Little Purple Camera

Love letter to the movies

2009-03-08T23:04:00.001-07:00

I'm still constantly surprised when a movie affects me so much. It's always the ones I least expect, for reasons I probably still don't know.

Whether I resonate with a character like Amelie, or become immersed in a true tale like "Mad Hot Ballroom" or "Dear Zachary," there are some movies that affect the way I forever view the world and the people in it.

When Meg Ryan typed, "Goodnight, dear void," it was like she was speaking aloud something I had thought a million times.

When I watched the character of Frances Mayes go on her solo trip to Italy, I longed to do something that independent (and eventually went on a not-as-distant-but-still-thrilling solo trip myself).

I love how Julia Ormond, in "Sabrina," says "Everytime I look through a camera I'm surprised by what I see." I was there with Novalee when she told Moses, "You want to hear something funny? I'd like to be a photographer." in "Where the Heart Is".

After I watched "Enough" I decided I was never going to get married, ever. Yet my girlish heart still melts, ever so slightly, when Mr. Thornton says, "You're coming home with me?" in "North & South".

I think I watched "Murphy's Romance" eight times in one week, and I still have no idea why. Though I suspect I must be a little in love with James Garner. :oP

I get ridiculously depressed if I watch "Legends of the Fall," though I keep thinking it must not be as bad as I remember it, and give it another chance every half a dozen years or so.

Movies like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Memento" make me excited about the possibilities in filmmaking.

Some films give me a greater understanding of various cultures, others make me wish I remembered more of my high school French.

Tonight I watched a movie called "Then She Found Me." Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't. It's not the kind of movie that everyone will love, and it probably will get lost in the myriad of forgotten films. I saw it because it was only $3.99 at Blockbuster (well, and I had been kind of curious about it).

It's basically a film of betrayal, and yet it's overflowing with hope. Despite Bette Midler's over-the-top-ness (I can't think of any other way to describe it) and the fact that I generally can't stand Matthew Broderick, this movie seemed as real to me as many of the documentaries I've seen. Perhaps because it deals with real emotions in almost a comic way. It was very unique.

And, I really think this was the most romantic character I've ever seen Colin Firth play. And I've seen the 1994 Pride & Prejudice DOZENS of times. He had a couple of flowery lines, sure, but the relationship that his character and Helen Hunt's character had was so fraught with problems, and so awkward but...precious, that the emotion behind everything was so much stronger than the lines they said.

I'll admit that not much that I "learned" in college stuck, but certain things do stick with me. One of my professors, I remember, spoke about the importance of stories in our lives. We're drawn to stories. We live stories. We tell stories. Facebook statuses and twitter updates are mini-stories. Talks with friends over coffee are stories. Memories are stories. Pictures are stories.

Jesus spoke in parables because he knew that we as humans are drawn to these stories. Any form of entertainment - movies, plays, drama, art galleries, sports events, concerts, amusement rides - tells a story. Our emotions are moved by the lilt of a flute, the raise of an eyebrow, the stroke of a brush, the swing of a baseball bat.

Well, I don't really have a point...or a conclusion to all of this, so I'll end with some lines that a writer much more brilliant than myself have wrote:

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void." -Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan), "You've Got Mail"

So much to say! Part 3 - SURPRISE!

2009-02-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

To see what part 3 is, please visit my BRAND NEW blog at

www.sarahbohlphotographyblog.com !!

So much to say! Part 2 - Signs...or coincidence?

2009-02-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I'll admit it. One of the stranger characteristics I have is that I tend to take signs pretty seriously. Whether it's good or bad I'll leave up to debate, but it's how I travel through life and it's made me examine things closer than I otherwise might have.

For example, when I started driving away on my solo road trip in 2007, I was terrified. Absolutely terrified. My trip was well-planned, sure to be interesting, and perfect for an independent woman like myself. And I love traveling and driving, so it seemed ideal. But the very fact that I was actually doing it, actually driving away and heading to a dozen different states BY MYSELF was freaking me out.

My ultimate destination was Yellowstone, and the place I was looking most forward to visiting. So when I hopped on the very first of many highways to take me there, I was completely relieved when I saw a motor home in front of me. For painted on the back of this motor home was one word: Yellowstone. I felt better instantly. This trip was meant to be.

And it was. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I will never regret going on that road trip. (To see some pictures from my trek to Yellowstone, click here).

Okay, so that's an example. Here's another one. At the top of the flight of stairs that takes you to the second floor of my parent's house there are a group of pictures. Wedding pictures. Basically a sort of family tree. I didn't think much about them when my mom put them up a few years ago, but eventually I started wondering about them. They're placed at the top of a stairway, so (in my sign-seeking mind), it's like you're working up to them. Working up to marriage? I was confused.

^the wedding pictures at the top of the stairs

My independent spirit didn't like that idea much. Marriage is wonderful, I just didn't want it to be some ultimate goal in my life.

THEN, the other month, I had a thought. Those pictures could be representative of marriage...or of something else entirely. Wedding photography.

