My Why

Ocean and Tree

What made me want to be a photographer? Why do gravitate to photography as a medium? I get asked these two questions all the time.

I think I have always been a photographer; I remember when I was little, I had a Fisher Price camera. It was real, it used film and took real pictures.  I carried that thing around everywhere.  I have always had a camera.  Not necessarily a fancy camera but a camera none-the-less. My mother took photography in college and knows her way around the camera and how to focus and find a good shot getting the angle and color right.  Maybe this is where I got that from. From watching her.  She and my aunt are also artists, my aunt is a painter. I think art runs in my blood. I studied design, marketing and art history in college but of course took the safe route and entered the corporate world after graduation.

Adobe Building

In my late thirties I realized I had an abundance of pictures on my computer from my travels and I should do something about them.  Looking at them, I realized they were good. They weren’t just generic pictures of famous landmarks or signs, they were the mood of the place itself, nature, trees, the colors and detail of the buildings.  If the photo was of a famous landmark, they were of an angle that one would not expect.  I love to travel but growing up in a touristy city, I hate the tourist spots.  I may go and spend 5 minutes just to say I have been there, but I like the out of the way places, the soul of the place.  The detail.  My computer was filled with these as well as flowers, trees, and leaves from hikes with my husband. I love the macro details in the veins, how the sun shines through, and depth and variations of color in nature.  I had photos of architectural décor of the rooftops of the city. In the ocean, I focused on the foam and motion of the waves and color variations of the setting sun.  These pictures could not just sit and rot on a hard drive for all eternity. 

Sunflower w/ Bee

So, I decided to print a few and open an Etsy Shop. Maybe attend a few art and vendor fairs.  That went ok, I didn’t make a ton of money, but I had fun, and it was exciting selling my pieces and having them admired by others.  Then Covid hit.  I took a pause on my Etsy and art fairs, mostly because art fairs were not happening due to the pandemic.  I had also just got a new corporate job and was excited about it. Fast forward 2 years and I decided that the world and I had recovered enough.  I would start doing art and vendor fairs again.  The bug bit me hard!  I remembered how much I loved taking photos, editing those photos, and sharing my work with everyone.  That was the summer of 2022.  Aside from starting shows again, it was a rough year personally, and from May through December I realized through a series of tragedies that life is short! So, in December of 2022, I did it. I took a leap of faith. Quit my corporate job and decided to focus on my photography full time.  I enjoy every second of it!  There are ups and downs just like in life.  One would think it is frightening but I don’t have time to be scared.  I’m too excited to be scared.  I am sharing my art with the world. I am a businesswoman selling my art as well as my services and expertise as a Product Photographer. (I knew all those visual marketing and art classes would pay off someday). I no longer have my Etsy store as I have built my own website. If you are reading this, you are probably on it. If not, AlexisNPhotography.com. 

So, here is my why. It happened by chance but that is how the best things happen.

-Alexis

Halloween/November Edition

Happy Halloween!!!

Hello! Here we are, in November. the holidays are now upon us. While was a few days ago, I fell it deserves its time and I just cant bear taking down my Halloween decorations just yet even though I am already seeing Christmas commercials. I do love Christmas, its my favorite time of year, but lets not forget about Novembers holiday, THANKSGIVING! YUM! While I do absolutely love Thanksgiving, I am allowing Christmas to bombard us in all its sparkly and commercial glory, (while my Halloween decorations remain up for just a few days more). But remember, we still have turkey and stuffing to eat.

November Events

That being said, my November is a bit more quiet than October was with only 2 events.

Next weekend, 11/4, I will be in Sallisaw, OK for their first ever Red Autumn Art Festival. We will be at the fair grounds and artists from all over the country will be there showing off their talent. I am so excited to be a part of this show and the first one as well. I hope you are able to make the trip to see me.

I will also be at the Norman 2nd Friday Art Walk on Friday 11/10. I know I said I would be there last month and backed out at the last minute. Logistically with setting up early for the next days shows, etc. It just did not seem feasible. I am only human after all. But I am excited to be here on the 10th. Don’t forget, the holidays are upon us and its the perfect time to start your Christmas shopping.

I hope to see you at any of these events but if you are not able to make it, you can always visit my website at www.alexisNPhotography.com to pick up your favorite print, greeting cards or wood mounted piece.

Remember, you can also keep up with where I am at on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

November Events

New Product!

New product has arrived on my website just in time for the holidays. These are from a year ago on a trip I took with my Mom to Northwest Arkansas and Natural Falls State Park in Northeast Oklahoma, as well as some from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Below is a quick collage and where you can find them. All are available in 8x10 prints and greeting cards.

