Find something that makes you happy

One of my friend's facebook status tonight was about finding a hobby or passion that you love and just doing it.  She went on to add about supporting those that you love that have found just such a hobby.  It sort of struck me.  I know I've been nervous about what the reaction to my photography would be.  I'm no where near even thinking of doing it as a "job."  However, it is definitely a hobby that I've fallen head over hills in love with it.  I love seeing the word hiding behind the camera.  It suits my personality to a T.  I can watch, observe, and document, all while staying in my bubble.

I know over this past year, I've found more of a style that I love.  I had friends mention it, but I did not really see the change until I looked back over the entire year.  I guess you can say my tastes matured?  I know over the next year I hope to keep learning more, especially the technical side.  Do I ever think I'll make it into a hobby that makes money?  Maybe, but not until I have a lot more practice under my belt.  Right now I love capturing my daughter's life, our world, sharing this hobby with her, and making pretty pictures.  I've also picked up some new friends from my photography on 365.  It's sort of like my gaming, a few more friends from around the world.  The perks of the online universe, ya know?

My latest photography love and find...black and white portraits.

A New Year, and Hopefully more blogging

So outside of my goals I've set for my photography (learning my camera more, getting a new lens, and hopefully making the top 20 on 365), I also want to blog more.  Lately on 365, I've gotten comments that the writing in my captions is very well done.  I've always loved to write, and well, I really want to keep this blog up to date for once.  So we'll see, right?

The husband unit has been on leave, so we've been enjoying some down times.  It's been a trial and error process on getting new routines established for Ali with us being back home.  Things are mellowing out now it seems.  She's a lot like her daddy, change does not phase them much.  I'm the one that goes "OMG PANIC!" at change. 

I've started Year 2 already for 365.  I'm a month out from finishing my first year.  I'm proud of myself that I've stuck with it, even if I had a month of filler shots due to a broke camera.  I still stuck it out.  Ali and I started a project for her, but her want to do it seems to have died off in the excitement of Christmas, Daddy, and the trip back home.  I can't blame her.  That's a lot for a four year old to comprehend and take in! 

Here are a few of my shots recently:



 





I also started a facebook page to show my pictures on for folks not on 365.  Moody Rainbow Photography is the page!  It's just to show things as I learn.  It's been a fun 11 months learning so far, so I can't wait to see what the new year brings.

Incomplete

(I posted this on my 365 project, but I wanted to share it here.  And I swear, I'm going to post more.  Things have been hellish lately.)



When I saw the theme for the week, I instantly thought of one person to take a picture of. Problem - that person is who knows where in a submarine. That person is my hero in more ways than I can share in the space this box gives. He made a choice 14 years ago come January to join the Navy. It was not a smooth ride at first, but he settled in his current job. He loves his job, stress and all.

I've been wearing this necklace almost nine years. It was a gift from him our first Christmas, shortly before our first patrol together. Over the years, he has jokingly called it my fidget device. I've rubbed the silver coating off of the front. His dog tags are on the necklace as well. And the dolphins are a pin that have made their appearance before in my project.

My husband helps keep me, our family, everyone safe. In trade for that service, he sacrifices time with his loved ones. Misses first steps, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. It can be hell some days. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have my loving husband, who has given me the world in our daughter.

And you know one of the best parts? Those videos of homecomings you see on T.V.? The ones with the over flowing waterfall of emotion pouring out of the loved ones? I've seen it. I've felt it. I've been there. Waiting on pins and needles on a pier watching for the sailor with red hair. Then getting that hug and kiss. Seeing the look on our daughter's face - The "Where the hell have you been?" one. And just wanting to keep touching his hand or his shoulder to make sure you aren't dreaming. When incomplete, becomes complete again.

And hearing him say my name. He always chuckles softly when that's one of my first requests.

If you've made it through this, thank you. I'll admit I've been crying during half of it, so I don't know if it makes much sense. This just felt like one of those pictures and captions that had to be done.
 

Catch all - Catch Up

So, I've been horrible about keeping this up lately.  I seem to do fine with my written journal, but this blog, not so much.  I need to find a focus I think.  Maybe put together some Theme days or something.  We'll see.  I know it'll probably be artsie or something dealing with my little one.  Or both.  Enough with that rambling, how about some catching up!

Who I am #7: Me

GAH! Selfie alert! I HATE pictures of myself. I'm much more comfortable hiding behind the camera. *insert lots of self conscious issues from high school here*

So this is me. Glasses wearing, brown hair, brown eyed me. (I could not get all of my hair in a self portrait...it goes down to my waist. lol)

Thank you everyone that's followed this little series and commented along the way! It's been awesome to get the feedback. This series was inspired by the song "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Specifically this verse:

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance.
I know now, this is who I really am.

In the video, the lead singer is faced with his double. They are singing this verse back and forth. It's always just stuck with me, and later spawned this series idea.

