Posted on

PMP #1: Eye Power

Welcome to Practice Makes Perfect, ToadMama Edition. Or PMP, for short. My new, weekly, photo challenge.

Daughter, Shannon, inspired this challenge when she asked me for some photography practice tips. First, I tried wracking my brain for ideas. I got nothing. Then, I did a Web search for “photography practice tips” or something like that. That’s how I found this post, which has quite a few (40!) good ideas. I actually used a modified version of one of that author’s ideas for our first challenge. (I suspect I may be borrowing some more of those tips to use later on.)

But first, the PMP GUIDELINES:

1.  Have fun.

2.  Anyone can join. No demerits will be issued if you miss a week or ten.

3.  Photos you share must be captured specifically for the challenge. That means you can’t use old images or even a recent capture that accidentally fits the theme. This “challenge” is not a contest. The primary goal is to get you taking more pictures. Other objectives are to get you thinking about making good photographs, learn how to use your cameras various settings and lenses (if you have a DSLR), learn basic photographic techniques that anyone can employ (framing, composition, etc.).

4.  When sharing, link directly to your post or album (not your main blog URL, not your main Google Photos or Flickr feed, etc. I reserve the right to delete improper links.

5.  You MUST link back to or share the address for my PMP page, to the current week’s post, or both.

6.  I strongly encourage you to look at and comment on the work other participants choose to share. Who knows, you might make some new, like-minded friends.

7.  Have fun. (Yes, repeating this rule was intentional. If you think of this as a chore, you might be wasting your time. Of course, it could start out as a chore then morph into something you look forward to and maybe even love!)

For now, I think Sunday morning is a good day to target for sharing. I’ll create a new PMP post on that day. Participants can add comments to that post sharing a link to their images.

That’s it for now. Lets just get started with the theme for this week…

Eye Power

Personally, I hate having my picture taken. I’m not sure why. And since I have been working on NOT always going down a rabbit hole to figure out the reason behind anything and everything, I will leave it at that. I don’t care why, I just know that I typically freeze when people ask me to pose for pictures.

I am definitely more-comfortable behind the camera than in front of the thing. That’s true for a lot of people, actually. So, how do you avoid the ole, very unnatural, deer-in-the-headlights stare? Shoot candids. (For the sake of speed, or perhaps a little Saturday morning laziness, I’ll rely on Wikipedia to explain what is meant by candid photography.)

The author of the PetaPixel post I referred to earlier said…

If I’m shooting candidly, I will get close to my subject, and take multiple photos, until they notice my presence. Then I wait for them to notice me, and then I take a photograph when they make contact. Then when I go home, I have the decision of choosing between two version of a photo: one with eye contact, and one without. Sometimes eye contact works better, sometimes it doesn’t.

Sometimes, eye contact is good. Sometimes, it isn’t. It depends on what mood or tone you are going for. If your main goal is just a nice photo of someone you love, have them sit and pose for a portrait. If you want a more-powerful image, have them get comfortable doing something they love and shoot them from a bunch of different angles. Have them look at the camera sometimes and then look away.

Be creative. Your “someone” could be a hated neighbor (captured from a safe distance, of course), significant other, your pet, the cow who lives across the street… whatever. Just experiment and see what you end up with.

I look forward to seeing the results. Happy shooting!

Posted on

Practice Makes Perfect

Our eldest daughter, Shannon, got a new camera for her 40th birthday. I won’t tell you how many years ago that was. Like many folks, she’s typically short on spare time, so she hasn’t spent much time figuring out how to use the thing. She’s got a very good natural eye for composition, so she’s able to make good photos with it already.

Shannon’s Terrarium

She sent me that snapshot of her new terrarium the other day. That’s just one recent example of her work. If you’d like to see some of her other stuff, check out her Instagram feed.

I think y’all will agree she’s pretty good already, but she wants to get better. And she wants to learn how to better use the features of the fancy DSLR her husband, Chris, surprised her with.

She asked me for some ideas for practice she could use while still quarantined in her home. It reminded me of a weekly photo challenge I did with some other bloggers years back. Basically, there was a weekly theme. Everyone (there was a relatively small group of bloggers who participated) had seven days to capture images to illustrate how they interpreted the theme. It was fun.

Who couldn’t use a bit of fun and inspiration during the COVID-19 lockdown?

That being said, I am going to start hosting a weekly photo challenge. Once Shannon and I agree on a good name, I’ll come up with some rules and post the first challenge. I’m hoping some of you will want to participate, too. You can either post your entries on your blog, or Instagram, or Google Photos… wherever you want. All you’ll need to do is share a link to your pics each week when you are ready.

The rules will be simple. Trust me.

Think about it. More info to come soon.

Posted on

I Survived!

At first I was afraid, I was petrified…

Why?

I went back to work on Tuesday.

