Intro: Sarah Harward

Hello! I'm so excited about this blog! Where to start with an intro? I'm a mother to three beautiful children (Landon (pictured above) is 5, Addie is 3 and Grant is 10 1/2 months) and a wife to one handsome husband!! I was an army brat growing up so I don't have any particular place to call my 'hometown' but my husband and I have been married for 6 1/2 years and have lived here in Lafayette for all of that time (which is the longest I've ever lived in one place) so does that make Lafayette my home? I went to school at BYU-Idaho and LOVED every second of it.

I got my first digital camera as a gift from my husband after I had our daughter and have LOVED snapping pictures ever since (but to be quite honest was never very good at taking pictures). After taking Wendy Olmstead's 'Design through Digital Photography' class this past summer I've really become obsessed with taking pictures and trying to use the design elements to make them great. I have a little point and shoot camera (Canon Powershot SD790 IS) and I LOVE it. I know people who are more experienced photographers need something better, but because of it's size it's ALWAYS with me and I have been able to capture some priceless moments because of that. My main reason for wanting to become a better 'photographer' (hope it doesn't offend real photographers that I'm lumping myself in that category!) is to capture the moments of my kids lives. Being a mom is the greatest (and hardest and most challenging) thing I've ever done, and I don't want to miss or forget a single second of it!!

Intro: Steph Scott

Aloha!

I grew up on the beaches of California and fell in love on the shores of Oahu. I ran on the varsity cross country team in high school (we placed 3rd in state) and was recruited to run for BYU—Hawaii. I’m training for an iron man race next summer. (120 mile bike, 2 mile swim, and a marathon, all in one race)

I actually met Aaron swimming in the ocean at Hukilau beach, Hawaii. We spent almost every day (for three years) in Hawaii at the beach. That is where I started to take interest in photography. Aaron is an avid surfer so as he surfed I sat on the beach and took picture after picture of him. I have been polishing my skills ever since and started to really enjoy photography. I am enchanted by photos of waves. My favorite photographer’s site is: www.clarklittlephotography.com

In a nut shell: I have a degree in elementary education and am currently getting certified to become a child life professional. But in the mean time, I stay home and play with my kiddos, Kensey 3 ½ and Zane 8 months, which are my joy.

I don’t have a sweet camera or any nun-chuck skills, but you got to start somewhere right?

Intro: Kim Davis

Hi all! My name is Kim Davis. I am actually an Indiana native. I grew up two hours south of here, but I've been in this area for the past almost five years!!! Crazy! I finished my degree in Computer Graphics Technology with a focus in Graphic Design and Web Development at Purdue University in December 2008. I decided to take the grad school plunge and started my M.S. in Educational Technology this fall. It's been a bit of a challenge because I miss all the creativity I was surrounded by in my undergrad. My husband also graduated from Purdue and is working full time at MED Institute and going to grad school part time. I'm pretty sure we'll be calling this area home for awhile.

I have always loved taking pictures, but it really got crazy when I got my first digital camera. A couple years ago I bought my first SLR (Canon Digital Rebel XTi). But, I have since sold that an upgraded to a 50D. I started doing portrait photography when my friends wedding photographer bailed on her three weeks before her big day!!! I had taken her engagement pictures, and her wedding turned out really well. Since then, I've started doing more engagements, weddings, and lots n lots of families. I love it!!

I'm looking forward to improving my photography and getting to know other photography lovers!! It's so much fun and a great hobby. My husband has started doing weddings and some families with me, and it's a blast! We love it.

Intro: Elly Fryer

Hey y'all!

I am a Texan, though I have moved around a little. I grew up in Houston, attended high school in North Carolina, and graduated from the University of Utah with a B.F.A. in ballet. That's right, ballet. I had some fun opportunities to perform in Asia and in various parts of the U.S. and pursued my dance career in New York City for several years. It was there that I met my husband, Scott, and we had our little boy, Drew, who is almost two now. After living there for over six years, we were excited for a change. We moved to Lafayette a few months ago and Scott is attending the MBA program at Purdue. It has been a big change, but a welcome one.

I enjoy teaching dance and Pilates. Luckily, I am able to do both part-time right now. I have always loved the arts and would have more heavily pursued visual art and music, had I not been so focused on and in love with dance.

I was the one in college who was constantly taking pictures and who always wanted to get everyone together for a group picture to remember the roadtrip or activity we were doing. As annoyed as everyone acted, they always thanked me after the fact. About six months ago, Scott got me an SLR camera, which I am loving. I am still very new to all of the technicalities, but I'm enjoying the learning process.

I look forward to learning from all of you talented women!

Intro: Jessica Bateman

I too am from Utah, born and raised. I grew up in the Salt Lake area (South Jordan). I attended Utah State University after I graduated from high school. I married my husband, Dallas, 4 years ago. It wasn't until last August that I broke away from my comfort zone and moved to Indiana. I am here with Dallas who is a graduate student at Purdue. I am a mother of two adorable children, and I love being a mom! Evan is almost 3 and Makiah is 15 months old. They definitely keep me busy.

I can't say that I've always loved photography. My high school photography class is to blame :) I really didn't like developing my own film. Having to go that process was just a bore to me. Since I've entered the digital world I've loved photography! I can see my photos in an instant and it doesn't stop there. I love playing around with post processing to improve my work. My children have been an inspiration for me and I love taking pictures of them. Just in the past year I have really come to love photography and there is so much I want to learn. I just got a digital SLR (Canon Rebel XSi) almost two months ago, and I love it! I am excited for this blog and all the upcoming challenges.

Intro: Kristine Nielson

I'm a Utah native, though I've lived in California, Pennsylvania, or Indiana for most of the last 12 years. I am a graduate student at Purdue in the department of Earth and Atmospheric sciences, studying (of all things) the Great Salt Lake. Specifically, I'm trying to reconstruct the climate of the region around the Great Salt Lake using the stable isotopes of brine shrimp chitin. I used to grow sea monkies for my PhD, but I've killed them all off for now. They live on in my heart, as I've named my personal blog "seamonkiesrule.blogspot.com"

I have a husband and a 1 year old daughter (Sylvia), and a cat. I used to have a garden, but it's in hibernation thanks to the lovely cold weather.

I think I've always been a bit of a shutter bug, taking pictures mostly of family and friends, and quite a few of stuffed animals as a child. My husband is also an amateur photographer, focusing mostly on nature photography. I like nature photography, especially when we're out west, but I also like to take pictures of people. We got a new camera (a Canon Eos XSI) shortly before my daughter was born, which I use not nearly enough these days.

My husband's making fun of me for not including a picture of me "doing something cool," so here's a picture of me with a very friendly lizard:

Welcome!

Photography is a wonderful hobby--one that preserves memories, creates art, opens our eyes to new ways of looking at the world around us, and is incredibly fun! This blog is intended to encourage participants to take more pictures, and to improve the ones we take. We will have weekly assignments, typically on some aspect of design. At least once a month artists should include an artist statement with their photo to give us, the audience, insight into your creative process and to help us think more critically about the creative process.

The blog is named after the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association (or mutual, as it was called once upon a time). My hope is we will help mutually improve one another by encouraging participation and improvement; by teaching and sharing; by forming friendships across cyberspace that (we hope!) will continue into the real world.

Welcome!