Off and on over the past few weeks, I’ve been at my desk, the surface awash in papers, pens, camera lenses, and Apple devices.  The elusive time I’ve been craving to set my work life to rights has materialized and I don’t want to waste it.  In an attempt to make the best use of this gift, I’ve scrapped my previous practice of crafting a labyrinthine to-do list in favor of selecting one task to do all the way through completion. It’s much for challenging than I anticipated.  The payoff, however, is insanely more gratifying.

I’ve chosen about five areas that I want to cultivate: Writing, Family Life, Fitness, Self, and Photography. And yes, I notice that those same areas are the ones I write most about on this blog.  Each day, I’ve chosen one of those areas and spent my time reading, brain-storming, note taking, and creating. Each day, I’ve gotten sidetracked by Pinterest, Tumblr, Bloglovin’ and Facebook.  Eventually, I redirect myself back to my keyboard and start writing.  Usually, as I’m hitting my stride, someone is hungry, needs help in the bathroom, or it’s time to pick someone up from some activity.  If I could just bypass the pre-work foolishness and get down to business, could you imagine how productive I could be?! *le sigh* a girl can dream.

I’m still working through my list of interview questions from the photography blog, Click It Up a Notch.  These are a series of photographer interviews that I read several months ago.  The more I read, the more my mind sparked and fired, ideas pinging around faster than I could grab them.  If reading about other photographers created such a response, what would happen if I posed those same questions* to myself?   Over the next few weeks, we’ve been finding out.  I’m a little more than half-way done. If I’m perfectly honest, it’s starting to feel a bit like homework.  Of course, being the Type A, super student that I am — I crush it in the homework department.  Gold Stars all around!

*photographer interview questions courtesy of Courtney Slazinik of Click It Up a Notch.

What Type of Camera and Lenses Do You Shoot With?

Currently, I’m working with a NikonD5000.  I bought it about six years ago knowing absolutely nothing about DSLRs.  At the time, the price tag was enough to give me chest pains, especially considering I didn’t know the first thing about how to get a return on my investment.  There was much time spent in the library, poring over books, and lots of time just pointing and shooting. I took classes, where I promptly learned that my body style was for “amateur photographers” as opposed to “serious photographers”.  I seriously shelled out money for the camera and this class, how about that?

A for lenses, over time, I’ve picked up a few beyond my kit lens that I really love.  It’s difficult to choose a favorite since they all serve different purposes.   Since lenses can be quite pricey, I’ve used Lens Pro To Go to test out lenses and figure out which ones I’d like to add to my rotation. Other times, photog friends clean out their closets and under their beds, turning up glass that they’re ready to part with for a decent price.

When I’m working, I’ve got my 18-55mm, my 50mm prime, and my 70-200mm.  Of the three, I’d say the 70-200mm is my favorite. It’s pretty amazing.  When I was doing wedding photography, that was my girl Friday.  I was able to get fantastic shots without being obtrusive during key moments of the ceremony because the focal length was so versatile.  Hands down, that lens is one of the best purchases I made.

Whew, how is it the 8th of July already? I swear, once the last embers from 4th of July fireworks flame out, summer just barrels down the tracks towards Labor Day.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working with the ladies at Blogzilla Studio to give my little piece of the blogosphere a bit of a face lift.  Going with clean, simple and streamlined.  Tell me what you think!

So, back to the business at hand. I’m still working my way through the photographer interview questions courtesy of Courtney Slazinik of Click It Up a Notch.

A little context: I love photography. I love pictures. I love looking at them. I love being in them. I love taking them. However, with the way I’ve been treating my camera, you’d never know it. While I am an avid Instagrammer, I have been neglecting my DSLR.  My camera body is pristine from lack of use.  My Lightroom is laughably outdated.  I need to make a change beyond toting my camera around with me like another member of the family.  I need to examine what it is that I love about photography, how I got here and why I want to keep taking pictures.  Some introspection was in order.

The photography blog, Click It Up a Notch, has a series of photographer interviews that I read voraciously.  The more I read, the more my mind sparked and fired, ideas pinging around faster than I could grab them.  If reading about other photographers created such a response, what would happen if I posed those same questions* to myself?   Over the next few weeks, we’re going to find out.

If you could only use one lens for a year, which would you choose?

Gah! This is extremely tough.  There are three lenses that I keep in rotation, but the one that I gravitate towards the most would be my Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5.  This was one of the last lenses that I acquired and I have found it provides me with the greatest versatility.  This little powerhouse enables me to shoot wide angle to standard snaps, as well as tight portraits all while provding that highly sought-after, creamy bokeh. The lens itself is super light, provides sharp focus and really is just the perfect lens to keep on the camera body for quick grab and go shooting.  And no, Nikon didn’t pay me to say that!

I love photography. I love pictures. I love looking at them. I love being in them. I love taking them. However, with the way I’ve been treating my camera, you’d never know it. While I am an avid Instagrammer, I have been neglecting my DSLR.  My camera body is pristine from lack of use.  My Lightroom is laughably outdated.  I need to make a change beyond toting my camera around with me like another member of the family.  I need to examine what it is that I love about photography, how I got here and why I want to keep taking pictures.  Some introspection was in order.

The photography blog, Click It Up a Notch, has a series of photographer interviews that I read voraciously.  The more I read, the more my mind sparked and fired, ideas pinging around faster than I could grab them.  If reading about other photographers created such a response, what would happen if I posed those same questions* to myself?   Over the next few weeks, we’re going to find out.

*photographer interview questions courtesy of Courtney Slazinik of Click It Up a Notch.

Are you currently doing any photography projects? If so, what?

In August of 2006, M was turning a year old.  During her first year, I turned to a number of resources to help me navigate the first year of parenthood: family, friends, books, magazines — I was all over it, making sure that she was hitting her milestones, that she was eating from all of the food groups, and that she was engaged in activities to stimulate growth and development — Gymboree Play and Music! Kindermusik! Stroller Strides! My mother gifted me with a subscription to Parents Magazine as part of my “Welcome to Motherhood” starter pack.  In the last issue before my subscription ran out, I came across an article entitled “The Swimsuit Project”.  In it, author Maria Heck describes how prior to her becoming a mother, she came across a photo essay in Life Magazine.  The photo essay depicted a young woman whose mother had posed her in the same bathing suit each year on her birthday.  Heck was duly impressed and promised herself that whenever she had a daughter, she would duplicate the project.  When her daughter was 4 months old, Heck slipped Madeline into a floral bathing suit, complete with bra cups, that had belonged to Heck’s mother.  Every year on Madeline’s birthday, Heck snapped a picture. She did this for 15 years, stopping when the suit fit her daughter better than it had ever fit her own mother.

At that point in time, Heck decided that, “the chronicle is complete. She has gone from baby to young woman. If anything proves that your child grows up in the blink of an eye, it’s seeing these pictures all together and realizing that the first one was only a heartbeat away from the last.”

This is a project that I work on three times a year, one time for each of my girls.  Another worthwhile challenge I did was a photo-a-day challenge for a year.  I chronicled my experiences on a dedicated tumblr blog, which when I look back on now, unfolds into a very spectacular story.

I’ve looked into doing several other mini-challenges like a photo an hour for a day, or selfie a day for a week or 30 days of 30 things that start with the letter H (that last one I just made up, but who knows? It could be totally do-able!).