Photo Challenge #1: Self Portrait

In my commitment to making progress this year in learning my new camera, I've decided to try a 30-day photo challenge.  Of course, with my hectic schedule and busy family...my 30 days will not be consecutive.  I'm just hoping to have it done by summertime.  That being said, I think posting them here will give me added pressure to finish it.  This seems like such a fun way to not only learn a bit, but chronicle some of my impressions on film.

I've roped my husband into completing the challenge with me.  This of course was a bit of a risk on my part.  Marcus is such artful photographer and has a great eye for composing a beautiful shot. He had a 'fancy camera' before the digital versions even existed...with all the lenses and even a tripod.  He really enjoys photographing nature...up-close images of flowers, snow, insects, etc.  He amazes me.  Many of his shots are publish-worthy.  I wouldn't consider myself a competitive person - my reaction to competition is a bit more childish.  When faced with someone who does something better than me, it doesn't usually drive me to compete harder.  Instead, I tend to give up entirely. Can you believe I actually got frustrated with Marcus once for doing so well on a family craft that I thought it was better than mine?  Just silly.  This time, though, I really hope to learn from his image composition and how he makes the camera do his bidding.  I'll be sharing his pictures here, too.

So, our first challenge was the self portrait.  I'm not sure why we both ended up with black and white images...these just happened to be our favorites.

Self Portrait - Betsy

Image Notes: I took this challenge to mean a head shot...and I delayed taking the picture for awhile so that I would have time to put make-up on and pick something suitable to wear.  Then, one lazy morning...without makeup and still in my jammies, I took this picture.  Its a very natural and relaxed smile.  I can't say that I gave the composition much thought...I was just trying different things and this one seemed to work.

Self-Portrait - Marcus

Image Notes:  This image is really an honest depiction of my husband...potting soil in hand, dirty fingernails, and gently cradling a plant.  He told me after he captured this that he was really trying to make his wedding ring the focal point. I love how this image captures so much about him...his nurturing personality, his hobbies, and his important relationships...in a single shot.  Already I'm learning from him.