Rewind Week: Taking a portrait

First published 6.27.2007

This post is a long time in coming. (Relatively) Lately, I've taken portrait pictures for family members, and have been delighted at the result. I don't own Photoshop, or any camera equipment beyond my Nikon D50, but the pictures turned out well thanks to a few portrait tips I read up on beforehand. Good technique trumps technology any day. I prefer a well-constructed photo to a heavily-edited one! Here's some of the things I try to keep in mind:

The Rule of Thirds - This is the first thing I learned as a photographer. Pictures are more interesting when the subject or the horizon isn't cutting the picture in half (or the horizon isn't cutting the subject in half!). Imagine a tic-tac-toe board on your viewfinder, and put your subject at an intersection of two of the lines. See the pictures below, and notice how the portrait with my sister off-center is more interesting.
A: B:

Background Distractions - There are a couple things to watch for here. Simple backgrounds are best (C). See that nothing in the background is interacting with the foreground in an odd way (See my mistake in photo D- a tree is growing out of my sister's head!) Busy backgrounds detract from the subject and distract the viewer from the subject (E). Sometimes just getting in closer or shifting the angle of the picture can change the background entirely (F)
C: D:
E: F:

Space to Move - In pictures with action, leaving empty space in front of where the viewer expects the subject to move gives a much more natural feel to the portrait. Cutting out this space makes the viewer uneasy. In the same way, leaving room in the picture in the direction that the subject is looking allows the viewer of the photograph to follow the subject's gaze. Photograph G gives Caroline space to look into, although it does not necessarily indicate what she is looking at. Photo H ends abruptly and we cannot follow her gaze.
G: H:

Paying Attention to Shoulders - This was a tip I picked up at Digital Photography School that I thought was really interesting. Situating shoulders in such a way that they do not appear even horizontally (I) makes for a more interesting picture. This can mean having the subject lean in toward the camera, turn so they are not square with the camera (J), or cutting one of their shoulders out of the picture (K).
I:
J: K:

This all said, when actually shooting, it's next to impossible to keep all this in mind. Also, these 'rules' aren't really rules- a good photo can break all of them! I'm still practicing, and hope to improve so that these techniques become natural, and I don't have to keep reminding myself of them (and making the mistakes that I've pointed out in my own photos!)

See the album of these example photographs:

portrait examples

See more portraits.
Get more portrait tips from Digital Photography School

Rewind Week: House as a Lifestyle

First published 4.19.2007


Last weekend, we got together with friends to play games, and got to discussing housebuying. Our friends have already bought their first house, and we're looking to move into one between six months and a year from now. When talking about what we would want in a house, the statement was made, "You're not just buying a house, you're buying a lifestyle." That's stuck with me this week, and I've thought a lot about it. Another thing that spurred this thinking was the Slate article series this week about houses, Why do We Live in Houses, Anyway and The Ranch House Anomaly.

It's true, really. A certain house implies, and, in some cases, requires, a certain lifestyle. An apartment or townhouse frees up time that would be spent taking care of a yard or cleaning a larger house, implying more time and freedom for the residents. My pastor often compares garage doors to the suburban drawbridge, allowing us complete privacy, allowing us to avoid relating to our neighbors by not ever having to be outside our house, even to walk from the car to the house. The typical 'starter home' neighborhoods are full of young families, and will often have playgroups or stay-at-home mom get-togethers. The neighborhood my parents are moving into has an 'empty-nester' demographic, and includes a driving range as one of the amenities. A house implies a lifestyle.

So, this brings more important questions than "what house do we want to live in?" The question "Do we want a big yard?" turns into "Are we OK with being outside and meeting the neighbors? And taking time on the yard that could be put toward other pursuits?" The question "How much room do we want?" turns into "How much space do we want to fill with stuff? How will a larger house contribute to a consumer lifestyle?" The question "How old of a house do we want?" turns into "Are we willing to give up the time to fix an old house? Will a new house turn into a status symbol rather than just shelter for us? Will we feel the need to fill a new house with new things unnecessarily?" Looking beyond the house, to the community, we can ask, "Do we want to live in a neighborhood?", but the implications are "Do we want to live around a lot of like-minded people in our same stage in life? Will we feel pressure to 'keep up with the Joneses' next door? Will it be expected that we live a certain way or become involved in certain activities because of the neighborhood we live in?" The location of the house in relation to the city also can bring up lifestyle questions. "How much time and gas will we spend to shop? To go to work? To go to church? Is it a responsible amount? How much time are we willing to spend in traffic?" Lots of questions that are harder than face value. There's more questions about what lifestyle comes with a house than I've listed here; these are just off the top of my head.

