Helen's photo-art palette

A new blog change. BlogSpot is such an amazing system. I am going to start using it again instead of the blog on my site. This will be linked on my site(www.capturedmiracles.org) as the site blog. It is just easier to do postings, for you as the viewers to see when there have been updates. Just all around better. So sorry for the back and forth, back and forth here, but this is really going to be way better in the long run. Also I decided I want to turn this blog into my online "photo-art palette". So that I can show all the differenent projects that I am working on and give advice and hints on how do to some of the effects and shots that I do. It is always fun to share the fun stuff I learn when doing these projects.

Finished Thomas Jefferson image

These are the last to postings on my other blog that I am moving to this blog now.
-helen

One more finished. I really love how this one turned out. i pictured the Declaration Of Independence glowing...to represent Divine Guidance on the creation of it. I know you are wondering "how did you do that?" Really I don't know. I get in this zone when i am creating...recently I was told that it is the "R ZONE" meaning that you are totally in the Right side of your brain and that when you are in that zone you are lifted into a spiritual creative zone and your art comes together and you have no idea how to explain it when others ask. That is exactly what happened with this. In fact that is what happened when I first was figuring out how to do the photo shopping for Christ's scars on his hands when I first started. Every time I did it after that I was in that same zone...but with doing so many times..."the how" i did it stuck. So that I know now.

stage 3 (final)



Stage 2



Stage 1

I really love how this has an "OLD WORLD" Painter feel to it. The cool thing is with my shots like this...when you put the print in a room with low lighting the contrast give the illusion that the print is really glowing.

Now this next image is one that I did originally for my first collection. I just never finished it cause I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish it. There are still a couple of things I want to improve upon...which Im sure when I do Im sure no one but me will notice. "The ultimate curse of the artist" :)



This one is call "One at a Time"

There ended up not being much difference from the original. I added a sketch/pencil look around the edges so it was like going from a drawing to real life. It is not showing as strongly as I would like so I will end up adding to it more and having the sketched part show more toward the inside of the photo, but for now it works.

"Online Art Studio" -New Project Starting

I am coming back from the dead. I apologize for not being on for so long. Balancing everything the last couple of months has been quiet the challenge. I have a great feeling that we will be getting back on track here. As part of this "new leaf turning over". I am turning my blog into an "On-line Art Studio" As I am creating new works of art I will be uploading the fine art photo as I go/or upload it in stage step of the progress of the photo. I am already in the process of the 2nd stage of "Captured Miracles" collections. This next collection theme is "God... The Foundation Of Our Nation" Fine art photos Depicting founding fathers, and other important historical figures and moments in history with "The Hand of God" as a part of the image.

The first Images that I will upload are from my shoot a couple of week ago.

1st work of art
Abigail Adams with letters from John
"Letters of Faith" or "A Women of Faith" (open to suggestions)
Sarah my model, was wonderful to work with. She actually plays the role of Abigail Adams in schools around the state and tells the children about Abigail and John and the important role they played in our country.

Abigail has always had a special place in my heart. She is a woman of strength, head for politics and business. Loving mother and wife. Wow, what faith she had in the Lord and her husband. She spent most of her marriage separated from her husband, as he was out fighting for our freedoms in more then one way. She was home alone with her children and many times not even knowing if John was still alive...she sacrificed so much for all of us to be free.

John Adams was one of the few "Founding Fathers" to actually come back to a thriving business...all because of his wife. All the other founding fathers lost practically everything.

Raw shot stage 1


Stage 2


the final Image...I still need to photoshop window panes in the window and also the scar on Christ's Hands and feet.

2nd work of art
Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence
No title yet (open to suggestions)
Weston is playing a young 27 year old Thomas Jefferson. The story that goes with this shot is...
Thomas Jefferson spent about 2 weeks in his hotel room writing 2 paragraphs for the Declaration of Independence. When he would get stumped on what to write..."writers block" he would pull out his violin and play to get his creative juices flowing.

In this shot there is still much to do, I need to photoshop the rough draft of the Declaration Of Independence so that it GLOWS, to represent the divine intervention that was a part of its creation.

