Welcome Summer 2012

 

The heat is on!  Summer started off here on the east with an incredibly oppressive heat wave.  However, that also means hours in a plastic child pool, running under the sprinkler, making water filled balloons to throw at anyone who passes by your "fort" and drinking iced tea.  That's what I think of when I recall my lazy days of childhood summers. 


But for some reason I just can't remember it being so stinkin hot out!  Yes you can fry eggs on the pavement (so the news proved the other day)and if I'm not in air conditioning constantly, this Momma is not too happy:))  However, we do have a community pool to really cool things down.


Though I have been very busy entertaining both girls the past few weeks, I was able to fit in a few days worth of blogging and posting photos  which is sort of "phototherapy" to me.  As I have learned "less is best" and I'm referring to the addiction of editing.  Due to lack of time, I somehow had to force myself to stop editing to perfection and simply try to capture their innocence and beauty by forgetting I have a digital camera, pretending it's film and getting the "shot" on the first, okay second try.  


Before it got so ridiculously hot out, I couldn't resist the warm setting sun during the evenings and strolled through the fields to find a place (where both Mom and daughter weren't freaked out but bugs) and catch the dreamy light as it cascading perfectly over my daughter's wide brim hat.  Seems to me these may be my most favorite photos ever as the last photo required no editing except a little de-fogging and the first two I added a bit of contrast to capture the shadows on her pretty dimples.




Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the warm, lazy summer days!

Ivy

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge "Beautiful Black and White"

I adore any opportunity to photograph my Kira  and when we were playing in the weeds last week, I took this and loved how I captured a little dimple and smirk in this photo.


I decided to convert it to a Black and White and enter it in this weeks photo challenge at "I Heart Faces", since this is the face that defined my role as a mother and the reason I love photographing my children.


So head on over to I Heart Faces and see some of the amazing entries of this weeks photo contest.

This photo was submitted to the i heart faces photo challenge.

Beauty in Light

My pretty daughter.  

Her back was directly facing the light source, the beautiful setting sun, yet I was able to capture even tones without over-exposing her cute little face.  

Most of you experienced photogs already know how I did this, so it's probably not that exciting if this is already part of your bag of tricks.  For me I'm like a kid in a candy store after exploring the beauty in back lighting.

Remember way back in the days of 35mm film and how shooting towards bright light would over-expose your image?  Also there were no instant replays on a digital display to show you if your lighting was properly exposed, so what did I do?  Easy, I avoided it!  I shot landscapes, flowers, still life anything that would tolerate natural light without a hand held light meter or gray card.  I know I was lazy, but somehow I managed to capture pretty decent photos with only the use of my polarizing filter.  Now fast forward uh hmm, many years and However,  when I found I loved to photograph people, I chose low ISO film and shade.  I still did that up to last week!  I knew my Nikon was capable of pretty amazing things but I kept to what continued to work for me and really never explored it's capability, mostly because of habit and what "worked".   For example in the "old days" I would not like the grain on 1600 ISO film and therefore never used it; however I could bump the ISO up to 3200 on my camera and barely notice any grain or noise as it's often referred to.  Got to love technology and the advances of digital technology.  Additionally you can even reduce or add noise with photoshop.  But truthfully I have always loved photographs that appear natural looking and so I wanted to share my new found love of ambient light, especially back lighting in these photos of my daughter.

I am definitely ready for Spring, but more importantly we can't wait to bring our Shelby home in just a few more weeks.  

Shelby has been such a good patient and Monday she will have her epidural pulled and then if she tolerates lying still in traction, they'll take her back to the operating room in 1-2 wks to have her pins and tubes pulled.  We are praying for her continued recovery, despite a bit of a setback last week.  Kira misses her little sister so much, I can't wait to see them together laughing and playing again.  Two months is a very long time for Kira to wait for her best friend and sister to come home.  Again the outstanding medical care at Johns Hopkins was worth every worry as our Shelby is well loved by everyone there!

Thanks for stopping by.

My Girl in the Hood (aka Hook)

I have to say that I am loving the afternoon warm sun especially in the winter to capture some great photos, especially of Kira.  After school on this day, we took a long walk and decided to blow some bubbles, but that was a bribe, first Kira had to pose for me and oh the looks I got!

While both of us were freezing as it got cooler, Kira put her hood on and agreed to only a few quick pics.  But the reason I love these photos is because it reminds me of what she still calls her hood, it's not a hood to Kira it's her "Hook"!  Yes we forget the cute things children say at this age and while I should be correcting her, I love to hear original versions.

So here's my Girl in the Hood or "Hook" as Kira would call it!

 Perfecting the Pout!

Photo time with Mommy

I always loved photographing children, but now having my own daughters, a lifetime dream, seems to bring new meaning to my passion. In fact I have forced myself to not edit, but instead capture their innocent and pure beauty!

