roundness

Well, January is over folks, but there's no need to grieve - this photo-a-day project will continue!  We'll be inviting a guest photographer to join us each month, so if you would like to be one of our guests, please get in touch.  You can email me at info@monicalacey.com.

Joining us for the month of February is Lee Clarke.  You'll be able to see his photos here. Lee is a great friend, and creativity seeps out of his pores full time in the form of music, writing, and artwork; we're very happy to have him on board!

Also, we really appreciate you sharing this project & telling your friends!  We hope you continue to follow and enjoy in the months ahead.

If you've been following the blog but you're unfamiliar with my other artwork, come have a look here.

Roundness. Here are the tunes I was listening to today while I did my shoot. See Juliana's photo for today here.

untitled (visual buzz) - monica lacey 2013

B&W

Oh Black & White, my old love.  I can still remember the first darkroom course I ever took, a million years ago, when we all shot film, in 1996, at Holland College, and I was addicted. I would spend all night in there printing photos.  The following year, when I entered the full-time Photography program, I got in trouble because I refused to shoot colour.  Those rich blacks & glowing whites still have my heart, even after all these years and all these other colour palettes.  I had a little fun with it today :)
See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow we shoot our last theme for January, Roundness.  I'll fill you in tomorrow about February and the continuing adventures of this photo-a-day project!

one... - monica lacey 2013

two... - monica lacey 2013

three! - monica lacey 2013

directions

Directions:  if you are enjoying this photo-a-day project, please share it, like the link on facebook, pass it around, comment on it, etc.  Thank you!  I really appreciate it!

gnocchi carbonara - monica lacey 2013

Every Tuesday at the Superstore here in Charlottetown they have a cooking class/lunch event.  It's always delicious, you go home with recipes & lots of great information, and you pay 10$, but then they give you a 10$ gift card - so it's basically free.  The chef gives you full directions and goes over the recipe.  Today my mom & I went & feasted on the gnocchi carbonara (the king of all the sauces) and a green lentil & green bean nicoise salad.  Delish.  

This afternoon I took a trip to the Belfast Mini Mills, one of my favorite places ever to buy art supplies.  You get greeted by this guy, need I say more?

look at those eyelashes - monica lacey 2013

Because you can never have too much llama, here he is with his trusty sheep sidekick:

buds - monica lacey 2013

Check out Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is B&W (black & white).

ice

In PEI, where I live, it has been one #$#%^! cold January - record-breaking, in fact.  I was all set to go out & photograph lovely icicles hanging from the eaves, and then today - finally - the temperature went up a bit, all the way to -8!  So, no icicles, due to the 'melt'.  But the sun was out & the nasty street ice-dirt was shining, so that's what I turned my lens toward.  Here is a glamour shot of ice-dirt, for your viewing pleasure.  That stuff will stick around until May.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Directions.

gunmetal ice - monica lacey 2013

nourishment

quiche me - monica lacey 2013

Nourishment for me today meant doing lots of yoga, putting in some time on my current painting, having quality time with my sweetheart and by myself, and this tasty supper we made together.  Today was actually the first time I've photographed food.  It's amazing how awful you can make it look, playing with different lighting & effects - you can make it look so gross!  I had fun with it though, and then I ate it when the shoot was finished, yum :-)  Arranging the setting had me thinking of the amazing credits at the beginning of Napoleon Dynamite, remember those?  The delicious sprouts you see there are from my amazing farmer friend Soleil (she's both an amazing farmer and an amazing friend).  If you're in PEI you can get those sprouts at the Riverview Market.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Ice.  No shortage of that where I am...

shelter

my neighbour's house - monica lacey 2013

This is a shot of the adorable playhouse my neighbours built last summer for their kids.  I think it's such a lovely little house!  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Nourishment.

passages

the old wall - monica lacey 2013

Well, I have a bit of a confession to make.  I did three different shoots today and wasn't happy with any of them.  I was feeling pretty frustrated when I realized I had a shot from this past fall, taken in Sardegna, that I really wanted to use, and that fit my vision for this theme.  So I used an older photo.  Not proud of it, but I did still shoot today, multiple times.  You gotta do what you gotta do.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Shelter.

contrast of scale

father & son - monica lacey 2013

People generally like comparing and contrasting things.  We do it all the time with ourselves, though it can be poison for one's self-esteem.  Contrast of scale is one that I find endlessly pleasing, like when you buy those novelty tiny books & put them on your shelf next to normal books.  So cute :)  Or mini horses next to normal horses?  The best.  Anyway, see Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Passages.

emptyness

in her grandmother's handmade dress - monica lacey 2013

The theme for the photo-a-day project today brings to mind an immediate stillness for me - something a bit sad, a bit nostalgic, but peaceful also.  A sense of solitude.  Vastness.  Like a open snow-covered field.  An empty suitcase in an abandoned house.  An absence of things that once were.  It's meaningful to me, so I spent a little extra time today working on it.  The title of this photo is actually true - the dress I'm wearing was indeed my grandmother's dress that she made herself by hand.  Genetics being what they are, I'm exactly her size.  The antique film textures are from the always amazing Lost and Taken.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Contrast of Scale.

