Snap, Snap, Snappity Snap!

Hi!  It's me (insert cute waving emoticon here).  So what has happened since I blogged last?  well.....I've taken about a gazillion photos, entered into my busy season at work and caught strep throat and an ear infection.  As horrible and awful and miserable as I feel, being sick is forcing me to catch up on my blog.  Ok, so it's not forcing me but I'm bored out of my mind people and I had to do something!!!

So back to the subject at hand, taking photos.  I've recently completed day 100 of my 365.  This is huge!  This means I have consistently taken 100 photos.  I know all of you are thinking to yourselves how hard can that be when her camera is within arms reach at all times, but seriously it's not easy to get 100 photos that I love!  100 good photos usually translates to roughly 300 photos I don't love.  Then there is the work flow of going through all the photos each day and disposing of those that are not Flickr worthy.  Then I go through it again just to be sure I weeded out the losers.  Then I do a bit of editing.  I usually don't spend too much time editing unless I'm really trying to do something out of the box with the photo. My editing usually amounts to adjusting some contrast and then sharpening and resizing for the web.
My alma mater (high school not college) had an Evening of The Arts this week and asked alumni to submit art for display.  I narrowed it down to a few photos and then spent way too much time trying to figure out how to print, what size to print, what paper to print on, how to frame, what kind of frame, etc...  At the end of the day I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.  Of course with me on the brink of death   sick, I wasn't able to attend the art show.  Hopefully they were well received.

Of course how can I end this post without including a few recent photos.  If you feel so inclined, please follow me on Flickr (it's a link!  Click on it!  a link!) and give me a comment or two.  I'm always open to critiques as well.

Is there anything sweeter than a boy and his dog?  I think not!

This is a small tendril of a Mandevillea vine.  I love the motion and titled this "Crack That Whip".

Spring in Oklahoma.  Not long after this photo she went and got a bathing suit on.

Yesterday was gorgeous and today is 51 degrees with 50+mph winds.  Love ya Oklahoma!

A different shot of the Mandevillea vine.  This time right after the sprinklers had given it a bath.

Go ahead....make my day!

So you all know (and by saying "you" I mean the faithful 2 or 3 readers who check in on me from time to time) that I am a "newbie photographer wanna be".  I still don't feel right calling myself a photographer because I'm still learning.   I don't think that I'm *there* yet.

well...anywho.....I upload all my photos to Flickr.  There is a wonderful group of gals there who I *know* from an online photography class we all took together.  It's great to have a wonderful supportive group of friends who can comment on your photos. On Flickr there is something called Explore/Interestingness. I can't quite explain what it is, but photos are selected for the Explore page which recognizes your photo for being interesting and worthy of being Explored.   I never in a million years thought I would get a photo explored, but I secretly hoped and wished for it with every upload :)  Today I discovered that one of my photos was Explored.  This is like the biggest high-five I could get!  It has just put a permanent smile on my face.  Wanna know which photo was explored?  here you go!

"Let Them Eat Flakes"

Part of the fun is coming up with titles for the photographs.  This one just came to me and made me giggle so I decided that was it.  Look over to the right on my photostream and you'll see my cool little explore photo gadget thingy.   Photography is just good for my soul.  It's such a great outlet to express my creativity.  And it's even cooler when other people dig it too :)  

Brave Pansy

Brave Pansy...how's that for an oxymoron?  I find it so amazing that the most fragile of flowers can be the toughest.  Even in the coldest of winter they still find the strength to lift their heads to find the sun.

This picture is from our last little bit of snow week before last. The temperature was in the 20's.

These photos are from yesterday.  The temperature was in the 70's!  Notice the short sleeve shirts.

It's really amazing what a nice day does for us.  That good dose of Vitamin D is just what the doctor ordered.  I would estimate that 75% of my friends on facebook had something in their status on Saturday with regards to the beautiful weather.  Everyone was outside.  Everyone was at the park.  Everyone was out running errands.  It was just one of those picture perfect days.  Everyone was kind and quick to offer a smile and an appreciative nod to the great weather.  I love days like that.  Of course now we go from a 75 degree day to a predicted high of 25 on Tuesday.  Even with your crazy weather Oklahoma...I still love ya!  Check back with me on Wednesday....I'm hoping to have some cool ice/snow photos to share :)

Center of Attention

I've always wished I could sing, but I'm not that good.

~photography is that voice.