Of course Shelby seems to like the camera and has developed her own little poses for the camera.  There's the head tilt, the "i have no idea what you are saying look" and "i'll do what my sister is doing" pose!

And for those that know Kira, she's sooooooo dislikes having her pic taken, I have to plead with her, which doesn't help the situation any:)) Then she too has recently developed her own photographic style which is very unique to her personality.

Kira has perfected "the princess pout and pose", the "cheeky smile so Mommy will let me chew gum"pose and the "I'm actually having fun" candid pose.  The later is my personal favorite of course.  These days I'll take anything from the girls since they are growing like weeds and I want to capture every precious moment.

Everyday I look at these beautiful faces and say to myself "I can't believe they are my daughters"!  When I see the joy in their eyes, I feel the excitement and joy of being their Momma.  I am so happy and thrilled that they are slowly beginning to acknowledge one another as sisters.  Kira calls her "sweetie" when she hurts and has offered up her favorite dolls.  And Shelby just continues to look up to Kira and follow her moves, even Kira's spicy "foot stomping" lol.  It's all good and all fun to observe!

My daughters sure know how to raise parents!!!

You girls are so loved.

"Faces and Flowers" Photo Challenge

It's no big surprise that I LOVE FLOWERS! In fact over 25 years ago I realized just how much I loved photography while photographing the wildflowers around the glacier lakes in Colorado. I am glad I got a kick start in the art of photography while living out there!

So when I found out that the theme for Iheartfaces this week was "faces and flowers" I grabbed the camera, clothed the tot and when trekking off to find a good location to get a great photo. Now wildflowers are easy to photograph in comparison to my little tot! Yep, she'll do anything to avoid the camera, even throwing her favorite snack at me. So I had to be clever and tell her we were searching for bunnies and don't you know, there were bunnies where we went. So in fact I captured a few smiles, but mostly some of the most beautiful photos I think I have ever taken of my daughter.

Of all the photos where she was almost looking at me and smiling today, I just fell in love with this one. So thank you sweet daughter for allowing me to take a few photos of you today!

Go on over to Iheartfaces and see some of the most darling entries!

A Day at the Beach

Kira had so much fun running and jumping around on the beach.  It was nearly impossible to get her to sit still, but that was the fun part!  Watching her put her feet in the water for the first time brought back so many memories for some reason.  I guess the "shore" will always be my home away from home since I practically grew up there.

These photos were taken along a NJ shoreline  if you can believe it.  Lightroom works wonders for muddy water:))  The first photo is my favorite because I caught that great look she occasionally gives me.  These were all taken with natural light around 5pm with my 50mm lens.  It was definitely fun to get to the beach, finally...if only to take a few photos!

Mom me

This week I chose this photo to follow along with the theme Daughters, from We Picture {This}. She's not the biggest fan of the camera which is almost daily in her face, so it's hard to get smiles. However I did get catch light in those baby brown eyes! I just love my baby more than I can explain. This child's personality and sweetness just grows every day! SHE IS MY DAUGHTER, the child I dreamed of my entire life, the little girl who has captured my heart and for that I am thankful, every single day!




OVER THE LAST WEEK I HAVE NOTICED AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN KIRA'S VOCABULARY, NOW USING 2 AND 3 WORD SENTENCES.  AFTER OUR SPEECH CONSULTATION I WAS GIVEN A LIST OF THINGS TO PRACTICE TO HELP KIRA'S SPEECH.   SO DOESN'T IT FIGURE I TRIED A FEW THINGS AND SHE'S PRACTICALLY GIVING SPEECHES!

HERE'S MY FAVORITE STORY OF WHAT THE TITLE "MOMMY" MEANS TO MY DAUGHTER.

ONE OF HER FIRST NEW WORDS IS "ME", WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE SHE NOW REFERS TO HERSELF INSTEAD OF ELMO! 

SO WHEN SHE WANTS TO GET MY ATTENTION SHE YELLS "MOM" "ME".  I JUST LAUGH TO MYSELF THINKING HOW SMART SHE IS AND HOW STUPID I FEEL.  THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT I THOUGHT, GREAT SHE'S NOW CALLING ME MOMMY, AND THINKING HOW DO THEY LEARN THAT IN JUST ONE DAY?  WELL, I WILL HAVE TO CHECK ON THE WEBSTERS VERSION, BUT I THINK KIDS CREATED "MOMMY" MEANING "MOM" "ME".

