About A Boy

Click on Over to Capture Your 365

2011-03-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

If you're subscribed here, I don't want you to miss out on any of the exciting things going on over at CaptureYour365!

My dear friend Myra has a wonderful post today, "Why I Started 365."

You can get a chance to win a pass to True Scrap.

And there are even more contests and a freebie by Anna Aspnes and Kellie Mize in the Community Forum!

Anyone who registers in the forums through tomorrow evening is getting the special member title "Founding Member."

I hope to see you over there!

When A Boy Outgrows His Space

2011-03-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Little boys grow up.

Camera skills improve.

Things change.

It is time for About A Boy to grow up. Today I say goodbye to the blog I started for a little boy on July 17th, 2006.

Perhaps you will join me in my new endeavor? Click on over to CaptureYour365. Now it's about YOU.

Have You Heard About True Scrap?

2011-03-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Want to join in a unique virtual experience? Take a look at this amazing line up! I'm honored to be among such talent. I'll be focusing on capturing action in your photos!

Click through for more details!

March 365 Photo Idea List

2011-03-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

How is your 365 Project going? Ready for a little list of inspiration for March? Click on the photo below to get 31 ideas for photos in the lucky month of March! Thanks to all of you who helped put this month's list together!

There are many ways to use the inspiration list.

Everyday, search for one item on the list.
At the end of the month, search your photos and match to the words.
Take a literal approach, finding or spelling the words with objects.
Pick and choose a few that move you, filling in around the rest of your photos.

There are no right or wrong ways to complete your 365. Enjoy shooting!

How will you use this list? I'd love to hear what you're doing with it!

Happy March!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | Anything But A Face!

2011-02-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

Ian in the garden. Being a boy.

Stop by Iheartfaces to see more photos for this week's challenge!

February 2011 Rejects

2011-02-28T07:34:00.000-08:00

February was a great month for rejects!

This month I found

out of focus toes
an unfocused dog edging out of the frame
a little boy a little too close to the lens
a fast moving bird
out of focus pirates with a pain in the neck
and a shutter gone wild

What did you find in your reject pile?

Strange. He has the same shirt on in all the rejects. What can THAT mean?

A Picture Is Worth More Than 1000 Words

2011-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

There are so many details in this photo. So many tidbits of our life at this moment. Most compelling, though, is how this photo connects me to my own childhood. There are so many details I'm reminded of. Details I've not thought of in a very long time.

I'm reminded of my childhood fireplace. Rocks, each of a different shape and size. Some with nooks and crannies we drove cars through and played house with.

I'm reminded of the bookshelves on each side of our fireplace. Glass doors with hidden treasures behind. Old National Geographic magazines. The set of Encyclopedias with red binding. The Facts in Five Game. I loved that game.

I'm reminded of the trinkets along the mantle. The pigeon clock we used each weekend. The clay sculpture given to my mom by Bruce and Flo.

I'm reminded of Christmases with stockings hung. Reminded of the year the fire singed all of the oranges at the toes of the socks.

I'm reminded of lining up for Halloween photos. And special occasions.

I'm reminded of the green carpet in the living room.

I'm reminded of the maple coffee table. The one where we did our homework. The one we danced on. The one we played under. The one mom stacked laundry on as she folded it.

I'm reminded of the oil paintings created by grandmother.

I'm reminded of the white and gold vinyl couch that left imprints on your cheeks when you fell asleep.

I'm reminded of laughter and tears and moments of my childhood.

I'm reminded of my life.

I'm reminded there is so much more to a photo than what first appears.

How I Started My 365 Project, 1,093 Days Ago

2011-02-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

Today is day 1,093 of my 365 project. Almost three years.

Perhaps you've started. Perhaps you've stopped. Maybe you've thought about it, but are afraid of the commitment. Every day for an entire year can be daunting.

How did I start?

I did not begin with 365 in mind. In 2008, a group of friends said, let's try doing a photo a day for 30 days. Seemed fun. 3o days, no problem. And so it began. 30 days of taking photos and sharing them with each other. We were excited and supportive and in love with photography.

Day 30 arrived and several of us couldn't stop. We just kept going. 30 days had created a habit we were now addicted to. Seeing the details. Trying things in ways we hadn't before. Documenting our lives in a daily photographic journal.

30 days, 7 days, 42 days, or 365 days, whatever you commitment. You become present. Present to the details in the world around you. Present to the craft and the art of photography.

365 is a blueprint of my life with highs and lows. Moments of clarity followed by moments of uncertainty. Happiness and sadness. Focus on the big picture and moments of minutia. I see it in my photos and I've felt it in the process of creating them.

It starts with one day. One photo. And you take it from there. We all begin with 1.

What's your number?

Categories of Goodness All Around

2011-02-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Good things all around today!

In the General Goodness category, I captured this photo over the weekend. In the parking lot of Home Depot. The light is getting better. LOVE when we begin to move closer to the colors and light of Spring.

In the anxiously been waiting to tell you category, you can now take The Very Basics with me, on demand, self paced! You'll find it in the beautiful new classroom at Get It Scrapped. 6 Lessons, three videos and a forum and gallery for you to interact with me! You get me at your own pace, when you need to ask questions! I'll be in the forum for questions and in the gallery for photo feedback. Class walks you through seeing light, understanding aperture and shutter speed, and basic features of your camera. It is a great way to prep for Your Life: Captured Through The Lens.

In life is filled with surprises category, I got a little mention in IHeartFace's Photo Challenge | Hearts! Made my day. Amazing talent over there. It also means i can now proudly display this fun little icon!

In the I'm honored you love them category, my ebook and tutorials are 30% off at DesignerDigitals through tomorrow.

Am I the only silly one with categories of goodness? Must admit, I categorize most things in my life!

Enjoy your day. May you find love through your lens today.

How I Photograph Valentine's Day

2011-02-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air. I love the opportunity for red in my photos! Remember the Red Rule? It's also a great time to work on the February Photo List!

I'm headed to Ian's school today to take part in his Valentine's Day Celebration, which for me translates into, take a lot of photos to share with parents who can't be there. How will I go about capturing his day?

My camera bag is loaded with my camera, my 50mm lens, my 17-40mm lens, charged batteries, a 16GB memory card, and my external flash. Much of what fills my bag is just in case I need it stuff. Today I'll shoot with the 17-40mm lens, the wide angle, so I can get group shots and get in close to little hands decorating cookies. I'll grab my flash, bouncing it off the ceiling, if the light isn't as good as I expect. If it gets really dark, I'll switch to my 50mm.

I've learned from being in his classroom over the last few months that my 70-200mm lens, while great for zoo shots and candids, doesn't work well in the classroom on party days. Too much activity, too many little bodies crowding in close. I need to use a lens that works with their energy and activities!

I'll get some detail shots.

I always attempt to catch him in action. This seems to never be a cooperative moment. I'm hoping for better results this year.

I'll grab a group shot and smiling faces as they sort through their goodies. Then I will put the camera down and enjoy the festivities with both eyes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Mom, I have a present"

2011-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

The hands behind the light quiz.

I love Ali Edwards' 6x4 Photo Overlays! They will be at DesignerDigitals this weekend during the quarterly sale. You'll also be able to get my ebook, Get Me Off of Auto and my photography tutorials for 30% off throughout the sale! And rumor has it the sale just started!

Photography Quiz Answers | Light

2011-02-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

I'm in a lucky stage with Ian. He asks for his photo to be taken, typically when he is doing something or holding something or dressed as something.

So when he showed me a heart created as he held his hands together, thanks to an old Barney episode, I knew I needed a photo. It became a perfect light lesson. I asked him to get in the good light.

He stepped into the blaring sun from the window. I asked him how it made his eyes feel. Squinty, he said.

I asked him to step just a foot to the left out of the direct light.

And just that easily, a mere 12 inches of difference, you can see the dramatic difference "good" light can make. He, of course, wasn't convinced until he saw the evidence.

So, yes, they were taken within a minute of each other. Here is a look at exactly where we were shooting. Yes, I have purple carpet in my office and in Ian's bedroom. It was one of those, "this will go as soon as we buy the house," bits of decor destined to remain for the next 20 years!

Do you involve your children in learning more about the camera and what it takes to get a good photo?

Photography Quiz | Light

2011-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I used two photos to teach Ian a bit about light. Any guesses about the time of day for each photo? Or location? What was his BIG lesson?

How To Photograph A Fun Valentine's Card

2011-02-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

I love making Ian's Valentine's cards. We usually do something simple. He lasts through about four and then I finish the rest. This year I decided to try something different. I found the idea online, showed him the photo. He got a trip to the park for a little posing and I took care of the rest.

Settings and camera mode aren't as important for taking this photo as getting really close to his fist to achieve the fun distortion.

Grab your widest lens (smallest mm # on the lens). I used my Canon 17-40mm L.
Shoot in whatever mode you like, even Auto will work for this!
If you choose a wide aperture (small f/ number) his face will blur.
If you choose a narrow aperture (large f/number) more of his face will be in focus.
Have your Valentine outstretch his fist, a bit to the side so his face isn't blocked.
Get as close to the fist as you can while still maintaining focus.
Shoot.
Shoot again, just in case!

I resized mine to 4x6" and added Jesse Edwards Doodles Hearts Brushes and a little text. I had them printed at Shutterfly and added the line, "Happy Valentines Day 2011 Ian Kennedy" on the back. I love that the date is included.

A quick two cuts along his hand, the addition of a Tootsie Roll Lollipop and Valentine's Day cards are done! He loves them. I love them. And we're done!

I think he was pleased!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | Hearts

2011-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Shea and I have a goofy tradition of grabbing a photo of the two of us together when we see our reflection. Last Valentine's Day we went on a little bike ride, photo outing and found this mirror in a window. I love how the fence blocking us from getting closer is also reflected in the shot!

Do you have any goofy photo traditions?

Pop on over to IHeartFaces to see some amazing heart images! And if you clicked over from IHF, thanks for stopping by!

Take A Look Around The Frame

2011-02-06T04:01:00.000-08:00

It was a cold morning. Okay, not Minnesota cold. About 40 degrees. Cold enough my fingers couldn't quite grasp the ring on the tripod mount to remove it from my camera, forcing me to hand hold my camera. Cold enough that my boys were bundled up, complete with heads covered.

I walked down the bike trail, looking for the spot that would convey the feeling I wanted when my subjects arrived.

A little hill. The bike trail curving into the distance. Through my viewfinder I could see that the road would start in the bottom right corner and move around the frame, ending towards the right again. Nice.

One distraction in the frame, but for anyone who is out on the trail often, it is also a place giver. The sign announcing who cares for the trail. The 20 mile marker seemed a fitting piece of context as well. We all have a story for that marker. Maybe it is where our workout started or our bike got a flat or the spot of our longest run.

