I had a couple sessions a week or so ago...they were some of my very first sessions with anyone other then close friends...so to say the least I was a bit nervous. I leaned a LOT that day.

1: midday sun is BAD BAD BAD without GOOD shade.
2: always remember to change your white balance for very shaded areas...otherwise everyone comes out looking blue.
3: I don't know how to use my flash very well yet. Half the time it worked well, the other half it just blew everything out.
4: It is hard to get multiple young children to all look at the camera at the same time...next time bring squeaky toy...lollipop...blow horn...SOMETHING to get their attention.

Even with all of that going against me, I still had a great time and am SO appreciative of everyone who has let me use them as guinea pigs! I am learning more everyday!

I havent posted anything in a week! Wow! I have just been busy trying to do a lot of editing/processing, and trying to keep my house up and keep the kids happy. :) I also have had to start going to the chiropractor 3 times a week because my neck is messed up. I apparently have a reverse curve. :| Its also going to take quite a while to fix. What makes it worse, if everything that I do in a normal day has me tilting my head down, which is probably the worse thing I can do for it. But how in the world am I supposed to do things like change diapers, read books to my son, cook dinner, do dishes, do laundry, type on the computer...all at of ABOVE eye level???

Anyway...on a better note...

This handsome little man is about to turn 6! They grow up so fast!!!! His mom and I have been friends for about 3 years now (maybe longer?) and this little guy has grown up so much!! Now he's a big brother and going to school and turning into such a little man!

I got my Speedlite yesterday! I haven't had a chance to really mess with it much, since it didn't arrive until dinner time, and then I was busy cooking/cleaning/getting babies to bed. I have a LOT to learn...but from what I can tell I will be very happy with my choice! I've got 3 shoots this weekend, so hopefully I can get the hang of this thing for those. :)

Here are a few more shots of my babies! The ones of my daughter at the park aren't the best in terms of lighting. It was early evening, and very harsh light, and I didn't have my Speedlite yet to use as a fill flash. But either way, they are cute pictures. ;) I'm sure I am kinda bias though.

...and bought a Speedlight 430EX!!!


Whoohoo! I cant wait to get it! It should be there this week! Now I just have to figure out how to use it. :) Lots of learning ahead!!!!

And of course...a shot of my little man. :)

Nothing new today...so not much to write!

So I will just post some photos! :)




This is one of my moms orchid. :)

I bought Photoshop Elements 6 today! Whoohoo! I had tried out the trial version of that, Paint Shop Pro, a couple other ones that aren't even worth mentioning...I even have been using GIMP (which is free...and pretty good...but not very user friendly). I found myself really wishing I had PS Elements after the trial had died...so I got it! Now I have SO much to learn about this software. While I had the trial, it was like every time I opened it I learned to do something new! There is a TON of info out and a lot of tutorials to show you how to do just about everything, so I will be taking full advantage of that over the next few months. :) And now I can edit my RAW format photos a lot easier, too!!

As for today...no way I'm getting out to take pictures. It raining, AGAIN. It's been raining for what seems like over a week now. Its so muddy and yucky out...I'm so ready for some sunshine! I am excited though...my friend knows of some special places to go when it gets nice out, where we can take some shots. :) Im looking forward to that! You will just have to wait and see what we come up with!!

I would LOVE to get a macro lens, just because they are FUN, but until then I will resort to a new technique I learned about. I kept hearing some people on my photography forum talking about reversing their lens for macro shots, so I Googled it, and found a great page on Flickr explaining how to set it up. Its pretty simple, you just hold a lens (or get a male/male coupler, which is what I am going to get...$8 at B&H) in front of a lens already mounted on your camera. For the shots I will show you, I have my 18-55mm on the camera, taken to 55mm, and then held my 50mm in front of it. When I get a coupler I think it will help with the vignetting too. When you do this, the DOF (depth of field) is incredibly shallow too...maybe 1-2mm wide in some of them.

You also need LOTS of light to be able to do this, because you have to use a pretty fast shutter speed (especially when not using a coupler) since you are more likely to get unwanted blur since you are holding a lens awkwardly in front of the other lens. You can use a tripod, which seemed to help. It was just one less thing to try and keep steady.

Cyrstal Lite powder


These flowers are about 1/3inch across...so pretty small. :)


Crushed Red Pepper


Dried Strawberry


Brown sugar, and an unexpected guest who came by and helped himself. :)

I have a terrible sinus infection. I tend to get these a lot. I feel like my head is going to fall off my shoulders, and I can't taste anything. (which I think would be a great diet plan...when you can't taste what you are eating, you tend to eat a lot less. It's like you aren't driven by flavor, so once you are full there isn't any reason to keep eating)

Anyway....I haven't even touched my camera today. THAT is how bad I feel (and those that know me should know by now that that's a BIG deal :) ) Tomorrow I am supposed to go to a flower show at Woodward park, put on by the Tulsa Orchid Society...so hopefully I will feel well enough to go, and get some pictures. We will see. Right now...I'm going to go collapse in bed.

Im pretty overwhelmed right now with all of this flash stuff. I do know that my next purchase will be a Speedlite, (either a 430EX or a 580EX) but I would kinda like to know how to use it and what I'm doing before I fork over that kind of money for something. :) I love using natural light, but there are definitely times I wish I had a flash. (and I refuse to use the on-camera pop up flash...ick) Getting a faster lens REALLY helped taking pictures indoors, but I don't always want that shallow depth of field you get with a max aperture...especially when taking pictures of kids. I would like more then just one eyeball to be in focus! lol!

In my links you will see an AWESOME blog called Strobist. I have learned SO much from there. They have a 101 'course' you go through and explains the very basics (which is what I need!)I've also been asking a TON of questions on The Photo Forum. They are very helpful too! Now I just have to actually GET a flash so I can use the things I have learned! I'm very much a hands-on learner, so I don't think I will totally, 100% understand until I get to play around with it.

Yesterday I got to go out to Broken Arrow with my friend Bonnie and take some pictures. It wasn't the best conditions...started rained as soon as we got back to the car, and was pretty much just a yucky day. I got some cute ones of my son, also. :) It is IMPOSSIBLE to get this child to look at you, YET smile!

I finally figured out the RSS Feed thing on here! (I'm so out of the loop on all this stuff!!) Its the feed from "What the Duck" which is now my new favorite comic strip. Its of course all about photography, and a Duck...who is a photographer. (bet you didn't expect, THAT, huh?!) Anyway...go check it out. Its on the right column down towards the bottom. :) Funny stuff!!

Hopefully I will get out and be able to go shoot SOMETHING...SOMEWHERE today. Im getting a bit restless since I have been home all week with the kids.

Here are some random shots I took a few weeks ago. (because I have nothing new to show you yet!)

Happy April Fools!!!!!! My husband reminded me earlier today that it was April Fools day, which got me wondering, WHAT IS THE POINT of this non-holiday holiday?? So being the Google-master that I am, decided to research it. (I'm sure I learned all of this in elementary school at some point, but who remembers these things?? Besides, I'm had 2 babies since then and my brain has turned to mush)

"Ancient cultures, including those as varied as the Romans and the Hindus, celebrated New Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe."

That's your tid-bit of useless information for the day. :) You're Welcome!

PS: I now have a camera hog on my hands...my son runs from the camera, but my daughter totally soaks up the attention and loves it! And guess who just learned how to blow raspberries! LOL!