Day 15- PhotoShop before and after

Before- with resizing and frame, only. 1/500, 4.5, ISO 200. 5D, 100mm lens.

After. In layers, I lightened, added a screen light layer at a low opacity, and ran defog at 20, 60, 3.

I wish I could edit my Raw file, the exposure is better than the jpeg version. Waiting for DH to help me download the plugin for PS to recognize my new camera. Oh, well.

TFL, and as always, thank you for all the feedback!

Day 14

Before and after. Please click to see larger!

Just a simple conversion... nothing fancy today. This pic, along with a couple of others I snapped of this same, are all I took today. Tomorrow is my day off, and we're hoping for snow. So I am waiting for some great shots then. Till then, happy Monday, everyone!

1/320, 5.0, 200 ISO. 5D, 70-200 lens. I have a hard time metering for my blcak and white cat! I almost always get it wrong!

Day 13

Focus on 2008: The Madonna

4. I choose to focus on: my religion and my role in my family.

The Madonna became a powerful sybol and source of strength for me following a conversation with my grandmother. During the most difficult struggle as a mother, an aquaintence gave her a carving of the madonna and child. A simple note said, "she knows your pain."

That thought has been a source of comfort to me. I try to meditate on that when my reserves are low. It provides an accessibility to my spirituality that is just very real for me. I especially love this particular Madonna, cracks, dirt and all.

I want to focus on the power and comfort and strength of religion, and restrengthen my relationship with my God. And I want to be a role model for my family, especially my children. It is important to me for my daughters to grow up knowing the love of their God. It is part of their roots.

TFL. This photo is of a 3/4 life size Madonna, part of a manger that a local church displays each year. It is amazing. It has the three kings, shephard, farmer and animals, as well as angel. My daughters and I look foward to visiting it each year! It makes Christmas so real. I wish my photo wasn't so dark, but I really didn't have a lot of time- I had K. with me, and it was cold. And, I wanted to enjoy the moments of prayer and wonder with her.
Tech: 1/160, 5.0, 250 ISO. 5D, 70-200.

Day 12

Just for fun... K is floating in air! Or actually, sailing through the air, jumping on the trampoline. I thought this was such a cool capture. I broke out of my box and brought my 70-200 with me to a bday party today. It sure does attract attention. But I'm glad I did, because it made me acknowledge that I take my hobby seriously. And, it was good practice in lousy conditions- low light, fast action.

TFL!

1/80, 2.8, 1600 ISO, no flash. 5D, 70-200 lens.

Day 11

Focus on 2008: South Beach

3. I choose to focus on why I went on the diet to begin with. I began my weight loss when I realized my family history and my age were risk factors enough in heart disease. I choose to not contribute to the risk by making poor choices for my health.

I got tired of dieting last spring, after nine months. I decided to go into "maintenance" mode, where I would simply maintain the loss I had achieved.
I found it very difficult to do through the summer, wedding, and birthdays. I have regained ten pounds that I worked hard to get off in the first place.

I lost thirty, and was half way done. Now, I have to lose 40 pounds. But, it is time. I want to be healthy, I wan to respect my health and my body, and I want to be an appropriate role model for my daughters.

Most of all, I choose not to contribute to heart disease!
1/125, 2.8, 500. FEC, +2/3 (main light source). I should have pumped it to +1, it was a bit underexposed and needed tweakin gin Picasa.
TFL.

Day 10

Okay, please use your imagination. pretend my PS was up and working, and that the pics above were actually in a storyborad. They would be the same size, and each would have a narrow white border, then a thicker, grey border. White background, with the date, maybe. the whole would have a black border, then the same grey border again. >sigh<>

Focus into 2008: POTD.

2. I want to focus on: POTD, and what that means to me.
I joined POTD as a lark. Something fun to do, I figured it would give me good practice, and some insight into what areas of photography I want to develop and learn more about. Get those skills developed.

I met some great friends, and found that creating an online journal, although never that personal was still quite revealing. I found that while in most of my life I am non competitive almost to the point of disability, in POTD I became competitive.
When I became competitive about wanting the responses, I had to stop and reflect. It isn't about that.
When I became competitive again with myself, and using POTD and inspiration and a measure for pushing my skills, I jumped in again.

I am doing POTD for me. I am making a commitment to make time for myself, for my sanity and my pleasure, and that is a great thing. So, I choose to focus on POTD!

