Thanks so much to all of you who have provided such awesome feedback and encouragement on the Move to Manual series I’m co-hosting. I mentioned last week that I’ll be partnering in this series with my friend and fellow photographer Amy Earle of Simply B Photos! Amy’s a remarkable photographer and the brains behind all of the family photos you see here on my blog.

Today, I’m sending you guys her way to check out her tutorial on how light affects your photos. She’s got some great insight on what to look for and what to avoid when you’re shooting outdoors!

I’ll be back over here next Monday to talk about aperture and how it impacts your photos!

And just because I don’t want to do a post without a photo….here’s a fun snapshot of little man.

Head over to Simply B to learn more about lighting >>>

Instead of blogging all of my designs individually as I finish them, I decided that I would just blog each months designs at one time. January was a busy month, but February looks like it’s going to be even busier! I’m so excited about the designs that I’ve finished recently and the new ones in the works right now! Here’s a peek at the latest designs from yours truly:

Senior Spot Chicago is a Couponing/Discount site targeted at reaching the 55+ community. I was excited to work with Nicole on this project and hope to be working with her again in the future as her LLC grows. She’s planning to add 30+ new cities to her Senior Spot Group in the future.

This was actually just a revision for me. I worked with Jamie a few months ago on this site and she found a color scheme that she liked way more (you can view her old design here). I spent some time revamping and redoing her colors to make it pop a bit more.

I was excited to work with Christy on this project. She’s actually a local business owner and fellow Coast Guard Spouse here in Kodiak. Her project was a bit different for me, but I love how her site turned out.

Priscillia was a fantastic client to work with! When she got ready to start her design, she sent me a detailed outline of how she wanted her site laid out as well as a handful of images that she wanted included in her site. Not to mention, she wanted her site to be only black and white. She’s not quite finished adding content yet, but make sure you check it out.

And lastly, I had the chance to redo my BFF Amy’s photography site. She was my very first WordPress Client back in the summer last year and I’ve been itching to up the ante and give her site an overhaul. It’s not secret that as you learn you want to improve the things that you did when you first started and her site was no exception. Her logo is one of my favorites to date and represents her as an individual (she has a thing for stars, so we were excited to incorporate it into the new design and logo). I also did her Family Blog back in November. Make sure you check out her new site!

Looking to make the jump from Blogger to WordPress? Or do you just want to revamp the design you currently have? Fill out my Potential Client Questionnaire and let’s do it together! I’m currently accepting clients for the month of May!

I am so excited to have my lovely friend Michelle for the Feature Friday Blogger this week. Like most every other blogger out there, we connected by chance…mingling over virtual coffee & Twitter before becoming Facebook friends. Visiting one another’s blog and commenting back and forth. It’s only been recently that we’ve connected over our passion for design and  Color Boards and gotten to know one another as individuals instead of just as bloggers. Michelle has a beautiful heart and I’m so excited to be able to call her a “real life” friend and not just someone I’ve connected with virtually. She’s awesome, so be sure to head over and check her out! 

Hi! My name is Michelle and I’m the writer & designer behind The Momma Bird. I’m addicted to my iPod, coffee, and Grey’s Anatomy. I stress out over a messy house yet mine is always messy. And I’m an animal lover, despite the loads of hair that falls off my dog on a daily basis.

I’m a former teacher turned SAHM turned WAHM. I am married to a military man which means we have the pleasure of living overseas in England! I love writing about our life, parenting, being a military spouse and showing the world my sarcasm.

Life changes us.

Most of the time for the better. But sometimes it’s neither for better or worse – it’s just a change.

I have changed. In my younger, high school years I was outgoing, spontaneous, independent & FUN! Always the life of the party, doing something crazy with my friends and looking for new adventure. On the weekends you could catch me stealing those big orange cones and putting them in various places around our town, throwing mattresses in the community pond, or jumping off a roof of an abandoned house onto five stacked mattresses. Yeah. Insane!

In college I kept up with most of those attributes but toned it down a bit as I was planning my career. Instead you would find me studying on the weeknights but then letting loose on the weekends. I pulled all-nighters, went to clubs, pranked random people throughout the campus and took weekend trips with my friends. Still fun & outgoing – but not as wild.

After college I was still fun but now I had a “real” job. I had to be up early and actually change the lives of children in the community! Whoa! During this time is when I met my man. He & I started dating – one thing lead to another and we were married with two kids, living in England – all in a matter of 4 years.

