Passions and Hobbies

This one was super-easy. A true no-brainer. Tobias has a passion: trains. This is also super-easy for me to photograph because he spends so much time playing them. Nothing real philosophical today - just plain fun. Although, now that I think about it, playing trains is pretty much Tobias' primary occupation - it's more than "fun", it's a JOB. One that he takes quite seriously, I might add.

[Tobias intently and contently "chugging"]



I love to see how his big sister, who otherwise completely typifies the "first born" stereotype, has embraced his love of trains and often joins him in his passion. And how Toby's love for trains has sparked a renewal in his daddy's interest in trains. At Christmas time, Grandpapa set up Daddy's model train set and the three of them spent hours in the basement of Mark's childhood home cleaning tracks, testing engines, and celebrating when they got one to light up and make it around the track. We've been to two train shows as a family this winter and his great-aunt and uncle took him to one too. This passion of a two-year-old certainly has inspired those he loves and who love him to fuel and encourage his love.

[I neglected to mention: he's also pretty much obsessed with tunnels.]


And a little photography talk... We are to continue to focus on using "manual" mode of our camera and balancing exposure. I pretty much always shoot in manual these days, however getting the proper exposure is definitely a work-in-progress. The sun actually came out today and was streaming in my window which threw me for a loop (had to completely adjust all of my settings which I'm a little too slow at to capture kids in their "optimal" moments), but then I had fun figuring out what combination of settings would work best. Later I pulled the shades to practice that way which was completely different in technique. For the most part, I've been happily shooting with my 50mm f/1.8 for these assignments, however now I want a new camera so that the "noise" is not so prevalent on the higher ISOs. A girl can dream, right? ;)