Photography 2008

Hannah - Take 1

2008-07-15T06:29:00.008-05:00

Here are some of them, Hannah. If you click on the picture you can see the larger version.

Courtney, take 2

2008-07-15T06:22:00.008-05:00

The goal was urban, edgy, interesting. I couldn't sleep last night, so I did some funky processing. Click on a picture to see it larger. Courtney - I probably won't process any more until Thursday due to time.

Courtney, take one.

2008-07-13T21:56:00.008-05:00

Isn't she gorgeous? She has allowed me to learn more about photography by letting me take her pictures. Another example of the student becoming the teacher! Here are the first few. Click on the image to see a larger view. Any comments on how to improve are appreciated. I have to say the only editing I have done so far is a resize and a slight sharpen. I will delve deeper (like brightening up the backdrop and getting rid of the wrinkles on the backdrop) when she decides which ones are keepers. We're also doing outdoor shots at a later date.

The fight.

2008-06-26T07:36:00.009-05:00

Here are some of the scenes from the water balloon fight. This girl knows how to laugh, I tell you!

More senior pics - Hayley

2008-06-20T21:44:00.010-05:00

Took these today. Played around with some of the editing. Any suggestions would be welcomed!

More for class

2008-05-25T18:06:00.006-05:00

Here are some more images of Jenna out exploring. We went to a local forest and spent hours just wandering around. It's starting to become like therapy, only cheaper!

Photo Class this week

2008-05-23T22:04:00.008-05:00

Here are some from the shoot I did of Jenna this week. The theme of my series is "A Walk with Jenna, scenes from the trail." Enjoy!

A new lens

2008-05-15T18:25:00.004-05:00

I have heard great things about the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8, so I ordered it. Here are a few I took in the 5 minutes of free time I had today. You've got to love this girl. She's something else, I tell you.

A black and white to share

2008-04-09T18:17:00.002-05:00

Playing around with some actions tonight. Can you tell?

What love looks like

2008-04-09T17:25:00.002-05:00

Look closely. Can you see her permanent top-front tooth coming in behind the baby teeth? Freaky, isn't it?

Scenes from the trail

2008-04-05T16:38:00.008-05:00

Nice weather = a trip to the nature center. Warm weather AT LAST. Went looking for rocks.

Some pics to share - butterflies and flowers

2008-04-03T17:47:00.008-05:00

One butterfly

2008-03-27T18:44:00.002-05:00

My other babies

2008-02-24T09:18:00.004-05:00

My kitties were soaking up the sun yesterday so I snapped a few pics. Aren't they sweet? At one point they were laying together in the patch of sun that spilled through the window, but alas I was too slow.

Week 4 Lesson

2008-02-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, this is a little late. Like a week. Amazing what one can accomplish on a snow day though!

So this lesson is all about using flash outdoors. And since it is a snow day and Jenna is miraculously not sick, outside we went. I have to admit, I struggle with snow pictures. I've tried custom white balance, I've tried different settings, and no luck. What I get are underexposed, grey skin tones, and muddy images. ACK! So imagine my joy when after this lesson I realized that shooting with the flash on, which is counterintuitive, actually WORKS! Dang, I have so much to learn. Notice how much grey there is in the no-flash photos? HATE THAT.

Also practiced working on some templates. These are more freebies from "I Love Photograhy." TFL!

Photo Gals Unite!

2008-02-02T18:53:00.000-05:00

So my photo group got together this afternoon and we shot flowers. We used different colors as backdrops, and captured some pretty sweet shots, especially given that none of us has a macro lens. We all used our 70-300 lenses, and they worked fine. Out goal was to capture some reflections in the water droplets, that when you zoomed in you could really see. I see a lot of digital noise, which means I underexposed. But it was a fun lesson, and something new that made me think of spring. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate February with a passion, and this gave me a dose of hope. Hope for warmer, longer days when you can get outside and enjoy nature. It's a good thing.

The thing is, it's not hard for me to shoot THINGS. Like flowers, or barns, or stationary objects. It's people. But this was a fun diversion.

A Valentine's Wish

2008-01-30T13:03:00.000-05:00

and a card template. (And no, I did not make the card, it was a free download from I Love Photography. Not taking credit for this!!!) Ran a black and white action and added photo, and voila!

