Sometimes the most beautiful things are caught when you're not aiming for perfection

When I set out with the girls last week to do my daily photo I did something that I often do especially when taking pictures of kids...shoot from the hip. It is one of my favorite ways to capture them because it so often results in pictures that capture the heart of a moment--which is my most favorite type of photography. Not one of these shots was captured with me looking through my view finder, and yet look how beautifully the camera caught the light on their faces and the swing in their hair. Next time you pick up your camera, let it dangle from the strap around your neck or hold the camera at your hip and just aim at your subject and shoot. Over this past year I have gotten better at this, and the results always make me smile.

The pictures below? A conversation over whether fairies really exist...

According to Gracie: Fairies are not real...except for the Tooth Fairy. AND Santa is definitely real, so are his elves, and mermaids. But not fairies.

According to Michaela: Fairies are real. She pretends Santa does exist, but the snow bunnies that leave her Christmas gifts are real. And yes, mermaids are real too because they write back to her when she leaves them sand notes at the beach.

Bet you're thankful for the clarification aren't you?

(I think Michaela feels a bit left out of the Tooth Fairy thing--mainly because the Tooth Fairy that visits our house is a bit forgetful and often comes days late.)

Copper (a.k.a. "Chicken")

When we arrived at Bean's horse riding lesson today, we were greeted by Copper. Miss Jenn's sidekick. He met us at the car and then proceeded to do quiet circles around us all the way over to the barn, herding us along. Immediately he grabbed a stick and parked himself at our feet. (Actually he protectively parked right by Bean, the littlest of us all.) Once the riding lesson began I walked him over to the far end of the pasture and played fetch. Miss Jenn warned me that he would not quit--he loved his stick. I grabbed my camera thinking I would snap a few pictures of him in the afternoon sun, running with his stick. But every time I stooped to aim the camera in his direction he grew shy. Seriously, he was a chicken. This is him in all his shyness...

(Imagine me softly saying, "It's okay Cooper, come here Cooper, you're alright Cooper.") 

This is a typical shot I caught of him fetching the stick. I am shooting from the hip here, praying I will at least get him in the frame. A split second after this shot he spotted my camera, cut right, flew down the hill, around the tree, and came at me from my backside and then dropped the stick behind me. Not kidding. This happened every time. That chicken.

But I loved him. :) He's the kind of dog every kid wants for a best friend. Quietly by your side, always ready with a stick, eager to be with you, but oozing with sweetness and loyalty. At the end of our fun we were walking along, my camera swung over my shoulder. I nonchalantly snapped a picture of him as he looked up at me. Look at him...he's wearing a little smile on his face, just happy to be with me.

You may be a big chicken Copper, but I was happy to be with you too. :)

Shooting from the hip

Since I have taken up this photo blog thing I have found myself taking more risks to capture an image I see in my head. I have plowed through mud, crossed busy roads, climbed trees, bore the strange stares from passers by, patiently waited for the light. But sometimes the risk is not so calculated. Sometimes in an effort to be more discrete I have had to shoot from the hip...literally. (Give it a try!)

Case in point: Thirty minutes ago I stood on my front step wondering what-the-bleep I was going to take a picture of today. At least the rain had subsided so I could go outside. But honestly, I thought I had exhausted the possibilities for daily pictures from my front yard. (And my kids were not going to be helpful in my time of need.) 

Then lo and behold, my daughter danced out the front door to ask me a random question. (And by random, I mean random. Like, "Mom, is Gracie's dad's hair real?"--or something like that.)

As I watched her bounce around the front step, chirping away, my camera hung at my hip dying to be picked up. Instead, I quietly turned on the camera and just aimed in her general direction. Out of seven pictures snapped, I claimed a winner. Praise. The. Lord.

What I love about this picture: 

1. That one, little pony tail glued to the side of her forehead. All her doing. (You should see her American Girl doll.)

2. That left front tooth about to come out. Geez it's taking forever.

3. Her round full face--a little rounder at the moment as she is on the brink of a growth spurt. You know, the plumping before the growing stage? (My son, on the other hand, never plumps up. He just becomes loosey goosey, out of his skin, and runs on "E" in the coping skills department.)

4. And lastly, that twinkle in her eye! 

Not sure I could have caught that smile and twinkle if I had tried.

Now. Go shoot from the hip. See what ya get.