I just wrapped up the month of August for my 366 Project. 245 days of taking pictures! Every month I learn something new, about my camera and myself. Here are a few insights from August:
There is a never-ending learning curve: My biggest take-away from the past seven months of my 366 Project is HOW MUCH there is to learn about photography! Light, camera settings, post-processing, working with kids, couples and locations. I’ve been taking photos most of my life, but still feel like I’m at the tip of the iceberg in terms of how much I know and how much I want to know. My “to do” list for learning is quite lengthy. A few things I’d like to learn: how to use a flash, batch editing in Lightroom, really understanding my camera settings, being able to anticipate what I need to do in a wide array of shooting circumstances such bright sun or flat gray sky, night time shots, how to use my Lensbaby lenses and how to get my business off the ground.
There are a lot of local resources for me to tap to become a better photographer: This month I took two free classes at a Kenmore Camera. One was ‘Birds 101‘ which was suggested to me by several of the Mamas with Cameras, as in “Beth you have to go!” So I did and not only was it fantastic, I heard about the upcoming Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds, Washington on September 9-11. And, when I heard about the bird fest, I found out there was going to be a photography exhibit. I entered and one of my hummingbird shots–which you can see HERE in my June post–will be one of 40 photos at the exhibit!
I like a fun challenge…especially if it involves a list: In June, a couple of the women in my Mamas with Cameras 365/52 Project Wonder Women group suggested a “Summer Scavenger Hunt Hashtag Contest.” There was a list with 46 hashtags of things having to do with summer, like: #MWC_kite, #MWC_last_day, and #MWC_splash. And…there was a prize for the person who completed the most tags by Labor Day. On top of this, if someone completed all the hashtags she’d be entered to win a photography headshots session.
If there’s a list, I’m in, although I confess I become a bit obsessed with crossing off as many things as I can (I am like that any list). Labor Day is just around the corner and I’m close, but it pains me to say I won’t get every last hashtag. Hoping for 41 out of 46.
And with that, here’s August:
It’s all about the journey,
Beth