January 2015 Picture Review/Critique.

So I got a Nikon D5300 camera for Birth-mas last year, as well as the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.  So I spent the year with my camera in manual mode trying to think more before I took pictures. If you are a religious follower mine on the internet (and who isn't) you have probably seen most of these before. Anyhoo, here are my favorite pictures from January last year with some commentary:

Baking with Rita (Katherine)

This picture makes me happy because of the subject. Betsy's mom Rita baked dozens of loaves of French bread every year as Christmas presents. Super sweet to see Betsy baking her Mama's recipe with our own Rita (Katie.) This picture would have been better had I noticed the basket in the lower left corner of the frame and if it had been a wider aperture to blur out the background a little--but that is probably as wide as I could go at the time. That being said, if either of those meant missing this shot--then who cares.

Merry Space Station is Merry

It might be hard to see, but that little white line in the sky on the left is the International Space Station.  This was my first and only try at getting a picture of the space station. I would like to try again, but it takes some scheduling and possibly some very warm clothes. This picture would have been better if I had cleaned the porch and mowed the weeds and if the stinking space station had been closer to the house.

Papa the King

Katie

All Four

"Smile!"

 iPhone picture.

My Boys

If you haven't noticed, I'm haven't edited these at all. Obviously  this picture needs cropped.  One of my goals is to get to where any cropping needed is minimal.

"Where is the Big Whale?"

 Sure wish I could see Teddy's face...

All the Single Ladies

 Great picture, bad lighting.

Simon

Pink and Blue

Ethan, Brutus, Heath

Big Fun at Big Brutus

Parker

 I took a lot of pictures down at the river, but this is the only one where I actually like the background. I am so bad at paying attention to backgrounds!

Reunion

Oklahoma Parenting

Against the Wind

 Auto focus fail. A constant theme throughout the year.

Teddy

Erica

Jimmy and Cephas

 "Hooked it just a little bit..."

Anna and Friends

 Needed to get my head lower for a better angle on this one.

Photo Shoot

 Wonderful picture trapped inside a terrible picture.  Crop out everyone but Jeanette and Jonathan, and it is a nice picture, but who has the time or pixels...?

Survey Says

Country Boy at Dusk