Baby Fingers, Baby Toes and 3 Times the Fun!

I was really able to indulge my need for a Foto-fix this past week. A friend of mine let me spend my morning Fotoing her 3 adorable children. Part of the purpose was to take fotos of her newest member of the family, the 6 week old cutie pictured above. He is very cute and very alert. He likes to snuggle into my shoulder when I get to hold him and he's a very easy baby to foto. Deep blue eyes that want to see everything and he seemed especially taken with the flash from my camera. I could take thousands of fotos of this child and not grow tired of him. To see the fotos of him, please click on the foto above.

I really wish I had the energy that these kids have! Constant movement, constant questions and constant CUTENESS! It was a true challenge to keep up with them but it was so much fun at the same time. My camera loves these faces. I think even their mom was surprised that I actually captured so many good pictures because we were all in perpetual motion that morning! I know I was pleasantly charmed when I started downloading and previewing the enormous amounts of cuteness that I had somehow managed to foto. I am usually happiest working outdoors with natural light for my kid fotos but somehow, it all worked out. I knew I needed to work on my indoor technique and this certainly gave me the opportunity and motive. I truly wanted to be able to present their mom with wonderful fotos to put on her walls and to be able to share with all their family members. And I was able to fulfill my wish...she loved these fotos. To see the fotos of all 3 cutie pies, please click on the foto above. Let's Foto!

Attempt to Abstract

So, I joined an abstract photography group in the local area last week. The founder placed an ad on Craigslist to see if anyone was interested and the limit was 10 members. I responded, not quite sure if it was going to be a good idea…it means stepping outside my comfort zone. I have never done abstract work before, never considered it and certainly never looked for it through my viewfinder on my D70. The first meeting was really neat…meeting all the members, hearing their stories and their level of proficiency in photography and getting to see some of their work. After the first meeting, I spent the night trying to figure out what I was going to shoot for the first week’s assignment: take a Foto in your favorite style that shows your personality and who you are. I wracked my brain for the next 5 days straight…still, nothing. I finally wrote to the head of the group to help me with some idea of what I needed to be looking for. She wrote back not to worry about it and she was sure that whatever I came up with would be great. She gave me some ideas of things like colors that describe me, an image that describes one item in my personality, etc. On my lunch break, I was thinking about the colors that I would want to really spotlight my personality. Fuschia? Emerald? Rusty orange? Hmm…fall colors…like the pretty golden glass bowl on my living coffee table…with candles and soft glowing light…and the hearts in the bowl like all of my friends & family that my life holds…that’s IT!!!!!! As soon as I got home, I set up my bowl and scene just as I had thought it up in my mind…went and got the D70 with the new 50mm lens and voila!!!!! I had my picture for the project!! In fact, I liked it so much that I used it for my background on my work computer, used it for my feature Foto for this blog and made it my profile pic on Facebook.

Sometimes we spend too much time worrying and not enough time just enjoying the life that He has given to us. We let the “what if’s” dominate our thoughts. We let the “what might happen’s” paralyze us and make us fear-full. When we should be “living the moment’s”. So, go out there and capture your moments. Immerse yourself in them. Drink them in like water. Then tell me everything you experienced.

Kids and Ice Cream

Have you ever just walked right into the perfect situation and you were at exactly the right place at the most opportune moment? That happened to me this past Wednesday. My office mates decided to host an end of summer ice cream sundae social for our residents. No better opportunity to Foto than kids & ice cream!!!! So, I packed up my camera and that spiffy new lens of mine and went to work. I love the fact that I had so many beautiful and different faces to capture. I could have easily taken hundreds of Fotos and I didn't even get the chance to catch all the faces I wanted! In the Foto showcased above, yes, those are her natural color eyes. No color editing there! I love the fact that kids are so natural and their smiles can light up a whole afternoon. From the amount of smiles I got Wednesday, I should be brightened for the next 3 weeks. They have the most beautiful faces and I'm so blessed to have been given the oppotunity on Wednesday to immortalize them. It feels good to have such a gift to share with their parents. And the parents...what a wonderful group of people. Each one I have called and told that I have Fotos for them...they have been so excited and happy!!!

