Photography Progress

I bought my first DSLR camera in February of this year and had planned to just take pictures of my own kids with it, figuring it would pay for itself in just a couple of years (pictures are expensive!).  After a couple of "photo shoots" with my kids, two of my super crazy friends asked me within the same week to take pictures of their families.  EEK!  I almost said "no", but after thinking about it for a little bit I decided to give it a shot.  I realized it would be great practice, and the best outcome would be that I actually enjoyed it....which I did!!! 

The first family photo shoot  I did was on a very sunny Sunday morning out at our house.  Sunny days are not great for photography....shadows and squinty eyes!  I was pretty nervous to start with, and then adding the bright sun made it worse.  We got some good pictures though. 

 

The cute boys are 2 and 4 and actually smiled quite well!  Photographing kids is tough, since sitting still isn't something they are good at...let alone getting them to look at the camera and give you a real smile.  These two did great! (a little ice cream bribery may have helped)

 

 

One thing I'm learning is that the photographer always has to be ready to shoot...candid photos show real emotions...like this cute mother-son playfulness.

 

 

Thank you so much to this wonderful family for trusting me to take your precious photos!!  :)

 

Family photo shoot #2 included this super adorable little gal!!

 

 

We did this shoot at a park in Winterset (probably one of the most photographed places in Madison County, if I had to guess).  It was a sunny day as well, but we found plenty of shady spots.  I was equally as nervous for this one as I was with the first family, but I eventually relaxed and had a lot of fun.  They are such a cute little family and we had some neat backgrounds.

 

 

Thank you to this Beautiful family as well for asking me to take your pictures!!

 

After I completed both of these photo shoots and received compliments on the finished products, I evaluated how much I really enjoyed taking other people's pictures.  For myself, I loved the challenge it gave me.  Other than juggling all of my rug rats' demands on a daily basis, I don't do very many challenging things right now and photography is a fun challenge for me.  I also found that I really loved trying to capture some great shots for the families to be proud to display in their homes. 

 

After realizing how much I really enjoyed taking photos of my friends' families, I decided I wanted to try some photos that don't include children so I could focus more on technical things, rather than spending time trying to get a child to look at me and smile.  Some friends of ours recently got  engaged and I approached them about taking their engagement photos.  Luckily for me, they said "yes" :)  They also happen to be the cutest couple I know, and who wouldn't want to photograph these beautiful faces?!?!?

 

 

We took the pictures at a rickety little park in a teeny tiny podunk rural town.  I'm sure they thought I was crazy when they first pulled in and saw the place.  There really were quite a few great spots for pictures here though.  Unfortunately, it was another super sunny day and we all had to do some maneuvering to keep shadows and squinting at bay as much as possible. 

 

 

He made me get in the water to shoot this one ...thanks J, for that challenge :) 

 

They like to kiss ---- A LOT ;) 

 

I had SO MUCH fun with this shoot.  They made it so easy, as they are very photogenic and both had some great ideas...and it helped that they are so crazy in love :)   

 

 

Thank you two SO VERY MUCH for being "guinea pigs"!!!!

 

I realize I have a long way to go to perfect my photography, but I'm super excited for that journey.  There is so much to learn!!!  I'm finding that the photography world is so willing to help and there is an abundance of resources.  I have found a camera club to join, as well as online blogs and forums, and am watching for classes in my area all the time.  I'm super excited for a photography event at Living History Farms this weekend where I will be able to take 5 different classes and then get outside to practice!  Hopefully the forecasted rain holds off! 

 

Thank you again to all 3 of the families who helped me discover how much fun photography can be! 

 

Have a great day, and don't forget to SMILE :)