Jul 13, 2017 |
Huzzah! Another first post by another regular contributor! Today, I’m thrilled, and I mean thrilled, to introduce you to my friend, prayer partner, and the woman responsible for making me look good professionally. This is Mary Denman, photographer. She’s going to be sharing “Intro to Photography” tips. Sweet, yes? Yes!
by Mary Denman @MaryDenman
I’m so excited to introduce myself and join you here on Frankly, My Dear . . . ! I’m Mary Denman and I’m a photographer who’s also a writer, with a teaching heart like my mom’s.
A few years ago, Molly Jo and I met at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had the pleasure of taking her headshots since I’m the conference photographer. We became friends, so, when she asked me recently if I would write photography tips for her blog, I said, “Yes!”
Blue Ridge Mountains by Mary Denman
I’m always learning about my craft, and love sharing how to take better photos. I believe everyone can learn to be a better photographer.
Why is photography important to bloggers?
1) Because a lot of text without pictures will not engage your reader. If you’ve been to a blog with a lot of writing and no photos, you know what I’m talking about! Think medical journal. There may be good info in there, but you have to want to read it and concentrate on it. Instead, you would probably prefer to read a site with pictures illustrating the points.
medical text
2) Because good photography can draw readers in! When you have a great photo or meme, you can use them on social media to catch a reader’s eye and draw them to your blog. You’ve probably seen a great meme on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter that made you want to read the article. It works!
3) Because your photos can illustrate your articles or they can inspire what you write about! When I started out, I found that I enjoyed using my own pictures to illustrate what I wrote about. At other times, going through my pictures inspired ideas for articles. The more you practice your photography, the better you’ll get and the larger the resource of pictures you’ll have!
I want to come along side you and help improve your photography. There are some very simple tips that will have a big impact on your photos.
Some of the topics we will cover in the months to come are:
- Cleaning up the clutter in your pictures.
- Making sure you have a defined focal point.
- Learning how to take sunrise/sunset pictures well.
- Understanding composition.
- Understanding the Rule of Thirds.
- Filling your frame.
- Learning how much perspective matters and how to use it.
- Creating a meme.
If there are other things you’d like to learn about, or have a question about, please let me know! You can find me over at my blog, www.marydenman.blogspot.com writing about life and lots more photography tips.
Baden-Baden Sunset
I’m excited to join you here and hope that I can inspire you to pick up your camera more often and learn how to take better photos!
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Mary Denman: Why is #Photography Important to #Bloggers? @RealMojo68 @MaryDenman #amwriting
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley
Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.
As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.
Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.
Jul 12, 2017 |
by William Kendall @WilliamKendall1
One of my early memories in childhood was going with my parents to an event held somewhere in the greater Toronto area. It was held in something like a convention center or other large space, where booths were set up to showcase different countries around the world, with a good many people spending time exploring the area. I don’t know why that memory sticks with me, but it’s left a curiosity about the world at large in me- even if I have yet to get out of North America.
This year is the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, and the city of Ottawa is holding several events throughout the year as well. One of those events is Ottawa Welcomes The World, a collaborative event between the city, numerous embassies here, and various organizations with ties to the countries involved. Different countries are showcased throughout the year in an event held in the Horticulture Building, at Lansdowne Park. It started in March and will run through to the beginning of December.
![Horticulture Building, Ottawa Welcomes the World [photo credit: W. Kendall]](https://i0.wp.com/franklymydearmojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/19893898_1539887389403789_845341311_o.jpg?resize=584%2C438)
Horticulture Building, Ottawa Welcomes the World [photo credit: W. Kendall]
![Ottawa Welcomes the World: Ireland Showcase [photo credit: W. Kendall]](https://i0.wp.com/franklymydearmojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/19911683_1539887446070450_2069196604_o.jpg?resize=584%2C438)
Ottawa Welcomes the World: Ireland Showcase [photo credit: W. Kendall]
![Ottawa Welcomes the World: Rwanda [photo credit: W. Kendall]](https://i0.wp.com/franklymydearmojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20049057_1539891899403338_444932110_o.jpg?resize=584%2C438)
Ottawa Welcomes the World: Rwanda [photo credit: W. Kendall]
![Ottawa Welcomes the World: Taiwan [photo credit: W. Kendall]](https://i0.wp.com/franklymydearmojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20049296_1539896519402876_30689205_o.jpg?resize=584%2C779)
Ottawa Welcomes the World: Taiwan [photo credit: W. Kendall]
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . .: #Photoblogger William Kendall: #Ottawa Welcomes the World @RealMojo68 @WilliamKendall1
William Kendall
William Kendall is a photoblogger who finds the unique perspective in everyday life. You can follow him on his writing blog, Speak Of The Devil, his photoblog Ottawa Daily Posts, and Twitter @WilliamKendall1.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jul 11, 2017 |
Hey Swarm! I’m super excited today to introduce to one of my newest regular contributors. Remember I said things were hopping here at Frankly, My Dear . . .? Well, Josie Siler stepped up to write how having faith and fun aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, this girl is having some pretty great moments and she’s going to share them with us!
