Thoughts on photography and sharing a few pics

Last weekend and this week were a blur. I did two photoshoots - one maternity and one of my friend's son who's turning two next week - and I spent a lot of time proofing the pics (because I am not good enough to take them straight off of the camera without much work yet). I was glad to read a lot of "The Better Photo Guide To Digital Photography" this week. It helped me better understand and utilize the rule of thirds. I knew about it before, but reading a more in-depth explanation in that book helped me crop my friend's son's pictures a lot better. It ended up being more work for me to go back in and redo them, but it was worth it to have a better looking finished product.

I'm happy and relieved to say that both parties were very pleased with the proofs. It makes me feel good and that I'm on the right track.

Friends have been asking if they can put up a link to my work on their website or telling me I should put up fliers and start advertising, but I really don't feel ready to take that step yet. I am enjoying what I'm doing, but I know that I still have a lot to learn. One of my big issues right now is getting my focus down. It's hard enough with a stationary subject, let alone with a baby or child who's always moving. ;) I also want to come up with a backdrop that I can use in my house since winter is approaching and outdoor photography options will become limited. Backdrops are quite pricey, so I'm looking for a less expensive alternative for now. I've heard of using fleece or a vellux blanket and I'm going to look into that. Then the question will be - how do I hang it in my livingroom without buying a backdrop stand? I know you have to spend money to make money, but I don't want to keep buying things I think I need and going further into the hole.

That's one of the reasons I've decided to stick with shooting with natural lighting for now too. I think my livingroom gets adequate natural light, though I'm a little worried about the skylights because I don't want sun glaring down on people. Unfortunately for me, my house has to be one with the fewest number of windows ever. Eight windows in the whole house, plus two skylights. Crazy, no? Whenever we decide to move again, finding a house with great lighting will definitely be high on the priority list. ;)

Then there are also the business, tax and legal aspects to all of this. I want to get my ducks in a row before I really start doing this even semi-seriously. So far it's all been friends or family of friends. When I venture out into people I don't know, however, I want to be fully prepared.

I took Ava to the park this afternoon to get out of the house and do some more practicing with my manual settings. I haven't taken the pictures off the camera yet, but I'm feeling more confident with my ability to go all manual. It just takes practice, practice, practice. Anyway, we had a fun time. She played with pinecones and sticks, we saw geese, and we stopped by a tree and had a snack of grapes and crackers. It was a nice day. :)

Here are a few pictures from my friend's son's photoshoot (taken at a local park):






Oooh, the presentation folders I ordered last week (for delivering prints to customers) just arrived via UPS. I'm so excited to see how they look! Feel like a kid on Christmas morning. ;) Gotta go.

Have a good weekend. :)