Hello and goodbye!

Tomorrow I leave for my adventure of a lifetime. First stop is Dubai and then winging it through Europe for 4 months. I can't wait to experience the beautiful European culture, I think I will fall in love. If anyone has any tips of places I must see or visit, I'd love to hear from you. For now, I thought I'd leave you with a few photos from a wedding I photographed on the weekend. I'm hoping to update my blog as I travel so I can share the special moments with you all.

Until I'm sipping espresso in sweet Italy,

Jenna

Here is a still that I shot from another film last week. I really been enjoying capturing shots without the subject knowing and then taking the image out of context and making up my own story behind it. I was thinking the other day about how we subconsciously make up little stories every day about people even if we don't mean to. I find myself looking at people on my way to work and thinking how many cats do they have? are they happy? are they one of those people who can't use chopsticks?

I find it interesting that everyone can see a different story depending on how they grew up, where they live and what they're exposed to. I don't like to judge people but I think we all do without even noticing. We might make up our own stories about someone but I think it's all innocent and I guess it makes it all the more interesting when we are proved wrong. Look at Susan Boyle!

So anyway, I guess we should all keep our little tales but also an open mind and aim to be surprised ...

Lately I've been finding potential in old, unplanned photos that I have taken. I feel like I am looking at them through a new pair of eyes and letting them tell me stories. This photo was an in between shot that I didn't think twice about at the time but I've been looking a little deeper to see what those spontaneous images are trying to say.

Photo: Me (Feb 2010) Model: Jemma

Thank you Law of Attraction! It was only the other day that I was really hoping to get into shooting stills for films when out of the blue a very talented friend of mine Sarah Tinitali asked me if I could come along to a film she was producing to take some. I got to meet so many fantastic people and see how the whole film making process works. The makeup artists and hair stylists, professional actors and talented crew were all so kind and really inspiring. I noticed how important it is to work as a team and I can only imagine it would be the same for big fashion shoots. There are so many things to organise and people on set that without the amazing cooperation that they had it easily could have ended in tears. I also saw that the directors were very specific with what they wanted and had a lot of patience which made things run very smoothly.

The colour palettes that were chosen for the set and costumes were stunning. You could tell that everything was really well thought out as it tied together so perfectly. It was a great opportunity for me to be able to work with some fantastic lighting too because I have really only had experience with natural light. It was all set up for me so all I had to do was shoot! I even got to use a 50mm f/1.2 lens for the day which I am now in love with and have put it on the list to buy before I head overseas.

When I found this quote there were quite a few people in my life that I thought of. I hope that all of you who are going through some tough storms at the moment realise that they are only there so that we can appreciate the beautiful rainbows all the more. love jenna

Photo by me. Model: Tessa

... there is suffering in life, and there are defeats... But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for - Paulo Coelho

Photography: Me. Models: My brother Jono and host brother Mitch

I'm thinking a move is on the cards. I'm heading overseas soon for 4 months of traveling but I already have a feeling that I'm going to fall in love with Europe and want to stay there. I mean Australia is absolutely beautiful but the idea of being somewhere foreign makes me so curious and intrigued. Maybe I'll get over there and be disappointed but right now I am pining to live in a place full of culture and unique personalities who share a passion to create and be yourself.

I feel like I get most of my inspiration from reading blogs and connecting with other artists online. I want to walk out of my front door each morning and be overwhelmed with inspiration. Maybe I'm dreaming and this doesn't exist, but I'd rather be optimistic and a fool, than pessimistic and right.

This is a photo I took of a friend of mine who just came back from a tour of Europe... Ahh I'm so in love with natural light.

Just as I was getting all sadsy about it being winter, I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise the other morning. The colours were so unreal and magical, I braved the cold in bare feet and betty boop flanno pjs to take a few quick snaps. I love that about photos, you get to keep the memory forever and every time you look at them they bring back those same emotions.

ratbags or angels?

I want to be a kid again. Now that I'm not so little anymore, I remember how carefree it was to be a 5 year old ratbag with not a care in the world. Well I was a ratbag anyway. A fat one. My family used to call me the Michelan child because I had so many rolls. Back then, my biggest worry was who would get the front seat on the way to the supermarket . I guess back then those little things seemed enormous and in ten years time I will think back to me in my 20s and how sweet life was without wrinkles.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a few photos that I took while I was playing photographer at the National Celtic Festival on the weekend. They make me appreciate the small things and live for the moment. The girl in the second photo made me smile, she jumped up out of nowhere and danced her little heart out in front of a room full of people. She didn't care who saw her or what anyone thought of her. That would have been me back in the day... but more like rolling around the stage instead of floating.

