Thursday, October 15, 2009

You Capture

This week, I'm joining in on a photo project called "You Capture." I thought it would be nice to have a project to think about all week, as well as encouraging me to pull out the camera. And I learned a couple of things: first, it's really fun to take pictures. Second, I am a lousy photographer. I think I actually got better results messing with the pictures on Picasa than I did trying to use all the fancy features on the camera. But I had a lot of fun with the assignment, "Still Life." And here are the results!


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This is the book shelf in Zachary and Ezra's room. The shelf itself was a hand-me-down when Zachary was born, and I know it had a long life before it came to us. It was always awkwardly shoved in a corner until we finished the construction and built Zachary and Ezra their brand-new big bedroom. Now it has a special place in the corner and the kids regularly go there to select books. Zachary's reading has recently exploded and in addition to being able to read a lot more by himself, he's more interested in longer stories and chapter books. So I gathered all the chapter books together, and on the lower shelf are all the I-Can-Read and similar books. One of the things I love about this picture and this space is the juxtaposition of the old and the new, the old bookshelf with the brand-new reader, the Wizard of Oz and Ramona books that were mine when I was little alongside the Magic Tree House and other new books that we're discovering together. Watching my kids grow up helps me to remember a lot about what it was like.



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On a completely different note, this is a fresh-baked loaf of bread. A few years ago, we realized we were spending tons of money on nice artisan bread, when we (which is to say my husband) could just be making it. And a Sunday tradition was born. It's been enough years now that the kids don't know anything different than Sundays spent kneading and rising, always making a small roll, or "circle bread," for each of the kids, the smell of wild rice and sourdough filling the kitchen. As my kids get older and more aware of themselves and their peers, I realize that I am setting examples, establishing traditions, creating memories. And that's a lot of pressure. It's nice every once in a while to be reminded that those things don't have to be high-pressure, perfect creations. The best memories are going to be the ones that were created organically, that were special to our family because that's who our family is. Like Sundays with fresh-baked bread.

So let me know what you think. How did the pictures turn out? I have to admit that I liked them a lot more once the pressure of taking the picture was off and I was able to think about why I wanted to take that picture in the first place. Do you have any thoughts on the nature of Still Life? What would you want to capture?

9 comments:

Julia Spencer said...

Love books! ;) Especially organized on a shelf! ;)

Kendra aka The Meanest Momma said...

Your bread looks delicious and I love the meaning and traditions that it represents. Thanks for sharing!

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

Great shot. I am drooling over the bread. What a fabulous tradition.

Erin Janda Rawlings said...

First of all,thank you for reading my blog and all your comments. I really appreciate it!

I love the pictures. They turned out great!

I wish pictures could capture that intangible quality of a moment. The first time my daughter tickled my son's toes (without asking to interact with him) was such a sweet moment, but the photo doesn't capture the true essence of that moment.

Mendie said...

Welcome! Love the bread picture...that looks yummy!

Tina said...

Great pictures. That bread looks so good.

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Elan Morgan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LuLu and Moxley's Mom said...

Why doesn't my husband make fresh bread??? I'll put that on my list of things to gripe at him about.