366 days of photos in 2016! Here they are: January 1st though December 31st. The square format of the collage template I used cropped out bits and pieces from the edges, but what I saw through my lens—day in and day out—is there for the viewing.

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

I am entering the final month of my 366 photography project. Thirty-one days remain in 2016, and I am determined to complete my project despite the fact that I will be having knee surgery in seven days. Even if I have to resort to taking gory photos of my knee, I am going to finish this!

The past eleven months have been fun for me. Fun, a challenge, and a great learning experience. I enjoy shooting every day. To be perfectly honest, it’s going to be hard for me to stop this habit, so maybe I won’t! The more I shoot, the more I learn about my camera, my world and myself. I look forward to discovering something new each day to take a picture of. Practice and discipline has helped sharpen my photographer’s eye.

This month I also embarked on my first Clickin Moms photography class, One light: Off-camera flash. I am really excited about this class because I know virtually nothing about flash. Plus, I live in Seattle where it is gray, dark and cloudy for many months so flash skills will come in handy, especially post-surgery when I am stuck in my tiny house with  minimal natural light, in the middle of December. Light and shadows. That’s what it’s all about, in photography and life.

In photography there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated.

~Berenice Abbott, 1898-1991

And with that, here’s November!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

October’s end celebrates the completion of my tenth month. Two months remaining in my 366 Project. Reaching the 300 photos milestone on October 26 was a big—I got this–moment!

Fall is always dramatic, which is one of the reasons I love this season. But, for a photographer, fall weather brings challenges as well as rewards. Clouds might add moody interest to a picture but they can also create a blah background of gray verging on white. And then there’s the rain…

This particular October turned out to be a record-breaker where rain is concerned. Seattle had more rain this month than ever before. In fact in just one month we got more rain than typically falls in two months! 10.05 inches fell where normal for October is 3.48 inches and normal for November is 6.57 inches. Even as I write this post, on November 2, rain is falling outside my window.

But if you can get yourself outside, there is beauty to be found, whether vistas of mist and storms.

Or the small details of droplets on a brilliantly colored leaf.

On occasion, when the sun pops out, the view can be spectacular. Trees aglow in shades of rust, gold and green as far as the eye can see, magical sunlight against the clouds and reflections on still water.

And with that, here’s looking at you October.

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

I can hardly believe I’ve entered the “final quarter” of my 366 Project. Only three months remaining! I’d been feeling like I’ve got this in the bag, until I scheduled partial knee replacement surgery for early December. My first thought: “What will happen to my 366 Project?!”  Well, there may be a few shots of my knee—before and after—but I am still committed to completing this!

During the month of September I learned a couple things about taking photos of birds, namely it does really help to increase my ISO (film speed, for you non-photogs) so I can also increase my shutter speed. The photos do have more “noise” (less crisp), but it certainly helps with birds who are moving or flying, as birds so often do. I’m going to keep playing with this and see how it goes!

The second thing I’ve learned is that it does indeed make a difference if you have a lens with a bigger “reach.” I’ve been experimenting with a nifty new “toy,” a 150-600 mm used lens I bought. The lens is super large and heavy (I won’t be backpacking with it, let’s just say that) but it does what it’s designed to do…get right up there and personal with my little feathered friends.

On the people front, I continue to try new “tricks” when taking photos of my daughter. As I’ve mentioned, she isn’t always the most willing muse but if I get clever, “Do you want to go see the spaceship?” I’m definitely more likely to pique her interest.

The other trick is I try not to “wear out my welcome.” I’ve always been envious of moms (and dads) whose kids pose for the camera—easily. No bribery necessary. My kid is not that kid. But if I catch her at the right moment and in the right mood…and I’m quick about it, I can usually get a few good shots. Of course if she’s really into doing something (like throwing water balloons with Dada), I have a lot more chances to get it right.

No matter the season, there is always something happening in my garden or in the natural world around me. Sometimes it’s really subtle and you might pass by if you weren’t on the lookout, like when plants flower before they go to seed. I am a big fan of spring and autumn—they are each dramatic in their own way, one season bringing new life everywhere you look and the other flashes of brilliance before quieting down for winter. The lesson is to look, look for the subtle changes, the tiniest of details.

And the final lesson is pretty obvious. Get out there! Take a few minutes to stroll along the lake or sit on a park bench. We all (me included) get so busy with our days that we lose awareness of our surroundings, running from here to there with our gaze locked onto our phones. Take some time, get out there and look!

And with that, here’s September!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

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

I’m still taking pictures every day, loving it and learning so much! Here are a few of my takeaways from my 366 Project during the month of July.

