too many little kid pictures...

Eric says I take too many little kid pictures. He worries about that...if I take the pictures, if I study them, the chance I might want one increases. Like a good propagandist, he comes up with reasons not to be around munchkins, like how they carry the "take me home with you" disease. I take pictures of them anyway.

Waiting in the Rain

This little boy was waiting for his father to get to the rodeo. I noticed him right before his father arrived and didn't have a lot of time to shoot him. What I like about the picture is the reflected light on the cement and his mother's hand protectively on the top of the little blue umbrella. I like the lighting and the overall mood of the image. What I don't like is the composition. I wanted to be more on his level, looking through his viewpoint, with the reflection of the headlights on the mosaic you can almost see to the right of the image. I should have included more of his mother's hand and I wanted the mosaic to be full screen behind him, letting you know exactly where he is and why he's there.

Sugar-coated Daydreams

This four-year-old is a second generation rodeo viewer, but she seems to be enjoying the funnel cake more than the rodeo. Quickly growing tired of the greasy cake, she begins to lick her finger and eat only the sugar.

What I like about this picture is that it's slightly out of focus. The girl is day-dreaming, staring out across the arena at little-to-nothing going on--she's not focused on anything in particular. I also like the composition, the way her legs angle from the funnel cake and the shine on her little boots. She's got the right clothes, her hair pulled back, her program ready--all she needs now is the show.

Ode to the unknown ice-cream smasher

Oh ice-cream smasher,
though I know thee not,
I loathe thee completely.

Oh how do I loathe thee?
Let me count the ways:
One...you smashed your slobbery half-eaten chocolate ice-cream cone into my helpless rusty bicycle!

Oh ice-cream smasher,
though I know thee not,
I loathe thee completely.

The weekly grind begins...

And so it starts...with a picture of a girl and a cat up a tree. You'd never guess this girl was my Democratic, pacifistic, cat-loving, Texan roommate, now would you? She looks sweet and innocent playing with the kitty, but I warn you: start talking about the poor or impoverished and you'll see a whole other side. The cat, however, is currently lying across both of my arms, sound asleep, and hindering my typing. He's quite tired from clawing Kalyn every time I tried to get a better angle--he's, um, afraid of the crunch of the leaves.

The idea for this image was inspired, but the actual taking was not. I had my ISO at 640 because I was careless and didn't check my settings before I started. The picture is a little fuzzier than I'd like. But what I really like about it is the way the light kind of halos Kalyn and Tony--it makes both of them look more angelic than they are. I also really like the feeling this picture has. Despite its cool colors, it seems very warm--maybe it's the way she's holding Tony. I also like the way the limbs lead the eye. Not the best picture, but for a first post??? I guess we'll see on Wednesday.

Thought maybe I'd add one more...just because I like it.

In the beginning...

Once upon a time, in a land of the West (Texas), dusty and dry, there lived a girl studying to be a photojournalist. Although the girl had a fabulous camera, and knew several talented photographers, alas!, she still lacked some basic knowledge about the field and camera in general.

So to further her education (and because it was required) she paid a hefty tuition to sit through JMC 333: Photojournalism, at Abilene Christian University. There she met her professor, Cade White, who assigned this blog as a way to receive weekly feedback and force the girl to break her camera out from hiding under the bed.

Therefore, peruse these photos with an inquiring eye and please don't hesitate to comment.
Sincerely, the girl.