How I Picked My I Heart Faces Photo Walk Winner

Greeting 27 women I'd never met before and leading them through midtown Sacramento was easy. Selecting one winner from all of their photos was not easy.

I mixed a bit of attraction, gut feeling, and nitpicking together to find the one photo we would call the Sacramento winner.

I started by looking at all of the thumbnails, page by page.

I wanted to see what grabbed me. There were so many. I took an entire day to look through them. Made a few notes, slept on it and went back through the thumbnails again the next day. I found myself clicking on these each time.

photo by Rhonda Huvane

I loved the line Rhonda capture that draws your eye through the photo. 

photo by Robyn Tucker

Robyn captured a fun angle with some awesome flare.

photo by April Williams

April's strong center focus beautifully captured Marina's classic beauty.

photo by Tierra Lowry

I love the way Tierra used Marina's reflection to balance the photo.

photo by Sarah Kitchen

Sarah's photo just makes me smile. Such real emotion and movement and fun in one frame.

I wanted to choose something that screamed this is Marina and was technically sound. I had to stay true to my preferences as well -- not overly processed, real, with a bit of something to set it apart.

I clicked on each to see them as large as possible. That's when I got nitpicky. I looked for focus. I wanted sharpness. I needed it to be well exposed. I wanted a photo that in 20 years you'd still hang on the wall in your living room. I wanted body parts not chopped and framing to be just so.

My final decision came down to two feet. Two feet captured at an angle that scream personality. Two feet that capture a young woman's confidence in front of the camera. Two feet that are framed beautifully and give me a bit of room to play if I was to frame it. Just enough sass to say, this is Marina. I loved too, that it was completely different than most photos from the day. Cropped square. Framed nicely, as if a square crop is what Lisa had in mind the moment she clicked the shutter. Yes, it is processsed, but not overly. I'm a suck for a great black and white!

photo by Lisa Smiley

Thanks ladies for sharing your Saturday with me! You all took amazing photos and should be proud of your work.

What My 365 Project Has Taught Me

After being in on this photo a day thing for a bit over two years, I've learned a little something.

The number of photos I take is often indicative of my mood. Today for example, two photos. That could mean I was really busy with work getting home to late for good light or it could mean I just didn't have the energy. Sapped. That is exactly how I feel. Tired. Ready for summer. Ready to have some of the corners of my life cleaned up a little bit. Anxious to make some big decisions and move forward.

Funny, how I can project all of my life musings onto my photography. I didn't pick up my camera and it began to feel like I didn't like photography. But it was just life that was a little stuck. When I did finally pick it up today, it was met with a 4 year old melt down over an unrelated issue. One of those two hour melt downs that we seem to be getting as he nears 5. I remember similar melt downs as we neared the year markers for him before. We can't be the only family that experiences those, can we?

I thought it was photography I was tired of, but really? I was just tired. So two photos, snapped with my phone.

I'll pick up my camera tomorrow. It will be there for me. And, who knows, it might be a 100 photo day. And then I'll need to analyze another angle of this project.

And there you have them. SOOC. Unedited. As is. Untouched. The real deal.

Behind The Lens: Jennifer DeLorenzo

I'd like you to meet my friend Jen! She is a talented photographer who also happens to be the great home Bear came from!  I loved spending time with her and her adorable family over spring break. 

Jennifer is a talented photographer who was well on her way to being amazing before we met.  I hope you enjoy her photos as much as I do. Notice her smile? Completely genuine. 

What sparked your interest in photography?
Well, that started around my 9th birthday party when I was given my first camera.  I went through a lot of film back then.  Then I took a black and white photography class in college as an elective… I was hooked.  When my kids came it became an obsession.  Unfortunate events lead me to consider photography as a profession.  I am so glad that a road was presented that I may not have considered otherwise.

What camera do you use? 

I have a Canon 50D and a 40D as my backup.  I long for a full frame sensor so I hope that is a purchase that I will be able to make in the near future.

What is your favorite lens?

That is a tie between my 24-70mm 2.8 and my 50mm 1.2.   Canon L series lens are amazing to work with!  I hope to one day own the 70-200mm 2.8!

What makes you happiest about your photography?

I love downloading my files and finding something unexpected.  I also love having the ability to create a completely different mood just by changing the perspective or lighting.

What have you learned that helped your photography the most? 

I think becoming comfortable with my camera and its settings was key.  The creative side of photography I love, but the technical side I had to learn to love.  Understanding the relationship between Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO changed my photography completely.

What are your photography goals for 2010?  

I really want the use of my camera to become second nature.  I still get nervous before a shoot and I doubt myself all the time.  So, I just intend on practicing like crazy. 

You can see more of Jennifer's great photography on her blog. Make sure you stop by to see her adorable family!

