LEAP YEAR WEEK 2: PLAN AND PREP

Task: Watch an instructional video to familiarize myself to my camera.

I watched this video that explained all the features of my camera.  I've had the camera for over 7 years and really have just shot in automatic.  Part of my goal is to learn how to shoot in manual. After learning about all the functions and features I ended up watching another video explain the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and light. I quickly learned it is way more complex than just pointing and clicking.

I followed along with the video and took some test shots, playing with the settings.  Here are my results.

Learning: I have a lot of work to do, and I think it's best to practice on stationary objects (read: not Tae!). Although the pictures are horrible I learned how to adjust the settings, now I need to work on focus.  

I did work on editing a little too.  I took the pictures of Tae in the bath last post and edited their brightness and color.  I really love how they turned out. 

Reflection: It is important to plan and prep. I had some time at an appointment and wanted to watch the video, but didn't have it loaded so I couldn't watch it.  Lesson learned.  

Onto week 3!  

WEEK 1 OF MY LEAP YEAR

Well, after 36 weeks of watching Jess become more passionate, knowledgable, and committed to pursuing his dreams I have finally jumped on the bandwagon.  It wasn't that I didn't want to, I just kept letting excuses get in the way.  I'm too tired, I want to spend time with Tae, what if I'm not good at what I choose to pursue, what do I want to focus on? Those are just a few of the excuses that ran through my head when I posted Jess' weekly post.

So what finally made me do it, you ask?  I value our marriage and with a new kid, busy jobs, my online courses, and just plain adulting it's easy to let distance happen between Jess and I grow. When we first started dating we did so many things, both new and old, together.  We challenged one another to be better people and helped walk along side the other as they did. We worked out together, cooked, ran a 1/2 marathon, traveled, and took on silly challenges together.  Somewhere in the past 4 years we don't do tasks or have a common thing to do together.  I think joining The Leap Year will give us a common ground to grow on, both individually and together.

Task: My task for the first week was to write a list of what I was interested in and narrow it down to one thing.  My list was not overly long, but it was a little all over the place.

• Blogging 
• Yoga 
• Basketball 
• Get in the best shape of my life 
• Grow in my spiritual walk 
• Photography 
• Calligraphy 
• Watercolor 
• Make up 
• Service projects 

I decided that a lot of the things on my list are things I can always improve on (spiritual walk, health) and weren't totally new (basketball and blogging). I wanted to start fresh and challenge myself to to something I've always been interested.  I chose photography.  

My first task was done, but I had some extra time so I found a few photographers (Paige Ewing in Atlanta and Shay Nelson in Texas) whose work I really liked. I spent lots of time perusing their sites and finally got the nerve up to email them asking for advice on how to get started.  I don't plan on opening up a business, but I just wanted some tips on where to start. Photography can be expensive, with the cameras, editing software, lighting, etc and I have a history of jumping into things and not following through so I wanted to get advice of where to start.  

Reflection:  I'm excited to start my journey.  I'll be honest, I'm a little intimidated.  I don't like to start something that I'm not good at, but I am pumped to have a creative outlet and hopefully get some great pictures of Tae.