5 websites- Stuff to look at...Blogs to complete

http://petapixel.com/2014/11/17/mother-ten-talented-photographer-takes-wonderful-natural-light-portraits/

Lisa Holloway- self taught photographer. has 10 children. runs a successful photography business. photos using natural light of newborns, babies, children, seniors and families. from Arizona.

I picked this photo because i love how it looks as if there is some sort of pixie dust. the golden flecks are illuminated by the light. in a way the trees that are behind her are sort of framing her, however they are not in focus. leading lines with the rays of sunlight. there is a little balancing with her in the foreground and the trees in the background. The photo was taking Lisa Holloway.

http://petapixel.com/2014/11/13/lark-little-offers-tips-shows-you-his-bag-and-takes-you-in-the-water-with-him-in-new-video-series/

Clark Little is a wave photographer. He uses a Nikon D4 with an aquatech housing. He shoots on the north shore of Oahu.
There were four videos. The first is about how he first started shooting.
The second video is an interview with clark little. and how you have to put yourself in a certain spot to get the perfect wave. there is a lot of prep work involved. you have to know where to place yourself. and you can't be afraid.
The third video is all about the equipment that clark little uses. The last video was an advertisement and the video was called I Am Different. it is a nikon tv commercial called 'The Little Project"
i learned that sometimes, in order to get an amazing shot, you have to not be scared and just put yourself out there. most of the time it is worth the risk.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/taking-pictures-raising-children/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0#
Up until recently, female photographers hadn't made their mark in the photography world. Sexist editors and/or colleagues or their personal lives got in the way. Women working abroad usually didn't have children and those who did have children worked locally. But in the last few years, female photographers have emerged raising children while completing overseas assignments. For a photographer that mostly takes pictures of families, having a child of their own connects them in a way to the family and the family might feel a little more comfortable with them. "Still, like the others, she said photography and storytelling were at the core of who they are, and it was important for a female photographer’s children to see their mother as someone who has a calling and fulfills herself."
i learned that just because you want to have a child, doesn't mean that you have to give up yout dreams. The site related to photography because it talked about how female photographers balanced their job as a photojournalist and a mother.

http://www.lightstalking.com/abstract-nature-photography-3-effective-tips-to-create-captivating-images/
Abstract art separates reality of a subject through the use of imagery. Conveys- feeling, mood, color, movement and/or texture. exploring and using an abstract approach in nature photography positively impacts our creativity in composition; use of color, movement, lines, and texture; and post processing. I learned ways to create specific images. Like for this image:

This image was created doing the following: 

The area needed to be consistently shaded. Bright, small flashes or patches of light would have created distractions (ugly lines) in the background.

If the light had been brighter, a neutral density filter could have been used.

Used a small DOF (depth of field, f/16) and low ISO to get a 1/2 second to 1 second shutter speed.

Focused on the non-moving trunk of one of the trees.

Slowly and slightly move the camera vertically when pressing the shutter button

I picked this photo because i love the blur effect created. There is cropping because you dont see the full trees and only a small portion of the forest is shown. The photo was taken by Sheen's Nature Photography.