Back In The Saddle

(All pics. snapped on 7/07/12 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters)

Welp...I finally got up off my mopey ass yesterday, and went out to take some snaps with my phone.

I'm not entirely stoked with how these new pics. turned out...

...but I just keep telling myself it's ok...

...I'm outta practice, that's all...

...and it's gonna take some time to find my rhythm again.

It is encouraging though, that by the time I left this messed up, old restaurant...

...the photography bug had bitten me...

...and it felt good to be back in the saddle once again...

A Paradise Found

(All pics. snapped on 3/26/12 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters)

I'll never forget the day that I walked into the office at this local salvage yard - and asked if it would be ok for me to mosey around amongst the junkers takin' pics.. I had come there fully prepared to be turned away, expecting the owners to claim that it was too much of a liability to have random folks milling about across the acres of broken glass, and rusty metal.

But guess what - they said, "Yes" (YAY!)...and I didn't even have to beg, plead, or grovel! There was one caveat though - I'd first havta swap out my flip flops for a pair of close-toed shoes...

...well, shoot. My flip flops were the only form of footwear that I had with me, at the time.

Luckily, the nice lady at the desk offered to let me borrow a pair of huge, old, men's boots that were sitting on a shelf by the door (hot damn!)

I tied the enormous clodhoppers onto my feet, as tightly as I could - but they were so big that I still sorta walked out of 'em with each goofy, clumsy step.

I looked like a damn fool, awkwardly tromping through the office towards the back door, in those ridiculously oversized boots - but so what! It was a small price to pay to end up in what turned out to be a photographic paradise...

...a place so entirely and completely fantastic - in no time I'd forgotten that I was even wearing those clonky boots...

Lost My Edge

(All pics. snapped on 3/17/12 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters)

I've spent a fair amount of time, over these last few days - sifting through my ginormous collection of Instagram pics., trying to decide upon which ones to post, in my effort to revive Little Pretties. For the coupla months leading up to this point though, I didn't so much as peek at them at all. 

It's only been in poring over my beloved candid snaps, that I've begun to resuscitate my lost love of Instagramming...and in so doing - I've come to realize how severely shut-down as an artist, a parent and a functioning human - I've let myself become...thanks to a seemingly endless string of devastating blows to my ego, my confidence, and my emotions.

I've let outside influences crush my spirit...and as a result I've become weak...and fearful...and nonproductive.

In foolishly believing that my happiness should be determined by my interactions with (a) certain people (person) - I instead fell victim to the reverse effect...and throughout the whole brutal ordeal, I've inadvertently allowed the things that really do make me happy - fall completely by the wayside.

I can't even figure out where the person that I used to be, went...

What happened to the gal who searched daily, for new places and interesting subjects to shoot? Where's the middle-aged woman who brazenly trespassed on private property, and willfully tempted fate by creeping around in crumbling buildings? All for the sake of sating her voracious appetite for iPhone photography.

It's just the queerest feeling to be intimidated by the thought of partaking in the pastime that used to come so effortlessly, and naturally to me.

I've lost my nerve, and my edge...and I wanna get 'em back...

...cuz when (if?) I do? I might finally move beyond all of this soul-sucking grieving... 

...and start enjoying life, once again…

Something Old, Something New

Hello again, my friends...haven't seen you all in awhile! And although I could bore you with the many reasons for why I've been so scarce - I'd rather simply say that it feels good to be back, and then try to pick up where I left off months ago...

Despite the fact that I no longer keep an album of photos on my Instagram account (long story...don't even ask), I do still have the thousands of pictures that I edited with Instagram's bitchin' effects - saved on my Mac in iPhoto. My goal now, is to get back into the habit of not only taking snaps with my phone on a regular basis, but to also share the old pics., as well as the new ones - here on Little Pretties, the way I used to.

But wait! There's more! I got the nicest email from an old Instagram friend, the other day - in which he shared the links to his new photography websites. Upon clicking on the third and final link - I was introduced to a website with which I was previously unfamiliar - called, "Society6". I was immediately captivated by its premise, which is to offer a venue wherein artists can display their work, but also sell prints of, and merchandise featuring the images displayed in their collections. I set up my own Society6 page that very day, and in doing so - was reminded of just how much I adore iPhone photography, and how unhappy I've been since letting my passion for it fade into virtual oblivion.

And so, here I am...yet again...crawling back to you guys, heart in hand...sincerely hoping that this time I mean it when I say that I will not get sidetracked anymore...

...wish me luck... 

(All pics. snapped on 2/28/12 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters)

The pictures in this post were taken at a vacant farm, right around the corner from where I live...my kids and I call it, "The Peacock House". I chose 'em because many of them make up the first group that I uploaded to my Society6 page...I hope that you'll enjoy them here and there...

Perseverance

(Snapped on 4/01/12 - using an iPhone and Instagram filters)

I could definitely use some of this little guy's strength and determination, right about now...I think he may be my new hero...