horizontal lines

steamer trunk - monica lacey 2013

This is an old trunk I found on the side of the road one summer.  I adore it, and store my printmaking & papermaking supplies in it.  I shot in my studio today because it is bitterly cold, and also a dear friend's band is in town, so my evening is booked for their show.  I wanted to share a really great post by Brooke Shaden, one of my favorite photographers, that is meant for beginning photographers, but applies to anyone in a creative field.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow we do Emptyness, a perfect subject for the dead of winter!

target practice

target practice - monica lacey 2013

I'm clearly on a bit of 'gambling cowboy in sepia + grain + dust' train the past couple of days.  Again, thanks to Alien Skin for their amazing & fully customizable Photoshop filters.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow the theme is Horizontal Lines.  

beating the odds

When my photog friend Juliana & I came up with the idea for this photo-a-day project, we took 10 minutes and quickly came up with a theme, or prompt for each day.  Today was one of the themes I came up with, and even though it was my idea, it was by far the most challenging day yet.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow we do Target Practice.

the hand you're dealt - monica lacey 2013

an honest smile

sally ann - monica lacey 2013

Now we're starting to get into the more conceptual themes :-)  I took this shot at the Salvation Army today - the picture of this little girl just caught my heart, especially since it's not for sale and marked 'display only.'  See Juliana's shot here.  Tomorrow the theme is Beating The Odds.

comfort

home is when I'm with you - monica lacey 2013

A friend told me the other day that we need 4 hugs per day just to survive.  12 to really thrive.  So thinking of comfort, go out & hug someone - we all need it.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow the theme is An Honest Smile.

self-portrait

Self-portraits are not an easy thing.  Here are just a few reasons why:

1.  People often have a hard time celebrating themselves.  I'm no exception.  At the bootcamp class I go to, the instructor will often ask, "who is proud of themselves today?" and you've never heard such a lackluster whoo-hoo.  But when he asks, "who is proud of their group?" the crowd goes wild.
2.  One of the reasons I became a photographer is that I prefer to be on the other side of the lens.
3.  Modelling is much more challenging than you might think.  You're all like "I'm making my cool face" and instead, on camera, it looks like you've had a stroke.

self-portrait, January - monica lacey 2013

I did some indoor shots, and was happy with this one, actually taken by accident with my remote while I was changing the set-up/fixing my hair.

Then I thought I'd go play in the snow & sunshine and got this shot - it's been composited with some textures from old books.

self-portrait in snow - monica lacey 2013

See Juliana's self-portrait here.  Tomorrow the theme is Comfort.

patterns

When I think of patterns, I can't help but think metaphorically, especially when my Free Will Astrology horoscope this week reads:

Gemini: You now have the power to discern previously unfathomable patterns in a puzzling mystery you've been monitoring. You also have the ability to correctly surmise the covert agendas of allies and adversaries alike. Maybe best of all, you can discover certain secrets you've been concealing from yourself. 

I went ahead and photographed some vintage patterned fabrics I got from my mother, which I suppose you could read metaphors into as well...the simple subject matter gave me a chance to play with some Photoshop filters I've been wanting to try out.

my mother's fabrics - monica lacey 2013

See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow we do self-portraits!  I don't think I'll get near this elaborate, but here is one of my self-portrait - and general photography - gurus.

reflections

show the broken - monica lacey 2013

Today I wanted to use this amazing antique mirror I found at a yard sale, and was looking for something neat to reflect in it.  Of course I immediately remembered the amazing antique prosthetic leg my friend Dusty gave me.  An obvious choice :)  

johnnycat - monica lacey 2013

My cat Johnny wanted to use the mirror to work on his grooming and wasn't too pleased when I shooed him out of the way.  See Juliana's shot here.  Tomorrow is Patterns.

glitter

all that... - monica lacey 2013

Glitter.  Let's just say we have a rule in our house that it is not allowed indoors.  If you send us a card with glitter on it, it will go into the recycling as soon as we read it.  My husband has a mild phobia of it, and I'm no fan either.  Tiny synthetic particulate matter in the air? Yikes.  So for today's shot, I had to go to Michael's today anyhow, and asked the manager if it was alright if I shot in there, seeing as he had ample subject matter for my theme.  He sighed, "yes, that's true.  We do have plenty of glitter." Anyhow, here's what I came up with after trying a few shots of the glitter-coated paper (shudder).  

