Photo Bombed!

Bombed!

The other day I found myself driving around, working on some new ideas in new locations.  I drove past a wheat field on my way to a location and made a mental note to return on my way home.  There's nothing like finding yourself in the middle of photographing wind whipped wheat and being hit repeatedly in the face.  I can handle the sting of a wheat berry bombardment, but what do you do when the impertinent wheat stalk believes it should be the center of attention?  Make the photograph anyway.  That's what I did.

Of course, I happened to make several other non-photo bombed photographs I liked.  I just didn't like being flogged why trying to make them.

When You Least Expect It

I had an opportunity to get out and hike last night.  I had plans to start one of my new projects and possibly make a few new images in super color infrared.  As I hiked I managed to spook a sand hill crane.  It flew off in the direction I was planning to hike, so I decided to follow.  When I spotted it again, it rested near one of my favorite trees of this hiking area.  As I approached, the crane took flight.  I barely noticed, mainly due to the fact I was busy pulling the super color converted camera from my bag.  Something about the tree caught my eye.

Golden Song

Most of the photographs I have of this tree are during the dormant stage of its life; leafless branches reaching out toward the sky.  Last night when I hiked in, I stood for a moment and watched as the breeze made the leaves flit and flutter.  It looked as though the tree was conducting the clouds in a wispy symphony just for me.  I stayed for a few minutes taking it all in and making several frames.  

As I hiked away, I thought this was a great start to the night.  Unfortunately, the rest of the hike paled in comparison.  I hiked to a seldom visited section the Lake Michigan shoreline, only to rest for a moment gazing out into the rolling waves and lackluster sunset.  I decided the best had come and gone, but at least I had taken the time to enjoy the brief show. 

Hiking the nearly 2 miles back to the park entrance, I felt a minute sadness. I had come to start a new project, but only a few frames were made.  As I climbed the last hill, I realized, I had also made the infrared frames.  Sitting high on a hill with my tripod and 5D mark II beside me, I put my bag next to me, opened it slightly to remove the infrared camera, and started to view the few frames I made.  A wave of joy filled my body.  It wasn't a total loss.  I left the park with my head up high.  

As for the new project, there's always another day to figure that out.  I'm just glad I was able to recognize an opportunity and not be so focused on the task at hand.  

Why An E-Book?

First off, let me start by saying, I'm a book lover.  I own thousands of hardcover, paperback, special editions, first printings, and even rare books.  I love to feel the texture of pulp paper, the smell of a freshly turned page, the heft of a massive tome in my lap, it's a sensory feast.  But those things have little to do with the content of the actual book.  

I'm not going to lie, I still buy my fair share of printed books.  (In fact, I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of David Duchemin's fine art book Seven in mid June.  A book I would have paid 2 or 3 times the actual price, just to own one of the 1000 copies available.)  That alone should have had me thinking about traditional publishing for my book, right?  So why did I choose to create my book as an e-book?

To be honest, I've watched the world filling with tablets and e-readers at an ever increasing rate.  While I cannot say I own one, I do have plans in the near future to make that purchase.  As of today, I use my personal computer or laptop to view and read all of my e-publications.  I have a vast collection of e-books and e-magazines varying in genre and style.  I love the wide gamut of work from various authors, the diverse range of e-magazines available, some only in the e-format.  Does this mean I will one day only purchase e-publications?  Not likely.  But there is a certain appeal, an unabated ability to spread work worldwide at the push of a button.  It is that exact reason, I made the difficult choice to share my work this way.

The decision was not an easy one, in fact, it was one I wrestled with at great lengths.  I know through research, I have a small group of people who would still love to see this work I've created in a printed form- regardless of the price.  The problem, in my case, was the desire to reach as many people as possible and not just a select few.  