The runners I waited for would appear on the left side of the frame. I wasn't planning on capturing my boys. The right side worked. It filled in the patch of bare dirt. Filled it in with a story bigger than any words I have.

In that moment my photo of the day arrived. Unexpected.

A Life Without Comparison

2011-02-04T07:02:00.001-08:00

I wish for a life without comparison.

A life filled with happiness in what I have.

Happiness in how I am and who I am.

I wish the same for my child. And my husband and my friends.

I wish for the time to enjoy what is.

To treasure each moment.

I wish to remove comparison and expectation and desire for anything more than what is.

Because what is

Is really good.

Behind The Lens: Kathleen Ducharme

2011-02-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

I love meeting new people in class. I especially love when they pour themselves into learning all they can to improve their memory keeping.

Kathleen is one of those people who I felt instantly connected to! Not only did she dedicate her energy to improving, but she was an amazing support to others in class!

I am so pleased to introduce her to you!

What sparked your interest in photography?
I love photographs, all kinds of photos. Photography has been a hobby for as long as I can remember. My original goal was to document special events of my life. Not having any pictures of my childhood, my desire to take photos great exponentially when we began having children. I wanted our children to have their life stories available at their fingertips.

My camera: Nikon d7000

My favorite lens: Nikon 80mm f/1.8

Lens used most often: Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G

I am happy anytime I have my camera in hand, shooting pictures. I am happy when I open my scrapbooks, look at a photo and think, "great photo!" Then, I realize I took it!

What have you learned from Your Life: Captured Through The Lens that has helped your photography most?
Isolating what I learned through Your Life: Captured Through the Lens and Capture Your Holidays is impossible. My photography was completely transformed through the instruction. My pictures came alive.

In terms of photo mechanics, I never understood how to successfully shoot in manual mode. Numerous photography classes failed to help me comprehend how to shoot in any modes other than the auto or program ones. I had resigned myself to thinking that manual mode would always be far beyond my abilities.

Your Life: Captured Through The Lens changed me.

The course offered an easy to understand, well-organized approach to very complex topics. Through following the instruction, my first photo taken in manual mode was a good one! Since then, manual mode is the mode I shoot in the majority of the time. I will not let myself even consider going back to auto mode, but I really never need to!

Most of all, the classes gave me confidence; in my composition and in my skills.

What are you current photography goals?
My 2011 goal is to participate in Project 365 and capture more of my day-to-day life. The majority of my photos are taken of my family. Capturing my life is important too. My focus is to compose photos of my routines in creative, non-typical ways. I also agreed to my husband's goal of taking more pictures of me.

You can follow Kathleen's blog and see more of her day-to-day life at JKPlusThree.

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I love watching people's photography skills improve! I'll be offering Your Life: Captured Through The Lens soon, more details to follow.

Until then, you can download a Free Lesson. Enjoy!

365 Photo Inspiration List For February

2011-02-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

Do you like a little challenge in your 365 project? I've put together a downloadable PDF February 365 Inspiration List for you! 28 fun ideas to inspire your photography. This list is open to a lot of creative interpretation.

You can use the list in several ways!

Everyday, search for one item on the list.
At the end of the month, search your photos and match to the words.
Take a literal approach, finding or spelling the words with objects.
Pick and choose a few that move you, filling in around the rest of your photos.

There are no right or wrong ways to complete your 365. Enjoy shooting!

I'll be using a combination of idea #2 and #3. What is your plan?

Happy February!

January 2011 Rejects

2011-01-31T04:18:00.000-08:00

In 2011 I am working on shooting with intention. Taking few shots more deliberately.

And still. I have many rejects. Here is the best of January!

Ian's latest technique to "help" me take a photo. I focus, recompose, he shouts, "I'm not in the middle," and moves to place his reflection in the center of my lens!

Or he just dodges at the last moment. Nice head shot.

It looks like 2011 will be a good year to continue the Lens Cap series. I love it so much.

In 2011 I'm also adding the Overexposed Series. It's a nice contrast to the deep colors of the Lens Cap Series.

Notice the sharpness of the tree? Got to love good focus.

And wow, look at this fence. Not sure why that same little boy keeps getting in the way of my shots.

And the hand. Close up. Perhaps you've seen other parts of this body before?

One of the beautiful things about shooting everyday is collecting a few rejects along the way! Perhaps I should consider creating a reject book this year?

Friday Inspiration

2011-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Feeling inspired this morning. Inspired by all the goodness people share with the world. So many posts resonating with me this week. Here are a few, captured through their quotes.

Remember what is important to you and do that. Read and write about that. Love and breathe that, and them.

Courtney Carver, BeMoreWithLess

There is no such thing as a perfect parent so just be a real one.

Sue Atkins, posted by my friend Karen Bierdeman

You don’t need to be concerned with changing the world with your photographs. You need to be concerned with telling a story about the things that really, truly matter to you. It doesn’t matter what they are.

Scott Bourne, PhotoFocus

Here's to an inspired weekend.

How To Get Sharper Photos | Photography Quiz Answers

2011-01-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Getting sharper photos takes more than one simple answer or setting, but many of you identified THE BIG culprit behind less than sharp images.

Shutter Speed.

Yep. Shutter speed. We so often focus on aperture and ISO, shutter speed becomes the forgotten step child of photography.

In fact, when you view a photo on your camera's LCD screen you may think you've nailed it, only to be disappointed later.

But first, why is Aperture NOT the answer?

You were correct about the sharpest point of a lens typically being one stop up from the widest aperture. So yes, that may be a small contributor but not as big as THE BIGGEE. Also, distance to the subject can effect sharpness. At 2.8 I was a fair distance away from him (more than 10 feet) so at a wide aperture I get more in focus.

Shutter speed, when hand holding your camera, needs to be equivalent to or greater than the reciprocal of your focal length to get a sharp photo.

Shall I show you what that means in English?

If you are shooting at 50mm your shutter speed needs to be 1/50 or faster to avoid camera shake. The 1/50 will show up as 50 in your viewfinder.

Another way of looking at it:
50mm=1/50 of a second
70mm=1/70 of a second
100mm=1/100 of a second
200mm=1/200 of a second
300mm= 1/300 of a second

So, the longer my lens, the faster my shutter speed needs to be. You can then get your light for a correct exposure from either opening up your aperture (I was as wide as I could go) or bumping your ISO up (my best choice).

If you are using Aperture Priority Mode watch your shutter speed since your camera will find a correct exposure, but not a shutter speed fast enough to avoid camera shake or to stop motion.

And yes, it was a bit underexposed. I grabbed another one and fixed it up a little better.

But still with that bit unsharp, shutter to slow issue. I'll use the photo, but once again, be reminded to slow down and think through my shots!

I hope this was helpful. Any questions?

I Heart Faces Photography Contest | Innocent Wonder

2011-01-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

I heart iheartfaces.
Innocent Wonder is this week's themes. So many ways to interpret it.

I journaled these words after taking this photo:

You weren't really looking at me. That was ok. You were deep in thought in the midst of a paleontologic dig. I'm certain you were narrating this event as you discovered bones from long ago, right in the middle of the garden path, somewhere between the leeks and the Walla Walla onions.

You can see both larger here.
I love how he finds wonder everywhere.

Happy Birthday Kelly

2011-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday sister of mine!

I hope you have an amazing day, you deserve it.

We've not always seen eye to eye.

We are less than alike in so many ways.

Our worlds are different in more ways than we can count.

But you are dear to me.

My sister and my friend.

Thank you for being you!

While taking my niece's senior photos last year she plopped herself down on her mom's lap. We laughed. I clicked and ended up with one of my favorite photos of the two of them!

Happy Birthday Kelly.

Photography Quiz: Help! My Photo Isn't Sharp

2011-01-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for a quiz? We've not taken one here in a while!

This is a photo taken yesterday at 6:14PM in the park near our home. It is not sharp. Lack of sharpness is the #1 question I'm asked by people in class, on facebook, and in emails.

Click on it to see the larger size, if you aren't convinced.

ISO 800 | 200mm | f/2.8 | ss 1/160

Did you notice how soft the focus is on his eyes and face. What simple, simple mistake did I make in capturing this moment?

I'll post the answer tomorrow!

How Procrastination Changed My 365 Project

2011-01-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

I took a photo everyday in 2010, as I did in 2009.

I didn't keep up with getting them into a photo book though. I got behind. Some days I didn't select my photo of the day, keyword it, and upload it to flickr. Ok. There were several weeks when I didn't do that. I took pictures, put them in folders by date, knew they were there. That was it.

I'm determined to get my 2010 book completed by the end of the month. I'm compelled by a free coupon that expires that day and by seeing how amazing it is as they come together.

My procrastination paid off though. Had I selected my POTD last year this photo would be the selection.

A salad. It was an incredible salad. After a day in the hospital for my mom's knee replacement surgery it was a nice quiet moment with my sister. A great memory. But yesterday as I was putting I found this photo. Taken with my phone.

My dad. He loves to read. He didn't always. I don't remember him reading much when I was a kid, but now it is a daily ritual for him. He drives to work early to read before he starts work. He's never been in my 365 as he's not a photo fan. But I got this. Doing what he does, knowing he sat in the room with my mom as she rested post surgery.

Is there anything or anyone missing from your 365? I'm glad I found mine. Procrastination paid off.

365 - The Same, Only Different

2011-01-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

I anxiously awaited the opportunity to pop my last photo into the template to complete Page #3 of my 365 book. I love how Anna's (free) template can be used in different ways.

I'm not sticking to a week to one page, rather opting for a flexible flow of whatever mood strikes me.

Nine days in one template.

Four days in one template, with a simple merge to show off the ice on my windshield.

The first eight days you saw when I was thinking about beginning with the end in mind.

I anticipate a few one photo pages as well. I'll just adjust the template as those days happen. Looking forward to seeing how the year in photos unfolds!

Feeling the 365 Spark

2011-01-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

I grabbed my camera and stuffed it into the bag as I raced out the door to work in Ian's classroom. With so much sunlight outside, I knew light would be good inside. 43 photos. I snapped them while they sat in circle time and while they got their wiggles out. I want to remember these moments when he still smiles at me when I come into the classroom, giving me a thumbs up and a wink to let me know we're all good.

I tried to hide the camera until they got involved in what they were doing. Using my 70-200 (as my metadata recommended) meant I could sit back and let the lens do the work.

After a few days of indecision over my photos of the day, today's came easily. I knew as soon as I saw it on my screen. I'd tried to frame him between arms of his friends, with the little belly showing and of course, the ears being tugged. So him right now. It was the last photo I took. It was the one.

Something happened this week. I regained a spark for 365 I've not felt in a while. Reacquainting myself with a lens I too often leave in my bag, shooting someplace that isn't completely known to me. It felt good.

How is your 365 going? Are you feeling a spark? What's creating it for you? Let's chat.

The (Controversial) Winner Of the Family Vote

2011-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

I was out voted by my family.

