TV Round-Up :: murder and mayhem and a few other things

I have my mom to thank for the subtitle of this post. Recently she was talking to a fellow volunteer at their current job site and the woman mentioned a couple of TV series that Mom had never heard of. Finding herself lost in the conversation Mom finally questioned her and was told that the series in question were all network comedies. My mom shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Oh, we don’t watch anything like that. We just do murder and mayhem.” The moment Mom repeated this conversation back to me over the phone, I laughed loudly and said, “I’m totally making a blog post on that!” And here it is, because she’s right. My family really does love TV and movies centered around murder and mayhem. And as far back as I can remember, this has always been the case.

If you ask me what I remember of television in my childhood I will always first recall the crime shows, the police and detective dramas: Hill Street Blues, The Rockford Files, The Equalizer, Hart to Hart, MacGyver, Remington Steele (a personal favorite of my 13-year-old self), Simon & Simon, and Miami Vice. Oh, yes. Miami Vice was a game changer for me. Whereas cop shows had often been equal parts drama and humor (like other family staples CHiPs and Starsky and Hutch), Miami Vice was gritty and edgy and, quite often, kind of sleazy. By the time it premiered I was deeply mired in an angry adolescence, so I fully embraced this shift in crime drama. And through the years since then I’ve come to most love series that dig into the underbelly of human behavior. My fascination with psychology allows me to love shows like Criminal Minds and CSI and this season’s critical darling, The Killing, but I can directly trace this interest back to my earliest TV memories. My family always watched television together, and shows in the 70s and 80s were generally acceptable entertainment even for older children. Even now that we are all adults, I still discuss beloved TV with my parents almost every week. We love most of the same series, and we enjoy tossing personal theories around during the network seasons and reveling in the excitement of seeing our theories proven right (or wrong). For these reasons I never submit to the belief that TV is a bad thing for kids. Instead, I believe it can be a perfect way to bring families together, in the same room, night after night, week after week, and it can encourage discussion in a uniquely adult way. Knowing that family members are always watching the same shows is great fun for me. And our conversations are almost always a jumping-off point for something intelligent and provocative and even deeply personal, at times. Which is exactly why I don’t apologize for loving television. It has always been the go-to entertainment choice in my family, moreso than movies even, and it remains a unifier of sorts, even today.

There are a few great posts to be made from my own personal TV memories throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, but I thought it appropriate now to recap my thoughts on the most recent television season. Most of the series I follow have run their season finales now, and the summer schedule is already under way, so I really wanted to capture my feelings (good and bad) about 2010-2011 offerings. For a long while last fall I was extremely disappointed in the episodes that were airing, and I dropped more shows this season than I’ve ever before dropped at one time. But things really turned around in the past few months, and the sweeps episodes in May have revived my opinion of many longer-running series. I found myself with renewed love for a few shows that I’d not yet dropped despite feeling indifference for some time, and I even found interest in several comedies this season that had never before been of interest to me. And after all of that, I’m grateful to say that only a few of my “regulars” did not make the cut for the 2011-2012 season. It really is nice to know that favorite shows and beloved characters will be around for a little while longer.

My favorites from the fall/spring season were Fringe, which had its best season yet; Castle, which continues to get better and better and better, thanks to its incredible cast; NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, both of which started off a little slow but ended with great character development and wonderful setups for a new season; White Collar, which just makes me happy to watch every week and makes me miss it terribly when it’s gone; and A&E’s fugitive drama, Breakout Kings, which gets better with each passing week and features a lot of wit and intelligence in its writing. I found enjoyment in quite a few other series, of course, though mostly out of habit and curiosity. Still, I’ll be tuning back in during the next season for Hawaii Five-0, Bones, The Mentalist (especially after a finale moment that truly shocked me), CSI: NY, Blue Bloods, Parenthood, Body of Proof, The Walking Dead, Fairly Legal, The Good Wife, and Grey’s Anatomy, which itself is proof that an almost-done-for series can revive itself if willing to trim the fat and turn characters on their heads. It was Grey’s PTSD storyline for Cristina Yang, in fact, that kept me riveted throughout the first half of its season, and though I am seriously tired of the Callie-Arizona-Mark Sloan drama, I still enjoy a lot of the stories that have been written over the past year.

