A New Direction for Snap Maven!

Hello there!

I tend to be in the background here at Snap Maven these days, 

but I wanted to jump forward for just a minute to tell you all about 

some exciting things that are coming up.

This week will mark two firsts for Snap Maven

 One is that we will be offering our first ever e-book for sale on the blog.

 Hopefully it will be the first of many.

Wanna see a sneak peek?

Here's another one...

Last one...

This e-book is the equivalent to a whirlwind tour of Europe. 

 I couldn't visit everywhere, but I made sure not to miss the good stuff!

Composition, light, color,  storytelling, critique, tribe building and goal setting,

all covered in 175 pages.

...and quotes, don't forget the quotes! 

It will be available November 18th, 2016 for download.

$25.00

Wait, you say, weren't there two things?

Yes, yes, there are!

 There will be an opportunity for you to win this E-book.

(along with a TON of other great stuff!)

This will the very first giveaway Snap Maven has ever participated in.

IT'S SO EXCITING!!!!

Look for more info on the giveaway very soon.

I lied before... here's one more little look inside my E-book! 

Love and Blessings,

Julie

This Week's Judge: Julie Moses!

I have referred to it as "DaVinci Disease".

The seeming inability to keep my attention focused  long enough to a particular interest or activity long enough to either complete it or to progress to an advanced level of mastery in said interest.

DaVinci had a well known reputation for starting projects and then abandoning them out of boredom or in pursuit of a new interest. Compared to what he did complete, he most likely left hundreds or even thousands of projects by the wayside. Still, in the process he acquired varied

 and numerous skill sets that very few of his peers possessed

 in their dogged determination to master a much narrower filed of study.

This being said,  my self-diagnosed ADD has led to tons of fabulous ideas for projects, 

but not many completed ones. I have also acquired many skills in very different and seemingly unrelated areas. What is really surprising though is how those skills really end up being related.

In my current position in children's ministry, I use almost every single one of those varied skills from writing, drawing, photography, event planning, social media, to sweeping a floor.

Today I wanted to share with you not a project,

 but a class I recently had the opportunity to participate in.

 I was beyond thrilled as this was the first actual photography class I ever got to take.

I knew that regardless of the subject, there would be something I could learn from it, 

some new skill to add to my quiver. 

Ready to shoot from my bow if it should ever come in handy.

Up until this time all my education was self-directed. 

Youtube, books, CreativeLive, and lots 

and lots of trial and error through practice 

were my only teachers.

There is a lot to be said for self-directed learning.

There is also a lot to be said for facilitated learning under the lead 

of an amazingly talented individual with a gift for teaching and motivation.

I found both of those attributes in Lucy Baber.

I was beyond blessed to get to participate in the last run of her class

at In Beauty in Chaos called

Creative Insight.

It is an intensive four week class. You will not be learning much in the way

of technical photography skills so it's more of an intermediate skill level class.

What you will learn though is a lot about yourself and why you make the 

artistic choices you do as well as how to deliberately make those choices to reflect

who you are as an artist and the message you want your viewers to see.  

This is a class that will really be all about you and what you bring to it.

Because of that, I will share quite a bit of the interaction between 

Lucy and myself. These interactions by no means will look like 

what you might have in the class

because what you bring to the table will be different.

This was my final assignment from the first week.

My explanation:

"This image serves double duty image as it is both part of the mindful eating exercise and an illustration of one of the ten truths about myself. I tend to be cool as a cucumber in a crisis. I also love the fresh smell of cucumber and how moist and refreshing it is. Almost like water with a bit of a crunch. I had a few possible images to choose between for the final. I ended up choosing this one as it was the biggest stretch of myself as a photographer. This is outside my comfort zone. I almost always have people in my shots, so photographing food and trying to create a story/connection with it was challenging for me."

Lucy's Response:

"Julie, this shot is so interesting to me, as the repetition of the strong circular shapes is so striking. It's also interesting to me that even though you describe yourself as "cool" as a cucumber...several of these cucumbers are actually sitting under a very warm-toned light source. I realize that was probably unintentional, but I want you to just sit with this feedback for a second to see if it resonates...

