Bucket List: Project 1

So I've started my 90 day photo bucket list. What is a photo bucket list? Well, it's something that keeps my camera from feeling neglected during the winter months :). It's also a learning tool, a challenge, a way to really test my skills. You may have heard of photo challenges, I have seen them from a "1 photo per week" challenge to "1 photo a day" challenge. People usually do this for an entire year. You can find lists online to follow. I started a "1 photo per week" challenge last year in January. I think I made it to week 3 (oops).

I found a "challenge" group online and decided to join. I thought it was going to be great, I would follow their theme each week and then post it in this  group for critique...hoping to really put my skills to use over the year.

However, it may seem really easy to take 1 photo a week...I mean "duh", sometimes I take 100 pictures in 1 DAY. Well think about this for a minute...you're given the theme "empty" for week 1. Sounds simple, right? I will take a photo of the empty bean can after lunch...or maybe a photo of the rain gauge..or maybe this, or maybe that. My fellow challengers (not all challenges are full of professional hopefuls, you can find a snapshot group if you want to try it) started posting on January 1. The first picture was of a really sad old person. I don't know who she was or where she was found, but it was a striking picture. She looked more empty than any can of beans I have ever eaten. I started to look at this challenge in a whole new way.

While I enjoyed it the concept, trying to create a photo based off of a broad theme, a photo that is both striking physically and emotionally, yet a photo that is surrounded by the perfect lighting and captured in perfect exposure drained me. I quit after week three.

So this year, I decided that I am going to "dink around" with this for 90 days. I pulled 56 ideas off of other challenges and put them into a box. Anytime I find the time to work on one of my bucket list items, I draw one out of the box. Today was day 1. Here was my instructions:

Photo Type: Self Portrait (Oh great)

Theme: View from a Mouse's House

Number of Final Photos: 3

Concept: All photos must be taken from ground level (mouse view). One book of 1" or less can be placed under your camera for protection.  No tripod, stands, or other items may be used to prop camera higher than ground level. Photos must be taken by a wireless remote or camera timer. Entire length of body must be visible in photos (both feet and head have to be in the picture, cannot be "feet only" or "head only" shots). Student needs to capture the following 3 self portraits:

1. Photo of student that is ALL in focus.

2. Photo of student that is partially in focus and partially out of focus.

3. Photo of student in which ALL of student is blurry but other subject is in focus.

YIKES. So imagine you're on a walk in a park on a beautiful winter Saturday. You are looking at some lovely dried up plants when all of the sudden you see some kook off in the distance, by herself, sitting on the ground and smiling at a camera placed feet away. You watch her for almost an hour, smiling, laughing to herself, rolling around on the ground. Why doesn't she get a tripod for that? Or maybe an actual photographer? Why doesn't she just take a picture of herself in the mirror? Not only did this project really make me think in terms of body part logistics, I was a little worried that people had their binoculars out from afar..I hope I'm not on the news tomorrow morning. So here we go!

This photo is my ALL in focus photo....there is a reason why I like to stay BEHIND the camera. But I completed photo 1. Technically, this one was pretty easy.

 Here is me, partially out of focus, partially in focus. This was difficult at first. I really had to think outside the box to fill all of the guidelines for this one!

Now this was difficult...If only there were a pine cone or something nearby that I could place in front of me for the "in focus" item. If you look at the bottom, the ground is in focus...I, am not. Photo 3 complete. I've never had such a hard time throwing a photo out of focus as I did on command.

This was a very interesting project. I am really looking forward to #2!!!

One more from 2011 {Doremus/Jarosz Families}

I know alot of my posts start out with introducing families as "old friends", "good friends", etc., but this one takes the cake. These families are the "oldest" childhood friends that I have actually had...EVER. Meet Nate, Amy, & Eli Doremus and Tom, Chris, & Dane Jarosz.  Nate and Chris are siblings and our families' friendship dates back further than my actual memory.

For half of my life, we lived just a mile away from the Doremus family.  Our families have been very close and we spent a TON of time together growing up. There aren't alot of childhood memories that these two weren't a part of, from 4-H to bike rides to Pizza Hut "Book It" parties, and so on.

Both Nate and Chris married awesome people and although we don't see each other often, I always feel like we all quickly warm up to each other when we can get together. Nate and Amy built a house on the same spot where my family used to live and Eli joined the family just over a year ago.