Like many of you, the dreamy sepia tone was my favorite. Artistically, it is the best photo, but this year's project 365 is leaning towards memories.

Christi hit the mark with her comment, "For us all we know is that he's playing on the swing. To be there in that moment there is so much more going on. I'm sure he's talking, you're talking, there are bugs and critters, his imagination. For all I know he was flying in a space ship in one of those photos and the story behind the photo would make the difference."

In this moment he was Bear Grylls parachuting to the ground. I plan on printing the other photo for my photo wall and giving copies to his grandmothers. The one above will go in the 365 book. How can I deny the little adventurer who pointed at the screen and said, "that one, it's got color."The boy likes his color.

I was out voted and I can live with that!

I should have guessed another sunny afternoon would yield another batch of photos, this time a helicopter. Another day, another 365 decision.

Taking A Family Vote For Photo of the Day

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

After my display of geekiness yesterday, I'm going photo heavy today! I took on my challenge and with the aid of sunshine for the first time in MANY days, a swing, and my 70-200 lens we headed into the garden. He played while I sat at a distance willing myself to use a focal length less than 200mm.

We took a family vote to decide on THE photo of the day. The 5 year old criteria for selection is always straight forward, no holds barred. Dad thinks a little more strategically and Mom always goes for the emotion.

These are my favorite type of 365 photos. Just the natural flow of life as it unfolds.

Which is your pick? I'll share the final family choice tomorrow!

How Metadata Can Improve Your Photography

2011-01-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

Before digital cameras, photographers kept notebooks of settings and situations to improve their photography. In the digital era information is at our fingertips, hidden in our photo's metadata. Programs like Lightroom let us quickly look at large amounts of data. I wondered if mine held anything of value.

Here's what I found.

I tend to shoot at the extremes of each lens - typically the widest aperture, the shortest focal length, or the longest focal length. Not a lot of in-between.

Then the latent analytical side I don't often admit to kicked in. What did my Photos of the Day tell me? Would the story be the same? Numbers all over? Aversion to using an ISO other than those translatable into film speeds?

I found a few interesting things about my Photos of the Day.

My ISO was almost always 100 to 200, telling me that I was shooting in abundant light for most photos. Runners up? 400 and 800. So, yes, I love my film speed equivalent ISOs.

Most of my POTD's apertures were right at f/4.0. Again with good light, moderately shallow depth of field. I thought this might be because my wide angle lens' widest aperture is f/4.0, but when I looked at the lens used for most POTD it was the 50mm f/1.4.

The abundant light explains why only 3% of my photos were taken with a flash.

Very few of my photos were shot at narrow apertures (above f/8). Most likely driven by available light and a moving subject.

So what do I do with all of this information? I plan to use this to challenge my photography this year. There are focal lengths and apertures and shutter speeds I'd like to try out a bit more. Dive a little more creatively into places I avoid. Stretch myself out of the settings that come so naturally and easily. A few ideas:

Work with narrow apertures more often
Play with external flash as my light source
Slow my shutter speed down a little more often
Perhaps ISO 320 now and then?
Use my 70-200 lens a bit more
Try focal lengths in the middle ranges of my lenses

Are you intrigued? Or frightened by my geekiness? Take a look at yours, see what it tells you.

Quick Steps To Analyze Your Metadata
Open Lightroom
Select Library Mode
Type "G" for Grid View
Select the folder you want to analyze
Select Metadata
Click on each column heading to choose the metadata you want to view

What does your metadata tell you?

Another Approach To 365

2011-01-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon another alternative when you miss a day of 365!

365 is about our memories. I don't want to feel locked into anything, bound by rules that get in the way of my life. I want 365 to be a natural flow with my life, something enjoyable.

While away for the weekend my husband emailed me photos each day of his escapades with Ian. I realized I had to include them in my 365. THEY are my life. They are the focus of my energy and love. So I'm plugging them in.

I can live with the quality being less than perfect. In 20 years I'll be so happy to see this little moment again.

What's stopping you from including other people's photos in your 365? Does it feel like cheating to you?

Simply A Photo of the Day

2011-01-14T04:28:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky Ian has a thoughtful teacher. She has wonderful assignments that involve the entire family and well, make for excellent photos of the day.

He'll be taking this to school today. Ian's dad made one to, filled with the wishes and dreams for Ian. I made it in his classroom after our monthly parent meeting as I waited for a friend in the classroom next to Ian's. I love that his little table is the background.

I used my phone, with the flash. Processed using Matt K's Nostalgic Preset. I love it.

What do you dream for your children?

I'm sharing this at The Simple Things. It is the Simple Things that matter so much.

11 Things I Love About LOAD and 4 Ways I Make It Work

2011-01-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

I love LOAD (layout a day). Why?

Lain. She's a hoot.
Amazing community of supportive people.
Thoughtful prompts each day.
I'ts a nice kick in the pants to get our memories documented.
It gives me justification for being creative EVERY DAY for a month!
It makes creating a more natural part of my life.
Inspiring interviews from inspiring people. Some new to me, some old friends.
I dig through my photos, which is ALWAYS fun.
I see things my life a little differently, a little happier when I'm done.
I have a tangible outcome for all of the time I invest. LOVE THAT.

How do I make it work with a job, a child, and a husband who expects I help out a little around the house?

I open Photoshop in the morning and work on my page throughout the day.
I keep it super simple. Photos+words.
I use templates. A LOT.
I don't stress over my pages. Just create.

Do you love LOAD? Thinking about it? I hope you join me!

Project 365: Begin With the End In Mind

2011-01-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

You've finished your first week of Project 365! Congratulations.

It's been helpful for me to start the project with my final result in mind. Am I going to put them together in an album? How many details do I want to include? How large do I want the finished book to be?

So many options.

In 2008 I included a photo on each page. I started 365 in March, so the book is shorter than 365 pages.

Click here to view this photo book.

In 2009 I took a different approach. I used Anna Aspnes' Templates and included a week on each page with journaling. I changed each page up a bit as well. I changed the color with each spread. There is A LOT more going on on these pages than is typical for me! And I'll be honest, I'm not done with it yet! Here's a look at a few of the pages. I have all of the photos and journaling. Just need to get it done! Credits here.

After including so much in 2009, I included less in 2010. I used Ali Edwards' Grid Template and a little word art. Just photos. Super simple. And well. I'm almost done! Credits here.

For 2011, I'm grabbing the best of both worlds. A little journaling and a grid style from Anna Aspnes'. I'm going with a black background to make the photos jump off the page. I have a fun idea for changing this template up each week!

You can find this template at a free download on her blog! I used her Art Play Celebrate Value Pack for the paper. I like the challenge of the landscape photos as I'm definitely more of a portrait shooter, it will be good to get me out of a rut!

What is your plan for how you will bring your project together? Link me up in the comments to your ideas! Anyone just blogging them this year? I'd love to see.

Photographing Birthday Moments

2011-01-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

ISO 1000 | f/1.4 | ss 1/40 | 50mm

Happy Birthday Breena!

30 candles provides enough light to shoot in Aperture Priority Mode with spot metering. It blows out the candles, but gets her face perfectly exposed! Birthday cakes go quickly, so have your settings ready to go before the moment if you can. Aperture Priority gives you that little added assurance your exposure will be close. The silhouette on the right of the frame is a little family friend. I think Breena will love knowing he shared this special day with her.

This is also my Simple Things photo for this week.

If you've not found Rebecca Cooper's blog, I recommend you stop by her Simple Things Challenge each week. She and her photos are lovely. And really, can't we all use more lovely in our lives?

Honor The Ordinary In Your 365 Project

2011-01-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

For the past week Brene Brown has touched my world in the most interesting ways. I opened my email, to find a link to Brene's Ted.com Video with my dear friend's comment, "it spoke to me similarly as your professional goals did." I had watched the same video the day before when it popped up on the front page of Ted.

Reading Twitter yesterday, Ali Edwards tweeted about the same video. I clicked, not realizing it was the same Brene who was somehow infiltrating my life. So I bought her book on the Kindle for iPad.

Early this morning I woke up, unable to sleep, and sat in bed with my iphone in hand. I read almost the entire book. So much of it resonated with me. So much of it felt like she was talking directly to me. Her words were a beautiful extension of my 40 Day Yoga experience and the practice I'd completed just hours before.

Are you wondering how this all relates to Project 365? I found it in one statement she made in her videos and explores more in her book.

"In the ordinary moments of our lives is really where we can find the most joy." Brene Brown

That, my friends, is what 365 or 52 or 12 or whatever project you might be working on is about. Ordinary. There is comfort there. There is life there. There are memories there. There is joy there.

No matter what camera you are shooting with. No matter how you decided to bring your project together, it is about our lives.

Here is my ordinary life over the last seven days. There are multiple cameras. There is imperfection. Most importantly...there is joy.

I hope you find the joy in your ordinary life.

Get It Right In Camera, Or Not

2011-01-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

This photo of Ian from December has been grabbing my attention since early this morning. It is completely him. That is his real smile right now, and the look in his eye. Real. Him.

It's confession time. I hope you don't mind.

You've heard it. Get it right in camera so you don't have to work on it later. Yes, it's true, I believe it. I say it in my own classes.

Can I show you something?

I cropped the heck out of this! And you know what? I can live with that! Sometimes you just have to. Children aren't easy to photograph. They have little minds of their own (little growing minds, thinking up new ideas every moment.) So if you're messing in Lightroom or Photoshop to make your photos look better. No worries.

Anybody else out there doing a little creative cropping? I can't be the only one!

So, What do you do when you skip a 365 day?

2011-01-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to pick just one of these? He was showing me his happy dance on the way to the zoo this morning. The one on the left is going to be THE photo for the day, but it just makes me smile with the other one next to it!

But what do you do if not every day is a happy dance day? What if (gasp) you miss a day? Here are just a few ideas to consider.

Skip it and move on. No harm, no foul. No one will know and frankly, in twenty years no one will even notice.
Fudge it a little. Take a photo related to that day, no one will know. Take a photograph of your calendar perhaps?
Make fun of it. Find something fun or tacky to replace the day every time you forget. Perhaps a pink elephant? Or a solid color. Or the ugliest piece of jewelry you own?
Give up. Don't go forward. Consider yourself a failure.

Okay, so four isn't really the BEST option, but I had to include it :)

What is your strategy?

How LOAD Changed My Life

2011-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

The real count down has begun for me! Only 28 days until LOAD 2/11 begins!

I took part in LOAD 10/10 thinking, I'll complete some layouts, think about "story," and make it through a week or so.

And then...

I was completely enamored. I loved the community. The prompts. Lain's awesome interviews. Yes, she interviewed me. And? It was AMAZING! Even if I sounded like a geeky, photography obsessed goob, her questions had me really thinking about why I spend time behind the camera and why I scrapbook.

