getting in front of the camera // march

since there was approximately one picture of me in last year's p365 album, i've resolved to make it a higher priority to get in FRONT of the camera once in a while.  actually, i've decided that once in a while should be about once a month.  i figure my boys will want to look back & know i was around too, right?

getting comfortable in front of the camera is really hard for me.  i find so many reasons why today is not the day for a selfie.  my hair isn't washed, i'm not wearing makeup... or... ok, those are pretty much the main reasons.  but on monday evening i decided to forget those things & give it a go. i set the camera up on my dresser, gave the boys the remote & let the shutter fly.  they had a blast pushing the button, watching the red light on my camera come on & hearing it click.  who knew it even had a red light when it shoots?  maybe that's just a remote thing but it was new to me.  apparently being on the other side of the lens is educational, too.

hopefully this is the start of a year-long project.  it'd be so fun to have a collection of images with my boys for every month at the end of the year.  at some point i'll have to start getting creative with setting & poses though right?  i mean how many squishy boy cheek kissy photos can i have?  oh well. for this month it works.

so here's a few of the results of my first month of the getting in front of the camera project.  here goes nothing!

reflections on a monday

i don't historically love mondays.  does anybody?  we usually do all kinds of fun things on weekends so when it's back to real life on monday, i'm always in a bit of a funk.  today was next level funk.

last weekend we had six houseguests here for the ncaa tournament games taking place in portland.  i love love love having company here & the endless party that comes along with that.  sam's parents, sister & husband, brother & a friend were all here & there was lots of eating at our favorite spots around portland, late night games & movies, a zoo trip & some poker.  everyone headed home on sunday so the house felt awful quiet come monday.  lame.

anyways, last week was pretty rad is what i'm trying to say.  the weather was top notch & we got outside a lot. there was good light which means i was able to take a handful of pretty pictures & for me that's the makings of a good week.

also, in light of having all sorts of fun last week (read: donuts, ice cream, slurpees, costco muffins, etc) i am hitting it hard this week with the clean eats & workouts.  i took the last month off due to a hamstring injury & am going to be going to the gym for the first time in a long time tomorrow.  is it weird how excited i am?  i hope my leg holds out & i'm able to get back into a routine.  i miss me some fitness in my life!

on that note, i'm headed to bed.  5:30 gym time comes early... really, really early.  enjoy some pics from our last week & happy tuesday!

elliot being elliot

i think most people would discourage jumping on the bed in their homes... but not around here. we encourage it.  anything for a photo op. ;)

house tour // the boys' room progress

i'm a little torn about posting a room tour when it's really not 100% done... i'd say we're at about 75%?  but i am just so excited at where this room is at, i can't wait any longer.  and really, is any room ever actually 100% "done"??  in the coming months we'll be switching elliot from his crib to a big boy bed.  i already have all his bedding set & ready to go so i'm anxious to finish off this room... but alas, he has his own timing.  he loves his crib & has no interest in a real bed so that's on hold.  i suppose it's probably better this way, they're going to lose a lot of valuable floor space with the second bed in there so i should just stop my rush!

anyway, here is the room as it stands now.  i painted it white (it was like a dull beige before) & sam helped me put up the shelves last night.  so now i'm ready to share it as it is now with the world!  i wanted white in their room because it provides a bright happy blank slate with all their toys & fun art adding a pop of color.

the wall at the head of their beds is still totally blank.  once we get elliot's bed set up we'll put in a nightstand between the two beds & do something with that wall.  right now i'm envisioning a clothesline going the length of the wall for them to display their own art & school projects.  we'll see... i seem to change my mind every day.

here is the room as of now!  sources are posted at the end.

dresser: IKEA
bed: craigslist (old IKEA hemnes model)
crib: target
dinosaur wall art: etsy
quilt: target
duvet: pottery barn kids
sheets: target
quilt: gifted
stool: IKEA
shelves: IKEA
whicker baskets: target
parker & elliot dinosaur watercolor: my mom
vintage toy trucks: flea market
world clock: IKEA
closet organizers & baskets: target
globe: craigslist
parker self portrait: parker
elliot's blanket: gifted
elliot's crib sheet: target
paint color: white dove by benjamin moore
chalkboard paint: benjamin moore

some photography related rambling.

i think every artist goes through stages of like & dislike of their own work.  we are our own worst critics, for sure.  we simultaneously love our own work & hate it.  i keep pushing in the direction that is "my style" while also admiring so many great photographers who inspire me to take a new approach.

sometimes i have editing schizophrenia.  dull, soft, dreamy tones or saturated, bright & happy colors? as artists we reserve the right to change our minds.  i admire those photographers who are super consistent.  they have a style you could pick out of a line up because it is just so "them."  that's what i'm striving to be someday.  i wonder if i'll ever feel like i've arrived?  like if i EVER feel like my pictures look exactly the way i want them to look.  it's so weird to have an idea in your head that you're working towards & just not be there.

don't get me wrong, i have seen significant improvement in my stuff over the last two years since doing my photo a day project, but i think i will ALWAYS be working towards that idea of where i see myself in my head.  every now & then i really do love my stuff.  i look at it & think well yeah, that's pretty good.  but i promise, in my head i'm saying i just got lucky.  i couldn't do it again if i tried.  i think that's a combo of the magic of photography as well as my own naysaying.  photography is magical because a certain moment really can't be recreated.  i really couldn't do it again if i tried because that exact moment will never, ever happen again.  at least not exactly as it once was.  so i really did just get lucky.

photography is just a combination of being in the right place at the right time & being technically skilled enough to do the right thing at the right moment.  i think that's why we photographers get so obsessed.  it's a thrill.  we really are just junkies trying to catch that high we feel when we nail a shot.  it's addicting.

it's exciting to see how far i've come since first picking up a dslr in 2010.  it's exciting to think how far i could continue to go if i keep pushing on.  it's safe to say my obsession is alive & well & probably at an all time high.  i'm also excited to have revitalized this blog so i can get these thoughts out of my head at 2 am.  even if it is just rambling.

and now for some pretty pictures.  ;)

weekend getaway // seabrook

so it's almost midnight, i can barely keep my eyes open... seems like a great time to post to the blog right?  why not!

spontaneous weekend adventures are my love language, guys.  this was totally last minute when a few things just fell right into place & before we knew it we were driving out yet again to the washington coast.  there was lots of beach time, snacks, pool time, a campfire & more beach time.

the boys are obsessed with the beach.  nevermind that the water is freezing & gross (what is that ocean goo anyway??), they found it totally normal to run through it & get soaked up to their waists.  And of course we had the standard crying & complaining when it was time to leave the water.  whatever weirdos.

my favorite part of the beach is obviously the picture taking.  well, picture taking & the snacks.  chocolate milk & a box of old fashioned donuts is our go-to for the record.  mmmmmm, donuts.

anywho... them beach tones, tho.  catch ya next time seabrook!