Confessions of a Newbie Photographer

{1}  I still enjoy using my point and shoot....I'll admit, there are times when I don't want to worry about the light, and the focus, and the composition of a shot. I want to simply point my camera at the action (usually my family) and take those campy, off-kilter snapshots that (I believe) have a charm all their own. Which is why I utilize Instagram so much on my phone. Truly, in real life, we are not always poised, we are not always perfectly lit, sometimes we are awkward.  Snapshots show that angle of our lives, ad I don't think they should be discarded just because I'm learning to use my super-cool DSLR.

{2}  All my DSLR pictures are not in RAW (If you have no idea what RAW is, look here.) Sometimes, even if I AM using my DSLR, I just want the freedom of knowing I can upload the pictures directly and they are what they are (although, despite my want for that "freedom", I've caught myself thinking "If 'd just shot that in RAW, I could.....")

{3}   It frustrates me to no end that my skill is no where near what my eye and my sense of what is "good" is.  Frustrating, but highly motivating, too!  I think I have a pretty high standard of what qualifies as quality photography, probably because of my art background, and it only highlights how much I DON'T know about this passion of mine.When I find myself getting too hung up on this discrepancy, I remind myself of this quote by Ira Glass, which hangs on my wall behind my computer monitor.  It gives me hope!

{4}  Photo editing and digital design has become something of an obsession for me....and I know that isn't good. When my neck has a cramp in it and I feel like my bum is permanently molded to our computer chair, it means I need to get up and move...but just one more picture....what if I tried THIS instead.....that needs a little more light...what about that template I haven't tried out yet? .(well, you get the idea).  I'm still finding that delicate balance between my work and my family and home.  The scales are probably tipped (just slightly) in the favor of photography/editing right now...but I'm working my way back to center!

{5}  I'm learning my style, both in photographs and in other aspects of my life.  What is your style? That's a big question for new photographers, if you didn't know. But I'm finding very quickly that my style is quite a bit like my personal taste.   In clothing style, I cringe at what I consider too much: I like the classic, casual look.  I'm the same with personalities: I like to surround people who are straightforward, easy, calm, and with a flash of humor and sarcasm. Complicated, brazen, flashy, arrogant. These are personality traits that I avoid.  In home decor, I prefer a simple, sometimes rustic, natural look, with a touch of flare.  I suppose I should not be surprised (and yet, it is a new insight for me!) that as in other aspects of life, in photography , I aim for clean, rich, natural colors, with sometimes a touch of something extra. My goal is for my photographs to be visually soothing, yet interesting to see.  Now that I know this about myself, I'm going to be looking to see if other photographers I know are the same way...hmmm....

{6}   I know I'm nowhere near what I'd call a PRO, but I know enough to be deeply offended by those who think that if you have a quality camera that you can take photos equivalent to those who have more practice/education/skill. That's like saying if you buy a really nice guitar, you are going to be a great musician; or if you can put on a band-aid, you must be just as good as a nurse. The tool you use is obviously important. A high quality guitar is clearly going to make a more pleasant sound than a cheap one. But if you don't know all the components of how to play, how to form the composition, you still aren't going to create good music.  I like using music analogies to explain photography...there are many parallels between the two. :)  {And after spending the last 12 years of my life with a musician, I might as well be able to put what I've learned to some use!} Personally, I still hesitate when even referring to myself as a "photographer" (let alone a "pro", that's not even on the horizon!), and that respect I have for the trade translates into a fairly deep offense when someone is quick to assume that great equipment = quality photographer. A mindset like that shows a complete disregard for all the time and energy spent learning, trying, failing, trying again, learning some more...PRACTICE and KNOWLEDGE that comes with being a quality photographer. {just as in ANY profession!}

NOTE: It actually took me the better part of a week to get this post done, so crazy has my life been with end of school activities, the fourth birthday of my littlest man, and deciding to foster a dog while we see if she's a good fit for our family.  All of which have given me fodder for several more blog posts!

"Hey Girl" Photo Challenge entry for I Heart Faces.

I've been meaning to enter one of the photo challenges over at I Heart Faces for a while now.  This month, the theme is "Hey Girl".  Pretty simple: a picture with a face in it, and it must be a female face.  Well, I just so happened to take a photo this past weekend that fit the bill. I know this is a simple shot, and that had I more time to compose it, there are many things I could change. But this was pre-recital time, everyone was kind of nerved up (including this Momma!), and the calm serenity on her face, the way she naturally posed her arms (no, I didn't tell her to do that!)...well, I don't think I could get a better picture before the deadline anyway. So, head on over to the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge and look for this pretty face, and wish me luck!

