photography #6

it's been a crazy busy week. sorry i haven't shared my pictures yet. the assignment was the same as week #5, but the pictures were graded this time. the top picture was my submission for frozen motion. the 2nd pic was my submission for blurred motion. 

besides the normal assignment, i also had a fall photo challenge this week. our leaves are just starting to turn here, but there's still quite a bit of green which made it a little tricky to get a fabulous autumn picture. the bottom photo was my submission. 

do you have a favorite picture from my many shoots this week?

everyday style

a cute, structured hoodie instead of a 5 year old sweatshirt?
some olive colored skinnies instead of ratty jeans?
comfy, flat boots instead of sad sneakers?

worn, loved clothes are like old friends. but on the days when you're tired and ready for the tattered sweatshirt, look for something in your closet with the everyday comfy but a little more style.

photography #5

this week was all about SHUTTER SPEEDS... fast shutter speeds= frozen motion [pictures 5, 6, and 7]. slow shutter speeds= blurred motion [1, 2, 3, 4, and 7]. i had to submit one of each for my assingment. i chose 6 and 7. i took close to 400 pics this week. learning about both how to make the camera do what i wanted it to do and how to get the motion right within the frame was challenging. but that made the results even more rewarding. 

how wide and long and high and deep....

yesterday at volleyball we talked about situations in our lives that we just can't understand or see what God is doing... it was powerful and everyone shared. i read the passage bellow from Ephesians out loud. 


Ephesians 3:16-21


I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

it made me think, even if we can't see how God will use a hard situation, he will always cover us in his love and give us the power to persevere. he can do more than we ask or even imagine... thank you Jesus. 

photography#4

last week i wasn't all that happy with any of my shots. there were no "wow. i love this pic." moments. but this week, things went much better, and there were several shots i fell in love with. i had a similar assignment. i needed one shot showing the rule of thirds and a second using repetition. but again i could not look at the photos on my LCD screen while i was taking them and still no editing. the first shot is for the rule of thirds. the second shows repetition. those were the two i picked. what do you think? which two would you have chosen? [the last pic is majorly out of focus, but it was so cute i had to share.]

ready for some autumn shopping...

i want to add some neutral staples to my wardrobe this fall-- jeans, long sleeved t's, and boots. but i always love a little pop of color. here's some inspiration. also check out this and this. : )

neutrals with a twist by ktgirl11

photography#3

this week, i had a bit of a different assignment. i could not review my photos on the LCD screen while i was shooting.... i couldn't look at them until i uploaded them to iphoto. ouch. i had to really scan the viewfinder and be aware of what was in my frame.

i had to choose two pictures to submit. one had to show depth. the other had to illustrate the rule of thirds. [the top two photos=my submission.] 

the first shows depth using the line in the driveway to draw you into the picture. the lines from the garage also give it structure.

the second picture uses the rule of thirds. the rule of thirds is like drawing a tic-tac-toe board on you picture. where the lines intersect are the places you look. the intersection of the window pane is where your eye should be drawn. the window pane also creates a natural frame for the sunshine and leaves outside. 

the other pictures are some glimpses into the rest of my 250+ pics from last week. [#4 might be my favorite.]

this last picture doesn't really follow any of my assignment rules, but i just like it. : ) 

a wisp of smoke.

after every volleyball practice, i lead a bible study for the team. we've been studying james together. it's been an interesting growing experience for me. i've learned so much and have loved digging really deep into james and spending time thinking about each verse. 

on thursday we were reading the end of james 4 and looking specifically at verse 14.

[amplified] Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. 

[NIV] Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

[ESV] Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

we are a mist.... that's incredibly humbling. as humans we want to think we are in control. but in reality: God holds our lives in the palm of his hand. he knows the number of hairs on our head. he know the days of our birth and death. he leads and guides and loves. 

the balance of our insignificance in the vastness of the world, yet the importance of the individual in God's eyes is a mystery. i do know that while the mist of our lives is visible-- it should be lived for God. and while the vapor of our breath is here on earth-- we should be breathing for God. each moment could be our last; so live fully right where God wants you. 

is there something you been putting off that God is asking you to do? don't wait. live.