A New Focus

Never in my life has photography been such a sought after hobby and genuinely enjoyed pastime as it has been since my beloved babies were born three and a half years ago. I have always enjoyed documenting important events and milestones in my own life with photographs, but never as much as those of my kiddos. And I'm pretty certain I have snapped more photos in the past three and a half years than I did in the thirty-two years prior to Addy and Asher's arrival.

For the majority of my adult years, I took photos with simple aim and shoot cameras. I upgraded to a newer aim and shoot camera in October 2008, with a few more bells and whistles, in preparation for Addy and Asher's birth. But, it wasn't until I received the camera I presently use, one with many bells and whistles I don't think I'll ever appreciate, that I really began to find photography a challenging hobby. With each picture I take, it is my goal to find the right light, exposure, and focus to capture the image and impression I desire. With toddlers, however, my expectations are not as high, because just getting them to smile and look at the camera at the same time is a feat in itself.

I am enrolled in a photography class later this month focused on taking candid shots; using natural light, exposure, aperture, and shutter speed to take ideal pictures. I am very much looking forward to the afternoon I will spend in the company of an encouraging professional and a few like students. I hope that at the conclusion of the workshop, I will have acquired useful knowledge to apply when taking pictures of my most favorite subjects, Addy and Asher. And I hope that my efforts will come across in the future photographs I take.

A dear friend of mine, Ali, is an incredible amateur photographer (although she could easily be a professional). I believe that her ability is truly an innate gift, and she has honed her talent over the years to become very proficient. We have had the pleasure of Ali taking pictures of our family many times since I got pregnant. She visited us in the hospital one evening and took some incredible shots of my big belly (one of which is hung prominently in our bathroom). And every spring since the twins were six months old, Ali has snapped amazing pictures of them in our home and in various locales around Seattle. A few weekends ago, we met Ali for another photo session. The kids were very silly that chilly Sunday morning, but as usual, Ali captured some brilliant expressions and heartfelt moments.

Like Ali, I hope to hone my skills and learn to use light and focus to create emotion with my photographs. I am eager for the challenge and hope to continue to improve my skills as Addy and Asher grow up. But, even if my skills continue to improve over the years, I don't think we'll ever replace Ali as our favorite photographer. She has an intrinsic talent that I will never acquire, and I hope she will be part of our family spring tradition every year until our babies head off to college.

Some of my favorites from this spring: