KEEP SMILIN', KEEP SHININ'
There's a building in Nashville I've been wanting to use as a photo background for a while. You can't miss it when you jump on 40 from Briley Parkway. I have no idea who painted this building, but I give he/she/they props for the hippie-artistry that beautifies my drive from Nashville to Murfreesboro. Not too long ago, the hubster and I stopped for a quick photo session near what I call the "Love" shack building. (see above n' keep scrollin'...)
The photo above is as good as it got, as far as our photo attempts went that day. Only equipped with my iPad, the morning sun's glare made it difficult to capture the idea I'd been envisioning for a specifically planned capture.
Ever tried to take a picture of yourself with an iPad? Next time you do it, add major sunshine and another person to really complicate your selfie mission.
The idea I wanted was center the "Love" lettering in the photo, with Josh on one side and me on the other. In my 'imagine-if-we-dream', we would lean in for a kiss and the "Love" letters would be perfectly placed below the smooch.
Riiiiiight....
Obviously, I was a bit too ambitious for the equipment I'd brought with me that day.
My Nikon and a tripod (see Christmas wish list) may have produced something better than the iPad snapshots we took as we tried to accomplish the photo goal I wanted, but-
I like the candidness of what we did manage to shoot that day...
First, I'll need to take a couple test shots. Wow, that's bright. I can't even see the screen, Josh. Hmmm... Here I am, taking this idea very seriously as I try to figure out where we needed to stand for this little photo session. Not angry, just focused... and beginning to realize that this idea would be harder to execute than expected.
Again, we were using an iPad. We couldn't see what we were actually getting on the camera since the sun was so bright. If we could've, we would have realized we needed longer arms to get more than 1/2 faces in our pose!
Yeah, that's not gonna work either. Stepping back only increased the sun's pic-ruining power. See the building, though? One of my favorite little murals in Nashville. I wish I knew more about it! (Will research later...)Anyway, I started to lose hope that we'd get a decent couple pic at this point during our iPad photo-journey.
Still, we tried different things to make it happen. Josh is taller, so we reasoned that he should hold the iPad up to get a better picture. Still, no dice. Longer arms don't mean better pics, apparently. Better cameras do. :)
Too bright, too dark, to sun-beamy, too... one-person-not-in-the-picture-y...
Next time, I'm taking the Nikon. 'Til, then... why don't you and your fancy cameras get out there and give this one a try? It's easy to park near this Nashville-based photo background, which is right off Charlotte Avenue. You've seen it. If you haven't thought about taking pics in front of this building, you have now. :) You're welcome, friends.
Keep Smilin, Keep Shinin. Keep finding photo ideas near you that are perfect for pictures. Just keep in mind that whether or not your pictures are perfect will depend on your idea...and your camera. :)
For more thoughts on this Nashville mural, click below...
* I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHO PAINTED THIS! * :)
