Monday
One more click and you are THERE!
Sunday
Monday
Looking for me?
Wednesday
Its moving day....come on over!
Tuesday
How Blogging found me...
Sunday
Saturday: what a day!
We are off to the Circus!
Friday
My favorite photos.....and MORE tips!
You push the button on your camera to focus, and it indicates you do not need a flash. Hey it is a sunny day out hiking, why on earth would I use a flash? If I had not forced my flash to fire, my boys would be dark in the shadow of this cave. And I would have gotten home and been disappointed with the shot. Instead I got this shot and it is one of my favorites.
Get down to their level:Hot over-cast day. Kids doing slip-n-slide (nakie I might add!).No flash needed. But I did bend down to make better eye contact and to able to capture the popsicles undistorted.
Tilt it!
Now this tip (or 'trick) is a real secret of commercial photographers. Take portraits at a slight angle. Now in this particular case...I didn't- I took a regular ol'boring straight up and down photo...but when I cropped it, I also turned it a little to give it this effect. So you can go play around with photos on your computer right now! It is obvious in this shot if you look that the palm tree in background. Something about angles makes the subject feel more engaged with the viewer. And this tip can turn a boring photo into a winner.
Get off Center:
Get out of the habit of having your subject dead center of each photograph. Move them to the right or left. Put them down at the bottom of an image and capture a beautiful sky behind them. Mix it up. Take the same photo as many ways as possible. This photo won me a little award on Photo.net years ago. And can you tell I had just said to my then 2 year old Tucker "Do NOT pick the poppies!".....and yes, I clicked...and he picked!
So those are a few photos I really love. And some tips I like to teach to others (some you have heard in my other posts- but I wanted to really nag you about them!) These photos are my favorites because they capture such happy memories of times with my boys. And that is the real purpose of great photography. It is not just about making something 'frameable' but it is about capturing what you FELT and not only what was SEEN. Now go on...get off this blog and go shoot something! Hey, let me know how it goes will ya?
The Universe gives me a do-over.
Thursday
Held Hostage by Uplinkearth
Wednesday
When the lens was turned on me....
I was living across the bay from San Francisco. I enrolled in a summer class at Cal State Hayward to hone some of my digital photography skills. As I was waiting in the assigned classroom, because of course I was early, a young college boy walked in and asked if I was the instructor. That was the first time I realized- I might be the only 'old' person in this class. The young college boy was then followed by even younger college girls. Until the room filled up completely. I eyed the door. I considered bolting. But I paid for the class already- and my husband had agreed to babysit so I reconsidered and waited for the instructor. Eventually he came in- also young, disheveled and because I judge and asses people immediately...I decided he was unorganized and unprepared. I was right.
I attended those Saturday classes for 6 weeks. I learned very little. And second to the last week we were put on teams (the very concept of a creative team makes me cringe) to.....get this.....photograph each OTHER. This put me in a tail spin of panic. I am really only comfortable BEHIND the camera. And I was sporting about 40 extra lbs at the time. So my self image was pretty darn low. SO the following week arrives and all the little young co-eds arrived in the skimpiest, tiniest and sexiest outfits they owned. You know- to be in their own fabulous 'photo shoot'. Obviously they were hoping to parlay the photos of themselves to use on their MySpace profile. I however, arrived with a coat. A huge coat. and A scarf. A hat. And a big ol flower. Time for my close up? I decide to block the majority of my face with the flower. I got an A+ in the class. But certainly not for my modeling choices....those need a lot of work.
Want more photo humiliation with the back story? Visit We are That Family for a linky like no other....
Tuesday
I finally figured it out!
Rock'n and Roll'n in OC. Not in a good way.
Monday
My Oxy Moron moment
Will I ever stop giving advice????
A talented man....
Saturday
Dinner at the beach & my big mouth....
Friday
My first Award! Yippeee!
I won an award people! This is the first blog-award I have won and it means a lot to me. Lit and Laundry gave it to me! In case you are new to this whole thing- there are a few awards that sorta float out in the blogosphere...and are awarded by fellow bloggers. Once you receive you are to select new winners (in this case 7). Generally it means someone thinks your blog is pretty neat.....and well, that is just darn flattering. Okay so here are my 7 folks to pass it on too...so hard to pick. Since I think everyone on my blogroll is worth reading and I just sorta promoted some of my favorites here. But here are 7 more!
Yes, I am fearfully and wonderfully the maid, Shamelessley Sassy, From under the Laundry Pile, One Crazy Chick, Blah Blah Blog, Always Home and Uncool, Lisa Mertins Life Illustrated
If you don't know these blogs- take a peek today. All are entertaining and worth the price of admission! Thanks again Lit and Laundry for this award!
Thursday
Reasons not to clean out your cabinets
Wednesday
Bail for my kids....
Letter to High School Marcy
Tuesday
I dream big.....
If Noah Had a Pantry on the Arc
Monday
My people...my tribe
Happy Birthday 1980 style
Sunday
Football is my part time job...
Well, I can hardly believe it Internet- but Pop Warner Football training season is upon us. And my baby boy is playing this year even though I did everything but pay him not to. Today he is attending a Tackling Camp (yes, you heard me TACKLE). So I am paying like $500 for my kid to be TACKLED weekly. The practices begin officially August 1st and get this...they are EVERY DAY for 2 hours. Here are a few photos from last season as I was the team photographer and will be again this year to I am afraid. It was flag only-thank god, and he is #23.....can you tell HE LOVES IT? Why oh, why couldn't I have had little pink, glittery, wimpy GIRLS??? (oh I know I am totally sexist with that comment. deal)
Here is to another great season. Hope I survive.
Hope my kid survives too...
Go Bulldogs!