MomShots

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!

Black & White Personal Challenge Status Report:  

Well, I did take a handful of Momshots yesterday, but I don’t feel that any of them really lend theirselves to being converted to B&W.  My boys were painting on easels and we made homemade doughnuts.  We also had a torrential summer shower and Uly and Gar went out and ran in rain with the rest of the neighborhood children.  I took a handful of shots.  I’m not really happy with any of them.  There is nothing really special about any of them.

I do like this picture of the paint brush.  I think it could be post processes some to bring out the blue more.  That’s something I’m still very much learning.  

So anyway, I’m going to try again today.  Did you have any luck with your B&W photos?

So in light of the new Tip of the Week which covers converting color photos into cool black and white images, I have decided that I am going to issue myself a personal photo challenge for the day.  I am going to have my camera slung around my neck all day and shoot a bunch of photos, all with the intent of capturing a few that will look great converted to B&W.  

Anyone want to take the personal challenge with me?  I bet you’ll find some great momshots today!

I’ll let you know how it goes.  :)

There is a really great online community called Digital Photography School.  They have a blog that I subscribe to and have read some really good tips and been inspired by other members posts and photos.  Today, I received a note about their weekly challenge.  They choose a topic and then people post their photos that are taken within a given time frame and meet the the challenges requirements.  This week the challenge is a Sunny Day.  You post a photo that fits your idea of what a sunny day is.

I have never participated in their contest before.  I have thought about how I would compose a photo for a few of their topics, but I have never submitted.  That is until today.  

Last week my family and I went up to Washington State for the 4th of July holiday.  On that trip, I was a serious camera nut.  Capital N-U-T!  I took so many photos is was a little ridiculous; but oh so fun!  I decided that I would submit an entry into their Sunny Day challenge because I knew I had a few that would meet the criteria.  My problem was that I had so many Sunny Day photos that I had a really hard time picking.

I ended up submitting this photo.  I chose it because it showed my son, Garland, playing in the sun.  I think it captured his action really well and I liked how the sun looked on the water and on his back.

These are the runner ups of my choice.  They are more like still life’s.  That’s really the reason I chose the one with Gar over these two.  I just liked that it had him in it.
 

Anyway, what I wanted to throw out to you, is to challenge yourself.  Whether it is to break out of your comfort zone and submit a photo to a contest or to plan, in your head, a photo you would like to take and then attempt to take it.  We grow and learn by challenging ourselves.  Give yourself a challenge.  Whether large or small, it matters not.