I met Josie my first day at my first Blue Ridge Conference. We introduced ourselves and I kind of fangirled over her name. We bonded instantly. So when she recently agreed to be a contributor for FMD, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was, and still am.
Ladies and gentlemen, a warm round of applause, please, for Ms. Josie Siler and her Fun Faith Adventures! (raaaahhhhhhh……)
Fun Faith Adventures with Josie Siler: Laughter and a Motorcycle
by Josie Siler
I come from a family who love to laugh, play jokes, and be all-around mischievous. My Grandpa Marlowe was such a character. He had a laugh that would fill the room . . . and the next room too!
I have a photograph in my office of me and my grandpa laughing. We’re sitting at a table in the nursing home where he spent his last years before Alzheimer’s Disease took him home to Jesus.
Josie Siler and her Grandpa
At the bottom of the photograph are three sentences that were spoken more than any others during those last years:
“Well, we gotta have a little bit of fun every now and then. Well, we do, don’t we Josie?!” “Yup, we sure do grandpa!”
I keep this picture to remind myself that life isn’t always easy, but there is always a place for laughter and fun.
Grandpa’s situation was far from ideal. There was so much he didn’t understand, yet God blessed him with a heart of fun. His laughter brought joy to other patients and workers in that nursing home every single day.
I live with chronic illness and there are a lot of days that are far from ideal. Yet, I love to laugh. Recently my best friend and her family were visiting. Her oldest son asked, “Why do you laugh so much?!” After I stopped laughing, I didn’t have a very good answer for him, but I’ve had time to think about it.
I know why I used to laugh: it was a coping mechanism. I would laugh when I was uncomfortable or instead of crying. I would stuff all other emotions down and just laugh. I was living out Proverbs 14:13: “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.”
In the last few years God has taught me how to cry and feel my emotions. Now laughter is an overflow of the joy and peace I feel in my spirit. I feel like the Proverbs 31 woman who “is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future (verse 25).”
We can always experience joy because we walk with Christ. God holds each of our futures and He’s a good God. We don’t have to fear what may or may not happen because God not only knows what will happen, but how He will help us through it.
Having fun is a way to show God that we trust Him. If we’re so busy being worried about our future or a certain situation, we’re certainly not going to have any fun. We’ll be stressed out, grouchy people! However, if we can take intentional time in the midst of a trial to go and have a little bit of fun, it’s not only a stress reliever; it’s like a slap in the face to the Devil.
It’s as if we’re saying, “Hey God, I know You’ve got this. I’m not going to worry and I’m not going to wallow in a pit of fear. Help me out of this pit and let’s go have some fun together!”
Something fun that I like to do is ride motorcycle. I don’t get to do it often because of my health, but every time I do get to ride I have a sweet time of communion with God. I’ve had many a heart-to-heart with the Lord over the years from the seat of my Harley Davidson Nightster.
With the loud rumble of power echoing in my helmet, I’m in a world of my own. I can sing praise songs at the top of my lungs, pray out loud, or shout with joy and nobody is going to hear me. Driving a motorcycle is fun, a lot of fun.
The feeling of power you get when you roll back the throttle and accelerate down the open road is like none other. But even that can’t compare to the feeling of communicating with the all-powerful Creator of the universe. To know God and be known by Him on the seat of a Harley – frankly, my dear, it is a fun faith adventure!
Laughter and fun don’t happen by accident, and neither does faith. We must choose them, seek them out. Thankfully, they are there to be found, if we’re looking for them.
A Biker Chick’s Guide to Life: Guideline #4
I’d love to hear from you. Share with me in the comments something fun that you love to do and how you meet God in that activity.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear: Fun Faith Adventures with Josie Siler: #Laughter and a #Motorcycle @RealMojo68 @josie_siler #faith
Josie Siler
Josie Siler loves sharing God’s gifts of beauty, hope, and adventure. She’s an award-winning writer, a published author, and an award-winning photographer. She can’t seem to separate her two loves so she brings them together each week in a #BehindThePhotoFriday story. Josie is also the Vice President of Broken but Priceless Ministries and the Editorial Assistant for “Broken but Priceless: The Magazine.” When she’s not writing or taking pictures, you’ll find this biker chick riding her motorcycle, reading a good book, drinking coffee, eating chocolate, or shooting something at the range. Learn more about Josie at josiesiler.com.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Save
Save
Save
Save