I was going through my iPhoto jungle today and came across this photo that I had taken earlier in the year. I'm not gonna tell you what it was from or instill any ideas in your head as to why it was taken. Instead I want to hear from you guys. I really want to connect with my viewers and make them feel something from my images. What story is this image telling you? Don't be shy now haha

sunkisses

I love how soft and flattering natural light is. I'll admit it can be a pain in the butt when it's not in the exact position that you want and casts shadows where they're not welcome but when you get that shot where the lighting is just right it's all worth it. Maybe I love natural light so much because I haven't had much experience with studio lighting and flashes. I definitely do want to explore them though.

I've actually hired a Nikon SB900 Flash and a few different lenses from this great (very affordable) Melbourne based company for the Celtic Festival that I'm shooting at this weekend. I'm a bit nervous actually, it's a pretty big event and I haven't done anything of this size before. Does anyone have any events photography tips for me?

Above is a photo I took of a dancer friend of mine, Jemma for her portfolio. I think it's really soft and dreamy and right now that natural light is kicking artificial light up the butt.

storytelling

Where are those m&ms when you need them... oh the joys of having a drop dead gorgeous sister. Today we decided to skip the normal couch potato sunday with trackies, chocolate and continuous Sex & The City episodes and head out for a photoshoot. Instead of throwing anything and everything into the dress up bag this time, we selected specific clothing to suit a raw, relaxed theme. I wanted the images to have a really content and earthy feel to them and for Sim to feel that there was nothing to worry about, that it can all wait and just for now, for a few hours all there is to do is relax and think about things that she is grateful for. I was really happy with how they turned out. Sim Bim helped me with the post-production when we got home - in our trackies of course, eating chocolate with the relaxing sounds of Carrie Bradshaw in the background.

you are beautiful

I'm a night time worker aaaaand eater haha. I love having a bag of chocolates holding my hand through photo retouching but it's also depressing editing images of these flawless looking models while I sit there inhaling a bag of peanut m&ms. I can't wait to work professionally in the fashion industry (I'm determined to make it happen!) but I'm also pretty anxious about always comparing myself to them. In saying that, the thing I do love about the fashion industry is it's becoming more and more diverse. There are so many unique looking models that push the boundaries of the definition of beauty that it makes me grateful that we all have our own individual look. Look at Bambi with her big bushy eyebrows, Abbey Lee with her gappy teeth and Lily Cole with her alabaster skin and fiery red locks. Ahhh Okay I'm glad I had that little talk with myself, feeling much better and back to the m&ms...

Above is a photo that I took of my friend Tessa who is such a unique beauty

backtracking

Tonight I spent hours going through Photoshop and Digital Photography tutorials and blogs. I found a lot of great stuff here and here. I can't believe how much I have learnt in just one night just from surfing the net. I'm so keen to keep expanding and researching different techniques so I can do some more experimenting. I decided to backtrack through some old photos that I've taken and apply some Photoshop techniques that I learnt tonight. The above image was one of my favourites. It's of my older sister Simona.

Oh and I started a Flikr Account where I'll upload most of my photos. It's a great place to get some feedback, meet other photographers and learn the tricks of the trade! Ahhh All hail the www.

♥ jenna

the only way is up

I'm just so so sooooo so so sick of taking the same old photos blah blah blah. I have a list of so many things that I want to shoot and things to try but I seem to just keep building up this monstrous list and never really start chipping away at it. I want to be obsessed with this photography business. To put my all into this and to learn and draw as much as I can from anything and everything. I'm travelling overseas in a few months and I think that somewhat is holding me back from starting something new but there is never a 'perfect' time to start.. or rather anytime is the perfect time to start so why not begin now.

Right, well here it goes. I want to move on from the stale set shot fashion shoots. I don't feel like I'm evolving. I want to be more involved. To tell a story and to let people in on the taste, smell and sounds. I want it to be more like stills from a film that flow and leave you feeling emotionally attached. To envisage and plan everything from the setting, makeup, garments, props, smells to the music playing in the background. Now the question, what do I want to shoot first? What story do I want to tell?

* Photo was taken on my iphone as I was walking to work. Winter does have SOME positives :)