A Photo a Day

One of the best pieces of photography advice I've ever received came from a friend who simply said,

"Take at least one picture every day, and you'll be surprised how much you learn."

It sounded almost too simple.

But after practicing it for the past few months...

I can honestly say she was right.

Carrying my camera with me each day has taught me to see the world differently. Instead of waiting for special occasions, I've started noticing the beauty in ordinary moments—the little expressions, the changing light, and the everyday memories that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

I've learned so much just by making it a habit to capture one photograph each day.

Today's "photo of the day" came easy.

A friend asked if I would watch her little boy while she was out of town, and of course I said yes.

We've thoroughly enjoyed having a baby in the house again.

I introduced him to the train, and we've been best buddies ever since.

The only downside?

When his mama comes home, she may have to de-Craig-atize him a little.

He's received lots of attention around here...

Maybe a little too much.

Hopefully we haven't spoiled him rotten.

So, for anyone who is learning photography, let me pass along that same piece of advice:

Take a picture every day.

You'll be amazed at how quickly your eye begins to notice light, composition, expressions, and all the little details that make a photograph come alive.

And if you enjoy experimenting with your photos, be sure to visit The Pioneer Woman's website. She generously shares some wonderful photo actions that let you create different artistic effects.

The best part?

They're completely FREE!

Below are a few examples of PW's actions at work. I started with the original straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) image, then transformed it into a vintage version, followed by sepia, and finally black and white.

Fair warning...

Photography can be extremely addicting.

So can photo editing.