To me, it almost appears to be an army of cucumbers sitting on this plate. And they don't actually appear quite so cool and refreshing to me...they actually seem a bit "in your face" about their presence. Do you see it? The strong repetition, the fact that I can actually kind of make out tiny scowling cucumber seed faces, along with the warm light above them...actually make me feel a teensy bit defensive. I wonder if maybe your "cool as a cucumber" reaction actually has even more of a "crunch" to it than you realize? This is all completely speculation, of course, based on the image alone since we don't know each other very well. But does any of that ring true for you? If so, how do you connect to those statements? Is your reaction of keeping your cool in teh midst of crisis perhaps a protective mechanism you've had to develop over the years? To me, it's almost like they are lined up like the links in a suit of armor...

What do you think??"

....

Immediately, you see this class is different. Lucy's exercises and her responses are truly representative of the course title- Creatively Insightful.

The second week just got more intense.

My final assignment from the second week. 

My explanation;

"Let me attempt to explain the image and my thinking and intentions behind it. So often I feel like I am on the outside. A child all alone. It is not necessarily an uncomfortable place to be, as there is excitement in independence, but I wonder what is inside that I am being locked out of. It's a tiring duality of thinking hence the use of this pose and the use of in-camera double exposure. I chose to process in color because I think the yellow color of the house helps symbolize the idea that what is contained in it is either happy and bright, or something to be feared. the use of the hand to both cover and reveal the face was inspired by a self portrait by Lynzi Berg, and this is more of a self-portrait than a portrait of my daughter as I project my inner self and insecurities on to her, unintentionally. She simultaneously covers and reveals her face, never really showing her true identity or everything inside of her for fear of being misunderstood or worse face apathy and be ignored but unable to completely quell her voice and who she really is at the same time. The bright color of her shirt is another juxtaposition of meanings as wearing orange can mean you are bold and seeking of adventure, yet it is also a color of isolation, being my least "favorite" color in the spectrum. She is surrounded by darkness and fear of the unknown clinging closely to the door yet afraid to either go inside or to venture into the unknown of the darkness."

Lucy's Response:

"Julie, this is a phenomenal image. I have been thinking about it since you posted and there is just so much depth to it, I'm not sure I can even do it justice! The contrast of colors is what strikes me first. It's so interesting to me how you mentioned the pop of yellow being either "happy or something to be feared". It is a very strong color, so I do get that sense of tension you mentioned. It's almost like an artificial color...so bright it hurts to look at. As a whole, this is an uncomfortable image to look at with the double exposure. I think that's a good thing though, because that helps to give it the meaning you intended. Her posture with the double exposure is so striking...without regard for the stories you've shared, if I were to see this without any other background, I might assume this child has been hit and is being locked out of the house as a punishment.  

Does that resonate with you? Do you think you have been punished? If so, who is punishing you? Who has locked you out? I'm also curious to know...what do you think you would *really* find on the other side of that door if someone DID let you in? Alternately, what happens in the morning when the sun rises on this little girl who has been locked outside all night?"

...

I know, right? Just when I though I was going so deep. She challenged me to go deeper.

My assignment from week 3

My explanation:

As I often do, I decided to combine several elements of things that I have been pondering and struggling with this week. I would like to say that I was in complete creative control of this image, but in fact my daughter just happened to be playing with the plastic bag in the tub and started doing this thing holding it over her face. At first I thought it was just just silly and would make a fun image for my 365 project. Almost immediately though I recognized it as being metaphorical for my experiences this week and edited it to represent that. 
The compositional crop is the golden spiral. It represents my dreams in that it it is often my anxiety and worries spiraling out of control that will either prevent my dreams or influence them so that sleep is not something that helps to restore me but 

add to the tension and anxiety I am already feeling. 
The viewer looks through the water bag to see a smiling happy face, but one that is also distorted though magnified at the same time. Being "under water" also symbolizes the idea of being suffocated but just as in dream suffocation is merely a perception and not a reality, so it is with the bag which does not actually interfere with breathing and can be removed at any time.. The texture, color, airy processing are meant to add even more a dreamlike ethereal quality. Because I dream in color I did not convert the image to black and white. It is dream and nightmare at the same time as most of my dreams tend to be. It is silly and scary all at the same time.