Click for link to new products

That’s all I have for today. Stay cozy as the world settles into autumn.

Talk to you then and Happy Fall!

-Alexis

September

Hello! Well I don’t know about you, but my September so far has been BUSY! It started off with a vacation and now that I am back I hit the ground running with all things website, shows and my photography.

Where did I go on my vacation you ask? To Las Vegas of course. If you know me, you know I grew up there and my Mom still lives there, so I try to go at least once a year. The whole city to me has the air of any hometown for anyone. You know, the town you grew up in then left and whenever you go back to visit the memories start flooding in. As I am my Mother’s daughter and I got my travel gene from her, whenever we get together, we always plan some type of road trip; this year, it was to Sedona and Canyon de Chelly in Arizona.

Coffee At home

Sedona was amazing and if you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it. It really does have some kind of mystical feel to it. I myself just felt very grounded and still, like I could finally just be still and present. The town is also absolutely gorgeous! Built on and surrounded on all sides by beautiful red rocks, there is not a bad view anywhere. As evidenced by the best view I have ever had from a hotel room.

Best view from a hotel room EVER!

The town itself is not short on things to do, but if you are a hiker, this town is for you. Mom and I hiked a bit up Bell Rock a before heading on a scenic train tour of the valley. This train ride was probably the highlight of the trip for me. It was so fun. You get seats in an air conditioned car complete with snacks and drinks and there is an outdoor observation car with a very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide to tell you all the things you are passing. The weather was so beautiful I think I spend most of the ride outside, learning about the history and surroundings of the area and of course taking a million pictures. A note on the pictures, all the pictures you see in this blog are un-edited and come from my phone, but hopefully provide enough of a preview for what I have coming from my camera ;) .

Train tour through Sedona valley

The next day, Mom and I drove northeast about 2 hours to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. This is in the middle of nowhere but well worth the drive. This canyon is not as large or as popular as its “grand” cousin to the west, but still absolutely breathtaking. There is hiking, but mom and I simply drove around on the North and South Rims and pulled of on all the lookouts to aww and take pictures. One of the best things about this place is that is not as popular so not as many people so you can really listen to nature and take in the beauty.

Spider Rock at Canyon de Chelly

Now that I am back home, its go time. You may or may not have seen/heard that I have added a newsletter sign-up to my website. Inaugural issue of my newsletter to debut shortly, so be sure to sign up so you don’t miss a thing. It will feature a link to this blog as well as news of new products, prints and shows.

Speaking of shows, I have a few shows left for September and I hope to see you there. I have also re-ordered some favorite inventory and some new prints as well.

9/22 - Wheeler Concert Series, Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 7-10pm, Oklahoma City

9/23 - Norman Twilight Market, The Well in Norman, 5-9pm, Norman

9/29 - Spoke Street Night Market, Wheeler District, 5-9pm, Oklahoma City

Talk to you all soon and WELCOME FALL!!!!!!

-Alexis

You Must Travel A Lot?

Driving through the Grand Mesa, Colorado

I get so many questions when I do my shows. One of the biggest is, “you must travel a lot?” Well, to answer, I guess? I love to travel and would do it waaay more than I already do if I could. I love to see new places and have new experiences. But traveling a lot? I guess I would say I travel as much as a normal person. My husband likes to travel also, so when we can we at least like to plan little getaways on 3 day weekends and holidays. We were lucky enough in February to go to Hawaii where I got some amazing pictures and an equally amazing time, and we also just got back from Colorado, (blog post on that coming soon). No matter what, even if I am just going 2 hours away, I am always taking my camera, and I must give some credit to my wonderful husband to being my location manager and pointing things out, like a cool tree or a bird or even a bison sunning itself.

I would however be the first to tell you, I have a permanent case of wanderlust. I have even planned my next vacation while on vacation, including looking at hotels while waiting for my flight home. Because I always need to have somewhere to go. Like I said, its the new places, experiences and adventures I am after. I want to see as much as I can and don’t want to be 90 sitting in a nursing home saying I never left my state.

One of the reasons I decided to pursue my photography full time was to give myself the opportunity to travel. When you work a corporate job, you only get 2 weeks of vacation a year (which is not nearly enough) and even then, your going on that fabulous trip is dependent on your bosses approval. While I am now self-employed and get unlimited vacation days, even though I realize I am not getting paid for them, I will happily take it. Working my booty off to make it financially worth while. Plus, the camera is always with me so I am sort of working (but are you really working when you are having fun).

So answer the answer the question above, do I travel alot? Not as much as I would like, but I treasure when I can and love sharing the pictures I take on my travels.