If I were to describe myself now, it would be – loving, busy & paranoid. I’m always thinking of crazy scenarios that could land us in a life or death situation, cleaning up after my 2 little boys, designing blogs and trying to make sure our house is a home. On the weekends you’d find me staying in PJ’s all day, not showering until the late afternoon & being completely content not leaving the house. Every now and then we may take a trip to London to go be tourists, but that’s not a regular occurrence.

Life changes us.

I may not be the exact person I was 10 years go. But I’m still the same person in my core. I still love with all my heart. I’m still the most loyal friend you’ll ever have. I still know how to make people laugh with my witty sarcasm & I most certainly still try to be silly – even if it now involves dancing like an idiot or hitting myself in the face to make my kids smile. And if that means I take less risks than in my younger years, so be it. I have a husband, children, family and friends who still love me the same.

My head isn’t all here this week, folks. I promise I didn’t just ditch out on you. I haven’t made it around the link to visit last weeks 52 Faces participants, but I plan on doing that today. Bare with me.

Like I mentioned on Monday, I’ve been just walking around in a fog. The rain has set in for who knows how long (the forecast is showing rain until next week) and life just…has ways of knocking me to my knees sometimes. I guess what they say is true…when you’re on your knees your in the perfect position to pray. So that’s what I’ve been doing.

Praying for grace.

Praying for peace.

Praying for ease of mind and understanding.

It’s hard.

And truthfully, I don’t feel anything different.

My heart still hurts.

I’m still carrying around this heavy bundle of emotional baggage that I can’t seem to drop anywhere.

It’s just there.

And I honestly don’t know what I can do to make it go away.

So for now, I just continue to work, engulfing myself in work and doing what I enjoy while watching everyone around me announce their pregnancy and spending time with this sweet little boy…

This little boy who loves trains and cars and little miniature figures that he can carry around…

This little boy who gives three kinds of kisses: Big ones, Little Ones and Super-Awesome ones…

This little boy who thinks every piece of furniture is a trampoline for him to play on…

The little boy who thinks that he can sleep in mommy and daddy’s bed every night because we have room (when we really don’t…but he generally crawls up in there anyway)…

Who stays up way too late at night because he’a night owl like his mom…and then sleeps until 10:00 the next morning (during the winter months of course)…

The same boy who asks about babies whenever we see one…mentions having a brother or sister whenever the thought comes to mind…

The same boy who would be the best big brother any kid could ask for…

That’s who I wake up for every morning.

That’s who I spend my days worrying about. Because he’s the only one who holds my heart these days (with the exception of my husband, but I’m going to assume that was a given).

I let him get me through the days…focusing on how awesome he is and the fact that I get to be a parent. Focusing on how much he loves me and how much fun we have together.

Because he’s what I have now. He’s my present….and the present is all we have.

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That’s where I am now.

In a fog.

Tired.

Worn out.

Cold.

The weather, I think, is finally getting to me here on the island.

The cold. The snow. The rain.

I’m in need of a beach and some sunshine. Some color and humidity. Something other than endless roads of grey’s and neutrals.

I’m not quite sure what has brought this slump on…

I upset a friend recently and it’s been heavy on my mind. I don’t like hurting people I care about. Even if it’s unintentional. I’m a soft-hearted person and when I invite people into my life; open myself up and let them in, it’s gut-wrenching to do something that causes them distress. Things are better now and our friendship rings true, but it bothers me, still. I feel like I disappointed someone. And I don’t like that feeling. Ever.

We’re nearing the one year mark of our struggle trying to have a second child. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but it has. April will make it official, if we “make it” until then. One year of failed attempts at growing our family. One year of negative tests, disappointments and tears shed over something that seemed so easy.

I bought Little Man a “Big Brother” shirt when we started this journey…foolishly thinking that it would be as easy as it was the first time.

I had to give it away last week to a friend who just had her fourth child.

Their third, a boy Little Man’s age, is a big brother now. While our son, still isn’t.

And despite not knowing where the problem with conceiving is coming from, I continue to walk in this shadow of failure…that it’s me. That I’m the reason that we haven’t had another child. Somehow, someway, I’ve done something to cause this. I know it’s foolish. And ridiculous. But, those feelings are there…bubbling under the surface.

