working on it

So, I'm working on trying to get a great reflection in the eyes when I take my shots. I would LOVE if you could actually see ME (or a tree or clouds or whatever) reflected in the subjects eyes, but this seems to be out of my reach. I can "kind of" see myself taking the pic in her right eye, but it's not what I was going for. Nonetheless, it was the shot I was working on this morning and it turned out a beautiful pic (how could it NOT be with such a subject??!!) and I want to keep track of how I progress when working on this.

A seasoned perspective...

Grilling season, flavorful seasoning, dinner prepared on a seasoned grill.

me and my shadow

After the rain...

two weeks in one!

Last week when we had yellow as our word of the week, I envisioned taking a shot on the ground, of the yellow line in the road. I wanted to get it right in my town, but the time never arrived, there were always too many cars. Fast forward to this morning and I saw my opportunity and jumped on it! Mainstreet was fairly quiet and I ran out there and got down on the ground to get the shot...just as a very friendly sanitation worker walked in front of me and started emptying trashcans on mainstreet. So, the shot didn't come out quite as I thought it would. So, I'm heading to a petsit, driving down the outer road of the highway, when I see the sun rising in the rearview mirror. I pulled over, checked that that road was clear and dove into the road to get the shot. I admit, this is just my first attempt b/c I was nervous of getting run over, practically laying in the middle of the outer road, but this one was my favorite.

A sunny perspective...

Today was not a good day with the point and shoot. I've managed to get decent pictures by sticking to outdoor pictures during the 'magic hour' around sunset. But today I had plans and knew I'd be inside at this time. I tried to get some pics at other times of day and not only were they completely blown out but since I have to use the LCD screen (this particular camera has no view finder) I couldn't even really frame the picture up because it was too bright to see the screen. I'm trying to just think of it as a learning experience- I know I get the best pics with this camera around sunset so that's what I should stick with. For today, this was the best of the bunch so in the spirit of the project I'll post my less than perfect picture.

upsidedown perspective

a swinging perspective?

Reflective perspective...

A soft perspective...

When I'm in my head, trying to decide what I should take pictures of I can never think of anything. But with camera in hand, not over thinking, just letting the ideas come to me instead of me searching so hard for them they come without fail.

Self Perspective

Let me preface this with saying how difficult it is to post pictures of myself like this. I'm doing it though b/c I think it's important for me to step out of my comfort zone and be brave, especially when I'm trying to grow in so many ways...

I had somewhat of a flashback this morning. Long story short, I was out running and a guy (grown man) made fun of me and laughed at me while I was running. I spent my childhood being laughed at and teased for my weight, it shaped who I am, but I really don't feel like I did back then. I thought I was over it. I tried to just get angry, but before I knew it I was back there in that place of shame and feeling every bit of pain that I did when I was younger. I had a good cry (ok, a couple good cries) and realized that I'm not that person anymore.

I'm not going to believe you when you tell me I'm fat or ugly or whatever judgment you think you have about me. I KNOW who I am, I'm beautiful inside and out, and I thought that it would be some great self therapy to shoot myself today and find that beauty that I know I have. It was good for me and I needed to see myself for what I am now and who I am now. I liked both these shots. I can see beauty and flaw in myself and really just love who I am. I don't need to be perfect, I am who I am and I'm working my ass off every day to be even better. I guess all those classes for my psychology degree gave me a boost today...there's nothing like some self perspective thrown in with self therapy! ;o)

A lovely perspective...

Once again I found myself uninspired today without MY camera. I wandered around the house, my yard, even ventured over to the neighbor's yard. In my mind I was writing a post explaining that I just couldn't do this with a point and shoot. But I found myself drawn back to the house. First I took some shots of the small wooden lawn furniture the kids have outgrown. I didn't really like them but I did notice that the sun was setting and that I like the pink-white light bouncing off the white wood. Then the the wooden planter in my garden caught my eye. Just when I'm about to give up on finding a shot, one finds me.