I do watch a few other types of shows, and this year I found more reality series than ever before. Although, technically, the ones I enjoy are more like game shows. I’m kind of addicted to the food competition series of Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Chopped, and 24 Hour Restaurant Battle on Food Network (mostly because I love Scott Conant), and I also love Project Runway and The Amazing Race. I care nothing at all for the basic “talent” shows like American Idol or any of the dancing competition shows, and I see no point whatsoever for all of the “find a husband, find a wife on TV” series. Up until last year I did watch Survivor, but I finally cut that cord when the contestants just got ridiculous and the “drama” was boring. I stuck it out through the Heroes vs. Villains season (solely because of J.T.), but I found myself using the fast-forward button more often than watching the show itself. Though I did tune in to the next season, I deleted it from my schedule after only a couple of episodes because the cast was the most boring group of people I’d ever seen on the show. The most recent season was nothing more than a confirmation for me when the “big match-up” was Russell vs. Boston Rob. I can’t think of any two people I’d rather see less of in my life. What began as a truly fascinating social experiment has just devolved into a platform for exceptionally annoying people. And I have no interest whatsoever.

This season I also gave up on Private Practice after the last three interesting people — Cooper and Violet and Pete — became as melodramatic (and whiny!) as the rest of the cast, which had been irritating me for more than a season already. I finally had to admit that Private Practice had gone the way of Desperate Housewives, and that meant I was done with it. Brothers & Sisters suffered the same fate with me, as well, with the unbelievable stupidity of every single sibling in the “family.” When melodrama becomes boring, there’s definitely a problem. I wasn’t the least bit surprised when it was cancelled. At the beginning of the fall and spring seasons I tried to like Nikita, My Generation, No Ordinary Family, and Mr. Sunshine, but none of them really clicked with me. I did watch quite a few new (or new-to-me) series, though most of them won’t be returning in the fall. I am still lamenting the loss of Rubicon, just as I will honestly miss Human Target, Lie To Me, Off The Map, The Whole Truth, CHAOS (which barely even got a chance, CBS!), The Cape, The Good Guys (goofy as it was), and Chase, which was my absolute favorite new series of the season and a much-welcomed return for Cole Hauser and Amaury Nolasco. I can only hope someone finds a place for those guys very soon! A few other shows that I watched all the way through but which won’t be returning really aren’t bothering me too much. The Event was interesting enough for a slow Monday night, but I won’t really miss it. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior wasn’t nearly as good as it could have been, and last fall’s Lone Star never quite found its groove (or an audience). In my overcrowded TV schedule, losing these isn’t going to break my heart.

I found some room (and some love) for a few comedies this season, and that is extremely rare. But shows like The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly really charmed me with their quirky humor and extremely likable lead actors. I’d love to see a lot less crude humor, but they are both tempered so well by the sweetness of their main characters that it’s hard for me to dismiss them. My love for Glee is well-documented on Twitter and Facebook, but I was disappointed in the beginning of this season last fall. For a long while I feared that it had gone the way of a sophomore slump, but then it found a glorious groove with the first guest appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow, and the spring episodes built and built into something great on which to end the season. I’m more excited for tonight’s finale than I’ve ever been for any of its episodes. And I’m really looking forward to seeing it grow further in the third season.

The greatest surprise for me this year was The Office. I’ve watched it faithfully since its second season, I think, but I’ve never been a fan of much more than the Jim and Pam story. Steve Carell, in his various characterizations, has never appealed to me, and the role of Michael Scott has always just irked me to no end. I usually skipped through most of his monologues just because they bored me. But then something incredible happened this season: he developed a heart and a sweetness that didn’t resort to vulgarity to bring the funny. It’s all in credit to Amy Ryan, of course, whose character of Holly Flax finally gave Michael Scott a reason to be truly happy. By Carell’s final episodes before his departure from the series, I found myself touched again and again by the series and even shed several tears during his farewell scenes. If you had told me that this would happen back in the first seasons of the series I would’ve scoffed. But now that the Michael Scott character is no longer in the office, there is a definite void from which the series may never recover.

