An Ashley Nizolek Photography Production...

So as many of you know, I have a deep passion for photography and spend a lot of my time on it. It has also translated into a new love for video editing and art directing of motion pictures. Here's a quick video I shot, edited and designed. Very simple but thats what I wanted. It was shot in HD so I guess you cant get the full effect with the low def quality of the youtube version.Otherwise, I'm super happy with it, and excited to make another ASAP so that I can get into more detail and combine tons of shots and cutaways and play beats in the transitions. For now this was just something fun and pretty to shoot. This is my roommate, performing a song he wrote acoustically a few nights ago :)

If you like the song, go check out Colin's band and "Like" then on Facebook! This Renaissance

Arachnophobia!

Man, I need to start blogging and stop neglecting my 359 followers! So today, I shall begin again.

Naturally, my first post in weeks, months, years would need to be pointless, as staying with my general blog style. So, here's a picture of a baby spider takeover on my porch. I snapped this shot with a macro lens, which means I was way too close to these little dudes for comfort!

Stay tuned because I made Mushroom Risotto, and I'm gonna share the deliciousness with you all! SOON!

Great Grandmother's Spatula! It's already 2011!

Whoa! Happy New Year All! I haven't blogged in ages, yikes! I'm a hot mess ya'll :) STill recovering from the most insane November/December of my life thus far! I know, I know, I've never been quite so M.I.A. as I have been as of late, but this Horse Feathers video is absolute magic and I needed to share with you all :)



Thanks to everyone for giving me the most successful holiday season I've seen with my little business yet! It's so exciting (and sometimes scary and overwhelming) to see this little Etsy thang grow like it has.

In a short time I will have some big news to share, well actually, a couple pieces of big news to share :) So please check back, as inconsistent as my blogging has become, it is my goal to get back on the vblog wagon...and I know...I've said that before...hang in there :)

Photo: A quick snapshot I took on the icy dock of my parents lovely summer home in Lake George, NY. They just moved to a new spot on the lake which is just a stones throw from the house I was brought home to as a newborn :) Anyway, took this picture with my Canon 5D Mark II and I'm really loving it!

Happy Halloweenie!

Woohoo! It's Halloween! Or Halloweenie, if your a weenie dog like my Mel :)

I gotta come clean tho, Halloween has never really been my thing. So I'm spending my day working on new collection concepts, answering emails and drinking coffee generously spiked with Amaretto! Yum!

What I do find exciting about Halloween however is that the day after, Nov. 1st, marks the first day of my official Christmas season! Yeah I know, that might be a little early to begin the festivities, but not for me!!! Be prepared for many a Christmas themed post in the coming weeks :)

Happy Halloween all, be safe! And don't panic if you run into any pirates like this one :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...well, almost! The holiday season is fast approaching and business has really kicked into gear. Etsy loves to kick my ass from September thru January :) In other news, my photography side gig has really been growing as well! I recently shot promo photos for a local band, as well as keeping myself uber busy with photographing live shows! Woohoo! Photography and music, my heart overfloweth! Have I ever mentioned how much fun it is to have such talented friends? I will give you a peak at some of my favorite shots from the band shoots in the coming days...

Anyway, my apologies for my poor blog etiquette during this time of insanity but I will do my best to get back on track and keep you all entertained by my antics. For now, I must get back to the massive spread of half finished jewelry and stack of bubble envelopes.

A Talented Happy Customer & Minor Birds...

...make me SO happy! Check out this photo of my friend, the lovely Chelsea Wilde of New Resolution Photo, easily one of my most favorite photographers, wearing her A.N. Original "Camera Love" necklace in a self portrait with her new toy, a Mamiya RB67. JEALOUS! I want a fun old camera! Her images are SO beautiful and has a style all her own. I absolutely LOVE her work! She also has a fabulous Etsy Shop with tons of unique etherial wears.

Chelsea is also in a band called, Minor Birds, in which she takes care of keys and vocals, and is epically talented at both. Seriously. Her music is much like her photo's; Fresh and Magnetic. She might be the most talented person I've come across in a long time. It's SO refreshing! Is it really any wonder that we get along so well?