This first shot is a raw shot, in fact you can see my assistant Sarah in the background and the light tripod. I wasn't planning on shooting at this angel...but when I did it just fit so well. So I ended up going with it and photo shopped out the images in the dark background.
stage 1 image


One of the things I love about putting my projects together is how it all comes together. This shot, I knew I needed a 27 yr old young man, with sharp features, and blond to strawberry blond....long hair. (to pull back into a low pony) We were literally 2 days from the shoot and still hadn't found my model yet. I was toying with the idea of using a wig...but really didn't want to. I was afraid it would look fake. A couple of nights before the shoot, I was at a wedding and boom...right in front of my eyes was my Thomas Jefferson. (the brother of the groom) Most of my shoots always come together like that. I am literally divinely led to all the elements I need, including models.

Stage 2 image (still need to touch up some spots)



3rd work of art
Patrick Henry and his famous speach "Give me LIberty or give me death"
No title yet (open to suggestions)
Dr. Lance Hurly is a professional re-enactor of Patrick Henry. He is also the founder of "Founding Fathers Ministry"
I emailed him after finding his site on-line and asked if he would be interested in working on this project. He is living in TX and just happened to have a re enactment job he was flying to AZ for the following saturday. So we pulled these three shoots together in 5 days, so we could have him in it as Patrick Henry.
I love this shot, the wind came up out of nowhere and blew his coat tails up. I will be photo shopping in the inside of a church and have it slowly transform into the heavens above him. We will be getting the Church shot in the next couple of weeks. I am excited to finish this one.



In the 5 days I had to pull all these elements together the Lord led me every step of the way. I was led to these wonderful actors that had the costumes and two amazing men, Bill Norton ( lecture for National Center for Consitutional Studies...he has been my historian in ideas and making sure we had historically correct info and items ...all the way down to the shirt Thomas Jefferson was wearing. Don Jolley and Historical artist was so key in helping with props and stage setting for the shoot. Wonderful wonderful men. Thank you both. ...oh and I can't forget Don's wife. She is and expert in the writing the print from that time period...She donated her time and talents and hand wrote and copied exactly the hand writing for both the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and Johns letters to Abigail. They were so amazing even Bill was impressed with the exactness of the draft and letters.

New Site and New Images

Our official site is up and running. www.capturedmiracles.org

It has a blog on it too. So my new blog address is http://www.capturedmiracles.org/_blog/Miracles
I will be leaving this one up for a while, till everyone makes the switch and I finish switching my past posts over.

On this site I do not have the images for sell on it. With the new site, there is a new system. Which is way more advanced and put together. But I promise purchasing the images will be available by Thanks Giving if not sooner. In time for Christmas. Yeah!!!

Here area couple more images.

The first is called "Safe" (generic for anything involving children)

The second is called "From My Heart To Yours" (adoption)

Arizona Safe Baby Haven- photo titled "I AM"

Today I talked with the co-founder of Arizona Safe Baby Haven. I am so excited to have them as one of our 3 foundations we will be focusing on for the holiday season and 2009. I'm not sure if to many people know much about them. They are an organization that educates women of all ages on their choices they have if they do not want to keep their baby. The main focus is to help them know that if they do not want their child they can hand the baby over to a "Safe Haven" fire station, police department, hospital. They have 72 hours to come back for the baby if they change their mind. If they decide not to return they will not be charged for anything as long as no harm was done to the baby. The Law was put into effect in Arizona 2 1/2 yrs ago. And was designed to stop babies from being left in dumpsters and garbages. My heart breaks just thinking about a baby left to die that way...to be forgotten. I want to help save these babies from such a terrible death.
Visit
http://www.arizonasafebabyhaven.org
to get more information

They are in need of volunteers who would like to help spread the word of their cause. You can get in touch with Maria Van Den Heuvel the co-founder, by calling the 800 number provided on their site.

This picture was created with them in mind. I still have to add more garbage in the photo so that you can tell that the baby is being pulled out of the garbage. This little one is a brand new new born in this shot. (thank you to the parents for trusting us with this delicate shot) This shot was taken just as the sunlight hit on Christ's hands and the baby opened her eyes, the one and only time during the whole shoot. She is looking straight into Christs eyes. When I clicked the shot I knew that it was the one.

