I took a class.

Call it cabin fever, or mommy fever, or a 20-week-pregnant panic about having better pictures of this newborn than we managed of the last... whatever it was, I took a photography class. I wasn't prepared to commit to enrolling somewhere and becoming a "degree-seeking" student by any means, but had been meaning to learn how to use our "fancy camera" as we call it in our house for a while. So when Madison College offered a portrait class under their continuing education program for two Thursday nights and $23--it was meant to be.

About 50% of the class was far beyond my level of understanding, and there was a range of students in the class from decades of professional photography experience to "I got this point-and-shoot for Christmas." But sitting in the middle there, I think I learned a lot. It was fun to step outside myself and my little world for a minute to do something different.

This is just my teacher for an in class activity--

I was just really happy with how it turned out!

And then I got to do my homework with "moderately willing" (in one of their words--I'll let you guess which) subjects. 

The assignment was for window-lit portraits, 

which is why they are all by windows.

They are nothing special, but a big improvement for me--especially since I shot these in manual mode! It was a personal triumph to take pictures I was happy with on something other than "auto."

It was good for Jon and Fabio to have some "guy time," good for me to miss them, and good for baby-in-que to have a mom who can take a picture. Just good for everyone all around.