You CAN do it!

Yesterday my youngest and I went to the zoo...I don't think I"ve ever gone to the zoo with JUST her before...We had a wonderful time!

Now, when I go to the zoo by myself with my kiddos, I don't bring my DSLR camera...I'm pretty much addicted to it and I know this about myself.  I know it so well because I tend to loose track of anything that doesn't fall in front of my lens as I'm looking through it...I've been known to "misplace" my 2 year old because I'm focusing on some flower and blurring the background while fiddling with my aperature setting...

Where did she go?  Oh, about 2 houses down chasing after a squirrel?? 

Yes, so...when I go to large places without another adult present to aid me in my "lack of paying attention" issues, I just bring my little cybershot point and shoot camera.  It's a learning curve for me because I'm used to lots of buttons and sometimes I get frustrated because I wonder if I'll be able to get the shots I envision with a little camera...

I want to offer encouragement out there...you CAN get good shots...even with a little digital point an shoot.  You may not have all the range of creativity that you might hope for...but with a little practice, a good eye and perhaps little photoshop processing, you can get some good photojournalistic images! These were all taken with my little point and shoot camera...

I'm not an expert by any means and I'm not saying that these pictures or any of my pics are perfect...but they fit ME and my personality...and to me, that's what photography is about...it's about telling YOUR story! 

Focus in on what is happening on your day...

Get the details...get in close...find a cool, colorful background...or just zoom in on what's most important...

Tilt your camera just a bit to see things from a different angle...and have fun...

See, even my 2 year old has got the principle of the thirds down pat...

The best advice I can give...find a camera that you feel comfortable with and is within your price range...the worst thing is to spend a lot of money on something that you're not committed to learning and/or your afraid to learn because of the cost...invest in a photoshop elements program (around $50) to process those images in a way that can enhance them all the more...lastly, get out there and have fun...capture your "story", the "details" of your life!  They are special and meant to be treasured!