Shock and Awe

Of all the pictures I took during our recent trip to Disney World, this one is by far my favorite. I love Scott and Annelise's expression as they watched a stage show at Cinderella's castle. It conveys their sense of wonderment and joy completely. I am trying to change my perspective more often in order to capture not just the event but the people's reactions to the event.

Confession: I only took my Canon Powershot to WDW. I know.

It's a Girl Thing

I wish these came in MY size.

A Long Time Gone

I have seriously neglected the ol' photo blog. Not sure how that happened, but will try to post more often. At least more than once every few months.

Okie dokie then.

I stumbled across this Digital Photography School blog today and am currently obsessed. Seems to have practical tips, weekly challenges and reviews for new newbies like me and seasoned photo junkies. Once again, I am committing to playing with my camera more and taking a few pictures every. single. day. There. You have my word.

Here are a few pictures of A. yesterday. Which was also her 5th birthday.

I used my 50mm/1.4 lens for most of the shots. I may need to move back to using AV mode most often, because with manual several of my shots were either over or under exposed; plus I'm still pitifully slow and I miss out on some good shots. Full Auto sure is nice and safe, if not for the annoying flash.

Signs of Summer

Our sunflowers are bursting open in our garden. It makes me so happy to glance out the windows and see their happy faces looking back at me. They rise up so tall and proud. It's like they are watching over the tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables growing.

After Memorial Day

I tried to take some pictures of A. yesterday evening after a day of swimming. Um, yeah. These are the results. Enjoy.

Scenes from the Strawberry Patch

Last week Annelise and I went with some friends to a local farm to pick strawberries. Along with filling our buckets, I tried to take some pictures. It's a bit of a challenge to try to be a photographer and participate in the experience too. Wearing my camera around my neck and trying to bend down to pick strawberries was quite humorous. Or frustrating. Even though I feel burdened by the bulk or weight of my camera at times, I am almost always pleased with the results.

I love the effect of tilting the camera, just a smidge to create a more interesting angle. This old sign is so rustic and beautiful in it's simplicity. This photo is one of my favorites from the outing. One of my photography goals is to take pictures in a more photojournalist style, let the signs and objects tell the story.

I loved the huge tire they have near the entrance. We were a bit rushed and Annelise was on overdrive, so I didn't really get to *play*.

You know there has to be a close up. Here it is.

There is a gorgeous old tree (several actually) with the perfect low branch. I wish I could have taken a few more pictures there.

After all the hard work picking berries, Annelise took a swing break. The rows and rows of strawberries are in the background.

You can see more pictures and read more about our adventure here.

Fields of Blue

We drove out to Chappell Hill yesterday to get some family shots in the bluebonnets. I did use the tripod for the first time, I L.O.V.E. it. I'm sure it was quite hilarious as I pushed the shutter and hopped over the bluebonnets to pose with Scott and Annelise. I wish I had brought my remote, that would have made it easier.

I took several shots with my 70-300mm lens. I was so caught up in the bluebonnets, the barn and posing that I did not finagle the settings as I should have. Ooops. We took an ice cream break and went back for a few more. I used my 50mm and tried different manual settings. The afternoon sunlight turned out to be fairly harsh. For these shots, SmugMug auto adjusted the color/exposure.

Easter Afternoon Close ups

Took several shots around the yard this afternoon. Bright sunlight caused some shadows on other pictures. Still a fan of the extreme close up.

17-85mm & 70-300mm, portrait setting

How Many More Mom?

A. sat patiently as I took several pictures. Notice the pink shoes (of course) that are shedding glitter all. over. my. house.

70mm, f 5.6, 1/8

A Girl and her Pappo

A. and I took my dad out for a birthday breakfast at IHOP this morning. His birthday was Tuesday. Of course I brought along The Camera. I actually considered taking my little Powershot, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I also did not get a shot with myself in the picture, I couldn't relinquish control of The Camera.

I used my 50mm 1.4, f4, 1/15. I love (of course) the close-up of this, and I was sitting across the table. Not sure what the strange orbs are, maybe a reflection from the glass wall we were beside. I don't have Photoshop so I can't edit it it out. I'll live with it for now.

Just Ducky

This morning I glanced out our window to see two webbed feet visitors waddling across our yard. Since I am pretending to be a photographer, I grabbed my camera and dashed outside. I tempted them with some bread so they might linger a while so I could capture some shots.

I switched to my 70-300mm lens and snapped several as they waddled around. I took a few in Manual, but since I'm slow, slow, slow as I adjust my settings, I realized I might miss these little webbed friends. I shot in Av mode instead.

140mm, f11, 1/50. We were in the shade, so it turned out a bit dark. I should have tweaked that I guess.

300mm, f11, 1/125 See I even shoot close-ups of ducks! Maybe there is a close-up support group?

Goal for this week: Practice more in Manual mode in order to get faster. Take pictures every day, both outdoors and inside.

I quickly snapped this picture this afternoon before picking up A. from Pre-K. I felt like capturing a bit of Spring on a muggy February day, however a windy day and a time crunch don't lend themselves to the best results. Oh well...

One of my goals these next few days is to practice with my 17-85mm IS lens. Using the 50mm 1.4 these last couple of days really spoiled me, the prime lens is hard to beat. However, I think the 17-85mm will be my walk-around lens, since it covers a nice range. I also want to experiment with some of the exercises mentioned in Understanding Exposure.

This was taken in Av mode at 85mm, f11, 1/50. I should have been closer and shortened the depth of field more.

By now you may have noticed that I am a fan of the close-up. Given my druthers (whatever druthers are) I prefer to shoot close. At least that's where I am today, I still have a lot to experiment with my camera and different lenses.

I am also learning I am NOT a fan of the flash. It is so harsh and unflattering. Of course, I only have the pop up flash. Someday I will upgrade. Maybe. Right now, I'm enjoying learning to shoot without it. I love the natural light.

This was shot in Av mode (A. wasn't feeling extra patient this afternoon for me to tweak the full manual) at 1.4 aperture, 1/125 shutter speed.

You Called?

My Brain Finally Clicked

The other day I had a lightbulb (or should I say flash) moment. I was reading through this and trying to use the manual settings on my camera. Finally, everything came together and made sense. I snapped some pictures using the Av setting and then I played with the full Manual (Full Monty?) settings. My goal was to capture some of A., but I did NOT want the flash to wash everything out.

I took several with my 50mm 1.4 lens and was excited to see the results. I love the bokeh (blurred background) and the soft, natural light. It did not come out as sharp as I might have liked, but I still like this photo.

I have to admit I was pretty proud of my little old self.

The scoop: 50mm 1.4 lens set @ 1.4 aperture, 1/40 shutter speed, ISO 200