Telling a Story

I've decided that my goal as the photographer in my family is to use my photos to tell stories. I've been trying to see the story through the lens, and sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I'm still working on it.

Which of these three photos is your favorite? I've been working on my editing skills as well, and I'm trying out a few things.

I love this first one, except for the ladder. The ladder is part of the story, since Micah was rotating from sitting under the tree with his book to climbing the ladder to get more altitude on the swing. But it seems a little distracting.

Then I moved the ladder and got a little closer. Better in black and white?

Or in color?

I struggle with seeing a shot and setting it up and then not having it translate well when I take the photo. I need more practice and maybe take another class or two. It's all a process.

So, which would you pick as the best of the three?

Now That's Something You Don't See Every Day

Do you see what I see?

Do you see it?

Can't tell what it is? Let's get closer.

My yoga studio is around the corner from the Arizona Museum of Natural History. This dinosaur has been moved off display, and all the dismembered pieces are on the back porch of the building. I don't know why I think this is so funny, but every time I drive by, I laugh out loud.

It looks like a scene out of Night at the Museum, and the pieces each come together at night and reassemble before he stomps down the street terrorizing the night scene in Mesa, AZ.

That's why you haven't heard about it. There is not night scene in Mesa, AZ.

Let's keep this guy our little secret.

Foto Friday--Blood Moon

I would have posted these earlier in the week, but with my internet down, and then with my computer infected with some sort of annoying malware, my picture processing capabilities have been sorely impeded.

I did take a few pictures of the eclipse, but I didn't put much thought into it. Using the camera was actually a bit of an afterthought. I attached my 70-400 mm only to use it as a telescope to see better. Huh. This telescope takes pictures, too? Great idea.

Since I hadn't prepared for photographing, I ended up putting my camera on 16000 ISO (yes, that's three 0s), 1/60 sec at 5.6. (Yes, these photos were taken without a tripod--handheld in the complete dark.) I love my 70-400 mm. That is a fantastic lens, even if it weighs 3.5-4 pounds (yes, that's pounds, people. Sheesh. Just believe me).

These photos aren't edited much from the original. I wish I'd taken some time to set up the tripod, think about ISO noise, and exposure. I think I could have snapped some phenomenal shots.

Then again, I wasn't too thrilled to be up in the middle of the night to begin with.

Spring Through Micah's Lens

I handed Micah my camera and asked him to take pictures of spring on our street--some up close and some far away. Then I sent him outside with Eve and without me to take some pictures. (Yes, my real camera. Yes, I was nervous. Yes, he was surprised.)

When he got home, I put them on the computer, and we spent some time editing out blurry pictures, talking about what worked and what didn't and why--with a little aperture and shutter speed and ISO thrown in.

I loved spending that time with him, me teaching him a little about photography and him teaching me a little about how he sees the world.

I picked a few of my favorites--favorite not because of the quality of the photo, necessarily, but favorite because I could see into his mind a little bit.  Remember, this is the first time he's ever had a camera in his hands.

He took this picture to show what spring doesn't look like.  I loved hearing how his mind worked.

This tree is in my neighbor's yard right across the street, and it's one of my favorite signs of spring, too.

Although this isn't a sign of spring, it certainly shows how much Evie loves being with her big brother.

This picture is really creative to me, even though it's blurry.  Micah attempted to take a picture of the reflection of the grapefruit tree in the lace-curtained window.  I never would have thought to do this.  A little practice and I may have another photog in the family.

This photo is a textbook art lesson--balance, symmetry, repetition, line.  I may have to go back to this spot and see it for myself through the lens.

And then this closeup of a statue . . .

Then I asked him to pick his three favorites.

He loved this picture of the sun.  He loved how the camera created rays and reflections and colors.  I had to explain to him how bad it can be to take direct pictures of the sun, but I'm glad he got this one.

He took lots of pictures of citrus and flowers.  Many were out of focus because I hadn't explained to him how to focus the camera.  This one, however, is perfect.  He told me he loves the bright flower color surrounded by all of the green.  Then he said, "This is close enough and clear enough that you could count the petals to see if this flower is a Fibonacci flower!"

