Coming to an end....

Two great things came to an end this week. The first of those being having a first grader. Most people I know get emotional on the first day of school. I however have always been opposite that. The end of school seriously gets me. At the school Matthew goes to they always have what they call a "clap out" for the 4th graders as they send them on to 5th grade at the middle school. Everyone in the school gathers in a wing of the school and they march them through with cheers and clapping and woo hoo's. It makes me so emotional. I can just picture it being Matthew before long. Our little guy is now on his way to second grade. I meet his new teacher and she is perfect! Let's just hope summer is full of sunshine and fun.

This picture is not a great success. I had taken so many in Matthew's class that I did not dare ask Mrs. Olson for a redo. We are going to miss you! You were a wonderful teacher.

Hannah waving goodbye to the buses

This is Mrs. Romence(love that name) She was our neighbor and the Spanish teacher. They are moving over the summer so she will no longer be our neighbor. She is super nice.

Matthew with his Kindergarten teacher from last year. Mrs. Pompeii. She had quite a year this year. She fell and broke her ankle during one of the ice storms. Recovered only to fall and break her elbow! She has spent a lot of the year in and out of the doctor's office.

Matthew with the boys from class. Here are my three pumpkins against the Byron sign. I should post the one I took at the beginning of school to show how much taller they are.

Then there is the end to my school! My class is also coming to an end this week. I have enjoyed it so much and I feel so much more confident behind the camera. I love knowing what my camera is capable of. I love knowing that I can create art for our family. I love being behind the lens:-) One of the things we learned in class is called lens flare. Most photographers try hard to avid this. Some(like me) see it as an artistic stamp on a photo. The minute my teacher introduced us to it I was in love! It is very unpredictable and takes a little bit of practice to get. I started working on catching it. Yesterday, I finally caught it just right. I took these shots of Mike at the pond. I know it is a matter of personal taste but I love them. I get excited everytime I see them.

Side note: I just have to add a plug in for the class I took. Karen Russell is amazing. She teaches on a level that is so personal. I learned so much about my camera and photography in the 3 months of lessons. If anyone has a DSLR camera and they want to be able to take fantastic pictures she is your gal. I have to tell you that all the photos on my blog are uncropped, unedited, unchanged in anyway. She is big on teaching you how to be a great photographer straight out of the cameras. Don't waste your life editing your photos:-) Not so say that there is no room for editing or that it is not fun...just to say that I don't need to spend more time editing than shooting. If you ever want to take her class get on her waiting list! http://www.snapshotsofagoodlife.com/ You could not have a better ace in your pocket than Karen Russell when you shoot.

This picture actually does not have any lens flare in it. It just happens to be the best picture of Mike I have ever seen. I wanted to post it. My sexy husband!

This one is not my favorite shot but the lens flare is exaggerated. The red circles are created from the sun's reflection in my camera. It can take on many shapes and colors.

Do you see the hallo around my husband and his gigantic fish? These last two are my favorites. I love the lens flare on the last one. It is such a great touch to have it to the side of him like that. I wonder what all of you think of these? Please make sure you post about it. Love it or hate it, I want to hear.