I learned...10/20/11

This week I learned to think before taking a photo. I learned about complimentary colors and that corners are key! I thought more about framing in camera rather than relying on post-processing cropping. And, as a result, framing and leading lines came more easily. Next week I'm taking on exposure!

Before we went to the pumpkin patch I had everyone dress in colors that would compliment the orange and browns of the pumpkin patch. I love the frame of the tree. I know I can photoshop my husband's feet out but I kind of like it as is.



Light and color

To continue my journey I picked up a new book on composition. Inspired, I noticed light and color with new eyes.

Favorite few

I was in a bit of a slump this week. I had a cold, hubby was out of town, and I just couldn't get inspired. During all this I continued to take photos, carrying on my commitment to my 365, and discovered, when I processed them, that there were a few gems in the bunch.

I'm reading a book about composition and I learned a lot this week. First I learned that corners are key. The author explains that corners are prime real estate for leading the viewer into the photo. The image below illustrates that perfectly! The flowers come from the lower left corner and leads the viewers eye into the center of the photo.

This next photo was taken at my favorite farm and illustrates the gestalt theory. What is the gestalt theory you ask? Well, it contends that the human mind will add in missing visual information based on past experience. In the following photo, the gestalt theory accounts for the human mind connecting the two fences in the photo. The fence on the right connects your eye to the bottom fence and leads your eye to the umbrella. 

This photo I just liked!

And this photo I love. My baby girl is finally growing some hair. It's hard to be 2 1/2 and still waiting for hair. I love the bokeh too.

Visualize your Photos Weekend Challenge

Courtney at Click it up a Notch sends out a weekly newsletter with a weekend challenge. This weekend she challenged us to visualize a photo and then make it happen. Well, we decorated our mantel this weekend for October...we covered it in spider webs with black spiders and spooky candles. Currently, I have three silhouette photos there also. I decided I wanted Halloween silhouettes of the kids for this month. I took them to the beach and here's what I came up with. Very cute and great for a Halloween mantel! They are not perfect so I might try again tonight. I have a few more ideas after looking at these. Thanks for the challenge Courtney!

Weekly Favorites

My intention for this blog is to make it a collection of my favorite photos and to learn from them who I am as an artist. Here are my favorites from this week, the last week of September.

My intention was to capture the contrast between the frilly skirt and the casual beach sand. Her sweet feet were a special bonus.

Like most photographers and mothers, I sometimes leave myself out of the story. The story was my aching stiff neck, but I loved the softness of the photo. And, I gave myself a little pat on the back for making it into a photo.

My aperture was too wide...I didnt' really realized that at the moment. I snapped because the moment was happening and I didn't want to miss it. I love it! Maybe her eyes could have been a little sharper, but I'm okay...actually in love...with the result.

I just love the color and composition of this photo, the lines.

I love this photo because I took it in the parking lot of an abandon restaurant in the middle of town. No kidding! I framed it just right and love that it makes me feel like we are in the middle of a field.

I wanted to capture the clouds, but not alone. I wanted to give them perspective and grounding. I liked the result.

Last favorite of the week...I wanted to capture the float of her skirt as she went back and forth. When I saw the photo on the computer what drew me in was my husband's hands reaching for her sweet feet.