Goal For the New Year

My whole life, I have felt like I wasn't talented.  If you grew up with my sister, you would too.  She was amazing at everything she touched and most of the time I felt like, if I couldn't be amazing right from the start, then there was no reason for me to try at all.

Sometimes when I look at other people's photography I get discouraged.  There are so many amazing photographers out there and I don't feel like I will ever be able to get to that.

But then I see that they have been taking photos and working at it for years and years and decades and decades!  That makes me feel better.  I really hope that someday, I can feel like I really am Talented.

My goal for 2011 is to stop being so hard on myself.  I am going to give myself a break this year.  Work on not being so critical of myself and others.

I have one other goal.  Practice.  Practice is what made all of the people I admire photographically great and so that is what I'm going to do.  For 2011, I'm going to try and take a picture every day.  I'm deciding how I am going to present these to you.  I will have to work on that.

I have a black and white analog class this semester that I'm very excited about.  It starts tomorrow and I can hardly wait!  It is bound to be awesome.  I'm sure 2011 is going to be a great year so thanks for sticking with me so far!

DIY: Bokeh Filter

I had some friends ask how I did this Bokeh filter after they say it on Facebook.  I honestly didn't know that many people were interested but here you go.

This is seriously, ALL IN CAMERA.  There is no real trick to it at all.  If you can make your pictures out of focus, you can make Bokeh.

Find a tutorial for how to make Bokeh effect anywhere else online, and do the same thing that you would have normally done and it will magically turn out hearts.  It sounds too easy to work but I swear...it is that easy.

It will turn this:

To this:

Or this:

Have fun and comment on this to let me know if you give it a try! I would love to see what you do!

Slice of Life Saturday: More Christmas Bokeh

I was looking up more information on bokeh filters today and made a fun discovery.  For those of you who don't know, you can buy different filters to make the bokeh effect go from circles to...say, hearts.  I was thinking, wow, that is really cool.

Then I learned something cooler.  You can make your own.  All you need is a shape hole punch and some black paper.  Do the same thing that you would normally do to make a bokeh effect and watch the magic.

My in-laws love what I did with their Christmas tree.

Bokeh Christmas Eve

Today was the first day I that experimented with bokeh.  It seems to be one of the most popular things right now so I decided to give it a try.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Walk About: Canyon Rainstorm

Today I decided to do a photography walk about. It really helps to get the creative juices flowing. It was a great start to the week. As you can see it was a tad bit cold but...what can I say, I have a thing for fog.

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My Dad: Photographer

My whole life, my dad has carried around an SLR.  He has been snapping pictures since before I can remember.  During the week he is a geophysicist and in his spare time he is a photographer.

He is more of a landscape photographer and I'm more of a portrait photographer.  He is more of a formal photographer and I'm a candid photographer.   But we both love talking with each other about what we are taking pictures of.

I have been going through some of the pictures that he took on my wedding day.  These aren't necessarily the best ones that he took but they are ones that I feel like...I would have taken.  Ones that are closer to my style.  Because we aren't so different, him and I.

Taken by Grant Anderson.  Edited by Katrina Reinert.

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I love that old man! And I'm grateful that he brought me up loving the memories captured through photography.

I Heart Faces: Pet Faces

This is my first time entering into an I Heart Faces photo contest.


One of my New Years Resolutions is going to be putting more of my photos out there into cyber space for people to look at.  I hope you enjoy!

Bambi

If you have looked at my blog, you might remember this photo from my Slice of Life Saturdays.  One of my lovely dogs, Bambi.

Slice of Life Saturday: Bright Night Hike

After it snows, and the ground is covered, it is very hard to sleep at night.  The light it bouncing off of everything. One night, I crept out of the house in the middle of the night with my camera and had some fun walking around and taking pictures in the low light.  It was so much fun.

Engagements: {A&D}

I'm so excited for my close friend and old room mate, {A}. She is such an awesome person and {D} is an amazingly sweet guy.  While {D} was on a mission, they wrote to each other.  They kept in touch for two years and now they are back together again...and soon, for forever.  Congratulations.

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Slice of Life Saturday: Cold and Grey

This building looked the way the weather was making me feel.

Downtown Ogden

Family Christmas Portraits: {L&J}

I have known {L} since the 8th grade and it was such an honor to have her ask me to take Christmas pictures for her little family.

This couple was so fun to shoot! They love each other so much and it is obvious how much they love being with each other.

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