The poem and the photo are titled "I AM" and the poem on the photo was donated to be included in our efforts to raise funds for children by Cris Rankin, after watching a documentary about the babies left to die in the alleys of South Africa(cause they were unwanted...rape or aids babies) She sent it to me, because she knew that there were children here in the states that are "unwanted" as well and she wanted her poem to some how help them. Thank you Cris, you are an amazing women.

I AM


I AM NOT THE EXPERIENCE NOR ACTIONS OF MY PARENTS

IT MATTERS NOT HOW I BECAME

BUT THAT I AM

I AM COURAGE

I AM COMPASSION

I AM HOPE

I AM STRONG........I AM HERE

YOU CANNOT DEFINE ME AS I CHOOSE WHO I BECOME

I AM THE FUTURE

COPYRIGHT CRISTINA RANKIN 2008

Give From The Heart

I was inspired by a foundation that I found on the Internet called "The Little Red Wagon" There is a little boy that has created a foundation that helps children in need. Especially those that have lost their homes to natural disasters. He goes door to door with his little red wagon collection donations for children. I just love hearing about children that have such big hearts.

Update on our official website www.capturedmiracles.org.
I am excited to say that the official website is almost ready. So keep checking back for updates on when we will be "moving" :)

The Art and Soul of East Valley Art Exhibit at the Black Bird Music & Art Center

"Heaven's Gift" and "Following the Leader" have been excepted in an art exhibit here in the East Valley. I dropped the signed prints off today. I wish that the gallery was closer to my house, I would love to have my kids do art and music lessons there. They also have an "Open Mic Night" on the weekend...It's really cute with the cafe and all. They are going to be having an opening night this friday. I wish I could be there for it, other commitments made before I knew I was going to have my work in it. They are having the show exhibited before the "Open Mic Night" so head on out for a great night. The address and info is on the flier. Just click on it.

It amazes me to see the prints large and framed. Even though I look at them on my computer screen all the time...it is so different seeing them large(24"x36"), signed and in frames..."Heaven's Gift" literally took my breath away. I had it printed on this amazing art paper that just made the blacks and grays pop out at you, but at the same time it has such an calming soft effect on you when you look at it. You have got to see it in real life.

ABOUT: A little about this shot.
This shot is of my little newborn baby boy Santi (Stephen Santiago Robson, named after his grandfathers and daddy) I took it of him when he was 2 hours old. I feel I need to clarify a few things here. I know that some people have heard some crazy story that I took the picture myself after giving birth to him...yes,the story is TRUE.:) Santi was an At-home, waterbirth, hypno-birthing baby...can I say that all in one breath? Barely. In the future I would love to find a way to educate women on alternative options to child birth. Just so that as women we are educated on what is out there. I had such amazing experiences with both my births being done with these methods, I would love to spread the knowledge.
So I decided one way I could do that was when Santi was born I wanted to take picture of him at an hour old. It ended up being 2 hours but that works too. Yes, you heard right, I actually shot this photograph. People think that I am crazy, but I felt great, couldn't even sleep that night I had so much energy. I asked Jason (plays Christ) to be on stand by for when ever Santi wanted to be born. I needed Jason to come over to do the shot literally within an hour or so of birth. Poor guy ended up at my house shortly after midnight. By the time we me taken care of and Santi, got the lights set up and did the shot it was 3 am. What a sport. Good thing he is a long time friend and I can bully him around a bit.:) I left a foot of Santi's cord on for the shot, and even though I knew it was totally grossing Jason out, with it touching his hand and everything...Jas was amazing cause you couldn't tell he was gagging inside. If you only knew the stuff we photographers put our models though to get "The Shot".

This next shot...WOW how the colors pop when it is printed on paper. I have people curious why I have Christ's top part of his body cropped off. To tell you the truth, when I go the inspiration for the shot, I was laying in bed just about to fall asleep and that is the way I saw the shot. For some reason it is how God gave it to me. He has a reason I guess one of these days I will know why, but I actually like it that way. Although the look on Christ's face without it being cropped is soooo cute it is so tempting to have both versions available. One with the whole body and one without. I am also debating on changing the title from "Following the Leader" to "Come Follow Me" Im really leaning towards the second.