Practice Practice Practice

I'm still working on the whole camera thing, ya know - how to use it, when I get a chance.

Here are a couple fun photos that I really like. What I like is that these are the original images... nothing has been changed. Not that I often change anything on my photos and when I do it is just cropping. But there is something about these that I really like just the way they are. The train is in a glass case/kiosk at a local mall.
























I’ve often thought model trains were kind of cool and it is great fun to experience the excitement through my kids. They could really care less about "Thomas", but they love trains. Watching them move around the track is entrancing. There is a kiosk in the mall that has a pretty cool setup. Pump the machine with some money and the two levels of track go round and round captivating the younger audience.

My First Gig!

Today I got to attend a "photography" class. Basically, a class that was supposed to teach me how to use the semi complicated camera we own. Ya know, taking the camera off the auto setting.

This was one of my incredible birthday gifts from Carie and the kids. She thought I would enjoy it, called around and found some options, and enrolled me. She found a great option in Lincoln and thought the drive would be worth it. She was right! While I felt extremely guilty for leaving her alone with the kids for yet another day, I was thrilled to get to do this.

Over our lunch break we were given an assignment. A task to think about and incorporate some of the techniques he had taught that morning. So off I go to a local park that I was familiar with, a dog park. I'm trying to think about all the info from that morning, trying to not look like I was some psycho stalking dogs and their families, and all that stuff. In doing so I had made some small talk with some of the adults. I mentioned that I was taking a photography class and I was just practicing.

Before I knew it, one of the extremely nice ladies hollered over to me and says "I'll pay you to take a picture of my kid and dog". She was even trying to get people to stay out of my way. I said, I'd be happy to take a picture, but you don't need to pay me. So I snapped a few pictures and e-mailed one that I thought turned out pretty good. If I had time, or was at all thinking, or if the girl wasn't wearing shorts and freezing, and if the dog wasn't a total maniac and better yet the girl not afraid of the dog, I would have suggested posing near some better scenery. But as it was, this didn't really fulfill my lunch hour assignment. Heck, if I was really thinking I would have set the damn camera to AUTO.

But it works. I think she immediately thought that I've had weeks, if not months, of training. But in reality I was fresh off of 3 whole hours!

It will be interesting to see what she thinks. She's hoping to use it for their Christmas card.