PARKSHOW 2012.

The fact that I was raised in suburbia Calgary was magnified this past weekend when I attended my first official fashion show.  I was invited by my dear University friend Ashley of Lions_Lace_Lattes  fashion blog and had to take her up on the offer.  She put a ton of hard work into the show and it most definitely paid off!

I went with my sister in law - a small town girl, and as we arrive to the event there are two sparkling Mercedes outside with a beautiful girl in a ball gown I would wear to a red carpet event.  Slightly intimidating to say the least, seeing as I was wearing pants and boots, looking as though I was headed to a local pub.  We convinced ouselves [or maybe it was the wine?] to make our way inside and everyone was very friendly!  We viewed the art that was being exhibited and took in the runway.  Due to my procrastination we purchased the more expensive seating and were surprised to find fashion magazines with cupcakes on top on the seats in front of us.  Felt like there was some irony to that, but it made for a nice decor.

It was amazing how many photographers were there to cover the event.  Lights, many cameras and action - the show began.  It was interesting to see first the clothing, and then the designers who would pop their heads in to say a little hello to their fans.  Being a fashion noob, I don't think I was able to appreciate the design of some of the items as most of the cultured fashion goers, but it was very exciting to see everything live in action. 

I must admit, my favourite part of the experience was observing the attendees!  I concluded that the main ingredient to fashion is confidence.  Some people were wearing items I could only picture in Indiana Jones' movies, but once you watched them interact or even just float around the room, it became obvious that it was not about the clothes they had on, but how they were wearing the clothes.    It is truly amazing how beauty originates from the inside - even at a fashion show, where everything is about what is on the outside for that moment. 

Fashion allows people to express their individuality, and if they are able to express with confidence, that is when you're able to turn the unexpected into the exceptional. I enjoy fashion. And I enjoy the fact that fashion comes in all diverse colors, fabrics, textures, shapes and sizes; just like humans can have different nationalities, shapes, sizes, features, styles, interests, beliefs and experiences.  As I mentioned in the Rustic_Edge blog post, I hope that one day my brand in the photography world will be bringing out that confidence in ANYONE and creating a story that makes them feel like they're stomping out a cat walk on their own runway.

I have many tangents that I would love to fly off on, but for now I shall leave it at this... I enjoyed PARKSHOW 2012, and highly recommend it for next year!!

To be Inspired

Since the excitement of the last official photoshoot I have found myself in the midst of a photography rut.   Talk about peaks and valleys.  I generally like to capitalize on creative moments but they have been few and far between.

This weekend I did some self psychoanalyzing to figure out what exactly I tend to draw on for inspiration.  I came up with a long mental list, but of course never wrote it down (a lot to be said for external cognition!! - note to self).  I will continue in congruence with the saying you only remember the important things, so here is my categorized list;

People. Obviously? It's people who stay in your lives that really impact who you are and where you're going, whether it be your deranged family or new mentee. There are always relationships being made and if you pay enough attention there is at least one thing to learn from others' life experiences. That alone is inspiring, and makes me want to tell life stories through photos.  I also find those people who are closest to me, and provide constructive feedback very important and always try to include some of their perspectives into my future shoots.  A photo for you of my Grandmother and I, and one of my recent photos she inspired... Always looking for photos of old buildings as her painting inspiration!

Professional photogs.  If there's anything I have learnt from my other half, it is that you can always improve.  There is always someone, somewhere doing something a little different to get a better shot.  I love looking at National Geographic photos that people have taken around the world.  The awe inspiring landscapes, human character or natural elements never fail to put my camera in my hand.  You can follow their photos on twitter @NatGeoPhotos .  I also enjoy looking at Nigel Barker's work ("noted fashion photographer" for any ANTM fans).  His blog / life in general, and his devotion to a cause is something to aspire for - currently wrapping up a shoot in Moscow, Russia.

Writers.  Photographers and writers have a lot in common, just their medium of presentation differs.  A photo is worth 1000 words, and 1000 words is worth a photo - a mental one, but they have the ability with the power if their pen (or computer nowadays) to put an imagine into your mind.   The more I read, the more creativity I am able to harvest.  Must get my nose back in a book - current book on the go is one of Bruce Perry's books - highly recommended!


"Seasoned" things - people, places, inanimate objects etc. has years of experience and a lifetime (or more) of a story to tell.  As stated in my Static Momentum blog post, I enjoy, and draw inspiration from anything that is aged.  Where has it been? Who were they 30 years ago? How did it get where it is today?  What is/was the purpose? All these questions inspire me to make my own story through the photograph.

Gratitude helps to inspire.  Be grateful and you will always have something that you can turn to for inspiration.  Must count my blessings this week and stick that camera in my hand!

Rustic Edge

To have the best of both worlds is to eat chocolate and stay fit. It is to party and still graduate. It is to travel to a home away from home. And for me it is to combine equines and fashionable art.  What most don't know about me is that I have am a closet fashion lover, although you would never be able to tell from my own closet filled with corporate attire, wranglers and carhart jackets.

In this photoshoot; Rustic Edge, we compiled elements of urban fashion into a rural adventure.  Our equine models (Cash and Trigger) became somewhat of a prop as I continued to shoot my fashionista of the day Ms. J.L.  Together, the four of us created an artistic melody of fashion, horsemanship, and ingenuity that was overwhemingly inspiring.  From hair & makeup to headstall and reins.

Growing up on horseback, I always thought that equine photography is where my passion would eventually take me. I have now discovered this whole realm of human emotion and mood through the lens of a camera that I can freeze for a moment in time.

My goal is for this Rustic Edge theme to blossom as my personal brand in the photography world.  Making the ordinary into something extraordinary and allowing people to explore their artistic inner model.  Rural and rustic can be edgy and fashionable... Add a horse and you've discovered rustic edge.