Something I've started writing about but not ever posted on is the Diderot Effect, which I want to be aware of when buying a house. I came across the term first on a blog (which I can't find right now) which had this story:

In an essay titled “On Parting with My Old Dressing Gown,” French philosopher Denis Diderot described receiving a fancy velvet robe as a gift. He quickly got rid of his old dressing gown. He loved his new robe, but noticed its magnificence made his study look threadbare. His desk, rug and chairs looked shabby by comparison. So, one by one, he replaced his furnishings with new ones that matched the robe’s richness. Later, surrounded by bright and modern furnishings, he regretted giving up the old robe. He felt uncomfortable in his new beautiful surroundings. He resented the new one for "forcing everything else to conform with its own elegant tone."

The Diderot Effect is the title that researchers give to the consumerism effect of striving for lifestyle conformity. One purchase leads to another and another. This happens a lot in our lives: we paint a room and realize that the other rooms in the house pale in conformity or that the furniture now needs upgrading. We purchase a new shirt and need a new jacket or skirt to go with it. We move into a new neighborhood and feel that we need a new car for our new house. We feel a need to conform to our own items or those items of others.
From Simple Living: Simplify and Reduce

From another blog:
"I was absolute master of my old dressing gown," Diderot writes, "but I have become a slave to my new one … Beware of the contamination of sudden wealth. The poor man may take his ease without thinking of appearances, but the rich man is always under a strain."
...
Diderot is a classic Enlightenment figure: the optimistic skeptic. He doubted pretty much all the received wisdom of his own time but, like Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield, he was sure that something better would turn up thanks to human inventiveness and ingenuity. ... Mr. Micawber’s equation for financial happiness, for example, really can’t be rivalled:
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.

I want to go into house-buying thinking of all these things. I don't want to live beyond our means. I don't want to even live AT our means- I am enjoying the margin, flexibility and freedom we have right now living under our means, and I would love to keep it that way. I want to keep in mind the Diderot effect when it comes to the style of the house, and want to find a house that will not require us to get all new things and redecorate in an uncomfortable way. I want to live in a location that fits our lifestyle- that doesn't have Joneses that we feel pressure to keep up with, or require such a commute that the gas (and money spent on gas) is irresponsible. Balancing these two things in the suburbs will be interesting.

For those of you who already have houses (or have, like us, looked into it), what are questions you've asked? What lifestyle aspects came along with your house?

Rewind Week: Dignity

First published on 12.14.2005

I was reading the Indy Star today and came across an Indianapolis event that I really respect.

The Indy Homeless Connect program had its first event yesterday, an Open House of sorts for the city's homeless. 900 people showed up for this first event. This seems to be an Indianapolis manifestation of a larger national effort to encourage these programs.

So, this event wasn't your typical "Show up, get a pair of gloves and a bowl of warm soup and leave" outreach, and that's what I respect about it. The best way to describe it, I think, is that the participants were treated with dignity. Along with the typical handing-out-food-hats-and-gloves, they were able to get free massages and hair cuts. They could make free phone calls to family and friends. They could get legal & behavioral health couseling. Medical, vision, and foot care was available, as well as information about jobs and housing. There were children's activities.

An effort like this makes me happy. It's beautiful, to see the downtrodden, forgotten, and poor being offered beauty and dignity and love and encouragement and hope. That's what the Kingdom of God is all about. These are the people that are first in line in Jesus' Upside-Down Kingdom.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Zechariah 7:9-10
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

This was a beautiful picture of mercy and compassion. That's my happy story for today.

Rewind Week: Where I'm From

First published on 9.22.2007

I am from the neighborhood park,
from Scrabble
and basketball goals.

I am from the little house with the willow tree, without air-conditioning and the wall with a big window on the lanai (so clear that birds didn't know it was there)

I am from the plumeria tree with poisonous milk,
the dogwood tree with the perfect reading spot,
the sunflower covered in ants

I am from going to Nanny's house on Easter and taking a nap so the Easter bunny would come
and southern accents,
from Laviana and Peggy and Jimmy.

I am from the always-on-time and the precise-and-accurate.

From "On a hill far away stands an old rugged cross" and "Finish well.".