One thing I have learned over the years is that I am many things. I can't sacrifice one part or focus too much on another. It's a magical balancing act that I'm still trying to master.

Thank you again everyone!

Who I am #6: Louisiana Girl

I was born and raised in Louisiana. Hell, I had never left the Southern US until my high school years. I love the South. I feel very at home here. I feel so out of place in big cities. Too fast and too many crowds. Give me the calm pace of the not so big cities in the South. And yes, I have an accent, though it tends to only come out badly when I'm tired or back home for a bit. I will be heading back home end of this year for a few months, so you all will get a taste of Louisiana. =)

Who I am #5: Oh Shiney!

My husband likes to joke that I suffered from "Hyper Active Oh Shiney Disorder." Aka - I'm majorly easily distracted. This joke goes back YEARS to our early roleplay days, where my character would get distracted picking up every flower she saw. It earned me the nickname "Flower Girl." hehe. This picture was not planned to work for my love of flowers and my shiney side, but then I saw the new textures in picnik. The rest was history.

I totally adore flowers. It goes back to when I was little with my Great grandfather and my grandmother. Both LOVED their gardens. They also both tolerated me picking every flower in sight. I miss them both, but flowers definitely keep them in my hearts.

Who I am #4: Roleplayer

I first found roleplaying at the age of 16, when I started playing Everquest. It was an outlet for my creative writing. I fell in love. At the time, I developed a character named Leiella. (You'll hear more about her on another day.) The character I've done the most work with is Lolanae. She is a wood elf rogue. The picture for today is of a dagger and a key. Two things very key to almost any of Lolanae's stories. I tried a new idea with the lighting, seeing as rogues are usually hiding in the shadows.

I love writing stories. It goes back to part of what I talked about yesterday. I love getting lost in my head in these worlds of imagination and fantasy. It's definitely my fun, wind down time at the end of the day.

I'm grateful that I got into roleplay and online gaming. I have friends (and a husband!) from there and bonds formed that have lasted years past when we still played the games. Some of these friends I've never met in person (though I hope to one day), but that doesn't matter to us.

Who I am #3: Artsie Fartsie

When we first started dating, my husband jokingly called me Artsie Fartsie. It's sort of stuck over the years. I'm definitely the more artsie one of the relationship. (We are actually complete opposites if you look at the MTBI personality tests. hehe) He is way more science and math, where I'm happy in my colorful rainbow bubble with my camera, writing, and colors.

I'm grateful for artsie farstie outlets of creativity. =)

Who I am #2: Submariner's Wife

I've been married for almost eight years. When I met my husband, I had never really known anyone in the military. I had grew up next to one of the largest Air Force bases, but that's about it. I still remember to this day, he sat me down and laid out all of the facts of how his schedules work. It can be emotionally taxing at times, especially now that we have a daughter. For all the time away (with little to no communication), to the long, wonky hours, to the times he is home, it's all worth it. I share him with the sea, but I don't mind. A little salt water makes him happy and makes him who he is. I wouldn't change that for the world. I'm so grateful that I have him in my life.

The picture is of my wive's dolphins. They are a miniature version of his submarine qualification pin. Dolphins are the symbol of the submarine fleet.

Who I am?

I've had this idea in my head for a bit. It's actually thanks to a line from one of my favorite songs by 30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill.

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance.
I know now, this is who I really am.

I'm doing this as part of my 365project. It's taking a little thinking outside of the box. It will also take some nerves, courage and planning since I plan to atleast end it with a self-portrait. I started today with this picture:



This was the description:

My main "job" for the last 3 and 1/2 years has been a stay at home mama. I love it, even though my boss is prone to tantrums, hilarity, and sudden work schedule changes. For all the sleepless nights, she is totally worth it. The two am smiles after I've solved whatever crisis make the lack of sleep tolerable. I wouldn't change it for the world, no matter how frustrated I might get some days.

The star was her idea. She then sang me 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" while I took the picture. The letters are from her toys, except the M is from my scrapbooking stuff.

So this should be a fun little challenge. =)

Photography adventure - 4 months in

So I still haven't braved manual. I have stuff to read up on, but for some reason I haven't braved it. Yes, I know. Man up and do it. I will say I've been venturing outside my comfort areas lately, so that's a start, right? I've also been playing with some creative edits and having fun. Maybe manual can be my adventure for while Ryan's home, so when I get frustrated he can re-focus me. hehe Even with sticking in my cameras pre-set modes, I've managed to do a lot of fun little things.

Well, let's start at Day 1 of my 365project for reference:



Go figure...I buy a spiffy new camera and...it's gloomy and rainy for a week afterwards!

This was the first photo that seemed to get a load of attention. I was rather proud of it, and it definitely was nice to get feedback.



