Beating Stress and Escaping to Venice for an Afternoon

Sometimes, I can't leave the house. When work is slow and I'm feeling financially insecure, the last thing I feel is useful is getting away from my computer, where my brain tells me there's some task or some job just a few clicks away that is going to turn things around. During really slow periods of work, this idea ferments in my mind and I become a hermit.  It's really frustrating and I hate it, but because so much of my work does come from the time spent plugged into my computer, it's hard not to listen to that instinct.

So, after a week or two of hiding in my house and scouring the internet for work, my brain is a little
fried and I'm just not in a good place. The beginning of the year is always hard for me because it's when everything I use professionally ( and personally) needs to be renewed: my insurances, my software licensing, my website, my professional subscriptions, etc. On top of that, it's tax season. So, I bleed money the first few months and as a nubile independent photographer (freelancer) in a city that I don't have deep roots in, it's stressful. I'm still building my client list and, just like for the rest of us, survival isn't easy.

But I got out for a few hours Friday and fled to Venice, my sanctuary, with my video camera and a new variable filter I wanted to test out. I figured I'd go down and shoot some clips and editing together some sort of random montage. Fortunately, I ended up talking to one of the many musicians dotting the boardwalk as soon as I got down to the Venice fishing pier and I got to record him. That gave me a base to form something off of and I spent the rest of the evening recording whatever I wanted and made my way back home after dark.

Over the Rainbow from Justin L. Stewart on Vimeo.

It's a good feeling to be out wandering and playing with these things. It's also just nice to have some human connection beyond the walls of my home office.

I set out to put something together that I owned and felt certain of and that I could just throw out there and be proud of. Unfortunately, insecurities got the best of me and I was off and on editing all weekend, picking my playful piece apart and taking away from what was a really gratifying and needed experience. It's really hard to not be critical of your own work and to think of something as more playful than professional.

Maybe that's something that's come about as I've made the leap from student to professional and begun worrying more about what image I'm putting out there, especially as someone who's making images. Maybe I shouldn't worry so much and should just preface things as playful practice. Who knows... BUT, I got out, I had some fun filming, and hopefully I put together a little fun piece that's not too riddled with glaring issues.

Hope you enjoy the video! Thanks to all the people that read this far.

Stay in touch! You can keep up with my work through these channels:

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MAY: Faces and Places

May was a busy month, starting off with my first ever workshop, the Sports Shooter Academy, which was conveniently located just an hour south of me. It continued with a visit from my new friend Sam Navarro (who I get to see again soon!) and then a visit to see my grandfather in Seattle with my sister, and then a visit here in LA with my sister for our once a year get together.

I took a lot of photographs - some good, some bad - and had no idea how to blog about them. SO, I condensed them into big collages to break them down into basically three blocks of what this past month has been like.

I also released my first newsletter, for those interested. You can sign up for my quarterly newsletter here: Sign-up And you can see the first one here: Newsletter

Thanks to everyone who has signed up! And thank you for taking the time to look at my work here on the blog.

Sam's Visit

 Venice with Sam

Visiting Grandpa and Family

 Sibling Time

Good "Build It Yourself" Blood Marys

Some experiences need to be lived through video... or GIFs

The Betsy (Betty) Ross Portrait Series

The Betsy Ross Series (MA) - Images by Justin Stewart 

Here's the Betsy (Betty) Ross portrait series from Scituate, Massachusetts. I fell in love with a corner in a room of a house and I made people sit in that corner while I took colonial inspired portraits. Unfortunately, Betty Ross was remembered in my head as Betsy Ross, so that's what I kept chanting as I worked away (sorry Betty).

2016 is the year of the portrait for me, and this was a fun opportunity to work that idea. I was happy with what I came away with and had fun doing it. Wish I found more awesome corners like this one with a plethora of models at my disposal.

Here's to making more fun portraits like these.

Thanks for looking <3

Here's some images from my time at the Columbia Daily Tribune thus far. I work as an Image Tech/Web Producer, but am also a Sunday shooter for the paper. It's been a great experience and I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to the paper.

I've been learning a lot about this side of the business and hope to continue to keep learning more. The more you know, the more you can do.

Vegas - Some Travel Shots

I have an ungodly amount of scanning and dusting to do, ranging from shots from Africa, Amsterdam, Germany, San Francisco, and Missouri. Here's some of the first ones I've finished. These are from my Christmas trip to Las Vegas. 

All shot on Kodak film in my Holga. Color balanced.

Finally finished my book

Worked my butt off for 7 months trying to get this done. Still trying to figure out how to make it so I can sell the soft cover instead of just hard cover, as the hard cover costs an arm and a leg. Click the link to check out the first 30 pages.  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3027711

Travel Synopsis part 2

 View from the shower in Amsterdam.

 Taking off in the plane headed for Kenya

 First night in Nairobi at the hostel.

 Walking downtown in Nairobi

 A vendor at the market in Nairobi.

 View of downtown Nairobi from the University.

 Waiting for the bus to Khwisero in Nairobi.

 Arriving at Jackson's house in Khwisero.

 EWB office in Khwisero.

 Fruit one of the kids at the school gave me.

 Tree from a walk with Ryan, Pony, and our guide Safina.

 Waiting for the flight back out of Kenya after we missed our first flight.

 Still waiting. Enjoying one of the last Tuskers I'd have and editing photos.

 He didn't think I could get the photo.... HA

 You bet your silly ass that's bubblicious in my hat.

 Too much flying.

 Waiting in Amsterdam on our layover.

 Flying over Greenland.

 Waiting in Minneapolis airport for the flight back to Bozeman.

 Stuck on the plane for half an hour after landing. It's now past midnight. We just want to get off.

Finally back home.