My Blog

I didn’t start out to be a photographer, even though I have always thought myself a creative person. I did not even have a camera, or at least not a reliable one, during the years we were raising our four children. Most of the photos of my children during their growing up years were taken by friends, neighbors and family. In 1996, when my husband, Terry, retired from the Navy and our four children were at a more independent age, (5-16 years) I started looking for a hobby. I began putting together photo albums and journaling our family's story. In our 18 years of marriage, we had moved 15 times and lived in 5 states. These years needed to be chronicled and pieced together, as I knew things would be a little disjointed for at least the youngest two children. Welcome to my journey into the world of professional photography! Check in each day with your morning cup-o-joe as this story unfolds with a photo a day and some tips and tricks to help you on your own journey into photography. Enjoy . . . Please sign my guestbook.

This photo of a sunrise was taken from the balcony of my cousin, Shari's home on Lake Lanier, in Cumming, Georgia.

This February day the sun rose in a beautiful blaze of color, fortelling the preminition of "red sky in morning, sailors take warning" style. By sun set, 6 inches of snow had decended on this very winter-spoiled southern region, forcing a shut down of even the major highways.

Tip: To make your sun-rise, or sun-set "POP"

1. set your camera to "Aperture Priority" with an aperture of say 5.6, hold the shutter halfway to read what your camera's light meter has chosen to properly expose the picture.

2. Swtich to "Manual Mode" with the same aperture setting and set your exposure to double the number your camera chose, thus under-exposing your shot.

3. Then in post production you can brighten it just a little if needed.
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Kids! They sure surprise you sometimes. (More on that later)

How do you untangle years of wondering? There was story to tell but it was locked in boxes of photographs. I spent hours, days, and eventually years sorting my story-photos and in the end the pages of my albums were filled not only with photographs but narration added to each carefully constructed page. Even then I don’t think I had grasped the impact organizing a lifetime of photos would have on my family, until I finished the first volume of my then 16 year old son, Dominic’s life story. He sat with the album on his lap, and carefully poured over each page, reading every word I had written. When he finished, he looked up and said, Thank you mom. Now when I meet the girl I am going to marry, she will be able to know all about me. I was thrilled. This project had been important to me but through his eyes, I saw a different perspective..

Kids! They try your patience. They worry you to death. You’re just sure they don’t hear a word you say to them. Sometimes they sure surprise you. . . And sometimes they inspire you.

This photo is an example of a perspective change.also. It reminds me of something I have to keep reminding myself.

"Stop before you shoot that photograph and notice the surroundings."

What is behind and surrounding the subject of your photograph? Will the telephone poll several yards behind the person posing for you look like it's growing out of their head?

Beyond this tree branch, and just out of focus is a red barn. I think it adds quite a lot of color and interest to the photo. If I took the photo from the top looking down, the green grass would have set the tone. If I would have shot it from under the branch, it would have been the blue sky. I am glad I took the time to get just the right angle, as this is probably my most commented on photo.
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A year or two later, it was time for Dominic’s senior photos. We were amazed at how expensive a professional photographer seemed to be so I decided I would try my hand at it. I borrowed a camera, (For those who care, it happened to be a Nikon N50), and some studio lights and a little advice from a friend. I bought 10 rolls of film and after about 2 hours of shooting, I was fairly certain we would be able to find at least one good photo in the bunch for the yearbook. To my surprise, there was more than one. In fact, there was more than a few. I had been bitten by the bug.

Funny. Things don’t always end up the way they start out. The most important thing I can take away from my first “Senior Portrait” experience is that I took “camera in hand” and did it. The law of averages was on my side. I felt I had nothing to lose. In fact, the price of the film was the only thing I had to lose. Things have changed a bit since then. Film is a thing of the past. Almost everyone has a digital camera even if it’s attached to a phone. Now there is literally nothing to lose.

My photo tip today is:
“Camera in hand”.

Take more pictures! Go out today and snap away. You have literally nothing to lose and only something to gain. Take your camera with you today. LOOK at the world through your camera's eye and photograph everything in sight. Pick the best of the bunch and post it on the WrenPhoto Group page on facebook. Don’t forget to tell the story along with it.
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