I ♥ Faces {B&W Scenic}

I think I missed the silhouette challenge for iheartfaces, I couldn't pass this B&W challenge up. I love this picture of my son and it is a scenic B&W, right?!

This picture was taken Thanksgiving Day last week. We decided to take a walk on the beach after our Thanksgiving feast was inhaled (we are blessed) and of course my camera is always in tow. My son was having some fun walking by himself and I was lucky enough to capture him. I love this capture (and him)! It looks like the rays of sunshine are streaming from his superman-like pose. The high tide had rescinded just a little while before we got there so I was able to get the reflection as well.

For some great photo tutorials and to challenge yourself a little, check out iheartfaces.




A Little Something

I LOVE the iheartfaces website. It's perfect for those who are trying to learn the ins and outs of photography. Trying to come up with the challenge for this week - Scenic B&W. It's not as easy as I thought and my eyes are slowly closing, involuntarily like. I think I'm going to have to call it a night. I will work on those B&W's in the morning before I head off for my crazy day job. Not that I have a night job, but I do have a crazy day job. Ugh, sometimes it's just - ugh. 

I am going to post two BEAUTIFUL photos of the place my family and I went to cut our Christmas tree this past weekend. It was a beautiful, perfect day to just...be. Be together, be happy, be a family.

Northlake Trees. Benson, NC


Manual, f/6.3, 1/400sec, ISO 200, Auto White Balance
 
  


Manual, f/6.3, 1/400sec, ISO 200, Manual white balance set to Shady + orange


I hope you enjoy these two pictures as much as I enjoyed physically being there. Love & Rockets...thanks for reading.

Contender





Maybe? Maybe not. But maybe.
This signature isn't too bad. I'm thinking something a little more simple. It's a work in progress.

{Great Vendor Deals} - Photography

Have a FABULOUS shopping day!

Doing What I Do

I may never be a famous photographer or even be good enough to get my pictures in the local newspaper. But, I enjoy what I do and putting my name on it. It's mine, right? At the same time, it's my right. Ew, that sounded a little harsh, huh? I didn't mean it that way, I'm just being passionate. I love my camera and my family and I love capturing the moments that make my heart happy and that bring a smile to my face. If you're reading my blog, you obviously enjoy my pictures too. Let's hope? If you'd like to see other photos that I have done, check them out. I'm going to do my best to keep posting as I go. I am on a mission to add links to the page so that they aren't just added to the same page and required to scroll through a billion photos. Work in progress, the story of my life.

I'm practicing silhouettes right now. They are a little tricky, but I'm gonna get it right, eventually. I took some really good ones today, at least I think they are good. I need to process them up a little. I'm looking for that perfect color balance. Photoshop isn't as easy as some may think,  I want to learn how to process completely in RAW (meaning: uncooked, unprocessed, it is what it is - photography wise) vs. JPEG. Fun stuff, right? I knew I was keeping you awake and on your toes, ha! I guess if you're not into photography, this would sound quite boring. I want to start posting tutorials on how/what I do to make my pictures look as they do when I post them. Pictures don't always come SOOC (straight out of the camera) looking so vibrate and full of life. They actually turn out looking boring and well, lifeless. Editing software can go a long way, even with your point-and-shoot camera.


Today we went for a walk on the beach after we sat down and inhaled a yummy Thanksgiving feast. We have so much to be thankful for, it goes beyond words.

If you take a moment and look around you, you'll find that you don't have to go far for colors, textures, photo backdrops - they are free and everywhere. You just have to look and open your creative doors. Make it fun, make it yours. There are a ton of websites that do sell cute backdrops and floors, but, when you don't have those available or don't want to spend the money, go for a drive and you'll be surprised at what an old barn or even a storage pod can do for your pictures. Look for color and texture, that's all you need.

I will attempt to post the silhouette pictures as well as a tutorial on the way I was able to capture them. A majority of my pictures have been trial and error, I learn as I go. I'm learning to write things down...that's a big one for me. Call it getting older, call it what you will, but I find that writing lists helps me more often than not.

