Assignment Work

I got a photo assignment today. Jt needed a photo.

He wanted a picture of his guitar so that he can have it as the wallpaper on his iPhone.

He's not a complicated man.

I took those two knowing he'd want to be able to see the whole (mostly whole... I wanted it to be interesting) thing.

But, while I was taking these, I started to wonder whether he had given me this assignment today knowing I was needing something fun to do. I was having such a great time rearranging the guitar, trying to get it into the right light but without getting my own reflection on it. (Don't look too hard, please.)

I also had a lot of fun looking at it from lots of angles and finding a few that were interesting.

Mission accomplished. He's got his phone all fancied out and can now see his guitar even when he can't be with his guitar. LOL

Thanks for the reason to play, Jt. <3

Introducing Mila Kay

Look who I got to meet today.

 

My GREAT NIECE!  So very sweet and tiny and...need I say it?... cute! 

She made her appearance 6 weeks earlier than expected, so she's got to do a little time in the incubator. But, she's doing wonderfully. Lungs have developed and she's eating on her own.

She's making me a proud *great* aunt already.

...and yes, everything was in place and accounted for...

She's perfect!

Photo Goals for 2013

I may not be the resolution type in any other aspect of my life, but I find that with the new year, definitely comes new goals with my photography. I thought writing them out here might help me to not only... ahem... remember them, but also to give me a bit of a checklist each week.

So I guess the best way to start is to qualify what I liked about this past year. I finished the Project 52, taking a photo each week with a given theme. It became difficult at times, especially the more cloudy and/or ambiguous the themes got. How exactly do you capture "euphoria" in a given week? But, it challenged me and kept me shooting and a few of my photos were featured, so yay, for positive feedback and motivation.

This photo was featured in June with the theme "Seasons," on the My Four Hens Blog

The other photo challenges I participated in weren't quite as regular, so I'll be sorting through those and deciding which are keepers.

So here goes... My list of goals:

1. I plan to participate in this year's Project 52 again, but with the added challenge of trying to fit the theme without using words. I want the photos to speak for themselves. I'll probably still write something here on the blog, this is me we're talking about, but I hope they'll pass the test without an explanation and will not write much on the Flickr site to explain them.

2. I think my photography has improved this year, but that may have a lot to do with my new camera. So, in its honor I'll be shooting a lot more.  I'll participate in other weekly challenges, including DPS's challenge, which is much more technically-based, Sweet Shot Tuesday, which is just a nice way to post a favorite photo based on nothing except the fact that I like it, and a few others, e.g. Simple Things Sunday as I feel inclined (not overcommitting.)

3. Get myself in more photos. My ever-attentive husband heard me talking about this goal and put a remote control for my camera in my stocking this year. So, no excuses, good or bad, I know my kids will want to see me in photos.  Here was my first New Year's Eve effort:

 

(Note to self: You're not going to get away with boring couch poses all year! I know, it's better than nothing, but, Get creative! Sheesh.)

4. Create a strong portfolio. Strong as in: universally powerful (not just dreamy because they're of my kids). I'm told by the experts I should have an ever evolving portfolio of 24 or so photos, so I'll aim for that. As the photo above attests, I don't consider this blog my portfolio in that sense, because "I'll post anything!" Gadzooks.  Additionally, I guess part of this resolution is to decide where I want my portfolio to live. Working on that.

Ok, so just to undo the taste that last photo left, here's one that I might consider portfolio-worthy:

 (You didn't think it would be one you haven't seen already, did you?)

5. Learn More.  When I first subscribed to Kelby Training, I was watching a video per week on all sorts of topics. By the end of the year I couldn't fit it in as well, but "I RESOLVE" to get back to that once-per-week schedule. There's so much there to learn. Some of my topics of interest are white balance, better use of flash and lighting set ups and photoshop topics.

6. Print More. By the end of 2012, I had decided that I needed to make use of all of these photos I have filling up my hard drives (yes, plural). I printed a handful of my fall favorites and decorated my mantle with the intention of changing it with the seasons. So, I'll be working on that.  I also intended to make lots of Christmas gifts with photos and managed to make a few, which were well received. Lots more ideas though, so I'll be aiming to do more.

Well, there are lots more resolutions I could make. I have a loooooong way to go, but it's good to have a starting point.

