Just finished my 1st week assignment

I just finished my week 1 assignment for my online photo class with Karen Russell... http://www.snapshotsofagoodlife.com.  The assignment was on viewpoint and composition.   For our viewpoint, we were to have a subject sit on the ground, read a book, color, or some activity where they could remain fairly still.  Then we were to walk all around them with no camera, studying each view...
front, sides, back, ground and eye level, and from above.  Next we took pictures from each viewpoint.  We submitted our best and worse explaining why.  We looked at rule of thirds, things merging with the body, leading lines, horizon, and framing.

This was my worse...the fence & railing merge with his body, and the shed is distracting.
It was taken at ground level.

I liked this one the best...I was on a ladder.  His eyes fall in the top third of the picture, and the background is better.

Our composition was to be a shoot at a place of our choosing.  We were to walk around observing, then get our camera and take pictures of our subjects, but we could not give any directions to them.  We had to make the composition work.  I chose to take pictures of our photography club field trip to the Iris farm in the Hondo Valley. (http://hondoirisfarm.com).  It is an incredible spot...almost a little piece of heaven here on earth.   Again, we submitted our best and worse, giving explanations of why.  It was a very good and difficult exercise.  I am not sure I got it right on anything, but I sure had fun.  And I got some fun shots of flowers and humming birds as well.

My worse.  Overexposed, and not sharp.

My favorite. Taken on an angle.

Irises from the Iris Farm

They have lots of humming birds too.  I managed to catch this one.

Photography class

I have signed up for two more photography classes...one is at the Museum, and the other is Karen Russell's online class.  The Museum class has been interesting.  We have gone to Ruidoso to shoot a kite festival, to the Iris Farm in the Hondo Valley, to Bitterlakes where we had to battle thousands of mosquitos, to our Old Timer's Balloon Rally, and to White Sands.  Whew!  What we do to take pictures.

Apache Plume from Bitterlakes

Me inside a huge kite

My lunch in Ruidoso...it was a great burger

My artistic side trying to come out.  I liked the mix of colors and texture.

This hummingbird seems to be giving the other one a "back off" look.

Finally, I got a good hummingbird picture.  

The owner of the Iris Farm.  I loved her look.

I got a ride in this balloon.  It was so peaceful up there.  

White Sands...we were hoping for an awesome sunset.

I think the sand looks like snow.  

The sunset is about to happen.

My online class is going to be challenging.  We have interesting assignments which I will post later as they happen.

I had a great Mother's day.  We had lunch at Ian and Laurie's.  Warren and Ian did the cooking and cleaning while we enjoyed relaxing with the kids.  They used paper plates so there was not much of a clean up.   Right after we arrived, Erynn whispered in my ear, "Mimi could I talk with you in private for just a minute?"  I thought that was so funny, because she sounded like a grown-up.  Her private conversation was to ask if she and Reid could come over after we ate.  And who could turn down a request like that.  Besides we always have a grand time with them.  

I received some great Mother's day gifts...thank you all.  I will put them to good use.  

Mother's day fun with the grandkids.

Entirely too long

It has been entirely too long since I have posted anything online, so rather than writing, I am going to post pictures since a picture is worth a thousand words.

We all got together for fun and food at Ian's.

Luke calls Jordan 

Father and son at the table.  They did not want a picture taken.  I took it anyway.

Luke being silly.  His "YO" comment.

Luke going to hunt birds or squirrels.

The men are cooking tonight...Allen Brother Steaks.  Yum!

Luke came to Roswell the first week in April to visit his wonderful parents, but mostly to follow up on some of his clients.

I kept the grandkids while Laurie attended a homeschool conference.  Here are some things we did.

Decorated an Easter tree.  They decorated it all by themselves with a little instruction from me.

Erynn by the tree

Erynn with the dead squirrel

close up now

Notice the face

Disposal

We made bread and ate most of it.  One loaf went home with them.

Reid and his Mimi

My Easter card

Sunset at Bitterlakes.  My photography class went as a group to do this assignment.

Warren and me Easter morning

Little Miss Erynn

She is 6 years old!

Annie looking regal

Reid

Such a handsome lad!