I am from prominent baptismals and hymnals,
from Christmas Cantatas and youth retreats,
from The Four Spiritual Laws and concert festivals.

I'm from suburban Atlanta, sweet tea, and spam musubi, and climbing the wall to pick lychee from the neighbor's tree.

From the time Caroline toppled a weight machine on her ankle at The Sports Authority, the back room they took us in to get ice & make sure we wouldn't sue,
and the family calendar, meticulously kept by my mother, on the desk in the kitchen.
From Saturday morning breakfasts, bagels and Burger King.

I am from the albums in the basement full of pictures, the framed ballet portraits, the case of basketball trophies. From the yearbooks and class photos, the one blond head in the sea of shiny dark hair. From Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, and sometimes it feels like all points in-between.

This poem isn't my doing- it's based on Where I'm From by George Ella Lyons and the template to create your own. Try it yourself! I'd love to see what you guys come up with!

Rewind Week: Exodus 14:14

First published on 5.28.2004

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

I read that a couple days ago, and boy, did I need to hear it. Here, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel. At this point in Exodus, they are very nervous because they have a massive army heading at them on one side, and a large body of water on the other. Kind of a Bible-times version of a rock and a hard place. They want to run, to hide, to fight, to do something besides just sit there! But the nonintuitive thing is what God says to do. "You need only to be still."

Yeah, that would drive me crazy, if I were one of those Israelites. And, today, it still drives me crazy. To be still when the world around me seems to be in turmoil?! Totally nonintuitive. Totally not me, being a very problem-solving, task-oriented person. But it's what God calls me to- to be still and let Him fight for me. That's where faith, for me, comes in- trusting Someone outside myself to take care of things, trusting that God is big enough for me to NOT do anything but wait.

Mobile blogging!

My Peek came!

I was really, really hoping it would come before my trip, and it showed up on my doorstep Friday! I'm still holding out judgement on whether I'd PAY for the service, but I'm enjoying it in the meantime. I've already been twittering and texting on it this weekend- this is my first attempt at mobile blogging. How'd it go?

Sent on the go from my Peek

Rewind Week!

A huge thanks to everyone who chimed in during the last post and gave us great packing & traveling ideas! Thanks to you, we're packed with one bag to check, two to carry on, and no plans to get a Cinnabon. I've brought along a pile of Christian books I've put off reviewing, so hopefully I'll have them read and the posts done soon after I get back. Fluxx will be our game of choice on the plane and in the airports- I'm sure we'll get weird looks.

I'll have the laptop, but don't know what my Internet situation will be while traveling. If I can, I'll pop in to post pictures and a vacation update- but don't hold your breath. While I'm gone, I've scheduled posts to appear from the archives. Some you may remember, and others only a few long-time readers will remember. Feel free to reignite discussion on any of them! Enjoy!

(We don't leave until Tuesday, but I'm having a guest this weekend, so I don't expect to be able to post much. Maybe once. We'll see.)

Travel Help!

Once upon a time, I was quite the seasoned traveler- if you count many cross-country, cross-ocean flights before the age of 12. And then I moved from Hawaii (where, to go anywhere, you have to fly) to the middle of the Midwest, where almost everything is accessible via road trip. My flying days were over.

Since flying to and from Hawaii as a kid, I've been on a plane very few times, and they've all been (comparably) short flights. I've not been on any long flight since post-9/11 security, so I'm a bit in the dark. And my traveling partner? He's never flown at all. A week from tomorrow, we'll be tackling 2 of the busiest airports in the world (ATL & LAX) on our way to Hawaii. We're leaving at 6am Indy time and landing (after 2 layovers) at 6pm Hawaii time, which is 11pm Indiana time, for those keeping score at home. Seventeen hours.

What tips do you have?

We will probably want to eat breakfast in ATL, lunch in LAX, and dinner after we land in Kona. What snack foods do you pack for the plane? What airport food should I avoid? What's not worth packing in carry-on? What MUST I bring in carry-on? How do we entertain ourselves for the long day of traveling? What are some of the new rules that have surprised you or caught you off guard? WHat should we plan on purchasing from the tv deals or SkyMall catalog?

This is going to be a crazy adventure. Can't wait.

Gonna give it a peek...

I'm super-excited! I won a blog contest!

And it was a big one too. I mean, I like winning coupons for free chicken broth and vegetables, but this is a bit different. It's a gadget! What would YOU prefer for Valentine's Day- Sector watches or colorful gadgets?

