Artifact Uprising

Hello everyone!!!

Today I want to rave about a company I have been mentioning off and on for months: Artifact Uprising.  For those who are unaware, Artifact Uprising is a Colorado based company who focuses on creating high quality products while still staying environmentally conscious. You can read about their mission here. I stumbled across Artifact Uprising through Instagram (have I mentioned how much I love that silly but amazing app?), and was instantly hooked. I initially purchased a wood block and prints set- the images were all donated by artists and the profits went to help with the forest fire efforts in Colorado- and I was thrilled by the products quality. 


Then, months later, I decided to do a 2013 in review book using (mostly) Iphone shot images. I downloaded their app and began scrolling through my phone selecting images for a 5X5 Softcover Book. I did have a slight snag after I took a break and closed the app, as my work seemed to have been erased. However, after quite a bit of panic, I reopened the app and found all of my work had miraculously returned. It should be noted that that was the only time I have had that issue, so it was most likely a one time glitch and not a common issue with their app. 

After that small snag, I was able to quickly review my work and order my booklet. A week or two later a package from AU appeared on my doorstep and guys, it was like Christmas. My images looked fabulous, and the knowledge that the product was sustainably sourced and recycled made my inner tree hugger just swoon with giddiness. 

Seriously guys, I can not stop raving about this company to anyone and everyone. I carried around the book I made in my purse for a week and pulled it out to share with ALL the people. I still grab the book off my shelves and show it to family and friends when they ask about what fun adventures I had last year. AND they have expanded their products! Not only can you order Hard and Softcover books, wood block image sets, wood photo/book boxes, square prints, and calendars, but you can order their newest product, the signature print, as well as POSTCARDS! 

That's right. 

Postcards!

Now, some of you may not be aware of this, but I love mail. I love sending letters and receiving them. I love the whole concept of taking the time to actually write your thoughts down on paper and sending them out to dear friends and distant family. I'll let you in on a secret- I save most of the letters I receive and copies of many that I send out in hopes that someday they will be found by a distant relative or a complete stranger and through them future generations will be able to understand the past. So, it follows logically that I am absolutely thrilled at the ability to make personalized postcards! 

 
Currently I am working on another photo book and a  postcard pack, and I can't wait to complete these projects and share them with others! I am also hoping to create a book documenting the life of one of my Grandma's this summer, though I might just do the preliminary scanning and story collecting and create the actual book next summer. Either way, I know that I will be using Artifact Uprising to create my book. You just can't beat their high-quality products and their commitment to lessening their environmental footprint. But you don't have to take my word for it, head over to their website and try their products for yourself!!

Happy creating,

AK

P.S. This post is not sponsored by Artifact Uprising in any way. I am receiving no type of compensation for creating this post. :) 

P.P.S. As if all the above stuff wasn't enough awesomeness, AU also has an amazing blog where they showcase the talents of their customers. It's slogan is: "// inspired by the disappearing beauty of the tangible / bettered by a community of inspired storytellers / driven by the belief everyone has a story to tell. Tell On." I might be making all sorts of fangirl faces over here, but seriously, their blog is so inspiring and filled with unique individuals. Just go read it. :)

Brianna on Film

Hello my fantastic readers,

It seems that winter has finally settled into the Red River Valley, and we received our first snow fall that didn't melt last Sunday! I know that many of my fellow North Dakotans are less than pleased by the chilly temperatures and frosted windshields, but I find myself humming Christmas carols and rejoicing in my ability to wear my thick sweaters again! Winter is my favorite season, and as the holidays draw nearer I find myself smiling more and more at the grey skies and the cold sting of snowflakes melting upon my nose. 

You may remember the blogpost I published earlier this autumn featuring images of my handsome best friend Bob! Well, on that same roll of Kodak Portra 400 I was fortunate enough to capture some stunning images of the lovely Brianna! (Can a girl get any luckier?!) These gems were taken while we were working on Brianna's image for the ISBN Project, and were totally unplanned. They were all shot on a Pentax K1000 using Kodak Portra 400 film and were processed by the FIND film lab. I hope you find them as special as I do. 

Drive safe and keep warm,

AK

Happy Halloween!

Hello my lovely readers,

I am technically writing this the day before Halloween, but I figure that most of you probably will read this tomorrow ( it is almost 10 after all! *gasp*) and plus, I wanted to wish everyone a happy Halloween a little early! (Wait till Christmas, it is my favorite holiday and I am already dreaming about pine trees and singing Christmas carols!) Anyways, I hope that you are all going to have an amazing Thursday and that you spend your All-Hallows Eve in good company! For some of you that might mean dressing up in crazy costumes and partying until the wee hours of the morning, and for others it might entail a quiet night at home watching Netflix and handing out candy to children, but I hope that whatever your choice you have a smashingly wonderful time! :) 

This photo was taken with Icarus (my Nikon D60) and edited using VSCO's 02 film pack in Photoshop.

Till next time, with wishes for your good health and happiness,

AK

To Brianna- A beautiful model and a dear friend

 

An oversize sweater that once belonged to someone's grandfather. A beautiful girl, a dear friend, seeming to softly glow in the fading light. A click- the shutter- and then through the silence comes another sound: laughter, laughter all around. We talked, we laughed, we drew closer together- and as I look back upon those images I see you perhaps more clearly. Mysterious, beautiful, strong, and yet still growing- you, my friend, are a constant source of inspiration.

