February Photo Project, Part 4--Stories

I've read about photographers doing daily themed photo shoots and how they learned so much . . . blah, blah, blah. Guess what? They were right. Not every photo was spectacular, but I learned a lot in one month.

I wanted some of my photos to tell the story of spring. Some were almost a time lapse of how it progressed, while others I hoped would tell a story all on their own.

All of these weren't very successful at telling the story I wanted to tell. It's never over 80% humidity in AZ if it's not raining, but it was one day in February. Swinging is difficult to photograph, and although the bird of paradise is beautiful, you can't see the spider or its webs unless you look for them.

Here are a few that I thought worked.

This one was taken the same morning as the 80% humidity photo. We actually had FOG in Mesa that morning.

Another valuable lesson I learned from shooting photos all month was that time away gives you a more objective eye on the photo. Sometimes I would get them on the computer screen and cringe at what I saw and delete, delete, DELETE! Then, when I went back through to compile and edit them, I found that they weren't as bad as I thought they were (or vice versa). This chicken photo is one I like more as time goes on because it preserves the quiet of that morning and I remember how it felt to sit in the fog for a few minutes.

One afternoon, Hyrum threw open the front door: "Mom! There's a balloon in our neighborhood!"

 I couldn't decide which shot and processing I like better.

This photo tells an idyllic childhood story--spring on the grass with your siblings, swinging and watching the world go by. It's not completely in focus, and the shot isn't everything I'd hoped it would be when I took it, but I think it still conveys what I was trying to express.

The more I look at it, the more I like the one with both kids in it. Which would you choose?

Lessons learned on story photos:

• Take time away from them to be a more objective judge
• Stories may be difficult to capture, but you may get a shot that you like better than what you'd planned (the ring from the swing set)
• Pull back and enjoy the moment, see how it feels, then start shooting