Identity Crisis

For the last couple of months, my photography and personal brand have been top-of-mind. A year or so ago, I created the above logo (ignore the obnoxious tagline that was supposed to be a rotating thing) in a flurry of creative frustration. I think I need much more wow to stand out amongst very impressive competition in the area.

Most photographers have their names as their business name. Makes a lot of sense--no one else is you, and photography is usually a one-man-band. Plus coming up with a phrase or word to sum up your creative endeavors is incredibly challenging. Oh Hello Baby was the product of the fearful and hormonal days when I first learned that I was pregnant--at age 20 and a junior in college four hours from home. I started the blog to journal for therapeutic reasons and to perhaps be able to show the little man what the early days of his life were like through his mother's eyes. The name, to me, conveys the surprise and excitement of something new and growing. It stays.

But what about the other aspects of my bland and lacking personality should shine through into an identity? What aesthetic obsessions of mine should I incorporate into a business brand? At this point it's just ironic that I majored in something centered on brand development and maintenance.

I've been working with a technique that usually helps me focus: keyword mood boards. A mood board is how the little man's name was fleshed out. On a turquoise sheet of heavyweight paper I jotted down several (40?) boys' names that appealed to me along with qualities that I envisioned my grown-up fetus having. Examples on that "board" were Finn, independent, Bryson, hip, Parker, earthy, etc. etc. all scattered about to fill the page. Gradually I combined and eliminated items to create the combination that I couldn't let go: voila Hudson Sage.
But names are easy.

What design elements do I put on CD labels, envelopes, business cards, blog headers, stickers, letterhead, and more? And even more grating on me is my photography style itself. Each established photographer has editing techniques and principles that guide them and attract like-minded clients. Some photographers rely heavily on black and white. Others use inspired pops of color and urban settings for modern drama. Some specialize in dreamy, floral children's themes; others, rustic grunge. You get the idea. Right now, it feels like the images I churn out are all over the place. I have honed down favorite Photoshop actions, and that helps.

It might help if I had object-obsessions, such as an owl infatuation or an affinity for dress forms, but nothing is jumping out at me. I have collected vintage Pyrex. Those designs aren't cool for the taking. Several decor themes are trendy, which I want to avoid to a degree. Think chandeliers, faux bois, damask, aforementioned owls, birdcages, ornate scrollwork, trees and leaves, dandelions... There is something: past the awful mess that is my discombobulated cottage is a design scheme based mostly on black + white and turquoise + lime. Aaaalso yellow and natural fibers such as burlap and kraft paper. Thus far, my packaging has been kraft and black + white. Solid, but ho-hum. de dum.

I believe it's time to get cracking on my keyword mood board for { oh HELLO baby } photography . This is where you come in to play: feel free to comment with words that either you desire in photography, that you think exemplify a style that I embody or should follow, or something that could work for me. Also don't hesitate to help me hone and eliminate. I'll start:

natural

authentic

retro

modern

rural

fresh

simple

homemade

old-time-country-music

pioneer

handwritten

typewriter

herbal

Scandinavian

hygge (you might have to look that one up)

bright

hazy

hippie

organic

small

{ nowitsyourturn.doit }

Perennial Surprises

My love affair with my homey, run-down cottage named Midge Midgey Poo continues--as this year there are a few new perennial additions to her completely chaotic and relatively expansive yard. I have watched for over a year and a half and have identified the following highlights of my rental palace's grounds:

at least 4 peonies, only 2 of which bloomed last year

three rusty burn barrels, two of which were converted into lettuce and herb containers, one of which is a possible compost bin

a sidewalk tree (has a chunk of old sidewalk growing out of it)

a tractor tire, once filled with rocks and a stinging insect's nest, now filled with soil and ornamental grasses

a garden hose tree (has several strands of garden hose growing out of it from a long-gone tree house)

two sections of a dry stack retaining wall of sorts that has shifted and fallen into a less than elegant mess--but has several floral surprises including some peonies and hen-and-chicks

tiny siberian squill to greet the spring

a single red tulip

an overwhelming mass of hostas along one side of the house (not my favorites since they are heartily overused)

a perfectly shady spot at the bottom of the hill for a hammock

a low-enough dipping tree branch for a swing

incline and bumps that made for a whale of a Slip-n-slide and will again this summer

Weirdest thing: the yard is often dominated by a curious little creature known as "Hudson" that tromps around and entertains the locals. If you would like to see a fascinating rendition of "Lollipop" complete with umbrella (ala Planet 51) and performed on the sidewalk feel free to meander by when the weather is nice.

