Photographing Children

One of my favorite things to do--hands down--is take pictures. Up until about a year ago at Karen Russell's Photography Workshop, I had been using my Canon DSLR like an automatic point-and-shoot. That one class gave me the courage to push the boundaries of my own mind and delve into a whole new world.For starters, I stopped using the automatic setting on my camera. I started reading the manual (I know--but you can really learn a lot that way...) I started practicing two little things I learned in her class. And slowly, I became happier with my photos.
Don't get me wrong--I'm still a student of photography. In the past year, I've taken two more classes, and with each one, I've improved a little more each time.
One of the biggest things is to take lots of pictures. These shots of my dear friend's daughter are a few of over 200 photos. I took the time to survey my surroundings. I thought before I started snapping the shots, and took time to adjust my settings, whereas before I would have just kept snapping away, hoping to catch a few that were okay.
I let her play. I didn't interrupt her from doing what she was already doing. How many times have you stopped your own subject to ask them to pose? When she began to realize I was paying her some attention, she wanted to see the results in my camera. She got a real kick out of seeing the finished photo of herself in the viewfinder.
So I'd like to encourage you all to do the same. Take a leap doing something you want to learn. Whether it be a technique on the computer, using something new on a layout, or improving your photography skills--do it. You'll be so glad you did!!

And for those of you who have signed up for the photography workshop on Sunday with Jen Bueck and myself, don't forget your cameras & manuals!!

Have a wonderful weekend...