Week 3 Lesson

2008-01-22T15:09:00.001-05:00

OK, this week's lesson was all about white balance, which is the color of light. Somehow it is all tied together with proper exposure, but I'm not quite getting the connection. In my head they (exposure and white balance) are different. Did I tell you I was going to figure this all out?

So I used a white foam board to set the camera's custom white balance. I've done it before, but this time I really concentrated on getting the steps right. I think it turned out well, but I am a fan of the warm hues in the "cloudy" setting.

One thing I need to know more about is using the GREY card for exposure. Can you set it the same way? Joanna says it has to do with properly exposing the pictures in POST PROCESSING. I have used a grey card differently. So much to learn . . .

Week 2 Lesson

2008-01-22T14:58:00.001-05:00

Week 2 was all about shutter speed, and freezing the action. The assignment was to photograph water hitting an object in the sink, and seeing how faster shutter speeds capture the moment while slower shutter speeds have more of a blurred effect. Nothing new for me, but I'm trying to keep up with the homework.

Photo Lesson #1

2008-01-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

So I'm following along with the photography lessons on Two Peas and here is the result of class #1. It was all about aperture, and it's effect on the photo. Here are my photos. Also used a storyboard in Photoshop. I'm such a computer geek! Hope to get week two's lesson up this week as well. Somehow, some way I will learn this photography stuff. TRUST ME.

Some pics from the week

2008-01-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

with my new camera. Even though most of them have Jenna in her winter jacket, they are at different times. We're spending play time outside every day. Cabin fever and all that. Also took pictures of my BIL and his stepdaughter. She was visiting from Tuscan, AZ, trying to learn to love the snow. (Yeah, right. Like THAT is possible.)

Favorite Photos of 07

2008-01-01T09:19:00.001-05:00

It's been so long . . .

2007-12-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

and I've been in a sort of photo funk. It's time to snap out of it. So here are some recents. I'm going to try for the photo a day thing and be more mindful of my pics. Enough of a break, already!!! Here are some random shots from the last few weeks. Enjoy!

A photo shoot

2007-10-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

And a fun one to boot! I'm showing a lot of them so Penny can pick some favorites for me to edit. Minimal editing thus far. Just a little color work and sharpening for web. The dogs kind of stole the show. I can't tell you how many pics I have with the blur of a tail in it as they ran through the pics. Thank goodness for photoshop! LOL!

What did I learn? Well, I learned that I chop off limbs in photos WAY too often. Also, that the beautiful fall colors far too often throw some weird color casts on the photos. Hopefully I have resolved my color issues. If not, throw me some advice. I can take it!

I hope you find something you like, Penny! You have a beautiful family, that's for certain. I'd love to do more photos of your girls!

Click on a photo to see it larger. I think the colors look washed out on the web. They're much more vibrant IRL. First image has some photoshop work for comparison.

Outdoor shots

2007-10-14T19:14:00.000-05:00

We went to the Gardens in the rain! It was cold too. Here are a few of my faves. Enjoy!

Yearbook Photos

2007-10-14T18:51:00.001-05:00

Annie came back so I could try to get some better yearbook photos. I like how these turned out. Could she be any cuter?

My attempt at an "Urban Setting"

2007-10-07T08:17:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how far away from Urban my hometown is. But I walked around downtown and found some cool spots to shoot. He is a natural behind the camera, so that made it easy!

My Girls

2007-09-23T12:24:00.001-05:00

How cute are these guys?

2007-09-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

Took some more pics tonight of "the guys." My friend and coteacher Elaine and her friend Kelly brought over the five sons, and it was a blast! They are all so precious. These are unedited, but I thought the moms would want to see a few of them.

Here's Chris!

2007-09-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

Another student I shot pictures for. This guy is a natural behind the camera!

Here's Annie!

2007-09-15T20:32:00.001-05:00

I shot her senior photos today. Isn't she gorgeous?

The question du jour

2007-08-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

OK, so I set my camera (Canon DRebel, old) to use the center as the focus spot. So why, oh why, did it choose her hat to focus on? DRIVES ME NUTS, and happens way too often. Her face is soft, but the weave on her hat is crystal clear. Not what I was going for. Here are the pic specs, in case it's another setting throwing the AF off. It was my 50mm lens, 1/500 s at f/5, ISO of 800 (in shade). TIA!

