Week 51 - Photographer's Choice

My boys never take naps.  Much to my dismay, after the age of 2, they all refused to snooze during the day.  However, they can't seem to resist the calming lure of the Christmas tree.  I've snapped several pictures over the years of my boys taking a rest near the tree.

Week 50 - Brown

I love this brown-eyed, brown-haired cutie.

I love this blue-eyed, brown-haired cutie too.  I shot this in our garage, using the brown floor as the background.

Brown is the color of deliciousness when it comes to baked goods!

Week 49 - Selfie

I don't do selfies.  So when Shannon picked this week's prompt, I panicked a little.  No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to master the selfie "duck face". ;)  I had to think outside the box on this one.  Look closely. 

Week 48 - Dark

I really dislike shooting indoors because of the ghastly color cast and graininess that occurs.  But I  pushed myself to work through the hate, so as to capture some "dark" images.  Here is Bridger at the planetarium, mesmerized by the tornado display.

Week 47 - Down

I got "down" on Gannon's level at Bear Lake and he enjoyed lying down, soaking up the sun.

 Like I've said before...endless photo opportunities with this pup.  When my boys won't have anything to do with the camera, Finley is always willing.

Week 46 - Up

I love this guy.  He provides endless photo opportunities.  Here is Finley looking "up".

Week 45 - Growth

Here is my future farmer.  He loves to grow things and is dedicated to helping in the garden long after his brothers have lost interest.

Week 44 - LIght

Great lighting is a must when surrounds by so many wonderful books!

Week 43 - Orange

Who can resist jumping in a big pile of leaves?  Fall is the best time of year for this very reason.

Here is my nephew, Garren, hunting with my brother and my Dad. They've had quite the adventures with wildlife this year.  I'm glad they all made it home in one piece!

week 42 - Landscape

Landscapes are definitely an area of photography I need to work on!  I took several shots this week up in the mountains, surrounded by the beautiful fall colors, but they did not translate in picture the way I saw it in person.  So, I'm falling back on an image I took in Hawaii.

Here's my Dad's image - a gorgeous mountain view made even better by Buckley, the St. Bernard.

Week 41 - Dinner

This is pretty much Finley's position when anyone is eating.  He has the patience of a saint and knows that if he waits long enough food will come.

Week 40 - Hands

Finley loves our hands.  We serve as his personal massage therapists whenever he feels so inclined.   This dog lives a life of luxury and relaxation.  There are times I wouldn't mind trading places with him, just to get a massage.

Week 39 - Face

Here is one of my favorite faces.  His face is the very first thing I see when I wake up in the morning, usually just inches away from my own face.  He typically taps me lightly on the forehead, leans in and whispers, "Mom, let's go eat cereal."

My Dad's image is of one of his endurance racing buddies.  I love his hat, the suspenders and the crinkle of his eyes. He looks like the real thing!

Week 38 - Laughter

If you know my boys, you know that if they are together they are usually laughing...or fighting.  Usually, on a good day, I hear more laughter.  They sure know how to crack each other up!

These are my darling nieces on a camping trip with my Dad and brother.   I love their expressions and am jealous I wasn't there floating down the river with them!  Some of my best memories of childhood were camping trips with my family.  So much fun!

Week 37 - Strong Color

I completely forgot about this week's assignment until Thursday evening.  As I was driving past IKEA's bold yellow and blue building I thought to myself, "Those are some seriously strong colors!" Ding! Our strong color assignment flashed in my mind, so I went home, grabbed Gannon and went back to try some pictures against the bright yellow wall.

My Dad got up close and personal with an Indian Paintbrush.  I love the bright red again the green background.

Week 36 - New

I got to babysit this precious little bundle for a few minutes and my boys and I were smitten. Since the assignment this week is "New", I had to snap a photo. Babies don't get a whole lot newer than this.

Week 35 - Old

This week is something "Old". My mom's wooden shoes. She wore these when I was younger and now they're mine. They may be old, but they've outlasted every other pair of shoes I've ever owned.

My Dad's images are of a leaning barn that looks like it is going to bite the dust at any moment.

Week 34 - Eyes

The eyes are the window to the soul and always seems to be the most captivating part of an image.  I love my boys light blue eyes and had fun trying to capture their soul this week.

Bridger's eyes were blue up until he was 2 years-old and then they changed to hazel.  Who is this masked man?

I took this cutie's picture last year, but his eyes are so striking and immediately came to my mind when thinking about eyes this week.

I took this picture a few months back too, but Sage's eyes came to mind as well.  Isn't she a beauty?

Week 33 - Photographer's Choice

In contrast to Hayden (with his Oscar-worthy dramatics) from last week, this boy is always obliging when I need a face to practice on.  In this picture, I told him to relax for a moment while I changed my settings and then sneaked this shot.

I love so many things about my Dad's image.  T

Week 32 - Green

Green.  My favorite color.  I kept my eyes peeled this past week for anything green that jumped out at me. Like any good boy scout, I was prepared by bringing my camera everywhere...just in case.  As I was driving my son to his orthodontist appointment, I passed an old train station with green doors.  Uuurrrrch.  Perfect!  I sweetly asked my son if he'd be in a few pictures.  THIS was his reaction to my request.  By his dramatic body language and pained expressions, you'd think I asked him to give away his beloved dog or something.  The emotions were REAL, people!

My dad's picture is full of green!  I love the close-up details of the dandelion. Aren't you just itching to blow it?

Week 31 - Backlight