See you next year

I got a chance to take some photos today... and to edit them. I'm definitely enjoying this holiday time with so little obligation or outside-the-house events. I think you can see the relaxed feeling that we all have in these photos of the boys.

 

Nico is not feeling well, so I think that made the activity level what it was to a certain extent, but we've definitely been taking it easy this break.

So nice.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Daydreamer

I decided this Christmas to try to use my photography in as many gifts as I could think of. I'm here to say I managed better than I imagined and feeling a bit like when I close my eyes I'm going to see the Photoshop menu etched on the inside of my eyelids.

I'm so happy with the gifts I managed to create, but when you add to it the Christmas card "Idea and execution gap," as I call it; the many calls and emails I received for "Can you send me the _______ photo you took at _________" for other photo-gift givers; and the general feeling of "What have I forgotten?" I'm a little bleary-eyed.

But.... what do I do when I get a few moments of free-time me-time? You guessed it... I come looking at the photos I've taken recently hoping to find something that intrigues me.


 

And this was the one. Maybe because he looks like he hasn't a care in the world that looks so appealing. LOL  Or maybe, as always, it's just his cuteness.  You decide.

Nose to Nose, these cute foes

Just playing around with the new flash this weekend, while everyone in the house tried to go about their business and not notice. Hoping I'll tire out soon. But, when I'm rewarded with images like this and I can't be expected to stop.

For Christine....He's a Natural

Well, Christine, here they are. I know I told you I'd have these done by the end of the weekend, but, well, I couldn't wait. So, I went through them in between Spelling and Anatomy. During Math, but before Argument and after Writing.
I'll feel justified in only having one eye on the boys' work today if you love them as much as I do.

Here are the Headshots:

 

Holy cuteness, Batman!

 

 

 

 

I know there are six photos there and you only need five, but, you'll have to narrow it down, because I couldn't. I'd have to agree in exponents on your "photogenic" description of him. As long as 'photogenic' includes the words 'really, really cute' in it's definition.

On to the Full Body Shots:

 

 

 

 

Love the way he's holding his fingers in this.

... And now for some "Personality!" (Boy's got it)

 

 

 

So perfect

Ha Ha! Now that's talent!

 

Nico and Enzo wanted to know how he did this!

 

 

...and what's sure to be his favorite:

 

 So, there they are. Let me know what you think!

... Another Nail Biter

So sorry for all the drama. I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to know whether I'd manage to make our "Leaf Pictures" tradition happen this year.  Ahhh, welcome, relief, we got 'em in.

Sure the thermometer read 40 degrees. Sure the only color left on the trees was yellow from the Norway Maples and maybe a hint of red from I-don't-know-whats because Kate St. John hasn't done a blog post on that. Sure, we should have been making the food for the boys' Spanish class party tomorrow....

But, daggumit, a woman needs peace of mind knowing she's done what she must and I tonight I will rest easily knowing I have these to document what my children looked like in front of a bunch of colorful trees in 2012:

Halloween....finally

Just when I thought I wasn't going to get Halloween costume poses in for the year because of my camera problems, the perfect storm of Hurricane Sandy, which delayed Halloween, a new camera for my birthday (!! :-) !!) and absolutely unseasonable gorgeous weather came to fruition in one weekend.

Oh, and I just happened across a Facebook page, called Abandoned & Interesting Places in Western PA, which featured a log cabin in a neighborhood not-so-far away, which, I knew would make a perfect backdrop for my little frontiersman.

Et voila!

Boy knows how to pose

Boy knows how to shoot??  This from a boy who wasn't allow to play with even Playmobil guns until he was 8!

He's made up for lost time, I'd say.

That golden sun!

 For Enzo, my little don't-call-me-cowboy-I'm-a-Bounty-Hunter, we went to the park to use the wooden fence, but when we got to the log cabin site, I spotted some tall grasses and paired with the setting sun, knew it would be perfect. So we took more.

Fully in character

Loved the opportunity to shoot his cap gun.

This one's for Mama

See what I mean about the grass and golden setting sun?

 Then.... when we were done, I had promised I'd take the boys to Target to pick up a toy they'd been saving for and I saw the beautiful sunset,.. well, let's just say, those boys earned their trip to the store.

I can't stop looking at this one. I think it's my favorite photo I've ever taken.

Love. It.