Photo Friday--Morning.
After a lot of thinking and shooting different pictures during the week, this was the picture that spoke to what the word "morning" feels like to me. Since our kids were born, they've been extremely early risers. I can't even think of the last time that the sun was up before I was. Now, my son is ready to go the second he leaps out of bed. But my daughter is more quiet and snuggly in the morning. This picture represents what our mornings are all about. It's dark. I check my email and she checks out the nook. I drink coffee and she has hot cocoa. I cherish these moments, because I know that too soon, she'll be all grown up and on her own. I'll always remember mornings with my baby and her cookie monster.
Close...but no cigar!
I suppose it figures that I'd start a photography project and then have trouble coming up with the first shot! This shot almost made the cut. Almost.
A few minutes before sunrise, I ventured out with Ivy to try and catch the reflection of sunrise in a pond near our house. Unfortunately, there weren't any clouds in the sky to catch the colors of sunrise and the pond was frozen. I'm not one to completely give up, so we took a little walk in the freezing cold to see what we could find. Not far from the pond, we stumbled upon this little family of deer. Cursing myself for bringing my wide angle prime, I tried to get as close as I could without startling them. (That's why you see so much grass in front; I was crouched down pretty low). Ivy was thrilled that I got these shots, and I was glad I got SOMETHING. But it wasn't quite enough.
Which brings me to my photography lesson learned for you. Don't stop shooting. If the lights not right, or you didn't quite get what you want, keep trying. I could have decided this was good enough for week one, but I wanted something a little more personal. So I kept looking for the shot that spoke to me. If you're on vacation and you don't quite nail it, try again. Sometimes, something really is better than nothing. If I hadn't gotten anything else, I would have gone with this picture, happy for the memories of hanging with Ivy and how excited she was that we saw the deer.
Ultimately, it was close...but no cigar.
New! Photo Fridays are coming!
As a natural light photographer living in Colorado, the time comes when it's a little too dark and a little too cold for portrait sessions. As my slow season begins, there are good and bad sides to it. I get to really enjoy the holidays with my family because I'm not swamped with shoots and editing. However, that lull can really dampen my creativity as well. Of course I'll be taking photos of the beauty of the holidays, but it's important to keep my artistic eye engaged.
That's where social media is such a boon. Even when I don't have a scheduled photo shoot, I can create a project to share. There are myriad ways to approach a photography project. You can explore one specific theme, take a picture every day for a year (365 projects), take only self portraits, and many more. For my photo project, I've decided to do a 52 week project with a different theme each week. One year of training my eye on a different subject every week.
It took a little while to find a list that I really wanted to tackle. But I finally found one and I'm chomping at the bit to get started. So am I posting my first week's photo for you? No, and here's why. Every journey is enhanced when you've got traveling buddies. So I'm inviting you to join me on my journey. Every Monday, beginning on November 18th, I'll post the weekly theme. Then, I'll be posting my take on it here, on Instagram and on Facebook that Friday. I want you to share your pictures on my Facebook page too!
I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! So what do you say? Let's do 52!
Crazy for cinnamon rolls!
I'm about to make a shocking confession. I'm a little crazy. I don't really think that anyone is completely normal, but I'm of the opinion that I might be a little extra kooky.
Case in point...I recently made far too much cream cheese frosting for a different recipe. A normal person would probably shrug and throw the extra away. Me...oh no! I discovered an urgent need to make cinnamon rolls. That's not all that crazy, you say? Well, there's a little more to the story than that. For starters, this deep and burning desire to bake struck at slightly after 5 AM; which is not a sane time by any standards. Secondly, my husband is very, very, very neat. That's my nice way of describing his anal retentiveness. So when, at 5 AM I decide to get my bake on, he starts to twitch a little bit. Honestly, I completely understand. Baking is, by definition, pretty darn messy. It gets exponentially more so when you factor in my two kids and cat, who believe that flour is fun to play with.
Despite the ungodly time of day and the hostile looks from my loving husband, baking commences. In merely 3 hours, the kitchen is a wreck an I'm in ooey gooey heaven!
Am I crazy, or a mad genius. BWAHAHAHAHA!
PS- I'm also making spicy pulled pork today. My poor hubby. There are going to be some serious dishes to clean!
Name something people say they're grateful for.
Survey Says...
Family!
Actually, I'm making that up. I don't know where family would end up on Richard Dawson's famous list, but I do know that this time of year certainly gets people waxing poetic about their families. People who follow the Facebook, post what your grateful for in November have been flooding my feed with stories about how great their families are.
Family is a pivotal part of my personal life and I'm willing to say that my business is all about families. While that, obviously includes the traditional family portrait...
It also includes those new and growing families that I photograph at Weddings and Maternity Shoots.
Of course, my children are one of my favorite subjects, and I shoot them every chance I get.
These are just some of my favorite photos that I've taken this year. It is so important to me to capture the spirit of a family no matter what shape, size, or color they may be. I want to show the shy one hiding behind mom's leg, because it's real. I love the dynamic of a young couple newly in love and the older couple who have spent a lifetime together.
So to celebrate families, I've got a special offer running in November. You can sit for a 30 minute Holiday Session including 15 digital images and 15 Holiday Cards. I'm filling up fast, so call me to book your appointment!
P.S. This is my happy family from our shoot last year. I haven't decided what we're going to do this year, because I've been so busy shooting everyone else! :) You'll just have to wait and see...