I love the variety of the wedding pictures that our family has. The fake background and softness of my paternal grandparents' photo (top right), the seeming informality of my maternal grandpa's parents (bottom right), and well, don't even get me started on my parents' picture. Ugh.

So I'm choosing to interpret those pictures that way. Sometimes, now, when I climb those stairs, I'm reminded of the journey photography has taken me on so far. And I know, that there's so much more ahead.

And that's exciting. :o)

So much to say! Part 1- flashy mcflash

2009-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

Alright, I have a lot to say tonight, so I might be posting multiple blogs. Be prepared. :o)

First, the most exciting news:

I got my flash today! Whoooo!

I almost missed the UPS guy (he was walking away down the sidewalk), but I was able to catch him in time. I've read through most of the owner's manual already, but holy cow there's a lot to learn.

To show the HUGE difference between old and new flash:

^ old

^new

(picture quality is bad because I didn't have a good flash to take the picture with! Oh the irony...)

I have an idea for an amazing shot...that might actually be possible now that I have this flash! Keep checking back and I'll let you know when/if I get the shot!

Photo shoot with Abby!

2009-02-25T20:35:00.001-08:00

Tonight I got to see my college friend Abby! She just got a fun digital SLR camera, so we took advantage of the fading light to quickly snap some pictures.

Isn't she a great model? Abby, I had a ton of fun - hope you did too!

Happy 21st, little bro!

2009-02-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL!!

It's officially my lil' brother's 21st birthday now! (At least, in my time zone). Here are some pics to celebrate the occasion. :o)

^Daniel with his cat Millie

^One of the "stalker" pics from my engagement portrait session with Daniel and his fiancee, Katie

^Another pic from the engagement session

^ And another one.

Have a great b-day Daniel! See you later for dinner and presents! :o)

Winter in Wisconsin

2009-02-18T22:29:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it can be almost pretty.

Double photographer shoot-out!

2009-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

A shoot with one photographer is always fun, but with two - it's fantastic. :o)

My long-time good friend (and co-owner of my website http://athousandwords.smugmug.com) JoAnn came over Sunday and we ran outside to "catch the light" with some fun photo tricks, and then we trekked down to the basement for some studio shots.

^ me as a crazy tourist lady

^ JoAnn is vicious with a sword

I think they're great.

Portraits in the Snow

2008-12-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know about my latest fun photography ventures. The "twenty-something" group at my church had a "Make-a-Gift" night to raise money for clean water in Guatemala. We were encouraged to use our creative talents, so I offered "Portraits in the Snow" for a VERY reasonable rate (with the money going towards the clean water fund).

My friend Brittany was gracious enough to help me out by modeling for the fliers I created for this event. Didn't she do a great job? :o)

And it was seriously freezing when we took these pictures. After every stop, we would race back to my car and blast the heat. Good times. :o)

I had my first session of "Portraits in the Snow" the other morning, and it was a ton of fun. Great family, perfect snowy weather. Pictures will be up as soon as they're edited.

Merry Christmas!

Senior pics in the snow!

2008-12-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the priviledge of taking some senior pictures -- in the snow! We had a huge snow storm here on Sunday/Monday, so there were quite a few inches on the ground, making for some great photos. It was chilly - but a ton of fun!

Here are some of my faves. As always, check out more at http://athousandwords.smugmug.com/.

Wedding pics

2008-11-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

I finally got through editing some of the pictures I took at a wedding a few weekends ago. I was there to help out a friend, Erica. It was her first time shooting a wedding on her own (usually she shoots with her dad), and she needed to be in some pictures since it was her family member getting married. It was a ton of fun, and some of my fave pics are below. Check out more at http://athousandwords.smugmug.com/ under "weddings".

New Fall Pics!

2008-11-07T12:58:00.001-08:00

I'm really excited about the newest gallery on my Smugmug site: fall pics! I've wandered all over this fall, capturing a lot of great things about fall in Wisconsin. Check out the gallery here:

http://athousandwords.smugmug.com/gallery/6483297_3o7RA#411564114_A2h2o

Here are some select pictures from it.

I heart windows

2008-10-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Not the PC platform...actual windows. Window pictures are my favorites. Here are some I took these last couple of weeks...

I'll keep adding to the collection at http://athousandwords.smugmug.com. Check there for window updates. :o)

A new day, a new blog

2008-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

I won't lie -- I've tried the blog thing several times before, without much success. But here's one thing that should make this one work - it will be a PICTURE blog! Yay!

If you've known me for more than 10 seconds, you probably know that I enjoy taking pictures. A lot. And I've gotten to take quite a few pictures lately, especially since I got my new camera (Canon 5D! Whoo!). So here is another venue for me to share those pictures with you.

And if anyone needs any photos taken, let me know. Engagment photos, senior pics, whatever.

Now...on to the photos!

I had the priviledge of being asked to take Matthew's senior pictures this year, and we had a beautiful day for the photo shoot! Here are some of my favorites.

Check out more at http://athousandwords.smugmug.com/