This picture is both of our favorite.  He told me he took this picture to symbolize birds, but he couldn't successfully capture a bird, so he took a shot of their home.

Now he's itching to take the camera out again.  Maybe a present for his birthday?

I'm a little hesitant with the camera now.  Evie got into my camera bag last night and pushed a polishing cloth through my adapter mount and ruined it.  Sometimes I just wanna . . . . but then I don't.  Ya know what I mean?

If I'd Been Wearing Google Specs . . .

Ever wish your eyes were cameras so you could capture every single memorable moment in a day?

Yesterday began just this way.  I was on the treadmill in the basement when Evie joined me.  She set up a baby gate in front of us, pretended the rivets were buttons, and pretended she was running next to me.  She asked questions as we ran--"What number are you on, Mom?"  "Is your neck sweaty?  Mine is."  "Are you going to run even faster?"  "Are you winning?"  I wished I had my camera close, but I was running, dontcha know.

I decided that it would be a photo day--just for fun. Unremarkable in every way, except it was my day.

Evie played Angry Birds while I got ready.

We had a whole long list of errands to run--the bank, Brad's office, the camera store--but she had been waiting for our final stop--IKEA.  She's my girl, all right.

 She made pancakes and tea and waffles and dinner and played in this little display for fifteen minutes.  I wonder if people thought I was weird to photograph my kid playing in IKEA. She loved this display so much that the first thing out of her mouth when Daddy got home was, "Daddy, I love that little room SOOOOO much.  Can I have it?"

I may not have bought her an entire room, but I did spring for ice cream.  That counts for a few points, doesn't it?

 As I was driving Lily home from voice lessons, we spotted this sunset.

Why do pictures never do justice to sunsets?  It looked like this row of trees was on fire.

We had a Relief Society meeting for our ward last night where we stuffed these beautiful invitations. I can't wait to take my family through the new Gilbert temple.

In just a few days, the Gilbert temple will be open for free tours.  Anyone can attend until the building is dedicated on March 2nd.  For ticket reservations, click here.  For more information regarding LDS temples, click here, or email me with questions.  I'd be happy to answer them.

Images I wish I had captured from my day--

Lily giving me a spontaneous hug when she walked in the door after school. That never happens.


Hyrum trying to distinguish between dots and dashes as he pounded out Morse code on the dinner table.


75 degrees.  Yeah.  Sorry about that.  Kinda.  Let's talk in July, ok?  Then you can rub 115 in my face.

Wedding--Portrait Fail

On Tuesday, I told you that the only thing I wanted from the wedding was a family portrait.  Remember?

Well, I stretched the truth just a little.

What I really, really wanted was a family portrait and individual photos of each of my kids for my staircase frames.

After we had been hurriedly assembled for a family portrait, I tried to quickly shepherd each child to a semi-quiet corner for an individual shot.

I should know better than to try and hurry portraits.  It never works.  Ever. Some photos were worse than others.  Tucker's and Karli's was so bad that I don't even dare post it.  Let's just leave it as the great mystery from the day, shall we?

Some were fails.

Hyrum's was cute but blurry.  If I had had more than a few moments, I think this one could have been great.

 Ben's is a just miss.  He looks sleepy and unnatural.

It always takes Lily about fifteen shots before she relaxes into the camera and trusts me.  Unfortunately for Lily, I only had five shots, so she looks forced and posed.

The Brubaker family wasn't a complete fail.  In fact, it's actually quite cute, if you don't look for the top of Sam's head.  Bummer, because those kids--so cute, aren't they?

Two photos may actually make it onto the wall, if they can handle being blown up to 12x12.

Micah only sat for three shots, and all three of them looked just like this one. When did he grow up, can somebody tell me?

My favorite shot of the night has to be this one below.  Evie loved having her own flowers to hold, and flowers combined with a "princess dress" and "Rapunzel hair"--yeah.  Pretty perfect.