Taken with my macro, but cropped in a little to make the shots a little more uniform, and all vertical. 1/125, 5.6, 500. Flash bounced off ceiling, FEC +1/3.

Day 9

LOL, this is W A Y off topic. Jordan's thread about "wrapping babies" inspired these shots. K came home from school today with the dreaded stomach virus- it has now gone through the entire family- and is wrapped up on the sofa in a sheet. When I saw her, I started laughing, and told her about what I just read.

"Mom, you can take a picture of me, and show your friends!"

So, here she is. (manual, settings same for both) 1/100, 3.5, 500, FEC +1/3, bounced off the wall/ceiling to camera right. TFL!

Edits: cropped, lightened, sharpened in Picasa.

Day 8

Focus into 2008: Play.

2. I want to focus on: playing with the kids.
It has become a little too easy to get lax about playing. With an added day of work, added exra-curricular activities, and the little one in preschool now too, life's pace has become much faster. Add in the homework thing, and time just runs on by.

I need to make time to play and/or have fun with both of my kids each day. Not sitting with them, but playing. I really enjoy it, and so do they. We will all be happier, and let's face it- there's not a lot of time left that they will want me to play with them. I gotta jump in there while the getting is good.

This is a "swan princess" my daughter made out of Sculpey. She asked me to help her with the pond. I only made the rocks and tree stump, she did the rest. The purple thing in the water is a fish, and the green is seaweed. Isn't she creative?

TFL. AV mode (being a little lazy with my snapshots) 1/60 (the closer crop) and 1/80, 4.0, 500 ISO. Flash, no FEC, bounced off of the ceiling.

Day 7

Focus into 2008: Projects.

1. I want to focus on: Make time to make.

I got away from pulling out the fun stuff. Cooking and baking for fun is one.

This sauce was made from some frozen tomatos from the garden, "special super secret ingrediants" and time. The kids love that I have super secret ingrediants. Me, too.

All shots AV mode, ISO 500, bounced flash. TFL.

Day 6

This is Sammy, our kitten. Caught him taking a snooze under the Christmas tree.

He's our troublemaker. I'm not particularly fond of cats. I conceeded when my oldest had a sit down with me, explaining that although fish are pretty, she can't talk to or play with them. Realizing the time had come, and that with our current lifestyle and where we live isn't conducive or fair to a dog, I agreed.

We got Rocky and his brother Sammy in September. Although I am glad for the girls we got them, they are a pain. They pick me to sit and snuggle with. They harass me in the morning until I sit down and give them a pet. They meow when I ignore them.

Sammy is lucky to be with us after having: knocked over my rubber tree plant and breakin gthe planter, jumping over our gate and barging into the kids' room in the middle of the night, jumping up on our kitchen table and other acts of mayhem. It's a good thing my kids love him!

Day 5

First of all, thanks for the crazy number of responses yesterday. You guys really made me feel better. I was feeling a bit at witt's end. So, thank you.

I'm down with the flu again... I had a whole five days of relative health. Ugh. So, again, a simple snapshot. I just snapped it twenty minutes ago, while they were waiting for pizza.

This pic of K makes me laugh. It's just so her. Yes, that is the trampoline she is sitting on. As she colors, LOL.

And the sweet girl is drawing a picture of me and her together- "to cheer you up Mom. I thought if we dressed up in pretty dresses it would make you feel better."

No wonder I think this kid is amazing, huh?

Also, it explains my more-than-usual grumpiness last night.

Technical: 1/200, 2.8, ISO 640. No FEC, (or set to 0, not sure how to write that, actually). It's a little underexposed- her dress and pants all became a big ol' shadow. But when I had the flash dialed up, I blew her face. I tried a slower shutter speed, but I didn't notice a discernable difference. Of course, I feel awful, so really my attention to detail tonight is lacking.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

Day 4

When K gets home from school- after I've picked up S, and picked K up from the after school program, it's homework time.

Now, I'm an incredibly patient person.

I work with children- difficult children are my area of specialty- all day long.

But homework time? It's my albatross.

K is a wonderful, intelligent child who is naturally curious and imaginative.

But school is a struggle for her. And I totally get that it is difficult for her.

It doesn't stop homework from being a frustrating experience. I feel badly for her, and wish that it could be easier. Not easy, but easier.

