Photography 101

Last month a Living Social deal came up for a Photography 101 and Photography 201 all day class. Since receiving my DSLR as my Mother's Day gift from my hubby last year I've been wanting to take a class. It seemed like every class I found we had a prior commitment that day. Also, up until a couple months ago Orion nursed every 2 hours during the day so being away from him for a whole day for a class was complicated. Now that he is getting older it is getting easier to do these type of things. 

Photography 101 was held in a University lecture room. The class went over all the basics: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. and how to find the controls on your camera. It was helpful but I'm a hands on learner so I don't think I really grasped the concepts until the afternoon photography 201 class which was outside and task oriented. The teacher gave us a photography assignment, we each spent some time completing that assignment, asking for help as needed, we then re-grouped and he assigned the next task. I liked this format except I was always the first one done. I like to do something, master it, and move on to the next thing.

I captured some decent shots and know SO much more about my camera and how to capture the shots I want. I still need to purchase Photoshop as these photos were all just edited in Picasa. I also need a camera bag so I can safely carry my camera and equipment without feeling like I'm going to break or drop my expensive camera. Right now I only have a 18-55mm lens so a future upgrade will be at least one longer range lens. Another thing I struggle with is juggling a wiggly baby and a DSLR camera which is bulky. Not sure that will get easier but maybe I'll get quicker at setting up the right shot.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the afternoon Photography 201 class:

The location of the Photography 201 class. The Swetsville Zoo is a sculpture garden made from recycled materials. Admission is free, it's local, and a neat place to check out.

 Working on lighting

More lighting 

 Working on focus

 Same shot, just different focus

More focus work

For this assignment we were supposed to take a shot of something and then get in close and take shots of all the parts of that item. Sometimes in the moment you can miss the detail shots which turn out to be some of the best shots.

 Up close

 More up close shots

Same sculpture

 Last one of this guy

 This assignment was framing. You were supposed to look for natural framing. I set the shot up to look down the center of the one part. Most of the day it was cloudy and excellent light for photography. At this point in the day the sun came out from behind the clouds and was blaring down. I never did get the light perfect. The bright sun washed the photo out a bit. This is why I decided to edit  it with focal black and white to take away some of the harshness of the bright sunlight.

Bird's nest inside one of the sculptures

Our last assignment is a shot that is hard to get but a fun one to practice. We were supposed to get a shot of a fast moving car (approximately 55 MPH) and capture the car but blur the background to emphasis the motion. The teacher even said you'll probably only get 2 good shots for every 10 you take but with digital you can take as many as you want without worrying.

 Another car zooming by

I can't wait to practice more now that I have the tools to become a better photographer. Not sure how much time I'll be able to devote to photography but I love taking pictures so why not take good pictures!

Almost One! Orion's 11 Month Update.

11 months old! In less than 3 weeks he'll turn one. I really can hardly believe it. This baby that I hoped for, longed for, and so patiently waited for, is not only here, he's going to be one year old. He's slowly becoming less of a baby and more of a toddler. We're definitely done having kids and this milestone feels like the end of an era, no more babies in the Brown house. On the positive side, the sleepless nights will someday be a thing of the past. The feeling of someone needing you and only you 24/7 will slowly become less and less. We still have many years of our household full of laughter and smiles and the special joy that only children can bring. Orion's almost one!

 I'll lay still mama but not for long!

 Waving "hi" and showing off my teeth

11 month old Orion is definitely on the move. He can stand for 10-15 seconds independently and does it throughout the day. He took his first independent steps 4/13/2013 and he hasn't looked back. He is regularly taking 2-3 steps all day long and sometimes takes as many as 5 at a time. When he's not taking steps alone he wants to walk all through the house holding on to one finger. With less than three weeks until his birthday I think it's safe to say he'll be walking by his first birthday.

Look at my ball

Yum! Tasty ball

His verbal and communication skills are also starting to take off. He clearly says: mom, dada, no no no, night night, and ball. He is starting to try to copy words you say. He also points and whines at things he wants and shakes his head "no". He is working on learning how to say: FiFi, Wynter, and Brennan. It seems like he is starting to call Brennan, bubba but it isn't consistent. He signs: milk, all done (about half the time), and has signed please and thank you a couple times. I am working on teaching him the signs for: eat, more, bath, sleep, and book.

Just relaxing

I love doing puzzles

Regardless of what he's learned. He sure is cute. This mama is planning a big celebration for his first birthday. Post and pictures to follow in a couple weeks. Until then if you head over to Pinterest you can peek at the Orion's birthday board and get a sneak peek. 

Easter Celebrations

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We had a nice time going to church, celebrating our Lord's resurrection, enjoyed a nice meal, and had a relaxing day with family. I wanted to share some photos from our Easter celebrations.

 Egg dyeing time!

 Cheeseburger smile!

 All the pretty colors

 Wynter checking out her loot

 Phoenix isn't sure she can reach the eggs

 Orion was checking out his Easter basket too

 Phoenix loves candy

 Phoenix's Easter bunny she colored at school

 Happy Easter!

Orion found some eggs too

 Orion dressed in his Easter best!

He loved his puppy book from the Easter bunny