Collecting Photos of the Day For Inspiration - The Next 9

1. POTD012810, 2. POTD012910, 3. POTD013010, 4. POTD013110, 5. POTD020110, 6. POTD020210, 7. POTD020310, 8. POTD020410, 9. POTD020510

For Love of the Sweetheart

50mm | ISO 200 | f/1.4 | ss 1/100 | 32mm extension tube

Sweethearts. A tradition since 1902. I don't actually eat them, but I love to photograph them and it just wouldn't be February without them. So my love in this photo? Tradition. I love a good tradition, passed down in all its stamped corny goodness. 

However, there is another, newer, love in this photo. Any guesses?

Photo Walk With Me, Inspiration And Details

It's time to take a walk!

Join me this Saturday, February 6th for my second photo walk of the year! We'll meet at Old Soul, 1716 L Street (in the alley), at 9AM, rain or shine. Consider bringing a plastic bag to cover your equipment.

Remember to pay for parking, meters are enforced on Saturday. You may find free parking on the numbered streets a couple blocks from Old Soul.

Our Inspiration List*:
1. Red
2. Love
3. Blurry
4. Illegal
5. Hot
6. Sweet
7. Two
8. From Above
9. Happy

Looking forward to clicking with you!

Not in Sacramento?  Use the list as inspiration for your own photo walk. Let me know if you do!

After the walk you can upload your photos to our new Photo Walk With Me flickr group! When you upload please tag them with February, the corresponding word, and your photo walk city!


*I've switched to a list of 9 items instead of 10. An odd number is just a bit more fun to play with!

It's Photography I'm Enamored With

I considered taking a photo of my camera for LoveFest Day 4, but it's not the equipment I love. It is photography I'm enamored with. Seeing things through my viewfinder, capturing the moment so I can hold it forever. Knowing I can look back on today and recall what it was made of.

200mm | ISO 1000 | f/2.8 | ss 1/100

So my photo of the day is just that, capturing a photo of this very moment, this very day. Complete with my end of the day tired hair. Burn marks on my hand from cooking dinner. Tripod mount ring on my lens because I was too tired to take it off. And the grain? I needed it there. I needed it to show my day. Tired from standing in front of a classroom all day. Tired from a week of standing in the classroom. Tired from balancing life.

Photography is my love. And today had it not been for my love I wouldn't have picked my camera up.

Behind The Lens: Sarah Jones

You've already met our next amazing photographer, Sarah Jones. Now you can get to know her even better. I have loved watching her photos skills improve. She has a knack for capturing the details of her every day life in such an interesting way. 

I'll let her tell you the rest of her story!

What sparked your interest in photography?

When I was in high school, I was very active in all of our journalism classes.  We always needed pictures, so I usually snapped a few.  Then my senior year, they offered a photography class and I was hooked.  I have fallen in and out of love with several hobbies, but photography just keeps popping back up. After my husband, Ditz, and I started dating, photography was one of the things that we could do together.  We both really enjoy photography and have taken several trips just to take pictures. It's funny how differently we see the world.

Thirds: Yep, there was a time when I would've put that tree in the middle of the frame.   Who knew something as simple as not centering could make a world of difference in a photo!

What camera do you use?

For Christmas I got my first dSLR, a Canon Rebel T1i (I am such a lucky girl).  I just love it and I have had such fun this past month learning what it can do. I am currently using the stock lens, but I am pining for a macro lens and figure it won't be long until I add that to my camera bag! Prior to that I had a Sony DSC-H9 point and shoot. It is a work horse for sure and it won't be going to the land of forgotten toys.  

I tried this shot from above, from below, head on, off to the side, and so on (seriously, there were forty different versions).  I hadn't really thought about moving around or moving things to where they would look better before. 

What makes you happiest about your photography? 

When I see something that no one else really sees.  Someone sees a big red wall and that's all they see, I see a big red wall with the light hitting it just right which framed just right is beautiful.  I feel like for a split second, someone sees what I see and that's really cool. 

Backbutton: This is a technique  taught during Your Life Capture Through the Lens. I wasn't able to do it at the time since my camera did not have that feature.  It was the first thing that I went back to learn after I got my new camera and I love it. I use it all the time!

What have you learned that helped your photography most?  

What all those buttons / knobs do.  I mean, seriously, that has been awesome.  Flickr has also helped in that if I see a picture that someone else took, I can click and see what they did.  I've been way more comfortable playing with all my buttons than I think I would've been.

What did you enjoy most about Get Me Off of Auto? 

