365 Project

A Family Portrait
Well, the day is here. Day 365. What better way to finish a year of photos, than with a family portrait. These two are the reason I do what I do. I live for them and love them both unconditionally. Without their support, there is no way I would have ever completed this project. In the next week or so, I will post my thoughts on the whole year. But for now I will say it has been a very hard journey. Yet it has also been the most fulfilling creative endevour I've ever completed. What comes next? Rest. Lots of rest. But please stay tuned. There is lots more coming. I've barely begun to tell the stories that need to be told. To conclude, I'll leave you with a quote from author John Jakes. It sums up what I strive for in everything I do. "Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish." --John Jakes Day 365 of my 365 photo a day project. Thank you for following me on this journey! Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com
Water Glass and Tissue Square
For my penultimate 365 image, I asked friends on Facebook to help me with a few ideas for today. They were all great suggestions, but one in particular was perfect (thanks Erin!). Part of what I do with my photography is try to capture the everything things of life and present them in an extraordinary way. There have been many common items in my images over the past year but this one was a challenge. Shoot a glass of water and one square of toilet paper. For this photograph, I used a shot glass, a square of tissue, a darkened room, and a pen light. However, this is not one shot. It is actually 14 shots. Yep, 14. After a bit of experimentation, I discovered it would be very difficult to get the lighting I wanted with one shot. But with the pen light, I was able to light each part of the glass and the paper square with precision. I combined all the shots in Photoshop through a variety of masks and blending modes. Then I adjusted the colors and contrast and added a slight overall glow. So here it is, Erin, a glass of water and a toilet paper square. Day 364 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com
Water Flowing
The water is flowing fast in the Milwaukee River these days. This shot was taken under the Locust Street bridge on the East Side of Milwaukee. Taken at midday, I used a 10-stop ND filter to slow down the water and create the smooth, silk-like motion. For some reason, while I was shooting, the chorus of the Talking Heads song "One in a Lifetime" was running through my head: "Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground" Does it have any relevance to the shot (outside of flowing water)? Not really. But I thought I'd share a little of what goes on in my head sometimes when I shoot. It doesn't always make sense. But it is who I am! Day 363 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com
Straight Line Above
"The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God." --Antoni Gaudi Whenever I am out and about, I'm always looking up (and down and around). Some of the most interesting photographs can be found when you look at things from a different perspective. And that is especially true of architecture. Looking up, I loved all of the lines in this shot. There are three main horizontal sections - the sky, the building side and the overhang. The siding on the building created a checkerboard of lines going horizontal and vertical. The panels in the overhang also has many parallel lines. Finally, the straight lines of the blurred clouds create almost an arrow pointing down the side of the building. Finally, to emphasize all those wonderful lines (and minimize the distracting colors), I converted the final image to a copper-toned black and white. Day 362 of my 365 photo a day project. Copyright 2016 Scott Norris Photography scottnorrisphotography.com