I've sold a lot of these "Camera Love" Necklaces to photographers over the past year, which is really exciting for me! However, I was most excited to see a photographer who I really respect and look up to, proudly wearing one of my pieces.

High Five, Chelsea! You are epic.

Along Came Polly

Don't you just wanna squeeze her? Her name is Polly and she is the cutest! I love puppies! She's not mine unfortunately, but I'm tempted to snatch her up sooner rather than later. Polly is a Fox Red Lab and has the sweetest temperament! Who doesn't love a puppy? I mean seriously, look that that mug! LOVE HER!

Cujo!

My little Mel has never looked quite so vicious and evil. Well, I guess it makes sense, because she IS an evil genius. That's about all I have to say today :)

Snapshot of the Day : Metal

I've been spending a lot of my time this summer with the musical boys of a local band called Pillowhead. This post isn't about Pillowhead though, we'll save that for another day and a proper introduction...

Anyway, as I was saying...I've been taking TONS, and I do mean TONS of photos at their shows, both for my own enjoyment and for their promotional use etc etc etc. Schwing!!! I love live music photography! It's becoming an obsession. While it's most certainly a challenge to shoot a live band in less than ideal lighting conditions, it is beyond gratifying getting a really intense shot when the odds are against you. This particular photo is one of my favorites from a show they played the other night. It's minimal, but epic none the less. Don't you think?

I love making jewelry, I really do. But when I grow up, I want to be a photographer :)

I've come to the realization that...

Compassion is a gift and a curse. It's a double edged sword and simultaneously one of the greatest qualities a human being can poses. In my opinion at least...

But what happens when compassion clouds your judgement? Tough stuff right there. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Letter To Summer...

Dear Summer,

I always look forward to you. In March, I always think I might die without you. But, by the end of August, I'm ready to see you go. It's not that I don't love you, Summer, it's just that, sometimes you bring more trouble than your worth. This summer has been sweet and sour to say the least. Made new friends, lost some friends, reconnected with some, saw others drift further away, saw my business continue to grow, questioned my path, questioned my decisions. Summer, you always seem so much more dramatic than I remember you being the year before. Why? I swear, sometimes I just don't understand you Summer. I just don't.

Now it's the last day of August, and I'm ready to say goodbye to you for another 9 months. I'm sure by the time Christmas rolls around I'll be begging to get you back. But thats just how life works. You always want what you can't have, the grass is always greener, yadda yadda yadda...

But hey, Summer, no hard feelings. Let's see where life takes us next year. Until then...

Your Friend,
Ashley

Happy 5th of July!

No, that's not a typo. I've never been one who is overly enthusiastic about the 4th of July, nor am I really all that patriotic. That said, playing with sparklers is fun regardless. Pyromaniacs rejoice!


Here are a couple sparkly sparkler photos for your viewing pleasure...

And with that I say to you, my fine friends, Happy 5th if July to you all.

Snapshot of the Day

Here's one of my favorite shots that came out of a A.N. Original Jewelry promo shoot in May. A little late in showing this off, although you may have already seen it on my website, but anywhooo...

Penny For Your "Deep Thoughts": Thought #1

I don't know about you, but I can read through "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy for hours and sit and laugh by myself in a corner until I cry, eventhough I've read them all before and have most of them memorized. I think it's the fact that I often have my own non-sensical "deep thoughts" running through my head on a daily basis, so I'm happy to know someone else in the world thinks these weird things too. Jack Handy is my mythical unicorn soul mate

"Deep Thoughts" never get old to me. So I was thinking, I'm gonna start posting a random deep thought from the series from time to time, along with a photo. Now, this photo may or may not have anything to do with the quote. It's just a fun little way to share some of my photos I've taken, along with the comedic genius that is Jack Handy. So, here it goes, Deep Thought #1 of many more to come...

"Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm myself down. I'll go over to the person's house and ring the doorbell. When the person comes to the door, I'm gone, but you know what I've left on the porch? A jack-o'-lantern with a knife in the side of its head with a note that says 'You.' After that, I usually feel a lot better, and no harm done." ~ Jack Handy

*This pretty little sunset photo is one I took just a few days ago in Lake George. Lovely, if I do say so myself :)

Summer Snapshot: "My Best Friend Tommy"

This is Tommy and Lucie. They are cousins. In fact, they are my cousins as well. However, Lucie refers to Tommy as "My Best Friend Tommy" on a regular basis. She frequently asks me if I know her "Best Friend Tommy" and when I explain to her that yes, I do in fact know him, and he is my cousin, silly goose, it seems totally lost on her.

Anyway, I took this picture of the two of them having a love-fest a couple weekends ago in Lake George and felt I just had to share it with you all because they are the cutest little dude and dudette ever.

I'm in LOVE with a 5D!

As my photography hobby grows into an obsession and quite possibly a new side gig, I find myself dying to upgrade my camera! In my down time, I've spent countless hours perusing camera body's online in the dead of night, reading reviews, and scouring flickr groups for photos taken with different Canon Camera Bodies...

And now, I think I'm in love, or maybe in lust... with the Canon 5D Mark II.

Yikes. It's a little pricey. But, when I figure just how much use I get out of it I think that greatly eases the sticker shock. I think it'd really help bring my images to the next level. And now you can take video on this little baby! I can't do that with my Canon 30D! While I love my 30D, I think that an upgrade is in order asap. I've been working with my 30D for 4 years now, and sure, it's a great camera, and I'd certainly keep it around but....

...the allure of a new fancy schmancy camera body, like the 5D Mark II is haunting my dreams...

What do you guys think? Any photographers out there have thoughts to share?

Snapshot of the Day: Thing 1, Thing 2 and Thing 3.

I know I've been a bit MIA lately but I'll be back! SO much going on and business has been booming! Thanks to all my awesome customers :) I really appreciate all you guys and that your all spreading the word about my work!

Anyway, here's a quick little photo for you all. This is my best friend Lindsay (center) and her twin sisters, Cat (right) and Aliza (left). Beauties! I love the crap out of those girls. And so does my camera!

Hi girls! Don't hate me for posting this :)

Snapshot of the Day: The Mill Rock Kids

Sometimes going to a really funky townie bar is just what you need to unwind. This place was way out of the way, and it was every bit the bar you'd expect it to for being at the end of a really dark road in the woods.

When I asked for a Heineken Light, I got the deer in headlights look. Which was followed by..." Uhhh I think I saw some way in the back of the fridge?". The lovely lady bartender then disappeared for what seemed like 45mins, and came back with a Heineken Light, which was a year old, no doubt. Skunky beer only added to the ambiance of the night though.

We're fun people. We can go anywhere. We have photographic evidence.

Snapshot of the Day: Vemelope Frolics

I hope at this point you've all gotten a chance to see me at work in the video from my last post, "The Making of the 'By Heart' Ring"! I especially proud of it and I've even had it reposted by a lovely local media/news blogger! How fun!

Anyway, I don't have too much to say today because I'm a busy bee once again. I'm preparing for another trip out towards Boston, but this time, it's for my little sister Alex's college graduation! We're all growing up so fast, it is officially freaking me out!

So I leave you with a lovely spring snapshot I took of my darling Vemelope Sweetie Pie Lover Lambchop! Just a day in the life of a super spoiled but equally sweet Miniature Dachshund :)

Come to Mama...

I've been hemming and hawing over buying myself a spiffy new lens to use on my photo journey. If I'm gonna get serious about photography (or at least have it be a serious hobby) I need the equipment that will help me grow. After a TON of research, countless hours reading reviews and all that fun stuff I decided on this lens...

The Canon Telephoto EF 135mm f/2.0L USM , very spiffy indeed! I can only hope that it helps me and photography grow as much as it's made my bank account shrink :)

As I type this I am patiently or not so patiently awaiting the delivery of that pretty little lens. Waiting for that magical moment when UPS pulls into my drive way, walks up to my door and asks me to sign for my package. I will never again be so happy to awkwardly sign that weird electronic tablet. As soon as I get it in my hands I am going to play around with my new investment until there's no light left in the sky. Or at least until I fill my data card :)

Come on UPS, get here already!!! Your killin' me , Smalls!