I just want another baby. I can’t help it.

I do well most days. But at certain points during the month, when the realization roles in once again that we have been unsuccessful, it’s hard to swallow. Especially with new pregnancy announcements popping up right and left.

The “Why Not’s?” and “Why not us/me?” thoughts creep in and I can’t put them away.

I find myself struggling spiritually…wavering in my faith…trying desperately to hold onto the truth that God doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle. 

I know it’s true. But somedays, I wonder.

I have been completely overwhelmed by everyone’s response to this series! I had no clue when I started pondering the idea that it would be so well received. So many of you have emailed, Facebooked and tweeted me your appreciation (which  is quite flattering considering the series hasn’t even officially begun).

I wanted to make an exciting announcement before I begin!

My very best friend, mentor and fellow photographer Amy from Simply b Photos will be partnering with me during this series! She’s offering to share her skill, technique and knowledge on all things photography during this series and I couldn’t be more excited to have her. She’s just getting back from an extended vacation (remember me mentioning how jealous I was of a friend who just jetted off to California? Yeah..) so she’ll be sharing next week on Exposure and Lighting as well as in the coming weeks as we get more in depth with how to work your cameras. I was already shooting in Manual when I met Amy, but her photography is breathtaking and I’ve learned more from watching her work, sharing hundreds of conversations sitting across from each other on the couch and participating in her Professional Workshop than I could ever have learned anywhere else. You guys will want to hear what she has to say and take to heart her lessons. She’s a fantastic teacher and the passion she has for photography is contagious.

All that being said…let’s jump into the series!

I spent a lot of time debating where to begin. I thought of diving right in and discussing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. But, then I remembered what I struggled with the most (though I didn’t realize it at the time) when I was getting started:

Composition & Perspective

It makes little difference how well you know your camera and how technically sound you are in your abilities as a photographer if you don’t know how to capture an image worth looking at. I am going to assume that most everyone that will be reading this series is interested in learning to take better portraits, so Amy & I will be approaching this series from that perspective (shooting people and children). Truly great portraiture is about capturing a moment too precious to interrupt.

As mothers, we are all too often tempted to grab our cameras and ask our children to say “Cheese!” or to “Smile for the Camera!” I remember growing up going to sit in front of the camera for school pictures and the “photographer” behind the lens yelling “Say Cheese!” to every child that sat on the stool. Even now, whenever I hear that, those are the kinds of photos that I think of. Those posed, forced smile photos that stir no emotion and bring back no feelings or memories. Just a child in their best clothes sitting on a stool in a cafeteria.

As Little Man has gotten older and really started to explore the world around him (and by “explore” I mean demolish, trample and make messes), I’ve been able to capture some exciting and memorable moments. All without walking around with the camera in my hand and hollering “Cheese!” One of my favorites is this one of the husband and Little Man at Christmas, taken by our Christmas Tree. This past season was the first year that Little Man has really been old enough to get into the spirit of the holidays. The presents, the ornaments, the lights…it was all brand new to him. The evening we put the tree up he was just mesmerized.

This photo represents every single emotion I watched Little Man experience during the holidays: excitement, wonder, mesmerization. Had I told the two of them to look at me and smile, I would have taken away from that moment. I would have popped the bubble of emotion and excitement that was being experienced and this photo would have been like a thousand other snapshots that I’d taken: devoid of meaning or emotion.

Have you been taking images that are nothing more than snapshots taken with a fancy camera? Are you interrupting the moments you’ve been attempting to capture by trying to force a smile or a reaction? What can you do different from a photographic perspective to change that?

It’s All in the Details

I think Amy said it best in her workbook: Who We are is in the details: the way we curl our hair, the jewelry we wear, the perfume we love…

Attention to the details in my photography is something that I am striving to do more of. I have a strong passion and love for lifestyle portraiture and one of the key aspects of that is attention to detail.

And, as a mother of a boy who is growing way too fast, the details of who he is are becoming more and more important to me.

Little Man was born with these beautiful, long eyelashes. I’m not exactly sure where he got them (I think from my dad, who has always had long eyelashes…but managed to skip passing that gene on to his daughters), but everyone has always complimented him on how long and beautiful they were. One day, while taking some snapshots of Little Man in the floor of our living room, I saw the opportunity to snag a shot at an angle that would enhance them.