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Have I helped you with a class, ebook, or tutorial? Would you like to be featured Behind The Lens? Send me an email at katrina at katrinakennedy dot com.

Vote for the From The Garden Picture of the Day

Which do you prefer?

The bee on my blooming leek?

Dinner? Beet, carrot, potato, radish, cucumber and tomatoes all from the garden!

Or the artichoke about to bloom!

Did you notice they are all landscape? That is unusual for me.

Let Summer Begin

Today is the last day of school for this guy. Now he can put away his mean teacher face!

Which means we're thinking about a little bit of this.

And more time tending these.

And perhaps a nap or two.

I'm ready for summer. How about you?

Using The Camera I Have

Chase Jarvis said it beautifully with the title of his book, The Best Camera Is The That's With You.

Today my iPhone was the best I had. I wasn't supposed to be at karate, but it worked out at the last minute that I was able to make it. Who knew Ian would be the white belt line leader?!

If only I could bottle that joy and share it with others. He lights up every time he is in class.  Once again, I find myself enjoying the moment recorded, regardless of the photo quality.

I Heart Faces Week 24 "All About Babies" Photo Challenge

I have many baby photos. My best are of other people's babies. I had a nice camera when my son was born. I had a good lens. Am I revealing too much if I say just five years ago, I didn't know much about how to use it. I knew even less about how to pose a baby. All about babies was new for me. And frightening.


He was small and fragile. And mine. So, rather than sharing a perfect baby shot of perfect little toes with the perfect depth of field, I wanted to share my baby at three days old. Thankfully I used natural window light here and not the horrible flash. The baby jogger was for perspective. That was a good idea. He'd fill it now.


I think it is good to remind myself that we all started our photographic journey somewhere.

Stop by Iheartfaces to see the other great entries this week!

A Visit To My Studio

I discovered the recipes of VeganDad a few months ago. He hasn't let me down yet. Tonight I modified his risotto recipe with ingredients from my garden. I spent a little time with it in my studio before gobbling it up. I haven't eaten risotto in the two and half years since I started eating a vegan diet. It measured up to my memories!

50mm | ISO 400 | f/2.2 | ss 1/160

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I edited the white balance in Lightroom a little more than I would normally, the light in the window was just not right tonight and I was too lazy to find my flash! I'm sure no one can relate :P

A Picture of Summer

Second Saturday with good friends, frozen yogurt, Speed Racer on the wall outside while waiting for the Whispering Chingaderos to play. It is going to be a good summer.

90mm | ISO 3200 | f/2.8 | 1/40ss

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This photo follows none of the rules I teach. My shutter speed is too slow for the lens I was using. My ISO is as high as  you can go. And as you can see I framed it all center. Sometimes it just works regardless of what the rules say. The noise reduction in Lightroom 3 is amazing! The entire photo was processed in Lightroom without a touch of photoshop.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

I want to be a food photographer.

Of the vegan variety of course! Did you notice the beautiful Morel mushrooms? Tonight was my first experience eating them. Yum!

A Concrete Photo Quiz Answer!

I have a little reflector secret outside of my front door. You probably have it too!

My front steps face the east. In the afternoon the sidewalk bounces beautiful light up on my subject's faces. So my trick? Give the child some of this...

Tell him to sit on the steps before he can eat it and shoot away!

Thanks for playing along! (Much credit goes to the ice cream man and dad...I was saying Push Up as Neon Shrek was appearing)

The Sweet Parts of Life & A Photo Quiz

Everyday. That is what I love most about my photography lately. The everyday. The small details. The bits and pieces that come together to make our days. Not perfect. Just life

ISO 400 | 30mm | f/4.0 | ss 1/80

So now for the quiz. How did I create that beautiful even light on my hubby? Any guesses? I'll post tomorrow along with the reason the 4 year old was cooperative in this moment!

Roosters, Super Friends, and My Garden

In case you've wondered where I've been the last few days, here's a recap in photos. They are all taken straight from my real life to your computer screen, unedited, because that is the place I'm in!

We spent time with  Super Friends. A blog post on that story, coming soon!

and a rooster or two.

And in my garden.

I love this time of year! Eight more days until our summer can really begin! I'm looking forward to lots of play, garden goodness, and picture taking. What are you looking forward to?

Quiz Answers!

My photography quiz last week had a catch. A little something you couldn't see.

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

Are you ready for this? I took the photo at 849PM. Later than you expected? My settings definitely helped bring enough light in for the shot, but there was a little something else working for me. I got a little help! Across the street is a softball field with the lights on, a nice distance from my subject, diffused very nicely.

There you have it. Sometimes you just use what you've got.

