A different way of looking at things...

You might know, or maybe you don't, that I like to take pretty pictures. I am still learning, there is always so much more to know, but I am better than I used to be and I suppose that is a good start. Anyway, so in this month's issue of Click, the print magazine for Clickin' Moms, there is a beautiful article on shooting to convert to black and white and it has the tips and perspectives of some of my favorite photographers.

This means that I am now super excited and very inspired to spend all of November working on Black and White photography. I like black and white and I can see when it works and have some sense of why it works but often it is not until after I look at an image and consider if it has the tone and texture that it needs. I would like to be able to look at my environment and consider the light and texture specifically for black and white.

I am not used to doing this and I think that challenging myself to take a photo specifically for black and white every single day will help me develop a set of skills that I have not yet flexed. So, today is November 1st which means it is my first and I think I will have to find something to shoot.

I think I should see if one of my boys will let me photograph him? More of the girls are willing than the boys. I have no idea why they hide more than the girls but almost all of them do. Well, except for Jack who loves to be photographed. He is thrilled to get out there and he follows direction well which is pretty rare for a child.

I am also keenly aware that there are many missed shots of some of those more camera shy children. I recently made a photo book for my mother's birthday and I am going to have it printed for my grandmother and my mother-in-law. It takes for-freaking-EVER to format a flipping photo book and ima get some mileage out of that one.

Having a challenge makes sure that I pick up my camera and the more I pick up my camera, the better I do. So, I need to pick up my camera. I might even do some more split tone like the one above which happens to be the BEST I have of my almost fifteen year old who usually needs to be chased and begged to photograph. I have no idea why. He has a fantastic smile. We will see where November takes me!