August Full Moon

September Harvest Moon

One of the things that I’ve always longed to do is to take great photographs. I am not talking about “photographer-like” photographs, I am merely talking about photos that don’t chop the subject’s head off, are blurry, or a litany of other faux pas that create a less than desirable outcome. The desire became greater because my son-in-law was a professional photographer who makes it seem so easy.

When I decided to act on my wish, I learned that taking a good photograph was anything but easy. I still haven’t even mastered all the dials on my cameras, and still confuse ISO and F-stops, but I am forging on and not letting those impediments get in my way. As with learning to paint and draw, my mantra is practice, practice and practice some more. Having a goal is motivating as well.

The blogs that I gravitate to, are those where the blogger posts, with the written text, their own beautiful photographs. I’ve learned that one does not need special equipment, to take gorgeous photographs, as more than one, use their iPhones or other smart phones. Like them, I want photographs that are good enough to post on this blog.

From day one, the moon was my obsession. I choose the moon as a challenge meant for me to overcome. At first, one would look at my moon photos and see a tiny white speck on the screen. It was about the size of the head of a small pin. Frustration was my friend. Yet, I refused to give up. I tried and tried, and with time, the speck went from tiny to miniscule. It continued to grow.

Finally, in August and September, I finally managed to take the above photographs, which I feel comfortable enough to post here for you to see. Although they are a far cry from some of the amazing blog photos that I admire, I am proud that through my efforts, I’ve made this small step.

I am still far from good, and I intend to continue practicing when I can. I’ve mentioned before that “courage” is one of my words for 2014. Being courageous requires vulnerability, which I am doing by putting myself out there in spite of the fear of not being good enough and potential ridicule. With the photos that I’ve posted, I am becoming more courageous, and that reverberates through the rest of my life. I am also inspired by what mere intention may yield. Finally, this reminds me that with time and effort, we can do that which we previously thought insurmountable.

As I’ve done before, I will keep practicing to improve my skills, and continue to share my triumphs with you. I hope that you will celebrate my efforts with me.