I love how easy it is to read.  You don't have to get a photography dictionary just to be able use it. Everything is spelled out simply, yet perfectly.  I printed that and the information from Your Life Captured and carry it around with me. When I am somewhere and can't figure out how to take a picture, it's easy to flip through and figure it out!

How has your photography changed since reading Get Me Off of Auto? 

I cringe at stuff that I took just six months ago.  I think my eye for a photo has improved as well as my ability to execute!

I loved Give it Your Best Shot: Capturing a Photo a Day.  On days when there is just nothing going on, I always fall back to the section about when it gets difficult.  Sometimes the picture isn't going to be a master piece, like this one, but I will remember that this was the day that there was so much ice on the ground we didn't go anywhere.  This just pretty much sums up the day for me. 

What are your photography goals for 2010? or Any Projects for 2010?

I am continuing my project 365 that I began last year and thus far I have not cheated or missed a single day. They aren't all gems, but I try to use each day with nothing really to take a picture of as a way to practice a technique that I've been wanting to master.  As as secondary side project, I am doing a photo walk on my lunch break on Fridays.  I work in a wonderful part of Dallas with tons of parks and pretty neighborhoods.  My goal is to not hit the same place twice in the same season.  I actually look forward to Friday's all week now and the first few have been less than stellar conditions, but I've done them!

You can see more of Sarah's great photos, including more details of her Friday Photo Walks on her blog.

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To give Sarah another technique to practice, I'm providing her with a copy of my next tutorial, "Let There Be Light." It will be available at DesignerDigitals soon!

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.

109 Photographers and Melanie Grimes

I'm so proud of my dear friend Melanie Grimes! Have you seen her billboards? Yes, that's her winning photo! I love that she drove around Southampton to capture them! 

1. billboard12, 2. billboard11, 3. billboard7, 4. billboard9, 5. billboard8, 6. billboard6, 7. billboard4, 8. billboard5, 9. billboard 3

Melanie was a contributing photographer to Get Me Off of Auto!

February LoveFest Day 3: Broccoli

You read it correctly. Today's love is broccoli. This is not just any broccoli though. This was also the star of my January 2nd POTD in January. Grown in my backyard, cut from the stock this afternoon and steamed to a beautiful shade of green, and eaten with dinner. 

50mm | ISO 400 | f/2.8 | ss 1/100

This photo represents not just the vegetable itself, but my love for my garden. I love the satisfaction of growing something from a seed and then moving into our house as dinner. I love the quiet and the physical work it provides.  And, yes. I love that my garden provides so many opportunities for photography!

Is there something you can photograph a month, a day or a week apart to document its changes? A flower? A pet? A child? The mounds of snow? Think about photographing it from a different angle, from above, from below, from the side? Have fun with it! Show us what grows in your garden!  Whatever your garden might be.

How Do You Capture What You Love

You follow him around with the camera as he does things he loves. When he asks you if he should look at the camera, you say no, just pretend I'm not here. He proceeds to cook dinner. And I click. Trying to find the right light and the right angle and the right composition. Trying to fit it together as the right expression covers his face.

50mm | 500 ISO | f/1.4 | ss 1/100

I think I got it.

I took this in the low, yellow light over our stove. In Lightroom I used a Kelsey Smith Black and White Preset to even out  his skin color skin and the kitchen light. I like the moodiness it adds to the photo.

Today was a long day for me. Photos weren't my first priority. I snuck it in between teaching a class all day and heading to yoga in the evening. Not the best conditions. But captured. Do you have those days? How do you snap your photos when you're balancing other things in your day?

Focusing On What I Love

50mm | ISO 800 | f/1.4 | ss 1/400

I'm customizing my Photo of the Day Project a bit this month. For the next 28 days, I'm focusing on what I love. The people. The places. The things. And, the little details about the people, places, and things I love. His eyelashes. His smile. Those cheeks. Him. 

I captured this photo in low light while he played inside a "space ship." A high ISO and wide aperture gathered enough light for a good exposure. My shutter speed didn't need to be quite so fast, but ensured I'd stop his motion, not an easy feat with a four year old!

How are you customizing your 365 project? Want to join me in the February lovefest?

January 2010 Photo of the Day Stats

I thought you might be interested...

1,334  Total photos taken
       1  Fewest photos taken in one day
   184  Most photos taken in one day
     43  Average number taken per day

50mm f/1.4 most used lens

f/1.4 most used aperture, followed in a close second by f/4.0

What Photo Sums Up January?

50mm | ISO 200 | f/2.0 | ss 1/80 | 20mm extension tube

I'm ending the month with brussel sprouts. Yes, brussel sprouts and macro photography have been my January obsession. A fitting closure to this month's photos of the day. We dropped by the farmer's market this morning at 730AM, vendors still setting up, light beautifully filtering in, not crowded at all. The perfect time to snap some photos, grab some more brussel sprouts and head home in time for yoga.

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The side light really made this photo for me. The extension tube light me isolate the subject and lose the detail of the other brussel sprouts. A little fiddling in Lightroom and the Creative-Direct Positive preset completed it for me.

Do you have a photo that sums up your January? What colors are in it? What story does it tell you? Link us up if you'd like!

Want To Shoot The Moon?

When you try shoot the moon do your photos turn out like this?

The classic, I tried to shoot the moon, and it just didn't work shot. Two problems here, the UV filter on my lens creates a second shadowed image of the moon and I've overexposed, blowing out the moon's detail achieving a pretty bad photo.

So how do you shoot the moon with better success?

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!

Because of the amount of light from the full moon, you will have a fast shutter speed so hand holding is very possible. If you want a sharper image, place your camera on a tripod.

200mm | ISO 100 | f/8.0 | ss 1/125

There we have it! Detail. And because I took it with a low ISO and shot in RAW I can crop it closely and get this.

Want to see some amazing moon shots? Check this flickr cluster. So much inspiration!

How I Decide To Convert An Image To Black And White

The sun came out! In a tease of spring is near. The sky was beyond beautiful blue. Everyone was out and moving. You could feel the genuine joy to have sunshine back in our lives after so much rain and grey. You might be thinking, if the sky was so blue, why is your photo of the day black and white?

Sometimes it just happens that way. Something about the photo says black and white. Maybe it was all of the competing colors in the background. Maybe it was the classic feel I liked in this photo. Maybe it was converting it drew my eye right to a little boy's anticipation. It really is just a feeling sometimes.

30mm | ISO 200 | f/8.0 | ss 1/500

When do you feel compelled to convert your photos to black and white?

One More Glimpse Into My Community

There are some amazing people I'm able to call my friends! You didn't think I only had four people in my community, did you? Can I introduce you to them? They all hold unique places in my life, and again, some I've never met! 


Brittany is close to finishing her degree in optometry, wife to a band teaching man (love that) and mom to  a super cute dog! I've loved getting to know her through her photos of the day. I'm hoping to meet her in New Orleans next year.

Sarah on the San Antonio River Walk, her husband has an eversion to cameras!

I met Sarah Danielle last year in San Antonio during a photo walk I led. She was carrying a Sony camera, and together we learned how to adjust her settings. Give me a Nikon or a Canon, I can use it with my eyes closed, Sony was a new one for me!  She takes such fun everyday photos and has committed to her own Friday photo walks. You have to see how she's sees the world!


Amy is one of those people I feel like I've known forever, though we've not met YET. She's got a house filled with boys, the youngest with the best hair, EVER! She is kind, gentle, and takes beautiful photos. And if, you look at her sidebar, she includes my name among some talented photographers. Honored! Thanks Amy!


So there are a few more of the special people in my life. Who are yours?

A Clean Approach To My Photo of the Day

I had a few photos chosen for today. One was cute with a funny story, the kind my mom comes to the blog for. One was more artsy with a story, the kind I like to capture.

But then...

I was cleaning my cupboards. Determined to rearrange. Put the spices where the baking supplies were, baking supplies where the spices were. I was throwing out old things. Expired things. Empty things. How do those get back in the cupboard? Consolidating duplicates.

Then I discovered my photo of the day. It was stuck in the back of the cupboard. Half full. The expiration date? January 2005!

50mm | ISO 400 | f/2.5 | 1/80

When did I get so old that I have a 5 year old box of baking soda? Really? 5 years old? I've moved since then. I've had a child in that time. I've cleaned my cupboards. I've rearranged. Seriously? 5 years old? I photographed it. Just to remind myself. I'm blaming the child!

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Want to hide the clutter in your background? Use a wide aperture (small f/ number) and leave some distance between your subject and the background. If you are shooting in auto modes, you can try your portrait or macro modes to blur the background.

Any thing in your cupboards worth documenting?

Fix It Friday #42

You know me, loving a challenge! I gave I Heart Faces' Fix It Friday a try this morning.

Here's my take.

My steps:

• Import into Lightroom
• Added Matt K's Nostalgic Preset 
• Adjust blacks a tiny bit
• Adjust vibrance
• Add a little brightness
• Import into Photoshop
• Added Lynn Greiveson's Photo Texture
• Saved

You can see the original photo and more edits at I Heart Faces.

Should This Be My Photo Of The Day?