Another shoot

2007-08-10T20:46:00.000-05:00

with Alison, one of the ladies in the photography group. We got kicked out of the sunflower field by a wicked woman, so we headed to the nature center. Meanwhile, we lost some good light. But we experimented shooting with tripods and messing with aperture. Here are my faves from the evening.

Flowers Galore

2007-08-09T13:48:00.001-05:00

I need advice.

2007-07-24T06:37:00.001-05:00

OK, our friends just bought a cottage, and they are in the process of redoing it. SO far it's absolutely beautiful. So they invited us up for the weekend, and as a thank you I thought I would take some photos of both people, and things I saw outside the cottage, and have some of the pics framed or put onto canvas as a thank-you/cabin-warming gift. So now it's decision time. If they use these in the cabin, the predominant colors are red, yellow, blue, and green. They also have this gorgeous pine, stained a warm yellowish color.

So my question is this. Which pics would you choose, and in what size, to make a grouping? I'm thinking I want three photos together. I'm open to more or less. I was going for some shots that I thought were abstract, and you'd have to look hard to see what it was, and some that are more obvious. Now I don't know what the heck to do.

Here are the choices. The colorful images are the old crouet set the girls were playing with. That's the color of the wood in the cabin. Be harsh, I can take it.

It's been too long . . .

2007-07-05T07:28:00.001-05:00

And I have been taking photos. Why am I not posting them? Well, I suppose lazy is the real answer.

I took these last night . . . I lugged my tripod, and then got SO frustrated with it, I just held my camera like I did last year. Tried some in manual, and um, yeah, they didn't work. I did get some with a slow shutter speed, but I like the clearer pics better. Hope you like them!

Crisis averted

2007-06-24T06:51:00.000-05:00

OK, not so much luck with the grey card yesterday. It was pretty sunny when I went to take these pictures, and maybe that was why. But several were blown way out. Need to remember the Sunny 16 rule and try it next time. Lots of blur, probably because the focus went on the hat. Need to work on that. But here are my fave three. I know the details are a bit blown on the B&W and sepia, but it's all about the eyes for me. HCC appreciated!!

Wendy - the hat is from Gymboree, the outlet. I'm always on the lookout for cheap hats to add interest to photos. Hope that helps!

Another grey card experiment

2007-06-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Both are SOOC. First with manual settings, second metering off grey card. What a huge difference! I know some people like the darker images but I want creamy skin. That is what I appreciate in a photo. I hate "muddy" photos. I think I'm onto something!

I THINK I GET IT!

2007-06-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

OK, tried out the metering with the grey card from Kelby's book using the midtone grey. Problem #1 . . . I can't focus (auto focus) on the card. So I set to manual focus to get as close as possible. Set the camera. Then had her put down card and shoot.Is this correct?

Both pics are SOOC. First without grey, second with. What do you think?

On my monitor I see a big difference. But looking at my pics on another monitor last night, the colors were off. So perhaps my monitor is wacky? But they print the same as on my monitor, so I thought that meant the monitor is OK. Is that true?

Strange Fruit

2007-06-21T06:52:00.000-05:00

This is a group from Australia, and they are so cool! Here is a website that describes what they do. Basically they are up on poles, and performing to music. Two nights ago we drove by the Center for the Arts and they were in the air. It was an eery sight!

Here are some of my pics. I did have a polarizing filter because it was so bright.

Another Example of DARK

2007-06-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

Granted, I was shooting in shade. With a polarizing filter because I was taking sky pics, which I will post tomorrow. But here is another example of DARKNESS. I'm enlisting the power of the Peas, and I know I'll figure this out! (She says, hopefully!) I changed the exposure, then applied an Itty Bitty Action. Also corrected a blue tint from the shade.

A few more from yesterday

2007-06-20T13:09:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more faves from last night. Ran some actions on them. Still playing. Still learning. Hate this lens. Hate it!

One thing I'm noticing is how DARK my photos are out of my camera. How do you fix this? Look below at my last three posts. I am experimenting with actions, and posted examples of my originals, SOOC. Any suggestions?

Camera MALFUNCTION

2007-06-19T20:33:00.001-05:00

I am SO MAD. I took Jenna and Em to Dow Gardens tonight, and there were these performers outside of the Center for the Arts that were AMAZING. They were on these tall polls, and weaved to and fro, totally defying gravity. I think I got some great shots. Then I came home, went to upload them, and I got errors for a bunch of pictures. To the point where Adobe Bridge shut down every time I tried to view one of them. ARGH! Maybe it was a problem with my card? I didn't choose to delete after upload, so maybe I can salvage them somehow.

