Foto Friday

It has been a while since my camera has been out of its case. Since I am now obsessed with Pinterest, I decided to spend some time today taking photos of some of my favorite things around my house. You can see them here, and on my Pinterest boards if you want to follow me there!

My Favorite Chair

My Favorite Table Art: WoodLucker’s mechanical picture Joy Diver. When you push a small lever, the word “Joy” appears in the coral.

My Favorite Rug

My Favorite Retreat: My Shower! I love seeing the tree’s shadow change through the seasons.

My Favorite Bench

My Favorite Jonathan Adler Lamp

What are some of your favorite things?

Are you on Pinterest? Or should I ask…are you obsessed with Pinterest like me???

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Life’s Hard Questions

Do you have your own questions? Go to Tiny Buddha and submit your photo and question by mid January for a chance to win a camera. I know some of you out there are photographers!

I added my words and reduced the file size using Picnik.com – it is free and EASY to use.

This project would be a great one to do with an older child, wouldn’t it? Kids are so authentic and honest. I can only imagine what mine would come up with…

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Get off Your Green Box

50mm f/1.4 lens; Manual Mode: iso 200, f/2.5, shutter 1/320

I owned my Canon Rebel T1 for about a year and never moved off the green box.

You know what I’m talking about?

That little camera setting that magically does everything for you?

Tamron 70-300MM leans; Manual Mode:  ISO 400, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/500 shutter

Then I bravely moved to the other basic automatic settings. I didn’t know what the little pictures meant, but felt cool having my camera on the running man image when I took photos of my kids playing.

Picture of my garden? Surely all I needed to do was put my setting on the little flower image.

Wasn’t that why I paid $700 for this camera – so I didn’t need to learn anything new? I thought that’s what the big bucks were for. It was supposed to do it all for me. Then why the hell were my photos so B–A–D?

Finally, last April, I couldn’t stand producing another eye sore and signed up to take my first photography class.

I was hoping it would go better than the time I decided to take a painting class and realized. Ummm. I don’t like painting. And those million dollar paintings that we all think we could do? Nope. Not a chance. I couldn’t even paint a road.

50 mm f/1.4 lens; Manual Mode: ISO 1600, f/9, shutter 1/320

With my modern art painting career over, why not photography? Life is all about Creating. Experimenting. Learning. Failing. Trying.

That first photography class was like witnessing the resurrection.  What seemed like and impossible miracle happened right before my eyes:  I was perfectly capable of understanding these alien camera symbols.  Horray for me.  I am not dumb.

Tamron 70-300mm; Manual Mode: ISO 400, 300M, f/5.6, shutter 1/500

I know I need to get better. I keep working at it.

So this weekend, I took my second photography class. Both classes I found in Groupon.  Have you used Groupons before?  Awesome.

The class was AMAZING.  We spent two hours at the park, playing and learning.

50mm lens; Manual Mode:  ISO 100, f/2.5, 1/1000 shutter

From close-up details to capturing movement. We did it all. And it was all completely off the green box.

As I was walking around on that beautiful day I realized that it’s easy to get stuck on the green box. Automatic mode. Comfortable. Safe. But often BORING and LAME.

There is so much more to experience and learn. Too many amazing opportunities to let yourself be satisfied with familiar or average.

Honestly, friends, if I can tackle aperture, you can get off your butt green box and try something new.

(Just add that to your already overwhelming Fall, why don’t you…)

50mm f/1.4 lens; Manual Mode:  ISO 400, f7.1, shutter 1/500

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