Farewell for now...

Well friends, we've come to the end of another semester, only this time that also means that the group as we know it has come to an end. =/ It only seems appropriate to close it out with one last blog post.

I can't speak for everybody, but I can say that the group has been a tremendous inspiration to me. Going out every week to take pictures alongside you all is nothing short of a privilege. I have been blessed over and over again by your photographs, attitudes, willingness to learn, and commitment to follow some dude who doesn't know what he's doing half the time =) I consider it an honor that you would look to me to teach you anything about photography when I am consistently blown away and learning new things as each of you show me how you view the world. You all have inspired me, challenged me, and blessed me more than you know.

If you were a part of the group (if even for only one week) please "sign" your name as a comment below. I would encourage you to share a memory or something, but at very least sign your name. It's a simple a way of recognizing everybody who contributed to the group.

Also, I know there are some distant followers who have kept an eye on the group but never joined the fun. You too are invited to share your thoughts below. Many of you have told me how much you enjoy viewing our pictures online, and I think the rest of the group would like to hear it too!

From day one, my hope for this group is that it would serve as a catalyst for other opportunities in the Visual Arts. I would love to see this group take on a new life and soar to even greater heights, and I eagerly wait to see what comes from it.

Lastly, thank you all for giving your time, talent, and energy to this crazy guy with a crazy idea. I have been blessed so much. I can only hope the same is true of you.

Keep shooting!
-Stephen

The numbers are in!

Just Shoot Me held "organized" photo shoots at each of the following locations in 2006 (in order):

Federal Triangle
Old Town Alexandria
Georgetown
Eastern Market
Ebenezers Inaugural
Dupont Circle
Kite Festival
Sunrise on Capitol Hill
Easter Eggstravaganza
Cathedral
U Street
Glen Echo Park
Buzz Conference
Dupont (again)
Adams Morgan
Arboretum
World War II Memorial
Clarendon
Nationals’ game
National Zoo
Botanical Gardens
Arlington Cemetery
Old Town (again)
Cathedral (again)
Rock Creek Park
Corn Maize
Federal Triangle (again)
Sunset at Tidal Basin
Portrait Workshop


Twenty-nine photo shoots.
Two Photoshop sessions.
Two Photo Exhibits.
6,897 photos uploaded.
Countless laughs.
One group.

Many thanks!

Free Photo Exhibit!

Greetings! This coming Friday (December 8th) we will be hosting our second photography exhibit at Ebenezers Coffeehouse. We will be kicking off the event on Friday night at 8:00 PM. There will be live music and some (baked??) goodies to enjoy as well. Best of all, it's free! We would love to meet you and hear your story, so grab a cup of coffee and come join us!

The exhibit is the combined work of 17 photographers, featuring over 200 photographs. If you can't make the opening night, then be ye not dismayed! The photos will be on display throughout the coffeehouse until December 21st.

Come. Enjoy. Be inspired!

Click here to get a sneak peek of our photos!

the best thing since inflatable girlfriends!

Welp, in the midst of our getting ready for the exhibit next weekend don’t forget that we still have one last photo shoot! It will be completely different from anything we’ve done before, yet it will probably be one of our most practical shoots, go figure.

We will meet at my apartment at 11AM this Saturday. Chances are, you already have directions to my place buried somewhere in your inbox, but email me if you’re not sure how to get here. We’ll spend a couple hours (or however long we’re feelin’ it) shooting, talking, critiquing, retouching, and whatevering. ‘twill be good times, yo dawgz!

If you have a laptop with Photoshop installed, it might help to bring it. Honestly, I’m not sure if we’ll put it to use, but it would be nice to have it as a backup.

Lastly, there is a Chipotle (among other restaurants) just down the street from me, so perhaps we can grab lunch afterward. That’s all I got for now. Come ready for a fun, practical, and moderately ridiculous photo shoot this Saturday! Heh heh, you know I wouldn’t have it any other way =) See you all then!

the long awaited scratch and sniff diaper

The chill in the air couldn't even stop us from hitting up the Tidal Basin for a sunset-turned-night-shoot last Saturday. Props to those of you who came out!

Since this week is Thanksgiving we won't be out shooting, but I do hope you'll spend some time preparing for our exhibit at Ebenezers. (!!!!) Of course, not all the details have been solidified, but here's what I know:

The exhibit will be on display for two full weeks with Friday, December 8th being our big opening night. I/we/somebody will set up the exhibit that afternoon, and then later that evening (8ish? help me out, Kacey) will be the "event." The photos will be on a prominent display downstairs, we'll have live music (any suggestions??), and some light refreshments. Most importantly, we will be there to celebrate our work and share it with others. After Friday night, the exhibit will be spread out on the walls of Ebenezers, both upstairs and down.