The work I created is more than a book of photographs and stories.  It's about a personal journey.  One that I hope will inspire some, rekindle a passion in others, and entertain at the very least a handful of readers.  That is why I choose the e-format.  I want the work to be viewed, readable, portable, and at best affordable.  I opted to leave the cost of creating the book out of the price.  No one should have to pay for my choices, my adventures, or my new gear.  Instead, I hope people will buy and consume the book much like a great cup of coffee or a deliciously rich dessert.  I want to leave the reader feeling both satisfied, but also wanting to enjoy its pleasures again another day.

These choices, also had a direct effect on how I created the price for the e-book.  I wanted the price to work in a fashion that created value.  I give many gifts through my work on-line.  These are all free to view and enjoy.  But value, actual cost, brings a sense of worth to the reader.  When you are willing to purchase something, it's a conscious decision.  It adds a bit of pride in ownership, that doesn't come from free gifts.

I don't see this step as the death of traditional publishing.  I see this as an opportunity to reach a greater audience.  Many people feared the introduction of the home video market years ago. Claiming the end of movie theaters.  I mean, having movies available to watch over and over in the comforts of your own home at 1/10 the price should have closed every movie house in the world.  Yet the industry thrives.  People still go to theaters, still buy popcorn, candy, and soda, because they still see the value of having a night out versus a night at home.  It all boils down to options.  I only wish I had the ability to share this book in both formats.  Maybe someday I will.

Is this book for you?  Have a peek at one of the opening pages. 

Ready to purchase?  You'll find the e-book here or you can click the cover page at the beginning of the post.

INVISIBLE- An Infrared Journey Is Here!

The best laid plans of mice and men... well, you probably know how that ends already.  I'm posting this a bit premature, because I didn't want to launch the e-book until June 3rd.  What I discovered is that when you create a seller account, it launches your work as soon as you are done.  We'll call this a special pre-launch for those who couldn't wait to read the book.  

I'm planning a few other posts in the following week about why I decided to create the e-book versus traditional print and a few posts about the actual e-book and what the reader will find.  While I'm a little bummed that I won't get to have a small build up before the launch, I am happy to have it available and ready for the world to read.

Click the cover of the book and you'll be redirected to the site for purchase.

http://www.e-junkie.com/invisibleirjourney/product/488186.php

As an added bonus, I'm offering 20% off the price with the code:  fbf (facebook fans).  The code is good through July 3rd at midnight.  

If you have questions or would like to drop me a message you can email me:  invisibleirjourney@gmail.com  

Become a fan of my new facebook fan page for up to the date photographs in color and infrared.

A Rare Occurrence

Recently, I received my new super color infrared converted camera.  While I haven't had the time to shoot like I would have wished, I have made it out into some familiar places.  The other day I ventured out onto the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, mainly because it's a place I know well.  It's safe.

After a recent dose of heavy rain, I headed out in the hopes of finding something new to photograph or at least something old, but in a new way.  I was amazed at all the new/old things I was able to see/re-see.  Imagine my surprise to find many small pools of standing water, in what is normally a vast expanse of sand and little else.  A sight like that is worth exploring, but most importantly it's worth finding a way to tell a story.

Thirst III

Rare Twist

Shooting with the super color IR converted camera has forced me to relearn how I like to make photographs.  The super color IR conversion is based on more after capture processing, a step I'm not sure I'm fond of yet.  While it does offer more creative possibilities, it's going to take many hours and mistakes to learn to get it right.  That's why this is a journey.

Clouds

I haven't had a lot of time to break in the new IR converted camera (camera #2, I converted one of my old Canon XSi cameras for super color IR), but the other night the clouds created a nice display, so I decided to go out and shoot a few frames.  What follows are a few test photographs I made as I'm trying to learn the new style of IR photography.

Floating

Clouds in HDR

Higher ISO

Ying and Yang

Light Trace

It All Started With Nothing

I've been working on the e-book INVISIBLE for nearly 4 months straight.  It's almost done and will be available (fingers crossed) by June.  I have a few house cleaning items and one more person to finalize the edits, then it will be time to create a way to share my journey with the world.  It's exciting to finally realize this dream.  I've already made plans for a follow up project, but that's a story for another day.

