Fix it Friday

 

 

SOOC

Fix #1 in Light Room 2

Fix #2 in Light Room 2 and texture added in PSE 6.

Now head on over to I ♥ Faces for other great fixes!!

Happy Birthday to My Darling Diva!

My Dear Darling Daughter,

3 years have come and gone so quickly!  I am sad that time is zipping by too quickly and I hope you realize that I am having the time of my life being with you and teaching you about this big world that we live in!  I love being your mommy and there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for sending you to us!

I am proud of you for everything that you have accomplished in your three years on earth!  You have learned to walk (better late than never) and talk (way to early!  LOL!)!  You got to go on an airplane for the first time and shortly thereafter you were potty trained in a matter of 3 days!  Way to go!!  You can count to 20 and know your ABCs and your colors!  You are a wonderful singer and dancer and you are super imaginative!  I think you get your creativity from me and your temper from daddy!!  Ha!  Ha!

 I love that you are my cohort in crime and go almost everywhere I go!!  I love being able to take you places and show you the good things this world has to offer!  I hope you know that the best is yet to come!!  By turning three, there will be doors opened up to you that were never open before like pre-school and ballet class!  I know you are excited for both!

What else can I say but I LOVE YOU Rosebud!  You are the most beautiful flower in the world and I am blessed to be your mommy!!

AND NOW (drum roll please)..................
for my favorite photo of the Diva EVER!  This was taken
the day I did Caleb's shoot!!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY BABY!

Spring is Coming!!

This is a shot from the greenhouse at MHS!  I saw a few blooms that made me feel like spring is getting closer!!  I sure hope so!  Today the sun is shining and this little bloom made me feel wonderful!!  The Diva loved the petting zoo that the FFA had and I just enjoyed the sunlight!!  Hope you like the texture I added!

Don't forget that you can still vote for the Diva HERE!

Caleb Preview

For this shoot I called Mr. Miller in Greenup who tinkers with old trucks and has converted his garage into a museum of sorts! He was so nice to let us come and ogle his cool old trucks, posters, gas pumps, baseball cards, oil cans, baseball bats and, oh yeah, the Coke stuff galore!!

Caleb and his family are NASCAR fans so this photo was perfect for them!! Caleb loved this old hat and wore it for several shots!! LOL!

Elvis was even in the building for the occasion! We spent about an hour at the location and had a great time! If you would like to see more you can go here!

Preschool Roundup

Wow!  Is it that time already?  Did I not JUST bring her home from the hospital?  Is she really turning 3 on Friday?  (Insert LOTS of crying sounds here!)  OK, I'm a little better now! 

Anyway, today we go to be tested to see where she is in her skills and to see if she is ready to go to preschool in the fall!  I can already tell you, without testing, that she is ready!  She is a big talker and has known her ABCs and numbers for over a year now!  She is a very social creature and, much to my dislike, has never me a stranger!

The Knight does not want her to go!  He is having trouble with this!  He thinks I should keep her home and work with her, which I have done, but it is TIME!  Besides, it's only 2 afternoons a week and we have chosen a faith based school where she will be right at home!!

Please don't forget to go HERE to vote for the Diva's photo to be the weekly winner in the Parents.com photo contest! You can vote once a day through the 28th! Thanks!

The Diva is a Parents Photo Favorite

Just wanted to let you know that the Diva's photo was chosen as a Parents Magazine favorite!! Please vote for her and she could be this weeks winner!!

Go HERE to vote!! You can vote daily until the 28th!!  This is the photo they chose!!

I ♥ Faces - Hands

This is without a doubt my favorite photo of ALL TIME!  These are the hands of the people I love!  The top hand belongs to my father in law, who passed away in September of last year along with the Diva, the Knight and the Moody Teen!  This photo tells the story of generations!  3 or 4 generations depending on how you look at it since my kids are 14 years apart!  You can read the original story that goes along with the photo from last February here!

This picture hangs over our entertainment center as a constant reminder of what was and what will never be again!  It is a photo of love and I am proud to share it with the i ♥ faces community and you my readers (for my readers, this is the second time.  For i ♥ faces, the first)!

We miss you Papa!!

Silent Sunday (A Hint About Yesterday's Shoot)!!

I was having trouble uploading from Blogger which is why these are bigger than normal! Enjoy the hint of things to come!!

Drumroll Please........