Those of you who participated in our first exhibit can no doubt tell that this one is gonna be a little bigger =) My friends, it's so important that we set the camera down long enough to take a step back and just appreciate the accomplishments we've made both as a group and individually. I know the holidays are coming and there is a million reasons to be distracted, but I sincerely hope you'll make this a priority. It really won't demand that much of your time, just a little intentionality.

Unfortunately, due to some space constraints I will have to limit the participants to those who have been a part of the group more than once or twice. I will send an email to everyone who meets the requirements, however, I don't have everyone's email address. If you didn't get an email from me, then let me know so I can give you the scoop. I don't like being exclusive like this, but I've got to be fair to the people who have given the most to the group.

Check your inbox for specific details about printing pictures and whatnot. We've been given this great opportunity; let's make the most of it!

"Hadoken!"

Hey gang, thanks to everybody who came out for the night shoot on Friday! We had a great group out there, and I hope you learned a thing or two or at least had fun laughing at me and my ridiculous antics.

Anyway, there are several changes happening in the next few weeks that I want to make you aware of.

First of all, I will be stepping down as the leader of the group after this semester. =( The group has been a tremendous blessing to me personally, but I have run my course as the leader. I would love to see the group continue, but that would require someone to step up and grab the reigns. I would gladly participate in the group and support anyone who may be willing to lead it, but I no longer have the time to dedicate to leading it as I have done in the past. If you're at all interested in seeing the group continue, shoot me an email and let me know what's on your mind.

Well, on that note, the group will also be saying goodbye to two of its most notable groupies. Stuart is deploying to the Middle East at the end of this month, and Rachelle will be moving to China in a month. So yeah, that's no fun. =/

Despite all this, there are some things to look forward to in the few weeks we have left this semester. First of all, there is the Homeless Thanksgiving lunch that In Service is doing this Saturday (around noon). Pastor Joel asked me if I would pass that on to you guys. They are gonna have a nice meal (similar to a wedding reception) and they would love to have someone there to take pictures of it. Please email me if you are interested.

This Saturday evening is our sunset shoot at the Tidal Basin. We will meet in front of the Jefferson Memorial at 4:00 PM. Sunset comes WAY too early these days, but I digress... We'll wrap around the Tidal Basin from there. Bring your tripod. As the light gets lower, you'll need longer shutter speeds.

The following week (25th) we will not be meeting as it is a holiday weekend. However, the weekend after that will be our last official photo shoot, the Portrait Workshop. It will be our most unique photo shoot, and it will be positively good times! More on that later.

Now, just because we'll be done shooting as of December 2nd, doesn't mean we're altogether finished. We will have a chance to celebrate our work as we set up a second photo exhibit at Ebenezers for a couple weeks in December. We have more options for displaying our photos this time, but we really don't have any details nailed down yet. So, let me direct you to our message board thread where we can exchange ideas. If we do it right, we might be able to set up the exhibit at Mocha Hut and have the opportunity to sell our work. Let's do it up right, friends!

Lastly, I'll corral everybody once again in January for an evening of ice skating fun! Stick around, friends! We've got a fun semester to finish!

of, or pertaining to the smell of feet

Those of you who have been around the photo group for a while know that I like to do a night shoot each semester. I like it even more when we're not rained out, and believe it or not, it's even more fun when all the lights at the memorials are on. Go figure.bbbvvvvvv g byb bn
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No, I have not lost my mind. All that jargon was typed by a 10 month old baby sitting on my lap. She also managed to cause my computer to make a strange beeping noise. Try holding down both Control buttons and one of the Shift keys. It's pretty exciting! Moving on...

In keeping with tradition (whatever that means) we're gonna do a night shoot this FRIDAY --no meeting Saturday. We'll meet at 7:30 at the top of the Federal Triangle metro stop. Even though it's plenty dark at 5:30 (*mumble grumble...) I'm not sure if everybody has the day off, so we're going with 7:30 to be safe. Let me know if you prefer earlier, but otherwise we'll stick with the plan.

As usual, bring a tripod. I'll have three we can all use. In case of rain (which is unlikely, I think) call me by 7:00 to see if we're still on. Also, someone help me remember to mention the Ebenezers exhibit. I'd love to get your ideas and suggestions as to what it should be like this time around.

Coolness! Hope to see you all tomorrow night!

of hibernating penguines and the indispensible Yellow Dellow

In keeping with the pattern I've unintentionally set for this semester, I'll be busy all day Saturday and won't be able to be your tour guide through the Alexandria Marina. I'm going to be so bold as to guess that means nothing will happen with the group this weekend. =/

Yeah... ya know, the group sounded like a great idea at the beginning of the semester, but honestly, it just hasn't panned out too well this time around. But hey, it's probably not a bad thing to take a break from all the hot air and sarcasm that constantly flows from Yours Truly.

So, the word on the street is that there won't be any photography activities happening this weekend, but of course if someone wants to lead the charge and do it anyway, more power to ya!

Take it easy, my peeps!