Mulan

Today we had Disney movie day, so my picture was pretty easy thanks to Hope. She got all kinds of fun stuff for our movie day and they made for a great picture. I'm going to ramble a bit here b/c this is what I do... I'm having a little internal struggle with my photography. I FEEL like a photographer. I have no interesting in being a "professional" photographer. I don't want to charge people, so therefor I'll never be a professional. Does this mean I can't get as good of a photo? I don't think so. Does this mean that I don't know what I'm doing? No. It means that I LOVE photography, it means I love it just for what it is. I don't have to call myself a professional, I don't have to charge, I just have to love it for what it is. I could whip up a website and start charging people and this would magically make me a pro. It's not what I want, isn't that ok? I want to take the best pictures that I can take and I don't care if you think I'm professional or not. Does this make any sense? Probably not, but I needed to get that out. I'm spending a YEAR taking pictures every day in manual mode, reading and learning all I can b/c I LOVE photography. I love my camera. I don't need to be a pro to be validated, I can take a great shot without the label.

Karen plays photographer

Well THAT was a learning experience! Savannah & Leslee agreed to play models for me this afternoon and let me play around with getting some different shots. First off, I had this image in my head of them wearing bright eyeshadow looking really artsy and quickly realized that not only can I not put makeup on, but it would have been better with paint, not eye makeup and women, not girls. We washed most of the makeup off and they put on what they felt comfy in. I used a sheet and clearly had the wrong lens b/c you can tell it was a sheet and my bokeh wasn't what I wanted. There were issues with the edge of the sheet showing, the girls completely not wanting to do what I wanted, and bees flying all around us! LOL! Still, it turns out that Leslee wants to be America's Next Top Model b/c she sat long after Savannah was done and let me take shot after shot. I supposed I should have gotten a better shot then if I had such a willing participant, but it was my first shoot and I'm not going to be so hard on myself.

Bird's eye view...

One of my favorite things about spring is the return of the birds. I am lucky enough to have birds fill my lawn. At times the yellow of the goldfinches descending is so thick it looks like leaves fluttering to the lawn. I also have robins, wrens, bluebirds and some that I don't know their names. Soon the whippoorwill's will begin their song at dusk and the hummingbirds will zip, zoom, and dive. Today we set up the bird bath and we anxiously await more springtime visitors.

Yard sale yellow

I was so un-inspired today, it's a good thing I pulled out the camera at 7am right as we were getting ready for our yard sale b/c I didn't pick up the camera at all the rest of the day. I'm feeling like I need to try something new, but I'm not sure what? Portraits? I need variety. I can get a great shot of just about any inanimate object with lovely bokeh, but I want more! I need a model. Who wants to volunteer? ;o)

Hosta la vista winter!

Okay, I know puns are corny but I just couldn't resist, lol. I was so happy when I noticed my hostas growing taller that I had to get shot. At first I wasn't too inspired to take pics with the point and shoot but once I got out there I was pleased with some of the shots. Maybe the next few weeks won't be so bad.

Yellow spring...

I didn't have much opportunity to take pictures today. I had planned to use my old point and shoot that I passed along to Kya but when we couldn't find the USB cord I essentially gave up. I went about my day thinking that I wouldn't be taking pictures for a few weeks and the most amazing things unfolded, some photography related, some not.

First of all I realized that I see photo opportunities everywhere now. The sky, flowering trees, cars, stoplights, food, children playing, the list goes on and on. Several times today I would see something and wish I had a camera to capture it. This is strange and exhilarating because I'd begun to complain that I've already run out of things to shoot and was feeling uninspired. Yet here I am, one day without my camera and all I feel is frustrated because there were so many inspiring things I missed.

Second of all I made time for other passions that I've been ignoring. I am a writer. Not in the sense that I make a living by selling words to other people but in the sense that writing is how I make sense of the world. I write to shape and articulate ideas. I write to share information and insights. I write because when I do I feel more centered and grounded. Lately I've haven't been taking the time to write and didn't even realize that this is why I haven't been quite myself lately. So, this afternoon Jace was invited to a birthday party. It was to last about 3 hours and I didn't want to drive the 30 minutes home just to turn around and drive 30 minutes back. If I'd had my camera I would have gone to a park and taken pictures for at least some of that time. But I didn't have a camera so I spent 3 hours at Panera writing. I did a blog post for my unschooling blog that I basically abandoned 6 months ago. I also wrote a personal essay that helped me organize some thoughts around some things I've been contemplating lately. I sat there sipping my chai tea and I wrote. It was heavenly. (Obviously, since now I'm rambling on my photography blog, lol.)

After all of that writing I thought perhaps it was going to be good for me to be without my camera for a few weeks. But then on the way home I saw the most brilliant night sky- midnight blue with just a hint of purples, reds, oranges, and yellows. There was a single star and all I wanted was a camera to capture it. I called my mom, asked to borrow her point and shoot and stopped by to get it before I went home. I didn't have time for much because it was late when I got home and I still wanted to spend time with my family. I also see that mom's camera has some fun settings I might be able to play with so I'll try more tomorrow. But for today, simply spring.

