{Spotlight Artist} Welcome SMARTin Photography!

Welcome SMARTin Photography!

Hi, my name is Susan Mawby and I am the owner of SMARTin Photography. I became interested in photography when I was given my first camera at the age of seven. Years passed and technology moved on, and today I am the proud owner of a Canon 500D. I LOVE IT. I have recently completed a diploma in Photography, which I found to be extremely informative, as I thought that I knew a lot about photography. I could not have been more wrong. I have learned so much about the technology of photography, whereas before I was just a point and shoot kind of girl. I am now obsessed with photography. My main interest in photography is portraiture, followed very closely by nature. As I see it, to take a picture is to capture a memory or a moment of beauty, that will last forever. I take every day as it comes, every day I learn something new, and every day I have my camera with me to capture some of those special moments in time.

Please feel free to check out my work at SMARTin Photography! 

 (Photo Taken by: SMARTin Photography)

 (Photo Taken By: SMARTin Photography)

(Photo Taken By: SMARTin Photography)

(Photo Taken By: SMARTin Photography)

 (Photo Taken By: SMARTin Photography)

Thank you so much Susan for lending your talented work to the blog. Please everyone go to SMARTin Photography and give them some love. 

<3 Brittani

{Spotlight Artist} Welcome Alan Rampton Photography!

 WELCOME ALAN RAMPTON PHOTOGRAPHY! 

Hello, my name is Alan Rampton. First of all let me thank Brittani Gattis - BG Photography for letting me post on her blog. She is an outstanding artist and her images are jaw dropping.


I have always appreciated a good photo or painting, and over the past few years I have taken a very keen interest in photography. I enjoy country walks with some soft music and nothing more than my camera (and a Lowpro slingshot bag with lenses and filters in). I have a professional standard and have done several studio shoots. I like to capture those incomparable moments, whether they are relaxed, posed shots or off-the-cuff, candid ones, as well as landscape and nature shots. I would say I’m a “all around” photographer.

So when did I start to enjoy nature? Well I guess it was when I was very young, but not in the way one would think. I can remember when I was about 5 years old rolling around on the mud  covered floor pretending to shoot my brother, using the mud from the ground to cover our faces so we were camouflaged so we blended in better.  All nature was, at such a young age, was a straight branch as a M-16 assault rifle followed my noises off, “da-da-da-da-da” as he fell to the floor and played dead, and a few rocks as hand grenades. Those were the days!

Later on, but still in my younger years (though now I’m all grown up at 35) I would say about 11 or 12, I was a member of the scouts. This was a whole different look at nature. Yes, we did long mountain walks and learnt how to read a map and use a compass. However, I am sad to say that the fun bits were the gutting and cooking of rabbits and pigeons. Also we would use those perfectly good “M-16” branches to make an A frame for a make shift house called a bivouac. This is a frame covered in moss and leaves to make it water proof. If you made them right they were quite warm and cozy.
As I got a bit older again my outlook on nature changed, as a hang out and a quiet place to meet my girlfriend (moving on).

Like I said I now look at nature in wonder and see how I can make a beautiful sky look its best through the view finder on my camera and capture that image forever. If this is because I am getting too old to be rolling around the floor covered in mud, then I’ll take it.

I still get very “Chimpy” when I see a great picture opportunity – “oh oh oh ah ah ah” – and when I start “Chimping”, a smile comes to my face, and that is what photography should be about, making smiles whether that be your own or your subjects!

As Albert Einstein said “True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist“.  

I hope you enjoy the picture in this blog and please feel free to like my Facebook page www.facebook.com/AlanRamptonPhotography or even visit my private site www.AlanRamptonPhotography.co.uk
 
 

 

Thank you so much Alan for taking the time to make a nature post! I absolutely love your work and wish I could see some of these awesome sites for myself! Please take the time to visit Alan’s website and Facebook page to show this great artist some love!

<3 Brittani

 

{SPOTLIGHT ARTIST} Welcome Soleil Photo Art!

Welcome Soleil Photo Art to the Blog!

 

My Craft Closet Was Overloaded and I Had Nothing to Show For It…

   Hi, my name is Sheryl and I’m a craft hoarder….I don’t really hoard crafts, I hoard items to
   make crafts; paints, brushes, wooden birdhouses, sparkles, colored pencils, stamps, etc….you
   get the picture. Anyway, I’m sure you are wondering what this all has to do with a Nature
   Blog….well hear me out…

   I come from a creative and talented family…my grandfather was a sign maker and artist, my
   great aunt published children’s books, my grandmother wrote poetry, my cousin is a
   scratchboard artist and my brother is good at art and also is a kick-ass drummer. I have always
   dabbled in some kind of art and craft, but never was what you would call an artist, I would
   make not one item, but 25 for my whole family and then I’d get bored. Prior to my getting into
   photography I really got into gardening…I thought this was my niche and I was quite good
   with all the neighbors envying my latest project. Well then after using up all available lawn, I
   ended up with carpel tunnel in both wrists and decided to have surgery on both at the same
   time. Needless to say, the weeds crept in and I got discouraged.

   I had been taking lovely pictures of my garden with my point and shoot and everyone ooh’ed
   and ahhh’ed. I enjoyed taking photos and would look at other photographer’s websites and
   wondered “how they did that”. I then bought a camera that was better than a point and shoot
   but still had limitations. But this camera allowed me to take closer ups better than I imagined.
   I got hooked on bugs, my bird feeders, baby birds, squirrels and butterflies. I also had been
   practicing editing the photos using different kinds of photo software to make photos look more
   “art-like”. OK, I am so hooked!

   After people kept telling me I should sell my photos I got myself a new camera. My next and
   current camera is a Canon Rebel T2i with a couple of lens I love. WOW is all I can say…the
   Bokeh that I can create is hands down the number one reason I wanted a better camera. The
   art you can create with a decent lens had my world rocking! I want to get better at my craft and
   I already know what lenses I am saving for.

   Being a photographer is a dangerous profession, once your eyes are opened and your
   juices are flowing. I don’t know how many times I drive down the road and see something that
   I have to pull over for to shoot. I know other drivers were cursing me a blue streak….but I didn’t
   care….I found the perfect shot and I had to get it. I have gone thru stages of stopping for
   barns, cows, horses, sunsets on a wheat field, boats on the water. Not long ago, I discovered I
   was pretty decent at taking pictures of humans, even baby ones and that is where I am
   today….even though I still take the nature ones, the nurture ones are where I’m at.

   Hi, I’m Sheryl and I’m not a craft hoarder any longer…I’m a lifestyle nature
   photographer….That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
   Visit me on Facebook - Soleil Photo Art

   Sheryl Rosedoff Bergman
   410-991-6651
   soleilphotoart@gmail.com

   Thank you so much Sheryl for such amazing photos, and great blog! So thankful for your
   talents to come to this blog! Everyone please take the time to show support and love
   to this amazing photographer!

    <3 Brittani