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Monday, March 31, 2014

{Pattern} Mavenista Style

 This week we present to you our images
for the theme
"pattern"










Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry. (Richard Feynman)





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“From where we stand the rain seems random. If we could stand somewhere else, we would see the order in it.” 
― Tony Hillerman, Coyote Waits 

I am quite fascinated by patterns. They are truly everywhere when you stop to look, listen, or feel. They can be distinguished by all five of our senses and maybe even those senses we don't categorize as "senses" too. 
Of course, we needn't be slaves to the patterns. I believe they exist for the sole purpose that we may notice them in order first to appreciate them, and then to break them if deemed necessary. ~Julie




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"Shadows we loved and the patterns they covered the ground with
Tapestries, mystical, faint in the breathless air.” 
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise





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Pattern: This is what I feel my thoughts look like inside my head.





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'Each child is an adventure into a better life - an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.'

Hubert H. Humphrey 
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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Meet This Week's Judge: Suzie Ziemke


Have you seen the beautiful work of Suzie Ziemke Photography? If you haven't you should, and you should read this; if you have, you should still read this! Suzie is our fabulous guest judge this week!




Tell us about yourself…

I am a wife, a mother of four, and an impassioned photographer living in southern Minnesota.  I love exploring and shooting all styles of photography.



What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?

My son was diagnosed with a large brain tumor (almost three years ago).  It was such a dark, and desperately scary time for my family.  By God's grace, the surgeons were able to remove his entire tumor, and thankfully, it has not returned.  Once that darkness (and fear) had finally started to lift, I realized how important photography really could be to our family, and I wanted to preserve our lives as best I possibly could.  A little over a year ago, I threw myself into reading, research, practice, editing, trial and error.  I continue to grow, and fall more deeply for this art every single day.

I am fueled now by beautiful light, beautiful landscapes, and beautifully precious, fleeting moments.



What's in your camera bag right now, what do you use the most? The least?

My camera bag is kind of small (and not at all cute, but it's functional for small outings), so I only have my Canon 5D Mark III, 35L, 24-70L, CF/SD cards, lip gloss, and a warm expodisc.  At the moment, I'm using my 24-70L lens the most…I just got it about a month ago, so I'm committed to using it for nearly all of my personal photos.  I am really happy with the Mark III's white balance capabilities, so I haven't used my expodisc in a long time, but it's there if I need it.



What's your dream project or shoot?  

Right now, I am in the planning phase for both boy and girl themed shoots.  I want to offer something unique to my clients this spring and summer, while still staying true to my simple aesthetic…think airy woodland princess, and earthy nature explorer.  But for the most part, I'm a simple girl.  Just give me pretty light and an interesting, open landscape, and I'm happy. :)



What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?

There are many more challenges than I ever thought there would be, but the biggest one seems to be having enough time for it all.  I am involved in several projects that I LOVE which have really helped me grow, I am always wanting to update my website and branding, there are workshops and assignments, editing, backing up and organizing files…the list really does go on, lol.



If you had $500 to spend on photography…

How should you spend it? I should really buy some more backdrops and props for my studio sessions, (or make my own).

How do you think you could spend it? By going to one of those amazing, life changing, in-person workshops.

How would you really spend it? Probably on the new Sigma 50mm that is coming out soon. :)



Is there any one thing that you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of you photography journey?

Switch over to manual now, shoot in RAW, and for goodness sake, don't over expose!  Ok, maybe that was just me, lol! ;)  No, but really, it's going to take time and lots of practice, but if you really want this…if you really want to be good at photography, don't give up, and don't self doubt - it's YOUR journey. <3





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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Maven Flyer Volume 4

Welcome to 
 The Maven Flyer
Vol. 4
For the week of March 25, 2014


Here we will offer suggestions for places for you to submit your images
for sharing and competition.
If you have or know of a sharing community or theme, please let us know
by emailing the name, link, and specifics to 
snapmaven.info @gmail.com

At this time you will need to visit each page to learn the specifics of the pages 
rules and deadlines for sharing images.

Happy Sharing Everyone!

Snap Maven ~ Pattern, Weekly Favorite, Experiments
AMPed Photoshop Actions ~ on hiatus indefintely
In Beauty & Chaos~Connection, Weekly Favorite
Evoking You~Motion, Weekly Favorite
The Dark Room~Shadows, Weekly Favorites
Spark~Rainbow
Giggles&Goldfish~Everyday Favorites
Picture Me Project~Include yourself in the image somehow!
We Were There Too~ Get in the photo with your kids!
Lemonade and Lenses~Weekly Favorite
Mozi Magazine~Weekly Favorite
Seniorologie~ Weekly Favorite(senior)
Photographer's Connection~Weekly Favorite
Photo Artistry~Weekly Favorite
Snap Junkies~ Black and White {timeless}
M4HP~vast
HAPPY Picture Contest~Windows or Doors
Reflections~outdoors
Photo Corner~ weekly favorite
In Your Own Light~Negative Space
Seek Emotion~Blue
That Other Photography Page~ Black and White
By The Light~ Open themed natural light images
Life's Experience p52~SOOC
 Fleeting Lights ~ Spring
The Monochromatic Lens~Weekly Favorite
My Beautifully Chaotic Lifestyle~ Beautifully Chaotic
Let the Kids Dress Themselves~ Water
SHOTMagazine~ open, one photo per day
Faradiddles~ People
The Organic PhotograpHERS~ Sweet
A Day in the Life~ Pink
Jujujems Art and Photo Studio~ Warm or Cool Colors

That concludes the links for this week!
If there is a link you'd like to see here, please let us know at
snapmaven.info@gmail.com
Please allow 2-3 weeks for addition to The Maven Flyer
Same goes for errors, though we hope to get those fixed right away.
Future issues of The Maven Flyer will be posted on Tuesday evenings.