Lucy's Response:

"I love what you did here. You are doing such a fantastic job of acknowledging feelings and learning to embrace them in your images rather than cover them up. You are really digging deep and just sitting with the tension, which I think is fantastic. Very mindful. 

I also noticed that the eyes are covered in both your week 2 and week 3 images. Any underlying symbolism there? Is there something in your own life that you are afraid to "see"?"

...

Holy crap! I didn't even see (pun intended) the eye thing! Seriously it was like talking to a fortune teller. (Not that I ever have or would or believe in that sort of thing at all. )

So by the time week four came around, I was really reexamining a lot of things about myself and what I want to do and where I want to go as an artist. So week four ended up being the hardest week for me. In true DaVinci style, I didn't complete the final project. Or at least I haven't yet.

And in true great teacher style, Lucy is patiently waiting and supporting me until I do. 

I did finish the first part of the final assignment though, so here it is.

My explanation:

When I first read the assignment, I immediately had an idea 

that had to do with being tied up and gagged. The thing is that no one really gags me but myself. 
Though in today's world that has a myriad of platform for self-expression and free speech, 

we are more and more afraid of being who we really are and saying what we really 
want to say for fear of backlash and consequences. 

We are always offending someone somewhere.

 It can create an uncomfortable distorted sense of self that is 
so stretched that it is nearly unrecognizable and cartoonish though still hyper-realistic. 

The mirror of culture threatens to suck me in entirely.

 In this image I am also paying homage to classical art 
from the Renaissance daVinci to the surrealism of Dali. 

The image is heavily processed though minimally retouched and I am 

not wearing any makeup and this is my "I woke up like this" hair. 

The composition and crop is also based on the Golden Spiral which you can also see applied to the Mona Lisa.

Lucy's response:

JULIE! WOW!!! So well executed!! I love reading your thoughts and intentions in each of your images, and this is no exception! I absolutely LOVE that you pushed yourself creatively to create a piece of art that is so very unique. daVinci meets Dali???? Insanely creative! I am SO looking forward to seeing your "after" image so that we can dive into what each of these means to you moving forward. SO proud of you!!!!!! <3

...

So if you are ready to dig deep, and then dig even deeper. I highly recommend this class.

It just so happens, that registration is open right now to 

In Beauty and Chaos Forum Members.

For those not who are not forum members yet, you can get more info 

about when you can sign up for this class as well as other workshops Lucy offers here.

IN BEAUTY AND CHAOS | CREATIVE INSIGHT WITH LUCY BABER

Julie Moses is an art teacher slash homeschool mom turned lifestyle photographer. 

She is also one of the founding Mavenistas at Snap Maven. She has four children 

ranging in age from 21 down to 4, so she knows a thing or two about 

the importance of capturing and documenting fleeting moments. 

Her five year old may in fact be the most photographed child on the planet. 

She also lives with her musician husband in the arid SoCal desert where

 he is daddy to their brood and witness to her unique caffeine fueled

 brand of klutziness known as “style and grace.”

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | BLOG |  INSTAGRAM

Musings with a Mavenista on the artistic element of {shape} Part One.

                         

                I have always been fascinated by the way people perceive things.

 I have always wondered if that person over there
 has the same image transmitted to their brain as I do to mine.

 If not, how is their image different?

Before I break your brain over the contemplation of that mind bender,

let me just say that though our perceptions most definitely do differ somewhat-

anyone who's had a miscommunication with someone else knows that is true-

there are also similarities in perception that are inherent through generations and cultures.

This is one reason that when you visit a foreign country 

you will see symbols and shapes alongside text on signs.

There are shapes and symbols that induce similar perceptions in all people,

and if you know that, you can harness that power into 

a very powerful skill to use in your images.

Let's start with the basic geometric shapes shall we?

Circle, Square, Triangle.

It is surprising how even very young children will recognize and differentiate those shapes.

Through the generations of humanity, they have come to symbolize certain things.




....................................

Circle

Circles evoke:

Unity, wholeness, infinity, the number one, without beginning or end,

life, motion, female, potential, cosmos, the meeting of two polar opposites.

There is also a distinction between what is inside the circle as opposed to what is outside.

What is inside could be protected and safe or restricted and confined.

What is outside could be unsafe or alienated.

..........................

