i take pictures: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

MEMORIES, DREAMS & REFLECTIONS 2011

I'm so excited to participate in Memories, Dreams and Reflections with Ashley over at Ramblings and Photos. It was so fun to look back all of my memories from 2011. Me

I Love You

Still Laughing: This kid keeps me laughing every single day.

Winter Wonderland

Birthday

Friends: Our friends Derrick and Debbie were married in August. We've known Derrick since we moved to Colorado over 12 years ago. He was the first person to show up at the hospital when our oldest was life-flighted after a seizure. I could go on.....but we were just so happy to share in this special day.

Inspired: I've always loved food photography, but after I visited the Ferry Building Farmers Market in San Francisco this summer, I was hooked. I think I spent almost every weekend after that at the local farmers market here at home. What I love most are all of the beautiful colors.

Spring Fever

Vacation: Usually our vacations involve driving to Utah or Canada for a family reunion. But this year we did something extra special. A Disney cruise to the Bahamas!

Summer Days

Day in My Life

All Smiles: I love taking school pictures at Miss Elaine's Preschool every fall. That place is truly full of smiles!

Autumn Harvest

Family or Home

Celebrate: My husband suprised me with a trip to San Francisco to celebrate my 40th birthday with my college roommate, Michelle. So much fun, and she was the best hostess ever!

Let's Do It Again

I Miss You: I miss spring. And color. And more hours of daylight.

Beautiful: Love this girl!

Dress Up

Macro

Holidays

Favorite: Another one from our Disney cruise vacation. A favorite photo and a favorite memory.

Don't Ever Change: I love, love, LOVE the city I live in! You never know what the future has in store, but I'd be perfectly happy living here for the rest of my life.

Just Because

Hopes and Dreams: Most of my hopes and dreams for the future revolve around my family and children. But I've got plenty of photography plans for 2012 too. I've posted about that here.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite thoughts on starting a new year.

As a new year starts and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been.
The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.

Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us. ~ Jeffrey R. Holland

Wishing you all the best in 2012!

PICTURE OF THE DAY: BEST OF 2011

I thought it would be fun to go back through my pictures of the day and choose my favorite from each month of 2011.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

REFLECTIONS ON 2011 & PLANS FOR 2012

I've mentioned before how I love these painted pianos around my town. For anyone who wants to take a minute to sit down and play. Surprisingly, quite a few people do. Or maybe it's just surprising to me, because I'm not that brave. Some even sing. Mostly it's people who aren't in a hurry. Who don't have anywhere important to be.

Picture of the Day 12/31/11

But yesterday, this guy sat down to play. He's a delivery man, and he was working. Just out of the frame is a giant pallet of boxes to be delivered. Sitting on top of the piano are his work gloves. If anyone has reason to be in a hurry, it's a delivery man. But he put his work aside, just left it sitting there in the middle of the sidewalk, and played Christmas carols for five minutes.

And I thought that was something good to think about as I start a new year. Taking more time for things that make me happy. And more importantly, things that make other people happy. Because this guy really made me happy.

In terms of photography, one thing I hope to take more time for in 2012 is the photography projects I've started, or want to start, and just haven't gotten around to. So instead of doing a photo of a the day in 2012, I'm going to do a photo of the week. I want to take more time creating each photo I take. I want to challenge myself to learn new things and try new photography techniques.

I'm going to start by participating in Darcy's Project 52, with it's weekly assignments. But I have a feeling I might want to do a freelance photo of the week as well. Just my favorite photo each week, whether it's the one I shoot for the Project 52 assignment, or something different. Don't be surprised to see both.

I also want to finish my photo alphabet this year. And keep my website more up-to-date. And do more work on my local street photography blog, Fort Collins Captured. I hope to publish a book by the end of 2012 featuring my favorite local street photos.

I'd like to try some of the things in this book. It's been sitting on my bookshelf forever.

And then there's the new camera I got for Christmas, a Canon 7D. There's so much to learn about that. For starters, I can't wait to figure out how to shoot video with it. There are so many creative, inspirational ideas out there for photographers. I could make a list a mile long.

But regardless of what photography goals and resolutions I have for 2012, I'm going to try and remember to stop and play the piano.....or smell the flowers.....or however you want to phrase it.

Here's to a joyous 2012!