will be needing guinea pigs

I've hesitated to blog about this, for many reasons, but just to name a few:

1. I live in Utah..there are THOUSANDS here already.
2. I'm just beginning. It's always hard to start something new and get it out there because you're amateur and you feel it.
3. I don't want to be labeled as "following the Utah Valley crowd"..maybe one day we'll move...maybe. ha.

BBBBBUUUUUUTTTTTT

I'm studying Photography... and I. LOVE. IT. I don't know why I didn't start sooner or try to get a degree in it. As many of my friends/family know I have been a picture taker nut, growing up. I blame it all on my mom:) (love you mom) We have thousands, no maybe MILLIONS of pictures of us growing up, and continuing on today. I fell in line and now have THOUSANDS, and I'm not even exaggerating, of pictures just from my 5 years at college. So I've always loved taking pictures, but never learned the nitty grittys about how to make your photos good. I loved catching moments in time. I guess you could say I kept a journal by taking pictures. Then I met Seth. He's not a picture taker freak like I grew up being. Neither is his family. So naturally, the personality that I have, felt shy/embarrassed to whip out my camera every five minutes to capture something. Resulting in not many pictures of our first year of marriage together.
But when I was in the hospital after having Warren, Seth left with my dad to go do some shopping for baby things. My birthday was also the next day, so I thought "baby things" was code for "birthday things". Well at least I hoped, as we all do, right? Let's just say that Seth and my family grew up differently how we celebrated birthdays and I wasn't getting my hopes up this year ;) Long story short, I came home from the hospital on my birthday and we had a little singing before we were to leave to go hold/see Warren for my first time. Seth whips out this wrapped box, I open it and it was the most surprised I have EVER been for a b-day present. He had gone out and bought me an SLR camera!!! (Seth doesnt have many pictures of him growing up and told me he didnt want Warren to now have any) Now I just need to save up for some good lenses.

I had thrown around wanting to go into photography a few times with him, but knew it wouldnt be possible for a while being newly wed and knowing how stuff can be spendy. Seth was always catching me looking at photog blogs. "What is it that you're looking at all the time on blogs?" "Photographers pictures, i LOVE pictures." my favs are Jenny Wheeler & Natalie Norton
A couple days before he went shopping he slyly asked if I still would ever still like to actually like to do photography, I of course said yes and we kept driving, I didn't think anything of it.

Another Long story short, I wanted to find a class/workshop here close to where I live. But when I was home visiting my sis's fam. she had told me about a school that sends you the material and you can do it at your own leisure. I got excited. Asked Seth. After a while, he said yes. I enrolled, got my first unit about 2 weeks ago and can't put it down!

Truth be told, my older sister, Shanae, is the main one who really inspired me by the pictures she was taking. (go ahead, click on 'taking', you know you want to) I was green with envy, ok so maybe that sounds like I secretly was jealous in a bad way. but no, I wanted to be like her. I've always wanted to be like her. I dunno if she's ever known that but it's true, nae. :)

Anyhow...my journey has begun. I still love taking pictures, and I'm slowly learning how the pros make them magical.

Soooooooooo. If anyone is brave enough to volunteer themselves or their family, or dog, or child, or whatever, I need me some practice. Hence the guinea pig title. Leave a comment and we'll be in touch!!
I LOVE my lil guy and just think he's the cutest ever and love taking pictures of him, but you know, I need a little variety:) A site is in the making, so therefore my practicing is documented here for now.

and lastly, this is one quote from many, that I think says it all for me.

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." -Dorothea Lange

Just a few photos from my first "Photo Project" from the school.

Miranda was my beautiful model:)

Selective Focus to make subject stand out
(for some reason it's cutting off my horizontal photos)(( insert angry eyes here))




Frozen motion.



Express a sense of motion or speed