Similarly, Little Man was born with a head full of dark hair. Everyone at the hospital was amazed by how thick his hair was as a newborn. Over time it has lightened up, but its thickness remains (that trait, he definitely gets from me). But, despite his long, thick hair, this child hates to have a haircut. Which is why when you see him, it’s most likely brushing the collar of his shirt and hanging in his eyes. I have dozens of photos of his cute little face all covered up by his long bangs. Not too long ago, he realized  that he could blow his hair out of his face. He thought it was the funniest thing ever and spent hours running around telling me to “Wook! Wook! I blow my hair!”

What details in your own life have you been overlooking that you could capture? A favorite toy your child carries? A birth mark?

The Rule of Thirds

This is the only photography “rule” that you will hear me refer to and actually rely on. According to Wikipedia the Rule of Thirds says:

…that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

That says that there is an area in a photo that your eye is naturally trained to visit first…and it’s not the dead center. By centering your images, you leave nothing for your eye to explore. It’s dull, uneventful, and leaves nothing to be desired when glancing over it. By not centering your images, you’re giving viewers a chance to linger a bit longer over the photo. You’re creating an atmosphere that is more pleasing and more emotional.

When I first started shooting I was under the impressions that every shot needed to be in the dead center. I would chase my toddling son around (saying, “Noah! Look at mommy! Over here, Noah!” which, as I hope you learned already is also a no-no) trying to get him to sit still long enough to center him. Take a look at this early photo of the husband and Little Man:

Now, while there are about a million and one things wrong with this photo (on camera flash and nasty shadows?! Eeep!), one of the biggest issues is that it’s completely centered. All you see when you look at this photo (besides those terribly tacky pictures in the background) is the subject. You see this photo and immediately move on because there’s nothing else for your eye to explore. Whereas, in the photo above of Little Man, you linger a bit longer. Explore the image before moving on. That’s what you want your photos to do…cause someone to pause and really take in what it is you are trying to capture.

So…Did you learn anything?

I promised in the introduction of this series that I was going to generate some “homework” assignments to get you guys going and testing out some of the things that I talk about here. If you haven’t already, head over to join the Move to Manual Flickr Pool so that you can share your images with everyone else! I started out the “assignments” by asking each of you to upload a photo as a jumping off point reference. I’d love to see how far you all come in the next few weeks as we progress through using your camera and understanding the manual function.

Now, for this weeks assignment, I’m challenging you take three different photos:

• Photo One: Capture a photo that tells a story or showcases an emotion. Follow your child around for a bit and snap photos of them playing. Don’t interrupt their playtime or intercede in the little moments…just shoot. And see what you come up with.

• Photo Two: Pay attention to the details. Like Amy said, we all have details. We all have minuscule little nuances that make up who we are. Seek those out in your day-to-day life or in your children, then capture it in a photo.

• Photo Three: Purposely avoid shooting a photo straight on and centered. Step to the side and change up your angle a bit before shooting. Rearrange yourself before shooting and see what a difference using the rule of thirds can make!

Go grab your cameras and start shooting! Be sure to upload your assignment photos to Flickr so Amy & I can come leave you guys feedback! I’m planning to only post these tutorials on Monday’s, but there were a few more aspects of Composition that I wanted to cover before jumping into Lighting and Exposure, so be sure to come back for those on Wednesday before Amy shares her knowledge on Monday!

I thought I might have something interesting and insightful to share today to go along with my 52 Faces post. Thought I could be as profound in my posts as Laura is in hers, but I’m just not.

At least, not this week.

This week we’ve done a whole lot of snow-shoveling, movie watching, WordPress Site Installing and Cars playing. We’ve gotten another foot or so of snow this week (that’s a rough estimate…I’m only going off of how many inches I have shoveling since Sunday) that’s resulted in a lot of indoor time.

I’m itching for Spring.

And warmer weather.

And the beach. Definitely the beach.

We’re going home to Alabama in September for several weeks. The husband and I are planning a second honeymoon of sorts while we’re there. Just the two of us. And the beach. And a lot of mixed drinks good food and shopping.  It’ll be nice to get off this island for an extended period of time and just enjoy the humidity and warmth for a bit before winter sets in again.

I’ve ordered a few new photography books this week. I pre-ordered Instant Love by Susannah Conway; more for the photos than anything I think. Her blog is a new favorite. Her site? Her photos? Just breathtaking. I also ordered Expressive Photography by the ladies behind the Shutter Sisters website. I’m really looking forward to checking this one out.

