Personal Photography: To me, it's all personal!

So here we are again, writing a blog post more than a year after the last one. I would not pretend to call myself and excellent writer or poet. At the most, I only hope to reach the level of “good communicator” if only for the sake of my résumé. In my experience, I have been most impacted by stories that are immersive, believable, and at their core contain some great mystery or truth. I hope to share that experience in the way I tell stories and the way I capture the world through my camera lens.

Almost all of the training I received in photography was in the style of documentary photography. Narrative driven, tangible, and un-retouched were the ways in which I processed my images. Context is an absolute necessity to life and just seeing its good parts can make a complete person into a cartoon, 2-D and completely unbelievable. I care deeply to represent reality, not a facade of perfection, but life: warm, loving, heartbreaking, disgusting, worthwhile, broken, but true.

In my own home, I photograph. Some days I shoot more than others and sometimes not at all. Photography in my home is to share the happy occasions, to mark the milestones, and to remember the hard days too. Often, the subjects of my photos are my children and my loving wife and often I think only to share on social media when things are going well. If you know us and are in our lives regularly, you are aware that we are on the journey of adoption, and that although this road has been walked many times, it is a difficult one. We are loved and supported by many in our community, encouraged by those who succeeded before us, and still we are aware that we may yet face much hardship.

For me, this became the impetus to begin documenting our home life again and to share it in the form of a blog. I want to share with everyone our thoughts and feelings; our struggles and triumphs through this new adventure we are embarking on. When I photograph at home, I share a part of me with you.

What Does a Portrait Mean to You?

Most of us have been impacted by a portrait in one way or another, be it through the lens of historical and artistic influence, or merely encountering portraits of family members we once new and have since passed away. We make a peculiar connection with portraits because of our desire to see and know, to be curious about who this person was/is and what kind of person they might be. It is almost as if we can divine some meaning or profound insight from the features expressed in the medium. 

For me, portraits have always been a point of fascination. In my study of photography I have seen many compelling photos but still none carry the gravitas of a well executed portrait.  A few years ago, I came across the most amazing series of photo journalistic portraits I have ever seen. New York based photographer, Joey L, brought names and faces to a people that were previously unknown to me, forever impacting the way I view portraiture. 

Portraits exist in many different forms and nearly everyone has many of the ones they love in their homes. Many of us have portraits of family we will never meet and they remain as treasures and heirlooms. Portraits have historically been made to mark a great change in the life of those being painted or photographed. In the early days of photography, the portrait was something that was time consuming far more complicated that it is today. And with the investment of that time and energy of making photographs, intentionality became of primary importance. There was a reason to have the portrait made and a message that portraits were intended to convey. 

Allow me to share a few portraits I have made over the years and what they are intended to convey in their construction. All photos below are my own and are not for sale. 

This photo was taken in November of 2014, just 3 months after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. Deep in the dredges of depression era photography, I chose to style this portrait after the American Gothic from Gordon Parks 

This is a portrait of Teddy, who was our wonderful family dog, always full of love and lived with us for 12 years after we adopted him. By the time he was 14, he could not stand up on his own or see well enough to find his food and water bowl. We were unable to do anything more for him this portrait became my farewell to Teddy. 

A portrait that I made for my Senior Integration Project at Covenant College. The series of portraits (found here) highlighted something unique and beautiful about each person and their innate connection to the "Imago Dei" the "Image of God". Greyson, uses his God-given talent to make quality wood furniture. He is holding a tape measure. 

Ted Reeder, a man I met in Chattanooga, TN while attending Covenant College. This was an impromptu portrait and in the moment, many things lined up to provide great light and a subject with a deep and reflective expression. 

I have had only two opportunities to photography my grandparents, this was one of them. A portrait that still stands in my grandmother's condo. My grandfather has since passed and the portraits I made for them are a treasure to my family, especially my grandmother. Yesterday would have been their 51st anniversary 

These photographs are not for sale but I am more than happy to talk about any of these and show you many more portraits I have done over the years. 