Not yellow

Nope, it's not. I was so crazybusy today and as I went through my day, occasionally a yellow-idea would pop into my head but none of them really spoke to me. As I was driving home, I saw these trees and I wanted to shoot them. I decided that I should follow what calls to me instead of forcing myself to shoot only one thing. It's great if it helps me to become more creative, but not so great when I avoid shots b/c they don't fit the mold. Tomorrow I'm sure I'll be back to yellow...or not! ;o)

Ahh, sweet yellow...

Karen saved the day!! My camera is spending the next few weeks with the good people of Canon. But Karen took pity on me and let me take pictures with her camera at playgroup today. I know how protective we both are of our cameras so I'm VERY appreciative that she shared. She even left it with me when she had to go run an errand!!

I have to say that picking up someone else's camera was odd. Everything was different: metering, changing focal points, the weight and feel of the camera, even how it felt when I pressed the shutter. I still managed to get a few shots that Karen was then nice enough to email to me so I could choose a shot of the day. I had a few that I liked but I liked this one best 'as is'. I don't mind post-processing but for the purposes of this blog I'm trying to see what I can do straight from the camera. The other shots Karen emailed me I ended up cropping because she has a fixed 35mm lens that I'm not used to. I'm accustomed to my zoom lens so I just didn't get the shots framed up as well with the fixed lens. But this one I liked as is, no cropping. :-)

I'm pretty bummed about my camera but trying to think positively. I'll use my cheap little point and shoot and just work on composition for this project until I get it back.

A golden throne

My shot today is from the skating rink. I didn't take a ton of shots today, I was having camera remorse for Hope and let her use my camera as well since she didn't have hers. I think she got a better shot than me even...with my own camera! LOL.

Yellow weeds

Today ended up being such a nice day after the rain moved out and was replaced by sunshine! Good friends, good food, and an afternoon outside made my day beautiful. I never quite understood what determines a weed or a flower. Dandelions can be pretty too! (and their leaves are quite good in salad as well!)

Hanging yellow...

I'm throwing this out as my shot of the day because I'm having serious camera issues. I managed to take 20 pictures before it started having problems and now it's just not working at all. I'm trying not to panic and since there is nothing more I can do today I'm going to post my picture and try to think about something else for a while.

I took this shot to try to set up a shot of the kids standing on the deck of their playhouse. I thought if I framed up the shot at different angles first and figured out what I liked best then the kids wouldn't have to stand in for as long and might be more willing to cooperate. Ah well, I'll try that method when my cameras is working again.

I don't know when I'll be able to post again. I may try to keep going with the point and shoot and just work on composition. *Sigh*

Yellow book road...

I've been using a yellow highlighter for a long time. I have them stashed so I can always grab one if I need to. There's one next to the nightstand, another in my purse, several in the kitchen, and if you look you'll probably find one or two in the couch cushions. If I'm in a pinch I'll use another color but I prefer the bright yellow, unmistakeably declaring, "This is important, pay attention!". The books that get the 'highlighter treatment' are the ones from which I most want to learn. The ones that help enlighten me. My path to the Emerald City,out of a black and white existence into one of glorious color, isn't paved with yellow bricks, it's paved with yellow books.

Dirty yellow

Today Savannah & I went on a walk, determined to find unique yellow things. I can take a picture of yellow flowers, but I want to push myself to find some different angles and composition. I picked this because REY picked it as his favorite. He's home for a rare visit and loved this shot, so it's my shot of the day. He said it reminded him of Mexico.

The golden egg...

Some days the perfect shot seems as elusive as the golden goose.

and MORE eggs...

Today Hope & I had our Disney "movie day" without the movie. We decided to just do an egg hunt with the girls instead since yesterday was Easter. We spent most of the time talking photography instead of taking pictures! Looking forward to challenging myself with our word of the week starting tomorrow! YELLOW.

Pleasure in flight...

Happy Easter

Colored Pleasure...

Just pleasure

no fancy pleasure titles today...I'm running out! LOL.

Simple Pleasure...

A good book is one of life's simplest pleasures- a mom seeing her child indulge in that pleasure is simply heaven.