I did get 115 (of the 190) photos to load. Here is one I rescued with Itty Bitty Actions. Here are the before and after. What do you think?

Edited to add: The first had too much green/yellow. How is the last one?

Another Itty Bitty Example

2007-06-17T19:06:00.001-05:00

Another example of the new actions. I'm practicing this series so I see what it can do. Then I'll move onto another one. I spent the money, now I'm going to use them!

Itty Bitty Actions

2007-06-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

OK. When I get bored, I spend money. I admit it. It's a sickness, really. And one of the things I am addicted to at this moment is actions for Photoshop. So I broke down and bought these from Itty Bitty Actions. What I know about actions? You cannot save a good shot with actions. If it was poorly exposed, actions won't help so much. So my quest to understand exposure continues. For now, I'm playing with the actions, seeing what I can do.

This is Jenna at the zoo. She looks like an angel, no?

2007-06-15T18:12:00.001-05:00

We went to the zoo last weekend, since we have season passes. It's a small zoo, but Jenna loves it every time we go. Here are a few pics from the trip.

Exposure experiment

2007-05-27T06:21:00.000-05:00

So this is what I understand about the grey card. It helps the computer choose a true black, white, and neutral . . . and here is where I lose steam. Does this help set the white balance (which I understand as the color value) or does it help poperly expose the picture? And most importantly, am I total idiot because I don't know that answer? Feel free NOT to answer that last one, 'kay?

So what I did is use the card at the back of Scott Kelby's book. Had Emily hold in when I was shooting the picture. (Not in raw. Maybe I should have been?) Then when I opened the pictures, I chose one with the card in it. I opened a new Curves adjustment layer, used the black eyedropper on the black, white on white, and grey on the dark grey. I then upped the middle of the curve slightly to brighten it up a bit. Saved the curves settings. So when I opened another with the same lighting, I loaded the prior adjustment.

First picture is the original, second w/adjustment. Be brutal with me. Did it work? What does it mean again (wb or exposure)? And is this the correct process?

TIA!

More action with action

2007-05-26T06:27:00.000-05:00

This one is called bleach. Really like how it salvaged a dark, grainy photo of Em and her cat. Also it brought some life to these dark, grainy photos of Jen's dance recital from last week. The colors just glow now!

Bubbles, anyone?

2007-05-25T06:12:00.001-05:00

We played outside the other night with bubbles. There was not much sun left, so most of my pics were blurry and soft. No big surprise, right? But I liked the way the bubble is visiable at the top left corner of the pic.

Playing with some actions.

2007-05-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

This is seriously addictive!

Playing with PS

2007-05-20T18:33:00.001-05:00

Having some fun. Found this tutorial and gave it a whirl. What do you think?

My faves

2007-05-20T07:29:00.001-05:00

I love these flowers. So I had to share the amazing scent with miss j. Not sure I'm loving the angle, but hey, never hurts to try something new!

Here is my second attempt, trying to cut down on the yellow cast on this picture. What do you think?

Round number three . . .applying Kent's Colorfix action (and my first time running an action! HURRAY FOR ME!) Which is best?

It's time . . .

2007-05-20T07:24:00.000-05:00

for me to add a few more favorites. This one is my DD after her dance recital (hence the makeup.) I am SO MAD that my camera was set at 1600 from trying to shoot pictures indoors. Noisy, grainy mess, I tell you! But love the look on her face.

Another Favorite

2007-05-10T07:19:00.000-05:00

I photoshopped this one using the Orton technique, but love how her head is thrown back laughing. And the tulips were GORGEOUS!

My girl

2007-05-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

One of my students asked to take pictures of her at prom this year. I got so many amazing pictures, but this, by far, is my favorite. 1/250 at F/5, ISO of 125.

Meet Riley

2007-04-27T19:18:00.000-05:00

He's Em's friend Courtney's new pup. Isn't he just the sweetest? He's so young, all he wants to do is snuggle and sleep. If only they stayed this calm and this little forever! What a face, no?

I think I'm in love.

