MomShots

So I checked into Twitter this morning and saw a Re-Tweet that Tye sent.  It pointed me in the direction of this fun website post .  It is a post that is dedicated to having fun with images in the background and sometimes in the foreground.  I do have warn that there are a couple that are PG-13, just because I’m like that.  

We briefly discussed being aware of our backgrounds on the 5 Easy Steps page.  In that post the idea is to make sure we don’t have any strange things sticking out of our kids’ heads but this site takes that idea to a whole new level.  In a really good way!!!

It is a prime example of learning the rules so that you can break them.

Jessica Kettle, one of my favorite Salt Lake City based photographers, was on the local news today talking about how to pose and direct poses for the camera.  She also touches on what to wear. 

She always does a fantastic interview.  I always think she’d be such a fun person to be friends with.

You will probably have to click out of your reader to see the video but it’s worth the extra couple of clicks. Jessica does a great job and offers many great tips that can help you on both sides of the camera.

I wish I could think of a REAL word for large that starts with a “U”.  I love alliteration.  I couldn’t think of anything so I just made one up.  It sounds pretty big doesn’t it? 

Now I’m also thinking this may be a bit redundant.  With the alliteration the words undertaking and underway seem to be the same thing.  Whatever!  I’m sticking with it.

So are you wondering what this very large project is?

To answer that question I will tell you a story…

Once upon a time there a mom who was obsessed with her oldest son turning 5 (sound familiar?).  She was puttering around in Photoshop one day trying to create a little medley of photos to add to her daily countdown to his birthday.  She took four photos of cute and silly faces, sharpened them and cropped them all to the same size of 5″x7″.  Then opened a new document to put them all on to make a little collage.  This new document was huge; 100″ x100″ because she didn’t know when she created the new document what she was going to do so she randomly chose a really large number so there would be lots of room to move things around.

She put all her photos on the new document and played with them a bit.  When it was all to her liking, she decided to crop it and then insert it into a frame that she found on Flickr.  

As the cropping was about to begin she got an error message that said her scratch disk was full.  Instead of panicing like she is oft apt to do, she decided to spend a few minutes doing a little Googling.  The results of said search indicated that she’s just got way too much stuff on her computer so she decided that she needs to go through her 2008 photos and delete all of the ones that she didn’t really want.  As she was going through them, she realized that what really needs to occur is a gigantic scrapbooking and/or photo album creation.

What I, ahem, I mean She needs to do is go through all the photos from last year and put them into a printable format and then actually print them out and put them in binders.  

I’m not fooling anyone.  She is actually me.  I have filled up my little MacBook to capacity and it is time for some major spring cleaning.  I’m not overly upset about this since it was one of my photographic new year resolutions anyway.  That day has just come a little sooner than I anticipated.  I am excited to put together some of these images and actually get them OUT of my computer.  I think I am gong to be working on this for the next few evening as there are quite a few photos.  I’m obsessed or haven’t you heard?

I was eventually able to get the result I was after by deleting a few not so great shots of grass and fences or something.  It’s a start and I’m excited to continue on the project.

Have you made any progress on your New Year resolutions?  Have you made any progress on actually getting your photos out of your computer?  Any suggestions or tips for me that might make the process a little easier?  You know I would really appreciate any tips.

Or help.

Anyone want to come over and help me?  I make a mean peanut butter and home made jelly sandwich!  

If you haven’t, you might want to stop by and spend a few minutes perusing the group Photostream.  There are a bunch of great shots there for your enjoyment and inspiration.

Also, if you haven’t joined the group yet, I hope that you will.  Feel free to post up your favorite shots of your kids.

Last, just a side note, even though the name is MomShots, that doesn’t mean that Dads can’t participate too!!!  Don’t let that deter you from joining as it’s not meant to be literal!  :0)  We are an equal opportunity picture posting group!  

I’m laughing at myself.  I know this doesn’t really sound that funny but I just think that last paragraph really is hilarious.  It’s hilarious that I even thought to write it.  Like you wouldn’t already know any of that?!?  Of course you do!  

Ok, three posts in one day…  I’ll probably be quiet for a few days now.

So for now:

turning 5.  

On my family blog I have been posting a photographic countdown to Ulysses’ 5th birthday.  I want to share this shot with you.  I am also submitting it to the current iheartfaces challenge.  Their current theme is “Joy”.  You should submit a photo to them.  It’s really easy and fun.  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll be the winner!

I love this photo.  It’s not a technically “good” photo but it captures a certain Essence of Ulysses.  I love that he is laughing and his eyes are closed.  He does that when he really gets going.  It really captures what he feels about turning 5.  He’s very excited about it.  He made this blue Lego “5″ and then showed it to me.  I couldn’t pass up that photo op!

