Sarah Mansur Photography

NEW BLOG!!

2008-11-24T14:01:00.002-06:00

I am leaving blogger for Wordpress! See ya over there!

CLICK HERE FOR NEW BLOG

A Small Update...

2008-11-18T16:55:00.003-06:00

I am currently re-doing all of my pricing and packages, which will go into effect pretty soon. If you already have a session booked with me, you will still be given the old prices of course. Anyone thinking about booking me at my current prices needs to hurry and get on my calendar before the big change! :)

One of these changes will be a session that includes 2 hours at the Dresser Mansion here in Tulsa! Keep an eye our for my changes and come exciting things Im going to start offering!

411 Cards!

2008-11-05T16:16:00.002-06:00

411 cards are becoming very popular! These are basically business cards for YOU! They have your contact info on them (Phone number, email, website, facebook, myspace, whatever!) They are uber fun to pass out and great for giving people your contact info when you don't have a pen handy, plus they just look WAY better!! These cards will include 2 images from your session. I have many styles to pick from. These are my newest ones, but any style from my previous cards can be made into these awesome 411 cards as well! These also are available for my senior rep cards, for those who want a smaller, easier to carry version!!

Senior Spokesmodels & Reps!

2008-10-30T17:09:00.002-05:00

I am re-vamping my Senior Rep & Spokesmodel cards! I have been working on these all week. My seniors who are doing this with me will get to chose from these 4 awesome templates for their cards that they hand out!

Gorgeous Model Shoot!!!

2008-10-26T12:53:00.003-05:00

I had gotten in touch with an old friend from school (8th-9th grade, to be exact!) and it just so happens that his beautiful girlfriend has done some modeling, so I jumped on the chance to do a shoot with her! She was a lot of fun, and even laughed at my sad pathetic jokes, which made me like her even more! ;) She was super easy to shoot, and was pretty at ease in front of the camera, which is always a plus! Here are a few of my fav's from her session!!

Hurry! Christmas sessions are booking fast!

2008-10-22T23:12:00.004-05:00

I am getting booked quickly between seniors and Christmas sessions, so book your session ASAP! I just have a few more slots open for Christmas shoots. Get your pictures done early for Christmas cards so you can get them out on time!! My cutoff date for Christmas photos is the first week of December, after that there is a premium you can pay to get a last minute session and rush delivery during the second week of December.

I am also still looking for Senior Spokesmodels/Representatives from many of the Tulsa area high schools. Even if you are homeschooled, you can be a senior rep! Earn a little extra money, and get a free session and some free prints!!

Cheers!

Mended Little Hearts

2008-10-14T15:30:00.005-05:00

I had a very busy night last night! The coordinator of the Tulsa Chapter of Mended Little Hearts contacted me, wanting a group picture done. As some of you know, my son was a heart baby. He had Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) and had pretty major open heart surgery when he was 12 days old, and only 3 lbs. To say the least it was a very scary time in out lives.

So it was totally by chance that Susan would contact ME of all people, to take a photo of their group!

Lets just say trying to get 25 kids, most of them 4 and under, to stay in a group and have their pictures taken is far from easy. Bless their hearts, its hard for ME to stand around and get my picture taken!!

So, it didn't go quite as planned. :) We got a shot out of it, but we are going to try for a park or some place like there, where we will have a better background, more room, and where the kids can get worn out a little before we try to keep them herded for a group picture. :)

If you know anyone who has a child with or who had a heart defect, this group is the place to go! I wish it had been around when we were going through everything with N. It would have been so great to talk to other parents who were experiencing the same trials, emotions, and confusion as we were at the time, and to know that we weren't alone. I am planning on joining the group, so if you have any questions feel free to email me and I will pass them along to Susan!

My almost-3-year-old

2008-10-12T12:43:00.002-05:00

My son will be 3 in less then 2 months! :( It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast!

So after bribing him with some Cheerios and Oswald, he actually sat still for me for a little bit and I got to take some pictures of him. :) Plus, he thought the umbrella on one of the lights was really neat and kept talking about it.

Oh baby!!

2008-10-06T16:26:00.003-05:00

I just finished up my baby announcements and added them to the "Cards and Announcements" section of my website! Go look and tell me what you think! When you book a newborn session with me, you will receive 5 complimentary announcements! They are printed at my professional lab, and are the best of the best when it comes to quality! Plus they are hand-designed...and can be changed up a little to suit your taste!

