Lost in Photoland

Since Jeff got me a camera for my birthday two years ago, photography has become a hobby and now, somewhat of a passion. I LOVE taking photos of my own family, and snap pictures whenever I can get away with it. And a couple weeks ago I decided to take it a step further and take some photos for a friend. Since then, I've been taking photos like crazy (well, a little more than before), and everywhere I go, I find myself looking at areas around me and analyzing their photo potential. It's been fun. So, here is a peek at what I've been up to the last couple of weeks...

It all started with this flower patch. I pass it often on the jogging trail near my house, and awhile back I had talked to my friend Kirsten about taking pictures of her daughter, Lorelei, and this seemed like the pefect place to try it out.

Next up was Colton. I hadn't gotten around to taking his two-year photos, so I took him to the flower patch. It wasn't quite the same as with a girl (he'd be more suited for the train station or a football field), but his pictures turned out really sweet, and he and I had fun playing in the field.This past weekend a friend was in town for a wedding and was interested in having some pictures taken of her (almost) 6-month old daughter, Brooke. I had a lot of fun taking these photos. She was such a sweet baby, and the lighting was just right. I was really happy with the way these came out.After taking Brooke's photos, Jeff and I and the kids headed to a concert in the park with our friends' band as the main act. We got to meet our friends' new baby, Lilah. Her daddy was singing in the band, but she and mommy were in the crowd cheering him on. Next up - my kids! Because I just don't take their pictures often enough - haha. Actually I've been needing new portraits of the boys - the ones on my wall are pretty outdated now. So, as I mentioned, when I look at the things around me now, I find myself judging them as potential photo spots. I had been eyeing this spot right around the corner from the end of my street - an iron fence with bushes behind it and stone columns in between. I know, not that exciting, but I thought it could be pretty so we all walked over there and tried it out. It was nice, but my favorite pictures of the evening ended up being taken right in our backyard (first set of pictures below).

I don't know what's next, but I want to keep going. The more I do this, the more I love it, and the better I feel about it. I am still learning all the time, and some days I feel discouraged, like I have so much to learn, and some days I feel like I've come a long way. I can't wait to pick up my camera again. I already have a few good spots in mind!