Just so everyone is aware...

I have a new blog!  For by business class we have to show our online portfolio to some potential clients and I wasn't sure I wanted clients reading all about my personal life.  It's the perfect time to launch my new blog:

www.rachelbetts.blogspot.com

For now it's just images from my portrait class but expect great things soon...

A Preview...

Matchbox Pinhole Camera - Color Film

BFA

Bachelor of Fine Arts Project
That's what I work on all the time.  And when I'm in other classes it's what I think about.  I'm dying right now because the photo lab is closed on Sundays.  My project will be different from other people's.  The past few days I was a wreck because of how different my images are from other BFA Student's work.  I was worried that people wouldn't appreciate dark, blurry, pinhole images.  For some reason I was also very worried that President Clark would hate it...But I talked to my teacher and he said that once people see the process and time that goes into pinhole photography, they will appreciate the images.  And that's the whole point of my project anyway, to explain the process of creating an image.  It's not just about pointing and clicking a shutter, it's about light, dark, sensors, and pinholes.  I can't wait for you to see my project :)

Our Vacation:

-California
-Boogie Boarding
-Meeting Family
-Beaches
-Rodeo's
-Digging Holes
-Hugging Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents
-The Fair
-Campfires
-Barbeques
-Inception
-Kayaking
-Zoo's
-Baby Zebras
-Bathing Suits
-New Babies
-Old Babies
-Friends!
-Singing
-Playing Nertz, Ticket to Ride, Shanghai Rummy, Monopoly Deal, & Phase 10
-Finally Getting Rid of our Couch
-Sandals
-Working
-Photographing
-Thunderstorms
-Snow Cones
-Farmer's Market Salsa & Tortillas
- And we still have a couple more weeks!

California....

Can't wait for my summer to start <3

labels are very important, but for bottles of wine, not for artists - Jeanne-Claude

Today I developed my own prints in my own darkroom.  It was our family home evening activity.  While rinsing my prints and getting them ready to dry, I shed a little tear.  This has been my dream for years.  I remember peeking into my grandfather's studio when he wasn't looking and wondering why it was always so dark in there.  Later I visited his studio at the university and developed some prints of my own. How incredible!  Images appeared on blank pieces of paper.  How was it possible?  I remember my dad telling my about how he had darkroom supplies growing up.  I wanted to go search my grandma's house for them.  Then I came to school and I learned how to mix the chemicals and expose the paper.  But darkroom's around the country were becoming endangered.  Nobody wanted to use film anymore when computers and digital sensors were so much easier.  I worried that eventually I would have to leave my school and never find a darkroom ever again.  But now I don't have to worry about that.  All you need to develope prints are the right chemicals, a dark room, and a timer.  And that's what I've got. 

It's crazy how in just an hour I've gotten over the fear of the future I had before.  I used to be so scared that once I got out of school, I would be stuck doing weddings and senior portraits.  Now my art will always be with me.  I'll be able to share it with my husband and my children!  I can't wait to go home for the break so that I can develope pictures with my brothers!  While I was in my darkroom today, I imagined a day when Ben would come home from work, knock on the bathroom door, and I would be in there with all my little youngin's yelling "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!  WE'RE MAKING A PRINT!!"  There are a whole new bundle of possibilities coming my way...

A Day on the Farm...

One of my concept images for my commercial photography class is to photograph an illustration of a "Cash Cow" so today we spent the afternoon at a dairy farm!  This is my lovely model "Winter."  Images from the photoshoot will be up once they are edited!