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

                                                          

An Unlikely Friendship

We all know that as our life changes, our circumstances, our location, the time of our life, our circle of friends often change with it. Sometimes, if you are fortunate, you can keep in touch with these "old" friends (Facebook has been an amazing tool for this in MY life!), but the closest relationships are usually those that you can engage in most regularly. As a person who forms deep relationships slowly, only having a few close friends at any given time, those that persist through time and situation are precious.  And the ones that instantly fall back into the comfortable and familiar rhythm of deep friendship, not matter how long you've been apart, how long it's been since you've talked...well, those are the gems of life, aren't they? I have been blessed with several of these, actually, which is nothing short of amazing to me.  The most unlikely one of all, though, is with my friend Tomoko.

I met Tomoko in my fourth year of college at Central Michigan University. I was in my second year as an RA, and though my roommate and I had lived together the previous year, we had a vacancy in our suite.  Enter: a young Buddhist Japanese student, here in the U.S. for a year as part of her English teaching degree, who had purposefully requested NOT to be placed in the dorm where the foreign language students usually lived, i.e. away from any other Japanese student who she might feel more comfortable with. No, she wanted to learn English better, and she wanted the full experience of living in America. 

I heard about Tomoko before I saw her. One of the other RAs had been in the lobby when she arrived. She was tired, a little overwhelmed, and her normally decent English wasn't doing so well.  "Um, I saw your new roommate...she doesn't speak English very well...good luck!"

Great, I'm thinking, this should be a really INTERESTING school year.

You know, for someone who has the hardest time understanding anyone with a heavy accent, I never had a hard time understanding Tomoko.  

As the school year progressed, Tomoko and I took to one another. We just clicked. The difference in background didn't matter, difference of religion didn't matter, difference in world views didn't matter. I adored her.  Despite the fact that she kept trying to get me to eat dried kelp as a snack~ ICK.  She came home with me for every major break and holiday we had: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Spring Break....they were all spent with my family, who also took to her immediately. 

I remember distinctly the first time my mom met her. Mom kept speaking loudly to her, and as I realized what my (very sheltered, small-town) mom was doing, I said, "Mom, she's Japanese, not deaf. Speak slowly, not loudly."

Tomoko and my Mom at a wedding; the year we were at CMU.

When the school year was over, it was very hard saying goodbye. Email was just getting started, and phone calls were expensive. We knew it would be difficult to stay in touch.  There were many tears.

From 2001-2003, Tomoko had to chance to be a grad student at a small college in Tennessee, a Buddhist girl in the heart of the bible belt. We drove down to see her that first spring break.  However, being in the bible belt during and after 9/11 isn't kind to a Buddhist girl. America lost a lot of it's glamour during that time for her.  We saw her again the summer she went home, she came to Michigan for a while and flew out of Detroit.  

After that, we lost touch for quite a while.  We'd get the odd postcard here and there, but not much. I really hadn't heard from her at all for a couple years when my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  Tomoko and her brother Hiro adored my mom. (Hiro had visited at least twice in the past.) Hiro loved my mom so much that when he opened his vintage American clothing store in Japan, he named it Sandy Hunt (seriously). I sent word by every email address I had of hers, hoping she'd get the message. We reconnected on Skype, and they were able to talk to my family again. Unfortunately, neither could make it in time.  They both made decisions to come the next summer.

When the Tsunami hit Japan, my family followed it more closely than most, terrified that it had hit the region Tomoko lived in. Thankfully, it hadn't effected it much at all, but it took her a week or so to get back to me.

Then, last summer, Tomoko visited in August!  Eight years it had been!  She spent ten whole days with us. She got to get to know my husband better and meet my kids, hang out with my dad and siblings again.  It was fantastic. It was as if we'd never been apart. We lead totally different lives, but couldn't stop talking with one another!

We played Monopoly deal the ENTIRE time she was here! She bought a pack before going home!

One night while she was here, we stayed out in our pop-up overnight. She'd never stayed in a camper before, so she thought it was pretty cool. We stayed up talking until the wee hours of morning. She told me about two different guys she was seeing on and off, nothing serious, though. She told me that after seeing my family and spending time with us, it made her want to start a family of her own. I thought maybe she'd re-evaluate her on-again-off-again relationships and maybe change her perspective on one of them.  