Since I got my new camera, I’ve been itching to break into more lifestyle/in-the-moment type photography. You wouldn’t think it would be that hard, but for some reason, I seem to struggle with it. Finding a shot in the everyday that is interesting enough to tell a story. Maybe it’s the nasty weather and the island fever getting to me. Maybe it’s just because this is outside of my comfort zone. Maybe, it’s just not where my talent lies. Either way, I’m willing to conquer it. I have this fancy new camera that I am in love with and I want to utilize it.

We did get a break in the weather a bit on Tuesday to take some pictures. I was wanting to shoot something cute for Valentines Day and had this red banner left over from Little Man’s third birthday party…

Speaking of which, does anyone remember if I ever even posted birthday party pictures here?!

It took an hour and a half to get these shots. There was probably 3 feet of snow out where we went that we had to walk through. Some of it was frozen, other areas we sank to our knees and had to literally climb out of it to get to where I wanted to shoot. And Little Man dosed off on the way to take the pictures, so it took a good 45 minutes to get him to chill out after waking him up. Good times.

But, they turned out cute. At least, I think they did…

This boy is growing so fast. I can hardly believe that we are already into February. When we get ready to go home in a few months, he’ll be almost four. FOUR! How did that happen?

I bought a pretty new journal the other day. I’m still debating what I want to do with it. I’ve been pinning a few creative ideas on a Journaling Pinterest Board for ideas. I don’t want something that’s just words on paper. I do that here. Well, words on screen, anyway. Any journaling ideas?

I almost forgot that I need to announce the Cuptakes Case Giveaway Winner! There were 115 entries! So exciting to get such a response for such a fabulous product! The winner will need to contact me within 48 hours to claim their prize, or I will have to choose someone else! Congrats to Mandy @ A Sorta Fairytale! She was commenter #53! Looks like you will get to snag that Grey Argyle after all!

Alright. Enough rambling for today. Go link up your 52 Faces photos from the week! Make sure to use the hashtag #52Faces when you share your posts on Twitter so I can retweet them! Grab a button or a link to share with your readers so that others can come link!

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I sit back sometimes and watch my son go about his daily routine.

Get up, snuggle in the chair or on the couch with Mommy or Daddy (depending on what day of the week it is and who is up), drink juice, eat breakfast, watch cartoons, play with toys, eat some more, play some more, snuggle some more, sleep (somewhere, on whatever surface is available at the time that he crashes), wake up, play again, bath time, supper time, bedtime. Repeat.

I watch him go about his day with no cares or concerns. No worries or frustrations (other than the ones that arise when he can’t find his favorite toy or when said toys get stuck in odd ball places and he can’t get them out). No sadness. No anger. Just…delight in the small things. The simple things. The things that matter.

The older Little Man gets, the more his personality changes. The more his emotions evolve and change. The more frustration he emits when he doesn’t get his way. The more sadness he feels over small heartbreaks. The more bad behavior that arises in wake of “adversity.”

The older he gets, the more he picks up on things around him. On the personalities of people he encounters. On the circumstances he is brought into. On the way that we [the husband and I] handle life’s little mishaps.

Little Man and I were enjoying a mid-afternoon snack the other day on the living room floor. Just me and him, kicking it on the rug watching reruns of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, discussing the size of Mickey’s ears and how fast Pluto could run vastness of the universe and the secret to life. Our dog, Tessa, was snoozing nearby but perked up when Noah dropped a piece of his food on the floor within sniffing distance. She jumped up and headed over to scoop it up when Little Man stood up and yelled, “No, Tessa! Bad, bad girl!” and picked his food up so she couldn’t get it. He set it to the side because it was “nasty” and plopped back down on the rug. Without missing a beat he looked over at me, rolled his eyes and said simply, “Dumb Dog…” and went back to watching his cartoons.

I admit, that cracked me up for a few minutes. Obviously he heard the husband and I call her that (seriously, this dog is nuts….the stories I could tell…) but doesn’t know what it means. He just knows that when she’s being bad, that’s what we tend to say (to each other, under our breath…or so I thought).

It made me start thinking about what else he is picking up on. I think we all, as parents, realize that our lifestyle, our choices, our personalities impact the lives of our children and the people they become. But, sometimes I think that we forget that everything we do is influencing them. 