I started INVISIBLE nearly a year ago.  It wasn't until I stood alone, facing a vast canvas of unbroken lines of sand that I realized I had to make this e-book.  There is a story to be told.  The book is more than just a few nice photographs of places, it's about the changing of the places, from moment to moment and how I was changed by being there.

Where is your blank canvas?  This is one of mine.

It's Almost Ready

I know I've been rather silent on this blog and my other blog for the past few months, but for a good reason.  I've been rather busy working on the organization and planning of the layout for the book.  I'm happy to announce it's almost done.  I still plan a few more months of ironing out the wrinkles and making sure the quality is top notch all around, but here's sneak peak at the last chapter.  The chapter is all about being willing to travel outside of my comfort zone.  It's been an unforgettable adventure, which has left me longing for more.  

Make sure to click the image below for a larger preview. 

It's All Coming Together Now

As the months roll by, I'm happy to say, I'm right on with my original schedule.  Putting together a book requires a lot of time.  So far, I've organized, written stories, bought a new design program to put it all together, I've been learning to use said program, scrapped a bunch of work and the list goes on and on.  This journey has been intense and ever so rewarding.  Seeing the first few pages laid out, putting together the stories with the photographs and realizing daily this is going to happen, makes me elated beyond words.  

I'm ready to share a few of the pages I've put together.  While these are only the JPEG versions (sized for the web), you can click on them and see them near print size.  I left a few mistakes in the text to keep it from being exactly as it will be published later.  

Take a look and let me know what you think.  The road to completion is growing shorter by the day... and nights, as the majority of the work is happening while most normal people sleep.

Adventure Time

I headed out yesterday with Jason Miney for a little adventure.  We've been trying to find exciting new places to photograph and old places that may need to be seen with fresh eyes.  After driving a little over 2 hours, we reached our destination.  Jason and I quickly surveyed the area, made a few makeshift plans and started to work.  It didn't take long for Jason to find something of interest and as I moved a little further I noticed something that I needed to create.  

Ice Crawl

I worked to wedge myself under the pier, so I could compose a frame from under looking out.  Without live view on the IR camera it was a tight squeeze, one I would later learn from Jason, was enough to make him stop working to try to figure out what the heck I was doing.  This is the photograph that started my spelunking endeavors.

We were shooting a lot of color images, as the ice was incredibly blue in hue.  I managed to make a few IR images between the color, but none so hurried as the following.  Standing on slick ice, I had to drop to my knees pull off my back pack, unpack the IR converted camera, get the settings adjusted (I shoot manual 99% of the time) and compose quickly before the sun dipped back behind the clouds.

With Flare

When I'm rushed I often forget the issue of lens flare due to the lack of a lens hood (which I finally ordered today).  I don't mind it in certain images and honestly, it was all part of the experience of making this photograph.

As we worked Jason decided to venture out a little closer to the edge.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to snag an image of his bravery.

  

The Things We Do

The ice was thick and extremely slick in the area he trekked out to get a different perspective.  We did meet a young man named Ky, who without much regard for life ventured all the way out to the lighthouse in the hope of finding a journal he said he left there.  We watched as he went slipping, sliding, crawling and at one point disappearing.  Later, as he returned, he tried to convince us the ice was not that bad, but with a few thousand dollars worth of gear, we opted for shooting another day.  

An amazing day with a lot of new work to add to the collection of infrared work I'm using to hone my skills.  I might even add one or two to the INVISIBLE book.  

Imagination in Isolation

Icarus's Ghost

The above photograph almost made it into the book.   When I framed it, I wanted the lines of the sand to lead the eye to the cloud formation.  I imagine many things while I'm out, especially when I view cloud formations.  This particular formation made me think of Icarus leaving the bounds of the Earth and heading toward his sunny destiny.  With his arms pushed back, knees bent, head toward the sky with only one goal in mind.  That's what I saw when I pressed the shutter button.  When I finally showed this piece to a few people, they didn't see much more than lines and a few clouds.  