Oct 25th - Mini-session Day!!!

2008-10-01T19:27:00.003-05:00

DAY: October 25th (yes, this year ;) )

Time: 8am-1pm

What: MINI-SESSION DAY!!!

Details: I am doing a day of mini-sessions!! You get 20-25 min for the session, and get a 15% discount on my one of a kind, hand designed cards and normal prints, PLUS a promo card with for 25% off your next session!!! (can ya tell...I like to give ;) ) I will be hosting this at Woodward park. It should be beautiful weather by then...and will be a lot of fun! (we can all jump in the leaves!!)

This is GREAT for those out there who need to get their Christmas pictures done, need a new family photo for the home gallery, or need some new pictures of the kids...but don't want to go through a whole 2-3 hour session. This also works great as a sweet gift for someone else who might not be able to get professional pictures done this year!

Cost: $45

Contact me soon, I already have 2 of my spots reserved. When you contact me, I will send you further details (all the boring stuff that I don't need to write here ;) )
sarah@sarahmansurphotography.com

Host a Portrait Party!!!

2008-09-20T18:03:00.003-05:00

I am going to start doing portrait parties! What are portrait parties you ask?

Portrait Parties are kinda like any other "party" you may have gone to, but WAY more fun! ;)

When someone wants to do a party, they are the 'HOST'...we then plan a day, where they invite all their friends, family, anyone they want, either to their home or to a outdoor location and we take portraits! Everyone will have a appointment time, and will get 20-25 minutes in front of the camera! There is no need to hang around for the whole party (unless you just want to!) Just come 10 minutes before your appointment, enjoy some snacks and drinks, and get some pictures taken! Its as easy as that!

Within 2 weeks after the party, your images will be hosted online, where you will proof and order them. You will then give your order/payment to the host, and he/she will deliver them to you when they are ready!

So basically you get a FREE mini-session! How cool is that!

FOR THE HOST: So...why would you want to host one of these awesomely cool parties? Well, as the host you will get a free full 2-3 hour session, $50 in print credits, and a free magnetic fridge calendar with an image or two from your session!

Its a win-win for everyone! So email me if you are interested! These are super fun and you can earn some free stuff!!! sarah@sarahmansurphotography.com

Chritmas Cards!!!!

2008-09-09T11:23:00.004-05:00

I just added my Christmas section to my website. It includes a few samples of my cards, that are fully customizable, and my Christmas Special that I am running.

Go check it out!

Sneak Peak

2008-09-07T09:50:00.002-05:00

So on my trip to Pennsylvania, I got to do a little session with my friends sister and her boyfriend! They took me to this beautiful park in Grove City. It was a lot of fun...and Becky and Zach were a lot of fun to work with! Zach also saved me from a Daddy-Longlegs Spider that was trying to eat me alive! (did I ever mention my utter hatred and childish fear of spiders?) If he hadn't helped me I might still be standing there in the ferns, covered my leggy creepy spiders!

I LOVED these ferns! They probably thought I was nuts...but we don't have ferns just growing like this in Oklahoma...at least not around here! They only ferns I have seen were in pots hanging around my moms house!!!

And...just because I can...and they are too far away to kill me... ;)

And one of my beautiful friend Stephanie who was such a great host and is such a good friend!!

From Slippery Rock, PA

2008-08-31T13:19:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to say hey! I am in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, visiting a friend of mine. Just me. Alone. No kids! Let me tell you, this has been one of the most refreshing trips ever!!! I really needed it!

I have a ton of pictures to go through and edit, but wanted to post a couple from yesterday. We went and drove around Amish country...totally BEAUTIFUL!! I saw some little amish kids playing, they were so stinking cute in their blue shirts and overalls and bonnets!!

Anyway...there are a lot of black and white cows here....we dont have a lot of these type in Oklahoma...most of ours are brown or black or Texas Longhorns. They cows here are really friendly too! lol! I think they WANTED their picture taken!

and...a fuzzy catipillar! How cute is he!!

Alrighty...we are about to head out to Ohio to a state fair to see Josh Turner in concert!!! WHOOHOO!!! See ya!!