Let me know which portrait was your favorite! And if you have any portraits that are precious to you! (www.facebook.com/farmerphoto)

The link to Joey L's portraits. (  > Click Here <  )

Blogs Are Hard - Let's Try A Brief Introduction

If you've followed me for any length of time you may know that I have tried the blog thing before. Let's start over, friends. Ok? Here goes:

My name is Sam Farmer. My beautiful wife Casey and I own and operate Farmer Photography! We have two beautiful children and are located here in the Tampa Bay area. I have a passion for storytelling and have always been inspired by movies, photos, and any other kind of story. I love getting to know new people and hearing their stories. Show me what inspires you! 

Wow! It's Been a While

Like I said, it has been quite a while since I posted on my blog. Almost a year actually, and if you are anywhere around me, I'm sure you have noticed that I am generally a pretty busy guy. 

I did want to share what I have been up to recently! My grandparents just celebrated 50 years of marriage about two months ago and I was able to go out and photograph them and celebrate with them. I made another FPS-style video to show the perspective of the photographer when taking the photos. 

Check it out and I hope you enjoy it! Hoping to have more soon!

First Person View of a Photo Shoot

Just wanted to share some recent photos from when my wife and I went back to Walsingham Park. We brought my GoPro and attached it to the hotshoe mount on my camera. Check out the video and the full gallery below!

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Unfortunately we had some recording mistakes and the first portion of video was not saved but the photos are included in the gallery below. 

Around the Peninsula (pt. I)

Are you new to the St. Petersburg Peninsula? Me too! I am beginning a new series of blog posts about things to do around the area. 

Don't worry, the majority of these posts will be about things that are free or very cheap, family friendly, and easy to do on your day off or spare day of vacation. With the scenery as beautiful as it is here in the Tampa Bay area, I know I'm going to have a lot of options when it comes to places to go and things to see! And of course, I have particular liking for places that are picture perfect!

I'm always going to be looking for somewhere to go with my wife and 9 month old son! If you are a local and have any suggestions where I can go, please feel free to share in the comments below! I'm always open to suggestions! 

For this first time, I don't want to tackle what everyone thinks of when they hear Florida, because the beach is the most common part of this area and I don't want to spend my days off like everyone else. (Although the beach is still nice every once in a while) So this time, I'm going to cover two great parks here in Pinellas County.

1. Walsingham Park

Walsingham Park is a beautiful park with plenty of shade and well lit through the treetops. There are shelters and grills to cook on as well as many small playgrounds for kids! These are just a few of the images I captured there and I believe they capture the refreshing atmosphere of the park. Check it out here in Largo on Walsingham Rd.

2. Coachman Park

I was at this park for their Independence Day celebration with games, food, and live music. The park plays host to the City Of Clearwater's events constantly and almost all of them are free to the public! 

It was a hot July day for sure but we were thankful for the cool breeze coming from the bay. We were able to see musician Aubrey Wollett play as well as the Reis Brothers who both played some really great music. 

Coachman is beautiful and well kept, and when they are not hosting events, it is a nice space to sit and enjoy the bay or have a picnic with frisbee and football. Check current events on the city's website to see what is going in the area! 

We Moved!

Ever since we had moved to Birmingham, AL, we missed being near to either side of the family. We were nine hours from my family and twelve hours from my wife's family. A couple of weeks ago I interviewed for a job with a Toyota Dealership in Pinellas Park, FL and a day later, they offered me the job. Almost two weeks ago, we packed our bags and moved south to Largo, FL which is on the other side of the Tampa Bay.

Now we face many challenges in adapting to a new home, chiefly, finding one. Currently my parents have taken us in until we can find a place to settle. The next challenge is to establish myself as a photographer in a place where I currently have no credibility. Thankfully, I have the support of my loving wife and I still get to come home to her and my son. I'm learning the area and I've begun to find the best places for photos in my area, but I'm starting to think I might need some help soon. 