The main problem is that I waited too late in the night and had too little light to make these exactly what I wanted them to be.  I shot them at 800 ISO, so I know they won't blow up well, and they are a little muddy since it was so dark.

At least I tried.  Who knows when I'll get new ones. The pictures currently on my wall look like this:

Remember this blog header?  These are the pictures that are still hanging on my wall--three years old this Christmas.

Maybe at Christmastime I'll be able to corral the whole group again . . .

Early Morning Partner

I arose earlier than the rest of the house this morning to write to Tucker before the craziness of the day started.

I had been sitting at the computer for less than five minutes when Evie quietly slipped into the chair next to me.

The sun was coming up and its rays came in the window at just the perfect angle.  I grabbed my camera.

And just like that, the sun moved, the light changed, and the craziness that is Monday morning began.

Foto Friday--Art

Spring is so beautiful around here (and fleeting--we hit a record 95 degrees yesterday).

I used our peach tree as the subject for my final photography assignment.

One lesson I learned while completing this assignment  is that even though I envision a shot, capturing what I have envisioned is harder than it seems.

I tried to freeze a few of the bees (bees are kinda my theme this year, remember?), but it proved more difficult than I thought.

Then, it happened.

I got the bee shot.  I love how the bee is frozen during his approach to the flower.  I love the colors and the composition of this shot.

I also tried to use a reflector to highlight some of the shadows of the tree. Hyrum has been my reflector assistant during a few shoots, and he likes to find the correct angle for the light to reflect in the correct place.

Usually.

This day he was more interested in other things and wanted a reprieve from his indentured servitude, so I impulsively asked him to hold the board behind one of the branches so that he could move on to more exciting ventures.

And this is what I got from that impulse.

My favorite photo from the entire experience.

If you live locally, I would recommend Brandt's class wholeheartedly.  I look forward to improving my skills and evaluating light and composition every time the camera is in my hands.

Have a great weekend!  We will probably break another heat record today before it cools down a little bit.  Spring is definitely a teenage girl.

Photography Class--Angels and Angles

My friend Kara stopped by one day to evaluate a project of mine (don't you love friends who share your project disease?) and she offhandedly commented that the light from my north windows was absolutely perfect light for shooting in the mornings. I had no idea what she was talking about at the time, but after my lighting lesson, I could see what she saw--beautiful clear light streams through these windows. 

I set up a little photo shoot right by these windows and this is the subject I chose:

She sits much more still than any of my other kids and she doesn't complain when I take thirty minutes to find the perfect shot.

Here are a few of my favorites from that morning.

 I went up and down and all around, using every angle in that beautiful morning light.

 This last one was my favorite . . .

. . . until my other angel came over to investigate.

I can't wait to try this little studio with a real person--if I can get them to sit still, that is.

Photography Class--Music

The most valuable lesson from my photography class was about light--how to see it, how to manipulate it, how to use it to create images.  I don't find myself in situations where I can manipulate light very often, since most of my photos are taken when something funny happens or kids are participating in some random low-light activity.

I decided to manipulate a little light and see what I could come up with.

This was my initial image--trying to get the light just right on the keyboard.

And then, after two sessions on two different days of about fifteen minutes each of snapping pictures while Micah was practicing, here is the final image:

This exercise taught me what an impatient photographer I am and that it takes time and many attempts to capture just what you have envisioned.

I love how the light plays off Micah's buzzed head and skinny bare shoulders and the metronome to his right.  I love how the light highlights his hands and how the darkness removes all distraction.

This one's for you, Dave.  Thanks for your many hours teaching my little guy to love music.

And on a completely random unrelated note--I CANNOT WAIT FOR SURVIVOR TONIGHT!!!  The preview of Brandon pouring out everyone's rice really piqued my interest and raised my anger.  Who's with me on this one?

Photography Class--The Boys

Our final assignment in our photography class was to take a subject, and using all the principles of photography, find the best image for that subject.  I first tried my boys doing their homework after school.

This is not our calmest, nicest time of day, as you can imagine. This was my first image, just to set the stage to document the commotion I deal with daily.

Then I tried a few different angles.

 

Which one is your favorite and why?