52 Week Project 2015 Edition {Living Outside the Stacks}

I’ve often said the best gift The Hubs has ever given me is my Nikon D3100. My camera has given me freedom to express myself in ways that I never thought possible: I talk to people I’d normally be too shy to talk to, I go to events that I’d normally stay away from, and I see things that were previously invisible to me.

One of my goals for 2015 is to improve my photography skills. I currently shoot in Manual but, more often than not, my photos don’t turn out in reality how I see them in my head. The only way that I know to get better is to practice, take courses, and practice some more.

Recently, I registered for DSLR Basics that’s being taught by the ladies at A Beautiful Mess. I signed up for their course because, well, I like their photography style {so bright and happy, unlike mine, which leans more towards dark and natural} and because of time constraints I needed to do something that is self~guided. At some point, I plan to attend a real~live~honest~to~goodness~face~to~face photography class, I just can’t do it now. I’ve started doing some of the homework projects and have learned quite a bit; I can see subtle changes in my photos already. If you’d like to see what I have so far, click here.

Besides doing the homework assignments from the course, I’ll be participating in another 52 week project {you can follow other members from the group by clicking here}. I’ll be posting my photos on flickr and, at the end of each month, here on the blog. I’ve also linked up with the ladies at Clickin’ It Up a Notch for support and encouragement. I know I’ve participated in these projects before and I know I have yet to complete a project, but that’s part of the challenge…

The Hubs and I are about to enter a new phase of our lives: Empty Nesters and I want to document that. From the beginnings of our married life until now, we’ve always had children around {we both entered the marriage with a child from previous relationships and then had 3 together}, so we don’t know what it’s like for it to just be “US”. I’m hoping that through my photos, I can help us uncover who we are as individuals, as a couple, and as parents. And, perhaps, this will encourage other married people to hold on to each other as they go through the various couple/parenting cycles.

Anyway, I hope you’ll join me. Feel free to offer words of encouragement, support, critique {that’s the only way we learn} as we make this big leap in our lives, one picture at a time…

Clickin’ It,

Daenel T {Living Outside the Stacks}

 

 

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