So, she went back to her life, I went back to mine. We Skyped a few times in the fall...and then she fell off the map again in November. Not surprising, she always gets sucked into her job when school is in session. I was a touch worried, but not overly so.  So then, last week, I get a package in the mail from her. Inside was the usual, my favorites from Japan: curry mixes and raisin cookies (not together!). On top was a short note saying how busy she was with work (not surprising) and that a lot had been happening in her life and that she hoped I'd be thrilled, no one else in the US knew yet......and that was all the note said! AHHH! What?

I dug through the box, and at the bottom, carefully hidden (stinker!), was a small photo book. It contained several pictures from her visit, pictures of my family, some pictures of her brother and niece, all captioned and including her cute little Japanese-style emoticons. And the last two pictures.....of her....and her HUSBAND! She apparently met someone AFTER she came home, and got married before her birthday, which is Christmas Eve.  And yes, I have a thousand questions and STILL haven't been able to get a hold of her!

Tomoko and Satoru

So, here is my dear friend and her new husband, who I will get to meet in several years in Hawaii, where we all plan to get together again.  However, if I don't hear from her soon, I may have to fly over to Japan to get some questions answered!

I have learned so much from this woman. She is a wonderful example of how to be kind and selfless, to respect others, to hold your tongue, to be a hard worker, to honor your parents, to love your family. In fact, she probably embodies all of these things better than most people I know.  I hope all the best for her. 

ah....with the patient help of two wonderful people, I was able to FINALLY figure out how to lose the old orange background! YEAH.  I'll be toying with the banner a bit more, but I like this color arrangement much better!  And now my brain can stop fretting about it. ;)

Under Renovation

In case you can see that my blog does not coordinate, it is because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get rid of the orange background pattern. If you cannot see said orange background, please let me know. But I have been trying to solve this problem for two hours now, and my neck is stiff, my eyes are tired, and it's 12:23 am. I must sleep. I will go after it again tomorrow. Good night!

p.s. if YOU have any idea how to get rid of the orange background, by all means, LET ME KNOW! ;)

How Embarrassing....

A couple weeks ago, I started a post, and came back to it a couple times, but hadn't meant to actually post it yet, because well it wasn't finished. And there were still mistakes and typos in it. And I was going to come back and polish it up...


oops.

This is what I posted:

The last few days I've been feeling a little down. There are many contributing factors, and I think I've identified the reasons, but that's not really my reason for writing.  Usually, I'd mope. Frankly, I feel like I've been doing that a lot lately. I"m tired of it. So, instead of moping because things are not as I wanted them (every do that?), I've decided to follow my own motto, "If you can't change something, change the way you think about it." All this morning I've been brainstorming ideas of how to redirect my thinking. Things I can do RIGHT NOW, TODAY.

1) Read my Bible. The living word of God, not static. Like fresh fruits and vegetables, with living enzymes, keep your physical help up, so the Word is spiritually. I need to quit forgetting about that.

2) Accomplish a goal. This ALWAYS boosts my spirit. My goal today~get the kitchen monster in hand. I don't know about anyone else, but our kitchen area is constant battle, and unless we are constantly vigilant, it wins. ;) Today I will fight the beast, and win.

3) Be creative, as in create something. I have several ideas. Might be food, might be thought. Haven't decided yet.

4) Exercise. I thought about going to the Y, but here is a home program I found on Pinterest I think I'll try today. It will save time.

You know, funny thing, just composing this list has helped.

Well, you know, just writing down the plan did help, that is true. But I wasn't really prepared for what a huge difference doing all these things in one day makes on my perspective.  And on the days since I wrote this, I've really paid attention to my mood and attitude if I don't accomplish one (or any) of these things. I feel really crummy inside.

It hasn't helped that I was very ill last weekend and in bed for a good two-three days, or that the antibiotic completely messed up my sleep, or that I've been feeling particularly anxious at night, because I discovered that I'm really associating this beautiful spring weather with the last couple years when the beautiful spring weather has hit and something really awful happened to us (2010: I severely broke my foot and then my mom passed away within two days of each other; 2011: we were robbed in the middle of the night while we were asleep upstairs and the cops accused us and did nothing, also when my first SLR got stolen).

Sooooooo....I'm off to improve my attitude, and Tylenol PM has been helping with my night anxiety.