Square

Squares evoke:

The number 4, material things, physical elements, directions,

solidness, volume,  a container,  earth , security,

order, masculinity. 

www.jujujems.com

............................

Triangles

I saved triangles for last, because they are not only a symbolic shape, 

but a compositional tool.

 Good compositions are built with triangles and you will see them

everywhere when you start looking!

Triangles evoke:

The number 3, creation, manifestation, deity, illumination,

and more...

Triangle symbolism can also change depending on the direction of the point.

An upward pointed triangle evokes:

stability, male energy, the elements of fire and air, 

and ascension into the spiritual world.

A downward pointed triangle evokes:

female energy, the elements of water, and earth,

and descent into the physical world. 

I find it REALLY interesting that the Star of David

(or a hexagram)

 is combination of these two

symbols.

www.jujujems.com

Do you see the three triangles represented here? 

Or the triangles here?

.......................

Time for my disclaimer...

These shapes may mean something drastically different to you.

You may have never once even thought about it really.

It is very interesting to think about who has though,

 and perhaps

 try to derive a greater meaning 

from works that seem trivial or boring at first glance.

Perhaps there is a greater story being told,

or maybe there is a deeper reason why you feel such 

connection or revulsion towards an image.

Knowledge truly is power!

So with this powerful knowledge, 

I challenge you this week 

to 

create story telling images

 based on these basic shapes and their symbolism. 

Love and feathers,

Julie

Monday Musings (on a Thursday) with a Mavenista~ Thoughts on Responsible Perception

I had every intention of writing about something different today, 

but then I saw something that stuck in my craw. 

Then I saw something that disturbed me.

 Finally I learned something from a friend 

that I would never have known 

without a little guidance from the urban dictionary. 

Amazingly they are all related,

 though as I tell you about them separately 

you may wonder how in the world they possibly could be,

 but they are, 

and it was all too much for me 

not to use this platform to make a commentary about it.

First thing this morning, my Facebook feed

 told me about a viral video that had been shared on a friend's timeline. 

I am curious and the wonderful anonymity 

that Facebook allows me 

lets my stalker tendencies run amok. 

 This is the video...

So aside from the very obvious lack of vocal talent present in the video, 

and the overall seemingly positive message,

I find one of the lyrics questionable.  

I have both daughters and sons so these words gave me pause.

" If you only knew what I could see, 

You'd understand why I need your modesty."

Wait a second. Are they saying what I think they saying?

Have they just made what they think of me my responsibility?

That is two steps shy of saying that a girl was asking for it based on what she was wearing.

Guess what guys, (and girls)

 last time I checked, 

you are responsible for your own thought life- not me.

That is not to say

 that I didn't encourage my older daughter 

to wear appropriately modest attire

 that was suited to whatever event or environment she might be in. 

I certainly preferred her to be covered 

and more importantly comfortable, 

which modest attire tends to be, 

more so than things that are short, tight, or revealing. 

Guess what though, 

the concept of modesty is very cultural. 

What we consider extremely modest in this country 

could be considered indecent

 by some cultural standards in the world today.

So is it always the girl's responsibility 

to never go out

 unless covered head to toe, 

lest some poor unsuspecting young man 

be tempted into impure thoughts

or

do we teach our sons

and daughters

that their perceptions are their own responsibility

and that those thoughts are controllable for most of us.

Of course, media 

would love to help teach us 

what perceptions 

we should be having 

and therein 

is where the problem mostly lies. 

Despite generations of messages 

teaching us about gender equality 

and female empowerment,

the messages were always mixed,  and still are,

telling us that in order to please our male counterparts

and other women as well, 

we would have to be sexy but modest, 

smart but subservient,

thin but healthy, 

and a whole slew of other 

often contradictory 

ideals.

It's enough to make a girl go insane, 

and a guy too 

since he most likely

has no idea 

what he's really supposed to think

 about a girl 

or how to treat her

 after all the years

of media brain washing.

Interlude:

 this is not an essay on the merits of feminism, 

just an observation 

on how skewed 

the world  has really become.

This leads me to the second thing I saw on Facebook today 

that disturbed me so much I was shaking and crying.

It was a video of men with machine guns 

systematically killing other defenseless men 

who had been tied up and placed face down in the dirt side by side.  

