Pursuing My Passions - Photography

This is part two  in a four part blog series about my passions and how I'm pursuing them this year.  I'm doing this as much to get it all organized and straight in my own mind as to share with you what I've been up to lately and why I've been so absent from blogging. So here goes...

It is no secret among my blog friends that I love to dabble in photography. I'm no expert and still struggle with the technical aspects of my camera (aperture, exposure, f-stops, lighting, all befuddle me) but I totally get composition and I love to play with flowers and still life photography.

So, Cheri, what are you doing this year to pursue your love of photography?
I'm taking "Be Still 52" with Kim Klassen. This year-long weekly class is $72.  And each week has a surprising amount of material! In fact, I'm already behind, but determined to keep up with this one.

 photo with basic edits for color, contrast and clarity

 added a Kim Klassen texture... just for fun

 Again, original photo with minor edits (an old Christmas centerpiece that I allowed to dry on the table)

 Filters added to try to recreate Kim's "dreamy" look.  Which do you like better?  Personally, I'm a fan of sharp focus....

 Original photo, straight out of camera. I was playing with lighting from the window, diffused with the paisley drape.

Added filters to increase the light effect and to try again to capture that "dreamy" look.  Did I succeed?

So I'm playing with Be Still and should I find any free time, I have at least a half dozen photography classes that I've signed up for in the past but never finished. Because the technical stuff intimidates me. But maybe this is the year I figure it out. Maybe.

So that's how I'll be pursuing my passion for photography in 2015. How are you working to improve your photography skills?