Remember this picture?
Well, today I was sitting here drinking my Jones Green Apple soda (luxury in a soda bottle) and I decided I’d submit this photo to them to see if it wins a spot on one of their future labels. These may very well become my lucky shoes if they work their magic for me yet again!
If you wish to vote for me, visit the gallery and search for sexy shoes. Wouldn’t that just be a hoot to get my shoes on a bottle of my favorite soda?!
I am volunteering in the nursery at my church this week for Vacation Bible School. While I’m there, I’m taking pictures for the Sunday morning slide show to share with the congregation. I also plan to give each parent of the children in my class a cd at the end of the week to show them what their sweet babies have been doing. Here are a few of my favorites so far.
1/50, f 5.6, 1600 ISO
This is sweet baby D. reaching for me when he woke up from his morning nap. And here is a shot of the tear on his cheek when he thought I was leaving the room. He is quite attached to me and I’m totally flattered!
1/100, f 6.3, 1600 ISO
Next we have baby J. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eye lashes so long and I don’t think I’ve ever been so charmed by drool!
1/60, f 5.6, 1600 ISO
And last but not least, we have baby N. at only 5 weeks old. This little one is so charming and snuggly that I almost want another child… almost.
1/80, f 6.3, 1600 ISO
All of these are ROOC with no editing. Thanks for looking!
I’ve read from at least two or three professional photographers that it’s a good idea to take portraits in the bathtub. Not necessarily literally bathing – just surrounded by the white tile, the white tub and as much natural light as you can get. In my case, I actually had to let them bathe in order to keep them occupied to test this. I don’t know what it is, but I just love to see my babies all wet. Their fresh clean faces, their wet hair, the eyelashes all smooshed together. I love it! So, tonight I decided to attempt to get some pictures in the bathtub before sunset with natural light coming in the big window above the tub. These are four of my five favorites. I can’t put the fifth one on the blog, but suffice it to say it’s innocent and sweet and it will be framed and on display in the privacy of my bathroom.
All of these are ROOC. 1/30 to 1/60, f 5.6, 1600 ISO
Click on each individually to see them larger and much more clearly.
Thanks to you all – I tied for first place in the favorite shoes contest! Thank you!
Since she had only purchased one prize for one real winner, I asked if I could have a different prize. I asked her to grant me three interview questions about being a professional photographer. So… now I’m thinking deeply about my three questions. Faithful friends, what questions do you think I should ask? I want them to be good ones that will help me grow or think or dream or something worthwhile. Do you have a suggestion?
Here is an image from the wedding I went to last night. The bride and groom left under a canopy of sparklers for their honeymoon. Let’s use this to spark our creative juices…
(Was that too corny?! So sorry.)
My friend’s daughter enjoying the slip and slide at her birthday party this past weekend. I was practicing using fill flash with back lighting on this one. I just love her expression – even with a big ‘ole wad of bubble gum in her mouth!
If you seem to be having difficulty getting a picture of your toddler when he is still, here is a suggestion for you. As the sun is getting ready to set, strap your beloved child into the car seat and go for a drive. Drive around looking for a good spot where the setting sun casts a glow on your child that illuminates him beautifully. Snap pictures from the front seat. Play peek-a-boo… let him look out the window at something that interests him… make a game of it. Snap pictures while sitting at red lights when he isn’t paying you any attention and then find a place to park the car for an impromptu photo session. All the while, making sure that the light that is cast on your sweetie is glowing. Here is an example of a recent session with my own toddler.
Last week, I took a picture of my favorite shoes.
Then I sent the image to Anne Ruthmann to be included in her favorite shoes picture contest. I’m in there! If you have a moment, could you go vote for me here?
Thanks!
I was shooting a child’s birthday party this weekend and got this shot of one of the guests. Isn’t he divine?! What a darling little boy. This image is SOOC except that I cropped his Mommy’s hands out.
For more Best Shot Monday pictures visit the comments section of today’s post over at Picture This.
I’ve had a grand weekend! I was reading this post on Friday. That night I sat down with my camera manual to study up on P mode. What a fantastic mode to shoot in! It’s like automatic with the ability to control the things you want to control. While I was studying my manual, I found out how to pick my point of automatic focus (my camera has 7 points to pick from and it’s frustrated me in the past that the one I would pick is not the one it picked) AND I found out how to force the pop-up flash to use it for fill flash in a pinch. Highly productive!
I’ve had a great weekend experimenting with Program mode, selective AF points and fill flash. I believe I’ve taken approximately 550 pictures and I’m delighted with the results.
So, here’s your assignment if you’re following along with me trying to learn photography. Find your manual and study up on Program Mode. Shoot in that mode for at least two days and see what your results are. Let me know if you love it as much as I do!
Because I can’t close a post without a picture … here is one I took of my daughter at a birthday party. This picture is ROOC. Love those eyes! {sigh}
I found a new blog that I’m enjoying. Jenny is doing a 365 project where she takes a picture a day and posts it. As I was exploring her work, I noticed that she makes notes after each photo about the stats of the camera. I also noticed that she owns a Speedlite 430EX just like me. She uses it for a number of her photographs and it turns out – they look good! I guess flash isn’t evil if you know how to use it.
This made me conduct an experiment a few minutes ago. Here is a picture of my dog with no flash at all.
Doesn’t exactly capture any features, eh? Now, here is one with my Speedlite set at a 45 degree angle.
You can see her now, right? It doesn’t kill the mood or give too harsh of a light. You can even still see the shadow in front of her from the patio door with the natural light coming in behind her. Just enough light added to the scene.
For the last shot, I removed the Speedlite and used the on-camera pop-up flash.
(Naturally, a kid entered the kitchen and the dog popped up from her position – but you still get the idea.) See how the on-camera pop-up flash gave a little too much light to her?
In the event you don’t have a Speedlite and don’t know what I’m talking about by setting it at 45 degree angle, I removed it and set it on it’s stand to show you.
It looks like I have something else to practice and get good at. Thanks for following along!
