TO-DO LISTS

I will have some extra time coming up soon after my finals end and when I am taking a break from various daily responsibilities. I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. So I am going to make a list here on my blog to encourage you viewers to keep coming back and to remind me every time I log in what the hell I need to talk about!

• Nappy Hut's new hair model?
• For Colored Girls and new book
• Writing a book of my own
• Getting a Job in Savannah
• Membership with LHCF
• Biblical Enlightenment
• My issue with the word "Friend"
• Books I should read
• How I know I want to marry you
• The Value in a new camera lens
• Living on my own
• Summer Plans & Career Fair
• New photographic study results

After Spring Quarter I will post:

• Drawing Class images - sequence of all my art work from blank page to something great

• Photo class projects - each project I did with statement and images

If anyone of you find the balls to comment you could recommend which one I do first. But yo probably won't so I'll do them as time permits and in some random order. I'll go back and cross out each one as I do it too.

<3

Laters

New Photographic Study

Winter Quarter here at SCAD is ending very soon and I have alot to look forward to. It seems like a long time but its going to go by fast with all the assignments coming my way.

Drawing 2 - Our final assignment is an oil painting! I was excited but not I'm a little annoyed. Oil is not my medium. Its not easy to clean and smells awful. I got started on it today and I'm looking forward to being done with it but it'll be a while. Its due next week wed :/

Art History 1 - God pulled me through again! The test that I studied for (or tried to study for) the weekend I was out of town to take on the day I came back was actually a success! I got a B and I was thinking I got a D! Not to mention the written portion I was most nervous about and least prepared for I managed to get a perfect score on 15 out of 15! talk about a Blessing! Now I have only final exam to look forward to now that my paper was turned in last class and she is loving it.

Photo Foundations 2 - This has the best information :) Leading to our final we had artist presentations and I did mine on my favorite man Robert Mapplethorpe who I now often confuse with his brother Edward Mapplethorpe. Since I learned of his little brother's existence I've grown to appreciate his work as well even though its not really my personal fortay his abstract images he creates in the darkroom are very appealing.
At any rate this weekend I begin my new photographic study! At first I was going to continue my new found love of portraiture but I felt that for a final project that wasn't complex and challenging enough. So..... I'm mixing my dream of documentary photography along with portraiture and spending one day and one night with a Single mother Family and a married couple. I originally wanted to spend 2 days but time is not on my side with this assignment. With my images I intend to portray the similarities and differences between the families daily routines and their relationships with their children. Today I finalized the families and the dates and I start this weekend. It's exciting because I feel so offical and professional. In my career I would love to do an assignment like this but spend months with the family which would make my images stronger due to the relationship I'll make with the family. That is crucial to make clear statements in my images, the level of comfort will spill through their eyes in every image. I am a little concerned as to how I'm going to present these because it will cost me some money wheter I print it myself or have it printed. God will provide someway some how so I'll just have to pray on it.

This new study will reflect on my portraiture I mentioned before and my polyptch assignment I did documenting college student routines. I think I will post all my projects I did for my photo class along with the artist statements. The work will be better showcased that way :)

Vanity Salon & Growing My Nappy Roots

So prior to my vacation I had something extravagant done. And it was a surprise to my love so I didn't tell him and I stopped skyping him on Thurs. Feb 9th. Den on Feb. 10th I had my relay meeting and than my success advisor gave me a ride to Vanity Salon where I got my first blow out. At least I thought it was my first blow out. Sarita, my hair master, explained to me its just like getting my hair straightened but what she washed my hair with and the conditions she put it in were the magic that helped blow dry my hair and than she straightened it and CUT IT! Yes cut. I got a hair cut. My ends were split and I knew it was bad. My hair has been needing a cut forever and I was skeptical to let just anyone do it. But Sarita was referred to me by my success advisor and she also goes to my church. All my blessings just pour out of this church. Sarita has beautiful long natural hair and I needed help getting my hair happy and healthy in order to begin to grow again.