It’s all about the light: Low light, sunny days, skies filled with clouds. Each offers its own challenges and rewards. The blue tones in dusk are so moody and lovely but then I struggle with getting my camera settings right. A bright sunny day–fantastic–until I realize the dark shadows obscure my daughter’s face or blow out all the details on a leaf. Clouds and rain, the bane of a Seattleite. Yes the grays can wipe out everything of interest in the sky but then I find colors are more deeply saturated and the shadows softer in my images. I still have so much to learn about how to get the most out of what kind of light each day (or time of the day) brings!

Don’t be afraid to fill the frame: I waited and waited for this peacock to spread his wings but when he did, he was farther away then I would have liked and the background around him was distracting. I decided to tightly crop my photo which put the focus on his colors and patterns in his beautiful feathers. There  is always a place for broad beautiful vistas but sometimes, filling the frame with one detail, like just the petals of the flower or your child’s hands playing in the water, really brings home the shot.

Edit, but edit with caution: I like to explore creative ways to select the parts of my photo that tell a story, but I try to be cautious about over-editing. Too many special effects or too much over-processing can ruin the natural beauty already in the picture. That said, sometimes it’s fun to add a bit of drama with a dark background or bump up the color so your subject really pops.

There is so much beauty in our world! This isn’t an epiphany, but I do find that the more I shoot the more I see, and the more I see the more I want to get out my camera. I love watching the seasons change, the ebb and flow of plants and animal life. Nature amazes me. There is always something spectacular to discover around the corner or right in my own backyard.

Here’s July:

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Tomorrow I reach the half-way point for my 366 Project! 183 days of photos taken–183 left to go. And you know what? I’m having a blast. I really enjoy the challenge of finding something photo-worthy every day. Here are four things I’ve learned during June, my fifth month taking (at least) one photo every day.

I can take pictures of my kid. This month I pushed myself to try to get more photos of my daughter.  And I did.  Nine photos made it to my photo-of-the-day, a huge accomplishment for me! I discovered a few tricks to help her feel more comfortable and willing to get in photo-mode to begin with, and I tried to drop my expectations that she look at me or smile. What I want to capture is my daughter in her element, and I think I was pretty successful…and that felt good.

I can’t go too long without a dose of nature. On the days where I was solely photographing my daughter, I missed photographing the natural world. Rain, shine, wind, calm, animals, plants. Being surrounded by nature makes my world go round. And what a beautiful world it is!

There are so many different ways to frame a shot. I can shoot close-up or crop my photo and catch every tiny feather in an Anna’s Hummingbird, or I can widen my view with a panorama. I can shoot  straight at my subject or looking down at them from above. The angle I choose totally changes the mood and the “story.” I’m enjoying experimenting: with crops, macro, wide angle, different lenses, times of day, light. It’s fun to look at a shot and see what “grabs me.”

Maybe I can make money with my photography. This is something I’ve wanted to try most of my life. So…I got my business license! Beth Shepherd Photography, LLC was born, just like me, in the month of June. People reinvent themselves all the time, so why not me? Photography has been my love for most of my life. I wish I’d followed my passion decades ago but since I’m still alive and able, why not now?

Here’s June:

Rock on!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

When I first started my 366 Project, I worried whether I’d make it through the first month, taking pictures every day. Here I am four months later and still at it! I am loving my project and find the more I shoot, the more I discover about photography and my own strengths and limitations. What I’ve learned this month:

Those darn birds: Okay, I confess I am downright addicted to bird photography. Especially this month. Even though my garden is going gangbusters and occasionally I coerce my 5-year-old to get in the frame, I am absolutely obsessed with those birdies. Chickadees building a nest in our birdhouse, flying back and forth to feed their growing family; ducks and geese at Lake Washington; bold little hummingbirds flitting about, and all the usual suspects: robins, finches, jays, sparrows. The air is filled with song and my shots with feathers.

Think outside the box–or inside it: My yard is really tiny, 18×40. It is surrounded by a fence. I used to feel as though I was living inside a box, which motivated me to grow plants everywhere I could, around the edges, up the fence, and fill the middle with planter beds. Ironically, being constricted to a small space encourages me to find interesting angles (shoot the flower from the side rather than straight on), to look at details (ladybug on the rosebud) and pay attention to the tiniest of subjects (a feather on the deck). At first glance, the “view” seems small…but when you really LOOK, the possibilities are limitless!

Inspiration is all around me: Honestly, if I ended up being stuck in my tiny yard for the next year, there would always be something interesting to shoot. Plants, birds, my cats…something new is growing, blooming and dying. There are fascinating colors, shapes, movement, and I love to capture all of it. That said, I am truly blessed to live in a breathtakingly gorgeous city: Seattle. Everywhere I go I am surrounded by beauty, both the natural and man-made world around me.

Share the journey: My photographer communities, Mamas with Cameras 365/52 Week Project Wonder Women and 365Project, INSPIRE me to grow and be a better photographer. Seeing the amazing shots my fellow photogs take gives me new ideas and challenges me to find new angles (literally). I am certain I would not be shooting every day without the commitment I made to shoot and share.

And with that…here’s May!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth