Photo Blogging Challenge-Leap
Happy Leap Day! This month for the photo blog challenge the theme is "Leap" probably because it is a leap year and today is the extra day. I have chosen to interpret this theme by presenting for you a retrospective of photographs I have taken over the years of people jumping. It is actually something that I really enjoy having people do when doing a portrait session. I like the movement, and fun of a jumping picture, and it really allows you to examine a moment that would otherwise be over too quickly and gone forever.
This first photo was taken in 2011 soon after I had upgraded my camera to a pretty basic DSLR. I had some fun with my nieces and nephews on this beautiful summer day. Although it is not technically the best photo, I love the movement, bright colors and the joy.
This next photo was taken with my iPhone while out running withe a friend of mine. The sunrise was beautiful, and with a low angle at the top of a hill a relatively low jump appeared to be a giant leap.
The final three photos were taken in the past year in my studio. I really do love having a plain white background to really focus on the jump itself. Of course then I can also have some fun with the editing as well.
If you want to take great jumping photos, try taking them at a slightly lower angle than you normally would, and the the jumper try to incorporate their arms to add movement, and make sure to keep their eyes on the camera so that you see a smile in the photo.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the pictures in the comment section below.
To keep up on more pictures like these, follow me on Instagram
Photo Blogging Challenge-Inside
This month for the photo blog challenge the theme is "inside" and I liked this because outside was pretty cold and snowy this month. However, I decided to highlight some interior shots that took last summer during the Salt Lake Parade of Homes. The parade of homes is an annual event in Salt Lake where you can go and tour homes that highlight the best work of home builders and interior designers in Utah. I decided it would be a good opportunity to try my hand at real estate photography, and it was fun because the homes were gorgeous. Last week I was asked if I did this type of photography so I pulled out the photos and did some editing, and here are a few of my favorites.
As it turns out all my favorites seem to be the details. I guess looking at the small things in a room are more interesting to me than looking at the whole room.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the pictures in the comment section below.
To keep up on more pictures like these, follow me on Instagram
Life’s turning point
Day 6 of "20 Days of Chill" writing challenge! The theme for the day is "Life’s turning point"
A traditional analogy of a turning point in life is coming to an intersection and making a decision, but I think that life is more like a highway. (If you are a like me then you just turned that from a simile to a metaphor, and now you have a song in your head and it will be stuck with you all night long.) Back to the broader metaphor of life's turning point being like a highway. I think that you start heading in a direction that seems good, and just start cruising along, then there are seemingly inconsequential decisions that you make along the way, like changing lanes that can push you into a position of getting off on an exit. Now, life has taken a turn that you didn't expect and you have to make a decision to try to get back on that highway, or choose a different direction.
I learned growing up that I had no control over what other people did, I could only choose what I did, and how I reacted to what other people did. I think it is the same in life, you can choose your road, but it is up to you to decide what to do when it curves, or you get pushed off that road.
A fading memory
Day 5 of "20 Days of Chill" writing challenge! The theme for the day is "A fading memory"
When you think about a fading memory, your mind probably goes to a time when life was better, when the sun was brighter and nostalgia blah, blah, blah. What I want to talk about is something more immediate, impactful, and something that can make a difference on your bottom line.
If you rely on networking as part of your business strategy, you should be aware of the findings laid out in this article How Many People Can You Remember? the short version is that most people can maintain stable relationships with, and easily recall names and faces of around 150 people, and beyond that people can remember more with additional prompts. If you attend a networking event and walk away with 50 business cards, having exchanged yours with 50 people then you can bet that with every minute that passes you are becoming a fading memory.
Let's say in this scenario that some of these people liked meeting you and want to follow up and continue to connect with you online. If they search for you on LinkedIn, which of the following profile pictures would be the most likely to be an effective prompt for them to remember you?
This is something that is easily overlooked when you are filling out all the resume information in your LinkedIn profile, but the reality is that people will search for you, and will use the photo you provide to verify that the name on the screen matches the person that they want to connect with, and how you show up could be the difference between maintaining that connection or becoming a fading memory.
Pen and paper
Day 4 of "20 Days of Chill" writing challenge! The theme for the day is "Pen and paper"
Are pens and paper a thing of the past? I know that everything is moving to digital, but that is something that has been happening most of my life. As I sit at my desk, I still see papers with pen scribbles, (both words and drawings) and think that there is something more to it than just capturing thoughts. There is something tactile about putting a pen to paper that is very nice, especially with the right pen. I have a pen that I love because the ink flows out smoothly and spreads out on the paper if I hold it still. I thought about it recently when I had to use an old ball point pen, the kind where you have to scribble a bit in the corner of the page to get the ink to start, and then it skips, and scratches...ick. I think people who want to only use computers probably own pens like that.