2007-04-21T18:53:00.000-05:00

I bought the full version of Photoshop, and I am IN LOVE. Opened up this first photo, applied curves, and LOVE the outcome. I know her top lip is red . . . it is IRL, due to severe allergies. Not editing that out. I even shot some photos in RAW and will work on processing them. Why? Because I can. I also bought the Scott Kelby book, and I'm loving it. He cracks me up. Did I mention I'm in love?

Easter?

2007-04-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

In the snow? Yep. We went to an Easter egg hunt, and had to wear hats, mittens, and winter coats. Good times!

Here is the evidence!

Photos from the Gardens

2007-04-01T19:31:00.000-05:00

I took a few scenery photos today, and altered them on the computer. Love the effect!

Vacation Photos - MGM Studios

2007-04-01T19:11:00.000-05:00

This was the most relaxing of all the parks. Not too many people, and fun things for Jenna. No lines, no fuss. We went to Playhouse Disney, of course. That was fun. We also saw the Little Mermaid show. Not all that impressive, but Jen loved it. Also saw the Muppet movie. I remember watching the Muppet Show as a kid, and found it to be HILARIOUS. So this is my second favorite 3-D movie. We talked to a guide, who told us the Incredibles were right inside one of the stores, in a back area. What a treat! It's Bill's favorite movie, and he loved meeting them as well. Jen gave Elastagirl a great big hug. It was so sweet! We also went through the movie ride, and Jenna is still talking about it. She walked the catwalk for a necklace of beads. She was hilarious! We also saw the High School Musical performers. Jen was enthralled

Vacation Photos - Magic Kingdom

2007-04-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I have to say this is not my favorite park. Not at all. Too busy, too many lines, too hard to get to. But fun for little ones, that's for sure! You can tell it's old school, and you spend too much time waiting in lines. I just don't like spending my time like that. The best attraction for us was Mickeys PhilharMagic I am a sucker for all of the 3-D films, and this was THE BEST. So many awesome Disney film moments. We did the teacup ride, the Dumbo ride, "It's a Small World" and sat on a porch watching the parade. Then it got HOT. So we went back to our place for a swim.

Vacation Photos - Animal Kingdom

2007-03-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

Animal Kingdom is my favorite park now. It used to be Epcot, but the more I explore in AK, the more I love. We went on the safari, and walked the trail in Africa. We watched some performers, and Jenna got her face painted as a leopard. We then went to the tree of life and watched "It's Tough to be a Bug." Jenna was scared. I love the 3-D movies, but I have to say this was my least favorite. Too loud. I missed the story. We went to see "The Lion King" show. A-MA-ZING. What a cool show. I felt bad that we missed the Nemo show, but by the time we got over there the next show was two hours away, and we couldn't do it. TOO HOT. TOO TIRED. Jenna bought a stuffed leopard on our way out, and she lugged it around with her the rest of the trip. This is the park I can't wait to go back and see more of.

Vacation Photos - Space Coast

2007-03-31T12:11:00.000-05:00

We went to Kennedy Space Center and to a beach on the Space Coast. My friend Maddy told me about it, and it was AMAZING! The space shuttle was being worked on, so we didn't actually get to see it on the pad. But to see the rockets, well, that was cool! Then we took a drive to the beach. GORGEOUS! Not commercial at all. Jenna had a blast picking up shells and splashing in the waves. She got soaked, of course! It was really hot, and I worried about her geting burned, so we didn't stay long. The drive back into the beach took you through a wildlife preserve. It was so gorgeous. We will definitely go back. That night Maddy and her kiddos met us for dinner, and it was great catching up with her

Vacation Photos - Epcot

2007-03-31T12:02:00.000-05:00

Epcot is one of my favorite parks. We did "Honey I Shrunk the Audience," "Figment's Imagination," Nemo's ride, and our favorite of the entire vacation, Soarin' What an amazing experience! We saw so many beautiful sights like the animals and the flowers. Realized quickly we're not in cold Michigan any more! We also went into the world showcase (where I dropped my camera.) Bill had a potent beer in the UK, and we had a wonderful lunch of fish and chips. Oddly enough we saw more characters in Epcot than anywhere else. We saw Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, and Snow White. I loved browsing the shops, and Jenna had gher face painted again, her favorite part of the vacation I'm sure!

Vacation Pictures - Fun in the Sun

2007-03-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here are some swimming photos from the trip. Just some faves, certainly not all of them!