Also, thanks to everyone for their comments about inspiration and copying.  I think we are all on the same page here.  It’s nice to know I’m not crazy.  Or maybe you’re all equally crazy.  Either way it is good company!

I would like to hear your opinion on an issue that is currently being discussed on one of the online Mom communities I belong to.  In this community there are a few photography related groups that I subscribe to and participate in occasionally.  

Pretty frequently there are challenges where everyone can submit a photo relating to a theme and people can submit a photo and then everyone votes on them.  Last week there was a challenge called “New”.  That’s pretty open to interpretation but a lot of the women put up photos of newborn babies.  It is a mom’s group afterall…

I didn’t do a newborn, I did the photo of Uly in the red hat that is in two posts back.  It was a new hat.  It fit.

Anyway, one member wrote up a post that talked about how she was kind of unimpressed with everyone’s lack of creativity in not only this mini-contest but in many others.  She talked about how most everyone just copied the idea from the example photo and did not come up with their own idea.  The post was intended to motivate the readers to think out side the box and encourage everyone to try to be creative and think of their own ideas.

I replied with a comment that went like this:

One of the ways that an artist starts out learning how to draw or paint is to copy or trace someone else’s original work. It isn’t done in the spirit of plagiarism or unoriginal thought, it is done to learn how make the correct pen or brush strokes and how to learn control and composition.

 

I think copying some one else’s ideas for photography is one way in which we learn to be better photographers. So many of the people in these groups are just barely starting out and learning how to use a camera. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to directly copy and not think of original ideas, it is where a lot of these group members are in their development.

 

Maybe we need to encourage discussions about finding inspiration or thinking outside of the box. Perhaps that is what many of these people need in order to grow as photographers. I know I could always use ideas or ways to think more creatively and develop my own style and original eye for composition. I want desperately to develop my photographic abilities to a level where I feel like I can say that I am an artist. It is an art form that I really want to experience and truly understand.

So I think you can understand what I am saying.  I am saying it isn’t always bad to copy an idea.  In fact, in my podcast interview with Kiera Haddock she mentions getting ideas and mutating them into your own.  I mean, it’s 2009, humanity has been around for a while.  Do you actually think every single thought you have is completely original?  

Personally, I don’t.  Maybe I’m being cynical.

Anyway, I was wondering what you think about this.  Do you find inspiration from other’s work?  Do you find a cool photo in Flickr and try to shoot a similar image so you can learn from it?  Or do you completely abstain from viewing other people’s images so that you are only doing original work?  

Personally, I’m a copier.  Or at least I am in the sense that I get ideas for shots and try to learn from them.  I am not likely to be one of the newborn-baby-photo-posting-people.  I like to submit my own idea for contests, if I have them.  

I am not opposed to learning from others ideas.

And you know I can’t leave a post, especially a long post without a photo.  Uly’s birthday is on Friday.  Can you guess how old he will be?

Tye has brought us another Tip for this week.  It’s a really fun one.  She talks about Line Art and how you can incorporate it into your post-processing and scrapbook pages.  It can be a really fun way to add another level of personal touch or just make your photo look like the most awesome thing to hit the Internet.  Either way, it’s a great thing to learn.  

Enjoy!  I did.

First off… Thanks for all your comments and love with the guest post.  I had a lot of fun writing it and it was really fun to read your comments and support.  You are all a great group of people!

So onto the meat of this post!  Our Tip of the Week is back!!!  I know you have been excitedly waiting patiently.  Your patience has paid off today!  So check out this page and remember to Keep It Simple Silly!

If you are new to MomShots don’t forget to stop by the parent Tip of the Week page and brush up on past topics.  Tye’s written a lot of fantastic advice for Photoshop Elements, CS and design in general.  She is a fantastic resource for us all!!!

In case you were wondering, this picture is pretty much only here because I like it and I like the majority of my posts to have at least one photo in them.  That doesn’t always happen but today it did!!!  Red Cowboy Hat Ulysses for you viewing.  I was playing with Pioneer Woman’s actions.  I used three of her actions.  That’s still keeping it simple isn’t it???  :)  

Enjoy the newest Tip and keep those cameras ready!

*Edit*

Thanks to Melinda for showing me to the I heart faces site.  I’ve entered this shot into their current contest.

blogger on Make and Takes great site. Check out the post I wrote called 5 Easy Steps to Taking Great Pictures of Kids.  It was really fun to write.  Thanks for the chance, Marie!

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Random photo from our walk the other day.  Yeah, I let me kids eat snow.  I’m one of those parents!