Thanks for giving it a guess, I loved all of your explanations! Stay tuned for another photo quiz this week!

Do You Have A Family Dinner Tradition?

My brother and I started a Sunday night dinner tradition. Since the rest of our family lives a few hours away and my brother lives only blocks away, we've decided to get together on Sunday nights and have a meal together.

Well, maybe he really decided that I'd just cook a meal that he'd come over and eat each week. Manipulated or not, I'm okay with it!

Photos of food with family in the garden. Life is good.

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I shot this on the east side of my house about 7PM. A lot of great light to work with. I used a wide aperture to blur the beverage and everyone's plates on the table. And then...I ate it!

I Heart Faces Photo Walk Through Sacramento

Can you imagine leading 26 women with cameras through your neighborhood? It was fabulous. I was honored to have the opportunity to share my passion with them and hope we can all meet again!

With the help of our amazing model Marina, shutters were flying as they gave her direction, changed angles, tried things they hadn't before and practiced what they knew.

Guess who only took 120 photos? Yes, that would be me. I loved capturing everyone else in action...and talking. I loved the opportunity to meet so many people obsessed with interested in photography.

Then it was off to lunch together where my everyday model appeared, helping me appreciate Marina even more.

You can see the I Heart Faces Photo Walk Across America from Kathleen Summers',  Robyn Tucker's, Tawney Brennfleck, and Sarah Kitchen's perspective and even more in the Photo Walk Across America Flickr Group.

Want to see other towns' walks? Here is the Bisbee, Arizona recap, photos from Orange County, and a Dallas recap by my friend Sarah.

Thanks to my dear friend Jennifer, who helped me with the photo walk. She took the less pleasant jobs of waiting on the corner for any possible late comers and feeding meters without hesitation!

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If you walked with us and I've missed your blog post, post the link so I can include it! Photo Walkers, don't forget to share your images with the Flickr group, hi res, non watermarked please.

Send your best three photos to the IHeartFaces Community by June 11th so I can pick a winner! THAT will not be an easy selection!

And I'm curious...which spot on our photo walk was your favorite?

This Is What Summer Is Going To Look Like

Do you know what your summer is going to look like?

I think this is ours. Ian in front of our new neighbor's house. He loves her. We love her. We got really lucky after more than a year of uncertainty.

In just two weeks we've spent hours in her front yard - playing, talking, laughing. We warned her that Ian felt like he owned the place.

I think she believes us now!

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Anyone up for a photo quiz? Any guesses what time of day this was taken? Give me the precise hour if you can, without looking at the metadata of course!

The Story Of Ian's Lucky Foot

One year ago I didn't believe it was going to be possible. He refused to balance his weight on it. He always invented a way around using it. He found some other way to support his entire body's weight. He'd rely upon his left foot, never his right.

When he was born we called it his lucky foot because clubbed foot sounded too ugly. It conjured a picture of a square, non-useable wooden thing. His foot was the same soft baby skin as the rest of his body. There was no square, monster like shape and there were definitely no splinters. As an infant we tucked it in a blanket and didn't think about it.

Well.

Until the weekly doctor visits, that began when he was two weeks old. The weekly casting to gradually move it in the right direction. The weekly unrolling of the endless layers of his cast. The five minute baths so we could get to the doctor's office, leaving his foot uncast for no more than a half hour each week.

And at three months,  I handed my tiny baby to a doctor and walked out of the room. The operation to cut his Achilles Tendon. The necessary step to loosen the hold it had on his entire foot. The cut that would release the curl it wanted to make. It was the longest ten minutes I have experienced.

Then more casting. From the casting we moved to the Dennis Brown Bar. A horrible contraption he was sentenced to wear at exactly the moment he learned to kick his legs up, sending the metal rod separating his feet, flying into his soft baby skull.

We endured the looks and the comments. "Who broke that poor baby's leg?" The nerve and ignorance of people still makes me knot up internally.

I just wanted my baby to be comfortable. And happy.

But he came into the world with a lucky foot.

For three years it defined much of our life. The frequent doctor visits. The worries. The brace following the bar. Hoping he could stand. Holding my breath for his first steps. Willing his toes to release the tight curl they met the world with. Knowing his right leg would always be smaller, less developed than his left. Watching for the regression they said would be possible. Buying shoes knowing one was too big, no matter what size we chose.

And then today. I witnessed it. Not only did he stand on it, he kicked. Twice. Without touching down. His entire 30 pound frame supported by one lucky foot.

And with that, the weight that has rested upon my chest was lifted. I snapped one shot from my lap without looking through the lens and knew I'd taken my photo of the day.

Are You Frustrated With Your Photo of the Day Project?

Do you remember the excitement you started this year's photo of the day project with? Remember all of the possibilities before you? So many photos to take.

