May Happiness!

When I consulted my initial plan for which areas I picked to focus on throughout the year that would increase my overall happiness, I was happy to see photography listed for May!

While I do enjoy photography overall, I tend to work at it in spurts, depending on what else is happening around me. Sometimes I overwhelm myself with higher expectations or I get bogged down trying to learn technical stuff. Other times I feel limited because I don't have a higher level camera. But, the bottom line is, I have a very good camera and it takes very good pictures and I don't have to learn everything at once to enjoy photography as a hobby. When I back off and stop expecting myself to be a professional with hobby knowledge and I shoot to enjoy then I enjoy photography once more.

Because I love taking pictures of my grandchildren (two of the three have t-shirts with cameras on them... Jaydens says "Grandma is my paparazzi"!), I will read the book Mammarazzi. I hope to learn more about making the most of my photo shoots with the children in my life!

I am also going to check out some emails and a website that I signed up with that gives photo taking tips and prepare for a very special outing later this month... an outing which promises some excellent landscaping and fabulous photoshooting joy! So... stay tuned...

One of my favorite free photo editing sites recently closed down and that is forcing me to take the best shot sooc (straight out of camera), so I will focus on that, too. I am putting off photo editing software until I update my computer system... which will probably be in another year. So, here's to taking a great picture the first go-round!

I would love to hear from fellow photography hobbyists. What is your favorite subject to take photos of? What equipment do you use? What is your favorite lens? What is on your wish list to add to your enjoyment of photography? I use a basic Canon rebel, dream of getting a higher end one.... I keep my straight 50 (ultrasonic 1:1.4)lens on most of the time, but switch it out with my zoom whenever I have some nature scene playing out nearby. I love capturing the beauty of my grandchildren's faces... and occasionally get the desire to capture nature. I would love to get a micro lens.

In the meantime, yesterday (right on time for the month of May!) we had two scrub-jay parents in our yard looking for their baby... Here's the story as it unfolded:

In case you didn't catch that... parents found Junior in our jasmine along the side of the porch and then they led him across the yard... over the bag of flower-bed mulch and past the tree. Junior had to play a moment and take that last little jump off the tree before following his folks across the street to my friend's yard, where they are currently a happy little family.

Blessings to you in May!!