I also wish I could sip some wine while she works (just kidding, really).

Egazooks, bless her teachers!

So, hats off to teachers, hats off to my kid who struggles to learn, and hats off to Moms who spend 30-45 minutes at night pulling their kids through homework (Ishudder to think- it's only first grade!)

Day 3

Just a silly little picture. S was jumping on our mini trampoline last night and I decided to try to capture her using my flash. It's okay, but the light was absorbed by her dark pants. I want to try this again.

I shot this in "P" mode, not sure of my settings- I think 1/200, 2.8; FEC +1/3. I decreased the saturation a little, this outfit is very colorful :) and saved a copy as JPEG (working with Picassa here!). Otherwise, uneditted.

Thanks for looking.

Day 2

I caught an angel praying next to our Christmas tree... or at least that's what it looked like to me.


Except for the cinnamon roll crumbs all over her face, that is... :)
Taken with my new 5D, 100mm lens (which is quickly becoming my favorite, I think) and flash bounced off the ceiling. I think I was using Theresa's magic 1/125, 5.6 combo, but I'm not sure and can't access my EXIF at the moment. PS is down in my house at the moment. All editting done in Picassa- crop and "glow"- I couldn't resist, it looked too perfect here. I can't really color correct, so yellow it is. Hey, it's "warm" ;)
TFL.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!
No great art, just fun at home with the kids. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2008!

Top ten favorites of 2007

These are my top ten favorite pictures that I have taken of the kids this year. Each one pulls at me for a different reason. On the cusp of 2008, I am feeling sentimental about the good times of this last year.

The picture above is one of my faves of K because of the missing teeth, the natural smile, the lighting and her hair flowing all over the place.

I love this picture of S because she has her "imp" personality shining through. She was playing with her dad, and I happened to snap this at the right moment. I also played with warm tones in my black and white conversion, which I like in this one.

This is the best picture I have of my girls together this year. I took a few of them at our local nursery when we were picking out our pumpkins. I love the colors and the smiles, even if S looks a little silly here.

I think I like this one because K is such a romantic- and the waterfall behind her is just about perfect for her personality. The kids and I were driving through a local state park when S fell asleep. K and I made several stops, including this spot.

This picture is one of my faves because it is so symbolic. She is walking down the path to her first day of nursery school. It just tugs at my heartstrings.

This is one of the first snow falls from 2007. I love the color and perspective of this shot.

Ha! This portrait is one of the few "shoots" I was able to pull off this last year. K was willing, as long as I let her wear that wacky hair piece! Ugh! But I love her smile, and was pleased with the lighting and crispness of this picture.



This is just sweet. What's better than a little girl all dressed up caught holding a flower?



Love this stopped action!
Love the hair flying, puddle waiting, and wrong-foot boots!

K with her kindergarten class bear, Lavender!

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me!

Getting the tree

We braved the first good snow to go get our tree. We really all had a ball. The snow made it so much more fun for the girls, and made pictures so fun for me to take. Poor Daddy- he's a good sport.
TFL!

There's a new Rudolph

K had so much fun being the "lead" reindeer at a family party last night. She took her job very seriously, and was thrilled by the honor of it all.
TFL!

FEC in practice

Conversion- can't get the color right!




Tweaked my exposure and contrast in ACR; defog, green (!) photo filter layer. Crop.

Not too much to say- SOOC. I had my flash pointing almost straight out to my left, pointing lightly up. I was trying to avoid bouncing off the red wall, and aiming more for the white post- but really hoping to avoid bouncing it at all. This was taken in a children's experiential museum, warehouse type setting. We had a fantastic time, and I spent a lot of time practcing with my flash. I don't quite have it yet, but I'm having a of fun working on it!

TFL!

EC and FEC...

I am trying a flash challenge. The assignment was to experiment with the camera's exposure compensation, comparing the effects of flash compensation. I can't say I know exactly what I'm doing, but this was a really good way to see the impact of different settings. When I'm back home, I'll be printing these out as a reference to better see.

Anyway, here is what I came up with.

Undecided

I would love to hear input. I'm not going to write my usual novel to avoid influencing opinion. Please let me know- interesting, flat, boring, riveting, amazing... ;)

Thanks in advance!

two recent pics

I was feeling the need to post again. The pic of "K" was taken the day before her 7th (gulp!) birthday, and the pic of "S" was from tonight.
TFL!