nephew

This weekend everything aligned and I was able to visit my brother's family and photograph the newest addition. It was a very great experience for me, and artistically, I feel I learned a lot. I wish I had more energy to say something creative here. I don't. So, without further ado, here were my top ten (okay, eleven... I'm indecisive).

Inspired

Unfortunately, last weekend's trip to photograph my new nephew was put on hold. The babysitter, aka Nana, developed shingles last week! It was a mild case, but shingles nonetheless, which means Nana couldn't be around Cora, who hasn't received the chicken pox vaccine yet. We plan to visit this weekend to make up for it. Hopefully little S will stay newborny for me!

However, all this newborn anticipation inspired me to work on some of Cora's newborn shots. This was my first and only "real" session, where we set things up on purpose for me to capture shots. One big thing was working against me, however. It was a huge learning, and I'm really glad I learned it. I just wish I'd made the discovery a few days earlier. Somehow the autofocus selector on my camera was locked to the bottom middle. So when I thought I was focusing in the center and moving the camera to compose the image... I wasn't focused on what I thought I was. The focus in all the images is in the bottom... which works for some shots... doesn't for others.

I was so heartbroken over this... over so many lost images that would have been great had the focus been in the right place... that I avoided processing them, until now. It was fun to use my extremely limited skill in photoshop to tweak these images. I'll never get better unless I practice, so here goes!

so pumped

I am very excited to announce that I'll be having not just one, but TWO opportunities very soon to exercise my photographic skills!!!

My brother and his wife will be welcoming baby number three to the world any day now! I'll be traveling to visit and photograph weekend after next. It will be my first newborn session, other than Cora (when I didn't know my camera was mistakenly locked to focus at the bottom middle of the frame.... UGH, to go back in time!). I will also be trying to capture some entire family shots, which quite frankly, scares my pants off. We'll see how that will go. But I'm so excited for the opportunity to improve AND to hopefully give my brother and his family some images they will cherish forever.

My best friend from childhood (who was also my next door neighbor from age 5 to when I finally moved out from home after graduating from college) is expecting her first baby at the end of March. I will be traveling back again to shoot that little blessing. Again, I am SO pumped to get the experience AND to capture some awesome moments for them. Plus, her house has some AMAZING windows and I know there will be AMAZING light... it will be a great place to shoot.

So eagerly await these photos! I can't wait to share them with you!