photo series – keep opening doors

Best Day Ever!

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Keep Opening Doors

Yesterday was an incredible day for our daughter. Pro Football Day finally arrived; she had been counting down the days all week and was beyond excited to get out and push herself in the quarterback challenge, to run and compete in professional drills, and to PLAY FOOTBALL all day. I dropped her off at the field and had no doubt that she would have a great day.

When I arrived at pick-up, it was evident that she played hard.

Elated, she walked toward me and wasted no time in showing me all of her times on her player profile card. Her confidence was overflowing; she was energized and proud of herself and her accomplishments; she seemed changed by her positive experiences from the day.

I asked her if Coach gave her the football that she was carrying. A broad smile crossed her face as she let me know that she–and a friend from school (Congratulations, Michael!)–were both awarded the MVP award for the day because of a combination of their positive attitudes and scores from the day.

Once home, after a moment or two of rest and a snack, she and I headed to the backyard to play catch with her MVP award.

Watching our daughter work hard and find both success and joy in something she is passionate about is such a gift!

At the end of the day, our daughter summed up the whole day nicely when she announced, “Today was the best day ever!”

Storytelling: a girl, a camera, and her dog

Posted on July 24, 2013July 24, 2013 by Keep Opening Doors

With our younger daughter off playing at a friend’s house, I had some time one-on-one time with our oldest. We decided to have some photo time together, which is always fun for both of us.

She has long since outgrown her point and shoot camera and is ready for her own DSLR. When I handed her my old Nikon d50 DSLR with a 50mm 1.8D lens to use for the day (technically, this is my husband’s camera now), she was thrilled! She jumped up and said, “I want to do a photo shoot with Honey!” (Honey is our 1.5 year old Spanish Water Dog.)

I grabbed my own camera as she and Honey ran out the door to have some fun; I definitely wanted to capture her story.

She started with using a pine cone to get Honey’s attention and to get her to stay still,

which worked really well for a few minutes (my daughter’s photo is below).

As she tried a new perspective, I saw a lot of my own style of photography. Obviously, she has been paying attention and observing me for years.

When Honey lost her focus, and we were winded from chasing her all over the yard,

we took a break and headed inside to take a peek at her photos.

She loved her photos, and found herself laughing at how many photos she had of Honey running out of the frame.

To wrap up the photo shoot, our daughter made a sandwich, and, of course, shared a bit with her buddy, Honey!

We both had a wonderful afternoon and are already planning our next photo session!

Words

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Keep Opening Doors

I woke up today needing to photograph words. In those early morning hours, I honestly wished I knew why.

In taking photos every day, I have realized that some of my photos are inspired, some are the result of patience and waiting to capture a story, and some images (because I spend a lot of time looking and seeing what’s going on around me) unfold before me. Other photos fulfill another purpose; they satisfy a personal need. The latter being the most difficult for me, since the reasons behind what I need are not always clear.

Taking photos this morning was challenging. My initial search for words offered results with neither meaning nor purpose; I was definitely trying too hard to make a photo happen and forcing a photo never works for me!

I put my camera down for a bit. When I stopped trying so hard, I found the words I needed, right on my computer monitor. (Thanks, Jackie!)

When I read these words, I knew that I had found exactly what I needed and understood why I needed to find them.

This photo serves as a personal reminder to continue doing what makes me happy; I hope that you continue to do the same!

The Cemetery

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Keep Opening Doors

Recently, a friend and I decided to get together, visit a new destination, and take photos. When she suggested that we visit a local cemetery, I was completely open to the idea, but found myself wondering how I should go about capturing images in a such a place.

When we arrived, I felt a bit lost and overwhelmed; I wondered how to properly show respect while taking photos in a cemetery. I needed to get comfortable, especially since I was so focused on figuring out how I should take photos.

I get comfortable by starting small and focusing on details.

I needed to walk around, quietly observe, and to get away from focusing on should so that I could find both a connection to the cemetery and my voice. So, I explored.

Then, it happened; I found light, my constant companion on my photographic journey, and my voice became clear.

As fond memories of my grandparents came to my mind, I found a needed connection with the cemetery. I began to see stories all around me; stories that, I imagine, have been here, waiting to be discovered and shared.

I was no longer thinking about how I should be taking photos; I just did what came naturally. I found a way to capture the story and the respect that pressed so heavily on me when we first arrived at the cemetery.

This photo outing proved to be a much more challenging experience than I anticipated, both personally and photographically; I am thankful for the experience!