Today is Halloween which means it is also the final day of October.  As I have done the past two years, a new version of Thirty Days will start tomorrow.

If you are new to following the blog, during the next thirty days I will go out and take a photograph every day and post it to the blog.  The image may not be the best of the day, but allows for something to be reviewed and critiqued by the readers of the blog.

I am looking forward to this once again this year, and hope you will check back often to the blog during the month.  Also once again this year I will let you vote on your favorites at the end of the project.

The new gallery guide produced by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs is now available online in addition to galleries throughout Denver.  Check out the Denver Gallery Guide and some of the many galleries located in the city of Denver.

This month the f/22 focus is on Christy Janeczko a wedding and portrait photographer from Wisconsin who I met in Missoula, Montana a few years ago.  With a unique style and approach I took the time to ask Christy some questions for this months profile.

Christy, what was it which first got you interested in photography?
Growing up in a tight-knit family at gatherings my Grandfather was the one carrying around the camera.  It was such a beauty, and he always (and still does) take beautiful photographs.  I believe my real interest in photography stemmed from my Grandfather’s photography, but I was also interested at an early age snatching my parent’s cameras and taking pictures of random things around the house and yard (the cat, bottoms of chairs, dolls, etc.)  Of course all of this progressed, as I got older, I took thousands of pictures in high school, I just wish I would have been able to take some courses in high school but they weren’t offered in my district.

Your business first started with portraits, what is it about the portrait which you enjoy photographing?
Portraits are intriguing to me. I think that you really learn a lot about a person or family though photographing them. You see the interaction, the laughter, and the love they have for each other – and it makes me so happy that I have the gift to capture those memories for them.

In addition to portraits you have also started focusing on wedding photography, how did you decide to expand into this area and how does your recent engagement help you in your business?
Expanding into wedding photography was not something I originally planned on doing, but my business slowly opened up and progressed in the direction of engagement and wedding photography. I have to admit, it’s something I love to do. It’s exciting to be capturing the start of a new life together. I have to say that my recent engagement really throws me into the shoes of every client I have – all the jitters, the delight and the fresh look on life ahead. It’s refreshing and eye-opening all at the same time.

How would you describe your style?
I have a bit of photojournalism, a little bit of traditional – but I just hope that my style is more timeless and natural than anything else. I try to shoot in a way that I would want my children’s images, senior pictures or wedding photos to look. I also feel that it’s always evolving, as I grow and change my style continually changes as well.

What photographers do you follow on a regular basis and how has their work helped inspired you?
I follow various photographers on a daily basis, and I love following their blogs. I admit that most of my favorites are photographers that I know from the Rocky Mountain School of Photography – it’s so refreshing to see where they’ve been and where they are now. I also enjoy finding random photographers around the country to see what they’re up to – and what’s popular in different regions.

It is good to take a break from the work which is primarily your business, what type of items do you enjoy to photograph for your personal work?
Ah… personal work. If you know me, you also know that my personal work equals vintage cars. I have a deep affection for the beauty of restored muscle cars. I grew up around them and it’s stayed with me through the years. During the summer on the weekends it’s most likely you’ll find me at a car show – walking around taking images. I also have a deep affection for anything spooky. I love cemeteries, ghost towns and the like. I currently have a collection named “Beautiful Spirits” available for viewing on my website.

In your business is there one item you have learned which you would like to share with the readers who may just be starting out their own photography career?
Shoot, shoot, shoot. The more you shoot, the better. Try different techniques standing in the same spot; bracket your meter, step back, step forward – be creative. It’s all about being comfortable with yourself and your camera. I know when I first picked up my DSLR I was embarrassed to be carrying such a big camera around, but the more you get used to shooting it, carrying around and working with it – the better your images will be. Step outside of the box.

Thank you Christy for taking the time to do this interview.

The following are some examples of Christy’s photography.

Copyright Christy Janeczko

Copyright Christy Janeczko

Copyright Christy Janeczko

Also be sure to check out more of her work at her website:
Wisconsin Photographer Christy Janeczko

See you next month for another f/22 profile.

This past weekend the Denver Marathon took over the streets of the city.  Once again this year, I went to lower downtown Denver to photograph and the following are a few images from the event.

A runner makes their way through lower downtown Denver

Runners make their way along the route as a reflection of lower downtown highlights the area of the race

Runners make their way through lower downtown

Runners approach Coors Field and mile marker 3 during the Denver Marathon

I hope when you view the photographs on the website there are times when you say to yourself it would be nice to share this photograph with a friend or on a social networking site for others to enjoy.  This is now an option when viewing the photographs on the Images from Neil Corman Photography website.

When viewing an image, under the description and copyright information there are a group of buttons available.  Just click on one of those options and you are on your way to sharing with others.

If you are wondering what these images mean, the first link is to share on Facebook, followed by Twitter, Google Bookmarks and Digg.  You can also send an e-mail to a friend with a link or bookmark the page in your browser.   Now if this is not enough, there are over 150 other options available (yes, I had no idea there were that many options as well).  Give it a try on Winter in Washington Park or any other image you would like to share.

I thank you ahead of time in sharing any images, as this type of feedback helps me understand the work which you enjoy and how to continue to grow the gallery.

It has been a busy few weeks after the finale hike for the Team in Training Fall 2009 season.  First off thank you to everyone who helped me reach and exceed my goal of $3000.  There were many of you and I am slowly getting out formal thank you notes as well as a thank you gift to many of you.

For my hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, I hiked Flattop Mountain and Hallets Peak in some changing conditions.  Leaving the trail head at 4:45am we started off in the dark with a group of hikers from the Georgia chapter and were near treeline when the sun emerged.  Initially there was some morning light, but the clouds started rolling into the valleys.  The one thing which was absent this year was the wind, and by the time we got to the peak of Flattop it started to cool down and we were in and out of the clouds.  The group continued onto Hallets and once at the top you could see in the distance a storm starting to brew.  As we started heading down the rocky trail a system moved in and brought some snow to us on the hike down, or maybe it was gropple.  Either way it was with us almost all the way back towards Bear Lake and the conclusion of the Fall 2009 Team in Training – Hike season.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed as 59 hikers participated at RMNP raising around $230,000!  It is not too late to donate, and if you would like to do so let me know.

A few months ago I went to a joint ADCD/ASMP presentation where Chase Jarvis talked about creativity. One thing which resonated from this talk is your best camera is the one which is with you. It doesn’t matter if it is a high end Nikon camera, point and shoot or even a cell phone camera.

Most of the images you see on this blog were taken with either a Nikon D700, Nikon D200 or a point and shoot camera. However I decided to follow in the steps of Chase and many others and start using the mobile phone as a way to express creativity and also to start to see things different in the world. Now the quality you will get from a cell phone is much different than a high end camera, but the composition elements remain the same.  Using an Apple iPhone 3GS and an iPhone application I am able to be creative on the go.  By doing this I have found I am looking at objects differently that I would in the past, bringing more creativity to my photography.

For the past few months I have been posting images on my Twitter feed as well as Facebook Fan Page for Neil Corman Photography.  However now with a collection of images, they are now featured on this website and available for purchase in small sizes.  The collect is called ‘Along the Journey…‘ as life carries on there is always time to stop and enjoy the surroundings you experience.  New images will continue to be posted on Twitter and Facebook, with the top images being included for sale in the gallery.

The following images are samples of some of the images taken with the mobile phone.

Chair Lift - Avon, Colorado

Coors Field Seats - Denver, Colorado

Do you have a collection of images taken with a mobile device, if so feel free to provide a link in the comments.