A lesson in photography

I have always loved to take pictures.  I was the girl who always had a camera hanging around my neck like it was a fashion statement.  But I got lazy and stopped taking so many pictures when I was in college.  What can I say, I was a busy girl.  Then Rowen was born and I knew I needed to get back in the habit.  So I bought myself the best camera I could afford at the time and started taking pictures.  The only problem was, my camera is a piece of crapola.  I figured how could you go wrong with a Nikon, especially when it wasn't even close to the cheapest one they made.  Well I learned how terribly wrong I could be.  I should have got a Canon.  So I'm in the market for a new camera... I just have to talk my cheap husband into it.  He thinks that I should be able to take all the pictures of the kids we ever need taken.  He doesn't understand WHY I need to go to a professional photographer when I have a perfectly good camera.  There is just no reasoning with the man. 

So I've taken the kids pictures a couple of times... and they never turn out like I would like them to.  I started when Phoebe was just a week old. 

I took this picture on my bed so I had a terrible time getting the light right and trying to keep the sheets straight!  I don't hate the picture, but I see do see room for improvement.

Then I decided I wanted to do a nice Christmas card so I figured I had better take some pictures.  I was November so you can only imagine how cold it was outside.  But I draped a sheet over the railing on the deck, dressed the kids up and took them outside for pictures.  We would take a couple and run inside to warm up.  It was kinda ridiculous but I wanted halfway decent pictures and my husband flat out refused to let me take them somewhere.  (I should mention it was the warmest day we had seen in awhile or I wouldn't have taken the kids outside without a coat or hat). 

 Phoebe was NOT happy about it!

I got a couple cute ones of Rowen but overall I was very disappointed.  But working with two children can be quite challenging.  Especially when one of them is 3 months old. 

A month later I decided to try again.  I really wanted a decent picture of Phoebe and wanted one of the two of them even more.  Something nice I could put on the wall. 

And I got this beauty.  This made my happy and want to keep trying after the last batch made me want to give up. 

And this one hangs over my bed.  They are looking at jingle bells.  I'm doing everything in my power to get that beautiful 4 month old to look at anything other than her feet. 

There is something wonderful about watching a big brother love his baby sister.  Something even better about capturing it in a picture.

So I got my pictures that I really wanted (which I took in my dining room on the floor next to the french doors to get the best light I could get without taking them out in the snow).  I still wasn't satisfied but it was good enough for now.  Today I looked at my little ones and realized that Phoebe looks nothing like the little baby on the wall anymore.  So I dressed up my children and took them outside in between rainstorms.... and was vastly disappointed.  

 Phoebe would look at everything BUT the camera.

 And Rowen kept smiling like a dork.

 But I like this one ^ above

 And I LOVE this face!

And this one reminds me of one I took of Rowen when he was exactly the same age.  Its framed in black and white in my living room.  I think there will be a matching one of Phoebe soon.

 So while it wasn't what I wanted.... I'm still happy with my pictures.  I'm still learning and I've got a long way to go.  But I have the greatest subjects to practice on.