365 Day Challenge - Day 1

Oh photography - how do I love thee.


I have been MIA on this blog. Sick kids. Sick mommy. YUCK! I have been taking photos in my absence, but...not too many great ones to post.

I have been meaning to write up some notes from a short photography class that I took with Marnee from Marriott Photography a couple weeks back...but, just haven't. She rocks. I mean seriously...she is pretty much the most talented photographer and photo editor I have ever met. She took Charlotte's newborn pictures and I truly could not believe how unbelievably gorgeous they turned out. It just so happens that she was also my wedding photographer...back in the day of film vs. digital. So needless to say, it was a treat to be able to learn from her...even if for only a few hours. I will say that I left the class wanting about about a gazillion more lenses, and covers, and flashes....not to mention photoshop and a new computer.

I would L-O-V-E, LOOOOOVE to take some regular photography classes, but....I haven't found any that are within my budget...so practice makes perfect right?

With that in mind, I have been reading about other people joining a 365 day photography challenge. So, I've decided to hop on the bandwagon. Typically, people start this on January 1 of each year...but, since I missed that date - we'll start today.

Here are the my rules:
1. Take a picture EVERY single day. I will try to post every day...but, seeing that posting every single day is sometimes always hard, I may post every 2 days. I will; however, have a photo for every single day of this challenge. I may not be post it until the day after...but, it will be posted.
2. Bring my camera. Everywhere. AT. ALL. TIMES.
3. Anything is game. It is impossible for a beginner like me to take perfect pictures every day. I'm just not THAT good. So...you may sometimes frequently see some NOT so great photos. I'm learning. And, I hope at the end of this project I will be able to look back and see only improvement.
4. Editing is allowed. Editing is like 75% of digital photography. Well, maybe not 75%...lighting and composition are super important, too...but, editing helps to make pictures pop. So...hopefully as I get better (and my husband allows me to purchase editing software) my photos will get better, too!

That's it. Those are my rules. If you're joining in - feel free to make up some of your own rules, too.

Oh...and because I'm bound to get into a photography "rut," I'm sure that I'll need some help thinking of things of which to take photos...luckily in the land of Google - I've come across some photo challenge themes and ideas. Here's my list I've compiled...just in case for when I get stuck:

Railroad Tracks Fun with Friends Motion blur Delicate Sticky Shoes Toes Alphabet in Nature Body Parts Sleep Tired Excitement Newborns Cold Trees Up Temptation Looking In Looking Thru Underneath Work Growth Mother Father Party Cake Swing Slide Lighting Experiment Fireworks Sparklers Family Tantrums Laughter Anger Seasons Rain Time Water Shadows Silhouettes Peace Love Defeat Sunsets Baking Colors Food On the Shelf Strangers Memories Texture Wind Music Smiles After Oldness Romance Portraits Self-Portraits Go Mono

Today's Theme...Ahhh, it's GORGEOUS outside!

I live in Arizona. Hot, sunny AZ. Yes the summers are brutal. June - September = stay away (unless you're crazy like me or have a pool). But, other than that...AZ is pure heaven. It's March and our weather is absolutely perfect. Almost warm enough to swim and definitely warm enough for flip-flops. But...be serious - it's always flip-flop weather here! The grass is green, the weather is perfect, the windows and doors are open, and the flip-flops are making their way back into our daily shoe choice. This picture also demonstrates the stages of child flip flops from toddler stage to age 7. Can't you just see a toddler's chubby-like "pillow" feet stuffed into those silver sandals?? Or, maybe its just my kids that had those feet.

Mental Note...don't forget to check your settings (including WHITE BALANCE) before taking photos. I was great about checking my ISO and F#...but, somehow I forgot to check my white balance. When I went to upload the photos to the blog...I ended up with blue-ishy tint. YUCK!! So...back out I went to capture the better picture above. Here is what NOT to do:

Sheesh - what a difference!