And something else that makes me happy: I FINALLY was able to order a replacement power cord for my external hard-drive, so I'll be able to upload and edit pictures again soon! Yeah!

Homemade solution for the blues....

The last few days I've been feeling a little down. There are many contributing factors, and I think I've identified the reasons, but that's not really my reason for writing.  Usually, I'd mope. Frankly, I feel like I've been doing that a lot lately. I"m tired of it. So, instead of moping because things are not as I wanted them (every do that?), I've decided to follow my own motto, "If you can't change something, change the way you think about it." All this morning I've been brainstorming ideas of how to redirect my thinking. Things I can do RIGHT NOW, TODAY.

1) Read my Bible. The living word of God, not static. Like fresh fruits and vegetables, with living enzymes, keep your physical help up, so the Word is spiritually. I need to quit forgetting about that.

2) Accomplish a goal. This ALWAYS boosts my spirit. My goal today~get the kitchen monster in hand. I don't know about anyone else, but our kitchen area is constant battle, and if we are constantly vigilant, it wins. ;) Today I will fight the beast, and win.

3) Be creative, as in create something. I have several ideas. Might be food, might be thought. Haven't decided yet.

4) Exercise. I thought about going to the Y, but here is a home program I found on Pinterest I think I'll try today. It will save time.

You know, funny thing, just composing this list has helped.

Random Dump

Lately, I have been on a Pinterest kick of the Make-my-own-homemade-stain-removers-and-cleaners-for-the-house kind. Baking soda, Ammonia, Dawn Dish Soap, Vinegar, Peroxide....all wonderfully amazing things that I can keep around the house and mix into different combinations to make various cleaners. My latest "recipe", shown above, is home made "Shout" or "Spray n Wash".  I'm ALWAYS running out of stain stick, and with Isaac having a personal vendetta against stain-free clothing, I find I constantly have a pile of "need to treat" stained clothing stacking up.  So, I looked up that recipe on Pinterest today and went to it.  I am impressed. It worked on stains that have already been through the dryer once! WOOHOO!  I also have made a shower cleaner that I'm pretty happy with, especially considering the cost to make it....hm...what else can I make?

As some of you may know, I'm very much interested in photography. I love the whole process, would love to do this as more than a hobby. In an effort to get my feet wet, and help some people I care about out with some free services, I've been taking pictures of various things lately, children and houses. I am heading up our church's pictorial directory this spring, and will be shooting my first new-born pictures in August.  I felt like I should have a name for the photography aspect of my life, and I really wanted a name that 1) was reflective of my mom in some way, and 2) wasn't an overused name. I also wasn't crazy about using my own name, mostly because a lot of people do that too. 

I went through all the flowers I remember my mom loving when I was a kid, but what I kept coming back to   was mums.  Now, Mum Photography doesn't quite sound right to me, and I know Chrysanthemum Photography is a mouthful.  So, I kept trying other name ideas....some got A LOT of hits when I googled them, some just didn't have the ring I wanted.  I kept coming back to Chrysanthemum Photography. Several  people said it was too hard to pronounce, but it kept coming back to my mind. So, I've decided that if it's going to stick this hard, I'll just have to hone my skill to the point that the name is memorable enough to learn to pronounce. ;)

So I keep clicking away, and every once in a while, I hit gold, and am really happy with my product.  I'm finding that my background in visual arts (Art Education minor) is still alive and well in my mind.  I have a pretty good idea of what makes a good composition, but I'm painfully aware of how low my technical skills are.  Thankfully, there is a wealth of good, solid information online, and so I'm learning quite a bit at very little cost.

Like my new camera strap?  I WON IT! If you follow me on Facebook, you might have noticed that I've been "liking" all these small businesses like crazy.  It's because I've been entering a bunch of giveaways where you have to "like" the vendors involved with the giveaway in order to enter the giveaway. I've won FOUR times, twice from the same one!  The latest and (in my opinion) greatest for me though, was this very cool handmade camera strap.  If any of you have ever used the stock strap that comes with a lot of DSLR cameras, you'll know that the rubbery-plastic backing on it is not friendly to sensitive skin. My skin can tolerate about 15 minutes. This new strap has a lovely, soft, faux suede and makes my skin much happier!

However, with all the other pictures I've been taking, I've been neglecting my own kids, so I'll need to get on that right away, especially since we gave Terry's grandmother a photo frame at Christmas, and here it is March and I still haven't got enough to send her for it.  Eek.