Important Let’s Do 52 Links:

Original Let’s Do 52 Flickr Group
Original Let’s Do 52 Details (again, for us old folks)
Paint the Moon Facebook Page – Come Share, Be Inspired, Ask Questions

Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Flickr Group
Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Original Blog Post

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Thank you all for the wonderful submissions this week. You continue to out do yourselves. The submissions for both themes were wonderful which made it very difficult to select the Picks of the Week. The ‘Linear” shots were striking, and I was amazed at all the unique and fun submissions. I can’t tell you how many times I had people tell me that once they started looking for linear subjects, they couldn’t believe how surrounded they were with designs that fall into the linear theme.

And as a mother of two little ones myself, I can most definitely relate to the chaos many of you captured. It’s a great reminder that we are not alone and there is at least a little chaos around each of us. Thank you again for the great submissions and I cannot wait to see your submissions this week!

My entry for the week started out as the “Linear” theme when we were walking downtown and spotted this beat up old wall with some great lines in the design. Note to my husband … see, I told you it was important for me to take my camera bag along with us to the furniture store! ;) But it ended up a bit more of the “Chaos” theme when my girls got silly on me and happily would not cooperate with any request for “just one” shot that didn’t include tongues out or rabbit ears. LOL! And I love it just the way it is!!

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Listed below are the links to the photographer’s original images posted on Flickr. Click the corresponding numbered link below (in no particular order – note that this is not a contest or “best of”). The theme for week six photos was either Topsy Turvy (chaos) or Linear.

1. Choco Photo Photography
2. Dana Leigh Photography
3. Carla Elaine Photography
4. Rachael Meldrum
5. Emily Eliason
6. White Linen Photography
7. Becca Wohlwinder
8. Meg Thomas
9. Liv Jacobson Photography

The themes/ideas are below for the seventh week of 2012.

 If you need a refresher on the guidelines and details … please see the original post for the 2012 Let’s Do 52.

• I love all the photos being shared on the Paint the Moon Facebook page and invite anyone involved with the group to come share too!

• Be sure to keep checking in on the Paint the Moon blog and Facebook page for articles, inspiration and the weekly themes! More new video tutorials being posted every week and don’t forget about the What’s In My Bag feature if you haven’t checked it out yet!

We’re going to try moving the Kid’s Click Too group over to a Picks of the Month format, so look for the monthly blog post featuring the kid’s picks at the beginning of each month (themes will still be posted weekly here and on Flickr … so be sure to keep clicking and posting!!). For the kid’s … your new themes for week seven:

Important Let’s Do 52 Links:

Original Let’s Do 52 Flickr Group
Original Let’s Do 52 Details (again, for us old folks)
Paint the Moon Facebook Page – Come Share, Be Inspired, Ask Questions

Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Flickr Group
Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Original Blog Post

Filed Under Kids Click Too, Let's Do 52 | | Send this post to a friend | 4 Comments

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Another fabulous week of Let’s Do 52 is being wrapped up today. You all really stretched your imaginations and took your images to the next level with this last week’s challenge of “Unexpected Perspective.” I saw some fabulous takes on the theme and some very original thinking! Bravo! And as a girl who loves glitter and sparkle, I enjoyed perusing the images for the theme of “Sparkle” as well.

My “Unexpected Perspective” project image for the week … focuses on the details and uses a little different perspective as well. If you know me at all as a photographer, you’ll know that I love taking detail shots. I also adore those smiley (and not so smiley) traditional portraits just as much, but sometimes focusing on the details can really help fill a story out, and can help trigger precious memories in years to come.

My baby is at an age where every little thing in the world is fascinating to her … from a bird flying by to a shadow dancing on the wall. Her chubby little finger is constantly leading the way as she points out all the world’s amazing treasures to me and I just had to get a shot focusing on that precious little pointing finger. The second shot simply focuses on her soft head of fluffy hair that I love to bury my face in and breath in that sweet baby smell. Both of these things might be overlooked in the standard portrait showing off her beautiful face … but with these detail shots I’m able to really remember the little things and how special they are to me right here and now.
 
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Listed below are the links to the photographer’s original images posted on Flickr. Click the corresponding numbered link below (in no particular order – note that this is not a contest or “best of”). The theme for week one photos was either Unexpected Perspective or Sparkle.