I’m not going to lie, I really was terrified. The first day was the hardest. But I made it.

Day two was easier. Day three, easier still. And so on.

I’m only four days in, but I am more hopeful now than I have been for a long time. Which is a good thing, right?

The best part? I can be happy and excited about Fridays again!

Posted on

As Seen in Warrenton

We have had such delightful weather lately. I have taken a ton of pictures, believe it or not, and even a few videos. Since so many people are shut-ins these days, I thought I might as well share some of the pretty images I have captured.

Those who are interested can visit my Google Photos album, Warrenton, VA, Spring 2020.

I’m also sharing a few of my favorites here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I apparently have a thing for flowers and/or flowering trees. Maybe it’s just the colors. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. I just hope y’all find a little bit of beauty in and enjoy looking at the images I captured.

Stay safe and well, friends.

Posted on

Pretty in Pink

Pink Dogwood in nearby yard.

Yesterday, I ventured out into the world for provisions. I wore a mask and rubber gloves when I went into the doctor’s office to pick up a written prescription. I did not wear the gloves in all of the stores, but I did keep the mask on. I still stayed away from people, sanitized carts and hands, washed hands when I got home, etc.

As far as shopping goes, Costco seems to have things most under control (compared to other establishments). As much as they can, anyway. It was an awesome experience. They are limiting the number of people who can go in at any one time, spraying all of the carts with disinfectant before people can take them inside, making sure social distancing guidelines are being followed, limiting quantities on items people have been hoarding, etc.

I could only buy one bag of flour, but it was a 25-pound (just under 12 kg) bag!

I admit, being out and around people was creepy. Lots of folks are wearing masks now. There are still some who are not. Social distancing was being followed, which means the store wasn’t crowded and people were getting out of my way/not crowding me. Many businesses are closed. Supply chain disruptions mean temporary outages of some products. Overall, the mood seemed relatively calm. I guess people are adjusting to this new normal, which seems to change a little bit daily.

I am not stressed out about the virus. Maybe because I’ve spent the last few months learning how to be calm? LOL. That doesn’t mean I’m being irresponsible. I know I CAN catch it and am doing everything in my power not to get exposed.

This is such a surreal period in our lives. I really, truly believe that the world is going to be a better place once the crisis has passed. People are more aware of each other now, more in-tune with their surroundings. We have all had pieces of our lives changed, some more dramatically than others. This virus seems to threaten people of various ethnicities equally. People are starting to recognize the value of jobs like grocery store clerk, food delivery drivers, shelf stockers, etc. I believe a lot of folks may come out the other side of this with a different set of priorities.

There doesn’t seem to be a sense of panic. To me, it seems like people are aware, concerned, and doing their part in terms of minimizing contact with others. Are people I encountered hiding their fear and panic? Probably. Am I projecting the way I want to believe others are feeling and behaving? Maybe.

It’s okay to be scared. The trick is admitting that you’re scared, but continuing to function until the pandemic has passed.

I have a feeling the world is going to be a much nicer place once we get past the crisis stage has passed. Until then, I’m living one day at a time, enjoying every one of them as much as I can.

Yesterday’s highlight for me was getting a close look at a beautiful Pink Dogwood tree in a nearby yard. I even got a few pics to share.

 

 

 

There is a lot of beauty in the world if you take the time to look.

Have you ever watched the sky changing colors before, during, and after the sun rises or sets? For me, seeing sunrise or sunset is not just about watching the sun itself rise above or dip below the horizon, but observing how the entire sky changes, slowly, as the sun moves. Technically, it’s the Earth that’s moving, but I think y’all know what I mean.

Clouds make sunset more interesting.

 

Zoomed-in, fuzzy look.

 

Soft, evening light.

 

Surreal scene.

And then there’s this sign.

What could they possibly be using? Is it a legit offer? Or scam to prey on peoples’ fears? I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s yet another creepy sign of the times.

Stay safe, friends. Be kind to yourself and your loved ones. Make the best of every day. This crisis will pass. I sincerely hope everyone reading this makes it through to the better world I believe is waiting for us.

Posted on

Suiting Up

It’s not entirely clear to me whether the stay-at-home orders allow motorcycle rides or not. However, in my opinion, suiting up and stepping out for an afternoon ride meets all of the social distancing guidelines. Especially when the rider practices ATGATT like me.

ATGATT: All the gear, all the time. Shorthand for a philosophy that complete motorcycle safety gear should be worn at all times, and gear should not be reduced at times when the perceived risk is less.

Safety gear is critical. I borrowed that blockquote text from this Wikipedia entry on motorcycle training.

The image below, which I found on Pinterest, explains what ATGATT means.

Wearing gear like that isn’t always comfortable. Especially in the Summer. Talk about getting hot and sweaty. But I’d much rather deal with some occasional discomfort than risk worse injury in the event of a crash.