Portraits: 21 months and counting

Capturing an in-focus, smiling, forward-facing photo of a toddler is...challenging. Most of my shots of Cricket these days are either of her running away from the camera or running too close to the camera. They are almost all blurred, regardless of my shutter speed.

When she was around 1 year old, I abandoned my attempts to corral her for formal portrait sessions. Now I just try to capture her in action. (When she's not sleeping, she's in action. Lots of action.) Sometimes they are simple shots with my iPhone (above). Sometimes they are more deliberate shots with my camera and an appropriate lens. They are always somewhat impromptu. After about a thousand photos, I eventually get a few I'd consider portrait-worthy. The rest I'll keep forever, too, to remind me of the energy she had way back when she was a tiny girl.

These shots are special to me, because I took them on our recent trip to my homeland, Minnesota. Really I don't think anything could compare to a Minnesota summer. (My next posts will include more trip photos.)

Above: Swinging at my alma mater, The Blake School.
Below one: Playing in Grandma and Grandpa's yard.
Below two: Running around the Lyndale Park Rose Gardens on Lake Harriet.
Below three and four: Playing at Grandma and Grandpa's again.