That's right, I won 2 Peeks from Blissfully Domestic (Great blogs, by the way. Huge variety of writers and topics. I'm a fan.)

WANNA WIN ONE, TOO? Go to Money Saving Mom RIGHT NOW. Giveaway closes TONIGHT.

Now that that's out of the way... I've been reading reviews on this thing, and they are mixed. I first heard of it on Scribbit's blog, and was intrigued. The Frugalista reviewed it, too. Time named it one of the best inventions of the year. The New York Times heralds it as a device for "nontechies". Do I fall into that category? I mean, I like a simple life, and this is a simple gadget, for sure.

What will I do with it? Check my email, of course! For a month, anyway. After the free month, I'll need to decide if the $20/month price tag is worth having mobile email. I'll be able to text, twitter, & blog on the go, too, which will be cool. I don't have a smartphone, so being able to do this not tethered to a desk is all new to me! If it meets my needs- staying connected while away- who knows, I might even ditch my cell phone. I'll report back in about a month & a half. Right now, I'm "interested but cautious".

On Stereotypes

I don't go to many parties.

Well, unless you count birthday parties for the under-10 set. I don't go to many parties with peers, especially not in a college town. A couple weekends ago, I did venture to one of these get-togethers at a friend's apartment. The group was a lively, interesting one, enthusiastically talking and debating about politics and current events the weekend after the inauguration.

Seemingly out of the blue, one of the guests at the party said to me, "I don't know you, but I take it you're a feminist..."* and went on with a new question for discussion.

Um, what? I just kind of stammered, and didn't really answer his question, because I was racking my brain as to where he got the idea to label me "Feminist". I was still thinking as the group's conversation moved elsewhere.

I had been introduced as the host's friend from Indy, a computer programmer. While discussing current events, the fact that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act had just been signed came up, and my friend pointed out I probably make more than anyone else in the room (It was an awkward moment, I said something like "Well, that's because most of you guys are all still in college!", which was a fair observation.)

So, that about sums up all this guy knew about me. Does "Woman working as a computer programmer" = "Feminist"? How about just "Woman working in a male-dominated field"? Or was it "Woman working," period? Or "Married woman with a career rather than kids"? What of the tidbits of information he knew about me made him stereotype me?

And then, on our way home, I started thinking more about it. What if I had been introduced as the wife of the host's friend? What if it had been mentioned we got married right out of college? And that I spend my free time cooking, cleaning, knitting and gardening? All of these characterizations would have been accurate- What label would have been applied to me then?

Have you ever been pre-judged in a way that surprised you?

* In no way to I want to imply "feminist" as a bad thing to be stereotyped as- it was just out of the blue from a stranger. I've had that label applied to me before, but from friends who actually know me. Whether I AM actually a feminist is a discussion for another day.

Casey: One year later

From casey

One year ago, I was watching the craigslist listings like a hawk, looking for an Australian Shepherd, Aussie-mix, or Golden Retriever to add to our family. Josh and I had talked about it, and we thought we were ready. And then! A beautiful blue merle Aussie puppy! Posted for free! Very few details accompanied the posting, but the picture looked like a roly-poly puppy, and I was in love. I wanted That Dog.

I sent an email after talking to Josh. No reply. I may have even emailed a second time, I don't remember. Still nothing. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I emailed about a golden retriever, I think, in the meantime. And then! The same Aussie was posted again! Had they not gotten my email? This time there was no asking Josh- I shot an email as quickly as I could. This time, I did get a reply. That Tuesday night, we trekked to downtown Indianapolis, to the little 1-bedroom apartment where then-named Cloud was living with a couple who had no time for him- and no room or yard. He greeted us rambunctiously. I was horrified that they were letting him chew & tug on a knotted sock for a toy, and chase a laser light (which can become a neurotic obsession in dogs of his breed. He's not over it yet.) To add: He wasn't a roly-poly puppy like I thought from the picture- he was just round thanks to being overweight and free-fed a low-quality food. So why did we bring this huge dog home? Because we were there. Because he was gorgeous. And because I kept shooting Josh these longing looks while sitting in the couple's living room.

So, there we were, on our way home. I sat in the backseat with this huge dog in my lap, with only dog food, bowls, collar & leash as supplies. We got home & realized we didn't have a crate for this dog, and didn't trust a strange dog to be free in our house, so we shut him in a bathroom & went out to get him a crate. When we came home, he had scratched and chewed the trim around the door, broke a ceramic toilet brush holder, and scratched the vinyl floor in a couple places. We set up the new crate and discovered he fought tooth & nail to avoid being in it. This began a hugely stressful month, where we were on the verge of getting rid of him just a couple weeks after he joined us.