50mm | ISO 1000 | f/2.8 | ss 1/1000

I could number the flaws in this photo -- focus,  ISO too high, and on and on. I selected it for a very simple reason. THIS is our life. This is the crazy running, monster games played when preschoolers are released to the playground, precisely the moment we arrive for Ian. This is what happens when the girls see Shea, KNOWING he'll run with them, play with them, and talk to them. This is MY SON with his blanket in hand running to keep up with dad, matching his stride. You can feel the smiles on their faces, even if you can't see them. 

So many reasons not to be a photo of the day, but so many more important reasons to treasure this photo for a very long time.

Do you have photos that shouldn't be your photos of the day, but you can't refuse? Link us up!

Behind The Lens: Teri Argo

I'm always amazed by connections made via the internet. I'm amazed when someone you've never met feels like you've known them forever. Teri Argo is just that person for me! She is a talented photographer and a wonderful person. I hope to meet her soon! 


Teri took Your Life: Captured Through The Lens last year. I've admired her pages at DesignerDigitals for a long time. I love her family of horses and dogs. She captures them so beautifully!

What sparked your interest in photography?

The day the UPS man brought my Nikon D50 to my front door a whole new world opened up.  I picked it up out of the box and I haven't put it down yet. 

What camera do you use (okay, I know we know, but tell me more!)?
I use a Nikon D50, and feel like I am finally getting a handle on how it operates.  I also think I am getting close to an upgrade, but the D50 will always be close to my heart.  My lenses:  Nikon 50 mm 1.4 (my workhorse), Nikon 18-55 mm (kinda not working after my trip to the Grand Canyon last April), Nikon 70-300 mm, and a Promaster 100 mm 3.5 macro.

Taken for the Fill the Frame Lesson

What makes you happiest about your photography?
I love capturing the normal things around me in an unusual beautiful way.  I live in a very ordinary place.  The scenery isn't stunningly beautiful.  People will say "Wow, you live in such a beautiful place."  That makes me smile.

What have you learned that helped your photography most?

I can honestly say that learning how to shoot in manual has helped my photography the most.  The control it gives me is so creatively freeing.

Telling a story.   This was taken in Stehekin, a very remote community in Washington State.

These are the aprons from the kitchen at the ranch were were staying at.

What did you enjoy most about Your Life: Captured Through The Lens?

I enjoyed how you explained things and the assignments.  Your lesson on metering and exposure really helped me as I was learning to shoot in manual at the time.

Rule of thirds from your composition lesson

How has your photography changed since Your Life: Captured Through the Lens?

I shoot almost all of my shots on manual mode now.  I honestly really have to think about things when I put my camera on aperture or shutter priority and forget about program mode, I will have missed the shot by the time I remember how to do it. I am also using what I learned to mentor a high school senior with her senior project this year in photography.

This is one of my favorites I took during your class.  I was practicing continuous focus and negative space.

This image is also available in a great calendar Teri published!

What are your photography goals for 2010? or Any Projects for 2010?

I want to learn more about flash photography which means I need to get a speed light.  It all makes my head hurt a bit, but I find that I tend not take as many pictures if I need a flash and I don't like that.  So 2010 is going to be devoted to learning about the flash.......as soon as I figure out which one to buy.  I also am continuing on with Project 365 in 2010.  This year, I might give myself more challenges by only using one of my lenses all month, or only allowing myself one exposure for each day.

You can see more of Teri's amazing photos, including the beautiful place she lives at  on her blog or in her Flickr Photostream.

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To help Teri out with her goal to learn flash photography, I'm providing her with a copy of my next tutorial, "Let There Be Light." It will be available at DesignerDigitals soon!

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.

Registration for Your Life: Captured Through The Lens closes tomorrow, January 29.

Collecting Photos of the Day For Inspiration

The last nine days, collected for inspiration. I look forward to bringing them together. Seeing progress.

1. POTD011910, 2. POTD012110, 3. POTD012010, 4. POTD012210 - Saved from the depths..., 5. POTD012310, 6. POTD012410, 7. POTD012510, 8. POTD012610, 9. POTD012710


My favorites are definitely the mushroom and the lego! Do you have a favorite?


How are you collecting your photos of the day?

The Obvious Photo of The Day

140mm | ISO 200 | f/ 4.5 | ss 1/250 | 68mm macro extension tubes

The sun appeared today. Thank goodness. My photo of the day seemed so obvious. I love those days.

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I've heard your requests! For those of you hosting your own photo walk, I'll post my words the day before mine. I like them to be a little bit of a surprise, so you can't plan out your walk too much! Thanks for showing so much interest! Watch for a post with more details!