This summer promises to provide plenty of action and adventure to keep me occupied, and I think these series are even more beloved than the ones shown during a 22-episode season. I never seem to tire of Leverage, Flashpoint, In Plain Sight, or Psych, and I really enjoy Burn Notice, Rizzoli & Isles, and Memphis Beat. Covert Affairs and The Closer are also interesting enough to make me return each week for a new episode. I’m also happy that Law & Order: Criminal Intent is going out on a higher note with the return of Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, and I’m beyond thrilled that A&E’s quirky series The Glades will be returning, as well. I’m happy to be able to indulge my inner sci-fi geek with new episodes of Warehouse 13, Haven, and Eureka, and I’m very intrigued by the new series Falling Skies, which brings Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood back to my TV after much too long an absence. The adventure series Expedition Impossible looks to be fun, and I’m curious about Rocco’s Dinner Party, as well. Part of me also wants to check out TNT’s Franklin & Bash, but only because Reed Diamond is featured in a role. If it weren’t for him, I’d just as soon pass on it because it looks a little too over the top for my taste. But TNT makes incredible series, so I think I’m willing to give it a try. Two other new series have me excited for individual cast members, as well. Longtime favorite Gabriel Macht stars in Suits, while Marc Blucas has a supporting role in Necessary Roughness. Their presence alone is all I needed to know.

All in all, the TV season of 2010-2011 has been pretty enjoyable for me. It’s certainly been better than recent years. I’m also happy that television schedules are no longer limited to fall and spring. With Texas summers maintaining triple-digit temperatures and gas prices skyrocketing again, plus the fact of continued unemployment, my best source of entertainment is going to be the TV… indoors… under the air conditioning. But with so many shows to choose from, it just might be the best (entertainment) summer yet!

image banners via The TV Database

telling stories through photography (learning from Penny De Los Santos)

In this final post recapping last weekend’s CreativeLIVE workshop with photographer Penny De Los Santos, I simply want to list some of the points made about photography and artistic endeavors, in general. Because Penny primarily works as a food photographer at present, much of the discussion about making good photos centered around the subject of food, but as I listened and made notes during the 3-day series I realized just how much the principles of food photography apply to other areas of creativity. And Penny said it herself in answer to a question from the Internet chat room about whether she enjoyed the food photography of the present more than the travel photography of her earlier career: “Food photography is travel photography,” she said. “Portrait photography is travel photography. It’s all the same. Food is a connector. It’s what brings us all together. Photography is just an exploration of that connection.” I immediately thought of James Oseland’s statement from the first day that photographers are “anthropologists of the cultures” that they shoot. I was intrigued by the idea that I can use my little camera to document things that interest me and, by doing so, tell stories in a different way than I’m used to doing. It’s just as valid for me, an amateur, to do it as it is for a professional photographer on assignment with a magazine. Honestly, that just thrills me! So I listened closely and snapped screen shots from the video feed of the workshop as Penny walked through her process of documenting food and food culture. Her words were instructive, but watching her work was invaluable. I’ve said this again and again since last weekend but it bears repeating… I will never see things in the same way again. I’ll never look through my camera and just snap a quick image and then walk away. I’ll never be able to look at a magazine without seeing behind the photos to imagine what the shoot must have been like. And I’ll never again overlook the art in seemingly simple or mundane images. I also hope I never miss the art in the everyday. What I’ve learned from Penny De Los Santos is that there is beauty in the small details — even just a bowl of noodles.

Words of wisdom from James Oseland, Editor of Saveur magazine (italics mine)
In order to make great photos (and I’d add, to tell great stories), you have to fall in love with every environment that you’re in. Respect it and fall completely into whatever is around you. Show up ready to love it and be excited about your subject. Show up with enthusiasm. Listen to people. Study what in their lives is worth celebrating.
 
You will never create the photo you want unless you are also experiencing the same emotions you hope to capture.
 
Oftentimes, what you’re not familiar with is the best subject to explore. When you want to know something more about a subject then it’s worth looking for a story.
 

Advice from Larry Nighswander, Photography Director at Saveur
Don’t just make “pretty pictures.” Photos should have a purpose or editorial reference.

Three questions to ask when creating (editing the subjects of) your photographs:
1. Does it have technical excellence?
2. Does it have compositional creativity?
3. Does the photograph have any purpose or any use to me in making a statement?

An excellent photographer will construct a frame that has an effective foreground, a contributing middle ground, and a background that adds an element to the photo.
 

