Welcome to my blog!

My super awesome husband gave me a super fabulous camera a few years back and I've been hopelessly obsessed and have driven my children crazy with, "look at Mommy" and "you can have a piece of candy if you let me take 5 pictures", ever since. Here are just a few of those moments I steel away from my uber cute kiddos, and a few more moments I occasionaly get to take of other people...to the relief of my family. I do love to practice on anyone who will let me, so if you would like your picture taken let me know!
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Downtown with a new lens!!!

I was very, very, very bad and bought myself a new lens when I really should have been saving my money, but temptation got the better of me. The day after I ordered it I convinced myself I could send it right back as soon as it came in the mail, but when it actually came I couldn't help but open it and give it a try. Then the next day I had plans to take the kids downtown with some friends and take some pics, so I had to try it there, and by then I was in love and we all know after we are in love there is no going back. So the new lens is an 85mm 1.8 (would love the 1.2 but saved myself $1500 buying the cheaper one) and here is why I love it...

I was trying some new processing here...to blue???


T was such a trooper and jumped right up to be the first photographed.

This is practically straight out of camera, just sharpened and and little vignette. Love the 85!

When I was first learning photography and Photoshop I'd always try the "eye pop" thing with my dark brown eyed children and they just turned into red-eyed zombies. I finally learned you just need to have good light in the eyes and then keep your hands off, and I found some awesome light today. They're like mirrored glass. I don't know if it was the location or the lens or a little of both, but I love it.






I do need to get use to how zoomed in I am with the 85. I keep chopping my poor kids limbs off.







Do you see the creaminess here? I love it! If not, look here...

...

Terrible picture of M, but do you see how it not only blurs around her but swirls and creams and softens? Beautiful!

Limb chop.


The pic Kim is taking here turned out so cute!


My kids had a hard time behaving today and didn't pose much, but I think they're still cute just messing around.


I told J if he took off those shoes and put on flip flops I'd take him out to ice cream. He turned me down.


Trying to climb like her brother.


Darn pants!


Toe chop.






M thought she was being cool. Silly.






Stupid ugly shoe is in focus here and a toe chop, but is so my little man.


She's almost looking at the camera.


Kim is so fun to go out with. (don't kill me Kim)




This is me right after being boogered.


Kim took these for me. I'm trying to get more pics of me and the kids. J is checking out whatever he found in his nose. Ick.




Kooky. Anyone watch Wubzy?


He finally put on the flip flops, but too late for ice cream.


And if you made it to the end, here's the last one.


So I am completely in love with the 85. It takes awesome full body shots! I can't wait to go out again! Thanks for going out with me Kim and Jen. Now we need to go find some fall leaves.

Monday, October 20, 2008

I'm it.

I've been tagged by my cousin Kim. I'm suppose to go the the 4th picture in my 4th folder and post the pic. The question in my head is... my 4th folder of what? I have so many folders broken down into so many categories I'm not sure which one to call the 1st folder.

Contemplating...

Thinking...

Considering...

Ok. Conclusion. I'm off to check the 4th picture in my 4th folder for this month (I've got 5 already). And the winner is...


My little man from a little group photo shoot we did downtown last Friday. This is his, "your crazy" look. I love it!

I tag my brother Peter...he needs a new post on his blog.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch today for J's fieldtrip. I love taking the kids there. It's always fun! Pics of the kids to come when I'm not so darn tired.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My new discovery!

Holy stinkin' cow! Look what I just found, thanks to my mother in law who sent me awesome pics of Kayla's wedding via the handy-dandy Smilebox website. I love things that look creative that I don't have to have the creativity or technical knowlage for. And it's so stinkin' easy and fun. I want to make more! I just picked a design, dropped in some photos, and emailed it to the grandparents. Coolness!

Click to play grandkids
Create your own scrapbook - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Grapes and Sand

Yesterday while we were waiting for everyone to be ready to meet for ice cream I noticed the the light outside was crazy orange and thick and filtered. I didn't realize at the time there were some fires a few counties away and I love the sunset light when there are fires. So I talked to the kids to see if they'd be willing to go find a new place for pics and if they'd actually let me take some pictures of them, and they agreed - miracle. So we changed into some clothes that weren't stained from the day, ate some crackers for dinner (yes, I do feed them veggies from time to time), and ran out to the car to drive to a vineyard across from a park we like to go to. The whole time J was yelling, "quick, quick, we're loosing the light!". I think I'm brainwashing him. I always love pics in fields and orchards, but I'm always nervous to pull over and use the land because I know it belongs to someone somewhere, and what if they don't want me on their property??? Some might say I'm a little wussy in that department. But this particular vineyard is great because it has a paved path that goes right through it and people that walk the neighborhood use it all the time. So we just stuck to the edge of the vineyard right by the path and I wasn't worried about anyone coming to yell at me. Yes, wussy.

J took his camera along too.






Pictures of the two of them together actually facing the camera are very rare.


What kid can resist digging in the fine Oakley sand?











Can you believe I got so many of M looking at the camera?

J did a lot of running.


This is the "great big smile" I asked him for.






Together, not looking at the camera, but I can see two faces. He's making dirt angels.








A sweet moment...until he wouldn't let go and she started crying.




I caught one looking at the camera.


It looks like he's strangling her, but that's his equivalent to an arm around the shoulder.


If you're wondering where Nathan was, he was at work...until 2:30 in the morning. Poor guy. So that was a totally fun evening, and from there we went out for ice cream cones. We tried a new place and it was soooo good!!! And only a dollar a scoop. I can see it becoming a nasty habit.