Jace got How To Train Your Dragon: Book 1 today and is already more than half finished. This is definately blog-worthy because while he's a good reader it's rare for him to read for pleasure. He's usually reading for information, not for fun- but not today! In fact he was so engaged that I was able to snap several pics without him noticing. We'll definately be getting more books in this series.

Oh, and it was also quite pleasurable to realize I can already get better shots in my dark living room than I could when we started this project. ;)

A pleasurable place to sit...

Panning??

I took several shots today that I really like and I even posted one of them already and decided to delete it. It wasn't perfect but I know why and know how to fix it. However panning is not something I know so I'm putting these up as a reminder of where I want to go from here.

I love panning shots- for those not familiar with photography lingo that means you keep the subject in focus but blur the background in a streaking way. It is supposed to imply motion and it also looks really cool. I really want to learn this technique and so far I'm getting not great results. I'm hoping that posting shots that aren't my favorites of the day but that instead show something I want to improve on will help give me the push I need to figure this out. Wish me luck!

Park Pleasure

I got some great shots today, I LOVED taking pictures of some of the kids at playgroup on the swing. It was so much fun! Ok, I HAVE to add 1 more pic. I make the rules here, right? I LOVE the picture with the chalk and if pleasure weren't the word of the day, I think I would have picked it instead.

Double your pleasure...

It was a gorgeous day and the temps climbed up to 80!! The kids were so excited and when Robbie got out the power washer to wash the truck they couldn't resist getting wet- their favorite summer pleasure. No matter where we are or what we're doing water has magical powers in our family. We can all be in full meltdown mode and a fountain or mister will completely transform the day. Today was already pretty good so this water wasn't needed to save the day but somehow it still did. I think their faces say it all. :-)

Simple Pleasure...

Ok, that's a lie, it wasn't simple at all! I teach an American Girl history class for our homeschool co-op and today we talked about WW2, Hiroshima, etc. and then we made Origami paper cranes. Luckily one of the older girls knew how and came in to instruct us b/c it certainly was NOT simple, but it was VERY pleasurable! The rest of my day was extremely pleasurable, but I'm not about to take pictures of myself in a bikini, laying on the deck in the sun reading! LOL. Origami it is!

Broken wing...

sunset pleasure

What's better than a glass of wine, sitting on the deck, watching the sunset?!?!? I'm not sure! To be honest, I took some other pics and as I was driving home realized that I was supposed to be focused on pleasure this week and I didn't much today. I'm not going to beat myself up about it, but I really want to focus on the positive things in my life right now, so the word pleasure is a great word to focus on. Now I'm off to watch LOST! THAT is pleasurable! LOL

A Pirate's Life for Me...

We had our Pirates of the Caribbean day today and it was a big hit with everyone! The kids loved the treasure hunt, Karen and I loved the tablescape full of photo ops we created. I couldn't decide between a pic of the kids happy with their booty or one of the table so you get two today! :-)

A Pirates Pleasure

I wanted to challenge myself to take a pleasure picture (our word of the week) every single day this week b/c I think it's good for me to see the small pleasures in every day life. Today we were busy having our Pirates of the Caribbean movie day and it was very pleasurable! I think I'm about ready to turn off the vivid setting on my camera though. Although it's nice for landscapes, I think my eye is getting sharper and I'm finding I don't like the colors as bold as my camera is taking them, especially in darker conditions, inside. So, I wasn't terribly pleased with my pics today, but wanted to post a pic of our pleasure today, so this is the one I picked.

Not enough distance...

Whew, today was a busy day! I had so much going on and I barely had time to get any pictures today. I did manage to walk to the end of the driveway and snap this pic for a final installment for our word of the week. The title eludes to the fact that these neighbors are a little close for comfort. It's not really the proximity of the house so much as the happenings in the house- neglected animals, automatic weapon fire on peaceful mornings... well, you get the idea.

I've actually taken this picture before but didn't have great exposure. Now that I better understand metering the shot is MUCH better.

cook, read, love?

Today's been a really nice day. I'm kind of shocked to say that. For the past few months I've found sanity in living in the future, sometimes living in the moment is hard when the moment sucks! Today I was just HERE. I spent time talking with people about important things and sharing my beliefs, I baked cookies with my daughter, and I started reading a book I've wanted to read for a long time. I didn't take a lot of time for my camera, but I'm totally ok with that. I was living in the moment, something that never really fails me. When I choose to, I can always find joy in the moment, no matter how small. I'm looking forward to our word of the week starting tomorrow and finding even more pleasure in living in the here and now.