A Lunch Worth Blogging

2008-08-25T14:06:00.003-05:00

So I felt like cooking a nice lunch for...well...ME today. :) I too often just have PB&J or Cheese & Crackers or Mac & Cheese with the kids. So I decided to make something new and yummy. I knew my hubby wouldn't like this, either, so It was a good excuse to make it for just me! (plus I have to try things out before I make them for my girlfriends! I love them too much to make them my guinea pigs!)

So I had some gnocchi in the pantry, and some sauce...and threw together this:

Strobist Info: Speedlight bounced off of couch (yes, I said couch) to warm up the picture. EV +1 (my couch is a light tan and works pretty well at reflecting light ;) )

Strobist Info: Speedlite shot through umbrella, camera left 45 degrees, and up 45 degrees. EV +1

OK, here we go. :)

Gnocchi: You can either buy it prepackages at the store in the pasta aisle, or make it. Recipe: HERE
Boil them for a minute or two in boiling water, until they float to the top, then drain. They will stick together so don't let them sit too long.

Chicken: 4 chicken breasts, sautéed in olive oil over medium heat. I season with some Greek Seasoning I have, but you can just use salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and thyme if you like. :)

Sauce: I totally cheat and buy jar sauced, but only Gia Russia's Alla Vodka sauce. Its about $7 a jar, but its so worth it.

Boil or steam some asparagus to your liking....this will go underneath everything else when dish is assembled.

I got some Asiago Cheese bread from a local grocery here, but I am sure you can find it anywhere. I just slice, butter it, and then sprinkle some garlic salt on it, and put it in the oven on broil for a minute or two. It doesn't take long, so watch it or else you will have black croutons instead of crusty toasted garlic bread!

To Assemble...its pretty simple. Asparagus goes on the bottom, then add a chicken breast and some gnocchi. Then spoon on warm vodka sauce, and add some parsley for garnish!

Its been way too long...

2008-08-19T23:11:00.015-05:00

...since I last posted!!! I have just been SO busy lately.

I thought I would share some more of my kids (since they are my favorite subject!!!) My daughters birthday party was this past Saturday! I cant believe she is about to turn 1!! I am going to be doing her "official" 1 year pictures here in a couple weeks when I have a free weekend, but until then, these will have to do.

Oooo, and I got the most fabulous cupcakes from a new bakery that is about to open here! They were SOOOOOOOOO yummmmy! I am going to be doing cupcake pictures for her store and website here in a few weeks! Im excited!

And cant forget her brother...hes actually letting me take some pictures of him lately!!

My weekend

2008-08-03T10:20:00.008-05:00

This weekend was busy. My sister was in town, so we headed over to Loops to look at yarn for my baby cocoon/wrap that she is making me for my newborn sessions. We found some wonderfully soft, yummy Plymouth Earth Rainshadow baby Alpaca yarn in a couple of their new fall colors. I can't wait to see how it turns out. :) What's cool about this yarn is that its not dyed, so the color of the yarn is the actual color of the baby Alpaca that is came from. :)

We also went to the Cherry Street Farmers Market here in Tulsa. Did you know that its not light out at 6am??? I cant remember the last time I voluntarily got up that early!! It was a nice little market, with lots of things to choose from! Next time I will have to buy more there. This time I came home with a yummy, crusty baguette, some yellow squash, some new red potatoes and some apples!

We also found what we thought was a dead lizard in my moms house, but quickly discovered it was not quite dead. I took it outside (after screaming and feeling pretty silly after it tried to rub its lizardy little head on my finger)It was the neatest looking lizard ever! We looked it up, and it is a Blue Tailed Lizard and is a type of Skink (not SKUNK...SKINK) It was a baby...as they are about 9 inches long at adulthood, and lose some of their color. We set it free and it hopefully will go on to live a nice little lizardy life, and stay out of my moms house. :)

So there you go...Alpaca yarn, blue tailed skinks, fresh produce at 6 am...just a normal weekend! (Yeah....right)

Sneak Peak

2008-08-03T09:14:00.003-05:00

Well, this sneak peak is a little late, as the session was Thursday...but I still wanted to post it. :)

I'm learning I love maternity shoots. :) Maybe its because I am done having kids myself, and so I can live vicariously through them for a few minutes during the session. :) I just think pregnant women are so beautiful. I know when we are huge and pregnant, we feel far from bit, but there is just something so natural and simply gorgeous about them.

