Learning How to See

As many of my "fans" may know, I am a teacher. 

The majority of my day I teach Photography... and the big challenge is teaching students how to see, and really look at the world creatively.

This semester for my Photo II final exam, I decided to bring in an exercise in "creativity." I put items on a table, and gave my students about 30-45 min to create an image using at least one of the items in their photograph. The results were stunning. 

Remember, great photos are all around you! Sometimes it can be as simple as scraps of paper, small glass jars, feathers, aluminum foil, and more.

None of these images are mine, they are my students' - please do not copy or use without permission.

MK Designs - Summer 2014 

We All Shine On... (Like the Moon)

For a Photo Challenge - Summer 2013. This
was liked so much by one of my fans
she used it in honor of her father. 

As summer 2013 slips into fall... I am honestly super excited. :) Fall is my favorite season. It even has a special smell to it.

Love it when the moon has a haze/glow!
Image made in 2010, one of my
FIRST accidental "good" moon shots!

I love moonlit fall nights, out by a fire, in my hoodie, listening to music or to just the sounds of the night.

Robller Winery. In the Fall. Love it!
New Haven, MO

Which leads me to this... one of my first goals was to get "good" at photographing the moon. I've improved at it greatly and now have other challenges to face: star trails and lightning. Those last two are quite a challenge, as was photographing the moon at first.

SuperMoon! 2012. Union, MO

There were times I honestly felt my camera had gremlins hidden within it to vex me. I'd get white dots of blur. I'd get camera shake so bad it looked like some ghostly orb, not the moon I enjoy so much!

Couldn't get the moon so I
just went for moonlight!
Union, MO a few summers ago.

I started to realize it wasn't the camera, it was the LIGHT that the moon puts forth. I was having my exposure too long and not treating the moon as the bright object she is! In time, I figured it out. Faster shutter speeds. Tighter MANUAL focusing. Patience! Those three "BINGO" moments helped me become less angry with the process and more happy with the results. 

Did this at the urging of several of my friends
August 2013 in Union, MO near my house. 

Now if someone tells me the moon is fantastic and I should go "get it" - I can because I know what settings to put my camera on and the steps to take. Granted, there may be about 100 images and I have to select the "best" of them (and trust me, they are not all pretty!) but I can get the shot I desire.

Hermann MO - Fall 2012. Beautiful Moonrise.

Now if I can just master star trails and lightning! ha! But until I get to those next challenges, I am going to relish in the fact photographing the moon no longer vexes me... I have it figured out.

Moon in Aug 2013 with a quote I LOVE.

All words and images by MK Designs Photography Fine Art and Portrait. 

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Thanks! 

August 2013.