Selective focus

Taken in downtown Asheboro for one of my small format weekly's.

   This picture was done with a tilt shift lens. These lenses move left, right, up and down so that you can choose one part of the frame to have in focus while the rest of the frame appears blurred. I really enjoyed using this lens and it also kind of made me think...
   I feel like we as humans tend to do exactly what this lens is made for. Sometimes we get so focused on one thing, that the rest of the world is blurred. Unlike the lens though, we can get carried away and forget about the rest of the picture. It is okay to focus on important aspects in our lives, but that doesn't mean that we should forget about the other parts.

Home Run

Taken at a Kannapolis intimidators game on the fourth of July.

   If I were to compare my life to baseball right now, I would say I am a few feet away from home plate. I am a sweaty mess, covered in dirt, and almost out of breath, but I am on the home stretch.
   When I started this semester, it was hard to see myself at the end of it. Deep down I know I could do it, but I knew that it would be a long summer and it definitely has been. Now, I know that I am nowhere done with this "baseball game" (aka school) yet, but I am one step closer and I have to say that it feels pretty great!

Sidetracked

   I really should have had my camera glued on on the baseball field when I took this, but I just couldn't help myself. As the clouds were rolling in on this side of the sky, the sun was out behind the bleachers we were sitting at and there was a spectacular sunset starting to form.

   It is crazy how just a little perspective can change everything. I am currently trying my best to get a little perspective in my life right now as well. This semester is most definitely one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. Every waking moment, I am questioning whether or not I am good enough to do this and why I even chose to be here in the first place. And I know that a lot of my class mates are struggling with these thoughts as well. 

   Despite all of this, I am trying to keep going back to my dreams of making my passion into a career. The only way for me to stay positive in this time of my life is to change my perspective and focus on the day that this is behind me and I can say that I made it. 

Land Of The Free

   I made this shot before a copper heads game at McCrary Park yesterday evening. We got situated a few minutes before the game was going to start and when I looked over and saw a trumpet player getting ready to come onto the field to play the National Anthem I was stoked. In high school I was in marching band so I have a great appreciation for other musicians.
   When he started to play, I immediately got chills. The crisp sound echoing off the bleachers was... beautiful, that's the best word for it. As soon as he was getting to the last note I saw this amazing moment and knew I had to have it. I am not sure if I will be able to use it in my baseball pictures, but at the very least I was able to catch it for myself.

Glass

 Light Field   Dark Field

   To be honest, I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed photographing glass this week. We were taught in class to light everything around the glass, but never the glass itself. This keeps you from getting weird reflections and gives a nice crisp outline to the glass. I understood the concept, but with the way this semester is going, I was a little concerned about how many tries it would take my to get this skill down pat. 

   Once I got everything set up, it really only took really small adjustments to get the final product. I realized by the time I was done that I had really enjoyed doing it.