So I have lots of pictures of course of this transition :)
I got a before picture that I took after i pulled out my twists and than I took pictures of the after and how I learned to wrap my hair. I bought a purple satin cap and I bought a purple foam wrap thing too. And later I got a new heavy duty shower cap...(they didn't have purple so I got green lol).
This is the before image:

Since coming back my hair shrunk up due to the Florida heat and my sweat and it got dry from the cold weather in savannah and how I like to wear my hair out. Sarita suggested I buy Vitamin E oil or shea butter. I was very low on my Cantu Shea Butter so I went to the store and found Vitamin E oil it was actually the very last one in the store. I also got Olive oil to help seal my ends and keep them strong and I bought Grape Seed Oil to put in my hair after I wash it to replenish it's nutrients and natural oils. I used the Vitamin E oil 2 days ago and the Olive oil on my ends and my hair is still moist in the scalp down to my hair ends. I'm glad cause as much as I love my hair I don't have time to do nightly rituals beyond braiding and wrapping up my hair. So these oils once or twice a week will be great. In my eyes I'm on the road to hair growth!

Remember that I have been chemical free all my life and plan to continue that path of growing my nappy roots with no chemicals. I am actually the only person in my family to have natural hair from the beginning. Natural products only from here on out.

Valentine's Day New Date

Feburary 15th was our Valentines Day this year and it was cool to do something different.
I got another instrumental from him and an accompaning rhyme. I got him this hilarious card that had a list of things I loved about my husband and than on the inside it said the thing I love the most is that you were smart enough to fall in love with me.
That's the best thing he has done :)

Along with that card I had one of his friends deliever him flowers on Valentines Day night.
I also wrote him something, which I haven''t done in a little minute.
So I'm going to close this post with those words.

You acknowledge the child in the streets

You find courage to rescue the meek

You have the power to rise up small seeds

To miles and miles of foliage

Beyond human capability

You continue to acknowledge the sunshine beneath the trees

The forgotten milk next to an old wedge of cheese

The inconsistent memory of loved ones suffering with disease

But you remember it all

The year, the season, the date and all the seconds in between

The moments lost and re-found between you and me

See, you acknowledge things that others can’t see

Due to their ignorance and egos that cloud what even the blind can see

The deaf can’t hear but communicate with people like me

And you acknowledge the sincerity in people like these

Especially me

Cause you see past the bullshit and past the unnecessary ellipses

Where others couldn’t fathom to think what I think

In plain day light your cool shades find me

Lost in my own eyes

Forbidden thoughts I barely recognize

Dead outside unlinked from transformed minds

I close my eyes and remember you acknowledge I’m alive.

-Stephanie Brown 2/2012

My apologies for now...

I'm Sorry i've been gone for a long time but I PROMISE you very very! soon I will be back with lots of information!

After my last post sometihng happened and it is a surprise for a special someone who reads my blog. So as badly as I want to post pictures and share my experiences I gottta wait till later when I see that special someone :)

Also tomorrow or really tonight not that its after midnight I will be attending my first real live concert!! Drizzy Drake will be on UF's campus and I'm very excited to experience his performance and hear his music with the love of my life.

I'm  blessed for the opportunities coming my way and you'll understand more later. I got a busy weekend ahead and God is showing me the way through it!

"Cast all your cares on ME"  I Peter 5:7

RELAY FOR LIFE

Today I got an email from SCAD ICC (inter-club-council) providing my email information for my new club!!

It's offically offical! SCAD Relay! is up and running and our interest meeting is this Friday.

For those who don't know....

RELAY FOR LIFE is an over night event the celebrates cancer survivors, provides hope for those struggling with cancer, and supports those effected by cancer. It is honestly a year long process of fundraising and planning for it to be a successfull event. I've been participating in relay for life for 5 years now in a row. I've been a participant, co-captain, and captain. My senior year they wanted me to run the whole thing as the head committee member but I couldn't commit that much time.

I love relay for life! I think its fun and a great event for a great cause. Ovarian cancer runs on my mom's side of the family but I only know one family member that was actually diagnosed with it. Cancer is one of the diseases that I commend every person who deals with it. I could not imagine living with such a condition and I pray for a cure to rescue individuals with cancer.