On her website, Lain claims LOAD may change your life. Well. She wasn't wrong. I loved finding the stories I needed to write and capturing them together with some of my favorite photos. I got into a great rhythm of putting together pages without worrying about them being perfect. I got them done. They are some of my favorite pages because they are truly some of my favorite stories.

I cannot wait for February 1st to arrive so I can feel that inspired again. Best part? February's theme is INSPIRATION! My plan, at this point, is to scrap each of my 365 photos as I take them in February. I'll see what inspires me when February arrives though!

If you want to be inspired and get those memories captured, join me for LOAD 2/11. It may change your life too.

Starting My 365 Project with Happiness

2011-01-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

Here we go! 365 photos begin again. I am a little more enthused about this year's project than I expected.

I like when my photo of the day project happens naturally, just taking photos as life unfolds and somewhere in that batch finding one that just resonates. After our New Year's Day photo walk yesterday, I found that one photo. How can you not smile?

I love the ear slightly folded and dad in the background. Every time I tried to recompose the shot, he'd move to be in the center of the frame. It seems he's looked into the lens a few times!

What did you start your 365 project with?

New Year's Day Photo Walk Prompt List

2011-01-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I'm kicking off the year with a photo walk this morning. We're meeting at Peets at 20th and J at 10am if you care to join in. You can join in with any camera. Consider a plastic grocery bag to protect your camera today!

You can join us wherever you are! Here is our prompt list...

1. The number 11
2. Shoot something using f/11
3. Something shiny
4. Something new
5. The number 1 (maybe 11 times?)
6. Contrast
7. Happiness
8. Potential
9. Hung Over
10. A face
11. Change

Share your photos in our PhotoWalk With Me flickr group! I'd love to see what the beginning of your year looks like.

December Rejects

2010-12-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve! What better way to wrap up the year than with the rejects of December! I'll share these, put them behind me and move on to fresh things in 2011.

And for December, I think I'll leave these without explanation. The out of focus oddness says it all!

Happy New Year! Here is to embracing our reject photos and finding more in the coming year!

My Life. In 10 Photographs.

2010-12-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

I love looking back over my photos. So many are special to me for the story they hold, not necessarily the quality of the photo. 2010 was a year of Ian. He changed so much this year, holding conversations, asking questions about the world, exploring. Tantrums seem to be slowly disappearing from his repertoire, replaced with more "I love you momma's" each day. It is no surprise that many of my favorite photos are of Ian.

You might remember many of these.

The magician.

Boy in backyard.

Family self portrait - one in a series.

The candy experiment.

My niece.

Elf on the tracks.

A boy in the backyard.

Goofs.

Road trip to Denver with a side strip to the Grand Canyon.

Exploring the garden.

My life. In 10 photographs. It's been a good year.

Thanks for sharing it with me.

10 Ideas for A Photo of the Day Project

2010-12-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

Are you thinking about starting a photo a day project or continuing from last year? I started my photo a day project on February 28, 2008. It started as a 30 day challenge with this photo.

I've learned a few things both about photography and keeping up with a 365 project in the three years I've been collecting a photo a day.

Here are the things that have helped me most along the way.

1. Keep it real and simple and don't be afraid to capture the ordinary and the simple. Photograph life as it happens, naturally and spontaneously. Those are the memories I will treasure most. Sometimes it is not about a perfect photo, just a moment of life.

2. Include photo walks in your 365, with others, by yourself, with inspiration lists. Just get out and look for things that inspire you. Or just walk around your house.

3. Collect and review your photos. Looking through my photos, reading the stories I've written about them and seeing them together is great inspiration to keep the project going!

4. Scrapbooking your photos? Keep it super simple. It is a BIG project. I'll post more on that tomorrow!

5. Hang in through January and February, they are the hardest months to photograph. Low light. Mostly indoors. They can be tough. Only let your mood get in the way a little.

6. Look in unexpected places for you photo of the day. Look up, down, around, behind. Shoot the same thing on different days with a different point of view.

7. Know that somedays selecting your photo of the day will be easy, others not so. It may even be the first photo you take.

8. Get others involved. Whether you join a flickr group or ask people to vote for their favorites or blog your photos, having a group around you can make 365 a lot more fun!

9. Try something different. Choose a different setting. Try macro. Get off Auto. Change it up.

10. Enjoy the process. You are documenting your life. THAT is the most important thing.

What have you learned doing 365? What keeps you from trying it, if you haven't?

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If you'd like a few more pointers as well as a LONG list of inspiration, check out my tutorial Give It Your Best Shot No. 02: Capturing A Photo A Day

My Favorite Posts from 2010

2010-12-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

There is something about the last week of the year and bringing together snippets of 365 days of life. When there was a television in our house I loved watching the highlights of the year, the quick flashing photos of who died, who was born, who did something monumental, which movies were big.

Here are my favorite posts from the year. I loved sorting through all of my posts, reliving moments, thinking about highs and lows to find these.

Of Course He Will Have A Cake - this has become a favorite memory. I plan on making a cake again in a few weeks!

15 Years Ago Today - It seems I tell this story a lot. I like it.

Why I Changed My One Little Word - Loved finding this story again. My communities mean so much to me.

My Photography - Sometimes I write to share my thoughts, sometimes I write to clarify things in my head.

I Heart Faces Photo Walk Through Sacramento - LOVED leading with this group!

The Corner Seemed Safest - This year was truly transformational for me. This post captures it best.

What Makes A Photograph Special - I so believe this.

Taking A Photography Risk - What a great highlight to a great year.

Thank you for being here with me this year. Thank you for reading and commenting and sharing of yourselves. I hope you know how much I value you!

Do you love highlights as much as I do? Which are your favorites?

25 Christmas Photo Ideas

2010-12-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

Have you found all 25 Christmas photo ideas?

I'm still looking for a hippopotamus! You?

A Fun Way To Photograph Your Christmas Tree

2010-12-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

Kelly (aka Mugsbigsis) is such a talented photographer with a beautiful home! I loved having her in Capturing Your Holidays. Don't you love how she made her tree come alive?

Want to know how?

A tripod is helpful to get a smooth zoom. A wide lens is helpful for this technique.

Set your camera to Aperture Priority(AV or A).*
Set your Aperture to f/20.
Set your ISO to 100
Secure your camera to a tripod.
Place your hand on the zoom ring of your lens.
Press the shutter button.
Slowly turn your zoom ring.
Check your results, try zooming faster and slower. In to out and out to in.

*You can also use Program Mode (P) or Manual Mode (M) for this technique.

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Have you joined the new flickr group? Just for those of you I've had the privilege to help in your photography journey! Fun conversation, prompts and more to come! Share your photos there if you try out this technique!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Adding The Every Day To December Daily

2010-12-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of water in our Northern California rivers with more rain expected. Seeing the park flooded has occupied a certain 5 year old's brain, so I included it in our December book. We were able to take some time while it was not raining to go see the park, show him all of the water, and see the fabulous clouds with blue sky peeking through!

Everyday life goes on in December, so I thought it was important to add it in. I struggled a bit with the title of the page. The template said, Merry and Bright, which just didn't seem appropriate. A quick erase and a little addition and I think I've summed it up better. Do you struggle with including the everyday in your December Daily book?

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Have you joined the new flickr group? Just for those of you I've had the privilege to help in your photography journey! Fun conversation, prompts and more to come!

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Check out my post today at TheDailyDigi! Lot's of fun with holiday lights AND a give away!

How To Capture Christmas Light Bokeh

2010-12-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

The talent in Capture Your Holidays was stunning! I've asked several class participants to share their photos so you can see what wonderful images created in the last two weeks. TerryD photographed Santa with bokeh in such a beautiful way! I just love this image.

So how did she do it?

The key to great bokeh is:

a wide aperture
distance between your subject and the lights
a longer focal length.

Here you are, step by step. This photo can be taken in the daylight so you get enough light on Santa.

In Manual Mode (M), select your widest aperture (the smallest f/number).
Select Spot Metering.
Meter on your subject for a correct exposure.
Looking through your viewfinder, adjust your shutter speed until it indicates a correct exposure (the middle line on your light meter). Adjust your ISO and shutter speed, leaving your aperture at its widest number.
Shoot.
Review your results.

Have fun shooting!

By popular request I've created a Flickr Group for everyone who has been in one of my classes, benefitted from my tutorials or ebook, walked with me, or followed instructions on my blog! A fun place to share photos and stay connected. I hope you'll join us!

Be sure to leave TerryD some love!

Catching Up With December Daily

2010-12-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

I knew as soon as I took this photo it was going on December 14th's page. I'm playing a little catch up this week. How about you?

Pretty Pictures of Christmas

2010-12-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas time surrounds us with photo opportunities. I love the lights and decorations and the holiday spirit. Throughout this week I'm going to share some of my favorite photos from my own December collection as well as those from people in my Capture Your Holidays class at Debbie Hodge's GetItScrapped. I may even throw in a how to or two!

My ornament shots were taken in natural light (front lit for the top, side lit for the bottom) using card stock paper as a backdrop. I absolutely have a weakness for the classic, solid color, glass ornament.

Few of them are on my tree, most reside in dishes or platters around my house.

What is your ornament weakness?

How I Became The Photographer I Said I Wouldn't

2010-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, years ago I said I wouldn't be a photographer who took a long time setting up a shot. Thinking about it. Planning it. Waiting for the perfect light. Modifying the light. Manipulating objects just because.

Yep, I really said that.

Well, I spoke too soon.

Back in those old days, I had no idea how much fun it would be to play with light or maneuver my focal point or photograph things that will never go on my wall. Photos just for photos sake.

Call me a hypocrite if you'd like. In fact, just last month I posted about My Photography. Yes, that is still the type of photography I love, but I would be remiss to not mention the hour I took to photograph a cupcake recently.

Yes. An hour. I didn't even eat the cupcake. No one did. I paid $2.75 for something I never intended to ingest. In my defense, I did shoot it on a piece of card stock, using a card stock reflector in my laundry room!

Call it what you want.

How did it happen? I have one guess. Somewhere in the passion for photography, numbers really started to make sense. Once I had a more intimate understanding of what I could do with my camera, the fun began.

It makes me wonder. What does 2011 have in store for me?

Go Back Later To Find Photos You Love

2010-12-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

I discovered this one today from just about a week ago. I'm not sure how I missed it the first time. Love the expression(click on it to see it larger). I think it's bad case of red eye made me skip over it for my December Daily book. I'm rethinking that now. I may just go back and tuck it in there somewhere!

Am I the only one who skips photos, only to go back later and find ones you love?

What Do You Do When December Daily Falls Behind?

2010-12-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

It happens. Things get busy and I'm not able to make a page. I'll even admit that over the weekend, I grabbed time to do nothing. NOTHING. It was bliss.

So, yes, that put me behind doing my December Daily pages.