As I post this, all I can think about is my friend Bonnie, who is going through her fourth miscarriage. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Her blog can be found HERE

July Strobist Workshop

2008-07-28T09:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had our monthly OK Strobist Workshop. We had a fantastic studio that we rented (Gobo Creative), fully equipped with studio lighting and backdrops, and we had 7 models! We all had a great time, and I learned a lot...including that I really want some AlienBees now!

Our fearless leader, Corey Lack, put all of this together for us, and did a wonderful job teaching us more about studio lighting.

Here are a few of my shots...I cannot tell you how much fun I had!!

You can see more, and some 'behind the scenes' shots on my Flickr

Why Custom Photography?

2008-07-26T17:40:00.004-05:00

I found a wonderful website that explains what Custom Photography is all about, and why it is what it is. If you ever wondered why so many people are choosing custom photography instead of the one-size-fits all chains; If anyone ever wondered why custom photographers charge what they charge, do what they do, and why you get beautiful, personal images vs. the shots that you would get an a place who pushes you in and out as fast as you can say "Cheese", then read this:

The Consumers Guide to Custom Photography

Here is a little excerpt.

....Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of the next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio. A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities. Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed. Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart.

Sneak Peak

2008-07-23T21:55:00.003-05:00

Another adorable little guy! He was such a good sport!

Oh ya....

2008-07-22T09:23:00.003-05:00

...my website is up!!! Yay! I will be doing some tweaking in the coming weeks, and adding more galleries and pictures. Now go tell everyone you know! :)

www.sarahmansurphotography.com

Looking For Senior Reps!!!

2008-07-19T14:50:00.002-05:00

I am currently looking for 2009 Senior Reps! I need one guy and one girl from each high school to be my "spokesmodel" and get all their friends to book me for their senior pictures! For their help, they will get a free senior session, 8 free wallets, and 50% discount on any further prints!

I am currently looking for Reps from:

Tulsa
Bixby
Broken Arrow
Kiefer
Glenpool
Owasso
Sand Springs
Sapulpa
Claremore
Catoosa
Metro Christian Academy
St. Augustine Academy (got 1 guy, just need a girl!)
Lincoln Christian School
Bishop Kelly High School

Please contact me if you are interested, or know anyone who might be interested!!!!

Forrest Family Sneak Peek!

2008-07-18T22:34:00.005-05:00

I had a session tonight with a beautiful family! They had 3 gorgeous girls and the cutest little guy with the curliest hair! Even though it was hot and we were getting eaten by bird-sized mosquitoes, we still managed to have a little fun and get some great shots!

Update

2008-07-18T11:27:00.002-05:00

I have been working feverishly trying to get my website up and running again, and finally requested for it to go live, so hopefully by tomorrow it will be back up! :)

Yesterday I got to do a little session with my nephew! I had to take my kids along, which wasn't fun at all as they were both cranky, and it was SO hot, and there were mosquitoes that size of birds out biting us the whole time! So to say the least it was far from ideal, but I got a few good shots in. :) My brother & sister in law are about to leave for Indonesia for 4 years as missionaries, so the next time they are back, this little guy will almost be 6, and they will have a new little one who will be 4! (yep, hes going to be a big brother come this fall!!!) I am going to miss them all so much!!

I finally got my template!!!

2008-07-10T17:45:00.001-05:00

I FINALLY got my template from Bludomain!! Yay!! Now I can start putting my new website together!!! It will take a few days, but keep checking back and I will let you guys know when its up!!!!

Traveling Baby!

2008-07-10T08:56:00.001-05:00

My new prop!

Website is down...

2008-07-03T14:59:00.006-05:00

My website is down for a little bit while I switch templates and my host. It should be back up in a week or so...but it might take longer. Please keep checking back as I will let you know when it is up again!!

I have been revisiting some images in photoshop...and thought I would post some of them. :) So if you see a duplicate from another post, thats why. ;)

The Box

2008-07-02T14:41:00.005-05:00

My husband got a package a few days ago...and the company was nice enough to send it in a box! (go figure!) It was so very nice of them to send the toy...err...box for my kids! It has given them something to play with for the past week! Its been everything from a bus, to a train, to a laundry basket, to a chew toy, to a car, to a cave! And here...it is a prop. :)

Strobist Mettup!

