today i found some old film photos that i had uploaded to a photo sharing website several years ago.  seeing how awesome they look (i loooooove the look of film) makes me want to get my old pentax ME super out and take her for a spin around the block. 

check out the set i created here. 

and for all you “instant gratification” types, here are some of my favorites.

You didn’t ask for it but I’m going to give it to you anyway. I am by no means a photography expert but I know what I like and what I don’t like. It’s all relative. Maybe reading this list will help you understand a little bit more about me and my style.

MY PHOTOGRAPHY PHILOSOPHY
Photography is about telling a story without words and about capturing the beauty of a moment in time.
Good photography is not characterized by how well someone knows how to use Photoshop.
Post-processing is good but don’t overdo it. Rely on the beauty of the image itself, not the effects. [P'shaw...I know even I am guilty of doing that at times...]
The fact that you have a good camera does NOT make you a good photographer.
I shoot with digital but I want my photos to look like they are on film.
Wacky Batman angles do not equal an interesting photo.
Gadgets and toys just complecate things.
Digital is easy but film is truth.
Keep it simple.

WHAT I LIKE:
-vintage style
-retro colors
-film
-cross-processing
-documentary portraiture
-landscape photography that puts me THERE
-kitties
-birds, owls, deer
-all animals, really
-wildlife photography
-desaturated colors
-candidness and whimsy
-weird and spooky stuff
-negative space
-shooting on location
-natural light
-quiet, pensive photos
-happy accidents
-double exposures

WHAT I DISLIKE:
-self portraits
-those photos that are mostly black and white but with a splash of color…you know what i’m talking about. you see them mostly in wedding photos where the mens’ ties or the bride’s bouquet is in color and everything else is black and white. yeah. i hate those.
-using wacky Batman angles in an attempt at “edginess”
-oversaturation
-going overboard with post-processing
-studio lighting
-attention whores
-boring photos of flowers [or boring photos of anything]
-posing
-photographers who are into gadgets, toys, and software
-those who get wrapped up in the technical information
-arrogance

Please feel free to comment!  Messages of both love and hatred welcome.  Disagree with me?  Tell me why.  Direct emails to deweystphoto@gmail.com.

happy ha-OWL-ween everyone!, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

happy halloween from me and petra, my most favoritest bird* in the whole wide world!

(*she’s a northern saw-whet owl)

this photo was taken at the macbride raptor project annual spring clean up day in april 2009. i’ve been a devoted volunteer at the mrp for almost 3 years, starting out as an owl feeder (which i still do) and progressing to my goal of being a raptor rehabilitator, where i work with hawks, owls, and other raptors who have been injured and are on the road to recovery and release.

as9, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

i finally got ashley’s belly shots finished and this is one of my faves! it was a lot of fun and ashley (who is gorgeous) and her family were a pleasure to photograph.

and many congrats on the birth of baby pearl on october 21!

Attention all you Iowa City DIY fans – guess who is going to be a vendor at the sixth annual WHAT A LOAD OF CRAFT! craft fair / awesomeness festival in iowa city this year…THE DEWEY STREET PHOTO COMPANY, that’s who! 

Join us on December 12, 2009, at the Johnson County Fairgrounds for live music, arts n’ crafts, contests, and of course, precious handmade goodies, local art, and much, much more.  Stop by the DSPC booth to pick up a  DSPC original print for yourself or a loved one (photo prints make great gifts!), book us for a wedding , portrait shoot, or upcoming event, AND to wish me a happy belated birthday!   (My bday is the Saturday before.)

I will mention this again when the date is a bit closer.  Don’t worry – you will be bombarded with WALOC reminders. 

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about what kind of prints I should order (it’s going to be tough to decide!), please drop me a line at deweystphoto@gmail.com.  Hope to see you there, kids!

curiosities, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

just in time for halloween!

i did another shoot at the university of iowa museum of natural history this week and this time got to experience the magic and mystery that is the vault. it is here that all the wet specimens are kept in jars, preserved for future generations to be grossed out by…or in my case, be knocked on their butt because the specimens are SO COOL.

i finished working on the album art photos for jeremy kinn’s upcoming CD release, and thought i would share a few of the final pieces.

(i used an infrared effect on the above image and am diggin’ the weird, collage-y look of the end result.)

…and even jeremy’s kitty got in on the action!

baby pancake, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

the lovely ashley is due in a matter of days! we did a shoot to commemorate her last few days of pregnancy.

, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

i did an album art photo shoot with iowa city musician jeremy kinn for his upcoming album, “things gained.” i have a lot more photos from this shoot to work on but i put a couple of them up last night.

breakfast beach walk, originally uploaded by kitty cat bandit.

i did a bit of autumn camping at palisades-kepler state park this past weekend. the weather was brisk and cool, the sky was blue, and the water was cold. it was perfect.

view more photos here.