I always had the idea of starting a club at scad but I was going to make a gospel choir to bring Christ into the student the body via music and also provide a free alternative for students with a voice. The SCAD ensemble here is expensive to join and you have to audition to get into it or else they refer you to vocal lessons which you have to pay for as well! My only issue would have been finding an advisor who could teach and help out vocally and for free.

I knew I wanted to participate in Relay for Life here in Savannah but I didn't even know if they had one. So over the break googled the American Cancer Society(ACS) and found the Chatham County branch, called  and shared my information with them and we've been in contact since. When school began I asked ICC how I could get SCAD involved with Relay and they didn't have a straight answer for me.

Beatriz is the ACS representative and deals with the colleges. We agreed a club at SCAD would help the numbers and impact SCAD has on the event. The ultimate goal is to get SCAD to become a large part of the Chatham County event to a point where SCAD wants to have their own event on campus!! This is a 4 year long goal that I hope to achieve by the time I am a senior. It excites me to think where we are now and where I know SCAD students can bring this. As artists we can do so much to help and raise money.

Whats even more exciting is that the money we raise does not only go to research but helps pay for all the FREE services ACS provides the community. Like transportation to treatment, survivor retreats, free wigs, make overs and confidence building events. SCAD students can defiantly help with all these and more.

We pitched the idea of the club at a Student Service Society meeting and got 18 people to sign up interested in participating. I only needed 10 signatures to start the club :)
I can't wait for Friday's meeting I'm praying I get a large turn out!

So I gotta SPEAK it into EXISTENCE! lol.

If you know anyone struggling with cancer, interested in relay for life or any of the services ACS has to offer: Google the American Cancer Society and find your nearest branch to learn how you can benefit form their services provided.

The Permanent Collection

Permanent Collection...

After today's Tumblr post I realized that I have a permanent collection of models, or in simplier terms I have a set of models that will always be my models no matter what.

I'm trying to stay on top of my work by posting a new image on my tumblr everyday. This post than sends a duplicate to my facebook page and my twitter in hopes I will slowly but surely widen my span of viewers and fans of my work.

The Collection begins with:

Shanice Richards - I admire her beauty and care of her body and confidence in her walk. She was my first african american (she's really Jamaican) nude model. And from that moment on I was sold!

Perry Alfred - Because he is my boyfriend? I guess but he is a supporter and admirer of my work and the majority of my inspiration and ideas of nude photography come from him. I guess you can say he is my master canvas from which I develop my work.



Kayla Burke - Far too grown for her age but that's why we get along so well. I even worse when I was her age. She is an incredible athlete and a beautiful young woman. A natural model like all the women in my permanent collection.

Alexis Pitts - New to the collection and the first from my new SCAD friends. But she has the attitude of a true model and an appreciation for my work. When it comes to a photograph she always has her face ready for the lens.

The goal is to become "Internet Famous" as my friend Jonas tells me. If I can achieve that the job offers will come to me. Not to say that I will stop looking for work! But in my down time I will always have my work and my name out there. What I NEED is a graphic logo to tag my images with so that I can have a consistent image out there. Just recently I began using my real name on the portraits I took from the most recent shoot. I was iffy and still very emotinoal seeing my name on the images but I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm excited for the logo not only for its consistency it will provide but I think I will always be self concious to have MY name on my work in fear that I will be judged based off the knowledge that Stephanie Brown took it. If you see Saje Creations you just think oh new photo company. Stephanie Brown seems more like oh who is this girl?

Now as for the blog... I'm still not pushing to advertise it but I am more open to people knowing about it now. I link some of my posts to my Google+ and sometimes to my tumblr and gmail but never my facebook.

I hope all this work becomes effective soon...

 I know I can't rrush it but I got success of the brain.
I want my images tweeted about, blogged about, liked, loved and on your brain.
 Make Saje Creations or Stephanie Brown apart of your day ;)


<3 Stephanie B!

Worst Superbowl night ever...

I'm not a football fan but I LIVE for the commercials companies pay millions to air on superbowl night.

But tonight I'm not watching it because I suck and situations suck.
I was offered to go to a restaurant but thats money to spend and loud people to tolerate.
I could have gone in a friends room cause they got two TVs but it would be VERY boring because they aren't interested in the game or commercials at all.