My strategies when I anticipate falling behind:

Take a few more photos to trigger my memory (even if they are with my phone)
Blog small details if I can or make notes on my phone.
Go with one photo pages.
Keep it simple
Don't stress, there are no December Daily police.

I've got photos and my photos trigger my journaling. I'm planning on snagging some of my journaling from my blog as well.

This year's book is featuring more one photo pages. They are quick to put together, giving me time to focus on the journaling. I've learned from my 2009 and 2008 books that journaling makes my heart sing!

What do you do when you fall a bit behind?

Celebrating 14 on the 14th

2010-12-14T06:09:00.000-08:00

I've known him for twenty nine years. How is that possible?

We met in junior high, he was the new kid in town. (Go ahead, do the math, I'm okay with that!)

He was my "boyfriend" or whatever you call it when you are too young to drive or go anywhere unsupervised. Only for a few weeks. And then, I told him to go away.

We had similar friends, activities, and even classes throughout high school.

We both travelled to separate ends of the state after high school.

We are fairly certain we were at the same Depeche Mode concert at Dodger Stadium in 1990. We had many random life parallels like that.

Every time I'd have a bad relationship experience, I'd joke with my friends, should have stuck with Shea.

And then, fate would have it. We both moved "home." We both escaped to the gym and while I was on the tread mill (or maybe it was the Stairmaster) he approached me. Said hello. I wasn't sure who he was at first. And then I knew.

It bugged me for days that after all this time, we'd just said hello and left it at that.

I called him. He couldn't find a pen to write down my number.

We met at a little Mexican restaurant for dinner. We went to dinner again. We drove around in his Jeep with his dog Pete. The dog that shed everywhere and had the grossest, slobberiest drive by licks.

And then. He asked me a question. I said yes.

December 14th. 1996. We sealed the deal.

14 years ago today.

I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else.

Taking A Photography Risk

2010-12-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

After walking out of the gallery, I glanced back through the window. There she stood. Looking at my photo. She was studying it. She looked intent, thinking. I knew then I'd made the right choice. I snapped a quick photo through the window, the view obscured a bit by the bronze work in the window.

I've wanted to take this step for a long time. Living in a neighborhood filled with art galleries, I wanted my art to inhabit some space. Not for the potential sales. Not for the exposure of my name.

For nothing more than to declare to my town, I'm an artist.

I've created a million reasons to not take this step before. I've talked myself out of believing I have talent or art worth sharing. Yes, I share on the internet. But that is different somehow.

The idea of a contest, at a gallery I know, with an open call for art did it. I submitted my form. I nervously carried my canvases, five in total, into the gallery. I walked out and wondered. Will they hang on their walls? Will anyone look at them?

On Thursday night we walked into the Barton Gallery and found all five displayed. Each one tells a different story. Each one a piece of me.

People looked at them. People commented on them.

And now they know.

I am an artist.

When Mom Brain Strikes The Photographer

2010-12-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

My bag needed to be packed. His first school performance was just an hour away.

Which lens? Flash? No flash?

I wasn't even certain where he'd be performing. The auditorium? The gym? I had no idea what the light was like in either.

I've helped so many moms with these decisions before. It was always so easy.

Choose your fastest lens. Go with the 50mm if you have it.
Bump up your ISO.
Watch that your shutter speed is around 1/125th of a second so you stop motion.
Shoot in Aperture Priority mode if you need to.
Program is okay if you get flustered.
Get the moment. Don't worry about switching lenses.

Why so hard this time? Why so hard when it was MY KID?

I needed to text all of the moms who've sent me texts and ask, "can you tell me what I told you then? I seem to be losing my mind."

Dad was late home. That didn't help my nerves. One of those things. Try not to react. Tonight is about Ian.

Bag packed. One camera. One flash. My 50mm on the camera. Wide angle packed just in case. Battery charged. Memory card cleared.

Ready.

I walk in the gym. Immediately thought I should have brought the long lens. How will I see his adorable face? Too many people. Can't get close enough. There isn't even anywhere to sit! WHAT am I going to do. This is about Ian. This is about Ian. Just enjoy him.

We take him to prepare with his class for the big moment. When we return to the gym to await his appearance, the gym is clearing out. Perfect. Floor position. Up close. Right in the middle. Ahhh, 50mm won't be wide enough for all of them. Quick swap to wide angle. Meter. Good light. More than I expected. All set.

They arrive. Too cute for words. Big smiles, waves. I take pictures. Stop. I just want to see he his face. Take it all in. But I want to have photos. Snap. Adjust. Why am I adjusting? Shutter speed, what is that? I want pictures. I want to see it all. Ahhhh.

They're done. 5 minutes from entrance to exit. 38 photos. He's all smiles. I put the camera away.

I now understand what it is like to be a mom behind a camera at a school event. Weddings are easier.

Looking for Cooperation For Christmas Photos?

2010-12-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

Do you have difficulty getting cooperation for photos at Christmas? Want to know my trick?

Offer to adorn him in lights so he can be a Christmas tree.* It helps if he is five years old and determined to dress up in "every costume in the world." I'll need to add this to my list of methods to capture active kids.

The trick to low light photos? Spot meter and expose for his face.

How do you get cooperation?

*promptly bathe him after.

How I Speed Up My December Daily Pages On Busy Days

2010-12-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

This week is PACKED with activities in our house. I love this time of year, but it can get crazy and a bit hard to keep up with December Daily.

I've given myself permission to have some December Daily Do Over Days! I grab a page I've already completed, swap out photo and journaling. Change an element or two (or none). I am then able to breathe easier and carry on to the next day! I want to complete my album AND enjoy the holidays. I've got to strike that balance!

I only took a few photos yesterday, this was a favorite. Sums up this time of year so well.

How are you balancing December Daily and enjoying the holidays?

How I Photograph Holiday Cookie Baking

2010-12-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

I do not dress my child up in costumes for photos, I really don't. I do, however, set up our cookie baking for the best results!

Making Gingerbread Vegans is a favorite tradition, both to make and eat. Once we prep all of the ingredients in the kitchen, I move the entire process to the dining room table. I position the rolling mat so Ian's side is to the window or so the window is directly in front of him. You can tell in these photos where I positioned him in relation to the light. Since I never ask him to move, I get more cooperation.

Once he gets cutting it's easy to wander around to get the best angle and light for a shot or two. The elf costume is just a bonus!

Click on the photos for product credits.

Do you have any favorite holiday photo taking tricks?

December Daily Day 5 - The Story Of The Elf

2010-12-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

Class starts tomorrow. I always get a little nervous excitement brewing the night before class, hoping I've not missed anything, anticipating the chatter in class, and looking forward to seeing everyone's photos.

Preparing for class has me scrambling a bit to keep up with December Daily, but I'm determined. I've learned from past experience to keep taking photos and jot down what I can. I'm going to allow myself a skipped day here or there if I need to. For yesterday, I'm leaving it big and black and white. I loved it the moment I saw him on the tracks. Do you have those moments you just know you're going to love the photo?

This year's book is turning into documentation of everywhere Ian wears his elf costume. Since he's worn it EVERY DAY since he received it, expect to see a lot of it! I'm certain he'll appreciate this book on the coffee table when he's fifteen.

Are you seeing any themes develop in your December Daily Project?

Narrowing Down the Photos For December Daily

2010-12-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

I've selected my six photos to compliment my one photo layout of December 4th! Thank you for all of the great ideas and for gently pushing me toward my decision.

I loved all of the ideas you shared:

Put them all in a grid, similar to my post.
Make a flip page with the stories behind them.
Include a baseball card style page.
Use an index print of all pages.
Create an elf minibook.

Loved them!

So why did I pick only six?

I know this book will be printed 8x8 at Shutterfly. With my books from 2009 and 2008, I've found I like my photos a bit larger so I can really see them. I'll include pages with fewer photos, but those are typically non-people photos.

I loved the suggestions to include my mom and the cup. It becomes so easy to make every page an Ian page, he's filled with the magic of Christmas this year! I like that I'm left with a good overview of a special day.

I am still mulling the elf minibook idea! What ideas are you considering for your December Daily book?

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Capture Your Holidays Through The Lens starts tomorrow! I'm so excited to help you capture special moments! The first lesson includes the technique for the light photo in the bottom corner above.

Thank you to everyone who has registered and spread the word. You are an amazing community of friends.

Selecting Photos For A December Daily Page

2010-12-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

December Daily is filled with choices about paper, embellishments, journaling, AND photos. Today is a difficult photo day for me.

Not because the day was too busy to take any, but because it was too filled to narrow it down to a few. You know those days. Family visiting. Birthday party to attend. Santa to visit. Lights to see. All in one day. Exhausting holiday fun.

Everyone is sleeping all snug in their bed except for me. I'm sitting in front of Lightroom. Sorting. I could create a 20 page book with today's photos. And I would really like the book.

What makes it even more difficult? A costume. A stinkin' cute elf costume my mom made for Ian. He's been wearing it since she arrived yesterday. I'm not THAT mom that dresses up her kiddo for photos, but HE is THAT kid that dresses up and asks to be photographed.

Here is Page 1 for today. The story and the costume must be in this year's December Daily book. I've decided to include 6 more for the day on another page. The choice is made more difficult knowing each photo contains a story.

So here are a few of my choices. Which would you include?

How I Chose My December Daily Paper

2010-12-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

I work to keep things in my life simple. I might even put too much energy into being simple. Is it possible, I need to simplify simple?

I've planned my December Daily pages in my mind for weeks. I knew I was going with a white background and a big, photo first style. Something like this page or this page from October's Layout A Day.

I sat at my computer, brought all the pieces together with my December 1st photo. Moved things. Changed things. Walked away. Lamented. Moved more. Slept on it. Picked different whites. Used no paper at all. Flipped the orientation. Considered going with a 6x8 size instead.

Where did simplicity go? What was I thinking?

And then...

I did it. I simplified.

Does it look familiar? I am now considering kraft paper and Ali's templates holiday tradition. It feels right.

How are you keeping your December simple?

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I have a winner!

McScraps5 was randomly chosen for a free spot in Capture Your Holidays Through The Lens! Congratulations! Stop by her blog to see her beautiful December Daily book.

25 December Daily Photo Ideas

2010-12-01T05:10:00.000-08:00

December! It's here!

If you are taking part in Ali Edwards' December Daily project or just documenting your month one day at a time, finding inspiration for a photo everyday can have its challenges. There are days you are just too tired to mess with your camera. Days you forget to take a photo until the last minute and there might even be days where you just feel stuck for an idea. The tree? Again?

Here is my 25 December Daily Photo Ideas downloadable pdf for a little inspiration! I am going to use it as a scavenger hunt through the month and maybe even a page title or two!

Enjoy! I'd love to hear which you find and which inspire you the most!

November's Rejected Photos

2010-11-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

It's time to show you the reality of shooting every day. Are you ready for a dose of November's rejects? This month is brought to you by the sky, the ground, an elbow.

