Street Photography: Construction On Skyline, and a Challenge

Street photography is difficult down in my neighborhood. It's just a nice, lazy suburb, and I don't like to bother my neighbors too much with my lens in their faces. Maybe I'm too nice or too timid, but I tend to stick to photographing nature around my home, because that is what I am comfortable with, and honestly, it's what I see when I look out the window.

Lately we've had an ongoing construction project close by. An entire street is closed to thru traffic for the Summer, and was for a good part of the Spring too. After a while, this project got me thinking more in-depth about urban photography. Street photography doesn't have to be just city dwellers on the street, living the city life, it can be snippets of still life brought about by change in the neighborhood. After all, "Art is not what you see, but what you make other's see," as the French Impressionist Edgar Degas so aptly said.

So here is my challenge to other local (and non-local) photographers. Look for art in the unexpected, and show your unique point of view through your work, whether it is a road construction project, farming or garden work, misplaced shoes, or a speed boat out on the water.... Below are some of my pieces from the construction site.

UPDATE July 4, 2015: for more street photos please visit my Flickr albums, River Front Park and Downtown Salem

"A Day In The Life" Photo-A-Day Challenge: Week 4

For the month of April I worked on a specific photography technique: Subject Isolation. And what better way to do this than a "day in the life" photo-a-day challenge. And yay, I got outside more!!

Its the last week, and boy am I itching to use f5.6+. I may need a week of only shooting f8 to stop feeling so near sighted... but this was a really great exercise. I also stuck to only one lens a week at a time. I recommend exercises like this to anyone breaking in new (or new to them) lenses, so you know their strengths, weaknesses, and to get comfortable. These are also good exercises to do periodically for yourself, just like practicing scales for a musician.

If you missed the previous weeks, they can be viewed here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3

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 © 2015, Lisa Miller - All Rights Reserved - Thank you!

"A Day In The Life" Photo-A-Day Challenge: Week 3

For the month of April I'm continuing my work on a specific photography technique: Subject Isolation. And what better way to do this than a "day in the life" photo-a-day challenge.

If you missed the previous weeks, they can be viewed here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 4

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 © 2015, Lisa Miller - All Rights Reserved - Thank you!

Film Reels: Lover Come Back

Film Reels - In which I catch up on my classic movies and then talk about them.

Lover Come Back -  Romance/Comedy, 1961

In the midst of the finale season of Mad Men, I feel like I normally do when a beloved TV show, book or movie ends; there is a tiny hole in my heart where the characters resided shortly. It must be a trait of the artistic person or the overly nostalgic, but I get it every time. To fill this hole in my heart, I turn to research; who was the real Don Draper? And then I remembered a movie from my childhood, Lover Come Back.

My mother adored Doris Day growing up, and she shares that love with my sister and myself.  In the movie Lover Come Back, both Rock Hudson and Doris Day play Ad men (women), much like Don Draper, Peggy Olsen, et. al. Now Mr. Hudson's character acts a bit more Roger Sterling-esque, playing the ladies more than the actual advertising, but the setting is still Madison Avenue in 1960. And boy is it familiar after all 7 seasons of Mad Men. I felt like I was watching the movie with fresh eyes.

When I first watched Lover Come back, I was probably a pre-teen, and focused on the silliness and comedic execution. Now that I'm older, wiser and have all that advertising knowledge under my belt, the movie is just that much funnier. Also, Tony Randall and Ann Davis are both treasures. Both have excellent comedic timing and a penchant for one liners and great character work. Its too bad Ann Davis didn't get more work. As for Tony Randall, I may need to revisit the Odd Couple here soon.

Lover Come Back is a slightly dated, but well done, time capsule of a movie, with great colors, slapstick, art, outright silliness, obligatory "Doris Day soft-focus," and a bit of romance. The best moment comes 3/4 the way through with their "new product." In the right hands, this could be a very interesting movie to remake. But only in the right hands... Regardless, you'll love Vip! And I hope you'll enjoy the movie as much as I always have. And maybe it will cheer you up after Mad Men ends too... (Available on iTunes, Amazon, Googleplay)

"A Day In The Life" Photo-A-Day Challenge: Week 2

For the month of April I'm continuing my work on a specific photography technique: Subject Isolation. And what better way to do this than a "day in the life" photo-a-day challenge. Apologies ahead of time for any off photos...a photo a day means taking photos even when you are sick. Its a great distraction.

Update 5/1/2015: If you missed the previous/later weeks, they can be viewed here: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4

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 © 2015, Lisa Miller - All Rights Reserved - Thank you!

"A Day In The Life" Photo-A-Day Challenge: Week 1

For the month of April I'm working on a specific photography technique: Subject Isolation. And what better way to do this than a "day in the life" photo-a-day challenge. Each photo should express a daily activity or event in my life, and as this is a learning experience, I hope to improve from this week to the next! See you on the other side! :D

Update 5/1/2015: If you missed the previous/later weeks, they can be viewed here: Week 2, Week 3, Week 4

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 © 2015, Lisa Miller - All Rights Reserved - Thank you!

Sculpting And Painting With Paper

I've been experimenting with paper arts and crafts for a long while, but lately I've felt like testing its limits, and making paper into more than just paper. I love the general medium because I can work with items from my recycling container, a couple discarded art magazines from the state library and an out of date encyclopedia. Not only are supplies cheap, but I'm reducing the amount of items (though small) that go into the landfill every year. I know, I'm taking items of of my recycle container, but lets be frank, not all of the items you put in "Big Blue" end up being recycled into pretty new materials. Its always better to reuse first, am i right?


I love creating fictional scenes, natural landscapes or objects out of these discarded materials. Its almost surreal transforming an old encyclopedia article about electronic engineering into a magical grassy landscape. Its these idiosyncrasies that keep flooding me with more and more ideas for projects. Currently I'm working on a free standing tree on a hill made entirely of rolled magazines and paper I made in a blender. I have ideas for combining broken electronics and paper, such as copper wiring and old cameras to make dioramas, with paper sculpting bring the pieces to life. Combining paper arts and discarded items into larger pieces, or integrating paper and sculpting into paintings has opened a whole new world of possibilities.

"Cattails" by Lisa Miller, 2014 - discarded books, magazines & acrylic paints, glue

"Siamese With Yarn" by Lisa Miller, 2014 - discarded book pages, acrylics

"Spaceship" -  by Lisa Miller, 2014 - discarded book pages, acrylics, glitter, glue

To follow more of my art, please follow my Tumblr page: Nature VS Robots