November's Rejected Photos

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?

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?

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

And superheroes.

Thanksgiving Photo List

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.