Some days it's just sitting there right in front of you waiting silently to be seen. "It" being those amazingly beautiful moments brought to you via a very simple and everyday thing like a tabletop flower. The question is, do you see it or does its silent presence pass you by? Perhaps your mind was elsewhere worrying about the future or going over the details of the past. I hate to think of those missed moments because it's ordinary, simple and beautiful moments like these that are one of my very favorite things in life. They help me celebrate and be completely present in the moment, which I suspect just may be the meaning of life after all.

I need to buy a better point and shoot because my cell phone is packed full of mediocre, low resolution versions of these magical moments. They don't do them justice.

Quick iPhone grabs at stoplights, while on trips or just walking from place to place...

Many of these photos will never be printed and some may not even get a second glance after they've been captured. That's okay, they are an exercise in seeing, appreciating and being grateful. It's my way of saying thank you to the moment for showing itself.

What about you? Are you a moment collector like me with a full cell phone library? Today your assignment is to keep your eyes open, move a little slower and grab what you see. I hope you'll share it with us by posting links to your images (blogs, flickr streams, etc.) in the comments section below. Or add your images to my Monday Lesson Flickr pool.

Today my sweet little nephew, Gibson, is going to model for you guys. I am going to show you how a few simple fixes can dramatically improve some simple outdoor portraits. I shot these with my point and shoot on aperture priority mode (ISO 80, Shutter 1/320, F2.8). This first image is going to serve as our "before" shot and we're going to improve on it.

The first thing that I did was to move him to a shady spot in the yard (see the big sun splotches behind him?). Putting him into the shade before starting does a few things...it eliminates the shadows that would be all over his face and allows him to open up his eyes and not be squinting. It also helps his white shirt not be "blown out" or way too bright.

The next "fix" was to get in closer and minimize the tree that is growing out of his head and eliminate some of the unnecessary background space.

It's better but that tree is still a problem and I don't like the gardening shed in the background either. The next fix was super easy. I just angled him and moved him to the right by about 6 inches. This got rid of the shed, tree and even some of the splotchy light on the grass.

One other thing to note, it is always better (when photographing people) to zoom in to get closer rather than being zoomed out and getting physically closer. If you have the choice, choose to zoom in. It is more flattering on faces and even helps to soften the background a little. If you are shooting with your kit lens (the 18-55 type lens that comes with most digital cameras these days) try and always shoot your portraits zoomed in as far as you can. If you have something like a 70-200, anything in that range will work well so just experiment.

Often, all it takes is a few simple tweaks to make a huge change in the way your images look. In my workshops, I always encourage people to shoot more. The way I do it is that I take a few quick fast shots to ensure that I "got it" and then I start refining and styling. I'll change the pose, fix a wrinkle in a shirt, check the background, wipe a nose, get in closer, etc.

Do you have some images to share? Try these simple tips out and post some images in our Flickr Monday Lesson group! Happy Monday my friends!

Have you ever cleaned your digital SLR? Have an idea how to do it, when or why? For most people, all of that is a mystery. This image belongs to one of my teenage students in my Hope Stone photography class. We have been prepping images for our upcoming gallery show. Adriana is soon going to learn how to clean her camera because, as you can see, it's filthy! In the image above, I have created little arrows to show you what dirt on your camera's sensor looks like. It's like your picture has been attacked by little gray amoebas.

These little gray dots are pieces of dust and dirt that have landed on your camera's sensor. This usually happens when you change lenses. If you change lenses a lot (like I do) you will have to clean your sensor more often. Many cameras have built in cleaning mechanisms that help shake off the dust, which helps you go longer between true cleanings.

If your camera needs cleaning, you can take it to a pro to have it cleaned or do it yourself. Cleaning it yourself isn't complicated but it is delicate and you need to know what to do before you begin. I would advise going to Houston Camera Exchange or Camera Coop and speaking to a salesperson there. They will have cleaning kits designed for your camera and can show you how to use them. If you are not careful with your cleaning, you can damage your camera's sensor and effectively kill your camera. If you are like me and need to clean your camera often, you should go ahead and learn how to do it yourself. If you rarely need to clean your camera then it may be wise to just leave it to the pros. The pros that I recommend are at Professional Camera Repair (for you Houston folks). Cleanings will cost you around $65.

So, when and how often do you need to clean it? If you have the little gray amoebas, then it is time for a cleaning. I would also recommend that you clean it if you have just returned from a beach trip and your camera was exposed to a lot of sand and salt water. I take my camera in about once a year for a professional cleaning (usually at the end of summer after we've spent a month in California). You'd be amazed at how sand can get into the tiniest of cracks.

But, what if you already have an image that has dust and marks all over it? The good news is that all or most of those amoebas can be retouched out if you know how. The how-to of that is another post entirely but here's an example of Adriana's file after the amoebas have been removed.

As I mentioned earlier in my post, my students are having a gallery show and we would be thrilled if you could come! They have worked hard and are eager to show off their work. Please join us at Koelsch Gallery on April 25th from 6-8 pm. The show comes down after that so you only have one chance to cheer them on!

Hope to see you all at the show!

I have been seriously MIA from the blog. The last two weeks have been so crazy busy. I have been moving my studio and it, as you might expect, was a major undertaking! The added bonus was having the kids off school for spring break and being sick most of the two weeks. The good news, it's pretty much done. I'm in the new place and getting back to business as usual.

In the middle of the mayhem, I took my group of Hope Stone photography students to Houston's Glenwood Cemetery for a photo field trip. Glenwood is a favorite spot of mine and has been since high school. It opened in 1872 and has the most amazing collections of monuments. There are many notable Houstonians buried there, including Howard Hughes. It's a beautiful place to walk and photograph. I love taking photo students there. There's just something kind of magical about it and people always end up with some pretty cool images.

Field trips are one of the best ways to improve your photo skills. Taking the time to venture out somewhere and give yourself an opportunity to experiment is so important. Glenwood is a great place for this. It's peaceful and quiet and the monuments stand perfectly still while you play, zoom in and out, crop differently, change settings, etc.

We've been having such incredible weather the last few weeks too. Get out and enjoy it! Glenwood is considered a garden cemetery. There are also flowers and other things to photograph besides the monuments.

The gates close around 5 so we took a little walk down Washington Blvd. as well. Cool photos are everywhere! Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and shooting something new always makes for some interesting shots.

I love this next shot...not sure why but it's one of my favorites from the day.

So friends, who's up for a field trip? Weather permitting, I would like to invite a group of you to come walking through Glenwood with me this coming Saturday. Participation is free and Glenwood is open to the public so anyone is welcome. If our group gets big, we'll need to spread out so as not to be too obvious or disruptive. Glenwood has rules (most are obvious, scroll down to read) that you should read through before coming. I would like to meet at 10 am inside the cemetery and walk until about noon (or sooner if you need to). Pass through the gate, go over the small bridge and find a place to park (please spread out). There is a sort of guard house after you pass over the bridge where we can meet. Please leave a comment here if you would like to attend so I can have an idea who might be there.

Gear: I travel light with one camera and a lens or 2 and recommend the same.
Rain: If it's rainy, we'll cancel and try for another day.

So, who's in?