I'm not easily influenced by what others think about my work, but this time I had to listen.  The book is more about making a connection to the viewer through the photographs and stories.  Each of the photographs intended for the book were selected based on a number of questions.  When an image passed, it was considered for the next round of cuts.  Icarus's Ghost made it all the way to the end, but fell short on the final cut.  I still find reasons to enjoy this image.  Others may find they enjoy the image as well, but it just doesn't fit the goal of the INVISIBLE project. 

Lens Play

I'm a huge fan of wide angle lenses.  During the last few months of photographing for the INVISIBLE project my Sigma 10-20mm lens hardly left the body of my camera.  It's a versatile lens throughout the short range.  The perspective can change quite a bit from one end of the range to the other.  Here's an image I made at 20mm while I walking through the Ludington state park.

20mm

Not a bad frame, but I hadn't fallen into my groove yet.  I decided to make one more image from the 10mm range  I moved a little bit forward, dropped the zoom and made the following image.

10mm

I moved closer to the stump, lost the sticks on the beach, but also gave the image some depth.  Most notably, the cluster of trees in the distance.  This helped me to decide how I wanted to frame the image for the final image.  I will say this.  I ended up framing it vertically and from another position.  It made a huge difference for the final photograph that will be in the book.

A Sneak Peek

I thought I put a little sneak peak at one of the photographs from the INVISIBLE book.  This is one of Rebecca's favorites.  

Broken 

I don't want to say much about this yet, you'll just have to wait for the book.

Seeing the Unseen

Every now and again, I like to show a before and after image.  This is a straight out of camera infrared image and the final finished photograph ready for print.  It takes a lot of seeing and coaxing to tease out the details for a final photograph.  It doesn't always turn out the way I want, but it really helps when I can envision what I want and what I'm willing to do before I press the shutter button.  

The above photograph is about lines and textures.  In the infrared image the lines and textures are hiding out.  With the right amount of patience and Photoshop skills the lifeless is given life. 

It's been an adventure in seeing, but I'm a stronger photographer because of it. 

My Birthday Wish

Today is my birthday and so far it's going just the way I wanted.  I woke up to plenty of fresh bleach white powdery snow (nearly 2 feet).  It's cold, well below freezing.  There's the promise of sunshine and a decent amount of clouds.  It all adds up to perfect conditions to get get out and make some new work.  My bag is packed, my gear and winter wear is hanging in wait and now I play the waiting game like a kid waiting for everyone else to wake Christmas morning (I had a hard time waiting as a kid, but that's another story for another day).

My goal today is head out to one of my favorite places.  

I'm not getting any younger.  I could use a good hike in the cold.  It clears my head.  I plan to do a little color photography, but for the most part, today is going to be an infrared kind of day.  So here's to turning another year older and doing something I love just one more day.

This Way Home

This Way Home II Textured Ed.

While the majority of the photographs for the INVISIBLE project are monochrome,  I am also working on color treatments and textured photographs.  All the works were made using my infrared camera, but some just call out for different treatment in the digital darkroom.

The day I stumbled on this scene, it was overcast and rather dull.  I had been wandering making some interesting frames, but as I walked closer to this tree stump, I stopped.  I started to look at it and I realized it was pointing in the direction of the entrance to the park.  I thought about it for a moment and wondered if someone bent the piece of wood as a sign of where to go if they lost their way.  I made several frames, but it wasn't until later that I realized the longing of the image.  That's why I added the textures.  To me it needed a little more story, more of a sense of losing oneself, but leaving hope for those to follow in my footsteps.   

The Ones That Got Away

I was standing next to this group of pine tree stumps, buried, bleached and blown smooth by sun and sand.  I photographed this marvel many times throughout my various adventures to the dunes, but today, I wanted a different perspective.  I racked my lens out to 10mm, the widest it would go, and moved in as close as the lens allows (which is just under 12 inches).