If you live in the area, drop me a line and I would love to photograph for you and if not, just make new friends and connections! My information hasn't changed so send me an email, call me, or text me. I'll do my best to answer ASAP. 

Photo Resolution! Will You Actually Hear From Me Every Week?

Happy New Year everyone! 2016 is sure to be a great year and, looking back, 2015 wasn't a bad year either. At the beginning of each year, many people make promises to themselves to better themselves in some way for some reason. Whether it be by exercising more, studying harder, or even just by smiling more, many people seek to make the coming year brighter than the last. And now, in 2016, I join the fold of the millions of people making "resolutions" for the year. 

I am resolving to post to this blog weekly; not in a "Dear Diary" way but hopefully in a way that gives insight into the way I build my photographs. My goal is to post at least one new image every week. From what I've learned over the past few years, consistency is key and ultimately, I want to be that way in all of my dealings, professional and otherwise. 

For this week, I am posting my first image in a 52 week challenge originated by Dogwood Photography (http://dogwood.photography/52weekchallenge.html) Week one's photo was for a self portrait, which can be interpreted however the photographer sees fit. 

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For this image, I wanted to portray myself simply and with a straight forward appeal. It's always a good idea to strive to make images compelling, even if you think the subject is boring. I, along with many other photographers, dislike being in front of the lens of a camera. We prefer to be behind the camera, controlling and capturing the world in front of us. Even a picture as controlled as this one is unnerving for me. 

I know that if I am out on a photo shoot, clients often feel uncomfortable in front of the camera. And it is my job as the photographer to help them relax and feel comfortable, which in turn, makes the images really shine! On the flip-side of that, there is no one to give me that assurance when I am in front the lens. 

What tricks do you have up your sleeve when you are getting your picture taken? Leave a comment below with any suggestions!

Updated! Finally

So you know that whole "updated weekly" I have in the sidebar? Yeah, I've been doing a terrible job of that because here we are, more than 3 months later with my second post! Here is an update on some of my recent adventures and some photos to brighten your day! 

The last few months have been long and strenuous for me but all-in-all I am thankful for the good things that have come out of it. If you have been keeping up with my Instagram Feed, you might have noticed a few changes in my life. In July, I was working nearly 70 hours a week to provide for my wife and unborn son. My days were long and strenuous and it left no time to do the things I needed to do for my family. Starting in August, I was able to get a new Job as a service writer for a car dealership here in Birmingham. In September, my son, Levi William Farmer, was born healthy and beautiful. 

Here are just a few photos and a glimpse of the posts I will be sharing in the upcoming week.

The Dignity of Humankind

When I think of people I know and love, I think of them in the context of their relationship to me. Whether it is my wife, my parents, or my neighbors, I see them all in the framework of our previous encounters that have built our relationship to where it is now, be it good or bad. But what relationship do we have with people we do not know? People, with whom we have no relational context draw little of our attention and just hearing of the pain of others does very little to affect change. 

Relationships help us to grow as people and to be in community with others in a way that is not shared among other species on earth. What we see in other people, through relationship, becomes deeper than just surface level observation. As we grow in relationship, we grow in respect for one another. Why must this respect be earned instead of given freely? Do my fellow men and women not exist in the same hardships as I do? 

All human beings share a commonality that cannot be confused with or mistaken for coincidence. If we are created in the image of God, then that same image is displayed in all of his created people. His image is revealed in glimpses through the very human beings he loves and takes delight in. Our commonality and differences are what make us unique, yet unified.

Portraits play a huge role in this idea of revealing the commonality of man. A great portrait can tell the viewer plenty of information but only enough to whet their appetite. Many phenomenal examples of this can be found, including Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl and almost all of the photos from Joey L's Guerrilla Fighters of Kurdistan . I am attempting to capture the dichotomy of people in the context of who they are and what is important to them.