Over the last 2 days of the workshop we were privileged to watch Penny shoot 5 different food setups, the process of food prep inside a Seattle food truck, and a full-on oyster roast (recreated in an alleyway), and I was literally rapt the entire time. Seeing people completely in their element, doing what they love to do and speaking with great passion about it, is simply inspiring to me. I was amazed at the progression of the food scenes as a stylist added small elements and took away others while Penny stood on ladders and got on her knees and shot images from various angles. I was fascinated by the level of attention given to a plate of food, and then seeing the final results was sometimes breathtaking. You could never have told me that I would feel such emotion while watching a photographer shoot static subjects, and yet Penny was able to show me how emotion and movement and energy can actually be added to a still life. In retrospect, I suppose I knew this was possible, having been mesmerized by paintings in museums, but I never dreamed it could be infused into a photograph of food. I think this was one of the greatest gifts of the workshop, in fact: learning to see things as I’d never seen them before. And for Penny to then instruct us in techniques to do it in our own photos? A true gift, indeed. I defy anyone to not be changed (and to not have their art changed) after putting these techniques into practice. As I’ve said before, these are more than just photography tips. They are useful for inspiration in all areas of art… and sometimes even life.

 

Keys to Great Photography (and Storytelling)
Go into a project really open. Maybe have an idea of what you’re looking for but be ready to see it all go away. Don’t preconceive the shoot. Just let it happen.
 
Storytelling can be done really, really well when you do it at various times of the day. Scout your location. Drive around and find great scenes and great settings. EXPLORE. Go back to the same place at different times and capture the variations.
 
Remember to tell the full story. Capture a sense of place, portraits, details, scenes, individual moments. To begin, consider starting with details and the sense of place — just to get yourself in the moment — but always watch what’s happening with the primary subject so you can be ready when the action begins.
 
Think about the scene. Are you capturing the scene? Have you waited for the scene? Get the details and intimate moments and the fullness of the scene. Do what it takes to capture the essence and the scope of the scene.
 
Focus on the EXERCISE of taking photos. Don’t worry about the photos themselves. Just focus on the process. Take leaps and exercise your eye.
 
Shoot as if you are using film rather than digital. Shoot as if you can’t see the photos while you make them.
 
Think about your point of entry into the photograph: the spot where your eye lands when you look at the photo. Make sure it’s interesting enough to begin telling the story. Make sure it’s obvious what that story is.

You have to elevate photographs (especially food photographs). You have to transport people to a place. Take them somewhere in the photograph. There has to be an energy.
 
Think about the moment. Why are you taking this photo? What are you trying to tell the viewer?
 
If it’s a shot of someone doing something, find the emotion in the action. If the emotion isn’t there then it’s just a flat shot of someone doing something. You have to elevate it using one of the basic principles (light, composition, framing, etc).
 
If you stop and click then walk away, it’s not the hero shot, not the best shot you could have taken. Listen to your instincts. When you’re moving, STOP and think about why you’re pausing. What are you looking for? What are you waiting for? Wait until it happens. Be contemplative. Don’t just shoot and walk away. It will look posed. Instead, wait… and listen to the questions you’re asking yourself about the subject and about the scene.
 
Get lost in the scene, not in the technical details. Be concerned with the scene.

LOOK as much as you can look. Find mentors. Never stop following the dream.
 
If you’re not doing what you love, why not? Whatever it is you want to do, do it. Whatever it is that you want to be, be it.

on photography :: learning from Penny De Los Santos

For the past couple of years I’ve become more and more interested in taking good photos. My interest began with memory keeping, wanting to document the lives of my niece and nephews with regard to the special relationships that we share, but then it evolved beyond simple scrapbooking. As I perused the blogs of scrap artists I began to find more and more photography tips which led me to websites of amateur photographers which, in turn, led me to professional photographers. What captured me the most is how perfectly the photos were used to tell stories. Beyond the scrapbook journaling of years past, photos were being paired with simple sentences that told a complete story or, better still, sentences that conveyed a single moment in time… an emotion to be remembered. I began to see life differently at this point; I began to look for moments in my life rather than “events.” Instead of waiting to document holidays and birthdays and milestones I began to snap photos of single images that affected me at a particular moment. The last boy’s fascination with the car wash. The girl speaking with her dad after a tough defeat. A sky full of clouds that took my breath away. A vibrant bowl of oranges prepared just for me by the produce man at the grocery store. Each of these images tell their own story — a story that sometimes only I know — and each of these images was another small piece of my daily life. By taking photos of the mundane details of life I began to realize how much I wasn’t seeing in the hours of my days. Photography as a practice helped me see the art that is in every single moment of life. And I desperately wanted to improve those skills so I didn’t miss one little thing in the future.

