So Many Pictures, So Little Time!--Monday Rewind

In order to get great at picture taking, one has to take a lot of pictures.  Then one has to look at them and maybe consult someone who knows something as to what made the picture good or bad.  Then maybe edit.  Then share.  Then start all over to learn more.  I think I might become content at taking mediocre to good photos!  However, last week I must have taken over 4000 (yes, thousand) photos.  Here are some of the photos that did not make into a challenge this last week but that I loved.  I didn't always love them because they were a great photo (and I actually ruined a few in editing so now I have to go back) but they represent something important and capture a special moment.  Really, isn't that what photography is for?  (Unless you are an artist which I am not.)

Thankfully there is the perfect place to share these photos over at Chic Homeschool Mama's.  She runs a weekly "Monday Rewind" just for all those favorites that no one would get to see but you and your family otherwise!

I took over 500 pictures of the kids and some instruments outside for the prompt of "Sound of Music" in Scavenger Hunt Sunday, and then went a different route (which also took about 500 shots to get exactly the focus, composition, and angle I wanted).   So here are few shots from that session. 

They decided they were much more interested in checking out Huckleberry's Pill Bug colony than sitting for photos.

They apparently needed more dirt.

I have a really hard time deleting pictures of my kids.  No matter how many almost identical photos I have or how "off" they are in some way.  My theory is that I cannot start shooting in raw until I can find a way to make shooting 4000 pictures in one week mean I have no more than 400 saved pictures.  Of course if I was better I wouldn't need to take 4000 pictures in the first place, but that is a different story.  I am making progress at deleting but...

not enough.  Her eyes are dark and shadowed and really don't have any detail, but I don't have another picture with her and the teddy bear and in those pig tails (her hair is rarely up because it is not a battle I'm willing to fight).  Plus look at that expression!  We cut her bangs--I'm hoping that will help me capture her eyes better.

I also took hundreds of pictures of flowers.  One, flowers stand still and don't get tired of being a model.  Two, I received an Orchid and a bouquet of Roses as a year end gift for my MOPS ministry.  I am not sad to be passing the work on to someone else, but I am sad to be leaving my role as coordinator and no longer be working as closely with some wonderful ladies.  I wanted to keep their gifts for as long as possible--and what better way than in photos?