2008-06-23T08:59:00.002-05:00

I went to my first Strobist Meetup here in Tulsa yesterday!! I got involved with them in their Flickr group, and got to meet a bunch of them for the first time! I was the only female photographer there, but all the guys were VERY nice and VERY VERY helpful! It was a GREAT learning experience, as I had never done off-camera lighting like that before! It was so helpful to actually put into practice everything that I had been reading and studying! My Speedlite got a work out. :) I got to play with a few different type of triggers, reflectors, umbrellas...and see what I want to get for myself in the future. I also got to use a lens that was absolutely wonderful, which I will never be able to afford. :P

Here are some of the shots that came out pretty good. :)

New Camera Bag

2008-06-19T15:09:00.003-05:00

I just ordered my new camera bag! Its a Kristine bag from Tracy Joy and I can't wait for it to get here!!! She makes the cutest bags! (and not just camera bags, either!!) Plus, the Kristine has a detachable flap, so you can change flaps as you want, and have a whole new look!!! You can get the body of the bag in either brown or black (I got black) and she has a huge amount of fabrics to choose from for your flap! I have been talking to her via email for a couple weeks, and she is such a sweet person! I am so happy to have been able to do business with her!! Check out her website, and her flickr for some shots of her bags in action! :)

My Website went LIVE!!!

2008-06-16T19:04:00.004-05:00

Well my website went live today!!!! I am so excited!! You can see it at www.sarahmansurphotography.com

So go check it out!!!

2008-06-04T23:23:00.003-05:00

She is starting to crawl!!! She can army crawl pretty well, but now she is getting up on all 4's!!

The look she gave her brother as he came towards here with a bunch of sticks...

I actually got him to look at me!! I just had to bribe him with a cookie!! :)

New portrait session

2008-06-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

This is the sister of the senior who's portraits I did a few weeks ago. :) Her mom had found this lovely little park right downtown that I didn't even know about. I will defiantly be returning to this spot!

I was playing around with some textures on this one...just for fun. :)

Sisters!

2008-06-01T13:02:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went to Longview, Texas to visit from friends, and to pick up a mutual friend and bring her back to Tulsa for a week before she had to fly home to Pennsylvania. It was a LONG trip down and back...but overall it went better then I expected. At least the kids kinda sorta slept the 2 nights we were down there...kinda. I did have a really good week with my friend, though!!! What sucks is that I didnt take ANY pictures! WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME??? I was just not in a picture-taking mood I guess.

This week my husband is going out of town for training for work, so I will be home and bored all week. No plans. Nothing scheduled. I will just be sitting here on my butt with my kids waiting for the week to end...but after the last couple weeks being so hectic and busy its kinda nice not to have to do anything! :)

We did make smores when my friend was here...and a lot of them! I'm all smored-out now. But they were sooo yummy!

I also bought a few big lollipops for the kids. Of course the big round one broke before I got to use it as a prop though. I did a few shots of Abby with the other one, but she didn't seem too excited about the sticky mess it was making. So she chewed on the stick part of it and got grass and dirt all over the candy end!

And yes...I am still trying to find a watermark that I like. It's like I can't find the ONE that just really appeals to me. Back to the drawing board I guess.

Had an 'off' week

2008-05-22T09:04:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted anything in a while, so I better or else no one will ever come back and read my blog and then it will be pointless to even HAVE it and then that would just not be any fun!

We are getting ready to go out of town over the weekend, down to Texas, to see some friends who we haven't seen in a year and a half, and to pick up another friend who is visiting from PA...then she will be here with us for a week before going back home! yay!!! I'm so excited!

Anyway...here are some pictures of my favorite little guy (other then my son, of course ;) ) I have a lot of pictures of him, so Im sure you will get very used to seeing him as much as you see my own kids. I am also playing with my watermark and trying to find something that I like, without having to pay someone else to make one. So you will probably be seeing a lot different versions of those too. :)

Awesome Senior Session!!

2008-05-15T10:20:00.003-05:00

I had a session this past weekend with a Senior from Chelsea. It was so much fun!! She was so easy to shoot, and so pretty and photogenic!! She was a sweetheart and I think we both had a good time. :) I drove around downtown Tulsa looking for some interesting places for backgrounds...and found a couple really awesome buildings! I will be re-visiting a lot of these places during future shoots! I think the last one is my favorite!

