It wasn't too long ago that I was excited about the beginning of winter and the snow. I still love the snow. I think it is beautiful and calm. But I found out that I wasn't nearly as fond of the cold as I thought I was. So needless to say, I was pleased to feel the warmth that we have gotten the past couple of days and see how instantaneously everything started to grow and bloom. Of course I had to go out and take a few pictures! I didn't get to take as many as I would have liked to, but I can assure you that there will be more to come in the following weeks and months. I can't resist taking pictures of such a beautiful world!

So last Friday I had the chance to go to the Maximum Adobe Photoshop Tour in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was amazing! I went to one last year in Los Angeles that was spotlighting Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and had a great time at that one as well.

For those who don’t know much about these conferences, they are day long (or sometimes weekend-long) classes where the top Photoshop professionals like Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski ,or in the case of last Friday, Dave Cross, come and teach us how to best utilize or expand our practice with this amazing software. Each conference includes a workbook where they describe in detail everything that they teach so those that attend can practice later, a CD with goodies and all the images they use to demonstrate,

I learned so much about how to make my work go more smoothly. I can’t wait to try out all the new things I learned!

I suppose I've always been someone "creative." Just like it's said in the following video, I like to create something that wasn't there before. Many types of creating appeal to me. Probably the most prominent, as many of you know, would be photography. But what you do to create something of your own is personal to you. Everyone has the ability "to create things of substance and beauty."

So I pose this challenge to all who read this: Create something. Something that has value to you. Something you are excited to call your own. It can be a photograph, a painting, something you've made, or a story you've written, or many, many other possibilities. What ever it is, I'd like you to share it with me. Comment on this blog or send me a message through my contact page. And remember to watch the video. It inspired me to get out and create something new, I hope it will inspire you too.

What will you create?

I often post on a photography forum (http://www.photoartsforum.com -Its full of great information!) that I was referred to, and looking around one day I found a link that some one had posted and I wanted to share it with you. These are some amazing examples of Macro Photography, or close-up pictures of objects that would normally be really small. Its one of my goals to be able to take images like this. Although it requires a very expensive lens so I think it will just have to wait a while longer. I love this site and I hope you do too!

20 Breathtaking Macro Photography Shots

This weekend a really good friend of mine is getting married in Southern California. She has hired a photographer for the wedding, but has asked me to also take some pictures during the reception. I'm really excited to get a bit more experience in wedding photography. I love the magic; all the details that go into making it a perfect day. Those are the things that can be so easily overlooked, but the bride spends hours working on! How beautiful it is, to be able to capture Love in an image. The looks they give each other, and those moments when they don't realize that someone else is watching them in their own private moments. Those are the images that I love: the ones that just take your breath away and draw you into the Love they are sharing.