With my thanks for sitting constantly infront of the camera and for laughing at my jokes as if they were funny,

AK

Winter Wispers

Dear reader,

In most places March is met with expectations of warmer weather and daydreams of an arriving spring. However, there is a place for which these expectations are not held. A place where the citizens trudge through March blizzards and huddle together to keep out the last bitter chill. In this place winter claims more than half the year, and the wind never stops blowing.

Those who live in this place are hardy folk. They are friendly, though somewhat wary of new people [and of change in general], and laugh often. These are the people who balance the open lonely habitat within which they live with shared meals and laughter with friends and family. These are the people who grow up listening to the constant whispers created by the wind.

 -AK

The Holidays

Dear Readers,

As I write this my hands are coated with the contents of a box of markers- a memento of the hour or two I spent coloring tongue depressors for my mother's kindergarten students and bonding with my family. Tis the season, but of what? I have noticed over the years that we now say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," and this change I do not entirely mind, however it does make me wonder what it is that the Holidays truly celebrate. I don't think it matters whether you are religious or not, the Holidays are important. They are a time to focus on those who care for you, who have helped shape your everyday life and been a part of your everyday joys. This does not mean exclusively the family created through shared DNA, but also those who have become family through bonds of friendship; through late night phone calls and stories that are always more amusing in retrospect. It is a chance to gather together and create deeper bonds; to create an atmosphere of love and compassion, of respect for the similarities and the differences within us all.

With these thoughts in mind, I have looked back and decided to share with you all images of a very dear friend of mine from Itasca State Park. This was a day of laughter and adventure; of lonely highways and clear fall skies. This was a day of family and of friendship, and I am happy to share it with you all.

Happy Holidays, my wonderful readers, may you find joy throughout this chilly season.

<3 AK

Sable Sunday

Hello dear readers :)

I hope this post finds you enjoying the sights and smells of good old summer! I know that I have been enjoying summer, capturing its many sights through Yoshi (which means there will be a film update soon!!). For today, however, the focus will be on the lovely Brianna and the first editorial I have done in the new year!

We did two different looks for this shoot, of which I will be sharing only one today. Below are four images which I call the Sable Series. I found that the look of this shoot reminded me of the 80s and as such, I tried to play more with contrast and light leaks. The light leak layers were created by Julia Trotti, and Brianna did her own hair and makeup as well as providing her own wardrobe. I hope you enjoy the series and look forward to sharing more images in the future!!

With the hope that you will all have wonderful, sun filled weeks,

AK

Serious thoughts with some more cheerful updates later

Today Amy Winehouse died. I'm sure this is no surprise to most of you, as her death has been announced across the facebook world numerous times. Today Ms. Winehouse died, and a lot of people made rehab jokes, and a lot of people gave sad sighs over her tortured soul. Today a lot of people died. This past week tragedy struck Norway, yet few noticed the deaths enough to mention them on facebook. I know that I would never have found out about the tragedy had one of my models not been an avid fan of Norway and mentioned it.

It is thoughts such as these that has led me to wonder about what exactly makes people notice ones death. What does it say about us as people that we laugh at one singer's unfortunate end as if her death is yet another chapter in her paparazzi ridden life? I laughed when I read the first joke, I'll admit it, and I feel awful for doing so now. What does it say about us that on the day of her death hundreds of people notify their friends, while one day of Norway's tragedy I saw few status changes. Does being famous mean that your death is more important than that of a man or woman killed in a bombing?

Recently I have been trying to work on being kind. On rebuilding my confidence and growing to become a kinder, better human being. It makes me sad that so many have died in this past week. Not just Amy or the 92 confirmed deaths in Norway, but the unknown deaths. The deaths of the children who were hit by a car, of babies who were born with a horrid birth defect, of a soldier who died doing his job. The everyday deaths that we don't even think about. I know that everyone dies, and I suppose that it isn't the deaths themselves that make me sad... I think it is more the attitude we have towards them. When did 92 people just become another number? When did they stop becoming mothers, sons, and daughters? When did I stop thinking of them as people and start considering them a statistic?

I'm not saying we have to weep over every death that occurs... if we did we would never stop crying, but perhaps... I don't know. I suppose I am going to work on remembering that the numbers reported aren't just numbers, but human beings. Living breathing creatures that now don't exist.

I apologize for the sad turn my recent posts have taken. I really don't know why all these sad words keep spilling out of me. However, I do have happy news! I have new cameras, the two that I mentioned in my past post that I bought at an antique store, and one that was given to me by a friend of the family!! I'm super excited to use them!! :D

The cameras in this image are: 1 Kodak Bantam RF camera with original leather case, 1 Mercury Satellite 127, 1 Kodak Folding Brownie Six-20, and 1 Polaroid SX-70 

Also, I had a fabulous shoot with Serianna yesterday! We made a makeshift outdoor studio in my backyard and played with crazy makeup, sprinkles, honey, and food coloring! I can't wait to share more of the images with you!!

Isn't she stunning? This was the third shot we took yesterday!!

Also, I have a shoot on Sunday with a model from Fargo that I am beyond jazzed about!!! ANNNNNDDDDDD I will be leaving for Virginia in a week and two days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D If anyone wants to set up a shoot in this next week or for when I return from my vacation, please feel free to send me an email or a facebook message!!


I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend!! Thank you for reading!

-AK