OTHER WORDS:

• PURPLE BALLOON
  
• COOKIE
  
• BYE BYE BALLOON (WHEN I LET GO AND IT FLEW UP AND AWAY) OH DID I HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO)
  
• PEN
• NAH
• OOPS
• CAT BOOK
• ELMO BALL
• HI FISHIES

SHE KNOWS HER PRIMARY COLORS, SHAPES AND MOST OF THE ALPHABET, AND EVERY ANIMAL SOUND I COULD MAKE:)) SHE  OCCASSIONALLY BARKS AND NOW HAS LEARNED TO HOWL LIKE THE DOG.  SHE TWEETS LIKE A BIRD AND QUACKS FOR THE DUCKS.  I THINK THIS TIME IS JUST AMAZING AS I HEAR HER MAKING NOT JUST WORDS, BUT SENTENCES!  WHAT A LONG WAY SHE HAS COME, FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY ANY WORDS BUT MAMA (WHICH MEANT FOOD) BEFORE THE PALATE REPAIR LAST YEAR, TO NOW REPEATING BACK ALMOST EVERY WORD SHE HEARS.  SHE HAS THE SWEETEST VOICE AND I SO LOVE TO WATCH HER PLAY AND "ACT" WITH HER LITTLE STUFFED ANIMAL FRIENDS.  

YES, EVERYONE HAS TOLD ME SHE WILL SPEAK AND IT HAS BEEN AN OVERNIGHT OCCURENCE.   SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO STILL HAVE BABIES, EMBRACE THEIR BABBLING!  I KNOW IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE MY DAUGHTER WILL LEAVE HER JARGON AND BABBLING BEHIND HER, AND IN SOME WAYS I'LL MISS IT.  HOWEVER, IT'S ANOTHER MILESTONE SHE HAS ACHIEVED!

NOW IF ONLY I COULD STOP BABBLING!

A play on words

Having spent the majority of my spare time trying desparetly to learn post-processing editing techniques, I realized that this week has flown by and my little darling was trying to tell me a few things!

For example, the other day she was trying to say "BUTTERFLY", instead it came out as 'BUTTFLY"!  Now, was she trying to tell me something here.  Afterall she is the center of my world and should be the center of attention around here, right!  So I just laughed at her newly acquired word and gently tried to correct her, but she kept looking at me and saying "BUTTFLY".

So today, I took much needed time away from the computer, books, editing, and realized that my tiny peanut is starting to really talk, repeating words, intently listening to sounds and words around her. Okay so they don't come out exactly as they should, but it's so cute to hear her uttering words and talking to Elmo saying, "no", un huh", shhh, the same things she hears me saying!  So maybe I have been a BUTTFLY this week, and I so apologize sweet baby if I seemed distracted, however, I have captured some great photos of you, which I hope to scrapbook as I continue on this new venture of learning to take better photos.  

It is with joy and pleasure that I look into those big brown eyes and say how much I love you Kira.  My hope is that these photos will capture the essence of your childhood, of who you are and the happiness you bring into my life, every minute of every day!

Nice day to play and jump

WASN'T THE BEST PHOTO BECAUSE THE HAT GOT IN THE WAY OF HER EYES, HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PHOTOSHOP IT OUT AND JUST CREATED MY OWN PRESET.  ALSO DEBATED IF I SHOULD POST IT.  
NOTICE BOTH FEET ARE OFF THE GROUND!  

YES I LOVE MATILDA JANE, BUT SO DOES MY DAUGHTER NOW AND SINCE SHE'S SO PETITE, EVERYTHING IS BIG, BUT WE MANAGE BY ROLLING HERE, TUCKING THERE!  I WASN'T GOING TO PUT THE SCARF ON BUT SINCE IT HAS POM POMS (OR BALLS) LIKE KIRA SAY'S SHE HAD TO WEAR IT.

A FEW FUN SHOTS FROM YESTERDAY, NOW I REALIZE THAT I NEED THIS 50MM LENS, BADLY!  I WOULD GET BETTER BOKEH AND CLEARER PHOTOS.  

CRITIQUES WELCOME (on photos only)!

Black and White

This month's them at We Picture {this} is photos in Black and white.  I actually love BW photos but couldn't think of just one, so let me know which are your favorites here!

Now that I am finally having more fun with black and white I just had to add a few of my absolute favorite photos!

Everything is better in Raw, format that is!

So this time I purposely engaged RAW as my option of image to shoot in and what a difference!  When I cropped the photos, the photos seemed so clear and other than the cropping tool I hardly edited them.  Actually I am trying to use the philosophy of Bryan Peterson who says, "...if you take a good photo than you don't need to photoshop it".  I like his approach, mostly because I still can't figure out photoshop and I'm so frustrated with that program, I'd like to never use it if I can help it.  

I LOVE THIS PHOTO, EVERY DETAIL OF IT.  HER HANDS WERE MOVING SO THERE'S A BIT OF BLURRING.  CLICK ON IT TO ENLARGE AND YOU CAN SEE EVERY FINE DETAIL DOWN TO HER TINY EYELASHES.  