The best offer I got to watch the game was in a room of guys who were cool calm and watching their football in peace. I could have gone there with some homework and worked during the game and watch the commercials when they came on.

BUT

As the day went on today I became aggrevated and knowing the week that is ahead of me fustrated me. This is the last week of midterms and getting ahead since next week i'm going out to see the Drake concert. And I was sad to decline my offer but not really since i would have been pushing myself to do something I wasn't wild about.

I got two roommates and one went to see her first Superbowl Game at a church event and the other insisted to stay in the room all day and watch the game online. I urged her to go out and watch it with friends because she is a real football fan but she stayed in the room. In my opinion watching the super bowl alone is like watching a new movie in the theatres alone. Who do you laugh and cry with?

I came back from belly dance practice at about 7pm and thought to myself...
I should be kind and since I'm not myself tonight I'd watch the game with her on her laptop...
Come to find out she is muting the commercials/ads and only watching the game.
THEN to further find out that not all the commercials air online cause she is watching it on NBC's sports network thing. They show you still images of the ads and provide links to watch the commercials after the game is over -___-
To make it WORSE I couldn't even catch the half time show because it didn't air online
-_________________________________-   (mega stale face!)
I'm thinking to myself okay steph at least you'll see the half time show, then i see posts on facebook talking about madonna's preformance and I'm like wtf when did that happen?!
sigh.

I bought a slice of pizza and looked up some teachers for next quarter.
And now I'm gonna do some watercolor painting that is due for my 8am class tomorrow and shower and take my behind to bed.

And no one will read this till way later cause the rest of the world is still enjoying the game...

Grreeeaatt!



Football images from a Brandon Flowers Event I did last summer in honor of the football sunday:

In REPLY to....

IN REPLY TO THE FEB 3RD post - "Wanna Be On Top!"


I found an image of me in the Delray Beach, FL parade the year after I did the Miss America Pageant.
I felt it was suitable to share. I wish I had a digital copy of the images of me at the pageant intself but those are on 4x6 prints back at home.

Enjoy my youth :)

Am I a Portrait photographer?

Portraiture is cool but I think its tricky to define. The majority of people would think of school photos when the word portraits are used.

eHOW says: "Portraiture photography is when a person, couple or family has their photo taken in a posed manner."

Wiki says: "Portrait photography or portraiture is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people "

Vague definition I agree but the images I took today were posed and were mostly of the face and upper body. A fellow student at SCAD organized a large photoshoot around 8 different themes. Four of which I was the photographer for.

Ethnic Theme - had male and female models and they all had some type of ethnic accessory that was to be the main focus of the image.
Women-Power
Men-Strenth...

These last two didn't turn out to be as the student hoped but I loved what it turned into. The female models could easily show emotion in their poses but many could argue if they really represented "power" I honestly don't think so. BUT what did end up happening I think was much greater!
Their hearts poured out of their eyes and bodily positions. Their current emotions of thoughts were bleeding through their skin and I enjoyed every moment and oppourtunity to photograph that. And VIOLA I got lots of beautiful portraits with an assortment of models.
All the models were decked out by make-up artists Mosi and hairstylist Demarcus they were they main two that I knew of.

I was on the outdoor set the whole time and waited in my lounge chair as the models came to me. I really liked that flow. The models had their look put together than sent to me to be photographed. I thought that was cool it made the whole thing seem very professional. The sun was kind to me and I negotiated with it throughout the day. I never had to use my flash at all.

Just as I explained what happened with the "women-power" theme the same happened with the "men-strength" I really just showed their age and personality.

I think I did a good job paying attention to the overall color palette of the backgrounds to contrast and compliment the models the best I could. I used manuel when the sun was unruly(most the time) and Aperture priority when the sun was giving me a break. The backgrounds were blurred mostly since I used a low F-stop and tried to keep my models as far away from the background as I could.

Editing was done in Lightroom.
Here are my favorites from the first batch I edited it. These are the portraits of both men and female. When I upload the ethnic accessory ones you WILL know its mighty obvious.