Credits at DesignerDigitals

And then, somewhere around March, your energy began to dwindle. You found yourself working hard to take A photo. The joy was gone. You began taking photos because you were a slave to the project. Maybe you even skipped a day. Maybe you even stopped, deciding it wasn't a project for you.  Only people who don't sleep or fold laundry could possibly complete a 365 project.


As the warmer days of summer approach, the light is lasting longer. The days are filled with more photo opportunity. Our activity levels increase. So what if you missed a day? Who cares if you don't fill in every date on the calendar. Pick up your camera and begin again.


Need inspiration? Look back at the photos you started the year with. Appreciate the moments and details of your life. Enjoy what you've done and stop focusing on what you haven't.


Have fun with it. Recapture the excitement. And remember, it's fun!


Here are just a few posts that might help you rekindle ideas and enthusiasm:
Selecting THE Photo of the Day



Request a POTD Do Over



Don't Try To Make It Better


Take a Photo Walk Around Your House


Put The Real In Life


You can also gather inspiration from someone else's photo of the day projects. A few of my favorites:


Melanie Grimes


Teri Argo


How is your project going? What are you doing to keep rekindle the joy?

Opinions On The Photo of the Day in 20 Years?

So I'm wondering, in 20 years which will be the best photo of the day?

#1 Ian eating fruit snacks. We had a moratorium on them, but it seems I forgot to cancel Amazon's Subscribe and Save, so they appeared again. The kiddo loves them.

#2 The kiddo in full motion, heading into the house. And yes, that is an old battery just removed from the van sitting in the background. Remember, I'm keeping it real.

#3 Out of focus dinner in our neighbor's backyard, complete with a dirty face. This photo just has to make you smile!

Imagine yourself as Ian at 24. Which would he pick?

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Remember Monday's photo quiz? The answer? It's a leek blossom! We left in the bed just to see what the blossom would look like!

And yesterday's Real and Simple post of Ian's feet? Did you notice, the shoes are on the wrong feet? He didn't seem to mind!

In other, unrelated but so related news, Get Me Off of Auto is marked down for Thrifty Thursday at DesignerDigitals!

Keep It Simple And Real

I'm focusing my photos of the day this month on the most important elements of Ian's life. The things that I believe will show up on his 24 Images List when he is older.

I work hard on getting artsy, appealing shots for my POTD. This month I'm just going to keep it simple and real. The parts and pieces that make up his day to day.

For today, Ian and his uncle. Hanging out outside his preschool, waiting for Shea to return with his karate pants. Playing a game on the iPhone. Enjoying each other's company. I love the snapshot like look of it. I love all of the details we'll point out in 20 years.

26mm | ISO 400 | f/4.0 | ss 1/320

Did you notice Ian's shoes? That is classic 4 year old. I love seeing these two together.

24 Images Of Summer

June. Summer.

Does it make you think of your childhood too? There are so many photos I wish I had of things I remember so well. Fun times with my sister. Outings. And, of course, just the everyday. Those little moments that in a time of film and developing, no one thought to capture.

1. Canoeing in the ditch with my sister and our dog Winston.
2. Jumping off the high dive at the big pool.
3. Swimming at my grandma and grandpa's house in the pool with the HUGE drop off.
4. Swimming at my cousin's house and discovering my uncle was just as bald as my dad!
5. My grandmother quilting outside, especially crawling under the frame to pull the needle through.
6. My red, white, and blue swimsuit with the little white ruffle.
7. Eating watermelon on the picnic table.
8. Building forts in the backyard.
9. Pulling carrots out of the ground.
10. Watching fireworks in our front yard.
11. Drinking strawberry Nehi. (I'd love a photo of the bottle)
12. Driving with my mom from the grocery store, eating a peppermint patty before we got home, so no one else would know.
13. The library where I read the most books in the summer reading program, even though the librarian didn't believe me.
14. Strawberry milkshakes with my dad.
15. Doing the polar bear swim at summer camp.
16. The green swimsuit I bought with my own money in 7th grade.
17. The homemade slip and slide in our backyard.
18. Homemade popsicles.
19. Real sparklers.
20. Eating pomegranates from the tree in the backyard.
21. Waiting for the ice cream man at Rosie's house.
22. Piling into my dad's old truck to watch a drive in movie, with the green blanket and Tupperware container of popcorn.
23. The pink beach cover up my mom made me using a towel.
24. The view out of my bedroom window at dusk on a summer night.

There are no pictures. Just the images in my head to remind me. 

They inspire me to capture the important moments for Ian. The little things that when he is older he might just remember as the big things. Those little things that make us smile when we retell the stories.

What's on your list of fond summer memories? What are the things you wish you had a photo of?