153/365 Vow

I got to meet the sweetest couple yesterday as I did my last wedding as an "intern".

The groom did not get a ring for this eclectic ceremony. The bride received a ring as well as a a diamond bracelet. I got to practice some ring shots.

I'm trying to be more creative by bringing in color and texture for these detail shots. The stone may have been too small for my ideas and I may have over powered the ring. I'm not sure if these are interesting enough. I'll keep looking at them for a few days and see if they grow on me. It was a good lesson. I need to be able to make quick adjustments on the fly.

152/365 Dress-up

I saw this cutey dressed up in his version of an Arabian Prince. He had beautiful locs tucked under that scarf along with large dark eyes. Handsome.

Lesson:Children make you want to start life over.
~Muhammad Ali

151/365 Two

We were slammed with bad news last week (literally every day) and it's good to have each other during good times and bad. I actually hate to say bad because it's a fabulous opportunity for growth and growing is not a bad thing. Too tired to go any deeper with that one right now. Suffice it to say, life is ---still---good!!

This was taken from my garden just before they were harvested. Apparently moist soil is conducive to mushroom growth, so I'm greeted almost daily with some new variety of mushroom. I think these are my favorite so far, they are beautiful and delicate.

Lesson: In every adversity, there is the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
Napoleon Hill

150/365 Vintage

Yes! I'm still alive and doing well. Just incredibly busy these days and that's both good and bad. I desperately need to learn how to manage my time better so that I can complete things that I start and build my business!

This is a shot from a recent workshop. I've been wanting to learn how to use lights now for about a year, but have been terribly intimidated. I finally got a spot in a workshop I've had my eye on for months and I was more than satisfied with the willingness of the instructor to share his heart and his love for his art--so refreshing!

The most memorable piece of advice I took away was for me to find my own style of shooting and to realize that finding my style may take days, months or even years. The fun will be in the process.

Lesson: How long should you try? Until.
--Jim Rohn, Speaker

149/365 Light

When I took my first photography class with my first film slr years ago, I was taught that you should never shoot down on children. Some rules are made to be broken!

I love the light reflected in her little eyes and I love the way we connected. I've known her since she was a few days old. Time flies!

Lesson: You can't break the rules until you know how to play the game.
--Rickie Lee Jones, singer and songwriter

148/365 Dinner

One of these days, my constant companions won't have the desire to tuck their LEGOS into their pockets each time we leave our home. One day they won't think to line them up on the side of the pool so the LEGOS can watch them swim. They will forget to plop them down beside a plate so they can share a meal. One day they won't have a desire to share every thought, dream or disappointment with me while we relax at a favorite restaurant. One day they will be on their own and will not be my constant companions. I'm so glad that day has not yet come!

Lesson: While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

147/365 Focus

Trying to regain my focus. It is so hard for me to concentrate with clutter all around and my home has been a mess since I returned from vacation--two weeks ago! I just dumped my luggage and tried to pick up where I left off. Wrong! The clutter started to close in on me and I felt my creativity just shut down. So, I took the day off and just cleaned and I'm feeling so much lighter! Hopefully my Muse will return now that she sees I've cleared a spot just for her!

I had the pleasure of photographing a party this past weekend and one of the children stopped to pose for me. Unfortunately I still had my macro on from a previous shot and I generally manually focus the macro. I was not fast enough in focusing on her little face, so the eye is not sharp! However, I still like the shot. Her slight smile and beautiful brown eyes held me captive for a moment and this shot reminds me of that moment.

Lesson: You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
--Mark Twain