As for my previous blog about what signature to use...I think I like this one (below). This idea came from another photographer, I added my own originality. I feel like we all use inspiration from others, it helps spark an idea or a feeling. I like this one and I think I'm gonna use it (for now, until I change my mind again). 

The Best Choice. A Watermark Post.

Who would have thought trying to choose the best watermark to describe your style or to represent you, could be such a difficult task? I just want to use them all! But, why can't I? I guess the rules are my own to make or break, right?

Which one is your favorite?


And believe me, I have more to choose from. I have different frames, brushes, swirly logos...too many to post. Let's start with these for now.

Thanks for your input!

Fix-It Friday [#78]

Another Fix-it Friday photo edit. I love tutorials like these. Reading the different editing tips and seeing other photographers styles and photos is fun yet educational. I "heart" it! 

**I am not the photographer of this photo.


First a adjusted the levels just slightly from the left and adjusted the curve from the middle up to the left. I then duplicated the layer and ran a high pass filter (my new fav!) using the soft light blend, adjusted to 39% opacity. I then used the lighten tool to lighten the little guys face. Next, I ran Florabella's sharpen/defog action, adjusted the opacity to 40%.


For a great photo tutorial website and to link up with other photographers, check out iheartfaces website. A great community to join and learn about photography and editing tips!






Not A Complete Waste

Intentions were great today, they really were. I had every intention of taking that perfect, Christmas card portrait today. It didn't quite work out that way. Tempers were high, attitudes were big, but the mosquitoes were even bigger. Ew.

The family was all dressed in coordinating everything. The hair was perfect. The time of day was even more perfect. We just couldn't coordinate the moods to match our perfect outfits and hair, sadly. Maybe next time, I guess.

After the short hike from the location of choice for the perfect Christmas picture (probably another reason for the anger - it was just a little walk, kind of) we decided that since we were already out and dressed, we might as well go out to dinner. Of course my attitude was not the greatest, I mean, all of that work for pictures and then to leave with nothing. I was not happy. But during our drive to dinner, my husband slowed down as we were crossing a bridge in Cape Carteret (NC). As I look to my right, I see the most beautiful sky against the water. There were fishing boats with the reflection of the setting sun sitting peacefully on the dark water. He kindly pulled to the side for me and offered to let me escape the tension in the car to capture this magnificent sight. Magnificent it was!!



  This sky made me forget the tempers, attitudes, and lack of cooperation that had been expressed by most of us just a little earlier. Next time will be better, hopefully. Christmas cards may be a little late, but it's okay.

Water under the bridge, right?

Fix-It Friday [#77]


It's another Fix-It Friday...woop! Here's my before and after of this little cutie, and how I did it:

Before                                                                                                                                                         After         

I don't use textures too often, I feel like I need alot of work with this part of editing. Well, I need alot of work with a ton more aspects of editing, but textures usually always end up being deleted from my shots. But, for this edit, ran the Florabella's "Musette" as a Soft Light layer at 83%. I then created a duplicate layer and ran a high pass filter then adjusted the blend to overlay and took the opacity down to 40%. I erased everywhere I did not want her to have texture on her. Then, I used the burn tool to darken her lashes and places around her face and hair. I also used the spot healing tool to take some pieces of hair from her face. I cropped the picture down just a little, no set size, to bring her face a little closer.

Take a look at the other edits from iheartfaces!

Baby Steps

Well, I did it! I've been there, done that! I can only keep moving forward. Even if it's only baby steps.

I had my first photo shoot on October 30, 2010. Well, not really my first-first but my first since learning a  little more about my camera and editing. With the photos I've done before, it was really just me learning to push the button on my camera and using more than "auto fix" in CS5. I still kind of draw a blank when I get behind the lens and am trying to play with my settings. It really stinks when you start taking the lens off of your camera at the end and you remember...OH NO, why didn't have have the polarizer filter on the lens...UGH UGH UGH!!?? Or, should I use a fill flash? There are so many questions that go through my head when I'm behind the camera and when I'm finished with the camera.

Thanks to Laryn, Jerod, and Keslyn Abshire for allowing me to be a part of their family for a little while and capturing their essence. I do appreciate you!


Now to try to find the time to fit more practice into my already busy day. I think I can is quickly turning in to I KNOW I CAN!
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