It was not a simulation,

 it was real documentary footage and it was horrifying, 

and it was on Facebook for any and all to see. 

That video I will not link. 

I wish I hadn't seen what I did see 

and I didn't watch all of it.

BUT

it took years for Facebook and Instagram 

to allow perfectly innocent images 

of women breastfeeding their babies

 to be in the feed without removal. 

You can literally show

 a video of people being shot in the head, 

but God forbid 

we see the nipple of a nursing mom 

or a three year old little girl in the bathtub- 

of course

 if the girl looks closer to 16

 and is wearing pasties 

then it is a-ok! 

The final thing that caused a blip in my radar today 

was a euphemism from the urban dictionary 

that I did not know existed before today. 

My friend did not know before today either

 which is why she shared about it. 

She did not define it, 

but instead let us go look it up

 for ourselves at our own discretion.

 Enlightening. 

I will be just as classy and only link it for you. 

Suffice it to say

 that it references things 

a person is supposedly 

willing to do,

 or asking for 

if they are wearing a particular item of clothing- 

what some would consider 

modest clothing, 

mind you.

"If you knew what, I could see, you would know why I need your modesty"

 or should it be

"Your perception of me, is once again my responsibility" 

Even though your perception and information may be in fact seriously flawed?

So what's my point? Do I even have one, you may be asking.

I do have a point and it is this...

This is a very mixed up world and time in history.

It's also an exciting and wonderful time in history 

because even the least of us

can make observations and find incongruities in this world,

and then find a voice 

and a platform 

to begin a conversation.

A conversation

 that more and more people 

will be able to hear 

and join in on 

because of the remarkable time in history we live in.

Of course, there are those who want to join the conversation 

not with the aim to discuss, 

but ultimately to persuade, dominate, and control.

Don't let them.

Don't let their perceptions

 be your responsibility- 

get them to think! 

Keep observing,

 keep conversing,

 keep finding new platforms.

As photographers and artists, 

we have a wonderfully unique position

 to do just that,

and our images 

can be worth 

so much

 more 

than just

a thousand words.

If this post got you to thinking and

if you happen to be in the L.A. area this weekend, 

you might want to check out this show 

before it closes- which is this weekend. 

Why do we censor some things and not others?

"What We Censor, What We Don't"

Love and Blessings.

Julie

Monday Musings with a Mavenista- More about lines...

So in today's post I had originally wanted to speak about the second art element of shape.

However in my research, I came across some really cool stuff

 I wanted to share with you all about

line.

Yes, I know, I already wrote about line. 

But seriously, this is cool stuff, I promise.

Line actually has psychology to it.

Not surprising really, since it is the basis upon which so many of the elements and

principles of design (more on those later) are based.

Line is essentially the "Id" of art.

The "Id" is what Sigmund Freud referred 

to as the part of our brain now known as the Pons.

The Pons is the most basic part of our brain, responsible for the basics of life 

that we no longer have to consciously think about.

Breathing, heartbeat, sweating, and a whole host 

of other functions we do not consciously control.

It is also known as the "reptilian" brain.

A ancestor to the more evolved midbrain and frontal cortex.

The thing is though, without the pons, the midbrain and cortex 

would be so busy managing all the stuff 

that we aren''t supposed to think about,

that we couldn't think about anything else.

Literally.

So it is that just as the pons is not as fancy as the other parts of the brain,

it's functions are so vital and complex that the higher functions could not exist without it 

and are thereby greatly influenced by it as well.

The pons is where the "fight to flight" response is located.

It can be the only thing that keeps us alive.

So what does this have to do with line, psychology and why I'm not talking about shape yet?

Well, the perception of different types of lines is hard wired into our brains.

By knowing we react a certain way to a type of line,

 it allows you as an artist to create a certain perception, 

or tell a certain story.

Not by chance, 

but by design.

I think that's a pretty cool reason to study it before we move on to shape.

Vertical lines represent strength, masculinity, power, aggression, 

courage, brutality, domination and menace.

Horizontal lines represent tranquility, femininity, calm, weakness,

peace, composure, silence, stillness, and safety.

Soft curves show rhythm, movement, happiness, pleasure, generosity, 

and again, femininity.

Angles and bent lines show energy, liveliness, youth, explosiveness, violence, 

anger, speed, and dynamic movement.

