Happy New Year! Today marks the start of my third year taking photos and posting to this photography blog. The daily exercise has helped me to improve my photographic skills and with each passing day, I feel more passion for photography. I plan to continue my daily posts and hope to keep improving. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to view my photos. I hope you will continue to visit my blog.
After two years of studying photography, I finally realize that I AM a photographer. In fact, my business cards for Famous Mo’s Coffeehouse & Theater state that I am the “house photographer” instead of the co-owner. It is a role I love to play. Being the photographer gives me the opportunity to be in the forefront of activities, to document events, and to have a reason for being someplace. In 2012, I stood with a number of professional photographers as I took photographs of Endeavor’s fly-by of the State Capitol and I felt comfortable being there. I’ve spent many hours photographing local blues band Foxtrot Mary and I love the challenge of finding the right lighting to capture the feel of the music and the band. In 2012, I joined the Placer Camera Club. The club holds frequent evaluations by professional photographers and I have held my own in those evaluations. It is extremely helpful to get critical feedback and it is always eye opening. This, too, has helped me improve my skills and how I view the photos I take. In 2012, I moved up from a crop-frame camera to a full frame camera and I am blown away by the clarity of my Nikon D800. With the D800 came some new FX lenses and my 24-70mm lens has become my favorite and is now always the default lens on my camera. My favorite subject is birds, mostly wild but the occasional red-lored Amazon in the form of Bobo takes center stage. As a volunteer with the California Foundation for Birds of Prey, I am exposed to incredible photographic opportunities and many of my raptor photos have appeared in this blog. I am thrilled that my photos are also featured in the CFBP’s newletter and brochure. Of course I am the newsletter editor and brochure designer so I guess I shouldn’t brag too much about that.
I continue to carry my camera with me everywhere. I am more committed than ever to photography. In 2013, I am looking forward to a trip to the Grand Canyon with renowned photographer Moose Peterson, to more bird photographs, to more band photographs, and, of course, above all, to make sure my daily photos are in focus!
I am starting off the new year with a disadvantage of sorts. Just this morning I discovered that when I upgraded my Lightroom software recently, photo storage defaulted to my computer’s hard drive instead of the designated 2T photographic hard drive. So, my computer’s drive is now full. Neither my mouse and nor trackpad is working properly today, and I have a cold so I am a bit dopey from cold medicine. But, I managed to start the new year by saving my new photos to the correct drive with properly marked 2013 folders despite the haze in my brain.
Today’s photo subject is one of my favorites. Of course it is a bird, a hummingbird. Despite the cold this morning, 32 degrees outside, and that I HAVE a cold, I ventured outside and sat by the fountain when I saw the hummingbird bathing. He refused to return to the fountain while I was out and so I didn’t get the shots I sought, but the shots I got are in focus. I think a New Years Day hummingbird photo will have to become a tradition.