I think this month's rejects are far better than last month's!

The balloon shot. Okay. It was moving.

Yes, moving right out of the frame!

The ever illusive dog. I'll get him. Someday. I really will

When flare goes wild.

Superman is hard to capture. He CAN leap tall buildings and what was that about speeding locomotives? Nice focus on the clutter in the background.

The ground. I have no explanation.

Any guesses? If you said elbow, you win! A 3 year old elbow in the midst of getting out of the rain. I have a quick trigger finger. I guess. This is also why photographers don't show you everything they snap at your family portrait session. (Okay, F Family, you've seen it!)

A study in being over exposed. You can still recognize me, can't you?

When the child goes from unhappy to happy in a split second, you need to be ready. I wasn't.

Finding focus. Always working to find focus.

Posting my rejects has made me enjoy when they occur just a bit more! I often turn to my hubby and say, "one more for the reject post."

Oh, I almost forgot, #8 in the Lens Cap Series. This one speaks to me in such a different way than the previous 7.

I hope my rejects won't stop you from joining me for Capturing Your Holidays Through The Lens. It will be 14 days of fun, focused photography! I'm thinking of it as a support group for holiday photo taking!

You can still have a chance to win a spot here.

So tell me, do you have any rejects? Dare to blog them?

Are You Ready To Photograph Your Holidays?

2010-11-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

During the holidays have you ever thought,

I wish I had someone to help me with the settings for photographing

A. My Christmas tree

B. Lights on my house

C. The excitement of Christmas morning

D. The Christmas Parade as it passes

E. A snowy Christmas scene

Have you ever been frustrated by

A. Motion in your low light photography

B. Finding focus in darker scenes

C. Composing ornaments and gifts in interesting ways

D. Deciding which lens to shoot your tree with

Do you need help knowing

A. A quick way to set your flash for indoor photos

B. How to get really cool starburst light effect

C. How to get those blurry lights in the background

D. Do-it-yourself lighting and backgrounds

For two weeks starting December 7th, I'll help you Capture Your Holidays. In 7 lessons, I'll walk you step by step through specific situations, giving you exactly what you need to capture your holidays this year. As a bonus, each lesson includes an idea list for what to shoot. Lessons are suitable for any camera.

The best part? You can ask questions, post photos and interact with your classmates and me during the fourteen days. You will not be alone with your camera this holiday season!

Want a chance to win a free class pass? Post your responses to the three questions above and you will be entered to win! I'll close comments on Thursday at midnight EST and announce a winner on Friday! Tweet or Facebook a link to this post, come back and leave a comment for each thing you do and increase your odds!

Already registered? Thank you! Consider giving a pass for a friend to join you! Did I mention? Class is only $20.

Is Using Your Camera An Enjoyable Experience?

2010-11-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

I don't force photos. I have always thought enjoyable experiences with my camera were more important than bringing my camera to create an enjoyable experience.

I've never forced Ian to go out on a photo shoot with me. Ok. I have bribed him in the past. But most often he is a willing participant. We have fun. I get some photos I love. We continue to have fun. The camera is part of the experience, not the experience itself.

Until today.

I really wanted Christmas photos to finish my 2011 calendar, get it ordered and off my to do list. I thought it would be easy. We'd run to Old Sacramento, find a wall. Shoot. Buy a small toy at Evangeline's as a treat. Be done.

I was wrong.

He didn't want to. So I got the face. When you shoot that face it only gets worse. There is no consoling.

So I stopped. Scrapped it for another day. Lesson learned. I'm not THAT mom.

We were walking away, resigned today was not the day. He looked at me, said one more and we tried again.

Not perfect. Not what I'd envisioned. But his cute self, none the less.

I've learned my lesson. I'll stick to My Photography. It is what I love most and keeps him the happiest. Tomorrow we'll have an enjoyable experience and maybe I'll bring my camera.

Things I Am Thankful For

2010-11-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

And superheroes.

Thanksgiving Photo List

2010-11-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

What photos will you be taking for Thanksgiving?

I plan on photographing small details, faces, and the entire table. This is the year I get a photo of my husband, his dad, and Ian, a long over due photo.

You can download my Thanksgiving Shot list for your own inspiration.

I'm so thankful to have the energy and resources to document my holiday.

I'm grateful you stopped by.

My Photography Gift List For Santa

2010-11-24T05:22:00.000-08:00

Does Santa ask you for your Christmas list? Every year he requests mine, even though I explain I don't really need anything.

This year I thought I'd go ahead and make one for him, just in case he has my blog in his google reader.

A few things I'd like.

Anything from ShutterSisters makes my heart happy.

Santa can't afford this, but I thought I'd give him something to think about for next year.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro Lens

So I'll be a bit more practical.

I lost my 16GB card (ouch) so need to replace it. Going small for price. Santa is on a budget, you know.

In the vein of being practical I really NEED this to calibrate my monitor.

Yes. I need a cookbook so I can photograph more cookies. Don't you agree?

I have a bit of a crush on David DuChemin. I need to add these two books to my library or iPad.

And then I'll just be extra practical and ask for a new battery. I have a grip, but only one battery. It needs a friend.

So there is my list. If you are writing your own list and need ideas you may want to check:

IHeartFaces' Photography Gift Guide

Scott Kelby's Holiday Gear Guide 2010

And for the buying record, I think the lens coffee cups are clever, but I really don't understand drinking from one :).

Santa has been good to me in the past, let's see what he has in store this year. What are you asking him for?

December Daily 2009

2010-11-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

I've finished 2009 just in time to get 2010 started!

Click here to view this photo book larger

His face just kills me! Can you honestly look at it and not smile?

I Heart Faces Photography Contest - Paper

2010-11-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

What is a mom to say? He likes to dress up and NOTHING is off limits! I was stumped by the I Heart Faces paper challenge this week until I found this. It's a great site to inspire and sharpen your creativity.

December Daily 2008

2010-11-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

Ali Edwards' December Daily project is one of my favorite projects each year. We love to sit as a family and look back over our special moments. It is the small details I enjoy most, the words Ian said, the discoveries he made, and the traditions we create.

Click here to view this photo book.

Do you do a December Daily project? What do you love about it?

Capturing Your Holidays: Through The Lens

2010-11-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Do you have photos of your holiday you love? Are you often stumped by how to photograph your tree or ornaments or holiday lights?

I'm so excited to be offering a two week mini-class to help you capture your holidays this year. In a series of 7 mini lessons delivered to your email inbox, I'll walk you step by step through how to capture the moments you love. We'll be able to interact in an online forum for additional help and advice.

There are a lot of activities to balance at the holidays, consider this a small gift to yourself and a helping hand to achieve the photos you are hoping for! It might just be a time saver for you!

You can find more details and register at Debbie Hodge's Get It Scrapped. Did I mention the cost is only $20? You are so worth it!

What holiday memories would you most want to know how to capture?

Capturing Photos of Someone You Love

2010-11-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Today is my mom's birthday. She's not a fan of having her photo taken and will dislike every photo I post. But she's my mom and I think she's beautiful. I grab every opportunity I can to photograph her.

She lives three and a half hours away from us but has seen Ian every month since he was born! That is 64 trips and over 14,000 miles. She hasn't missed a month.

Did I mention she can jump rope? This was a month before she had her knee replaced. I don't know if the two are related ;)

She was at every event each of her five kids were part of as children and she makes most of the big ones for us as adults. That's my brother finishing one of many marathons. He qualified for the Boston Marathon that day!

She's a vicious Scrabble player.

And she and Shea genuinely love each other. The real deal.

So, happy birthday today mom. Thanks for being you and thanks for letting me photograph a bit of you.

Will you wish her a happy one too? And then go take pictures of the people who are important to you too! Don't worry about making them perfect. Just take them.

What Camera Should I Buy?

2010-11-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

Every class I teach I'm asked this question. It's a big and daunting decision for most of us, made even more difficult by the number of opinions floating around out there!

Since it is holiday gift giving list time of year I thought I'd add my two cents!

Before you read further, I recommend you read Scott Bourne's Annual DSLR Camera Buying Guide. Love his perspective. Come back here when you are done ;)

I'm going to be practical here. I believe you should buy the most camera you can afford. Period. BUT, that being said, most of us live on a budget and have other life necessities to take care of.

While price is not the only factor to consider, it's a biggie. Here is my budget list for Santa :) Both of these can be found for under $700 and have great features.

Canon T2i

Nikon D3100

Of course, hold these, feel them and see which you like.

Consider purchasing the body only and with your savings buy a good, fast lens!

Is that too simple? Two cameras to consider? Let me know if you want to spend more and I can definitely help spend your money! Both cameras are linked to B&H Photography, my choice for camera equipment since my beloved local store closed.

For those of you who want to spend more, take a look at the Canon 7D or Nikon D7000. And for those of you who want more detail, I recommend spending some time on dpReview side by side comparison. Ignore the price listings and look at ISO sensitivity, Continuous drive, and megapixels.

Studio Roundup

2010-11-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

I love watching people's photography skills develop. It is such an honor and privilege to take a little part in that development. I know what it feels like to be frustrated learning how to use your camera and have that one little nudge or perspective that opens up an entire new world for you.

I'd love to create a page on my blog highlighting the work of those of you've I've helped. I'm specifically looking for those of you who are shooting professionally now and want to get the word out!

If you've taken a class with me, read Get Me off of Auto, followed a tutorial, walked with me, or been helped in anyway please comment with your name, blog or facebook link (or both), photography focus, and the geographic area you shoot in.

You all arrive in my life with so much talent. I don't want to take credit for what you know, I just want to show you off to the world as talent I've been fortunate to connect with.

Get Beyond The Garlic And Find Joy

2010-11-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have those days when you just need a little more joy in your life. Nothing is wrong, but nothing feels quite right either.

So to my photos I go. In Lightroom I searched the keyword JOY. My results - 0! Are you kidding me? Happy - 0! Really? Ok, last try. Smile. Again. Zero. I searched "garlic" and found 15 photos, but nothing for joy, happy, and smile? What is wrong with me?!

I began the scrolling, clicking and keywording.

Now. I have joy.

I vow to label my photos with emotion from this day forward so that when I need joy I can find it fast.

Photography Quiz - Answers

2010-11-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Oh, beautiful blue sky found in fall! It helps create gorgeous photos!

Bryan Peterson in Understanding Exposure calls it "brother blue sky" for a very good reason. By simply metering off of the sky, I was able to get the correct exposure on the first photo I took. There was no fiddling or compensating needed! Nice.

Ann aced this quiz! Well done!

Jill's suggestion of using Sunny 16 could be right as well, just wasn't what I used. Do you know Sunny 16?

