Moments like this

are why I love taking photos.

She rarely wears a dress, never looks at the camera, is just the tiniest bit girly and yet is the sweetest, most beautiful girl I know.

Christmas card photos and cards

Starting in about August, I start thinking about and planning what our Christmas card photo will be.  Last year I handmade our cards and the year before that, I ordered them online.  I've decided to continue the trend and order cards online this year.  I have been perusing Shutterfly's website for ideas about colors and trends and loved the brown and red combination found here: [ http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/merry-blossoms-christmas-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93476]  I used that color combination for inspiration for our outfits for meeting Santa.  You'll have to wait to see how it turned out though, just in case that's the pic I choose for our cards.

Not only is Shutterfly great for printing your cards, it's a great source of inspiration for photos.  The photography is amazing and I am always inspired by their designs and the photos on the cards.  Here's a link to their Christmas cards:  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

I have also done a photo calendar the last couple of years and it's usually a last minute gift idea and I scramble to get it done.  I'm hoping to get it done early this year and I'm really excited about Shutterfly's templates! I think they are much more fun and creative than many of the others I've seen.   http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

Now that I have my cards planned out, if only I could just get both my kids to sit still long enough to take a photo I'd be set!

Our 2009 Christmas card photo.  It's going to be hard to top this cuteness!

Next up....learning how to clone *updated

I love this photo.  My guy is looking at me, the goat is adorable, the bench, the barn wall, all of it.   Except for the rubber hose.  You just can't help but notice that. I don't yet know how to "photoshop" something in or out of a photo but everytime I look at this photo reaffirms that I need to learn how.

After thinking about this for awhile, I realized that maybe cloning isn't the correct term for what I'm trying to do so I better start with learning what tool it is before I start playing with different buttons.   But.....I couldn't help myself. As usual, I have no impulse control and fiddled around late last night in photoshop.  You still notice the hose but at least it's not such a huge eyesore. 

Please help!

This photo has been haunting me since it was taken. It's so rare to get a photo of all of us  and I had really hoped this one could hang on our wall someday.  However, in my limited knowledge of Photoshop CS4, I just haven't been able to get the shadows right.

The original
ISO: 160
Shutter: 1/1000
Aperture: 2.8
Focal Length: 43mm

Edited versions:

Thank you!

Lesson Learned

While we were at the pumpkin patch I was getting pretty frustrated.  Lainey really doesn't like to look at the camera or cooperate at all really and because we got a late start I knew the lighting would be a challenge. Patience is not one of my strengths either so you can imagine how much "fun" this was for me, the photographer.  Me the mom, loved it though. 

Once I got home, I poked, tweaked and played around in Photoshop and found a new favorite action that slightly lightens a photo.  I applied it to a number of them I took at the pumpkin patch and saved quite a few photos with this one action.   I love it when that happens!

Smirk

My little guy, not even 18 months old in this shot, is a daredevil.
He's funny and cute and knows it!

Soft Light

Pioneer Woman had a little tutorial about Photoshop on her site today (http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/) and I am over the moon with joy. I have been trying to figure out how to add that "punch" to a photo and this definitely helps!

The before shot. A little blah for me. 

The after. POW!

I don't know why, but photos of London and England just make me think dark and dreary even though the SOOC shot wasn't. 

Blue Sky

Driving out of Wenatchee the view out the window caught my eye.  Much like my knowledge of art, I don't know why I like it, I just do.  And I LOVE having a polarizer in these instances!

I seriously need to expand my photoshop knowledge base to something beyond actions and textures but nevertheless, I love how they take a good picture and invoke feeling into it.  And that tush.  I can't get enough of it

Love

I love playing with different actions in Photoshop.  My favorite part is if you don't like the end result, if you back up a few steps you might find that an earlier layer gives you the result you're looking for. Or better yet, a surprise!  

I'm also loving that my beautiful girl is starting to like having her picture taken.

Boston

What a neat city! This was not a photography based trip so there were no mornings that I was up at dawn ready to shoot. I stayed up late, slept in and just enjoyed spending quality time with my hubby while taking in all the city has to offer.  I'm really loving exploring Photoshop right now.  Taking a photo like this, which was taken late afternoon (~4pm) in not so decent light and turn it into something special. 

Finally!

I've wanted a jasmine plant in my yard since our trip to Italy in 2006.  They were everywhere, but I especially remember them in Venice.  They smell terrific.  I've never had a suitable space in my yard to plant one. Until now apparently.  The other day I discovered the previous owner had planted one on the side of the house and it is flourishing!  You can smell it from the backyard and I was just tickled when I saw it.

Attempting the impossible

I bought a couple skirts at the Ballard Seafood Festival this past weekend. I paid way too much for them of course. Since I don't know how to sew, that's the only way I was going to go home with the cuties.  But, I do own a sewing machine and they appear to be so easy that I don't need a pattern. So I'm going to attempt to make a skirt or two.  Wish me luck!

The fabrics I chose. I was only going to get the two on the left but spotted the cherry one at the checkout and just couldn't resist. 

More textures

I'm loving Photoshop and textures right now.  Playing with them, seeing which textures work or don't work with a photo is really interesting to me. I get a high when I take a good photo and when I add a texture that takes it up a notch, I can hardly contain myself.  I'm a dork, I know. 