Last weekend I was able to participate in an online workshop led by professional photographer Penny De Los Santos, and it’s no overstatement to say that I learned more about the process of taking photos than I’ve learned in years of surfing blogs and reading tutorials. For the first time, in fact, I’ve come to actually believe that it really isn’t about the tools but all about the way we look at things. For three days Penny stressed this very thing to us students, and as I watched her work in the studio I came to understand just how true the statement is. The principles of photography are the key to taking great photos, and great photos can be taken just as well with an iPhone or point-and-shoot as with a high-level DSLR. The best camera in the world can still produce the worst photos if the photographer isn’t implementing the basic principles. But the simplest camera in the world can produce outstanding photos if the photographer takes the proper amount of time to “see” before shooting. And Penny demonstrated how to see. And I finally understood.

I took copious notes during the near-24-hour workshop and won’t post them all here, but I feel like the following are the most important to know. And while these do apply to photography, in many ways they also apply to art, in general. If not life itself. I see images much differently now, and I’m looking for photos through entirely different eyes. That’s really the greatest gift of the weekend: just learning a few key techniques to take me beyond the obvious. Watching Penny work was truly a gift. I hope you find something in these few notes to take away for yourself, as well.

What makes a good photo?
• light — Find the best natural light, even if that means carrying something to a new location (an open door or window). But also think about the potential in any situation. Even if the power goes out. Even if you’re under a tent. Even if nothing goes according to plan. Find the shot. Capture the moment. That’s STORYTELLING.
• color — If your subject/food is all the same color, add an element of color somewhere else.
• composition — Study other photos to broaden your range of composition.

                                    photo by Penny De Los Santos; read the incredible story of how she obtained this photo

Alleviate the eye so that the subject is not complicated when you look at it.   EDIT.
 
Infuse energy into your photographs, even (and especially) a static image like food.
 
Move past your clichés. If you keep seeing the same shots in your photos, you need to push yourself out of that comfort zone. Look for new angles and new perspectives.
 
Your over-familiarity with a place or a subject comes through in your photos. Boredom comes through. Learn to see with fresh eyes, as if each photo is your first introduction to the scene.
 
Find the frame you want for your shot then stay put and wait for the energy to fill that frame. Take many shots until you capture the emotion you want to see, then take more to get it again. And take even more to get it again.
 
Change your perspective. Shoot from a different angle. Shoot from overhead. Get down to the level of your subject.
 
Get in front of the action.
 
Stay in place a little longer than you think you should. Wait for the action to finish.

Do you want to be great at photography? Never stop looking. Every single day. Look at books, magazines, galleries, the Internet. The only way you’ll get better is to LOOK. When you react to a photo, figure out what it was that made you react that way. What is the first word that comes to mind? Write it down. Light, color, sadness. Write those words down. Then take that list of words and walk around with your camera looking for representations of the individual words. Focus on the first word and take a series of shots. Then focus on the next word and take a new series. Stretch your eyes, focus on one idea, exercise that idea. Think of it as Visual Yoga.

In order to create (anything): first, get grounded. Get quiet, get centered. Then pump yourself up and go! Shoot photos. Write something. Create!
 
Make up your mind before anything happens that whatever it is, you’re going to love it. Wake up every day ready to make something of that day.
 
Look at photography daily. Books, magazines, internet. Pick up something with photos and LOOK.
 
Practice your photography regularly.
 
Keep a visual journal. Make a photo every day, put it in a book, and monitor your progress.
 
Walk around the block for 15 minutes and try to be inspired by ONE idea. Capture that idea with your camera.
 
Remember the basic principles: light, composition, framing, detail, color, movement, energy… If you can put as many of the principles into a single photograph then it’s all happening! You’re DOING IT.
 

A lot was said during this 3-day workshop, but one particular statement by Penny resonated with me more than anything else: You have to self-assign your dream assignment.
 