Tom and Chris just moved back this past summer and are currently enjoying the new homeowner fun as they just purchased a home in Stromsburg Nebraska. Little Dane joined their family just over a year ago as well, these two cousins are just weeks apart in age and happen to be the only two grandkids on the Doremus side thus far.

Naturally, when I was asked to take their photos, I was extremely excited. It's so awesome to see these little guys and the characteristics they carry that belong to people I've known for so long.

Thanks for asking me to do your photos! I had SO much fun and was so glad to spend time with you all!

Goodbye 2011...

I'm happy to report that this blog update is being completed within a month of my last one, and considering I had an insane month, I am very proud of myself! One of my new year resolutions is to update at least every 30 days, so I am on the right track so far. Since switching my blog to his new website, I have found that I have left some sessions out while I doubled up on others...hoping that won't happen anymore with timely updates! Holidays are so hectic for photographers as everyone is excited to get that last family pic for Christmas cards. So not only did I have a busy couple of months of holiday hoopla, I was busy with my "hobby" as well.

I will keep this one short as I have so many other things to take care of this week! I hope everyone had safe and happy holidays. Thanks to everyone that took interest in me this year...it was an AWESOME year for me and I can only hope for more awesomeness in 2012. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

 I'm not sure if it  gets much cuter than this family! I have known Melissa, her parents, and her sister for many years and was really excited when she asked me to take her family photos. We met back in York and took these pictures in a family friend's back yard. It was windy and a little chilly, but they turned into great photos! These kids were so sweet and did a great job. I loved adding the family furballs in the end, I was able to capture the kids being, well kids!!

 These two seemed to have an awesome sibling relationship (and if they don't, they sure fooled me)!

                                       THANK YOU MOORE FAMILY!
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Lucky, lucky me....I got to do another gender reveal! This is my highschool friend, Julie and her family. She is due this spring and got her husband talked into doing a Gender Reveal session. We did this he day before Thanksgiving and what was extra special about this one is that both sets of grandparents were there to watch as well. Their little girl will be 2 this year and will become a big sister to a little brother!

CONGRATS and THANK YOU for letting me capture this special moment!

I couldn't help but add this....this is proud big sister to be and my daughter walking back from the gender reveal!

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This little gal and her family just steals my heart!  Of course I may be a little biased (these people are close friends of ours). Meet baby A and proud parents, Adam and Sarah. This little miss was born a couple of months ago. She was about 10 weeks old when I did this session and I couldn't believe how many different great pics we got of her. She slept through the first half of them, making it easy to capture those precious, quiet moments. Yet, she was such a trooper that we got plenty of smiles out of her too! Welcome to the world baby A, I hope you enjoyed your first Christmas!

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This little man is all boy, and all 2 years :)...while 2 and 3 year olds can be the most challenging for photos, they can be just as fun. You don't typically get pics of 2 year olds sitting perfectly with a giant, yet normal smile. BUT, you do get these pictures that seem to capture their personality. I worked with this little guys mom for a couple of years and he was born just a couple of weeks before my daughter. I have been taking his photos since he was just a Little guy. It was so nice to see his family again. Thanks for choosing me again for another great session!

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Just a quick Christmas session with this sweet little girl at her home. The last photo is PRICELESS. I can only imagine her excitement when she started opening all those presents this year!

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This session set a record for shortest amount of time...I doubt we even hit 10 minutes. These are my neighbors that needed a couple of pics for Christmas cards. I was really excited when they told me they wanted to do them in the snow!

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This last group of pics are some projects I did for Christmas gifts, cards, etc.

I am really excited to blog about these boys, their families are very special to me! I wanted to save it for a little later but wanted to share this with you all. How cute would this be on grandpa and grandma's wall?

I provide daycare for these three boys. While the technical aspects of these pics aren't perfect, I think they turned out great considering I had no one else to help me get these little men to sit still, smile, AND hold up the sign. I put these on canvases for Christmas gifts to their parents!

Our last name with pics of our daughter! We put this on a wide, narrow canvas and gave it to Gma and Gpa Swim for Christmas! Will be ordering one for our house as well!

Swim family Christmas card!

 

Here are some other great gift ideas that can be given to the whole family! My daughters photos are on the bottom. I printed a 4x6 photo of each letter and slipped them into a magnetic sleeve for aunts and uncles to hang on the fridge!

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I have one more session that I will update soon. It's an extra special family and I have been keeping it under wraps due to them being Christmas presents for family...I suppose I can wait just a little longer! Check back soon for updates!!!