A Different View

I wanted to make it seem as though the protruding root near the lower part of the left side of the frame was reaching out to draw the viewer in.  Through the lens it looked distorted and perfect, but being wrapped up in moment, I failed to realize this 2 dimensional photograph wouldn't hold up the same way as my feeling in that moment.  This is one that got away.

I was wrapping up a session on the dunes one evening, trying to make it back to the parking lot by a specific time, as I had a dinner date with friends later this particular evening.  It wouldn't be long now, I told myself over and over as one new fascination after another keep me shooting. I crested one dune only to find myself face to face with a sand formation I'd never seen the likes of during my entire travels.

Wonderwall

The southwest side of this dune had taken on a new life.  I wanted to photograph it for hours, all the details, the light of the setting sun, everything about it was perfect.  The only problem:  just as I set up the first frame, my phone started to ring.  It was Rebecca, my wife, telling me she was leaving the house without me and to hurry up or I'd be late for dinner.  Cursing myself for having a life and not finding this enigma earlier in my travels that day, I made a few more frames and left.  I never did make the photograph I wanted of this spectacle.  Wonderwall took its title from the fact I will always wonder what could have been.  This is one that got away.

The old pine stumps are a favorite subject of mine while I hike around the dunes.  One over cast day, I found myself wandering, not willing to give up the chance to make something new.  I found myself in a group of stumps near the base of a high dune.  It's a small valley, I seldom visited, because in the past, it was difficult to make vast landscapes.  This day, I found myself getting closer for details.

Broken

Crawling around in the cold sand, filling my pants, my pockets and even my beard with little reminders of my endeavors, I pushed myself lower, sometimes digging myself into the sand,  so I could shoot at a different angles.  This stump proved to be the most difficult of the bunch.  I just couldn't position myself in a way that flattered it or allowed me to show it the way I wanted.  While I like the photograph above and while I picked sand out of my teeth for days because of my image quest, this was also one that got away.

I'm not saddened by the ones that get away, they make me a stronger photographer in the end.  While these images will not grace the pages of the INVISIBLE book, the images and stories are worth telling.  After all, INVISIBLE has always been about the adventure, not the destination. 

Follow that Breeze

While we didn't feel the full effect of hurricane Sandy here in Michigan, we did have some extremely windy days.  I spent a few days chasing the wind along the shoreline, because my first visit to the Silver lake sand dunes left me with sand in my teeth after cresting the first hill.  It took less than 5 minutes to collect enough sand on my tripod and camera to know it wasn't worth ruining my gear.  I packed up to return another day.

The morning I returned, the wind wasn't nearly as violent, but still had a good 25-30 mph force behind it.  There weren't many places to hide from the breeze, but I did manage to find a few high dunes to block a little of the sand long enough to make a few nice frames.

Standing just over the edge of one of the dunes facing Silver lake, I planted my tripod deep in the sand for support.  Due to the high amount of wind, the sand was still rather loose, so getting a footing was not easy.  One step might put you ankle deep in sand, while the next one lands you knee high.  It's an unpredictable place and that's what I love about spending time climbing and hiking all over it.

The morning I made the following image, I was working on longer exposures to show motion over the sands.     

A Gentle Breeze

I had already captured a bunch of cool motion photographs, but this one holds a special place in my mind.  I was nearly knee deep in soft sand, blocking the wind from pelting my camera, or worse, knocking it down a steep dune.  The air was cold and harsh, but I was firmly planted in the side of the dune.  I made 2 exposures from this location before moving further down the dune and nearing losing my camera.  I wanted to find a better angle, which I will admit I did find, but that story, as well as the photograph, is being saved for the book.  Let me just say, I know what it feels like to be assaulted by high velocity sand cresting a dune.  Facing it head on, to make the photograph I wanted.  It's an incredible and somewhat painful experience.

Picking Up Where I Left Off

Falling is the easy part, it's finding the strength to get back up that's hard.

