OK. It's been a while. Self Portrait.

[Todd Patten]

It's been a while since I have been around. Holiday stress, application programming and simple distractions have kept me from even visiting the site often.

So, for my re-introduction: My self-portrait taken at my 3 years old's birthday party



As an aside: How does one inspire themselves in winter?!? The last thing I want to do is play in the cold!

[jar_e]

I love this concept! Any time shooting with mirrors I think is a great idea and this is just awesome. I love the angles of ALL the mirrors and the 'pattern' of it! Great shot!

Jared

[Old Timer]

Welcome back Todd. I think a lot of us have been in the same place you have been just before and after the holidays. Hopefully everyone is beginning to get itchy tigger finger and are ready to start pushing those shutter releases again. Nice mirror shot.

[natatbeach]

Many things to many people---that should be the title...looks like a lot of you spread out a little everywhere...good self portrait...very illustrative of why you've been gone

and as far as playing in the cold (just caught that) it can be fun---just depends on who you take with you...HA! ;)

[megan]

As an aside: How does one inspire themselves in winter?!? The last thing I want to do is play in the cold!

Playing in the cold. It's invigorating!
But I'm in NYC - and NYC cold isn't the same as northern midwest cold.

Megan

[Todd Patten]

Shoot -- I don't mind playing a little in the cold. It's the carrying around equipment and finding inspiration. I don't know, growing up in New England all my life, I just don't find winter that appealing to the eye. Everything is brown. Even the snow after a few days. Of course, the scenes immediatly after a snow storm are breath taking -- but that's when I'm breaking out the snowblower to get the cars out of the driveway!

I've got some fun shots of the boys playing in the snow -- but I find myself resisting the "Aw Cute" shots on here these days. I want to try to be more creative.

Ah well, I figure it's only 32 days until spring training starts, so winter can't be much longer!

[Sebastian]

How can you NOT be inspired in winter?? NOTHING looks the way you expect it to, white snow changes everything, as does dirty snow, the cold makes for interesting people watching, breath steams as they walk about...so many things I rediscover every winter.

Try shooting something that you have never shot before, something only possible in winter. See if there are any skiing clubs near you, I just shot ski jumping, something I would never expect in the midwest. It was a blast!

Just open your eyes a bit, you'll see a whole different world out there.

[another view]

Seb, you went to the ski jump in Fox River Grove? I almost went myself but projects around the house has been piling up. Had to take care of that.

I'm not always really motivated to shoot this time of year either. Seems like the few good snowfalls have happened on a work night - so I can't go shoot the next morning other than for a couple of minutes before. I look up travel/tourism websites and see what events are happening around the area - that's how I found out about the ski jump competition. This weekend is supposed to have a big iceboating regatta in Madison WI so I might head up for that. There are all kinds of things to shoot - sometimes you just have to look really hard.