February's Picture Perfect Project

Can it already be the second Thursday of the month and the second Picture Project Link Up? As you will recall I made the goal to learn how to use my DSLR camera and have a photo shoot of Baby J each week to document her growth.

How have I done? Well I still have not read lesson 2 on the online photography class I signed up for. It is a good thing it is a self-paced class and I have all the time in the world to complete. So I really do not have any new skills to showcase for you. These are lucky captures and thanks to a camera that reminds me that if I learned to actually use it would really blow my socks off since it is actually quite good without me already.

I also have a confession to make. I only managed a photo shoot of Baby J in weeks 3 and 5.

Here are weeks 3 and 5

How cute is that little tongue poking out?

How terrible am I for not having a one month photo shoot!! I over thought week 4. In my mind I had this idea of what I wanted to do and then baby J and I never left the house to go get the supplies I had in  mind and before I knew it we were in week 5. Time goes by so quickly with a new baby!

Join me again on the second Thursday of the month for my next photography link-up. Hopefully I will have a perfect score to showcase weeks 6-8 and actually learn a new skill or two with those photography lessons I paid for!

Check out my fellow photographers in this link up by clicking on the link below.

The Picture Perfect Project Linkup

I was excited to learn of a year long monthly link-up hosted by some fabulous ladies that involved photography. One of my goals for 2016 is to learn how to use my DSLR camera. L bought me a camera for my birthday last year and still it befuddles me. I thought by linking up with some other bloggers I might glean some tips and also stay motivated to continue to learn.

I have signed up for an online photography course that I will share more about as I learn some new skills. So far I have yet to dive into the online course and have only read the first lesson which involved a number of photography terms. I also hope to learn photoshop because I think with editing some of my almost great photos could be fabulous.

Early in my pregnancy I booked a professional photographer to take newborn photos...but then we decided to have the baby in MJ so I had to cancel my session with the photographer. I did not want to drive 3+ hours in the first week of my baby's life just to have a newborn photo session. I investigated hiring a local MJ photographer but was not crazy about paying $125 for the sitting fee plus a minimum of $500 and up for the digital files following for a photographer who's style I was not crazy about. While initially I was a little disappointed because I realize the newborn stage is so fleeting I decided that I would wait until baby J was 6 months to fly home and have my friend who is an amazing photograper take photos. So this is all to say that I thought maybe I would try taking newborn photos on my own.

I have a newfounded respect for newborn photographers. Babies are squirmy! I wanted to take those cute newborn photos where when the baby is naked you can position their hands and toes. The problem was Baby J as soon as one decides to change her outfit she wakes up and waves her arms and legs in pure excitement. Baby J loves having her photos taken actually. She doesn't get all fussy and so I also get to count it as her wake time because she has lots of fun moving and groving. She loves to pose. Unfortunately I do not have the greatest skills yet to capture all these poses in a flattering way.

So I decided for my link-up to have a mini photo session at least once a week and try to at least achieve one or two photos each week that would make my DSLR proud and hopefully by the end of the year I will have some great photos and also have learned a few things along the way. Also hopefully by the end of this year I will have more than one or two photos from each photo session that will be fabulous! Check back the second Thursday of each month to see Baby J in photos and my progress towards becoming a stellar photographer.

So here is Baby J at one week old and two weeks old. Baby J came along conveniently for the start of this 52 week project.

Baby J One Week Old Photo Session Favorite Photo:

Baby J Two Week Old Photo Session Favorite Photo:

I was very excited in week 2 to discover which window creates the best light for photography in my house. 

Is developing your skills as a photographer an interest of yours? If you would like to join this monthly photo challenge link up click on the link below. The idea is to challenge yourself to take more photos, however that may look for you, and link up on the second Thursday of the month.

Starting today!

If you missed out on this month it is never to late to join!

Grab your camera and start clicking.

Or click on the link below to visit other bloggers who have linked up and see what photography skills they are learning.

Winter Weather?

Can this be winter? It is January 24th today. I had to go for a walk today to enjoy the unseasonally warm weather of 12 degrees Celsius.

Oh...I also got a new camera and lightroom5 which could account for the vibrant editing.  L bought me a Canon Rebel EOS SL1 for my birthday. I love it! It is so much fun! I have been trying to learn all of the features and so far have only really figured out where some of the nobs and buttons are.

For instance...there were these three greyhounds that were racing. It was fascinating to watch...but I had the settings all wrong and they are only small little dots. Someday I will be able to capture unexpected moments like this and they will actually look like greyhounds racing.

This is also the off leash dog park. Sometimes it makes me nervous. I wish I was not as nervous around big dogs.  Then there was this dog. Such a lovely dog.  I was hurrying along the path to get a good shot of him but in the end he turned. My sky is a funny shade of turquoise near the tree line. 

Here are a few more fun shots. I love to go for walks.

I think I was thinking it was such a beautiful day that I gave my photos quite the vibrant glow in lightroom. I want to learn lightroom also. For now I am trying things but not really knowing why or how they do what they do. 

The sun was setting by the time I made it back up the hill.