Monday, January 28, 2008

POTD - 1/29/08 Multi-tasking!

We have to multi-task every night. While Schyler works out on the elliptical, I clean-up from dinner and get her spelling words ready for her to pratice.
When she's done working out, it's my turn. While I'm working out, Schyler reads to me out loud. She has to read every night in order to improve so this way she's reading, while I'm getting some exercise. So we both get something done together that we both need! Schyler likes to do it this way because she gets to hang out with me while I'm exercising and she thinks she's making time go by faster for me by reading to me. LOL!
This room is really small and the only lens I have that's small enough with a decent aperture was my 50mm. I also used my speedlight with these. Feel free to cc anything you see. I know my composition isn't the greatest due to the space issues. I really need to get a wide angle lens for indoors.

Friday, January 25, 2008

POTD - Words - 1/26/08

Nothing great, I'm reaching here LOL! I was on the elliptical working out and I was really getting tired and wanted to stop. I happened to look down at the stereo and my wonderful husband who never picks up after himself left a few boxes of golf balls on the stereo. The nike box caught my eye. Each time I wanted to quit I just re-read "Power Distance" and I continued on. So this was just a few words of encouragement for me tonight!
I ran urban acid on it just to jazz it up a little bit.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

POTD - Words - 1/24/08

This is just a tribute to my DH and my Dad. DH's birthday was yesterday and my Dad's is today. Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

POTD - Words 1/23/08

Here's Schyler working on her spelling "words". She really has to study her spelling words every night in order to do well.

I was actually practising using my speedlight. Then I realized I was on theme :) She has a lot of pink in her room and she was wearing pink so I got a color cast on her face. I posted most of them in B&W but I did add one in color for cc on my flash use. I think I should have turned it down a little, but I don't know anything about flash so if you have cc please give it!
Nikon D70s ISO1000 SS1/30 f/2.5 I had the flash set at +1/3EV

Monday, January 14, 2008

POTD - Photoshop

I used Juice Drops again on this photo. I took this photo during my photography class with Wendy Schultz. The assignment was lighting and this was for shooting in full sun.

SOOC

Juice Drops Grunge Cuts
I wanted a lot of the net to show through but I think I should have used an overlay to make the grunge brighter and darker. I also tried to put a border on but I couldn't seem to get it to work. I bought those grunge borders from Ladyren a while ago and have never actually sat down and figure out how to use them. It's on my list of things to learn!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

POTD - Photoshop - Before & After Techniques

I have pretty much no experience with textures or grungy looks. This is my first try and I had no idea what I was doing. So I'm looking for opinions and cc of any kind on this and some tutorials would be extra nice!! ;O)

No new photos but here is the original.
This is the photoshopped version. I erased her skin back a lot because otherwise she looked like she had tattoos all up and down her arms.
Here's another, again not a new photo, but this is the original.
Here is the photoshopped version. I didn't know if I should have erased more of her jacket or not I guess I need a crash course and what to do and not to do. But please cc anything! I'd like to get a better idea and learn how to do this better for seniors. They love stuff like this!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Making of the False Face

This was a short focus for the New Year. Schyler's Social Studies project. She had a few weeks to complete it and chose to do a false face which are made by Iroquois Indians.

We used a mask like you would see on the Lone Ranger (LOL) and put it around a balloon. This way we could get the form of the eyes and nose. Then we stripped newspaper and made the glue out of flour and water. It took quite a lot of layers.
Once she was happy with the final paper mache' form, she painted it. We actually found a few online and she chose this particular one. It was a false face with the look of surprise.
I did not use my speedlight and I have a serious yellow cast on these.
After a few coats of paint and some eyes added, we hot glued yarn for hair.

Project was due today, bus was coming and I hadn't gotten any photos of the final project. I had no time for the speedlight nor to get good exposure. So yes these are not technically correct but they serve our purpose!She is such a card!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

POTD - Focus into 2008

Another focus for me is to spend a little more time with my family. I tend to get on the computer and forget about them. Schyler got skipbo for Christmas and we have been playing it almost every day since then. So the 3 of us play and the cat even gives it a try.

I finally got my speedlight out and took these with it. I know almost nothing about it but my "focus" this winter is to figure the darn thing out. So feel free to cc these if you'd like. Can you tell?Here's the baby trying to get involved in the game. She is so spoiled. All my family and friends will go crazy when they see I took these. I'm not a cat person at all but my DH is. Obviously!

I think I oversharpened this one?
Look - her paw is on the card LOL!

Monday, January 7, 2008

POTD - Focus into 2008

Our family focus this year is to get more exercise during the long winter months. We're pretty active from Spring-Fall but the winter months we go stagnant.

Our temperatures have warmed up and we have lost most of our snow. My nieces got snowshoes for Christmas and Schyler got new poles so they wanted to go snowshoeing. Great way to get some exercise during the winter months. So I put on my boots and took them for a hike up on the back hills.

Schyler is the leader (of course, she's the oldest so she thinks she always runs the show), then my middle niece, my older niece and the baby niece.
Baby niece didn't have snowshoes but she wanted to go with us. I was carrying my camera anyway so I didn't mind. She had to keep taking breaks because she was tired. She kept eating the snow and I had to let her in on the "just don't eat the yellow snow!" Of course I got, Why? LOL!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

POTD - Hats Off!

Wew, I finally made theme before it was over :) I have a few tactics with Schyler. When I feel like having a practice session, I'll put on America's Next Top Model. Which for the most part there is usually a marathon running on the weekends. So if she sees that I'm watching it, she'll sit and watch too. After a while, she'll say hey mom wanna do pictures? Of course I've already decided in my head what clothes, etc. I want her to wear beforehand. Usually works like a charm! Evil, I know!!

It looked much warmer outside than it really was. We were only out for about 10-15 minutes and our hands were froze.

I don't trust my monitor at all now since my problems with it. So any CC on color is greatly appreciated. Actually cc anything!

When I saw this hat at Ltd Too, it screamed her name so I coughed up the money. Normally I wouldn't have unless it was on sale but it was worth it. She has pretty much worn it every day since Christmas.

I didn't think I needed a reflector because of the snow but it wasn't really that bright out. It was pretty gloomy and the hat brim didn't help her eyes either.
One of my faves!I struggle with BW conversions so cc away!

Friday, January 4, 2008

POTD - My Excitement!

Some of you might remember I took Wendy Schultz's Photography class over the summer. Which was absolutely awesome by the way! I received an email from her on Wednesday. She was starting something new on her blog. She is going to feature one of her student's photos each week and she chose mine!!! This will begin today.

This was one of my favorite photos I got of my 3 nieces and DD. No you can't see them exactly but I love how they are exploring together. It reminds me of a winnie the pooh story for some reason. I think Wendy said it reminded her of a Mark Twain story.

So no this isn't a new photo and I'm breaking the POTD rules but I was excited and wanted to post this :o)


Nikon D70s ISO400 - f7.1 - 1/1000