To be inspired is to have the world at your fingertips. Can't wait to get my hands dirty with the next project!

For the full album: AmberAliPhotography on facebook!

Static Momentum; the Stopping of Time.

Static Momentum in the context of this blog refers to moments on the continuum of a lifetime that are halted long enough for us to remember them. How we perceive people, places, things, and most importantly ourselves shapes how we experience one moment to the next.  Our lives are fluid - always changing and evolving with each perceptual moment.  With a background in psychology, I find our brains' capacity for mental imagery fascinating.  A camera provides the ability to bring creative mental interpretation of any given situation to life for others to see and enjoy.  A photograph is the creation of an extended cognition that we are able to reference in order to remember moments that have occurred during the blur of our lifetime.  Life is a journey, an adventure and a string of events on a medium of momentum.  My job as a photographer is to freeze life's momentum so that people can appreciate the moments that are often forgotten but shape how we experience time.

This photo depicts Static Momentum in the context of this blog. The photograph itself is frozen, but you can see how the building itself has over time endured the elements of Western Canada and the effects of urban pollution.  Taken in Fernie B.C. February 2012.

I find humans forgetful, myself majorly included in that group.  As I get older I cherish when a sensory stimulus - either a noise, a smell, a sight, a texture - takes me back to a place and time, and for that moment I am there;  Smelling the smells of my grandfather's garage, seeing bright green hedges on the way home from school or listening to a certain song - never fails to take me back to a period of time, or to a certain event.  Our brains are amazing in that they have the capability to compress a large amount of time into a small compact parcel for future retrieval.  My goal as a photographer is to create photographs that capture moments for people that may otherwise be forgotten or lost in the storing of time, and enable them to cherish that time forever.

Life is static, yet always moving forward.

I have included a link below for anyone who may be as brain enthused as I am.  The perception of time has come to intrigue me. How Your Brain Can Control Time

Top 10 Photographs - Taste Test

To give everyone a taste of my style and general photographic persona, I thought I would start with my top 10 personal favorite photographs I have taken. 






Between Here and There - I do believe this photo was a turning point in my photographic mind. I had driven by it at least 50 times before I stopped to take the photo. Simple pleasures.

Cowboy color - sometimes you travel far and wide to get "the" photo of the year when the whole time all you have to look down and find it waiting on your feet.










Life as we know it - diversity among the human race is a distinguishing element of our being. I find that by traveling you sneak glimpses into the lives of your counterparts a world away.

  






Alberta Bound - The rocky mountains are an elemental masterpiece of calm strength.







 



Old Gramps - I find anything that is aged has an abundance of character that embodies a secret story that I love to capture. With age brings wisdom and intrigue.



 




Trash the dress - a fairy tale ending... I could not choose only one photo from this series so I decided to share the three that highlighted the fairy tale story.  Weddings can be so whimsical and full of love and happiness.  When any bride gets their ever after, the story is not ending, only just beginning!







 

Civil war fountain - I am a junkie for history.  I wish this photo symbolized a happy story, however it is the sight of a Spanish civil war that occured before my time.  It is an overwhelming feeling to stand in a courtyard that still has bullet holes in the stone behind you while in the present time the air is silent.

Irish Moment - something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. While traveling in Ireland in 2007 we happened to get a flat tire across from a lush green field full of horses. All the elements added up to capture the essence of Ireland in one shot.

 


 





Love; I love Love. To physically capture such an escapable and indescribable feeling such as love makes me believe in a power greater than myself.

 

Dream big, travel far - we went 'hiking' in Switzerland in 2009, and by hiking I mean we walked up to this tiny church on the top of a small incline. This is what we found... The bigger the dreams, the further you'll get.








And there we have it! My top 10 favorite photo montage, in no given order.   Which one was your top pick?

Nice to meet you.

January 23, 2012

I have decided to join the growing community of online bloggers.  This will be a place to share my photos with the World, in a literal way and make an account of the little moments that shape how we experience this life. Moments that are often forgotten and sometimes so fleeting that they don't make their way into our long term memory store of conscious awareness.

A little about myself... I grew up in the big oil and gas city of Calgary Alberta, and was raised evenings and weekends on the back of a horse.  I love anything related to human brains - neuroscience, pharmacology, language, consciousness (although would never admit that to my 4th yr. Psych prof), cognition, mental imagery, mental health, trauma - and most importantly, how this translates into affective behavior and alters our perception of the world around us.

 My day job consists of talking and working with oil and gas professionals world wide, my favorite being South Americans, although I don't know more than three words of Spanish. They have to be the kindest humans I have ever had the pleasure to "meet" whether it be phone, email or face to face. North Americans could learn a lot from their humble neighbors.  I enjoy  laughing, reading, learning, riding, travelling, and sleeping.

I have 3 horses, a one eyed dog and a live in boyfriend who I am currently "co-habitating" with.  Currently riding my horse Molly who I have raised and trained myself. She's a spitfire full of curiosity and attitude, like many women I know.  I have big plans for her and know she has the heart to take me there.  Initially she was to be my trick riding horse but due to injury I am unable to pursue that dream. Still waiting for the next door to open for us since that one was so brutally shut!  Time will tell.

Photography is my passion. I have taken photos since I can remember. The first digital camera we owned as a family had one of those ancient floppy disks to save the photos to.  I love taking photos that tell a story or emote an emotion.  I have a delightfully confusing style of urban meets rural lifestyle and I have recently decided to pursue this further and see where it takes me.  Life is funny that way. Whenever you try to make a plan the road is always winding, rocky or diverging in changing directions, and I am along for the ride!

I am Amber. Nice to meet you.