I am always up for a challenge...

I have never considered myself a competitive person.  I've been told by my friends and family that I am, but I don't see it as clearly from my point of view.  Lately though, I've noticed that I have been "up for the challenge."  First, I've been running a lot.  About 6 months ago, I successfully completed a self imposed challenge to run every day for an hour for 365 consecutive days.  It was super hard but I did it and I am still running... just about every day.  Now, I am spicing it up a little by running with some serious running people.  Some of my friends are hard core runners.  I would have never dreamed I could keep up with their running level but I am putting myself out there and tagging along for the ride (and doing ok!).
How does this crossover into my business?  Well, I have been challenged by one of my dearest friends to step up my photography game.  My friend Michelle recently started a photography business with her Dad, Ellis Cline.  They are doing great!  Michelle is learning everything she can about photography and about how to run a successful small business.  I did the same thing when I started my photography business in 2004.  Mine has been a wonderful business and very successful.  But, watching her learn and grow has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and GET BETTER!  I have been in a self imposed quiet phase.  The kids have kept me busy with all of their activities (that I don't want to miss) and it has been nice to take a break.  But, I am excited to get back into the swing of things and I look forward to a busy fall. 

So, the current challenge (inspired by my friend Michelle) is to complete this week's assignment from the Pro Photo Business Forum.

This Week’s Assignment:
Subject Isolation With A Shallow Depth Of Field.
As photographers we are storytellers.  Our job is to provide elegant tools for our customers to tell their stories.  One way we can create a more elegant and polished story, and further define ourselves as professionals, is through the use of a shallow depth of field.  A shallow depth of field is a tool a photographer can use to draw the viewer’s gaze to a certain area in a finished portrait, making it more clear was to what the photograph is trying to convey.This week, your assignment is “Shallow Depth Of Field”.  Tell a story, and make the subject of your story more clear through the use of a shallow depth of field.

Here is my story, perfect for summertime fun...

I have always used shallow depth of field to blur the background behind my subjects.  Now, I will try using it to focus on things that are important or fun while blurring my subjects - we'll see what happens!