Laurie, Chad, Maggie, and Laci

I am still VERY new to the art of photography. I have only owned a dSLR camera for 10 months and have been shooting in complete manual mode for about that amount of time. I am learning to set the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, metering, and other settings for each photo. Most people let the camera make these decisions for them, but being able to change these settings gives the photographer more creative control. It is a long process and lots of trial and error. On top of that I am learning to edit my pictures in photoshop so that I end up with a clean and appealing photo.

Because of my newness, I am willing to take on anything a friend or family member throws at me. This week it is a good friend of my sister. I was asked to take pictures of this lovely couple and their two dogs. I was lucky to have very nice and laid back people to work with for my first 'stranger' shoot. It was quite hot, but I believe despite the heat, we were able to capture the happiness of this family.