This is the topped ranked photo of mine on my project. I definitely think the meaning I attached to it of leaving your mark on the people you meet helped it's popularity. I've also found a niche for using my camera to help portray a cause of acceptance.



I have an insane love for macro shots...



One of my recent favs. Straight out of the camera. Loved how it came out.



And lately I've gone outside my box a bit. Still hugging the wall, but it's progress.







The two rainbow ones are straight out of the camera. The one of Alison is playing with some edits.

I'm still having fun. I do like finding new things to photograph, and I've learned that what I think looks cool won't always be what is popular, cool, or "right." It's definitely a project and adventure for "me." Sometimes I do still need to remind myself of that though.

Curveballs

I planned to start catching up with blogging in June. A trip back from Phoenix with a sick toddler derailed my creative juices to say the least. Needless to say I have gotten nothing done for the 30 day journal challenge that I wanted to do. Hopefully I can pick it up soon.

I'm still working on my 365 project. We did an A to Z section that was really fun! Right now I'm focusing on gratitude shots. I want to get a chance to read the photo books I picked up during vacation. I still haven't practiced much in manual. (Yes, I know, bad girl!) That being said, people seem to like some of my photos, so that's awesome. I also finally caved and opened a flickr account. (Which I need to catch up as well.) Did I mention the darling toddler gave me her cold, and she is also still coughing? Yeah...I think I'm running away to the movies this weekend!

So to start off my renewing of the blog - I did a little redecorating. I'll play around with the links/widgets/silly stuff over the next few days. I do need to find a kind of "direction." Could always go with the geeky, gamer, navy wife mama that likes to ramble? There is a niche for that, right? hehe

Artsie Farstie Mode: Activated

Today, my artsie fartsie side got a little boost. Talking with a friend, she asked me "Have you studied photography?" I'm like "Umm...high school." She goes on to tell me that's she's really enjoying seeing my 365 project.

*insert image of my artsie fartsie side doing a happy jig in my head*

Getting my new camera has done worlds for my soul. I'm not kidding. I need some kind of artsie outlet. As much as I'd love to scrapbook, lack of room prevents it. (Though, be damned, I'm going to find some way. I just might have to totally take over the kitchen. Time will tell.)

I also love hiding behind the camera. Ryan has always joked that I see the world differently. He calls it my "OH SHINEY!" disorder, meaning that I get easily distracted be quirky little things that catch my attention. I can just hear him now when he sees me take 15 minutes rearranging glittery heart stickers to get them JUST right. Or just snapping pictures of our daughter playing and hoping there is a really awesome shot.

I guess hiding behind the camera really lets me just watch. Be the quiet one in the background, observing the details of the world. Seeing something that might be overlooked by someone that didn't take that extra second. I find myself now thinking of different shots to try. I'm hoping by the end of patrol to atleast be practicing full time in manual.

Here are a few of the pictures I've taken lately:

Beautiful Imperfection



Love



Torn



I'm definitely having fun. It's neat dreaming up different ideas. Like I have a bag of rose petals in the fridge that is just calling to be some type of picture.

365 Project

Yes, I restarted this. With my new camera, I've been having loads of fun. It's been neat playing with a new camera and learning all the settings.

You can follow along with my project here:


And yes, I definitely hope to be more alive on the blogging front.

365 Project: Runaway Day!

Today I got my "Runaway Day" today. It was time for myself to just walk around by myself. I went to Arizona Mills to do a little shopping. I found some stuff for Alison, and also some stuff for myself. I've been wanting to see these movies for a bit. I saw Prince of Persia in the theater and loved it. I've always had a thing for Robin Hood movies, so of course, I want to see how this version holds up.

365 Project: Cheesecake!

So this past week, Ryan and I have talked about going to get dessert and watch a movie together once the kiddo was in bed. We did that last night! I've been hearing about Cheesecake Factory for YEARS, but just about the cheesecake. We actually ate there as well, and man is the food very yummy. (Ryan had the wild mushroom burger and I had fish tacos. And I swear...I'm in love with Baja Mexican food!)

We brought our desserts home. This is mine. It was a Reese's peanut butter cup cheesecake/cake mix. Man was it rich but good!

(Oh and I promise to catch up on these pics, so expect to see another post with today's picture!)

365 Project

I've been thinking of doing this for awhile. For those that don't know what it is, basically you take one picture a day for a year. I wanted to start it a little earlier, but as you know, husband unit threw a wrench into our plans. (He is feeling better, by the way hehe.)

So I started this yesterday - The first day of my seventh year of marriage. The 22nd was our anniversary. I figure it was a good time to start, not to mention, I'm hoping this year will be better and smoother for us.

And now for my picture. This is my "desk" of sorts at the in-laws house. It's basically the dinning room table. Since my laptop has been where I've spent a lot of my time this vacation between researching medical terms I'd never heard before and keeping myself sane, it's a fitting first look into my daily life.