile pic for almost a year.  It is a photo I took of him last Spring when we were visiting Phoenix, trying to decide if we wanted to move here.  It is one of those candid "caught off guard photos" where I sort of called his name and fired off a few shots as soon as he turned.  I'm not denying that it's a good photo of him; I'm just getting sick of seeing it.  So, being the evil plotting wife that I am, I decided that maybe I could convince him it was time for a change if I took a new photo of him that he liked.  Since he's wearing his sunglasses in his current profile photo, I thought maybe I'd have better luck convincing him to choose a new one if I gave him lots of options with him wearing his sunglasses.  So, for most of the photo session, I had him wear them.

I always have an easier time selecting and editing photos of Kevin, compared to anyone else I photograph. I suppose because I spend so much time with him and his face is so familiar to me, it is easy for me to pick out the photos where he looks like himself.  I've narrowed it down to these 5 favorites from the photo session to share:

This one is by far my fav!...

As always, thanks for stopping by!  If you'd like to put your vote in for which photo should be his new profile pictures, feel free to leave a comment telling him which one you like best.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Self-Portrait | January 2012

As I embark on a new year of self-portraits, I can't help but stop and reflect on the journey that has brought me to this point in my project, and my life. I feel the need to pause and remind myself why I am taking these monthly portraits, and refocus my attention on my goals for these images.

I started taking my self-portraits with four simple goals in mind, which I listed along with my very first self-portrait back in August 2011. I still want these images to be a way for me to put my face on the blog, and allow my readers a chance to get to see more of me. I also still want these photos to be a way for me to document my life, and to help me be better about accepting myself for who I am. And I definitely still want these photos to be a way for me to practice my photography skills. However, my purpose has also grown and shifted into something bigger.

I have made it my goal with each self-portrait to try to capture the important aspects of my life that month in a single photograph. I want to be able to look back at each photograph and be reminded of where I was in my life - what was happening, what I was thinking, feeling, seeing, and doing. For what is a photograph, if not a way to capture a memory or evoke an emotion?

I've been giving a lot of thought to where I want to take my personal photography this year. I'm still in the early stages of this consideration, but I do know that I want to expand my creativity. I want to step outside the box, and find new ways to say what I want to say with my images. I want to start branching out and capturing more emotion with my photography. And the place I want to start is with myself. Not only do I want to be able to look back at my monthly self-portraits and remember what I was doing, I also want to feel what I was feeling. Perhaps a tall order for a single photograph, but I think I have succeeded this month.

I usually start out saying something about each photo like, "January's self-portrait was taken at our rental house in Phoenix," which is a true statement, but a bit irrelevant for this particular photograph.  Instead of the where or the how, I think the important commentary for this image is the why.

I'd love to be able to say that my relocation to Phoenix has been all puppy dogs and roses, but the truth of the matter is that the past six months have been some of the darkest of my life.  Picking up and leaving everything I've known isn't easy, and this is the fourth time I've done it.  With each move, I leave a little bit more of my soul behind and starting over is beginning to take a toll on me.

I don't regret moving here, and I still feel like it was the right decision for us.  Unfortunately, we didn't settle into a new life here as smoothly and seamlessly as I had hoped, and I am still really struggling to find my new place in my new world.  This month was the breaking point for me, where I finally realized that the things I am doing aren't working, and I need to take this new life of mine in a new direction.  Sometimes you must reach total darkness before you can begin your ascent into the light.

Did you miss some of my past self-portraits?  Clicking here will take you to all of my self-portrait blog posts. Clicking here will take you to my self-portrait Facebook album.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

The Best of 2011 | Furry Friends

I couldn't let the people have all the fun, could I? Here are some of my favorite dog photographs from 2011, in random order...

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.