Diane Jarvis-Schuller

When I have time, I pop by Shutter Sisters to read an entry or two and one of my favourite things they do is their Six Questions. On an intermittent basis, they invite a photographer to answer six stock questions. I love reading the responses. A few months ago some of my readers said they appreciate when I share some of my personal thoughts or insights, even though the main intent of this photo journal (aka blog) is for business purposes. Since I will never be asked to be a guest at Shutter Sisters, I thought I’d borrow their questions from my favourite segment and answer them here, for the fun of it.

1. What’s the story behind this photo?

If I gave the whole story it would be very long. Part of the appeal for selecting this one is because it’s a simple snapshot taken with a point and shoot camera — nothing fancy. This hoe once belonged to my mother-in-law. She loved gardening. I love gardening and gardening is what my mother lived for. I don’t have the same shine for gardening since my mom died. This is more symbolic. It’s that rusty hoe, not being used much anymore, not even being well kept (thus the rust and being left out over winter). There’s a relationship between the hoe, the rust, the gardening, and the mothers. Besides it’s such a lovely simple image.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?

You know, ever since I was a little girl and we had one of those Brownie box cameras I have been in love with the feel of a camera, peeking through the viewfinder to compose something memorable, and then admiring the resulting images. What a feeling it was then and is now. Sure the equipment has changed, there is more craft involved, but the exhilaration still exists.

3. What’s your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

Life’s sweet ordinary is my philosophy. What I mean by this is I love the special sweetness of the everyday things in life and the deliciousness of the simple things. That’s because I don’t like things that are contrived; there is so much beauty in individual people and in nature so why try making things as they are not? I use natural light whenever possible but won’t restrict myself either.  I love spontaneity especially in a photo shoot — I love to capture things as they really happen. I guess my life philosophy is much the same since I respect the earth and want it left as it should be and I really do appreciate the simple things in life.

4. Where do you look for inspiration?

Everywhere! Because I live surrounded by nature, that’s a big part of my inspiration. But there is so much more. People inspire me, light inspires me especially that late afternoon glow, and buildings — I love architecture as much as I love the curves on stone that has been weathered over eons and eons.

5. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

I do this in stages. I set goals for myself, intended to stretch my capabilities. I work on a particular goal until I’ve achieved the level I’m satisfied with and then I create a new goal to aspire to. It’s a continual learning curve. My current goal in 2010 is to learn more about and become quite adept at using off camera flash.

6. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self – regardless of money, time or childcare issues – where would you go and why?

Ha! I don’t have to worry about childcare issues anymore just who the heck will take care of our dogs so we can get away somewhere!! Peru, I think, but off the beaten path. I’d want to get lots of photos of the people, especially those not living in the capital; take a train trip; visit some of their adobe churches; ride a Peruvian Paso, capturing all of that and their culture in print.

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Visit Diane’s website to view her portfolio. Don’t forget to become a fan on her Facebook Photography page to be the first to learn about casting calls, promotions/specials, and other special announcements.

awesome: extremely impressive; in the senses – filled with awe

Doesn’t Nature sometimes fill you with awe?

(photos of pussy willows taken yesterday May 5, 2009 — spring has arrived north of 55 here in northern Alberta)

Huh? You’re probably thinking I have that old cliche turned around. You’re right, I do.

For those using film and not digital, the darkroom is where the final processing occurs for photographic prints. Ansel Adams is known to have worked magic in the darkroom ‘finishing’ his masterpieces. Now that so many of us are using digital, a darkroom still exists — it’s the digital darkroom. I’m no master in the digital darkroom though I’ve been spending time in that digital darkroom practicing, experimenting, and even stretching the limits now and again. Today’s image is a result of some of that practice.

The image above, as it came straight out of the camera (SOOC), was nice enough but I thought it had potential for altering it somewhat to give it a more vintage feel. Using my Lightroom 2 software, I created a negative applying specific levels of processing. I’ve found it so much fun to experiment and play around in this way. Recently I also created my very first high-key image which can be done either in the camera or in the processing. I took an already somewhat overexposed image of a horse, increasing the exposure in the digital darkroom, made a few other minor adjustments, and ended up with a more artistic version that you can view at my photoblog. I was really pleased with the results.

This image of a bloom on my Easter cactus has been through the digital darkroom. Using Lightroom I was able to make it appear like it was created with Velvia film. Velvia film is known for having brighter colours and deeper saturation, among its other attributes. While in that darkroom I could have just as easily made this black and white, sepia, or many other options for final processing. Remember the beautiful close up of that clematis and the pink peony I offered for desktop wallpaper? The colours were more brilliant and crisp but I reduced that brilliance, purposely desaturating both images to give them more of a faded old-time feel. All done in my digital darkroom.

Then again, I could run a photo through that digital darkroom, leaving it as it came straight out of the camera, but add one small touch: a bit of vignetting (that darkening of the edges) like with this box of cupcakes. The only difference between the film version of processing and the digital version is that one is done with chemicals and one is done with the computer. I hope you’ve enjoyed walking through my digital darkroom.

In what ways do you like to experiment or play around with any of your creative pursuits (gardening, photography, painting, crafting, sewing, woodworking, or …)?

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” ~ Edward De Bono

The weekend was great, mostly because spring truly is showing its face around here. The snow is melting (though it snowed all day Sunday) faster than you can say “zippity-doo-dah” flawlessly fifteen times; the Canada Geese have returned and some of the Trumpeter Swans flew overhead as well; Easter Sunday was a day filled with great conversation with family; the chickadees are seeking out safe nesting spots; saw a Snowy Owl perched on one of our spruce trees this weekend; the air is filled with the smell of snow melt; hubby drove all the way to the city & back Easter Monday so we could have a sushi treat (took lots of photos of it too); and I no longer have to wear 3 or 4 layers of clothes when I go outside!

As you can see, I couldn’t help but put out two posts today.

I hope you enjoy this sunshine-y store-bought chrysanthemum. What makes your star shine today?

Diane is a lifestyle photographer serving Grande Prairie, Alberta & northern Alberta. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

I’m back from my relaxing and regenerative trip to the city. It’s storming or perhaps, more correctly, I should say we’re having a winter blizzard today. (The photo, however, is one from an early winter storm but today it is white everywhere with no dead grasses showing in the field. I don’t feel like going outside to get a photo to show you how intense it is — sorry!) It’s 15 below C, with a wind blowing so hard that the snow is running parallel to the ground, and drifting everywhere. My husband couldn’t get his car out of the garage this morning because there’s a 5 foot drift in front of the door. He was able to get the snowblower out the side door to make a pathway out to the highway and used the SUV to get to work. Just part of life north of 55.

I have a mountain of ironing to do, several work related projects to get done, and am finding writing inspiration from this book by Christina Baldwin.

Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story

“Story is the heart of language. Story emotionally moves us to love and hate and can motivate us to change the whole course of our lives. Story can lift us beyond the borders of our individuality to imagine realities of other people, times, and places; to empathize with other beings; to extend our supposing far into the universe. Storytelling — both oral tradition and written word — is the foundation of being human.” ~excerpt from cover jacket of Storycatcher. 

So tell me, what stories are you catching these days?

Take a risk. Fly out of your comfort zone.

“Don’t refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase — that’s what wild geese are for.” ~Author Unknown

{Photo taken April 21, 2008 here in Alberta Canada. Canada Geese, Trumpeter Swans, a variety of ducks, plus Northern Pintails in flight.}

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway — draw being made on March 17! Have a weekend full of exploration.