Simply put it says, if you shoot on a sunny day you can use these settings:
f/16 ISO 100 shutter speed 1/125

You can then bump these up a stop, another down a stop getting the equivalent exposures. So, these settings would then also work given Sunny 16
f/16 ISO 200 shutter speed 1/500

or even this
f/8 ISO 200 shutter speed 1/250

Its a nice little technique to have in your back pocket, but if you like things extra easy Brother Blue Sky is there for you!

And just in case you've never met Mr. Peterson, you might not know about Mr. Green Jeans, the Sky Brother's cousin. When shooting a scene with a lot of green, expose for the green and underexpose by -2/3.

I used that technique while lost in a grape vineyard.

This is straight out of camera. Achieving the correct exposure right out of camera means black and white conversions are faster and, in my opinion, more effective.

Does this make sense? What exposure techniques do you go to?

Photography Quiz - Fall Edition

2010-11-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

Napa Valley in the fall is beautiful. My hubby planned dinner at an amazing vegetarian restaurant* and left the rest of our weekend open for exactly what I requested, nothing. We drove some, tasted a little wine, wandered around Yountville and took photos.

While I shot this, I thought, oooooh, perfect for a quiz!

40mm | ISO 400 | f/9.0 | ss 1/320

This is the first photo I took and it is SOOC (straight out of camera). Here is the question for you:

How did I get the exposure correct with my first shot? No devices, gizmos, or cards used to determine the exposure or try to trick you. You've got my settings. What's your guess?

I'll reveal tomorrow.

*A post about the restaurant coming soon, as we believe they thought I was someone I am not :)

Let's Celebrate The Weekend

2010-11-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes yesterday! I'm touched by the outpouring of kindness.

I'm off to celebrate a bit more this weekend with a short trip to the Napa Valley. So, I've got a question. If you were headed to Napa, what is your MUST VISIT winery? Post quick, I'm leaving in just a bit!

Watch for a new photography quiz on Monday!

25 Days of Thankful - A Project

2010-11-05T05:57:00.000-07:00

We've started a project in our house that I can proudly say we've kept at for 4 days! Perhaps a new family project record.

Before dinner each evening Ian and run into the backyard and collect the largest leaf we can find from our Mulberry tree. After a little dirt removal we set it on the dinner table with a marker. Through dinner we each talk about one thing we are thankful for. Ian seems to always go first and is quick to provide something concise and sweet.

Nov 1 - I'm thankful for plants things with you Mom
Nov 2 - I'm thankful for my family
Nov 3 - I'm thankful for keeping our house clean
Nov 4 - I'm thankful for my family

A little repetition is okay for me! I will show him Nov. 3rd when he's 13, just as a little reminder!

I write each of these on our leaf and we leave it as the centerpiece of our table.

The next day we repeat it. I'm loving watching the leaves from the our first days begin to slowly dry out as we add new ones to the pile. I wait holding my breath just a bit to see what Ian is going to come up with each night.

In case you are curious, here is my list
Nov 1 - I'm thankful for my boys
Nov 2 - I'm thankful for difference of opinions
Nov 3 - I'm thankful for cupcakes
Nov 4 - I'm thankful for place where people know our names

And Shea's
Nov 1 - I'm thankful I learned to cook
Nov 2 - I'm thankful for a relatively transparent democracy
Nov 3 - I'm thankful for my family to come home to after a long day
Nov 4 - I'm thankful that when I had meningitis, I had no ill effects

Since the leaves will eventually be placed in our compost bin to become part of our garden, I'm capturing each of our statements on a card and will bind them together. Cathy Zielske made this even easier with her Thankful 4x6 Photo Album Project kit. It is in the DesignerDigitals store tomorrow. I've taken a little twist with it, since it's intended to be passed out for family to complete at Thanksgiving Dinner. I'm hoping to bind it to have at dinner. I'm not worrying too much over the photos. I used an iPhone photo from a new cupcake shop we found, but plan on using anything that fits! The leaves will show up somewhere in the process too!

So, what would your thankful list include? Today, I'm thankful to celebrate one more amazing year!

Photography of the Future

2010-11-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

In some photos I can see the future. Something about them just screams Ian at 16. I can just see it. Without a doubt.

Do you see it too?

My Photography

2010-11-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

Photography provides many opportunities. I can photograph majestic landscapes, highlighting gorgeous details of nature. I can photograph architecture, showing off its fine lines and details. I can photograph flowers, bugs or birds, capturing their natural beauty.

Yes, I shoot those things. Sometimes.

They are not my photography.

My photography exists in the moment. The face. The expression. The hands outstretched. The simple smile. Capturing the age and stage of the moment. Knowing when he's twenty five I can still see him at five. The moments of joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

That is my photography.

I want to capture the feeling of the moment. The internal part of me that hums a bit louder when I see his face. The part of me that glows with love in a way I've never experienced. The part of me that laughs out loud watching who he is and who he is becoming.

I want to capture the "I love you moments." The "you're the best momma in the world" smiles. Those are the photographs with the most meaning for me.

My life.

The rest are fine photos. The rest will be appreciated.

My photography is the photography of emotion and connection and family.

And that, is good enough for me.

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Today is the last day to register for Your Life: Captured Through The Lens. I'd love to have you join me.

October Rejects

2010-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's time for October's rejected photos. I started this project earlier this year to have a little fun and show you the photos no one typically sees. I can learn a lot from the mistakes!

So here we go.

That sweet face you see so often? It has its not so sweet moments as well. Too close, too fast, too crazy. WAIT FOR THE SHOT.

Exactly what was I using to set my exposure here? It obviously wasn't the green grass!

Such a sweet photo of Ian and me and the brick steps. Look THROUGH the viewfinder next time, before I set the timer.

So I looked through the viewfinder. Too much chair and too much eyelid.

Again, more chair and table. I think this was a crazy finger right before the tomato shot.

Oops. What was I taking a picture of here? SLOW DOWN. And SPEED UP the shutter speed!

A mom can get pretty excited the first time her son decides to climb a rock wall. So excited she doesn't even look at her camera settings before the click. SLOW DOWN, this is becoming a theme!

My husband and I try to take a photo together when we see a mirror. Here, I missed. Repeatedly.

Oh, Halloween night. Youngsters together walking into the light after a fun evening. The moment. The beautiful silhouette. Missed because I clicked in AV when I know this needs Manual. Silly. It was a great shot in my head. I was too worried about them walking away too fast to think it all the way through. Guess what? I missed it anyway. STOP AND THINK.

I'd like to present to you #7 in a series of shots. I call it, THE LENS CAP IS ON.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the other side of my photography! I've heard a class starts today that will help me improve my photography!

364 Days 'til Halloween & A Winner!

2010-11-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

The ~~magician~~ ~~international super spy~~ vampire is sleeping after a fun weekend of activity.

We've officially entered my Jubilee which also means the Holiday season! This time of year is loved in our house.

Thanks everyone for taking part in the 13 Days 'Til Halloween. I loved posting and loved seeing what you did with the challenges.

Using random.org our winner (with the most entries, so her odds were good!) is Sarah. Check out her fun Halloween photos! I loved the Jabba the Hutt photo!

Class starts tomorrow and registration is still open! I hope you will join me for six weeks of Capturing Your Life Through The Lens! Trying to decide if you want to join in class? I'm taking questions today about class, format, anything at all! Let me know!

1 Day 'til Halloween - Checking It Twice

2010-10-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

Oops! I forgot to post 1 Day 'Til yesterday!

Isn't it typical of this crazy time of year, packed with activities, places to go and things to take care of? My intention was to post a pumpkin photo or two, but we didn't carve it yet. We didn't last year either. In fact, last year's pumpkin didn't get carved until Thanksgiving when I made it into pie!

Today's tip takes shape in list form so you can make the magic happen!

A few things to remember before the evening festivities begin.

Charge your camera's battery
Clear your memory cards, then Format them in your camera's menu to get the most space.
Place your camera or bag next to the battery so you don't leave the battery behind (or am I the only one who does this?)
Decide what lens you are going to use and if you are going to use flash. Make these decisions before you walk out the door, and stick to them so you can focus on the fun.
Place your camera's drive mode on Continuous shooting so you can snap several frames at a time, it gives you the best chance of one being right!
Watch your SHUTTER SPEED. In my opinion this is often the biggest mistake I make when shooting in low light situations, heck, maybe in most situations. I forget to look at it or talk myself into believing I really can hand hold my camera for 1/20th of a second. (I can't)
Have fun!

Post a link to your favorite photo in the comments below!

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Don't forget to link me up to your photo or leave a comment and you'll go in a drawing on November 1st for a spot in Your Life: Captured Through The Lens, my most popular photography class. That means you get up to 13 chances to win! Comments close at midnight pacific time tonight.

Your Life: Captured Through The Lens is a 6 week online, interactive photography course. We start class in aperture priority mode (the A or AV on your dial) and work our way to manual mode. Each class includes a composition method as well as technical shooting information. You'll receive 6 pdf lessons and access to 6 videos in addition to two live online chats and have access to the online forum and gallery. See what Tracy Muilenberg, Debbie West, and Amy LeJeune have to say about class.

2 Days 'til Halloween - Halloween Scavenger Hunt

2010-10-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

The excitement is boiling over in our house this morning! Ian's first school party and costume parade. He's changed his mind about his costume a few times, but I think we've settled on one for today and one for tomorrow. We'll see what Halloween brings! He's a boy of many costumes with a Grandma who likes to sew, so he's got a good stash to select from!

*TP Mummy not sewn by Grandma aka Mumzy

Today's challenge is one of my favorites! Head out with your camera for a scavenger hunt. You might find these today or throughout the entire weekend. I love the challenge of finding specific things and grabbing them in creative ways.

Here you go! 13 just for fun. Find as many (or as few) as you'd like. Link me to them when you've got some! BigHugeLabs has a fun mosaic maker, to quickly put them together.

1. A black cat
2. Teeth
3. Red - fun chance to follow The Red Rule
4. Stuffed
5. Striped
6. Spooky - maybe Shoot The Moon
7. Pointy
8. Brew
9. Orange
10. A treat - a great opportunity to Fill the Frame
11. Bones
12. Ghostly - try to Ghost Someone
13. Cute

Have fun! Happy Shooting! Be safe :)

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Link me up to your photo or leave a comment and you'll go in a drawing on November 1st for a spot in Your Life: Captured Through The Lens, my most popular photography class. That means you can get up to 13 chances to win!

Your Life: Captured Through The Lens is a 6 week online, interactive photography course. We start class in aperture priority mode (the A or AV on your dial) and work our way to manual mode. Each class includes a composition method as well as technical shooting information. You'll receive 6 pdf lessons and access to 6 videos in addition to two live online chats and a class forum for posting questions. See what Tracy Muilenberg, Debbie West, and Amy LeJeune have to say about class.

Photography Help At Your Request #1

2010-10-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Kim posted her photography dilemma for tomorrow morning. I'm giving her answer it's own post as I think many of you may find yourself in this spot.

