Overworked: Fine art series with Mike Wolfe American Picker

This image is part of my fine art series with the personal picks of Mike Wolfe from American Pickers on the History Channel. To me this is about how so many of us are overworked, over scheduled, and just plain worn out. Our addiction to productivity and the lack of value put on rest here in the US is causing so many health problems, relationship problems, society problems and more. I am certainly no exception to this. I have been working lately on making time for rest, to be still. One way to do this I have found, is in the car with no music, no podcasts just silence. I find that when I give my mind a chance to have some space, I actually get my most creative ideas. When I am not overstimulated, not distracted. Yoga and meditation are also perfect ways to give yourself some mental space.

This series is now available on Etsy to purchase fine art prints! They are printed on thick, matte archival paper and make a perfect gift. BUY PRINTS HERE

Americana Art: For Art's Sake Project: Professional Photographer's Challenge

For Art's Sake Project: Professional Photographer's Challenge. Week 8 Americana Art

Americana

There is a word that has been floating around a lot in marketing and genre descriptions these days and it is "Americana". It is a very cool word to me and I love the images it brings up in my mind and the nostalgia it stirs in my heart. Images of 4th of July BBQs, worn denim jeans, farmland, apple pie, 24 hour diners, and home cooked southern food. A couple weeks ago I did an image of Angel of the Forgotten. I took a lot more shots of the dilapidated buildings around here and wanted to share one more today. It has that pure Americana feel to it and documents the world around me as it looks right now, at this moment in 2014. I capture how it looks now so that my grandchildren and great grandchildren can see the world as it was in my time, as those that went before us did for us.

Take a moment this week to document the world around you. That hole in the ground where they are doing a big construction project, that big tree with the gnarled branches, or the tiny blueberry bush in your front yard. Maybe the old house down the street that the same old couple has lived in forever, or the new condos they are putting up on your block, or your favorite coffee shop, or local hangout. Take a moment to document it this week. Things are changing so fast around us. It is our duty as photographers to document things as they are in our time, in our place. For me, where I am in the Tennessee countryside, this is what is important for me to document. That and I am inspired by the "Americana" and nostalgia that surrounds me here.

This image was edited with:

Strawberry Sun from the In Vogue Photoshop Actions Collection

Spring Issue from the In Vogue Photoshop Actions Collection

Light Leak Overlay Textures

xoxo Meghan Aileen