*There are a LOT of pictures...lol...so bare with me!*

2008-05-13T16:58:00.010-05:00

I bought a battery grip today for my camera!! yay! It should be here in the next week or so!!

Other then that, there isn't anything new going on. At least not anything worth blogging about. :) I've been trying to find creative ways of getting new pictures of my kids around the house, since I don't go very many places. You will notice the lack of pictures still of my son. I think he actually get MAD at me when I take my camera out. :P

Oh, and soon I will post a senior shoot I did downtown. Im just waiting to give the pictures to them before I post. They came out really good...at least I think they did!!

I also made myself a temporary watermark. I have a lady who is going to design a custom made logo/watermark for me once I decided on a name. (I'm debating if I want to just keep it "Sarah Mansur photography" or not). I will also be starting a REAL website with a new blog and all that fun stuff pretty soon too!

Session from this weekend!

2008-05-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

My friends little boy just turned 1, and so we went to the park to do some pictures of him, and of them as a family. We went in the evening, which I think was a better choice then morning...I just love evening light. :) Anywho..here are some of them. I will defiantly be using some of this little man for my website (once its up). He's just TOO photogenic!!

2008-05-06T10:35:00.003-05:00

I went to Children's Orchard yesterday, sold a bunch of stuff, and found the cutest little white fluffy skirt, and just HAD to get it for my daughter to wear for some pictures! (That tends to be how I shop now "Oh, that would be GREAT in Black and White!" or "Wow, that color would really pop in a picture!" haha!)

A little color, anyone?

2008-05-02T21:48:00.004-05:00

Some roses from my front yard. :) I love spring!!!

More pics...

2008-05-01T15:00:00.004-05:00

2008-04-29T21:31:00.009-05:00

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!

Cutie Patootie!

2008-04-22T12:00:00.004-05:00

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!

Got my Speedlite!

2008-04-17T08:26:00.003-05:00

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.

I took the plunge!

2008-04-14T12:15:00.004-05:00

...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. :)

Just some photos

2008-04-10T15:27:00.004-05:00

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

So I will just post some photos! :)

This is one of my moms orchid. :)

PS Elements and more rain

2008-04-09T14:49:00.004-05:00

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!!

Macro Shots

2008-04-07T12:16:00.007-05:00

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. :)

Cant....breathe....

2008-04-04T22:20:00.005-05:00

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.

Speedlites, Strobes, Slaves....

2008-04-03T10:41:00.007-05:00

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!

New Feed

2008-04-02T09:59:00.005-05:00

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!)

Non-Holiday Holiday!

2008-04-01T16:16:00.004-05:00

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!

Now that's over....

2008-03-31T13:14:00.007-05:00

Well that was anti-climatic. Everyone can settle down, the weather event of the season over!!!...all we got was rain and a tiny bit of hail. :P I guess we aren’t totally "in the clear" yet though...they say that there is more coming this afternoon.

This reminds me, I need to back up all my pictures again. I haven't done it in a while and I would hate to loose everything!!!! I'll get right on that. :)

Now for the point of this blog. I haven’t really figured that out yet, actually. I have a blog for my kids already, and now that I am getting into photography I guess I assumed I needed a blog (that is the COOL thing to do, right???) So here I am...blogging.

Now back to my initial problem...what to blog ABOUT? I could go on and on about crap I know nothing about...or I could just write out my thoughts and how my head never seems to shut off. Everywhere I go now, I look at things/places/people in a different light. Its like I am constantly looking for a photo opportunity, or at least observing so I don't miss out on one. Looking at magazines now consists of me looking at the photos in articles and how they were taken rather then the articles themselves. Its like you get a new set of eyes...you take notice of things around you that you may have seen a hundred times, yet never REALLY SAW.

I was watching Ovation TV this past week...they were having a week long photography...thing...and so I recorded all of it. It was kinda neat...a bunch of "famous" photographers (who I had never heard of) talking about what they do; some about photography from the past; some about light. Pretty interesting stuff!

Ok, now for some pictures (that is, if I can figure out how to add them) Here it goes!

First Post!

2008-03-31T11:35:00.002-05:00

Well...the title says it all. This is my first post....

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and I don't have anything to really write about...at least not at the moment...and I am going to have to turn the computer off because there is a tornado warning. :) Be back later with more!