1. Christine Dibble Photography
2. Andrea Janes
3. Claire
4. Ella Rose Images
5. Annie Morris
6. Wade Langley
7. Heather
8. Make Your Mark Photography
9. Stars Above Photography

Back in November I had a little wake up call … and I’m sad to say it actually took me three different “wake up calls” over the past several years before I finally started doing something about it last fall. Forgive me for a bit of a personal share here (and feel free to skip over it), but I really think this week’s theme and the reasons behind it are something everyone can benefit from – from hobbyist photographer to seasoned pro.

While casually browsing our photos – most of which feature my girls or my girls and my husband (and happened to be mostly on hard drives rather than printed) – my six year old sadly asked why mommy wasn’t in any of our photos. On the spot I decided to make a conscious effort from there on out to really be a part of our treasured memories documented by photos by joining my family on the other side of the lens. You can read all about my reasons why in this mushy blog post from last year on my personal blog if you are interested. If, like me, you are also guilty of being the ghost in your own family photos I encourage you to take a look (warning that it is my personal blog – so don’t click if you are a “business only” type).

After suffering the sudden loss of my baby brother in a car accident several years ago, I received a unique perspective to really understand first hand how precious photos can be to our loved ones (and how heartbreaking it can be to find out too late that your photos are lacking). But even after going through this tragic loss and learning the hard way how important family photos are I still wasn’t diligent about actually getting in the photos myself. And then a few years ago I experienced a loss of a different kind when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. All of a sudden my future with my baby girl was uncertain and at best I’d never be able to return to the very active, playful mommy she had always known. As I came to terms with this, I again dug out all my photos and was panicked and heartbroken to find that although I had accumulated thousands of images of my little girl, there were only a handful of photos with me in them next to her or her daddy.

Being a part of our family’s photos is so very important. Don’t get stuck thinking everything has to be “perfect” for you to jump in there. One of my favorite, most memory evoking photos from 2011 was taken with the little camera on my MacBook. Years from now your children or your family and friends won’t give a hoot if your hair was messy, you weren’t quite in shape just yet or the exposure was off. When they see the whole gang, including you, in the photo all they’ll feel is love and a remembrance of the special moments you shared. As professionals we capture beautiful memories for clients regularly … don’t our own families deserve the same?

The themes/ideas are below for the fifth week of 2012. This one is both challenging (in multiple ways) and close to my heart. And if, even after all my mushy rambling, you are still feeling like hiding behind the lens then there is always the alternate theme.

 If you need a refresher on the guidelines and details …
please see the original post for the 2012 Let’s Do 52. A couple points to note …

• I am so enjoying all the photos being shared on the Paint the Moon Facebook page and invite anyone involved with the group to come share too!

• Be sure to keep checking in on the Paint the Moon blog and Facebook page for articles, inspiration and the weekly themes! This next couple weeks keep your eye out for the much anticipated article on finding fabulous light and getting eyes to pop with crisp catchlights, the What’s In My Bag feature, brand new video tutorials and our Let’s Do 52 first month’s free album template page!

• For those who want to show off your commitment to the Let’s Do 52 group (or who have been chosen as a Pick of the Week and want to grab the special button), please see the button page for easy code to copy and past on your blog or site.

And now the kid’s special group …(see the original post details here). Please note that this is not a contest or a “best of” … the picks of the week are simply a very select few images that have caught her eye. The themes this last week were Transportation and Silver. Some of these young artists even did the editing work themselves with Paint the Moon actions. Here is my daughter Adeline’s image for the week, completely photographed and edited by her.

By Adeline, age six, for the Kid’s Click Too theme “Transportation.” She used aperture priority mode, picked her own focus point and selected her Paint the Moon actions by herself. Absolutely no help from mommy on this one, as I am stuck down in bed with an awful flu. I trusted her with my camera and off she went. Includes her baby sister doing a little transporting herself. ;)

The picks of the week are never in any particular order … so please know that just because these are showcased doesn’t mean all the others weren’t just as fabulous. It’s not a “best of” contest, or a contest of any kind – just a special treat to showcase random photos that caught our eye each week. You guys all rock!! We have many more weeks for your images to be a pick of the week here too!