Let's see what kind of stories you can tell with lines this week! 

By the way, next week we really will begin exploring shapes.

I promise. 

Monday Musings with a Mavenista- A bit of random philosophy and a photography challenge.

An artist needs an environment of both freedom and containment in order to thrive.

Just as a child's imagination is set free best in the confinement of boredom. 

The best childhood games one remembers tend to have been created on lazy summer days when grown ups were either too busy, too tired, or perhaps too smart, to constantly entertain or assign tasks.

True artistic creativity is born within similar limits and constraints.

 Ingenuity develops in an attempt to circumvent the inflexible, boring, and predictable. 

 To break the rules, though not really, but merely bending them to one's liking.

Absolute freedom does not breed true creativity-
 it only breeds chaos with no direction or imperatives.
A revolution with no cause is an environment ripe with fear and confusion.

We all know the paralysis of indecision that comes from staring at a blank page or canvas.

If, however, there is a set of rules, a plan in place, it gives an artist a place to begin their journey. 

Set not a destination, but set out on the adventure to be had in between the guidelines of the pathway.

Doing not only the best with what we've got or been given,

 but in fact doing something amazing, 

period. 

That's where Snap Maven comes in. 

Confines needn't be extensive. Rules needn't require volumes to explain.

 Sometimes all you need is a nudge in a particular direction or another. 

So we at Snap Maven suggest places to explore. 

Sometimes we even suggest how or when,

 but we leave it totally up to you to produce "AMAZING."

Each week we are not dissapointed.

Since the beginning we have offered weekly theme prompts. 

Then we added Experiments and Weekly Favorites.

 In retrospect, "Experiments and Weekly Favorites" may have been 

too broad a playground to start our journey in. 

From now on, each week, on Mondays, 

I will challenge you to frame your experiments and weekly favorites 

around a specific visual design rule.

I will also probably wax poetic on random artistic philosophy. 

You can accept this challenge, or you can keep submitting whatever you like for these themes.

This challenge here is simply to act as a nudge to push you in the direction of a journey.

I can't wait to see the 

"AMAZING"

that results. 

My first challenge to you is based on your use of

"Line"

Line can be used in so many ways. They are literally everywhere. 

A line is simply a point that has gone for a walk.

That journey can be a straight one or curvy one, 

but if it completes a trip back to it's starting point, 

it's status as a line ceases and it must adopt a new status as a shape. 

Be careful to look for lines, as opposed to shapes. 

Lines lead us somewhere. Shapes contain us.

Lines help create perspective. 

In the above image the lines of the freezer cases lead you 

directly to the middle of the frame and to my daughter's face. 

These lines also create boxes and triangles which create the illusion of space and depth, 

but also keep the subject confined in that space. 

There are also lines created by the reflected colors on the glass doors and the shelves.

These lines all lead to a vanishing point somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.

Lines can convey motion. 

These lines literally spin my daughter around the space in this image.

Lines can be implied.
You cannot see the air here, but you know it has travelled in a forward path to blow her hair,
thus creating a line that begins on the left of the frame
leading your eye through the frame to the right edge.

Lines can be used to create composition. This line of the hose leads you to meet her foot very close to a point on the rule of thirds grid. It also frames the subject away from the negative space on the left.

A fun exercise to try  is to print out some of your images in low quality on your printer. 

Look for the lines in the images.

Use a red pencil, pen, marker, etc. to trace over the lines as I have done in the above images.

You may start to recognize the times you have used lines unconsciously.

Now do the same thing with other photographers images that you admire, 

 or use images from magazines.

Very soon, after training yourself to consciously SEE the lines, 

you will begin to incorporate

them unconsciously in your images. 

I have one more challenge for you. Line is one of the 7 key elements of art.

What that means is that there are a lot of tutorials about how to use it.
The idea has been used as a theme prompt ad nauseum. 

My challenge to you, is to FIND a way to make it different.

UNIQUE,

NEW,

INNOVATIVE!

I am also a student in this journey. I would love to be taught new things along the way.

Where I miss things or don't cover them, feel free to call me out on it

Show me the angles I neglected and why and how they should be used.

Let's all journey along together shall we? 

Love and Feathers,
Julie