In the green of morning...

As my followers well know, I have been attempting to capture, however fleetingly, the beauty of hummingbirds...I finally feel that I have succeeded. After purchasing my newest lens, an AF Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (thanks to an endorsement from my friend Amanda), I spent most of today learning how to best use its talents. I am so happy with the Fotos I captured and wanted to showcase them to you. We have 9 hummingbird feeders hanging off the front porch where we can spend hours watching their dogfights and fun. They are so fascinating! After you sit outside for a few minutes, the hummingbirds become accustomed to your presence and then they begin to show off. I have had a hummingbird hover directly in front of me, chattering away and evincing his displeasure at the missing feeders that we were cleaning to refill at the time. Each year, we have between 50-75 hummingbirds migrate back to our front yard. Generation after generation...bringing the new generation with them as they return. The gentleman who previously owned the house told us that he has had hummingbird feeders hanging in the same spots for the previous 30 years...I guess that's why they know to come back now that we are the owners hanging them! So, this country morning, I was able to indulge my need for a Foto-Fix...which I have been sadly lacking the past 2 weeks due to a crushing work schedule. Fotoing enables me to relax and enjoy the beauty that God surrounds us with each day. I'm glad I took these moments to Foto-tize our hummingbirds since sometimes it feels like we are running around just as fast as the hummingbirds' wings are fluttering. Take your moments when you can...they will save your heart and life.

Every Blessed Moment

As I take more Fotos, I am reminded to appreciate every blessed moment I am given. So many days rush by without even a moment to slow down. Or maybe we just don't take the time to dwaddle...for fear we will miss something...but we don't realize all that we are missing by running around. I took some time recently to take some very precious Fotos for one of my favorite families. It was, as Carolina always is in the summer, humid and hot outside. Even still, we got some good family pictures. I learned long ago that language is a barrier only to those who let it become a barrier. With gestures, smiles and love between subjects, we can accomplish much more without words than you might be able to imagine. I had only to motion for Grandfather to turn in toward his wife and he turned. I only had to capture the love on his face when he hugged his wife and daughter close, without me suggesting the pose. I love natural actions...I love natural Fotos. I am not the type to stiffly pose people...I want to capture the kiss from Grandmother to her grandson, or the adoring look of both parents down to the creation they brought into this world. I want to capture the true emotion of the people I Foto. I want to Foto people as they are naturally. I just want to share my Foto gift.

4th of July

There's nothing like spending time with family and friends to make a hot summer 4th of July get together fun! With so many models to choose from, I had to make the most of the fun. It was good to have a beautiful day for a backdrop. I am finding that natural settings are my favorite format. I love being able to use the backgrounds that God has given me. They are so much more interesting and changeable than working in a pseudo-studio or Foto-graphing indoors. I love the natural light and the ways it presents my subjects to me. It didn't hurt that Rachelle is beautiful anyways. One of these days we'll find the time to take the Fotos of her that I've been trying to do for a long time! Hope you enjoy seeing in the window to our fun, sunny day! Off to get my next Foto-fix!

Hummingbirds: 1; Me: 0.5

Fast as lightning, jittery as a caffeine addict and as hard to capture as the dreams you have in the middle of the night. For my first real attempt, it wasn't really so bad. I think I needed to use a different setting but it also wasn't the worst I've ever done. I shall attempt again, maybe with some better results. We'll see. So, for now, the little buggers are winning.

Nick

Sometimes, a single question leads you into something that is as complex as it is simplicity. I asked a friend if I could take some pictures of his adorable son. I didn't know what I was getting into! Nick is as quick as a hummingbird in his motions and his expressions are as hard to catch with a camera as holding quicksilver in your hands. I could have taken pictures of him for hours and not caught all the emotions and fun that are intrinsic to what makes up Nick. He is insatiably curious and opens every cabinet he sees. He talks about everything and anything, barely pausing to wait for your answer. He is constantly in motion and perpetually adorable. Those few moments served my Foto Fix for my first day of vacation and I can only hope I'll have another opportunity this week to try to capture the essence of Nick in Fotos.

