Lori Carey Photography

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Up, up and away


Red balloon against a blue sky with clouds


I'm not very good at talking about my successes. I hate people who always talk about how great they are so I tend to err too far on the side of caution, and that's not good for marketing or for myself. I suppose it's also partly because, as do most artists, I make the mistake of constantly comparing myself to others, which can be okay if you use it for inspiration and motivation but not so good if you let it make you feel like you're not good enough. It's too easy to forget that small achievements on the way to loftier goals are the secret to success, and it's hard not to fall into the trap of constantly pushing yourself to do better and never being happy with what you've achieved so far. If you don't celebrate your smaller successes you set yourself up for burnout.

So I've realized that I need to start talking about all of the good stuff that's been going on for me and today I'm celebrating some of the smaller successes I've had in the past few weeks, which actually aren't that small.

Thomas Hawk (yes that Thomas Hawk) recommended and circle-shared me as one of Google+'s Kick Ass Photographers.

Charles Lupica recommended and circle-shared me as one of Google+'s Most Interactive Theme Curators Who Rock (I curate Sign Sunday).

I competed in the Google+ Scavenger Hunt competition that is run by Chrysta Rae the last two rounds because it's a great way to push myself creatively. Each round competitors are given ten concepts that they have 30 days to photograph. The field is limited to 500 people and it's so popular that this month the sign-up limit was reached in just over an hour (fame, fortune and sweet prizes are at stake! Okay maybe not so much fortune...). And let me tell you, there is some scary good competition. The creativity and technical skills from some of these folks is mind boggling. When I think about who I'm competing against I'm pretty darn happy and proud that several of my photos have earned some firsts, thirds and honorable mentions, especially since shooting concepts isn't something I've done a lot of in the past. The first round I took a first, a third and two honorable mentions and tied for first place overall with my portfolio (but lost the tiebreaker.) Last month I really only put serious effort into one concept because I had so much on my plate, and that one image won a first place. Yeah, yeah, now imagine what I could do if I actually applied myself! Hey wait...this post is about getting rid of that kind of thinking!

I signed up for the next round. :)

Remember to give yourself a break and celebrate all of your little successes along the way toward your bigger goals...success is a journey and stringing all the little wins together is how you get there.



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Empty Nests


Empty nest


It's been really windy here lately and the other morning I found a brand new sparkling clean bird's nest floating in the pool beneath the palm tree. I fished it out and put it out to dry, then later that day I fished out another brand new nest. I don't know why birds build nests in the palm trees, they aren't very stable and there isn't much shelter. I'm fairly certain one of these belongs to the pair of Oriole's that are always in the tree but my best guess about the other would be the mockingbirds. The Orioles didn't learn their lesson because sure enough they are out there stripping strands from the palm fronds and appear to be building a new nest in the same place. When I looked up this morning I saw what looked to be the silhouette of a nest on a downward sloping palm frond.



Empty bird's nest #2


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Desert Salvation


Leonard Knight's bus, painted and covered with scripture, at Salvation Mountain in the California desert near Niland.



Leonard Knight's bus, painted and covered with scripture, at Salvation Mountain in the California desert near Niland.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Zen


Sailboat in fog




... This is grassland now. We are on the prairie. ...flatness and great emptiness as far as you can see... In my mind, when I look at these fields, I ... feel a thing about these prairies I have given up talking to others about; a thing that exists here because everything else does not and can be noticed because other things are absent. ...It's here, but I have no name for it.
- Robert L. Pirsig



Monday, June 4, 2012

San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon


Kenyan Nixon Machichim racing to the finish line to take first place in the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon on June 3, 2012 with an amazing time of 2:10:03

Desta Gebrehiwot on his way to a 2nd place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:10:13, just ten seconds behind winner Nixon Machichim.

Tesfaye Sendeku heading toward a 3rd place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012

1. Kenyan Nixon Machichim racing to the finish line to take first place in the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon on June 3, 2012 with an amazing time of 2:10:03
2. Desta Gebrehiwot on his way to a 2nd place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:10:13, just ten seconds behind winner Nixon Machichim
3. Tesfaye Sendeku heading toward a 3rd place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012



I was in San Diego early Sunday morning to photograph the Rock and Roll Marathon. Here are photos of the top five fastest men and women finishers.

As I was checking the site for race times I noticed how often some race photographers cut runners off at the knee or mid-shin when there was no compositional reason to do so. As a former athlete I want to see the look on their face, I want to see their muscles straining, I want to see a runner's feet in the air, I want to see how he moves. Don't amputate the most important part of a runner's body!



Weldon Kirui sprints toward the finish line for a fourth place win in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012.

Patrick Ivuti heads toward a 5th place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012

Russian Alevtina Ivanova comes down the home stretch to be the first woman to cross the finish line in the Rock and Roll San Diego marathon on June 3, 2012


4. Weldon Kirui sprints toward the finish line for a fourth place win in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012
5. Patrick Ivuti heads toward a 5th place finish in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012
6. Russian Alevtina Ivanova comes down the home stretch to be the first woman to cross the finish line in the Rock and Roll San Diego marathon on June 3, 2012



Meseret Legesse comes down the home stretch to finish 2nd in the Women's Elite division of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:28:00

Woynishet Girma comes down the home stretch to finish 3rd in the Women's Elite division of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:33:59.

7. Meseret Legesse comes down the home stretch to finish 2nd in the Women's Elite division of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:28:00
8. Woynishet Girma comes down the home stretch to finish 3rd in the Women's Elite division of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:33:59


Silvia Skvortsova in the home stretch of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, finished 4th in the Women's Elite division with a time of 2:23:10

Lyudmila Biktasheva finished 5th in the Womens Elite division of the San Deigo Rock and Roll marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:34:18

9. Silvia Skvortsova in the home stretch of the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, finished 4th in the Women's Elite division with a time of 2:23:10
10. Lyudmila Biktasheva finished 5th in the Womens Elite division of the San Deigo Rock and Roll marathon on June 3, 2012 with a time of 2:34:18