I hit a snag a few weeks ago.  I sprained my wrist, which kept me from doing any serious work on my computer for nearly 2 weeks.  Of course, as life would have it, I also lost an entire weekend to a nasty virus.  Spending 16-18 hours a day sleeping doesn't allow for much time to be productive.  Needless to say, this year started out with plenty of zing, but it also allowed a lot of little unforeseen hitches through the back door.   I could be frustrated.  I could just stop for now and pick up the project at a better time, but looking back at all that I have gone through, I realize, I owe it to myself to keep moving forward.

I thought of the day I hiked further than I'd ever gone on the Silver Lake sand dunes.  It wasn't a special day, until I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone.  I wanted to know what lay beyond the familiar horizon.  I was rewarded by a great number of opportunities that day and while this photograph didn't make it into the project, it's still a wonderful reminder for me of how far I was willing to push.

I hiked nearly 2 miles through the sand, unaware this tree would be waiting for me.  I had to wait for the sun to clear the clouds to make effective frames, but I managed to make several I was pleased with. 

I didn't give up that day, so I'm not going to let a few snags keep me from finishing the work I started.  No matter what stands in my way, I'm going to figure out a way around it.  This project is about more than some photographs I made, it's about the journey.  

The Things We Don't See

Beached

When I made the above photograph, I thought I was making something rather cool.  Plenty of textures in the wood grain, sand, and even a separation in the surrounding dunes.  All that changed the moment I showed it to Rebecca, my wife.  Her immediate response forever emblazoned a horrible truth in my interpretation of this once cool image.  When this particular photograph came up for approval or disapproval, she sat silent for a moment.  What came out of her mouth, ruined this photograph forever.

She turned to me and said:  "Do you want me to be honest?  It looks like a dolphin skull laying face down in the sand."  She quickly pointed out the eye near the top, as well as, the jawline and bottle nose pushed into the sand.  "Don't be mad, it's just what I see."

And now, all I will ever see when I look at this photograph, is the sadness of a dead dolphin, laying on a shoreline, beached.  I'm glad she pointed out the foible of my work, but for one brief moment, I really wanted to see that cool textured piece of drift wood once more.  I just don't think it will ever happen. 

Fitting In

The final selections are being made and organized.  Things have been moving slow this week, due in part to an injury, but rest assured the project is still moving forward.  I might be a week behind, but I'll make sure to work harder once I'm healed.  

Speaking of working hard, as I look over the selected photographs from the last 8 months, I realized just how much I pushed myself, how many days I could have slept in, done any number of other things on my long list, but instead, I chose to improve myself and this project.

It's been such an extended, drawn out process to select the photographs that fit each adventure and story.  It's a difficult thing to look at something you're emotionally attached to, only to move it to the recycle bin.  It's a necessary step, not only for the project, but for my own personal growth as well.

For example, take a look at this photograph:

Fitting In

At first glance, it may seem normal.  A single leaf, caught by the blowing sands.  How many photographs of a single leaf in the sand have you seen?  I can think of dozens, and not the photographs I made in the past.  That's not the only reason this photograph ended up here on the blog and not in the book.  It didn't fit.  

What does that mean, it doesn't fit?  It means there are numerous elements that were present at the time I decided to press the shutter.  Unfortunately, something happened along the way and this photograph lost the original feelings I had.  The more I view it, the more I realize, I didn't manage to capture the essence of the moment.  

Now, I know I've been showing the mistakes for the first few posts, but there's a reason for that.  If I only showed the book images, there would be no reason to write the book.  I want to make this project the best that I can.  That's why, I decided early on, that I will not include examples of good and bad photographs for discussion.  I'm showing the best photographs and the stories that go along with them in the book, which means, there's no room for the mistakes.  That's not to say they're not important, or part of the story, but let's face the facts:  would you buy a book that's full of mistakes and great work?  Or, would you rather have the best I can provide?  Since the choice is mine to make, I choose to show the best of my adventures.  

