Donuts and the Balcony

It's such a beautiful day today that my little miss Lydia and I decided to go out and read on the balcony. Or rather, I decided to read... she played peek-a-boo. So, book in hand (mine), powdered donuts on face (hers), we went out for about 30 minutes. Of course, being that it's a beautiful day, I had to go back inside and get my camera. :-)

More From Outside

Just some random pictures from the last couple years. Outside.

Candids/Portraits

These are some pictures of my neices, my daughters, my husband, and a friend of my daughter. Oh yeah, I'm in one too. From last summer/fall.

Clouds

I told you I like taking pictures of clouds. Here are just a few of the hundreds that I've taken over the years.

Candid Shots

Unfortunately these pictures lose something between my computer and this blog, but here are a few of the candid shots I've taken of my girls.

Hi, My Name Is...

So, I figured it was also time to introduce myself for those of you who don't already know me (which, let's be honest, is probably most of you).


My name is Tara. I'm 26 years old and the mother to the most beautiful little girls in the world. My Alanna is 6 years old and in the first grade and my Lydia just turned 2 and is growing so incredibly fast. They both are. I've been married since April 26 of 2007.


I love to read. My gosh. Books are my escape from the craziness that is real life. Fantasy novels are my absolute favorite. I get enough reality when I close the books, I don't need to open one and have more of what I see on the news slap me in the face. I also love fantasy movies. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to leave them. I'm always looking for new things to read and new things to watch.


I dig tattoos. On me, on other people. It doesn't matter. In my opinion they've all got a story. I know mine do. And contrary to popular belief, having a tattoo does not mean you're a heathen. It does not mean that you're troubled. It doesn't mean that you're a thug or a freak. Every single one of my tattoos means something to me. And in all honesty, it doesn't matter if anyone else likes them. Because they're not going to rub off of me and on to you now are they? :-)

I'm also a Christian. I know I know, that might surprise some of you, but that's my own fault. I've recently started going back to church (and I can stay awake now!!) and reading my Bible. And let me tell you, I know I'm going in the right direction now. By no means am I a saint (just ask anyone who's met me) but I'm trying to be a better me. And I know that I can do that now with the help of God. I couldn't do it on my own. And I don't have to worry about doing it on my own anymore.

Other than that, I'm really kind of average.

I like to take the scenic route wherever I go. I love the smell and sound of the ocean. I love the fall. All the colorful leaves and the crisp cool air. I'm obsessed with hoodies. Big comfy fluffy hoodies. And pillows. I could sleep with as many as 7 or 8 just for me. I'd love to own a house in the mountains. And I like the way the snow whispers when it falls to the ground in the winter.

So, now you know a bit about me.

If you haven't already... take a look at my previous post for a preview of some of my pictures!

Night!

Nature (you might see some of these pictures in other posts as well)

This is just a sampling of some of the pictures I've taken. It's late, and I just wanted to give you a quick idea (is there any other kind?) of what I like to photograph. Well, what I like to photograph outside. It's some really old pictures (as in, 2003/2004) mixed in with some taken this year and last.
Enjoy.

In The Beginning

I've been inspired by my best friend to create my own photography site. She doesn't KNOW she's inspired me to create such an ambitious thing, but she has. She's got her own as well if you want to take a look. BLS Photography.
That being said.
I've felt like my camera(s - I've had a few) were like an extension of my hand for quite some time. I've got sort of a "background" in art, if you will, with my major in college being Graphic Communications. But photography has been my passion for years and years. I started with pictures of sunsets and flowers. Easy enough right? They don't move. They don't run away from you. They don't have to be directed to move a certain way.
When my oldest daughter was born, I graduated from inanimate objects to... well... to her. And let me tell you, I took at LEAST 2000 pictures of her during her first year. I kid you not. Once she got old enough to move around, it stopped being so easy to get her to stop and say "CHEEEEEEESE" because, geez mom, I wanna move around. Right?
Hence my discovery of candid photography.
Just because she's moving around, doesn't mean I can't catch some awesome pictures.
By this time, my sister also had 2 little girls. And I spent countless hours photographing all 3 of them. It was difficult. I won't lie. Lots of drool, nose picking, blurry faces because they turned JUST as the picture was taken... but oh well. All I needed was that ONE shot that just said... wow. And I was good.
In between all of my little person picture taking, I was still snapping pictures of sunsets, clouds, and flowers... frogs that for whatever reason decided to camp out on the branches of the miniature trees on my front porch.
Fast forward a few years. Tons of my pictures have been put in frames (oooh big deal, haha). I've got a decent portfolio going.
My brother got married in August of 2008. He already had a photographer booked (despite me telling him I'd do it for free ::cough::), so I was resigned to take the pictures I didn't think the photographer was going to even think of getting. Surprisingly, a lot of those pictures happened to be pictures I usually see in wedding albums. So, not sure why she hadn't thought of them.
The pictures turned out great (after some editting to making them even better). And I had them all printed out and put in a wedding album as a gift to my brother and new sister - in - law.
The next month, my husband's boss asked me to take pictures for their wedding. Not as many photo opportunities because there were so many people running around ordering the bride and groom to do what THEY wanted (I'm sorry, I didn't realize EVERYONE was getting married), but they were happy with their pictures. Which is all that mattered.
So, I like to take candid photos. Absolutely love it. Because the people that don't know they're being photographed end up the happiest with their pictures. I love taking pictures of landscapes and sunsets and cloudy skies.
With a camera in my hand, I feel like I can capture moments... scenes... that no one would be able to see or even remember otherwise.
Anyway, that's just a little bit about me. Pictures to come soon! Enjoy!