Reflecting

I love the feeling of hope a new year brings.  It’s not really different than last year, but changing the calendar gives me courage to make changes in myself.  She will be changing much more than I will this year.  She’ll start to stand and then walk.  She’ll turn her babble into sounds that she hears around her and we will hear what she has to say.  All I’m planning to do is clean the basement.

27|40 On the Move

Gone are the days of putting her down and expecting her to stay there for more than a moment.  Our little girl was in no rush to crawl.  After all, her big sisters and brother brought everything to her.  She began by moving very slowly using only her arms and pulling her legs behind her.  Then one day, she found her legs and was off.

With her new found mobility, she has become a little worried too.  She needs to have either myself or Steve in her sight at all times.  Last night she was downstairs with her dad and I was upstairs with her brother.  Suddenly, I heard her scream.  Her brother was with me so I knew it was nothing he did.  The screaming stopped as quickly as it had began.  When I came downstairs, I asked what had happened.  Steve said, “I walked into the kitchen.”  As soon as he returned she was fine.  This is new.  But it’s not surprising.  Her world has gotten a little bigger this week.

Try It: Play with Colors

He didn’t want a haircut, but the yellow lollipop won him over.  I’m not thrilled with my  hair cutting abilities yet, but I’m happy to see his eyes again.  (I’m trying it!)

Recently, I was given a book called 101 Things to Learn in Art School.  It’s a little book with short lessons about art.  I was drawn to the pages about colors.  It’s not something I think about often.  I’m partial to black and white photography.  But there are times when I see how the colors are playing in a scene.  With my blue-eyed boy, I’ve noticed how a shirt or what is behind him can bring out the color in his eyes.  In the above photo, I liked how the red on the stroller also brought out the red of his pouty lips.  

Below is one of the first photos when I really saw the background color bringing out the color of my son’s eyes. (The background is a bedspread at the beach hotel we where we were staying.)

Look around as the spring warmth brings color out where it has been monochrome all winter and try it: play with colors.

I’ve been enjoying thinking about these Try It posts.  It pushes me to think more about my photography. I’ve been thrilled to see the photos showing up in the flickr group.  Thank you for joining me. 

Swinging

We were at her big sister’s dance class and went outside to enjoy the beautiful day.  She’s been on swings before but the swings at the Irish Centre, where her sister takes her lessons, are much taller than any she’d been on before.  

I didn’t initally bring my camera with me.  It was in the car.  I had to take her out of the swing to get the camera.  At first I didn’t think it was worth it.  

Try It: Show Some Emotion

You don’t have to be around kids very long to realize how much of the day is not spent smiling.

But listen to us, “Hey honey! Smile!”  It doesn’t take long before they anticipate your prompt, look up at you “smiling,” and hope then you leave them to their business.  

What if we didn’t ask for smiles?

What if we even tried to capture a moment filled with sadness? 

This particular moment of sadness was short lived.  Most of them are with small children.  Tears are frequent but pass like a summer storm.  The time on the photo above is 11:47 AM.  At 11:49, he was all better.

This week, look for moments that are full of emotion. If you are around children, there will be many.  If they need you to talk to them and give them a hug, put down your camera.  But if it can wait a second, take a picture.

Try It: Show Some Emotion.

Share your photos here.

This is the song that plays in my head when I think about this… (You have to have Spotify to hear this. It’s super cool and free.)

Happy Birthday to my Brother

I used to keep my pinkie fingernail long and sharp just in case I needed to scratch him.  But I don’t need that nail anymore.  Instead of plotting my next attack, I call him when I need advice on a business plan or just to talk to someone I know loves me and will probably make me laugh.

It gives me comfort when I see my kids pushing, pulling and scratching to think that in time (20 years?) they may be friends like we are.

What I’m Trying Right Now

I started this blog after my year of pictures in 2010.  Last year I did 40 Friday Photos.  A picture every day was too much.  A picture almost every week wasn’t enough.  

Last week I was looking at a mother/photographer’s blog. She was doing her project to record the year for her family.  This is the third year she’s done it.  All of the photos are of her family, unapologetically. I’ve been checking it every day.

For the past week or so, I’ve posted a photo every day.  I like it.  It’s not a photo from every day of the year.  This one is from a few weeks ago but I never got around to posting it. (The lips!!) I’m not committing to doing it for a year.  If I miss a day, I won’t quit.  But, I’m going to try it: post at least one photo every day. 

2: The Girls

1/800 sec at f 3.2: ISO 160 ~ Canon 5DMarkII/ 35mm 1.4L1/1600 sec at f2.0, ISO 160 ~ Canon 5DMarkII/ 35mm 1.4L

1/640 sec at f2.0: ISO 160 ~ Canon 5DMarkII ~ 35mm 1.4LOn Sunday I spent time with family and enjoyed my last hour with the rented gear (Canon 5D MarkII and 35mm 1.4L).  These are my lovely nieces who were happy to come outside and stand in front of me and my camera.  

11: Practice

My oldest, Savanna, is getting ready for a big Irish dance competition in November.  She goes to lessons three or four times a week and practices on our porch on the other days.  In the above photo, she’s waiting on the porch for her ride to class. 

When it comes time to compete, there is a fancy costume, a wig, and make up.  But, most of the time she dances like this: in shorts and a t-shirt with her hair in a pony tail.

I brought her to this bench for a jumping photo.  While she was waiting for me to get my camera ready, she started to dance.