Category: Ramblings

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Out of the Comfort Zone

I did it…

Image by Kathy McCabe & OpenAI (who captured me perfectly!)
I’ve been trying to drum up the courage to post something about wanting to photograph barns, on social media… Completely out of my comfort zone!

Today I did it!

“Seeking Barns with Stories to Tell

I’m creating a photographic series honoring the barns, stables, and outbuildings of Adams County—both working structures and weathered relics full of character and history.

If you have a barn or stable you’d be willing to let me photograph (inside, outside, and possibly aerials with permission), I’d love the opportunity to document it respectfully and preserve a small piece of our region’s heritage.

To view my work: www.hilltop.photos

Feel free to message me directly or tag someone who may be interested.”

I put it up on NextDoor because it seems to be much more local – so we’ll see… But if you know me you also know how much I am the “I’m only comfortable behind the lens, not in front of it kind of person” and I am always wanting to photograph something but hesitant to just walk up and ask.

This is a big one for me.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

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Photography Ethics

I recently read an article on Peta Pixel about a fake Siberian tiger photo. It’s a good read, I recommend it. You can view it here.

It got me thinking about ethics in photography, and why we should all practice them. And the main detractors of what kind of people cross the line.

For me, in wildlife and landscape photography, when you have altered the look of the photo – including adding in mountains, and backgrounds, you’ve changed it from a photo into an artwork. And you should mention that when you publish/publicize it. If you’ve altered it this much, it no longer represents a wildlife or landscape photo, its art.

In people photography, I’m fundamentally against body sculpting. I don’t like how I look in photos but I’m not about to do more than straighten my hair and maybe add a little makeup to it, I won’t be ‘thinning’ myself or making that crazy big butt thing that is all the rage. This is really important – to all of the influencers who wouldn’t be caught dead without your photos being shopped all out of proportion, you are setting an impossible standard for our younger and very impressionable population. To me, you need to state that the picture you just altered beyond belief is now FAKE.

All the young selfie takers – quit putting your lips into the duck bill thing, it looks dumb, and you will regret it when you get older. You’re already beautiful, you don’t need to pose like that, and you don’t need to alter your pictures into something you’re not.

In my photography, if I’ve altered it beyond filtering, or removing trash/graffiti, I will tell you I’ve done that. I won’t represent it as ‘real’ when it isn’t.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Keep taking pictures! Kathy