March 10 Photo

2007-03-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

Here is another photo. A little different than my serious attempts. I just got my new IMac and I have been playing/laughing hysterically for the last week. I look lovely, don't I? :)

March 9 Photo

2007-03-10T22:07:00.000-05:00

Can't you just see that this girl is often up to no good? I tell you, she keeps me on my toes. 1/40 at f/5.6, ISO of 800. I continue to struggle with high ISO settings. I seem to need it high to get a decent picture. WTH?

March 8 Photo

2007-03-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a funny one with Jenna wearing a piece of junk jewelry that you would have thought was SOLD GOLD once I tried to get her to take it off. LOVE the sparkle in her eye! No editing. 1/8 at f/5.6, ISO of 800.

March 7 Photo

2007-03-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

Here's an old, but favorite photo. I used the Orton technique on it to give it some dimension. LOVE the effect!

March 6 Photo

2007-03-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

My girl at her funny best. The fuzzy hand is a bit distratcing, but I love catching her talking to me. 1/80 s at f/6.3, ISO of 800. Pretty grainy. AGAIN.

March 5 Photo

2007-03-10T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here is one where I even caught the little spit bubble in the corner of her mouth! Seriously, love the light in her eyes. She was weaving some tale. 1/320 at f/1.8, ISO of 400 shot in manual.

March 4 Photo

2007-03-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

Another photo on the stairs. I hate the brownish/taupe cast from the carpet. Live and learn, I guess! 1/40 at 5.6, ISO of 800. Grainy. UGH!

March 3 Photo

2007-03-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

My girl. Sitting on the steps. I thought I had enough light in the room, but no. I hate the shadows on the right side of her face. 1/40 at 5.6. ISO of 800. TFL!

2007-03-04T18:43:00.000-05:00

March 2 Photo

2007-03-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here is another picture of furbaby #2. 1/15s at f5.6, 1600 ISO.

March 1 Photo

2007-03-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm back in the swing of things, after taking the (much-hated) month of February off. Here's one of my sick girl. I feel so bad for her! 1/20 at F5.6, ISO of 800. REALLY grainy, even though it was quite light. Still struggling!

POTD #30

2007-02-03T18:44:00.000-05:00

Here is one I took of my girl today. She got this big old floppy hat, and was so funny wearing it. 1/15 at f/4, ISO of 200.

POTD #29

2007-02-03T18:36:00.000-05:00

In one of my photography classes we went outside to see the effect of using fill flash on an evening photo using the night setting. It was snowing this really fine snow that was sparkling, so instead of freezing I started shooting this tree and the snow falling. 1/60 at f/3.5, ISO 200.

POTD #28

2007-02-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

This is a set of horns on the old cabin wall. I wanted some of the textures, but the details of the bloody fur just gross me out. Call it artistic. 1/60 at f/5. ISO 400.

POTD #27

2007-02-03T18:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture I took last week that I am just getting to uploading. It is my DH and DD, and it is an old cabin where my husband does competitive shooting. I am always hanging back, and watching these two explore. I was freezing. 400 ISO, 1/20 at f/20.

POTD #26

2007-02-03T18:10:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my kitty, Patches. The blanket she was laying on was light, so her white fur got lost. But overall, I like it. 1600 ISO, 1/15 at f/5.

POTD #25

2007-01-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

Another old one. The smoky effect in the lower left corner is a reflection of the clouds. Cool or distracting? The jury is out. ISO of 100, 1/125 at f/5.6.

POTD #24

2007-01-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Here is an old favorite of my niece, Hayley. 1/250 at f/5.6, at ISO of 800. Why do I set the ISO so high all the time?

POTD #23

2007-01-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

Another old one. Used the Orton technique again. Love the reflection, especially the orange in the water. 1/200 at f/7.1, 800 ISO.

POTD #22

2007-01-28T11:32:00.000-05:00

Here is another old one at a local Nature Center. Looks like fun, no? ISO of 400, 1/400 at f/5.6.

POTD #21

2007-01-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Another old one (obviously, since I'm in Michigan), and I did absolutely NO altering in photoshop on this picture. And that, my friends, I am proud of. ISO of 100 (wow, I really got that right!), 1/500 at f/5.6

POTD #20

2007-01-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

This is an old photo and I tried the Orton technique again/ Too busy last week to do any good pics, so I'm hunting down some oldies. When I took this picture I was disappointed because Jenna was so dark. Probably because of the light in the background. But love how the tulips turned out! ISO of 800 (no idea why I had it that high) 1/250 at f/8.