My greatest achievement in these images is that I think I'm starting to find my WOW factor that comes first in composition and later in post-production. And not to toot my own horn but my compostion is always beautiful. Every professor and photo professional that has looked at my work always begins with " You definantly have a good eye" which I love and is comforting but I know that everything else needs work including my editing skills. In these images I feel as if my wow factor is coming on slowly but surely.

WOW FACTOR - the awesome flawless looks like candy and money glow in professional photography. Every photography has their own glow like Jill Greenberg and my intern guy from over the Winter Break Sam Robles. No one seems to be able to teach me how they get their wow factor and I think its cause I have to find my own myself.

More images as always on the facebook page:
Saje Creations Photography on FB

Casting overview...

So boy was I surprised to see soo many girls and guys! The fashion department did a great job and organized everyone in a nice order. we had measurements done. photo taken and number given than it was a waiting game for the two judges.


I was measured a proud 5'8 today lol even though I'm really 5'7.
And my measurements were pretty accurate. I wasn't even wearing a bra to make sure I was extra small in the chest and the lady got 34 1/4 from my size 33 chest -__- but whatever it was cool.
According to the lady's measurements today I was:
5 foot 8
B34 1/4
W27
H36

I was photographed and given the number 78! and I was fairly early compared to the crowd that came later. In the waiting room I learned about the judges....

When it was my turn I joined 3 other girls and we walked one by one in front of Miss. J Alexander!
As nervous as I was I was mostly excited! Miss J was there with another guy and together they judged us, I wish the guy introduced himself..and I wish I would of asked who he was even more.  Miss J is just like the Miss J on television. Hilarious and ready for business at all times.
The whole event was very professional and I that is very comforting but also nerve wrecking. After I walked once they asked if I could walk with out my glasses and I agreed.
I took them off and when it was my turn to walk again...I took a deep breath stood tall and WALKED but I'm not gonna lie I was sooooo BLIND. I walked and smiled with my eyes toward a brown blob and a white blob sitting at the table. Thank GOD I'm not THAT blind where I tripped over myself. But I tried my hardest to make it seem like my vision did not impair my ability to model because best believe I will get contacts if chosen JUST for the fashion show in particular!

The not so great....Miss J said there wasn't anything bad to say about me after they went down the line and shared some comments. After my last walk though Miss J asked how often I wore heels.... -__- it took me a moment and Miss J was like "once a month?" and I was like oh no at least once a week on sundays. Miss J replied, "at church?" and i said yes. Miss J said "Praise the Lord!" and I walked back to my starting position. I don't go out often, but when I do I wear heels and I am very comfortable in heels. Dancing, running, walking and I'm good. I just hope Miss J wasn't implying I was awkward in my heels :(

At any rate, my success adviser told me I gotta speak it into existence! lol. So I keep praying and telling myself I did great! If I get this I can be selected to not only participate in the show but be trained by a PROFESSIONAL! I can't afford no modeling classes to be trained or nothing. This opportunity would be experience and training like no other! It was a blessing to be in Miss J's presence just imagine if Miss J was my teacher!! OMG its a mind blowing thought!

Wish me luck...I don't know how long I have to wait for a response but I hope its soon!

<3

Wanna Be On Top!

Modeling has come across my life a few times.
In 5th grade I was recruited by John Robert Powers to model but at the time I wanted to act and they said I should do both. Long story short, they are crooks and fake power houses that just wanted all my money.
Attempt number two to model was getting into pageantry! I participated in the National American Miss Pageant the sumemr before 6th grade and had a blast but didn't even make it to finals. The experience was fun and confidence building but I was sad a weekend in Orlando and months of fundraising went by so quick. I later attempted more pageants but my parents saw it as cash gimmicks. And as I grew older I agreed. Don't get me wrong I LOVE pagentry still and would go back if I had the money but I don't. 10th grade year I tried out to be in an African American Pageant in Palm Beach County but once again too much money and no time to find sponsors. I really feel like a gamble in pagentry.
I just stopped. Trying to be a model and a pageant beauty queen I just stopped, sure that my efforts were being wasted.
But as I got older, graduated, and upgraded my wardrobe with my awesome Macy'ss Magic I kept hearing the same comments.....
Are you a model?
Have you modeled?
Are you interested in modeling?
Girl you got the legs!
You are beautiful you should model.
You got the right figure to model!

