inspired by ... part I

So i want to share some people with you ... not that they're my own secret people or anything but people who inspire me photographically & to be the best that i can. People who support me, who i can turn to for advice & well putting it mildly give a whole new meaning to the word talent. 

Part I is dedicated to an incredible talented artist ... she's one of those ladies who can rock all photographic genres. In the beginning i knew her solely for her portraits, amazing surreal (sometimes self) portraits. I can't even begin to understand how she sees the things she does, it astounds me when i see new work appearing. Her ideas would seem so out there on paper, but she puts them together in a way that everything works like it's meant to be. Ok yes you've guessed who this fabulous lady is ... the exceptionally talented Elle Moss Photography. 

I admit it, I'm going to town on the adjectives, delving deep into the depths of my vocabulary to come up with new words worthy of such a wonderful lady. & maybe i am gushing a little but i can't help myself. You see the thing about Elle isn't just that she knows how to take pretty pictures but the time she's willing to put back into helping others. I am incredible lucky to have gotten to know the lady behind Elle Moss over the past couple of years, through Etsy & the internet. She has become someone i can turn to for advice with my photography, pushing me to achieve my dreams. 

& her photography doesn't stop at portraits, the whimsical & dream like feel continues into other genres such as her portrayal of nature & her incredible still life's. It's no surprise that her work has been featured in a large number of publications, exhibitions across the globe & is displayed in the homes of various celebrities. Her dreamy, whimsical, breath taking photography & her own fabulous self inspire me daily in my quest (yes i said quest) to sell my fine art full time. She is where i home to be one day & i thank her for being someone i can turn to for help through my own photographic journey. 

You can view more work by Elle Moss Photography in her Etsy shops:

Elle Moss 

Alice B. Gardens

around the world with fPOE ... this week it's Saline, Michigan, USA

So far we visited West Warwick, Rhode Island & Edinburgh, Indiana ... & now we're heading to Saline, Michigan to check out the wonderful work of Elle Moss. Now i've talked about the work of Elle Moss before (i adore her photography) but since she has more than one shop this time i'm going to highlight some of the work i don't see as often as i would like. 

Elle Moss is full of self portraits, styalized, contemporary images that leave you asking a hundred & one questions ... Alice B Gardens is packed with whimsical pretty & vintage inspired artwork that i would love to adorn my walls with. Full of pastel colours, pale hues & wonderful quaint subject matters, there's something about her images that remind me of being back in England. 

Again there's a timeless quality to her work, you could imagine her pictures were taken last week, last year of 50 years ago. & she moves between her subject matters effortlessly, from the front porch above to the gorgeous coastline below. All of which have a peaceful quality, like stepping back into a childhood memory. 

& the simplicity with which she sees the world captivates me ... from a lone vase looking out over the ocean ...

... to the springtime blossoms ... 

... & who can resist some cupcakes (not me)!

All the images in this post can be purchased on etsy. You can also see more of the work of Elle Moss in her other etsy shops, Elle Moss & Bird & Bloke, on her blog & of course flickr. Oh & she has created some fabulous actions which can be purchased online (i'm in love with these). 

photoshop actions ...

I was introduced to the wonderful world of photoshop actions last year by my friend Jen Kiaba. It was love at first sight. Simple put they are a way of changing the tones & feel of a photo through a series of actions in photoshop, done all at one time. & they are so much fun. I love messing around with the free ones on the web (check out websites such as Coffee shop & The Pioneer Women) & customizing them for my own work.

As a photographer i firmly believe that composition is the key to a good photo, & photoshop is a tool in creating stunning images but it needs to be used in conjunction with the actual process of taking a photograph. I personally feel it is wrong to use photoshop to "remove" an object from a photograph because you don't like it there (& trust me when i say there is a whole lot of debate on this subject) & actions can & do sometimes push the boundaries. But i feel that where you are using them in the same way you would use a camera, a lens, light, or the old school dark room it's ok & all kinds of fun.

Anyways back to actions two of my wonderful talented photographic buddies have recently been creating their own actions & me being me well of course i volunteered to take a look. On the butterfly below i used an action by Elle Moss called "dreamland" (for more information check out her blog) minus the "optional blurry edges" just because i felt for this image it didn't work (this is the fun on actions).

& for the chairs i used "dark dreamy glow" created by Jen Kiaba that i have fallen in love with (it creates such a haunting feel to many of my images for some reason) & totally transforms what would otherwise be two wooden chairs stood in the corner.

elle moss

Elle Moss is one of those photographers who as well as being excessively talented is a wonderful fabulous individual. She's one of my "go to people" when it comes to picture taking, a huge presence in fPOE & an Etsy Featured Seller this week.

I think i could sit & look at her pictures for hours, especially her self portraits. I've never been able to get the hang on them, i try but envisaging the final outcome is foreign to me but Elle has it down pat. They are stunning, personal interpretations on life & it's no wonder she's been published, had over 500 sales (yes 500) & is for me the kind of person i aspire to be with my photography. Whilst my style is totally different i feel she has set the standard the rest of us need to live up to.

So take a moment to explore her shop, & take a look into her beautiful world. Now if i can just get her to write me an instruction manuel on how to get there ... !!

shop

flickr

blog