Photography Workshop Assignment

I'm doing something crazy - CRAZY! I've signed myself up for a photography workshop this upcoming weekend in Tacoma!

I know - it's CRAZY! I'm getting laid off and in these times, I don't know when I will get another job. Money is tough.... but something called me and told me that this is where I need to be.

I've been following a blog Me Ra Koh of an self-taught award winning wedding photographer for a couple of years now and love reading her blog everyday. She hosts beginning photography workshops where it supposedly goes way beyond just the photography aspect of it all and delves into confidence and creativity and all sorts of other areas.

I'm so excited I just can't hold it back anymore!

Our first assignment before the workshop was to take some photos of someone (friend, spouse, kid) where you take about 30 minutes to reveal their personality (and don't take too many shots - maybe about 20 pictures). My first thought was - OK, I can do this. Second thought was - 30 minutes is a long time for only ~20 pictures! We were to really try to capture their personality. We were to write down what came naturally and what was challenging.

Of course, I have my trusty subject Alex to help me out.

I buttered him up by taking him out to a restaurant on Sunday evening (while Lance was working) and we enjoyed a nice meal sitting outside watching all the people and cars go by. He just loves this! He shouts "Mama look - a Motorcycle!" or "Big Red Truck". Then I ask him if he would like to go on a hike to a river or go home. Guess what he chose???

We have a nice trail by our house that has a creek not too far away and a bridge. I thought about where I could do this shoot and this was definitely the place.

Here are the results of my workshop assignment:

I made him giggle!

Running - running everywhere

Playing with my lens cover and using it like a play camera - click click

Running again!

What I noticed that felt natural: I know his personality, he is easy to smile and laugh, always moving, I got on his level, I waited for moments to happen and was mostly able to capture special ones.

What I noticed was challenging: I realized after I looked at photos at home that I had forgotten about ISO and probably should have changed it a lot more, all the buttons, sometimes my focus point was wrong with a low aperture value and therefore the picture didn't come out the way I wanted, I realized that I needed more patience that I usually have with shooting and more time to just look around and take it all in.

Overall - I'm very excited about this upcoming weekend and looking forward to what may learn about myself. Pray for Daddy taking care of Alex ALL WEEKEND LONG! And thanks to him for supporting me in this CRAZY endeavor!

Remlinger Farms Birthday Party

This weekend we went to a birthday party and had such a blast! First it was over to Athena's house for cake and ice cream. Alex was very confused because it was Saturday and we were going to "Preschool house" and both Mama and Daddy were there! Not what he is used to! He kept on say - "No, No - go Birthday party - not Preschool house!" We told him that the birthday party was AT preschool house!

We sang Happy Birthday to Athena - who is now 4 years old! We had cake and ice cream and all the kids loved playing with the balloons.

Then it was off to Remlinger Farms - a big farm in Carnation that has too many things to do in one day - especially for a little 2 year old who still needs his nap! Alex rode on a tractor, got to ride a real steam powered choo-choo train that whistles and goes through a tunnel, ride a canoe, AND ride a PONY!

We had such a good time! We pushed Alex beyond his usual nap time and then he crashed. He slept from 3-5PM and then went to sleep at 8PM. Sunday he took a 3 hour nap, just to make up for some lost time.

L to R: Brandon, Alex, Isaac, Athena

Swing with Mama