Looking forward to seeing Ani this Wednesday...

Ani DiFranco talks about her home birth...


Ani DiFranco Interview with Mindful Mama Magazine from Mindful Mama Magazine on Vimeo.

A Happy Moment

I love horses, and have all my life. When I was a little girl, I went to girl scout horseback riding camp. Everyone changed their clothes after we went on our rides at the dude ranch, except me. I loved the smell of horses, and leather and intended to keep it with me for the rest of the day.

A magnificent black and white paint horse appeared in my dreams regularly. There was something about tobiano paints that I adored. I even adopted a black and white dog and called him "Tobiano".

When I was 29 I declared that I needed to own a horse by the time I was 30, or I would throw a fit that would be heard on the other side of the world. (Arguably not the most effective way to accomplish a goal, but it renewed my desire to make it happen.)

I was 29 1/2 when I bought my horse, a black and white, tobiano yearling stud colt. My wonderful husband nodded and smiled as I showed him pictures of the muddy baby horse I had just fallen love with. I named him Mojo. Most horse people would think what I did was a questionable move for a first horse. It could have been, but I was sure it was the right thing to do. It was. The horse from my dreams now lives in my back yard!

We spent the first two years of our relationship getting to know and trust each other. I called him my "biggest dog". He now deals with and accepts just about anything. Just before he turned four I found a wonderful trainer that teaches natural horsemanship. We started from the ground up, and after about 10 months (during which I was pregnant, so we went took things nice and slow), we have him quite happily under saddle. Only my trainer has been on him so far, except a few minutes I was on him the other night. This brings me back to the point of this blog...

Now, we're training me. While some people that have been on trail rides say they know how to ride a horse, actually doing it on a horse that isn't trained to simply walk in a straight line from point A to point B and back is a different game.

Today I had my first lesson with my trainer's gray Andalusian mare. We started with some groundwork. The difference between working with my horse, and this one was immediately evident. She tested me, challenged me, and asked me if I meant it. I stuck with it, and applied what I knew. It worked! I earned her respect and we saddled and bridled her.

My trainer had her by a lead and coached me from the ground. This was no pony ride! Knowing she was there was like an insurance plan. It allowed me to figure out what I was doing without worrying. What an amazing feeling to ride a horse that won't do what you ask unless you ask right.

Needless to say, it went really well, and will now be a weekly thing to keep my learning curve in line with Mojo's.

What makes a photographer?

I am often asked if I am a photographer. My answer is, well, I have a few cameras, and take a lot of pictures, so, yes!
What makes a person a photographer?
What I know is that being a "photographer" takes really only 2 things.
1. A camera.
2. A subject.
Obviously this doesn't make you a professional, or even an artist by default, but it's a start. The bottom line is that it's an art form, and in many ways, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

The picture here was taken by me, yesterday. My daughter was on her changing table, and the light from the window was so right, and she looked up at me. Snap. There it is. A little Photoshop color editing for a nice soft sepia, a sweet frame (tutorial courtesy of Helen Bradley as a guest blogger on Digital Photography School), and I have what I think is a beautiful little work of art, and I'm not just talking about my daughter!
Not bad right?

So, am I a photographer? Sure I am! I get compliments on my work all the time. I love sharing and seeing other people's work. I've been using different digital cameras for over 10 years, and have only recently purchased a nice digital SLR. Some of my best photos have been taken with point and shoot cameras!

So, are YOU a photographer?

Here are some of my tips for exploring your inner shutterbug:
1. DO take lots of pictures, especially if you're shooting digital, because it's FREE. Even fantastic photographers take a lot of shots to get the real gems.
2. Experiment, experiment, experiment! Try several different settings of the same shot, find out what makes you smile when you see the result.
3. DO sharpen your skills. Just like the frame I made above was an online tutorial (did I mention FREE?), there are bunches of simple tutorials to help you turn your snapshots into works of art. Everyone has different taste, so find what feels right for your style.
4. DO share your work, and be ready to get critiqued. Put on some tough skin, and learn from it! Join a local hobbyist photography club.
5. DON'T compare yourself to others. There are many amazingly talented photographers out there. I could name off a dozen right now. Remember that it is an art form, and everyone has a unique perspective on what looks good.
6. DON'T worry about how the camera works just yet. There are many people with amazing technical photography skills producing mediocre shots, and some with a simple point and shoot that just have that eye for what looks good. Things like focal length, f-stop, EXIF, ISO, or even "megapixel" may sound like another language to someone who has just picked up a camera. It's okay to not understand how your camera works right away. Focus on using it for now, and the technical stuff will come later..
7. DO keep your camera nearby! Take it with you to make sure when that perfect opportunity presents itself, you'll be ready!

Tiptoe... tiptoe...

Hi there... ere... ere...
Wow, there's a bit of an echo in here. ere... ere...

Better fill up this space with all kinds of creative stuff.

So, here's my first post, just a few words to get rid of that echo.

That's better.

Be back soon.