I think I might have mentioned that I decided to try the 365 Challenge:  Take one Meaningful Photo per day.  I think the key word here is “meaningful”.  I can click the shutter all day long at any shiny, pretty, colorful thing I see.  I call it Crow Photography.  (I have coined the phrase, so if you use it be sure and give me credit!).  Meaningful is a whole ‘nother topic.  “They” say that if I take a photo every day that has some thought put behind it, my photography will improve. “They” must know because “they” write books about it and show off their amazing photos.  As far as I’m concerned, the jury is still out and will be until I can place my photos taken at the beginning of this year next to the, hopefully, eye-popping ones that will be presented at the end of the year.  Stay tuned.

I’ve also joined a group that has a weekly challenge.  The photographers that participate in this group are the judges.  It is a little scary to put your work out to other photographers that you know and admire.  At any rate, this week’s challenge is “Creative Motion” and I submitted the above photo.  Voting starts tomorrow.  There are some very creative entries so far. My photo was taken of a still subject and I zoomed the lens as I was pushing the shutter. I was so enamored with the process, that I spent a good hour just finding subjects and zooming my lens in and out.  Most of the photos didn’t turn out, but it was hecka fun playing around.

As I was contemplating how to be creative with motion on Sunday, it began to snow…the first snow of the season.  So, I did snap a couple of snow photos to “try out” for the competition.

This photo reminded me of a tree running from the storm with her long “hair” flowing behind her.  I like this photo, but it doesn’t really fit the “Creative Motion” category.  If there were a “Tree that looks like body parts” category, I would probably win.  Not likely to happen.

This one has more “motion” with the falling snowflakes, but it’s not very creative.  I wish there were a bird on the flower pot.  It still wouldn’t really fit the category, but the photo would be way more interesting.  Hmmm…a little photoshop maybe?

I shot this one out my back door yesterday (the snow had already melted) by turning the camera as I pushed the shutter.  While this kind of thing is fun to do and sometimes makes for an interesting photo…there is not much skill involved.

Today is another day and time to think about a new “meaningful” photo.  Where’s my dog…Obie!

Mini photo shoots are lots of fun.  Contact me for an appointment.  I promise I won’t spin the camera. (Although it might be an interesting shot…) schmautzhaus@sbcglobal.net

Our camera club, El Dorado Camera Club, has been invited to show some of the members photos in the Cameron Park Library.  I have the honor of being the first one to show my prints.  There is room for 6-8 prints and so I have been poring over my photos trying to find a theme and some photos that would represent me as a photographer.  I first thought that I would show my landscapes because it is a library, after all.  But, I don’t think landscapes represent what my passion as a photographer really is.  I love a beautiful landscape, but in the back of my mind I always think a person would really bring the landscape to life.  With that in mind, I’ve chosen several of my portraits for printing and as is always the case, sometimes they look great on the computer screen, but when they are printed, I find things that I don’t like.  So, I’m printing a few extra just in case.

The theme I’ve chosen is “Retro”.  I think these are some good examples of my Retro work.

The above photo of Holly was taken at the Heidrick Ag. Museum in Woodland, CA.  Here are a few more that I took at the same place.

Then, I had a few more shots that I felt fit the theme of “Retro” but were taken at other places and at other times.

This is a bride at a wedding I did last March.

I took this photo at a winery photo shoot in Napa, CA.

This was taken of one of my favorite subjects, Aerolle, at a church in Elk Grove, CA.

And last, but certainly not least, this is my best friend who wanted me to do a photo shoot of her for an upcoming very exciting event (which I will be mentioning in another post.)

I will only use 8 of these in the library (which ought to spice up the library a bit), but the others I will hang in my studio.  I’m printing them 12×18 inches, which is an excellent size for home (or library) use.  I’ll be hanging them next week.  I’m very excited.

Hope you enjoy these.

Black Bear and cub.  Unusual to see a blond Black Bear.

This is a slideshow using images and video I made over two weekends in the Lake Tahoe Area.  We visited Sorenesens, Hope Valley, Taylor Creek, Emerald Bay and some other less known areas.  At Taylor Creek we were treated with a mother bear and her cub fishing spawning salmon out of the creek.  It was very exciting to see.

Kokanee Salmon.  The stripes are actually shadows cast by the weir.

Enjoy.

I’m just finishing up my last “studio lights” portrait assignment for the Folsom Lake College Portrait and Wedding Photography class I’m doing.  So, as usual, I called in the fam.  Pictured here are my headless oldest son, my son’s headless girlfriend and her little boy (not headless).  He’s been in many of my pictures before and I got a fairly decent picture of him without his mugging for the camera.  Now this is not the photo I chose for my formal portrait assignment, but it is one of my favorite photos of the session.  I used my new studio strobe and pocket wizards.  I feel so professional…

This is the photo I chose for the assignment.  There are several things about it that I don’t like…mostly technical (like the chair back, the shadow on my son’s chest, her “bolt upright” pose), but it’s okay for a formal pose.

I also had this one:

which is OKAY, but my oldest son has a really fake look on his face and Dino’s smile is beginning to wane.  (He was getting pretty tired of this picture taking business by then.)  Plus, the boys’ clothes are a little disheveled.  And, there’s a little space between her hair and her face that’s annoying.  Picky?  Yes, but we are talking about trying to make a photo that you would be proud to have hanging over your fireplace.  After a while these things would start to bug you…so, it appears I need a little more practice with formal photos.

Now you can see why I like the first shot.  Here’s another one I really liked:

Again, not a formal pose, but this type of shot is more my style.

And this one:

And this is much better of my son with Dino:

Both of them have a fairly natural look on their faces.  I think I still need to work with my oldest in order for him to feel more comfortable with the camera in front of his face.

So, thanks to my family who helped me out yet again.

My dad, Richard M. Thomas, passed away quietly on January 4, 2009.  He suffered a stroke in November and his health went from bad to worse.  We celebrated his life at a funeral service on January 13, 2009.

It was a beautiful service in a little chapel in Placerville.  Since my dad was in the navy, he was honored by the VFW with an honor guard and a beautiful send off and the family was given a burial flag.  It was extremely touching and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  My brother’s good friend, Pastor Steve Moore performed the service, my brother and nephew played an echo taps on the trombone and trumpet.  I provided a picture video of my dad’s life.  It was very respectful and a celebration of the gentle, intelligent and funny man that he was.

As a surprise, my good friend Pam (background) contacted my best friend, who lives in Southern California, and encouraged her to come.  I was so surprised to see my beautiful friend Julie and darling Pam walk into the chapel right before the service.

After the service, the family, the pastor and his wife, and my good friends headed downtown for lunch.

Here, my two sons and my oldest son’s girlfriend pose for me before heading to lunch.

Here are my youngest son, my daughter and my niece…waiting for lunch.

I’m a very lucky and blessed woman to have had such a wonderful father.  He loved me, my brother and my mom very much.  We were his life.  He taught me to study hard, have a sense of humor and above all, there is nothing more important than family.

Thanks, Dad.  Rest in peace.