I will eventually start to show runner up photographs and some of the reasons they missed the mark, but photographs for the book will remain unseen until the project is finished.  I'm mean that way.  Bare with me and know the best is yet to come.
  

Keeping it Simple

One of the biggest challenges I'm facing with the INVISIBLE project is selecting the right photographs to tell the story.  While the format of the book is a photo book mixed with short stories highlighting the many places, various adventures and occasional misadventures I had while learning to photograph in infrared, it's still about the photographs.  

Choosing one image over an other is a daunting task.  The following image, cut for a number of reasons, is still a nice photograph.  The issue is clear, it just didn't help to tell the story.

Ripples

I have dozens of photographs like the one above.  Many of them will find a way to this blog, as I feel they hold a place in my quest, but they missed the mark for the INVISIBLE project.

*Please remember all images are Creative Commons, Non-Commercial

*Please feel free to share or use for personal projects, but remember to

1.   Link back to www.invisibleirjourney.blogspot.com or the post from which photographs were shared.

2.   Make sure to give credit where credit is due.  I love to share and post, but remember I'm a person too.  It doesn't take long to say photograph by Travis W. Forbear or cut and paste a link.  

Becoming INVISIBLE

I'm so excited to announce INVISIBLE - An Infrared Journey.  I've been pushing myself to the point of punishment some days to make sure this dream would become a reality for me. INVISIBLE will be my first book.  Yes, you read that last sentence correct, my first book.  I've been wanting to create a book for years, but I lacked the right project.  I finally found my true calling.  I found the one thing I am passionate enough about to push myself to the limits of my ability and beyond.  

The easy part of the project is finished.  I have made all the photographs I planned for the book.  But, there's more.  I still have to select the best photographs, finish the stories and design the layout.  For me, the journey is only beginning.  This is the part where I make the commitment.  This is the part that will define my personal success.  I'm a project starter, but I often loose my focus along the way.  This time is different.  My focus is sharper.  I'm making goals, reaching them and going farther than I ever imagined.  

There have been days when I wanted to sleep in, not hike any further, not change a lens and challenge myself, but one day several months ago, something inside me changed.  Instead of saying no to an opportunity, I said yes.  That yes is the voice in my head, telling me to push a little harder.  To take one more step.  Then, one more.  And when I think I have nothing left, I make one more step, one more photograph.  Some of the best work of this project has come from those extra steps, the refusal to quit.  It's that voice in my head that keeps me waking early to write, plan and get moving, so I can make better photographs.

For the first time in my life as a photographer, I know how I want to photograph the world.  I've been making photographs for years, but I've never had the pure elation I get from photographing in infrared.  That doesn't mean I will stop photographing subjects in color.  No, I'll still challenge myself to try new ways, new angles, and new processes, but at the end of the day, my heart will remain in the invisible realm.  

I've taken the first few steps, but there are so many more to be made.  I've made my choice to keep moving forward, now it's your turn.  You make the decision to follow along. If you've come this far, what's one more step?  The journey starts now.  It's up to you to follow along, or to decline the offer.

Nemo

The name of the above photograph is taken from Nemo, the dreamer. This project started out with a dream.  A desire to make photographs in infrared.  When the dream became a reality, I could have stopped.  I could have become complacent, making safe photographs.  That almost happened, but then something clicked, I realized I would never be satisfied until I pushed myself beyond the comfort of safety.  More than anything, that's what INVISIBLE is for me.  It's pushing past the known.  It's about moving into an unseen future.  

I'm including this photograph from the project because it's a mistake.  I made a lot of mistakes.  I missed a lot of photographs I wanted to make.  I failed more than I succeeded some days, but I didn't quit.  Instead, I worked harder.  I made more plans.  I studied more. I practiced.  And in the end, I still missed the occasional photograph.

There is so much left to do.  I've witnessed the many paths I could follow, but I've decided to make my own.  Follow along if you will.