There's nothing particularly fabulous about this photo.  It's not a unique shot but something we've all seen on a million greeting cards.  The lighting wasn't good, it's dark on one side and the rose on the far right is blown out.   However.... the roses were a housewarming gift from a neighbor yesterday. I thought the peach color would look good against the dark grey above our fireplace and snapped away.  I'm having some cards printed at Costco ($7.99 for 10) and will send her a thank you card for the roses with them. In that regard, I think it's pretty cool.

What amazes me is that you can take a not so perfect picture and really make it special.   This texture adds to the feeling of the photo in my opinion. And really, isn't my opinion the only one that matters at this point?

Yep! I figured out how to apply a texture to a photo!! Woo hoo! Feeling pretty puffed about that!

Visitors

Count em--FIVE racoons sitting on the fence behind our house.

One little one posed for me. I've trained Lainey to run to the house whenever she sees one.  

Details

Pioneer Woman's post today about details inspired me.  I didn't get much but not bad for a mom with two toddlers that lost their minds out in the sunshine today.

little hands finding the smallest little thing to pick up and most likely put in his mouth

delicious curls that after a day outside, smell like sunshine

sweet baby legs

lainey's obsession

one of beau's two favorite things-bunnz

his other, which i'm trying to break him of but he's persistent and hides them

Color

Before Auto Color/Tone/Contrast:

After:

Something doesn't look right to me. I like how his eyes shine more in the second photo but prefer his skin tone in the first.

One of Lainey:

After:

I definitely need to learn how to tweak more and use the auto functions less.  I find it difficult to shoot in a bathroom but love when I see photos other photogs have taken.

Adrenaline Rush

I just spent a few minutes perusing this website and watched the tutorial on how to apply texture to a photograph.  Totally got my blood pumping!  If I can't do what the tutorial said, I may sign up for the Photoshop Bootcamp Class.   Love it when I learn something new!

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/

Note to self: One day soon learn how to photoshop the booger off Beau's face. Yummy huh?

Almost straight out the camera (SOOC).  Maybe it's because she's my girl and I think she's gorgeous.  Or because she hardly ever looks at the camera AND smiles.  In any event, I love this photo.  If I was a better photographer, I would have sat where she is and wouldn't have had to deal with the shadows on her face.  Lesson learned! 

The wonders of Photoshop

I love that I can take a photo like this, where I just snapped without looking at my cameras settings in an effort to capture the moment

and turn it into this.  

Don't get me wrong. It's not a great shot by any means.  But for a mom, sometimes you just need to catch that moment.  I really need to pay more attention what my camera settings are when I pick it up.

*******

Just to prove that I'm not a total accidental photographer,  sometimes I get it right straight out of the camera.

Check it out!

I submitted this question and she posted a response to it!  I am definitely going to check out my AF options on my camera.  Now where did I put that manual again?

http://www.auburnsoulphotography.com/?p=827

TOO Cool!

I LOVE cameras and all things photography related and now, these necklaces!!! Today's goals:  get my camera out and give it some love and try winning a necklace!

http://www.momtog.com/2010/05/oh-snap/comment-page-2/#comment-4858

Experimenting

I stumbled across a tutorial for using the Vibrance tool in CS4. I've since made adjustments to most of my photos using it.  I'm going at a snails pace, perhaps even slower, but I did learn something new!

Before:

After: 

To be honest, neither version is particularly good but I think the bottom one is a little bit better. I'd like to see her skin look a little less, ghostlike for lack of a better term but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.  And I did more than adjust the vibrance. I played with the saturation and tone as well.

Playing with Photoshop

I have no idea what I'm doing. Perhaps it's time to buy Elements and start there instead of jumping in the deep end with CS4?

Calibrating

I got some pictures "developed" at Costco the other day and noticed the colors didn't look right.  All the editing in the world isn't going to help if what my monitor shows isn't correct.  So I've decided to calibrate my monitor and found this page on WikiHow.  Let's hope it works!

http://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-Your-Monitor

One of my favorite photos from Pioneer Woman's blog. 

I love macro photography but am not sure I have the patience for it.

Becoming

I really want to become a better photographer and I've started this blog to try and help me.

As photographers we need to be willing to step out of ‘learning’ mode and into ‘doing’ mode.

• This starts with picking up your camera and taking it with you – everywhere
• 
  
• It continues with a commitment to regularly lifting that camera to your eye and taking shot after shot
• 
  
• It means sometimes stepping outside of one’s comfort zone and feeling a little awkward or self conscious to get the shot.  This is especially hard for me as I get frustrated easily and give up.
• 
  
• It means a not being satisfied with the first shot but experimenting with new angles and fresh perspectives on subjects
• 
  
• It means not only knowing the ‘rules’ or principles of photography – but having a commitment to practice them (and breaking them)
• 
  
• It means going beyond understanding the ’specifications’ and ‘features’ of your camera and actually experimenting with using them
• 
  
• It means ‘thinking’ about your photography – planning shots, setting yourself challenges and then critically reflecting upon the photos you take to work out how you could improve. I get into   what I call "snap" mode and stop thinking and just snap away. 
• 
  
• It sometimes means sharing your images – not simply to show how good you are and get ‘nice shot’ remarks – but in the hope that others will point out where you might improve
• 
  
• It means all of these things and more but most of all it means picking up your camera and using it.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/its-time-to-become-a-better-photographer#ixzz0jrgUwNa8