"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes."

        - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Ether Project is a photo series designed to remind us to look up at the beauty above us.

Background

I've always loved creative things. I tried for a long time to find a creative outlet that could be mine, that I could get really passionate about and do on a regular basis. 

I heard about this photography app called Instagram one day, so I downloaded it and started snapping pictures and following other photographers. It didn't take long to get hooked. I was taking pictures all the time—my wife and I would go on long "photo runs" around the town we live in, just taking pictures with our phones.

I got more and more into photography and discovered that I really loved it. I learned how to edit photos myself instead of relying on Instagram. I even opened an online shop on Etsy. 

My next goal is to produce a high–quality photo series about a very specific concept I've had for a while (below). I recently bought my first DSLR camera, but if I'm going to launch this project, I will need more than just that. That's where Kickstarter comes in.

The Project

The Ether Project is a unique photo series featuring beautiful images of the sky. The photo below is an example (that I took) of the kind of images that will be included in the series.

As a society, I don't think we look up enough. Especially in America, it seems like we are always looking down—down at our computers, down at our phones, etc. Because of that, we often lose out on the stunning beauty right above us in the sky. I want to capture that and hand it to people in the form of a photograph. I've studied how to effectively photograph the sky, and I've even started studying the history of sky photography.

The series will feature a variety of different subjects (sunset colors, clouds, etc.) to showcase all the different kinds of beauty above us. Each photograph will be carefully framed and I'll avoid all of the "typical" sky shots found in stock photos. In other words, this will be unique and distinctive. At the end of the project, I will most likely create a photo book with all the images and try to enter an art show with them.

How You Can Help

I’ve already invested my own time and money, but I need a little help getting to the next level. The funds I raise will help me purchase camera equipment and programs.

You can help in two ways:

1) Donate. This is the biggest one. Any amount helps, and you'll see the rewards for donating to the project over on the right.

2) Spread the word. Even if you can't or don't want to donate, you can help simply by spreading the word! You could write a blog post, share it on Facebook, tell your friends, etc.

Thank you for any support you give. It means a lot to me.

How I Will Use the Money

The $345 will be used for the following:

• A tripod.
• A large SD card.
• A camera bag (I currently don't have one).
• VSCO Film (a program that I use to edit and filter photos).
• Aperture (a photo organization and editing program).
• Marketing budget (for promoting both the photo series and the shop in general)
• Shipping materials (allows me to buy shipping materials in bulk to be able to provide lower shipping costs to people who buy photos from the series).

It would be awesome if donations went above the required $345! If that happens, the extra money will be used to purchase other equipment, get the series into an art show, and produce a photo book with all of the images.

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I can't tell you how much it means to me that you would be willing to support this project. This is something that is very important to me, something I'm very passionate about. I think it's amazing that people are willing to get on a site like this and support projects they think are worthwhile. I appreciate your help!

Your friend,

Jordan Bowman

Canoe Prints Shop