Challenge!

1. You can join in on this challenge at any time! You don't even have to participate every week, we all know how life can be sometimes.
2. Please make sure you are linking directly to your specific Challenge! post in Mr. Linky. It makes it much easier for those who are looking for your picture.
3. If at all possible please post a new picture. The goal of Challenge! is to get out, get creative and try new things. Challenge yourself!
4. Take a moment and visit other participants entries, we all love the feedback!
5. There is no limit to the number of pictures you can put in your post.

Next week is Easter so keep your camera handy all weekend!

Challenge! Movement

Movement!

April Challenges

I thought I would plan out the next months challenges in advance this time.

April 3 Movement
April 10 Negative Space
April 17 Easter
April 24 Words/letters

Feel free to link to this blog when you post your weeks pictures. Everyone is welcome.

Challenge! Contrast

Contrast

I love the dark eye lashes against his perfect cheek.

Post a comment letting us know you are participating this week!

Photography to Me

I love pictures. I always have. Santa brought me a Kodak 110 camera when I was 9. It was purple. Heaven's my parents must have spent a fortune on film and developing. I never did take photography in High School. I took lots of other art classes, but photography did not fit into my schedule. I did earn my photography badge in Girl Scouts though. I still have the pictures from the B&W roll I took and then developed in the HS lab. some of them are really cool. Others? Yea not so much.

I love how a picture can freeze a moment. With a picture I can take that time and hold it forever. One of my favorite pictures is of Mallory and Courtney when they were 4 and 2. Mallory has a mischievous grin and Courtney is leaned forward laughing. I can still hear her giggle when I see it. The gal at Sears wanted to retake the picture because it wasn't a "perfect"shot. To me it was.

From these challenges I personally want to expand my horizons. I want an outlet, to give myself permission to take the time to do something I love. I want to challenge myself to think creatively. I want to learn and practice my craft better.

And I want to make sure I don't miss out on a single moment.

The Challenge that wasn't

So last week I promised I would have my photo up soon and then never did. I'm sorry. I really meant to get it up, but I attended the funeral of a dear friend that morning and the rest of the day I felt nothing like posting. The funeral was as lovely as one can be. I did take some group photos of the scouts that came to honor him, but they are really to personal to share. I may have taken them, but I don't feel they really belong to me.

I am so happy that so many of you posted your photos despite my deficient hosting. I completely neglected to provide another challenge.

This week share with me (and the other contributors) what photography means to you.
Why do you like photography? What is your favorite picture you have taken? Do you have a favorite by someone else? What do you hope to gain from participating in Challenges? Use these questions as a jumping off point, or just answer one of them. I'm easy going like that.

Next week:
Contrast

I'm going to leave the Mr. Linky off this week, I think for the # of people we have participating comments seem more personal.

Challenge~Group

I am really really excited to see what group shots you have taken this week!

I'll have my group shot up later today, but wanted to get the post up ASAP for you early birds.

Challenge! Close Up

I love how the ice seems to be hanging on. Almost as if even the ice knows spring is coming.

I originally pictured this in black and white, but after converting it found that I liked the color one much better.

Leave a link and a comment with yours. I can't wait to see them.

Next week:

Group
bunch, herd, arrangement, gang-up, people, gather, organize, crew
noun or verb, your pick

Blue challenge: Update

I feel like a blockhead. I took this picture last week when I was taking George's portraits. I loved the blue sky behind the leaf buds. I had totally forgotten about it until just now. I'm going to post it with no touch ups or anything so that I can get it up quickly.

I am so unbelievably happy to have friends join my harebrained challenges!

Challenge! Blue

Foiled by my own plans!

I thought that the theme Blue would be easy. I had all sorts of plans for shots of beautiful blue skies, maybe some blue glassware, maybe even some baby blue eyes. The weather, time, tripod still in storage and a brown eyed baby in need of lots of loves conspired against that. I even tried to get some shots of the speckled blue tea kettle today as I heated up water for cocoa. I had one that I thought might be ok and photoshop crashed on me. I'll try to add it to the post later in the day. For now though the brown eyed baby has finally drifted off and I am going to follow her.

Share your Blue shots with me.

Next week

CLOSE UPS

Close Up Insperation

Now for a bit of inspiration for next week.


The 50 mm lens, a magical lens I do not own.

For point and shoot, really it does not take a DSLR to take great photos.

There is an e-how for everything

From Pioneer Woman, who really does love her macro lens

A bit more here, and here and here.

Friday Challenge

Portraits

Did you take any great portraits this week?



Next week will be

BLUE!
Let your imagination go.

Portraits Inspiration

Just a few quick articles I turned up looking for inspiration this week. Sorry I didn't get them posted sooner.

Tips for point and shoot portraits Here
10 great tips Here, this was by far my favorite. I really like the focus on doing things differently and getting an interesting perspective.
Another article Here, and Here.

I can't wait for Friday!

This weeks Challenge was Valentine. I decided to practice a bit of food photography.

Share your Valentines!

Next week:
Portraits

Of course I could not end with out a few shots of my all time favorite Valentine.
I think this is the one and only time she ever took a binky

Challenge!

This week was Symmetry

Friday is here! I have been looking forward to this all week.

In honor of Cowboy Poetry this last week I grabbed my kids boots and enjoyed the morning.

These don't exactly follow the Symmetry Challenge, but I like them anyways.

Did you take any Symmetrical photos this week? Share them!




Theme for the week of Feb 6-13 is

Valentine

This is a fun Challenge so let your creativity out.