.........YET NO ONE HAS SCOUTED ME!

I beleive you can't complain about getting somewhere if you don't put yourself out there to be gotten. So I did! Right when I turned 18. Craigslist postings I replied to. Stupid mall casting calls I put my name in and nothing. The closest I got to modeling was when I somehow got in contact with an agency in Ft.Lauderdale that was active and casted the boy in Marley & Me. The wanted no money up front and only took a percentage of the jobs they got me...SOUNDED GREAT! BUT they wanted professional photos done of me and a comp card that would be costly.....I was 16 at the time turning 17 and my Dad and the lady just suggested I come back when I'm 18 and I've saved up some money -___-

So going back to the comments I said I got so frequently, I ggot them at work from old ladies, body builder women, and ex-models even. My co-workers even wanted me in the INC fashion show but I couldn't go cause I promised I'd be at my nephew's football game to support and photograph him ballin on the field which he did!
At any rate, over Winter Break of SCAD I had an intership with a photographer and decided to give modeling another try but this time a serious mature try. And that started with pictures! I asked the guy I interned for to photograph me and he got some beautiful shots! But what he doesn't know is the drama I put myself through the night before the shoot. I figured I would google some poses and sample comp cards to see what was required in headshots and full body shots and boy oh boy is there a lot!!
Turn your hips away to look thinner. Weight on back leg to look thinner. never to do poses. cliche poses. how to put your hands! all this led to what to wear and what not to wear. I realized I needed more than one look and hair style! Secret is I had to do my own make-up slightly rushed. I quickly shaved my legs the night before. Straightened my hair the morning of. Made sure my nails were manicured and my toe nails!
For not knowing ANYTHING about modeling I learned very quickly and think I got some solid shots! 2 of which he specialled touched up for me so that I could send them to agencies.
Next for getting serious I looked up agencies in my area (delray beach at the time). Conviently later that week a new talent agency was opening in Boca from their location in Ft.Lauderdale and got down my info when I ran into them at the Boca Mall.  Conviently my appointment got pushed back until I had to leave for Savannah. I applied to another agency via online app and never heard back. My last agency chance was Halo Talent Agency in Savannah. which was convient cause I would be here in Savannah till the summer and for the next 3 years. I went AGAIN unprepared and the owner was harsh but in a good way kinda giving you what to expect in the tough cut-throat business of modeling. And long story short there...I never got an email which means I'm not worthy..YET.
But in her sample success stories she mentioned people in similar situations I want to be in. A male professional in the full time work force but part time model. High school student and part time model. I want to be the SCAD student and part time model. I want to be the full time photographer and part time model. why can't that be me?!


But I'm not done trying yet. and I don't think I ever will be. Modeling and pagentry is not a career goal but it is a dream that will sit on a burner until the burner is hott enough for it to be moved up.

Tomorrow...or really later today. SCAD's fashion department is recruiting models for their annual fashion show which is huge!! I feel like this is my chance to be taught, trained, and learn for freee!! Learn things and get pictures in action that I could never afford at this stage in my life.
As skinny as I am....I'm nervous. I'm nervous because I don't feel like I'm in MY body.
MY body is used to being seasonally trained by track and winging in through the off season.
MY body can work out when sick and feel better even.
MY body blows through ab works easy!
MY body has killer legs that scream the life of a track star...
But I don't feel like I'm in MY body...
cause I missed out on my senior year season of track.
cause I stopped pole fitness when I moved out to georgia.
cause I am sick and working out the other day nearly killed me.
cause 2 sets of 20 declince bench crunches wore me out.
cause these legs haven't been shaved all winter
and haven't run in what feels like forever.

I miss MY body. and I can take not being prepared. or not having enough training in modeling. but I can't take my body being an issue. Cause I LOVE MY body...I just need some time getting back to MY body. Its not about being skinny to me and I could care less about my weight. I just want to be healthy and toned. Muscle comfort me because there isn't much fat. And if I'm gonna be the size I am I feel like the least I can do is take care of it with regular exercise and thats what I plan to do! So hopefully I can get through these castings later. And best believe I'll have a response coming soon.

Nov. 2011-