During the following months, Casey started getting more exercise. We got him eating a better food, one he wasn't allergic to. We started an intense dog obedience class. We finally got him crate-trained, so we could leave the house in peace. He stopped panting all the time, seemed less nervous and high-strung. Eventually, he even would give us peace! He'd go and chew a bone on his own. He wouldn't whine constantly. He finally settled down. He finally realized he was home.

This morning, he has stretched out in a sunbeam, getting up periodically to bring me a toy of his (the count is 4, so far) for me to hold while he chews. He's five to ten pounds lighter than he was when we got him, and has way, way less hair. He's gentle with the kids who give him attention. We have an invisible fence now, and he hasn't broken through it in a long while- so I don't have to walk him in the snow AND he can get all the exercise he needs. He's started howling instead of barking, sending me into giggles every time. Josh and he play tug of war or frisbee, and it makes me smile to see my "boys" enjoying each other. He's a good dog, and part of the family now. The work has been worth it.

We're not done yet! He still greets visitors with way too much "enthusiasm," barking and jumping. For a dachshund or bichon frise, greeting someone with barking and jumping is cute, with our 50 lb furball, it feels threatening to guests. He steals food off the table or counter when we're not watching. He barks at the vacuum cleaner, bikes, and the rolling trash can while they are in motion. He doesn't have manners for a fancy hotel, but when I took him to the clinic of the pet store, the vet commented on how well-trained he is. Basically, he's a normal dog now, and I like having him around. It hasn't been easy, but I'm glad we persevered.

What was your first year of dog-ownership like?

Munchies

This winter, every morning at work, at about 9:30am, I'll get a serious case of The Munchies, and I mean serious. If a mug of tea won't quell them, I have a few options. I usually choose to ignore it and hold out till lunch sometime after 11, typically closer to 12. Another option is to break into my lunch early and munch on half of whatever side I packed. The last option is The Snack Closet at work, where, for just a few nickels, I can get crackers or chips to tide me over. If I eat lunch early or eat part of my lunch early, so have a smaller lunch, the Munchies hit in full force again in the afternoon. In the afternoon, I almost always turned to the Snack Closet, and this is not-so-great because the snacks are not-so-healthy. I can do better.

Lately I've found a solution! In my lunch, I'll pack healthy munchable stuff- baby carrots, celery, apples, etc. What I'm really craving is something to crunch, and the crunchy fruits and veggies fit the bill just as well as the chips and crackers. The fruits & veggies, I've noticed, fill me up better, so I stay full and am actually getting nutrients, instead of just the junk in the prepackaged snacks. I'm also not spending

An even better solution would be to eat a good breakfast. I used to bring oatmeal to fix at work, but I found I still wanted to munch (on something crunchy and munchable) mid-morning, so it didn't solve my problem.

Do you get the munchies? What satisfies you?

Major Haircut News

OK, so this isn't Actually Important News, but it's a big deal to me.

I cut my hair.

Well, I personally didn't cut it. I had someone cut it. Josh was going for a haircut and I tagged along because I always put off getting it trimmed and it was looking pretty bad (IMO) and I really ought to get it cut... and then Josh said "You can get it as short as you want." I mean, I wasn't keeping it long for him, I was mostly just lazy about cutting it, and I haven't had it even kind-of short in a long, long, long time- I didn't need his permission to cut it or anything, but it felt kind of freeing for him to say it. As a reminder that I can be myself, or something.

Anyway, I had been thinking about getting it cut for a long time, just was always too chicken to follow through, and this was an opportunity, as spur-of-the-moment as it felt.

Two weeks ago, I was at my nephew's birthday party and this picture was taken (I apologize for the quality- it's a picture of a picture!):


I took this of myself yesterday morning:


Ack! No more braids! And my ponytails and pigtails, while still do-able, are now just stubs of what they used to be! On the upside, I expect I'll be able to keep it healthier and out of my way more often.

I'll get used to it, right?

And now they wonder, what impulsive thing will I do next? Sell everything & open up a Subway franchise? Start wearing dress shoes and makeup? The crazy possibilities are endless. But I think this is enough impulsiveness for quite a while. I'll go back to being my boring self.