No offense to you if glitter is totally your thing - rock your glitter, just not in my house :) See Juliana's shot here.  Tomorrow is Reflections.

bicycle

remembering summer riding - monica lacey 2013

Today's subject matter presented a challenge for me because, as hardcore as Maritimers can be, you don't see too many of us out on a bicycle in January - we leave that to folks in Winnipeg.  My own bike is tucked away in the shed for winter, so this was a creative solution:  my version of a winter bike ride in the grass :)  I borrowed my cat's cat grass, and a print off my wall.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow, we shoot Glitter!

people/person

snow shovelling - monica lacey 2013

I happened to be in the company of a lot of people today so I had some great subjects to choose from.  This little guy shovelling was my favorite though, he was so diligent and focused.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow the theme is Bicycle(s), which will definitely be easier for her shooting in Victoria, BC, than for me in PEI.  I'll see what I can do :)

landscape(s)

historic victoria park - monica lacey 2013

i saw sunflowers in your yard - monica lacey 2013

Despite the cold (and again, numb fingers) today, I found myself really enjoying my shoot.  Even more than I love actually shooting landscapes, I love looking at them through the camera, distilling them into sections, small compositions, and taking the time to notice every detail.  I love observing the changes in the light and shadow, the way the wind and time shift things.  I've been itching to make a new composite for a while, so the top image is a digital composite in Photoshop with some vintage wallpaper and film texture/effects from Alien Skin.  The bottom one is a straight digital photo with colour treatment done in Lightroom.  Tomorrow, Person(s).  See Juliana's photo here.

macro

collection #9: luck - monica lacey 2013 

Today's theme was a real challenge for me - I've never really gotten into macro photography, and don't have a macro lens.  I'm always up for a challenge though, so I tried this technique, which did not work for me at all, and resulted in me dropping one of my lenses (it's okay, but it scared me out of continuing to try the technique).  So I decided to do my best macro facsimile with the equipment I have and at least do a close-up of some very small items.  You could say it's semi-macro I guess :)  See Juliana's shot here.  Tomorrow, Landscape, one of my favorite subjects - and it'll be an outdoor shoot!

flowers

sleeping beauty - monica lacey 2013

For today's theme, I decided to use this amazing artifact - a rose sealed in a handmade glass/mirror box - that I found at Value Village of all places.  Sometimes before I walk in there, or other second-hand stores, I make a wish to find something incredible.  That's how I found this objet, and I've had it on my worktable ever since, as inspiration, but also as a reminder to let beauty run its course, and not to hold to things too tightly; a dead rose preserved in a box is still dead.  Tomorrow, Macro, and since I don't have a macro lens, I'll be doing some studying to get ready to 'jimmy something up,' as they say.  See Juliana's photo here.

numbers

the measure - monica lacey 2013

This is a photo of an antique photo easel that was gifted to me (following my begging to have it) by my photography instructor.  I just adore it, and thought it an appropriate subject for today's theme.  Hopefully it warms up a bit this week so I can shoot outside again!  For tomorrow, Flowers, I may have to shoot dead ones :)  See Juliana's shot here.

shapes

shapes - monica lacey 2013

Today's assignment was a fun one since I just happened to have a few actual shapes lying around :)  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow is Numbers.

lens flare

sunday, winter sun - monica lacey 2013

Well, for today's shot I thought I'd get outside and shoot, and I did get a few shots in before my fingers went numb.  As it happened, the image I liked best from the afternoon was taken from inside my van while I was trying to thaw my hands.  Lens flare is another one of those mistakes-turned-cool-technique things in photography.  It's really interesting how previously unwanted artifacts, which would once have been a sign of poor technique, are now things that we intentionally place in our photos, using apps for this exact purpose.  How times change.  Anyhow, see Juliana's shot for today here.  Tomorrow's theme is Shapes.

backlight

the waiting - monica lacey 2013

For today's theme of backlight, I was really hoping to get outside with a model right around sunset to shoot with the sun as backlight, for some of that lovely golden-edged effect.  However, the day just didn't go like that, so I had to work indoors - a good challenge for me as I rarely shoot with a lighting set-up, usually using natural light instead.  All practice is good practice, and thankfully I have a photogenic/willing model/husband to save me from only ever shooting still lives :) 

See Juliana's shot here.

contrast

the skin & the skeleton - monica lacey 2013

Photo-a-day, Day 4!  I hadn't realized how much I missed having assignments, like when I was in school.  I love having a set task with some guidelines and more than anything, a tight deadline.  See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow, the theme is Backlight.

soft focus

focusing, 1, 2... - mrll 2013

aftershowers - mrll 2013

While technically speaking, soft focus is actually a lens flaw, I've chosen to interpret it a bit loosely for Day 3 of this project.  I couldn't quite choose, so this will be one of the rare days I post two :)
See Juliana's photo here.  Tomorrow, we tackle Contrast.

the colour blue

the colour blue - mrll 2013

Day 2 of our photo-a-day project!  It feels great to be picking up my camera every morning - sometimes we just need a little motivation from a friend.  Check out my collaborator's shot here.  Tomorrow's theme is Soft Focus, if you want to follow along!

new year's day

new year's day - mrll 2013

The first installment of my photo-a-day project!  In collaboration with Juliana Wigmore - her photo is here.  The theme for tomorrow is The Colour Blue.  Happy New Year!