New this year: echinacea, hollyhocks, shasta daisies, astilbe, aster, sweet alyssum, sweet peas (fingers crossed for them), four o'clocks, clematis, delphinium, ...and hopefully a new song with a wider range of lyrics.

Windy Country

Remember that one time I blogged about the new wind turbines that popped up out of nowhere? (How do I remember that blog post?) Well, those towering giants were inadvertently some major players in this weekend's drive-by session.

Seen even through the misty fog, they somehow managed to steal the stage away from new grass and farmy landscapes.

Powerful machines to power our power-needs.

Well, users of MidAmerican that is. Pretty sure our municipal energy comes from good old fashioned hamsters on wheels like the good ol' days. That's the only acceptable purpose of hamsters. What were we talking about? Oh yes. Wind turbines, more hillbill-ily called "windmills" around some parts, but I know that you know the difference.

Gentle giants, I do suppose. Much preferred over hamsters.

A Sunday Drive(by)

Let's just ignore the fact that this is my first post in ohhh...let's just say a year for rounded-ness's sake. Okay? Thanks! I've been blogging like I attend church. And speaking of which, Sunday (Easter) morning, Hudson and I went for a long-overdue "Drive-by Shooting." Mhmm, that's right--I take my nearly-three-year-old on drive-bys with me. On Easter Sundays.

{ Do note that a drive-by shooting for a lanky white Midwestern blonde means taking the 100mm lens on the DSLR, loading up the Scion xB, and meandering through the countryside, never exiting the car. }


During these outings I refer to Hudson as my "homie." Homie talks too much. And gets way too confused as to the point of this trip. However he does like to roll down his window whenever I do for good measure. What kind of weird example am I setting here? To my defense, homeboy's stools were a tad watery, so a church trip was not in the best interest of other Easter celebrators. You're welcome.


At the end of our trip I had 95 photos. We even shot-up our own backyard! I confess, plenty of farm animals and trees were shot. I plan on loading up a few other posts with examples of these specimens, so here is a teaser: the ever-present bovine aka MooMoo and Baby MooMoo.

Inspiration

Remember this?



How could you forget, right? Well I finally was forced into re-doing got around to starting the rehab of my lovely 5'x6' bathroom. First step? Besides cleaning and sanding...painting. For some odd reason, I chose to keep it neutral with one of the colors I make fun of the most -- ivory/beige. How boring. How dull. How overused and obnoxious. How very nice and soothing every once in a while if used right.

Well, in normal "me" fashion, I am running away with the re-do idea and have decided that pretty much everything needs changed. With the exception of my shabby-chic, rustic (read: old and gross) mirror and sink cabinets, much is seeing action.

A month or so ago, I found katie daisy on etsy.com, and decided that it was the epitome of me and my life in illustration form. I drooled over her stuff (like seriously) for a while before I plunked down the cash (via PayPal, of course) for two large format prints. Then I tried to find frames for such goofy sizes. Thank you, Michaels. Anyhoo, they make me so extremely happy. Among all of her stunning work which I would loovvve to plaster every space of this shack with, these called out to me as great bathroom fare:



Cheery, pretty, inspiring--just what I need in a nasty bathroom which I roll out of bed into every morning. And so in short, I have decided to base the bathroom decor around it. The whole Shabby Chic nonsense is a bit trendy, overdone, and country-bumpkin for my tastes--normally--but what they hey, we're rolling! I found some vintage bedsheet fabric on sale that will become the shower curtain and window curtain. That is, if my manic bathroom gumption doesn't up and leave before I get the sewing machine out.

Also an inspiration for the upbeat, floral theme? Nature walks with my Huddy Buddy. I took my camera out with us today and then created a calendar-esque collage just for you. Enjoy the pretties.

Hopefully I'll be able to post before-and-afters soon! Wish us luck.