Exposure practice 4/12/08

My 2 best from a practice session yesterday. Metered for their skin, which I'm having more luck with than using the gray card, though I'm not sure why.

Exposure practice 4/6/08

Metered for gray card.

Overexposed- there's some loss of detail on the right side of her face


Adjusted in ACR to have 1/3 stop less exposure, resulting in good exposure.


So much to learn.

An Introduction

I've dreamed for years of taking beautiful pictures. I've read photo magazines and even taken a few classes, though the dream often got pushed to the background to make room for the rest of life. With the birth of my children and the finalizing of the 12 long years in pursuit of my husband becoming an anesthesiologist, that dream has become something I can't push to the background any longer.

It's my turn to pursue my dream. I dream of beautiful images that capture the pure joy of play in a child. I dream of ones that capture the impish-ness, the life, the beauty and hope they represent for the future. I look at images that make me tear up because they stir something in my soul and I want to take pictures like that. For me, a well done portrait is art, pure and simple. It isn't a relaxing endeavor by any means. As I start this concerted and organized process of learning the technical, then aesthetic aspects of portrait photography, it is maddeningly frustrating. I want to be that good already and I'm not. At the same time, it is deeply satisfying to be pursuing the dream I've had for so long.

Welcome to my journey.