Samples from today's practice

So, Hannah, Emily and I went to the park again for another round of practice. I was still focusing on exposure and composition, but I was also looking for texture and lines to include. I know the pictures aren't as bright as I'd like them to be, but there was no sun and I won't learn how to edit until the next class begins in a week. (I signed up for an Advanced Class).

I lightly edited the next few pictures (lightened them a bit and added a vignette)

(Unfortunately, I missed the focus on this one...)

(This one could probably use some cropping)

I have plenty more to share, but my computer is pooping out on me, and it's getting late. Stay tuned tomorrow for more pictures along with some snapshots from Mya's birthday party!

Thinking about making a studio

I'm not quite sure yet, but I am seriously contemplating turning my "office" (the front room) into a picture studio of sorts. It's a North facing room, so the light that comes in is supposed to be great for pictures, and since I have now moved the chaise lounge into the living room, I have extra space. Here are some pictures (with no editing) I took for my class (focusing on using light) that I took in there using only the light from the window.

I didn't really want to chop her head off like that, but my 50 mm lense won't let me back up any further than that (my back was already to the window)...seriously contemplating a wide-angle lense...or a fixed aperture zoom lense...

I am envisioning a way to hang backdrops and maybe even have a raised platform with props like chairs and stuff...If I were to go into business, I could use that room to take pictures even in the winter or at night if I bought studio lights and stuff...

There's alot to consider (like, how good is that light further away from the window), but it's kinda nice dreaming about it...;-)

I think I might be getting it...

Yesterday I took Hannah to the park (because Emily didn't want to be a model) and practiced taking pictures. I wanted to see how to go about finding "spots" for the pictures and work on my focusing and exposure (along with composition). This is the first time I have come away from a "shoot" feeling like I had pictures worthy of purhcase...if that makes sense. Like, if I was taking these pictures for a stranger who was paying me, I think I actually took some that I would feel were worthy of purchasing. Like this one (with no editing yet)

and this one (with some editing)

(different version with no editing...)

or this one

(different versions...)

And I even really like this one (with no editing)

And this backlighting..

And then I have a TON that I could use if I knew how to really edit a picture...

(This would make a great spot for a group shot)

I also learned alot from this "session" and have started keeping a notebook on the things I have learned like...watch out for dappled light (various shades across the subject). I knew about it, and tried to avoid it, but I missed it here and there...

When I take an off-center shot, make sure the direction of their gaze is going in the right direction (she shouldn't be looking out of the picture like that)

And, I need to make sure that "things" are not growing out of people's heads.

I also learned that people need advice on how to pose. Hannah took a lot of coaxing and positioning, and at first, I just expected her to do "things." I had to start offering some suggestions.

I learned that clothing matters. She looked okay for her environment, but the pictures could have been even better if she had on a rockin' outfit! The colors are what matter more than anything...

I also experimented with my diffuser and I brought a chair to have her sit in. This made me step out of my comfort zone because I was concerned about what the other people at the park would think, but I did it any way.

I thought I would be lucky if I came away with a few I liked, but my list is very long (even more than what I shared here), and very few were out of focus. This makes me sooooo excited. I can see my own growth and I can feel my confidence rise. I'm still not "there" yet, but with each practice session I come away a little bit stronger.

Nothing much, really.

That's what I feel like doing today. Nothing much. Nothing much for school, perhaps is what I should say. I do have several hours worth of grading to do, but I am looking at a 4 day weekend people!!! It feels like a mini spring break.

Originally, I thought I would just spend the day grading papers since the kids are in school today (poor them...to make up one of their snow days), but right now, I think I'm going to take a shower and spend time shopping. Maybe not really buying anything, but looking for some ideas.

The other night I tried playing around with some of the pictures I took of Hannah last weekend. This first one was really underxposed when I took it

so I played around with it and made it look like this:

This next one, I caught her laughing (too bad for those half open eyes!!! She had a nasty cold and her eyes would water whenever the light hit them--I explained that in a previous post)

(Darn those eyes!!!)