POTD #19

2007-01-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

Totally cheating, but loved this picture of the elephants from today. Same specs as the other circus shot. (Clown.)

POTD #18

2007-01-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

Crazy busy lately. But here's one I got today at the circus. We had great seats, but I'm really happy with the quality of this photo given how far away I was without flash. Used my Tamron 50-300, and shot in Program mode, 1/200 at F/5.6.

POTD #17

2007-01-17T18:33:00.000-05:00

Little Miss High Maintenance. With MY IPod, her sunglasses, her cell phone, and purse was acting up a storm last night. Makes me worry about the teen years, if you know what I mean. Hate the color cast on the photo. ISO of 800, f 5/6, 1/10 s.

POTD #16

2007-01-16T18:31:00.000-05:00

Here's my little cowgirl. Taken in manual, ISO of 400, f/5.6, 1/100 s.

POTD #15

2007-01-15T12:37:00.000-05:00

Well, we got a snow day today, and my girl has already been outside playing. Took this photo this morning. And with all of the snow, I kept getting streaks in the pictures. FRUSTRATING. Also, they were very dark and grainy again.

Settings: Manual, Tamron 55-300, ISO 200, f/22, 1/50 s.

POTD #14

2007-01-15T12:25:00.000-05:00

Well, this is not a new photo, but I just learned a new conversion for Elements, and have been playing with it all morning. See the thread that explains The Orton Technique.

I shot this photo in the fall at a local nature center. I may have overdone the technique, but I love the look! I'll learn it, eventually!

I think it qualifies as a photography technique! How about you?

POTD #13

2007-01-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

My sister gave my dd a vase of tulips today, so I had to snap a pic. Kit lens, 1/5 sec, ISO 100, f/10. Did not use a tripod, so image has noise. HATE THAT. I did alter it a bit in Elements to make the colors pop.

POTD #12

2007-01-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a pic of my guy, out for a shoot. He is a competitive shooter, and is on a pistol league as well as a blackpowder league, where they dress in period and shoot. Yesterday was his first match, and he won first place! I desaturated the photo in Elements. Wish I had an action that would give it more of an old-time feel!

Shot in manual, no flash, under flourescent lights. 1600 ISO, f/5.6, 1/40 sec.

POTD #11

2007-01-13T18:11:00.000-05:00

Here is another photo that I am just getting around to uploading. I will be caught up. I am taking pictures, but the whole getting them on the computer is taking me a while.

Too much shadow on her right side. Used levels to try to bring that up a bit. Kit lens, ISO 400, shot in manual, 1/15 at f/5.6. CC appreciated.

POTD #10

2007-01-13T11:12:00.000-05:00

So here is another picture I took last week and am just getting around to uploading. It's my girl and my other furbaby. I was laying on the ground to take it. No altering, and hate the bright light on the left side of the photo where it bounced off the kitty's fur.

Kit lens, shot in manual, no flash. 1/8 s at f 4.5, ISO 1600. Help with fixing photo would be appreciated!

POTD #9

2007-01-11T20:38:00.000-05:00

Another picture of kitty #2. I need to get a pic of the other one before she gets jealous! Laid on the floor, and set the camera down. Then composed the shot. Manual, 1600 ISO, 1/6 s at f/5.6.

Went to my first photography class. Nothing new, yet. But still, it's action toward learning this camera. Best piece of advice I got was to get a rider on my homeowner's insurance for my equipment. Low cost, low deductible. So that's next!

POTD #8

2007-01-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

I had one of those weeks. One where there isn't enough time to do anything. But here is one photo I took this week at Jen's dance class. Shooting in manual. All are blurry. Have I mentioned how badly I want a focused picture? Manual, 1600 ISO, 1/30 at f/4.5. Tamron 75-300 lens.

POTD #7

2007-01-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

When my dd plays, she arranges her toys just so on the table. I snapped a photo of these miniature horses she is so crazy about, and like the effect. I was lazy and shot in auto to get a read for the best settings in manual. It was using my Tamron lens, at 1/60 s at f/5. ISO of 400.

I start my photography class tomorrow!!!!! Yipee!!!!