Penny suggested that we assign ourselves 3 personal projects per year where we have to go somewhere outside our home bases and tell the stories that interests us. She instructed us to find 3 stories that feed the soul and set out to capture them. A powerful idea. I love that it can be applied to more than just photography. Three stories told through art. Three stories that capture me and me alone. Penny made this assignment early on during the first day of the weekend and it’s still haunting me. I can’t help but wonder what my 3 stories are this year! And I’m excited about how they will manifest from my creativity. Will I capture them in photos? Will I put them into words? Will I do something entirely new, like paint or sketch? Perhaps a combination of them all? The possibilities are exciting! And terrifying. And empowering. I can’t wait to see which road will present itself to me.

     Herding Lamb, a photo by Penny De Los Santos (and the one that struck the richest chord in me last weekend)

pardon me while I organize…

I should mention that I’m shuffling some things around between Tumblr and Flickr and my blog this week, so you may see some duplicate posts here and there. Just think of them as little gifts from the vault! When all is finally settled I’ll have all of my random internet finds (like this and this) posted at Tumblr, and all of my random photos posted at Flickr, and all of the single images that inspire me will be posted at Pinterest. The writing, as always, will run through this blog. I’m just trying to keep myself from spreading all of the ephemera and ridiculata too thin across the internets. I’m sure most of you understand just what I mean! So, thanks for bearing with me as I remove things from one location and repost in another. I’ll try not to duplicate the Twitter and Facebook alerts, which will likely be repeats of some previous posts, but I’m sure a few will slip through. And if you’re reading my sites via RSS, I’m sorry to say that I can’t prevent the posts from showing up again. Thanks for your patience while I work through the project!

anthropology and capturing the dream

Monday, 2:15am

This past weekend I participated in an online workshop led by photographer Penny De Los Santos. It’ll take me several days to debrief… longer still to fully internalize all that I’ve learned. I hope to make a few posts this week relaying some of the key concepts that Penny mentioned and sharing some of the principles I’ve learned about photography and storytelling. I hope you’ll take the time to read these posts even if photography is of no interest to you. As I sit still for a moment with the workshop sessions still fresh in my mind I keep returning to a single thought: The ways a photographer approaches her subjects — be it travel photography or food or portraits — are the very ways I want to approach the mundane details of life. James Oseland, editor of Saveur magazine, said it best during the workshop: “You are an anthropologist of the cultures you shoot.” Expanding that, I say, “We are anthropologists of the cultures that surround us, that influence our daily lives and our beliefs and our personal art.” Every day is a chance to explore something new and to take with me another little piece of everyone and everything that surrounds me. I sit here at this morning hour and realize (again) just how many opportunities I simply do not take.

One of the final thoughts that Penny shared really does sum up what I always meant to be in my life. This is the person I thought I would become. Or, at least, it’s the place I thought I would be closer to at this stage of my life. I’m grateful that my life has not ended and that every day is a new opportunity. I’m feeling enormous regret as I think about the current state of my life compared to my first teenage dreams of travel and writing and discovering the world. I can’t help but wonder how I derailed in the first place, and I am a little overwhelmed at the thought of trying to make something better out of the future. I know it’s one day at a time, but as I write this I have no idea how to even begin. This week, I’ll be pondering these words from Penny with a prayer that everything will soon become more clear to me.

Be inspired.
Love what you do.
Have insatiable curiosity.
 
As in everything…
Lead with your heart.
Be open.
Follow your instincts.
Listen.
Create.

Penny closed the workshop relaying a conversation she had with her brother when she first set out for college and was feeling all the fear of a new situation. These statements resonate with me more than anything else she said this weekend. She asked him, “What if I’m not good enough?” He responded, “What if you are good enough?” That’s the question I want to grasp tightly going forward. I want to keep telling myself, “Sure, you’re frightened of failing but… what if you are good enough?”

“Capture that dream,” Penny said. “Capture that dream and meditate on it.“

Now I just need to determine what that dream is for me. I think it’s been pushed so far down inside of me that it may take a while to remember, but I’m excited about rediscovering it. I’m excited that I can begin anew, each and every day.

Join me this week as I share more of what I learned from Penny’s workshop, including a vast amount of information about creating great photos (and creating art, in general).

click on the image to visit Penny’s website and view her remarkable photos