Why am I doing this?!?!

I love to take pictures. LOVE IT!!! I like the idea of not only making a moment last forever, but also capturing all of the emotions that go along with it. Over the years I have slowly upgraded my cameras to my current digital slr and will be taking a pretty intense 10 week photography course. So I thought I would start this blog to help me gauge my progress and to invite any constructive criticism in the spirit of "self improvement." (Please be kind...I cry easily.) And since someone once told me that a post isn't a post without a picture...here you go!