And just that quick it's gone.

The challenge for this week (and I laugh as I type this) has gone by really fast.  Four times faster than any of our other blogging weeks.  It's like we transitioned into dog years because our last post was four weeks ago.  I'll be the first to admit that we've gone off track a little with our blogging habits.  Which is big no-no in the blogging world.  Take Two has gotten a little distracted.   It's ok, the first step is acknowledgement, right?  Never fear, we have remained committed to our love of photography.  It's just been one of those weeks.  ha!  I could go on and on listing all of the reasons why.....bad weather, personal commitments, family stuff.   None of which really matter or you probably care to hear.  But what this week's lesson has taught us really has nothing at all to do with the actual images taken.  It's taught us that the days are really stinkin' short and there is only so much room at the top of your list.  What resulted is that while we were waiting for that perfect moment of sunlight, we missed it all together.  Now is this blog and this hobby always at the top of our lists?  Of course not, we are mothers, wives, etc.  But what this shows us is that when something is important it must be prioritized accordingly.  And if it is not the hours, days, weeks, will quickly slip away.  I saw this image the other day that pretty much sums up our going forward strategy.  :)

 

 

 

 

You are probably wondering if we actually took any pictures.  We did.  Just a few.  Our challenge was to find light, either sunrise or sunset or just direct sunlight.  It was more of a challenge for our cameras really.  To see what these fancy devices are capable of doing.  Can we manipulate the actual environment to produce an image that is worth saving?  I often like the images with a sunflare or ones that are just outside of the normal exposure.  Something that adds a little character, tells more of the story.  So here is what we ended up with.

 

 

This image was taken mid-day on a very sunny afternoon.  I was shooting directly into the sun and was going for a hazy look.  One that would produce that dreamy feeling of a carefree day.  I certainly won't be enlarging this photo.  It turned out very grainy and I only caught a hint of a sunflare.  But I was pleased at how I actually stopped the movement of my daughter running enough to where it doesn't seem completely out of focus.  There is no filter or editing on this photo.  It was taken at ISO 800, 1/1250, and f 2.8.

 

 

These next two pictures were taken at sunrise and really speak to the power of prioritization!  I am amazed at my dear friend and her commitment to a healthy lifestyle.  Waking up before dawn to make sure her "list" is in order.  Carp-ing the hell of our her diem!

 

I was trying to capture the darkness of the morning just as the sun comes up.  And it was here that I realized the minutes went so quickly and how drastically different each minute was from the next.  To be honest I had never photographed anything that early before.  There wasn't a great shot of the actual sunrise.  But I love that these photos speak to the motto of "the time is now".   Don't wait for that perfect weather, or the 1st of the next month, or when you are in the mood.  Get out there and make what is important to you happen! 

 

 

These two images were shot at ISO 800, 1/80, and f 4.5.

Up next is the challenge of shooting at 50mm.  No zooming in or out with the lens.  They make lenses that are fixed this way and offer a lower f-stop.  It's been on our wish list of photography equipment.  And before most big purchases we like to try before we buy!  So we are renting lenses!  We will be back in 2 weeks to let you know how it goes!

~We've now passed the 3,000 views mark for our blog!  yeah!!  Our little project is building momentum all because of you!  So as always, Thanks for reading!!