Her question:

I have been asked to take a group shot of my daughter’s dance team on Saturday. I have never done anything like this before and really want to get as nice a shot as possible. I am hoping you can help me better understand what the best course will be to get the best shot. So here’s the situation.

12 to 14 girls

High school football field (no shade, sigh)

9 to 10 am shoot time (sigh).

I played a little bit this morning at the correct time and here is what I discovered

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A.

Front light will get me a bunch of squinting girls but by using my M mode and light metering ( thank you so much for sharing that sweet gem on TDD) off their faces I get a pretty nicely exposed photo.

B.

Sidelight is going keep the girls from squinting but if I meter of the shaded side of their faces the sunny side is over exposed and if I meter off the sunny side the shaded side is underexposed..

C.

Backlight gets me well exposed girls, by metering off their faces, and a blown out background.

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Everything I read online says “just don’t ” Ok now lets get real.. We can’t always be in control of these situations… I just want to do the best I can with a situation that is out of my control…

Since I don’t have the luxury of having all the girls to play with before Saturday I am seriously hoping you can give me your best advice…Is there anything else I need to be mindful of while taking a medium sized group shot .

Wishing your Life class was already underway

Group shots are difficult. Getting everyone to look at the same direction without getting eyes closed or funky faces can be tricky. You are doing the right thing by trying it out before the girls are there. Let's talk about your choices.

A.
A is a nice light choice, as you've noticed. IF you use this option, the best trick is to have everyone close their eyes tight. Look at the sun. On the count of three have them open, and using your continuous shooting mode snap several photos. You need to be fast with this and only try it a couple of times, their patience will be short!

I've used this when shooting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training Triathlon teams when we wanted the lake behind us leaving no choice, but to look into the sun.

B.
Sidelight is going to be uneven and while you avoid the squint, you will need to fill in the shadows with either a LARGE reflector, diffused fill flash, or lighting. This seems to be a trickier approach that takes more gear. I'm not a big fan of hauling a ton of gear if I can avoid it.

C.
Does the background matter? This is really your creative call. If you want both, you have two options.
Option 1 - If you choose to meter off the sky and shoot, you will need to use fill flash in order to expose the girls correctly. I like to play with my fill flash level before a real shoot. I would have someone stand in the spot you are going to shoot, fire off several frames and review them on your histogram to see what works best. Move your flash compensation up and down until you like what you see. Getting flash right always takes a little fiddling.
Option 2 - If you choose to shoot without a flash, expose for the girls, blowing out the background. Then without the girls in the frame, expose for the background. A little Photoshop magic and you've got a picture with both pieces well exposed.

This is not an easy situation, but definitely one many of us find ourselves in. Life goes on whether or not the light is at a perfect angle!

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Do you have a situation you'd like perspective about? Email me at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com with the details of your situation. It might just appear here!

Kim send me an email, I have a flash tutorial I'd like to send you for posting your question and kicking off our new series!

Look forward to seeing you in Your Life Captured Through The Lens. Class starts November 2nd!

3 Days 'til Halloween - How To Shoot The Moon

2010-10-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Shea's favorite

When the full moon is out on Halloween, the creep factor rises. This year it isn't full, but there is still a moon! Give it a try. Frame it. Leave it lonely in the sky. If you get really lucky take advantage of clouds.

You might recall my steps for shooting the moon.

1. Grab your lens with the longest focal length.
2. Take off your UV filter, if you have one on.
3. Set your ISO to 100.
4. Set your aperture to f/8.0 (this is not the only option).
5. Set your shutter speed to 1/125 (this is not the only option).
6. Zoom out to your longest focal length
7. Focus on the moon, ignoring your light meter (it's going to freak out, indicating you are overexposed)
8. Recompose if you'd like.
9. Shoot!

Okay, that's one way :)

Here are my steps for these.

1. Grab your lens with the longest focal length. (I used 200mm)
2. Take off your UV filter, if you have one on.
3. Set your ISO to 1250.
4. Set your aperture to f/2.8 (the moon is a LONG way out, you'll get the entire thing in focus).
5. Set your shutter speed to 1/400 (this is not the only option).
6. Zoom out to your longest focal length
7. Focus on the moon, ignoring your light meter (it's going to freak out, indicating you are overexposed)
8. Recompose if you'd like.
9. Shoot!

10. Shoot again.

Now, take a look at the #'s in steps #3, #4 and #5. Noticed how they changed? THAT is the exposure triangle - ISO, aperture and shutter speed. THAT is how photos are made! There are always multiple combinations.

Ian's "spooky" favorite

My favorite

Any questions? I'd love to see what spooky photos you can come up with!

4 Days 'til Halloween - Step To The Other Side

2010-10-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Its a good practice to capture photos from many different angles. Sometimes you discover unexpected treasures.

When Ian was two and a half, he loved waiting at the door for tricker treaters. He hadn't really grasped the idea that HE could go get candy at other doors!

This Halloween prepare to grab a photo from behind. Whether it is at the door as your pirate opens it for others or as your goblin rings the doorbell at your neighbors house. Simply watching them walk away is a classic perspective too. You'll get the best cooperation when they can't see what you are doing!

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Your Life: Captured Through The Lens is a 6 week online, interactive photography course. We start class in aperture priority mode (the A or AV on your dial) and work our way to manual mode. Each class includes a composition method as well as technical shooting information. You'll receive 6 pdf lessons and access to 6 videos in addition to two live online chats. See what Tracy Muilenberg, Debbie West, and Amy LeJeune have to say about class.

5 Days 'til Halloween - Diggin' Up Good Stuff

2010-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Only five days left! Are your pumpkins carved? Costumes in order? Camera batteries charged?

Today I'm taking a different approach and sending you around the web for great Halloween photography ideas.

Rebecca Cooper has a great new book at Ella Publishing and great Halloween tips post on the 1825 blog.

Digital Photography School has some great tips from last year.

More great Halloween Photography Tips at the New York Institute of Photography.

For a little low light step by step, check the Daily Digi.

PhotoTuts has a GREAT post about Mesmerising Moon Photography.

A search or two at flickr can give you TONS of ideas and inspiration!

1. halloween, 2. That's a lot of Pumpkin Pie!, 3. Advanced Happy Halloween (^ ^), 4. Web of Lights, 5. Halloween: My [second] Favorite Holiday, 6. Happy October !, 7. Pumpkin Pile, 8. bokeh pumpkins, 9. :: fairy of dreams ::

Do you have any favorite Halloween photography tips?

CreativeLive Tamara Lackey Entry from KatrinaKennedy

2010-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for the CreativeLive event I mentioned yesterday. I'd love to hear from you if you were a mom I've helped. Thanks!

Question About My Photo of the Day

2010-10-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

So which would you pick?

He helped me out on a little project. Hoping to take a trip to spend time with Tamara Lackey in Seattle next month. You can join in the fun still too! It's live and it's free.

6 Days 'til Halloween - Fill The Frame

2010-10-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Six more days to photography the sights and sounds of Halloween!

Today, get in close. Fill the frame with your subject to leave the view NO DOUBT what your subject is. Whether your photo is a bit scary or super cute, step up closer and leave nothing but the subject in the frame. If you need to crop to do that...no problem, we won't even notice!

Check out my focus post at the DailyDigi if you are curious about just how close you can get!

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Your Life: Captured Through The Lens is a 6 week online, interactive photography course. We start class in aperture priority mode (the A or AV on your dial) and work our way to manual mode. Each class includes a composition method as well as technical shooting information. You'll receive 6 pdf lessons and access to 6 videos in addition to two live online chats. See what Tracy Muilenberg, Debbie West, and Amy LeJeune have to say about class.

7 Days 'til Halloween - Not For Vampires

2010-10-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Holidays and events find us behind the camera taking photos of everything and everyone. But what about you? Are you in any photos or is that just too frightening?

Mirrors are the ~~easiest~~ classic way to get yourself in the photo. Try a little something different this time though. Don't cover your spooky self with the camera. Place the camera low and shoot into a mirror. It may take a few tries to get it right. Have fun with it, see what else you can get in the picture. Think Halloween. And you know what? You don't have to be in focus, just be in the photo!

50mm | ISO 4000 | f/1.4 | ss 1/100

I'll assume you're a vampire if you don't take part in this challenge!

8 Days 'til Halloween - Dig Deep

2010-10-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

Have a little fun with perspective with your Halloween photos. Make people look bigger by shooting low and wide. The lower you go, the larger they will appear. If you shoot super wide (the smallest mm number on your lens) you can exaggerate their height even more. This is one spot where point and shoot cameras can have a great advantage over dSLRs!

So, dig deep for your Halloween shot and show us your results!

ISO 4000, f/4.0, ss 1/40

I used Matt K's Ultimate Fighter preset in Lightroom because I'm in love with Lightroom and Matt K!

Show us what you dig up!

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Your Life: Captured Through The Lens is a 6 week online, interactive photography course. We start class in aperture priority mode (the A or AV on your dial) and work our way to manual mode. Each class includes a composition method as well as technical shooting information. You'll receive 6 pdf lessons and access to 6 videos in addition to two live online chats. See what Tracy Muilenberg, Debbie West, and Amy LeJeune have to say about class.

9 Days 'til Halloween - On Location

2010-10-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

The excitement is building in our house! With a weekend in the mix before the big event, it makes it perfect time for a location shoot!

Taking Ian out for a little fun somewhere that matches his costume makes him more cooperative and I'm always happiest with the background. So dress up the little one (or the dog or the big ones, whoever is cooperative), grab your camera, and head out!

Bats love hanging out at the cemetery.

A cemetery would be perfect for little ghosts, witches, vampires and other scary things. Find the oldest section of the cemetery for the best headstones. For our shoot we went to a historic cemetery from the Gold Rush Era about an hour before sunset. After a discussion about respecting the space, "mom what is respect," "why mom," "are they going to wake up," I let him explore. I tried to catch him at his natural moments with all of the costume on or just parts. Make it fun and you'll get the best photos.

Other fun spots might be:

Cleopatra next to a river.

A little cheer leader or football player on the 50 yard line.

A little firefighter at the fire department.

Mario and Luigi in front of a pizza place.

Little bugs flying through a field of flowers or garden.

A little pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. I'd love to shoot a little pumpkin lined up with all of the pumpkins at the grocery store!

Harry Potter would be amazing atop a hill at dusk with just the blueish twilight glow behind him.

I can see Spider Man walking up the side of a wall. Position Spider Man below a window in your house, have him "cling" to the wall, shoot out the window as close as you can get to him at your widest angle. Oooh, this would be a fun shot!

Woody, Buzz or Jessie at the playground or near a train or stacked in a box with lots of other toys.

A little princess in front of a castle (I'm imagining our local Fairy Tale Town).

I'm looking for a red velvet curtain and stage for this year's photo of Ian!

What's your favorite Halloween location spot?