Drat the Hummingbirds!

I had a wonderful Father's Day...way cool fun was had by all and the hummingbirds put on quite the show for Dad's Day! Too bad the little buggers zip around so fast, I still have not succeeded in a half-way decent capturing in my lens. Someday I shall prevail...
However, I did get to take some (what I hope will be) good shots of family & friends. They are still on the camera due to the fact that by the time all the friends & family left at 9:00pm, I was ready to prop my feet up, snuggle with my doggeys and ignore that massive pile of dishes in and next to the sink. Needless to say, the dishes got done before bed but my precious Fotos are still languishing on my memory card, crying for me to return home from work today to rescue them...can't you hear their sobs?!? I can...

Post note: the pictures from Father's Day did not turn out like I expected but I did take a couple decent pictures. The picture above is the only shot of a hummingbird I was able to capture. I'll keep trying.

Building my portfolio...

So, I was all nervous about taking those pictures last evening...they turned out better than I anticipated! And sometimes you get those serendipitous moments that just turn out wonderful. Grandma was sitting on the couch holding the adorable little boy and singing to him...he was transfixed. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. Quite a few of those shots are some of my favorites from the whole session. From a crying, "you just woke me from my nap!" baby to a "thanks for my dinner" baby...we caught some amazing and beautiful pictures of a really great family. That home is so filled with love that you can't help but to feel it yourself. They made me feel so welcomed and appreciated. For my first attempt at semi-formal family pictures, they turned out quite well.

I have gotten my Foto fix for this week and I just cannot wait to take vacation in 2 weeks. Who knows what will come out of that whole 10 days!!

Babies & Opportunity

I cannot wait for 5:00pm to get here today. After work, I am going to a couples' house who have a new baby. They have graciously agreed to let me take pictures for them and to include her mother who is soon returning to another country. The thought that I will be taking pictures that are hallmarking a moment in time for this family that will never happen the same way ever again is a heady feeling. I want these to turn out as beautifully as what I am seeing that I want to shoot in my mind. So, you can see why I'm so excited! I will certainly announce when the Fotos can be viewed. Cross your toes for me!

She's Country!

I guess someone felt that it would be a good idea to send me to Virginia for 2 weeks in May. Not for a vacation...for work. Needless to say, once I returned, I needed a Foto Fix. So, on the way to my loving parents' home last weekend, I kept asking my great man to "stop here, please", "slow down a minute", and he did everything I asked...with a sideways look at me that said "Hunny, are you okay?" By the return trip, he was telling me, "you're missing another set of hay bales!" just in time for me to snap off a shot or two. Now, ladies, THAT is a wonderful man. There's just something about abandoned houses on the rural roads of North Carolina that make my hands stretch for a camera and make me beg my man to pull off the side of the road. (Not for THAT, you dirty mind! Although, that wouldn't have been a bad idea either...) Anyways, you can see my foray into having a Japanese beetle crawl up inside my pants leg because I got out of the F150 into tall grass to Foto a house I've been dying to have in my camera. These Fotos are in Rural North Carolina at Fyrefly Foto. I hope you enjoy them!

Here we go....

So, after 7.5 months of being without my boss...she has returned. And it's kind of an ambivalent thing. I'm happy to have 1/2 of her job taken off of my shoulders but at the same time, I realize that it means we're all under the microscope again. Agggghhhhh.
At least I'll have more weekends to myself to indulge in my photography dreams. Especially since Plant Delights next open house is next weekend and the weekend after. This is one of my favorite places in the world to go take pictures of the prettiest flowers. It's amazing and if you're ever in the Raleigh area, I strongly suggest you try to plan your trip around one of their 4 open houses a year. That's right, they're only open 4 times a year to the public and only for 2 weekends at a time.