Total Eclipse of the Heart--i.e. Team Edward

There was a big part of me that wanted to title this post: "Neal and Andrew, DO NOT ENTER". In fact, any anti-Twilight folks should stop here, exit, and come back tomorrow...

Today was actually the hardest day as a blogger thus far (what? 4 days in??). I thought I knew EXACTLY what I was going to take pictures of and post. But did I not learn anything from yesterday's post (remember: you can't force it...it's not where you're looking...)? Lauren and I waited in line for the opening day showing of Eclipse, just like we did for the other two movies in the series. I wanted to get a couple of action shots of some crazy, screaming teeny-boppers, but apparently they all came out for the midnight and 3 a.m. showings (crazies!). But I definitely did not get my "shot"...

Please note the bottle of wine in line...I love the Angelika. It's the best way to wait. Also note that there are no crazy, screaming teeny-boppers...just 20 somethings and middle aged moms (in fact, the lady in front of us...her 12 year old daughter came out of the theater from the showing prior to ours...can't be seen together??).

It was difficult for me because I was embarrassed...I didn't want people to look at me and think, "Why the hell does that girl have a camera out? And WHY IS SHE TAKING MY PICTURE?" I kept thinking that if it were Andrew, he'd be all up in people's business...not caring, just trying to get a cool shot. I'm not there yet. I'm working on it.

But because of said embarrassment, I got out the camera phone (downloaded the photoshop app during the movie, took some screen shots, and edited those). Gotta say...not half bad for a camera phone...

Can you tell that I am totally Team Edward? Jacob is a tool.

So I wanted to take a couple extra shots to see what I had to work with...

Shuffling out.

And two of my favorite people...Thanks for making this a tradition, girls. And thanks for letting Camille come out with us, Ellie (and Scott, of course)...

No editing needed...you two are perfect just the way you are.

As far as photography goes, this is not my best post...however, for a Wednesday? It was a great evening with great friends!! (Movie? Not great...I'd give it a Meh!)

Splash Park Fun!

I found myself daydreaming a lot during training today. I couldn't stop thinking about where I was going to take my picture for the day. I thought about this yesterday too, but then BOOM! There was rain. Today, oh there was rain alright, but not like yesterday...so out of luck there. I got home from training and needed a nap; let me tell you, there is nothing inspiring about crashing on the couch. So finally I went out in search of it. Initially I thought, maybe...just maybe, I might find something down at the lake. Nope...out of luck there too. So I kept driving, when I saw it out of the corner of my eye...the splash park.

A few thoughts entered my mind while I was creepily taking pictures at the splash park:

1.) These kids could've been playing ALL day in the rain...but they wait until there was a short break and probably begged to go play at the splash park. Any bets on how many video game levels were beat during the "rain delay" only to go to a splash park after that is the equivalent of playing in the rain?

2.) Please tell me the City of Dallas did NOT leave the splash park on while it was raining. That just seems silly.

3.) In these first few posts, I have found that the "right" picture has just come to me...it's never where I'm looking for it; I can't force it; it's just there...in the corner of my eye (like my favorite band, or my favorite dive bar, OR meeting a man who turns out to be my husband), just waiting for someone to see the beauty in it.

There's a Storm a'Brewin'

I had training today, and even though I did bring my camera (I'm getting pretty good at carrying it around, huh?), I didn't really feel comfortable breaking it out in front of a bunch of strangers. Nor did I deem any part of that training "blog-worthy".

However, I was SOOO glad I had my camera with me on my way home. Now before any of you get too worried (ahem, Neal), let me preface this picture by saying I was at a dead stop, and my car was in park (for a second at least while I grabbed my camera and grabbed this shot).

This was shot in landscape mode. I cropped it and did a few enhancements by boosting the color. I also love that I caught a little of the landscape, and that the landscape included a Texas flag in the distance...

It was a pretty rough storm that I got caught right in the middle of (again, the camera was put away, and I was driving at 10 and 2 by that point), but it was so cool to watch it roll in.

A Struggling Artist's Muse

Today was one of those non-exciting days I was talking about in my last post. I did very little today. I mean Very. Little. But with the little that I did do, I kept thinking, I've got to take a picture. How can I turn this into a blog entry?

I could've taken a picture of my cute husband vacuuming without his shirt on (but I thought he'd ban me from blogging after that); I could've taken a picture of sweet Preston on the way to the airport (but we were so busy packing the car to get them there on time, that by the time I could have pulled out my camera, I was driving=not safe; but I DID have my camera, so I'm getting better, right?); I could've taken a picture of the tornado that hit my kitchen after making lasagna (but the truth is, I just didn't feel it). Ugh, I can't NOT post on my second day as a blogger...

Finally, we headed over to the Prewett's to drop off said lasagna, and there she was...my Muse.

How could I NOT capture this sweet little babe? I've already warned Camille that Ellie would probably be a regular on the ol' photogblog, so here's her first shot...Neal was holding Ellie here, and I loved how she was just staring up at him. I shot this in manual with no flash. The only editing I did was changing it to a sepia tone and cropping it a little (all editing done on iPhoto).

So there you have it...my muse...sweet Baby E.

And so it begins...

I feel like I'm on a blind date...or a counseling session. The person across from me (you) wants to know one thing that no one else knows about me. I think...and think...

Me: Hmm. I hated brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes until last year.

Them: No...something else. Something about YOU, something deeper.

Me: I used to be a studio art major. I wanted to be a photographer, but they made me take drawing and design classes before I could take a photography class. So I quit.

Them: Why a photographer?

Me: Well, maybe not so much a photographer...just pictures.

I want to take pictures. I feel like I've lived half of my life through pictures. Some of the relationships I have with the most important people in my life have been created through pictures and other people's memories. Pictures are what brought people closer to me, the ones that were far away. Pictures make the past come alive, they make me smile, they make me remember. I could spend hours, days even, looking at pictures (it's happened). It's a connection for me.

The only problem...I'm not a photographer. I don't know how to take pictures. I DO have a camera, though.

So I'm starting an experiment. My goal through this is to take my camera with me and start taking pictures (that was my first problem, I didn't take enough pictures). I want to post at least one picture a day, maybe more (depending on the day). I'll edit it, you know, make it purty. And write about why that picture captured that moment. Hopefully, we'll all see an improvement over time (in the pictures themselves, the composure, the subject, my writing, even me). You're welcome to tell me what you think, but this is very much a place for me to accomplish something I've always wanted to do: take pictures and write (I'm an English teacher, what can I say, I like to write).

Now don't get your hopes up...Life isn't that exciting around here so some of the posts may be just food or friends or random still life I've created because all I did that day was sit around and watch TV (very likely).

So here it is...my first picture.

This picture says everything about how I spent last night and today. Thinking about how I wanted to make this blog happen, why (see the picture wall?), and putting it in action.

And so it begins...I'm a blogger. And I'm taking pictures everyday!