17/52 Help! My people skills suck!

I have yet to produce a blue ribbon quality people/portrait entry for our county fair this summer. I have what I believe are contest quality photos for the insect/animal, scenery/landscape, flower, human interest and unclassified categories but … my people skills suck! My granddaughter is most cooperative and very photogenic, but to achieve a really good portrait, I knew her smiles had to be spontaneous and not forced. So I planned an Easter egg hunt in a park setting where the deep blue sky and lush green grass of an early spring would complement her pretty pink and white outfit. Not!!! Mother Nature was most uncooperative. The temp turned chilly so my model shivered throughout the entire shoot. The afternoon sun muted the landscape.  One idea did work well. Instead of filling her eggs with candy, I used Peeps for an element of surprise. This is my pick of the day; if you think one of photos in the gallery is better, let me know. Feel free to comment, critique …  share advice, tips, tutorials … help!

Photo of the Week series: Every Sunday in 2012 I will either share a photo from my archives or something new I just can’t wait to get feedback on for future art shows/exhibits.

Blogger participation: My hope is to receive enough input on each week’s photo to later post a Bloggers’ Choice of the Month and wrap up 2012 with a Bloggers’ Choice of the Year.

7/52 Pretty in Pink

Photo of the Week series: Every Sunday in 2012 I will either share a photo from my archives or something new I just can’t wait to get feedback on for future art shows/exhibits.

Four summers ago, this little sugar and spice spotted these flowers in my mother’s yard and just had to have them, much like she just had to have those pretty pink shoes. Her lips were pink and she had a natural pink blush on her cheeks. So she got her way, again, because Grandma just had to have this pretty in pink photo. I am fortunate that she’s very photogenic and still likes to pose for the camera. So you may see more of this model before she hits her tweens.

Blogger participation: My hope is to receive enough input on each week’s photo to later post a Bloggers’ Choice of the Month and wrap up 2012 with a Bloggers’ Choice of the Year.