Monday, May 15, 2017

Coming Full Circle

by Terri


As you may recall reading in several FOL blog posts in the past, the group of women who collaborate in writing this blog first became acquainted in Tracey Clark’s Picture series of classes on Big Picture Scrapbooking.  The first was Picture Spring in 2010. When I signed up, I didn’t know anybody else who was taking the class but I had admired Tracey for quite a while and that was enough for me.  However, I entered that class with a little bit of caution.

Although I had taken some online classes in photography and Photoshop, this was the first time I had been in a group where we were communicating with each other, commenting on each other’s photos and receiving comments on ours. This was seven years ago before Instagram and I wasn’t on Facebook back then either. “Talking” to people on the internet was still a new experience for me. But before long I was completely in love with the whole experience! 

"Beginnings" from Picture Spring 2010
My friends would ask me what this class was teaching and my response was, and I still remember it well, there isn’t a lot of teaching but there’s a whole lot of learning going on. We took a daily prompt that Tracey gave us, made our photograph and posted it, looked through and commented on other people’s photos and received comments on our photos. The learning came from the daily prompt to get out there and take photos, seeing what other people were shooting and being inspired by them, and receiving comments from others on our photos. Like I said, a whole new experience for me.

Photos taken during Picture Spring 2010
After Picture Spring came Picture Summer and many familiar faces from the earlier class were there.  I was a little more comfortable with the process and the other people in the class began to feel like friends. And I witnessed an amazing thing happening. Because we were shooting daily, we all started to see ours, as well as each other’s, photos improving. It was proof that daily use of your camera, trying different things and viewpoints, lighting situations and focus points, was a sure way to improve your photography.

"Hearts" from Picture Spring 2010



By the time we had completed Picture Summer, Fall, Winter and the Holidays it appeared that the adventure was coming to an end.  We all said, “Oh, no! What are we going to do without our daily prompt? What are we going to do without each other!”  Well, you probably know what came next -- the idea to start this blog and everyone who we asked to join us were people we only “knew” from Tracey’s classes.  Of course, now most of us have met in person but back then we were just online friends.
Now it all comes full circle. Tracey is reintroducing Picture Spring on a site called teachable.com.  We will be given daily prompts just like we were seven years ago at the beginning of this journey and all of us are going to be there just like old times!  


Class starts today.  I think you can still sign up.  If you are interested in finding out more, visit https://tracey-clark.teachable.com/p/picture-spring-a.  Any questions you might have should be answered there.  I’m telling you this not as a promotion for Tracey’s class but because I know how much we all enjoyed taking her Picture series of classes and if you have not had the chance to do that, I didn’t want you to miss out. Hope to see you in class!

And now that I have your full attention (I do, don’t I?), just as reminder that our Monthly Focus for May is “Leading Lines”. You can read more about it under the Monthly Focus at the top of this page and you can post your leading lines photos both in the Instagram group #focusingonlife and our Flickr group.  Hope to see you there too!






9 comments:

Carol said...

Truly full circle! I'm so excited for the first prompt and the inspiration to come! I used to read the prompt first thing in the morning and then daydream about it all day, taking the picture when I got home. I know I am scheduled for an extra long day today -but this will be my meditation that gets me through. Off to the prompt -see you there, Terri!

kybarb said...

It's so great that Tracey is offering the Picture Spring class again! I'm not signing up because I have recently had eye surgery and will have knee surgery in another week or 2 and don't feel like I will be able to get around and see as well as I would like to take photos. I will be with you all in spirit and will be watching for your photos on IG! Enjoy!

AFishGirl said...

Seven years. Well I remember that first class (and the ones that followed) and how exciting it was to get the prompt and get comments and make comments and day by day, learn a little more about my camera (my husband's discarded point and shoot at that time). Seven years. I feel quite nostalgic. I'm taking the course but don't want to shoot with my phone (rejoined IG for the course) but now can't upload my Flickr shot to IG so I'll look at the IG shots but I'll be uploading mine to Flickr. I did see there is a way I can download something and get the shots to IG but I'm too computer illiterate to do it so Flickr it'll be. Great memories of those early days and "meeting" all of you, great memories.

GailO said...

I'm so glad to have noticed this on IG because it may be exactly what I have needed to get myself back into taking pictures since my husband's illness and death. I'm heading over to try and sign up now:). Didn't these use to start at the beginning of a month?

traceyclark said...

I can't tell you how much this means to me! Thank you Terri and all of the amazing ladies of Focusing on Life. You're all so inspiring! xo tracey

Dotti said...

I'm late today but this topic is so close to my heart. I've made lifelong friends as a result of Tracey's 'Picture' classes. The boost to my photography is valuable but pales in comparison to how much my'Picture' friends mean to me. I'm on the road so I won't be able to post my prompt photos until Wednesday but I did do the first prompt! Thanks, Tracey Clark for checking in with us here at FOL. We love you! ❤️

Cathy H. said...

I've been excited about Picture Spring being offered again! I also remember that first class. I was very new to photography. In fact, that was my first online class and I was terrified. I'll be posting on FB and Flickr this year. I will always be grateful for the friendships I made through Tracey's classes!

kelly said...

This is so awesome Terri! It's so fun to go back and look at our older stuff. I missed out on Picture Spring the first time so I am especially excited about this class

Sandra said...

Gorgeous images here, Terri. That first one of the bee inside the pink flower quite takes my breath away!
I'm taking "Picture Spring" with Tracey for the first time! Thanks to this collaborative blog I learnt about it taking place. I am posting my images on Flickr with the #picturespring in my tag so that those of us posting here can find each other! I do not use Instagram and have to admit that I find Facebook somewhat bewildering with a confusing format that I don't enjoy. Also, the photos on FB don't look their best, especially when you compare them to our Flickr postings.
I hope I shall be bumping into many of you if you also post on Flickr! I have created a picture spring album which I shall be adding to each day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62524522@N08/albums/72157683944457795

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