It made me wonder if the tantrums, the fits, the nasty little attitude he gets when he doesn’t get his way is something he was just born with and is now understanding how to verbalize…or if these are bits and pieces of the vibes that we’ve been giving off in our home.

We aren’t a “fuss, fight and argue” kind of household. In fact, the husband and I get along well, keep the yelling to the minimum and maintain an overall healthy and cheerful attitude in our home.

But there are times…

Frustrating times…

Bad times…

Angry times…

that we lose our positive outlook and loving demeanor and let things slip.

And I wonder if these moments are the ones that impact our children the most.

I like to think that our children, no matter how young, pick up on the good and the bad. But my question is…

Are they born with bad behavior in their blood?
Or do they learn it from us?

Linking up today with Shell @ Things I Can’t Say for Pour Your Heart Out!

I started blogging in college. Make when MySpace was the cool thing and you could decorate your profile using crazy neon color schemes and backgrounds. Some of my sorority sisters read it and offered feedback, so I felt like a real accomplished writer. Then, when Little Man was born in 2008, I started another blog (like so many others) as a way to keep our family posted on what was going on with him and with our family.

When I realized that they weren’t reading it but that other people were, I started to share more and more of myself with the world and my tiny little audience.

I didn’t realize it then because blogging hadn’t become the social stipend that it is today, but maintaining a successful site and engaging and audience on a personal level is a full time job in itself.

I read somewhere in a random Google Search that there are some 175,000+ new blogs created every day. Which means that there are at least 100,000 people out there who are just starting on this venture and might not have the slightest clue where to go from here. I may not be The Pioneer Woman and I may not get paid to talk about how awesome over-priced kitchen appliances and lipsticks are but I have been at this for over three years, so I think I might know just a tiny bit about social media. Maybe. Just a tad.

That being said, I present you with:

5 Things Every Blogger Should Know
(whether a Seasoned Veteran or a Newbie)

1. Be Original.

   You don’t have to be Ree Drumond or Heather Armstrong or insert-other-big-name-blogger-here. In fact, I want to encourage you NOT to be. Because they’ve paved their way. They’ve formed their community and their audience and you will never live up to that. So don’t try. Instead, try to be your own person…find your own voice…and share what you know. The world is full of copycats, so don’t try to be someone you aren’t.

2. Social Media is your friend.

   A blogger deliberately avoiding Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest (as well as the other handful of social media sites that pop up every week) is like a doctor avoiding medical school. You will never see your blog grow to its fullest potential if you don’t get out there and broadcast it. Without sharing your site, the likelihood that you will ever be discovered, is small. People visit and hop to sites that they find from someone else. So if YOU aren’t putting your site out there, then chances are, other people aren’t either.

3. Throw the idea of Niche Blogging out the window.

   There was a phase for a little while that had everyone thinking that they had to revamp their blogs and their sites because they didn’t have a niche. They weren’t targeting just one audience and focusing on one topic. I could be wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time), but in my opinion, niche blogging is boring. It’s overrated and it’s dreary. Unless you’re a world renowned photographer like Jasmine Star or Andee Tate…someone who is sought out for their speciality and their talents in one particular area, the chances are that your readers won’t mind reading about something new every once in a while. Does that mean you should blog about Health Food & Organic Living one day and then three days later share a recipe on 5 Different Ways to Eat a Twinkie? No. Make it relevant, but don’t stress about staying within certain boundaries.

4. Don’t feel pressured to post daily

   This concept tends to get mixed reviews from different bloggers, so take this or leave it for what it’s worth. I would rather visit a blogger who posts quality content once every four or five days, than visit someone who posts daily and shares poor content. The same with posting multiple times a day. I tried posting twice a day for a while…focusing one post on photography and one post on personal stuff. It was overkill and neither of my posts were getting the attention that they needed or deserved. Find a pattern or a routine that works for your. If you have something of worth to share, share it. If you don’t, wait until you do. Your numbers may be low until you come back with new content, but at least when you return you will be bringing something good to the table.