You can't get featured if you don't submit!!


Go for it!
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Together




I picked the theme “together” because 
 I LOVE when I capture an image of my three little ones together. 
 I love to see their connection now, and the reminder of the future they will have together.  
And so I was naturally drawn to the images of siblings together, 
but the submissions made me realize  there were so many other examples of how humanity, 
and our connections and interactions bring us together.





I had a hard time deciding but here a few of my favorites:





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KRJ Photography LLC






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Lucy Baber Photography





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and the winner is....





As I look at this image, I see people standing alone, or small groups of people clustered together, 

there is space and distance between each, but they are all tied together in a common activity. 









Jennifer Vititoe


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Monday, March 24, 2014

{Together} Mavenista Style



This week we present to you our image interpretations
of the theme
"Together"






“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long.
 If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Phyllis



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"Like branches on a tree we grow in different directions yet our roots remain [together] as one. 
Each of our lives will always be a special part of the other."
Unknown 

Though there are many years between them, 
they are still special to one another-even when they aren't. ~Julie



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"We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together.
 And that was enough" 
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)


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"Together" Throughout our lives we develop friendships and bonds that might fade away with time,
but they will always have a place in our hearts.


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“But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
 Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.” - Kahlil Gibran

I hope that these two will have each other long after I am gone.
 I love that they are both independent (as independent as children can be) but have this special adoration for each other. 
Their lives will eventually take them on separate paths, but they will always be family, always together in their hearts.  - Jana


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together: they like to explore "ancient treasures" together...
like this mysterious case which contained some "dad history". -jenn


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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Meet This Week's Judge: Jennifer Vititioe

This week we have with us Jennifer Vititoe of Jennifer Vititoe Photography. She makes the everyday extraordinary! Read about her here:



1. Tell us about yourself...

Why is this one so hard?  I answered every other question first, then came back to this. 
I am a mom, a wife, a photographer, and engineer.  I love my three children and my husband.  I love photography, being an engineer pays the bills.  I read fantasy novel, I love ska and punk music. I love to read, and I am always looking for a new book to read.  I drink lots of coffee, and I LOVE chocolate chip cookies. 

I am quiet and shy, when you first meet me.  But once I get to know you, I become much more talkative.  I am a bit of dork, I love the technical side of photography just as much as the creative side. 



2. What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?

In college my husband and I traveled around the country as he played in paintball tournaments.  I loved taking action pictures of the team playing, and pictures of the cities and towns we visited.  I had dreams of becoming a documentary travel photographer.  And so when I graduated college my parents bought me a 35mm SLR.  But life got in the way, I had a “real” job, was planning a wedding, and eventually a family.  And so I never truly learned to use my film camera.

When my first daughter was born I sold the 35mm and bought a DSLR. I happily snapped away taking hundreds of pictures of her each month, oblivious as to whether or not they were any good.  They were pictures of my baby and they made me happy.  My dedication (perhaps my obsession) to truly learn and become a better photographer happened around the time I was pregnant with my second little girl.
I have always needed a creative outlet.  When I was younger it was drawing and painting, but with the birth of my children photographing their lives in an interesting way became my new art.



3. What's in your camera bag right now, what do use the most? the least?

·         Canon 6D
·         Canon EOS 3 (I have rediscovered my love of film)
·         135mmL F2.0 lens
·         35mmL F1.4 lens

The 6D and the two lenses get used pretty equally.  I love the 135mm for outdoor sessions.  Its long focal length and creamy bokeh are gorgeous in sunlit fields. Meanwhile my 35mm lives on my camera when I am at home or with my family.   This year I have committed to bringing my camera with me everywhere, and documenting more of our everyday moments both in our home and out and about.  So the 6D with the 35mm have been getting a lot of love lately. 

Sadly my film camera has been a bit neglected lately.  I think I may need to load a roll of film and change that.



4. What's your dream project or shoot?

I still want to be a travel photographer.  I want to travel Europe from the countryside to the major cities, and just take pictures of it all.



5. What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?

Believing in myself, believing that I can do this and I  am good at.



6.  If you had $500 to spend on photography...

How should you spend it?
On a new computer

How do you wish you could spend it?
On a 100mm macro lens.  I rented the lens for a week and fell in love.

How would you really spend it?
Buying a computer.



7. Is there any one thing you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of your photography journey?

This is a long never ending journey.  You will not become great overnight. There is no magic recipe, or secret class that will make you instantly better.  It takes hard work and dedication, and even when you have put everything you got into, there is always another step, and so it takes a little more.



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