Live to your full potential

There were been times when I had to sacrifice my dreams for the needs of my family. In fact I used to make those sacrifices quite often without being asked to do so, thinking that this practice made me a better person. It didn't. It prevented me from reaching my own potential. There are sacrifices in any family, but I've learned to draw the line when it comes to certain dreams I want to fulfill. Surprisingly, I have received nothing but support when I've stood up for those dreams and taken the time I needed to make them come true. My dreams are worth it, even if an occasional feather gets ruffled!

This image was made with a 100mm macro lens at an aperture of f/2.8 (aperture priority). I carefully set the marbles in a shallow plastic box and lay the feather across the top of the box. Using a tripod was essential to hold my camera still enough for the photo. I metered directly off the marbles, which I thought were middle gray in reflectance. The only Photoshop work was a bit of clean-up along the feather with the Spot Healing Brush tool.

Photo 1: an Introduction to the Art of Photography discusses all of these subjects at length. It is written for the beginner but also stretches the horizons of an intermediate photographer. With its added chapters in composition and lighting, you can quickly learn enough to improve the photographs you take. You can find the book at http://goo.gl/Aou5IE.