I've always wished I could paint, but I'm not that good.

~photography is that painting.

I've always wished I could write, but I'm not that good.

~photography is that story.

Love of nature.

Love of family.

Love of life.

Love of photography.

The heart is always at the center.

It's a Balancing Act...

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, 

order, rhythm and harmony.”

My photo assignment today was to capture balance in a photograph.  I really struggled with this.  I took at least 10 photos of various things that literally represented balance to me before almost giving up.  I decided to go through some of the photos I've taken in the last month and I came across this photo. 

 It is one of my favorites and I could never really pinpoint why it was my favorite.  I thought I must love it because there is lots of green and green is my favorite color, but no that wasn't quite it.  I thought I must love it because the negative space is so cool, but no that wasn't quite it either.  Then it hit me...like a ton of bricks.  It's totally in balance.  Some of the design principles that I learned in college finally came together in one photo.  

  

Asymmetry+complementary colors+contrasting textures=balance

This is what I love about photography, paintings, sculptures, drawings etc....  You can look at them once and immediately be drawn to them (this is design principles at play).  Then you can dive in deeper and find a meaning relevant to you.  Then you can look again and see that certain things....certain principles were in play that made that piece of art appealing to you.  Art can be seen on so many different levels and really keeps life interesting.

I think I struggled with this assignment at first because balance is such a sensitive subject to me.  I strive to find balance between having a career and being a mother.  I wage a daily battle between work and home life. I wanted to show this in my photograph.  But then with that one photo that was perfectly 

balanced, I was able to realize that photography is helping me to find some balance. It's another creative outlet that involves my family, my job, my friends, and my home life.  Instead of adding one more hobby to my list, 

I feel as though I've added some free therapy.  

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night?  Let me think.  Was I the same

when I got up this morning?  I almost think I can remember feeling a little

different.  But if I'm not the same, the next question is "who in the world am I?"  

Ah, that's the great puzzle!"  ~Alice in Wonderland

I've decided to start a 365, basically a photo everyday for a year.  I'm sure some of you are already thinking, sure Leigh.....you'll follow through on this one (dripping with sarcasm).  But I really feel like I can do this.  My camera is never far from my side and I've already been taking 30 day Big Picture Classes with Tracey Clark so I think I can do this.  

Here is today's prompt: "Promise and possibility might be intangibles, but you know that feeling you get when you see something that fills your heart to brimming. Be on the lookout today for something that speaks of promise or possibility - something hopeful, touching, soul stirring. Something that reminds you that anything is possible and we have everything to hope for."  

I knew as soon as she climbed up into the oversized chair at the Science Museum that this would be my photo today.  I wonder who she will grow up to be and I realize that every little thing I do and say is contributing to the person she is going to become.  Talk about pressure people!  If anyone wants to get me a gift please consider the huge, oversized chair.  It's one way to keep my kids looking little. 

The Best of Intentions

This arrived in my email inbox this morning for my last day of Picture The Holidays with Tracey Clark.

"It's hard to believe that the year is really coming to an end, but hasn't it been enchanting spending the past 30 days together collecting the last images of 2010? Today, let's shoot something that encompasses our 

intentions for the New Year. Consider what you want to set into motion for the next year and try to capture something that will keep your intentions fresh in your mind. An iconic symbol of something important to you is one way to keep yourself mindful of it. Try to visualize a mood, thought, intention, dream and/or wish and 

then "picture it" for today's prompt."

I like the idea of Intentions better than resolutions, don't you?  I intend to put the following ideas, thoughts, behavior into motion instead of resolving to change something about myself. Resolutions leave too much room for failure while intentions are striving towards something.  

Intentions for 2011

Strive to be the best mother I can be and to limit the following phrases-"In a minute", "maybe", "hold on a second"

Continue to find beauty in unexpected places-this helps me to slow down and take notice of the world around me

Focus on Mother Nature-not only as a muse for photography but as the inspiration for my career as a designer

Take lots and lots of photos and continue to learn as much as I can!

The intentions that I couldn't capture in my neat little collage above.

get healthy

make healthy choices

strive to eat pure, real food not processed crap

be a better friend

"Live with intention.  Walk to the edge.  Listen hard.  Practice wellness.  Play with abandon.  Laugh.  Choose with no regret.  Appreciate your friends.  Continue to learn.  Do what you love.  Live as if this is all there is."

~Mary Anne Radmacher

So what are your intentions for 2011?