Why I love PHOTOGRAPHY

Since I was a little girl I have loved pictures.  I especially loved posing.  Ask my mom.  She'd tell you.  And if my pictures weren't all packed away in my storage unit then I'd give you some proof.  As I grew older I started noticing my dad's NON-digial SLR camera and the amazing pictures he took.  Again, imagine a picture of me getting ready for the Prom with my sister and I was watching her do her hair in the mirror and the focus was really cool...I wish you could see the picture.  One of my all time favorites.   Then my dad got me a camera that took panoramic pictures and the film just dropped in.  Wow.  It was incredible.  I took so many long pictures of scenery I could bore you to tears.  After I got married Mike got me my first digital camera.  It was 5 mega pixels!!  Incredible.  I took thousands of pictures and deleted them just because I could.  We upgraded when we had Carter.  12 mega pixels.  This was before I realized there is a lot more to a camera than mega pixels.   Anyhoo, I think I sent my mother 20 pictures a day of Carter as a baby.  Sorry mom.
But my life really changed a year ago last June.  I got my beautiful Canon T1i.  It was no small feat.  I saved and saved for her.  Mike donated plasma so he could buy me that camera.  I love him for that.  I don't know that I could donate plasma for him to get a TV.  He is better than me.  But I digress.
My life really changed.  I carried my camera with me everywhere.  I think I even took it to church a few times just so I wouldn't be away from it.  I read books and books and talked with everybody who would talk back to me about cameras.  I should have worked for Best Buy.  I could have sold anybody a camera.  I think I even made a few friends buy one so we could learn together.  Sorry Amy.   So I saved up and took a few classes.
That about brings us to the present.  I still love my camera. She sits by me now as I type.  I even like to dress her up.  You should see my latest strap cover.  Pre-tty cute if I do say so myself.  I have learned a lot. I shoot in manual now.  I have learned some editing in Lightroom and Photoshop.  I have taken a few more classes including a few from my friend Brooke Snow on natural light and her Top Ten Tiny Tips.  I'm sure you've heard me mention her before.  She took our family picture at the top of the blog.  I love to learn about photography.  It makes me happy.  It gives me confidence.  I know I am just beginning to learn all there is to learn about this.  I think it will take a lifetime and I hope it does.  I am really enjoying the journey.  Maybe I can get Mike to donate some more plasma.  I have a few more classes to take and some new lenses to buy!

I took these pictures the first day I got my camera.  The blurry background is my favorite thing.

p.s. Brooke, please oh please consider me for the spot in your class.  I would be most appreciative.  I know I may not know as much as a lot of the people who you are considering.   I don't have a photography blog or even real experience taking pictures of people other than my small children.  But that is why it would help me so much.  I think that maybe I say I don't want to have a business or take pictures for other people because I don't feel like I'm good enough.  I know your class could help me take my pictures to the next level.  It seems every time I talk to you I feel more confident in my abilities.  Thank you for doing this.  It is an amazing opportunity for whoever you choose. :)