1. Damian Dones, age 13
2. Tyler, age 9
3. Kinsley, age 9
4. Panga D, age 10

And for the kid’s … your new themes for week five:

Important Let’s Do 52 Links:

Original Let’s Do 52 Flickr Group
Original Let’s Do 52 Details (again, for us old folks)
Paint the Moon Facebook Page – Come Share, Be Inspired, Ask Questions

Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Flickr Group
Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Original Blog Post

Filed Under Kids Click Too, Let's Do 52 | | Send this post to a friend | 9 Comments

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It just keeps getting better … this week has been my favorite of the project by far. Not only were this weeks images wonderful, but I finally got to “see” many of your beautiful faces for the first time. I knew getting out from behind the lens would be a challenge for many of you, but I was thrilled so many of you took the challenge head on. You didn’t disappoint as I was blown away by all the special moments you captured. Additionally, I was pleased to hear so many of you found the theme not only challenging but also very rewarding. You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that the project has been a catalyst to getting you out in front of the camera a little more frequently. What shined through all of the photos as a whole was an overwhelming sense of LOVE. Glance at this week’s picks below and I think you’ll agree!

I was also excited to see all the “Liquid” images. Whether it was looking at a magnified water droplet, kiddos playing with a hose, rain on a window, or a beautiful reflection off a clear/calm lake, you did an excellent job capturing it!

Get in the photo too is the theme I selected for my image this last week. If you didn’t see my post about how important it is for US to be in our family photographs from last week, please do take a look – even if you aren’t joining us in the project. Just a little jumping on the bed with the girls. Note to self: taking a shot from the ground up while jumping up and down and using a fisheye lens does not result in the most flattering of self portraits. ;)  

Listed below are the links to the photographer’s original images posted on Flickr. Click the corresponding numbered link below (in no particular order – note that this is not a contest or “best of”). The theme for week one photos was either Self Portrait With Loved Ones or Liquid.

1. Sarah Clark
2. mQn Photography
3. Cécile
4. Rebecca Doyle
5. Shannon Zelli
6. Heather Nicole
7. Maibritt K Photography
8. October Sky Photography
9. Ashlie Souders Photography

The themes/ideas are below for the sixth week of 2012.

 If you need a refresher on the guidelines and details …
please see the original post for the 2012 Let’s Do 52. A couple points to note …

• I am so enjoying all the photos being shared on the Paint the Moon Facebook page and invite anyone involved with the group to come share too!

• Be sure to keep checking in on the Paint the Moon blog and Facebook page for articles, inspiration and the weekly themes! This next couple weeks keep your eye out for the much anticipated article on finding fabulous light and getting eyes to pop with crisp catchlights, the What’s In My Bag feature, brand new video tutorials and our Let’s Do 52 first month’s free album template page!

• For those who want to show off your commitment to the Let’s Do 52 group (or who have been chosen as a Pick of the Week and want to grab the special button), please see the button page for easy code to copy and past on your blog or site.

And now the kid’s special group …(see the original post details here). Please note that this is not a contest or a “best of” … the picks of the week are simply a very select few images that have caught her eye. The themes this last week were Hearts and Strong.

By Adeline, age six, for the Kid’s Click Too theme “Hearts.” She used aperture priority mode, picked her own focus point and selected her Paint the Moon actions by herself.

The picks of the week are never in any particular order … so please know that just because these are showcased doesn’t mean all the others weren’t just as fabulous. It’s not a “best of” contest, or a contest of any kind – just a special treat to showcase random photos that caught our eye each week. You guys all rock!! We have many more weeks for your images to be a pick of the week here too!

1.Zoey, Age 3
2. Arwen, Age 8
3. Dani Ella Photography, Age 10
4. Kayden, Age 7

And for the kid’s … your new themes for week five:

Important Let’s Do 52 Links:

Original Let’s Do 52 Flickr Group
Original Let’s Do 52 Details (again, for us old folks)
Paint the Moon Facebook Page – Come Share, Be Inspired, Ask Questions

Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Flickr Group
Let’s Do 52 – Kids Click Too! Original Blog Post

Filed Under Kids Click Too, Let's Do 52 | | Send this post to a friend | 3 Comments

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