Singer

by

Photography: #100DayProject—Almost There

As you may remember, I’m doing photography for the #100DayProject. This means, every single day for 100 days I’m out taking photos, editing them, and sharing them with my friends. In addition, I’ve started doing photography sessions for people I know. I’ve done three senior sessions, a family shoot, and several portraits.

I’m loving this! It feels like I’m understanding my camera more and more. I’m still battling with computer storage and editing, but those are getting easier too. I’m having fun experimenting with different lenses, playing around with color, and dabbling in street photography. I still have an editing class to take, but each session I’m learning something new. The project ends June 2, which means there’s still lots of images to take and skills to learn.

Here’s a ton of my best photos from the last few weeks. Let me know if you have a favorite (and I totally understand if viewing 40 photos is a bit much!) These appear in order of photos taken, not favorites. I thought you might like to see how each grouping was edited differently. Among these was my first photograph of lightening, some crazy macro bug shots from my yard, and some really cute animals.

Oh, and if you were curious if the egret’s had their babies…I think so? I was able to capture what looks like heron babies being fed in the nest (#33), but they are pretty large. A quick google search says they grow super fast, so maybe?

One more thing, at the last minute I added some photos I took yesterday (the ones I mentioned to you, Michael!)

Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28

#29

#30

#31

#32

#33

#34

#35

#36

#37

#38

#39

#40
  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using various lenses and edited with Lightroom Classic.
  • To follow Anna’s progress in the 100 Days. visit Little Bits of Thread
  • See what my friend Angelica’s doing for her 100 Days, visit Journal of a Wayward Writer
by

Photography: Women Are…

“A winner is a loser who tried one more time.
Not the smartest.
Not the fastest.
Just the one who didn’t stop.”
—George M. Moore Jr.

For the month of March, my model was my dear friend Penny. I met her in 2013 at the table read for the Listen to Your Mother stage show. We locked eyes across the table, and instantly connected. She possesses a warmth and kindness that allows her to make people feel profoundly seen, a rare gift. She’s a singer, writer, storyteller, caregiver, and one of my favorite people on the planet.

We met last week at the beautiful St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, where she sings as cantor. The space was gorgeous, and she was a natural at posing. We only had an hour to spend together because of our schedules, but we made the most of it. She trusted me fully, and I think it shows in the way she’s looking at the camera/me.

Penny normally doesn’t like her photo taken, but she said it was fun with me. And she loved the photos! That’s the whole point: helping my friend see her own beauty. Each time I do another shoot, my confidence grows and I’m learning more and more. I’m so grateful for this growth! Please, give her some love in the comments below and tell me what you think of this shoot. Do you have a favorite? Do you see improvement in the quality of these photos?

#1

#2

#3

What makes you proud?
For most of my life I have been able to do what I loved, what I was good at and things that made a difference on the planet. The fact that I usually also got paid was icing on the cake.

#4

#5

#6

What makes you feel brave?
I’ve been a family caregiver for over 30 years. If that didn’t break me, nothing will.

#7

#8

#9

What gives you hope?
Children. They are the future. The fact that God keeps sending them is a sign that He hasn’t given up on us yet. 

#10

#11

#12

Thank you to everyone who is cheering me on with my photography. I’ve been very focused on it lately, but I’m still writing. I’ll be sharing some words soon. Promise!

  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using a 14-150mm lens and edited with Lightroom Classic.