It's a jungle out here!

you never can tell

what kind of wildlife you'll find

in a Gulf Coast yard

peacock's perch

What's the only thing more photogenic than a live oak tree? A live oak tree with a peacock in it, of course! I took this picture back in April at Rip Van Winkle Gardens and just added it to my etsy shop last night after a bit of editing. Check out the before and after. :)

textful textures

I've been getting (free!) textures in my inbox from Kim Klassen for a while and had some fun playing with them last night. What do you think?

I

waiting

This is one of my favorite pictures from my Hawaii trip, even though it's not particularly Hawaiian. When I first spotted this lady, her head was facing straight ahead. She seemed to be just enjoying the scenery, taking it all in... just being. It was a very peaceful scene, as are most of the ones I capture with my camera. But I must say I'm glad she turned her head to the side. It changes everything, don't you think? Now she's not completely content; she's alert, waiting, wondering, anticipating. This image is more like an inhale than an exhale, more like potential energy than kinetic.  And I like it.

What do you think she's waiting for?

It's a boy!

No, I'm not having a baby. But I do have exciting news. I had a great photography opportunity the other day. My dear friends, Mary and Brandon, are expecting a baby (in just a couple of weeks!) and wanted some maternity shots so they could remember this special time. They asked me to do it, I was really happy to oblige. I have wanted to try my hand at portrait photography for a long, long time. Even longer than I've wanted to be a therapist, actually (that's my real job.) It always made me nervous, though. My normal photography routine involves being alone (usually) and wandering around aimlessly with no pressure, no deadlines, and no particular audience in mind... so taking pictures of PEOPLE who have expectations about the result and a particular purpose for the photos is quite a different story. What better way to experiment with that than with super nice people who I know and love and who constantly encourage me? It was perfect. I had SO much fun. I was sad when it was over and wish I could do it again and again. And that's a good thing to know about myself.

It was definitely a learning experience, too. Because these pictures had so much more purpose than any I've ever taken, I scrutinized them a LOT. I looked at each and every one very carefully and recognized about 25 things I wish I had done differently, or more, or less. That sounds kind of "duh," but it was new for me. I don't usually do that with my photos. I pick out the ones I like, edit them to make them better, and pretty much ignore the rest. I focus on the positive. I don't always take criticism well, even from myself, but I got a lot of good self-criticism practice this go 'round. It was uncomfortable, but it also sort of felt good. Like soreness after a good workout. No pain, no gain, right?  I don't know if or when I will be able to do something like this again, but I will be prepared with the knowledge that I couldn't have gotten without this experience, and I'm grateful for that. And excited about what might come of it.

But for now, what came of it is a bunch of pictures of Mary, Brandon, and (almost) Lawson. Here are a few of the ones I like. :)

What do you think? (Remember, I'm practicing taking criticism--bring it on! ;))

palm trees

palm trees--whether in

black and white or in color--

make me feel relaxed

edited aloha

I returned about a week ago from a trip to Hawaii. I had been looking forward to it for a long time, especially to the photo-taking opportunities. The trip was fun, but my pictures weren't as good as I'd hoped, partly because of the weather while we were there, perhaps. When I first saw them, I wasn't very pleased with what I'd captured. But I'm learning that art--even photography--is sometimes more about creating than capturing, and that's where some good editing comes in. It takes some patience and out-of-the-box thinking, but it pays off, I think. Check out the before...

And after!

Perhaps any picture can be good if you just find the right crop. What do you think?