5. Forget about the numbers.

   It’s way too easy to get caught up in the numbers game when it comes to blogging. We’ve all been there at one point or another, and usually default back to worrying when no one is looking. It’s easy to wrap your worth up in how many page views you get per day and how many comments your posts receive. But the fact of the matter is, blogging is supposed to be about YOU and about sharing who YOU are and what YOU know. Not about everyone else and what they think. Feedback is nice and everyone loves comments, but that should never be the main focus of your site. If you find yourself asking “I wonder how many comments this post would get me?” or “I probably shouldn’t share this because it won’t rank high in the search engines.” then chances are you are in this for the wrong reason. Step back. Find your Purpose and then come back.

Blogging is one of those things that can be whatever you make it to be: fun, exciting, therapeutic…but you have to decide which route to go with it.

What have you learned from blogging? Any advice you would share with a newbie?

Linking up with Nicole @ Moments that Define Life for Listable Life!

I have always had a love for photography. My mom had a fancy Canon Film Rebel back in the day and I remember feeling like a kid at Christmas the days that she would give my sister and me a roll of film and tell us to go play. We’d pretend we were high fashion models; outside posing in our denim shorts and flip-flops on an old tire swing in our front yard. I remember the sense of power I felt, even as a kid, holding the camera and knowing that the outcome of the photo was in my hands. In high school, we used point and shoot digital cameras to snag yearbook photos. And I remember getting my first digital camera for Christmas my Senior Year of High School.

But, when Little Man was born in October 2008, I knew I wanted more for my photos of my son. I wanted them to be better, to capture the emotions that I saw other people’s photos capturing. That’s about the same time that I started blogging. And started following people like The Pioneer Woman who took not only beautiful pictures of food, but of her kids, too (this was back when she was only getting 200-300 comments per post…you know, before she made it big).

So after much nagging whining begging deliberation on my part, I decided that if I was going to learn photography and learn it well, that I’d have to invest in a better camera. My mom shot with Canon, so it was only natural that I go the Canon route as well. In February 2009, my husband and I splurged on a Canon Rebel XSi. I was kid-on-Christmas-morning giddy about my new prize. I had spent some time reading and studying the i Heart Faces website and learning the ins and outs of the different functions on my camera (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) so I thought I was prepared for what was to come.

I was wrong.

I didn’t realize it then, but looking back now I don’t know how I couldn’t have. Photography isn’t about the camera. Or the lens. It’s about the person behind the shutter and knowing how to use and utilize your cameras abilities. It’s been almost three years now since purchasing my first DSLR camera and to say that I’ve learned something…would be an understatement. From the moment I took my camera out of the box and figured out how to put the lens on started using it, I’ve been pushing myself and my camera to the next level. Trying to get “that shot” and create images that look like the ones that I love. I’ve only recently upgraded my camera (and by “recently” I mean, within the last two weeks) so to say that you need an expensive camera to take pretty pictures would be a lie. (Unless you don’t think I take pretty pictures, in which case please don’t tell me!) You don’t need a $1000 camera or $500 lenses.

You just need to want to take better pictures.

And that’s where I’ve decided that I’m going to intervene.

There are a lot of fantastic places to learn photography out there for little or no cost. I’m not going to say that my way or the things I can teach you are any different or any better than what you’ll learn anywhere else. In fact, some of the things I say may not even be considered “technically” correct.

BUT…

I have spent the last three years teaching myself. Learning my camera, what it does, how it does it and how to put everything I know together to take better pictures. How to take beautiful pictures that look good in a frame using something other than the auto mode of my $600 camera.

When I first started, my photos looked like this Straight out of Camera (don’t laugh):

 And now, three years and the same camera later, I get these SOOC* (straight out of camera):

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be teaching all of you how to make that big leap from shooting in the auto mode of your camera to shooting in full manual and gaining total control over your shot and the end result of your photograph.

I’m going to start at the very beginning and cover the basics of composition, exposure, lighting, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and how to combine these elements to get a beautiful shot. Each week will consist of lessons and homework to get you out of your comfort zone and putting the new ideas and techniques into practice. I’ve created a Move to Manual Flickr Group where you can come linkup the assignments, post questions and get feedback on your images.

This isn’t a class; there’s no enrollment fee or charge. Just me, sharing with all of you, what I’ve learned about photography. Like I said in the beginning, you can find this information on dozens of other blogs and websites. But, for those of you who have asked how I do it, here is your chance to learn!

The first lesson is coming on Monday, February 6th and will cover the very basics of Composition and Lighting. I hope you guys are as excited about this as I am!