MAA (AS I AM AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN BY) CAN I HAVE PEARL EARRINGS TOO?

TOO CUTE MY DARLING BABY!

SHE WAS TRYING TO HIDE FROM ME AS I CHASED HER AROUND THE HOUSE WITH MY CAMERA!  THOUGHT THIS ONE CAME OUT PRETTY GOOD TOO.

Well, I am pleased with my new camera and have slowly realized that I must be patient with learning all the menus and such.  But for now, I have reached a milestone in my photo capabilites by just using manual modes and RAW.  I would recommend for those of you who also love photos and have this setting in your camera to use it.  Though it requires a lot of memory on your card and hard drive, it's worth it.  I plan on getting a separate hard drive for the computer anyway.  As for the memory cards, well you can always delete the photos and keep shooting.

Slow Learning Curve

Okay so I think I finally am on top of the Continental Divide here with my slow learning curve regarding the function settings on my new Nikon!  It's almost like I feel I just earned some degree in math or similar.   Thank goodness for these  books for "Dummies".  It took me step by step through each button, menu and anything else I needed to learn.  I'm very happy because now I can at least press buttons and know what I am doing, or not accidently press a button and not know how to return to regular shooting.

Yes it's still intimidating in some ways, there are 5 Menus and within those menus, 143 subfolders, and within those subfolders, hundreds of more settings!  Actually, what I did was skip to the back of the book, where all the nitty gritty stuff is located and wow, I was on a roll.  Even stayed up late to continue on reading.  It was like a novel I couldn't stop reading!  

So I now know how to set my ISO, metering modes, ISO, use exposure compensation, bracket not only the exposure, but flash and WB settings.  This camera is simply beautiful, and has amazing capabilities from the novice to expert photog.  I must admit that I've been shooting in manual for the most part, because that's what I only knew before and now that I found out about the internal bracket system, it will correct my errors!  Cool stuff!  

Now let's see what I can do with it!

AS FAR AS CREATIVITY GOES, NOW I NEED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS FOR DUMMIES!

I did it

THE RESULT OF MY FIRST PHOTOSHOP EXPERIENCE AND I DIDN'T GET IT RIGHT.  I NOW SEE THAT THE COLOR IN HER HAT IS MUCH BRIGHTER AND PINKER THAN THE ORIGINAL COLORS.  WELL THERE'S ALWAYS THAT PHOTOSHOP FOR DUMMIES BOOK!


I AM BESIDE MYSELF WITH EXCITEMENT HERE! I KNOW YOU ALL CAN FEEL IT TOO:)) BECAUSE I HAVE GOTTEN PAST THE FIRST CHAPTER OF D90 FOR DUMMIES! IN ADDITION, I LEARNED THIS EDIT TECHNIQUE TODAY IN PART TO MY GOOD FRIEND NATALIE WHO REFERRED ME TO AN ONLINE TUTORIAL. THANKS, I NO LONGER NEED THE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO PSE, JUST THE DUMMY GUIDE, I'M TREKKING ALONG HERE PRETTY GOOD.

OKAY, FIRST I HAVE TO SAY SO MUCH BLOGGING AND SO LITTLE TIME! I HAVE AWARDS TO GIVE OUT AND PEOPLE TO NOTIFY, YET BY THE END OF THE DAY, I'M JUST BEAT! THIS BABE DEMANDS MY ATTENTION EVERY MINUTE LATELY. I HAVE TO SAY I ACTUALLY LOVE IT BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT HOW I WOULD DAYDREAM ABOUT HEARING THE SOUNDS OF LITTLE FOOTSTEPS RUNNING AROUND THE FLOORS OR LITTLE ARMS TUGGING AT MY LEGS AND NOW, THOSE DAYS ARE A BEAUTIFUL REALITY!

I AM CONSUMED WITH LOVE FOR KIRA AND CAN'T HELP BUT ADMIT IT! WHILE SHE DOES THE FUNNIEST THINGS TO ENTERTAIN HERSELF AND ME, SHE'S STARTING TO ALSO TALK, WHICH IS A BIG MILESTONE FOR THIS CHILD. SHE CAN CLEARLY SAY NO, IN THE DAINTY VOICE OF HERS, AND HAS A VOCABULARY OF ABOUT 28 WORDS (VERY GOOD FROM 10 IN SEPTEMBER). SHE KNOWS HER COLORS, SHAPES AND CAN DO CALCULUS WITHOUT A CALCULATOR (JUST MAKING SURE THIS ISN'T A BORING POST LOL).  I AM A PROUD MOMMA, KNOWING THAT KIRA'S CLEFT PALATE ISN'T STANDING IN HER WAY OF VERBALLY MAKING HER POINT KNOWN.  

SO PLEASE COMMENT ON HOW I CAN IMPROVE MY PHOTOSHOP TECHNIQUES!