And this is the one I shared previously with the backlighting and sun flare (which I just learned is actually an assignment for this week!)

I played with it to see if I could give it more color and a vintage feel...

That's all for now...I think I'm going to go take that shower now and do some window shopping. Hope the rest of you enjoy your day!

My Emmo

Isn't she just so cute!!

Wanna see some new pictures?

Of course you do!

If you didn't know, I am taking another photography class. I signed up for a different beginner class since I felt like I wasn't very solid in my skills. This week's assginment was to take pictures that were exposed correctly but used different settings. So, the pictures I posted look similar, but they are really very different. (I won't bore you with the technical details!!)

I took a TON of pictures today (sooooo enjoying the warmer weather!!!), but poor Hannah is suffering from a cold and just a glimpse at the sunlight made her eyes water like crazy. I finally just told her to look down, and, I'm not going to lie, I think she looks soooo stinkin' cute this way.

I think this next one is my favorite...

Since part of the assignment was to play around with settings, I stumbled on this:

Hannah doesn't look super cute, but I'm kind of liking the dreamy look of the picture...it's definitely something I will try again.

I'll share more of her pictures at a later date...my computer is sluggish and it doesn't want to upload many pictures, but I wanted you to see how what I did this week.

Washing her mouth out

Poor Emily. She is going to go through life learning things the hard way.

A couple of days ago, I told her that if (but I really meant "when") she lies to me again, I was going to wash her mouth out with soap.

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Tonight, we went to the grocery store after the dentist. She picked out a Slim Jim for her "treat," but I told her she had to wait until we got home and had dinner before she could eat it. She held it, she looked at it, she tried to smell it. "Can I open it? I just want to smell it," she asked while I put the groceries in the cart.

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"No, do not open it," I respond knowing full well that opening it would only lead her down the path of temptation.

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Five minutes later we are in the car on the way home. "Mom, Emily opened her Slim Jim and licked it," tatttle-tale Hannah tells me.

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"EMILY!!"

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"I didn't eat it, though," she says thinking this would keep her out of trouble.

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Five minutes later Hannah and I are bringing in the groceries, and Emily, who had been in the house for a few minutes by herself with her now opened and licked Slim Jim, tries to meet us at the door. "Are you done already?" she asked. "That was fast."

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"Emily, did you take a bite of your Slim Jim?" I don't know how I knew, but something in her demeanor screamed, "Mom, I did it again!"

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"No...." She sees me glance at her Slim Jim laying on the counter.

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"No?" I am now getting cloer to her Slim Jim.

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"Okay, yes, I did. I'll throw it away." Right now my heart is breaking. She really wanted that Slim Jim.

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"No, give it to me. You will have to wait until tomorrow to eat it." She accepted that fate thinking she was home free. I grabbed the dish soap, and stood there with it staring at her.

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"What is that for?" her eyes are growing wider.

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"Did you lie to me?"

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No response.

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"Come here. What did I tell you would happen the next time you lied?"

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Now her eyes are really wide. "Noooooo!!!! It will kill me!!!! I will die!!!!" At this point, I had trouble not laughing, but I eventually dropped a couple of drops into that mouth of hers, and she commenced gagging and spitting. I told her the next time I put soap into her mouth, she was going to have to let it sit in her there for several minutes before spitting it out.

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Later we teased her about her breath being so lemony. And before she went to bed, I asked her what 2 lessons she learned tonight. She said, "Don't lie and don't eat food when I'm told not to." She never answers that quickly or that happily.

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It was hard to discipline her like that-taking away her Slim Jim and putting soap in her mouth-, but she has to know I mean what I say, and she has to stop lying. We can't really trust her right now because she will lie without blinking an eye. And she is soooo sneaky. I love that kid dearly but man, does she push me to my limits!