I am pleased to introduce my brand new logo!  It was reworked a few times from the originals that I posted yesterday!  So here goes:

 

And here is is how it will look on a photo!!

I chose this design because it fits my personality!  Unique and fun are what I was going for!  I didn't want one of those stuffy, uppity logos that scream snobby at me when I see them!!  LOL!  Thanks to everyone who gave me input and suggestions!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  I have photos at a GREAT new location on Saturday so I will be on the road to do a fun shoot with a 9 year old boy (mom and dad will be in a few too)!  Of course, I will share the outcome of the shoot!  Sunday we are supposed to get anywhere from 3-7 inches of new snow on top of the 6 or 7 we already have so it will be a great day to stay in and edit!!

I Need YOUR Help!!

It does not involve giving me money or coming to do manual labor at my house although both of those would be great!!  Kidding!  As I mentioned a few posts ago, I am working on branding my photography business and I am having trouble deciding which logo I like the best!  I have successfully narrowed it down to two options that I am crazy about!  I like the look and the colors just scream my name!!  LOL!  I also like the fun factor here because I am a fun girl and when I shoot, I really have fun!!  So here is a photo of the Diva from yesterday with both options!!  Please let me know which one you like best by leaving the comment camera or leaf!  I really appreciate all your help!!  Please keep in mind this will be on EVERYTHING from photos to letterhead to photocards!!  Thanks again!!

Outtakes From the Diva's Second 3 Year Shoot!

A couple of weeks ago, you may remember that I took the Diva to our favorite coffee house to attempt her 3 year photo shoot!  I was alone, with no child wrangler and I failed miserably even though several people thought they were cute but I was not one of those people!!  Ha!  Ha!  If you remember I vowed that next time I would take a helper with me, well........I lied!  I set off this morning with the Diva, camera and some items to bribe her with in my bag!!


In true Diva style, she wanted no part of having her photo taken!  My bad!!  Ha!  Ha!  I did manage to get some really cute shots of her that I will share with you on the 26th which is her 3rd birthday (wow, where has the time gone?) but for now I will share my favorite outtakes!  And YES, she is wearing the same outfit as the first shoot!!  I really wanted good photos in it before she outgrows it!!  Besides, dresses and jeans work well for her because she has NO booty and she always ends up with plumber's crack when she bends over.  I am not talk a shallow shot here we are talking deep crack!   But I digress!!  Sorry, my bad!

This one had me laughing because she is channeling my mother who used to give this

look all the time!  Oh my, I think I am in trouble!!

Are you serious?!?!?!?

Hey mommy, there is a lizard on your head!!  Silly lizard!

And then there is the collage of faces!  Some sweet, some devilish but ALL her!!

A Day in the Country

Yesterday we decided that it was time for the Knight to go out to his dad's and start going through the garage! It turned out to be therapeutic and a wonderful walk down memory lane! The Knight found two knives that he used to use when he was younger! It turned out to be a wonderful day! Unless, of course, you take into account that queen Scruffy was not amused that someone was in her castle going through her things!! She sat on the tool bench and watched anxiously and when she was disturbed she would fly to the rafters and pace nervously!! The Knight tried to make nice by petting her but she swatted his hand and tore a nice little gash in his finger!! She was not a happy camper!!

I wondered around and took lots of photos outside in the snow! I just love the little things you find to photograph while wondering aimlessly! I even crossed the road to get some cool shots and misjudged a ditch (it was deeper than I thought) and sank up to my knees!! Thank goodness for knee high furry boots!! They kept my feet warm and dry!! Here are some of the photos that caught my eye!

 

The Diva's favorite place to sit and relax!

  

Loving the sunflares!!

  

  

 I think this old bike was one of my favs of the day!  Oh, who am I kidding?  I loved them all!!

  

 

The day ended with the Knight showing Crissie how to shoot the pistol! It reminded me of the first time he taught me to shoot! As a side note: I was so good with the guns (bulls eyes at all distances) that he does not let me shoot very often! Ha! Ha! Anyway, not Crissie feels better shooting and caring for the gun! I hope she never has to use it!!

No he does not always look like a thug!!  LOL!

I hope you all have a great Monday and a super week!!

It's All About Location, Location, Location

Most of my clients are anti studio, anti backdrop kind of people!  Let me say for the record, if you are a studio photographer that is great!  It's just not me or my clients!  For us it is all about a location that will highlight the personality of the clients I am working with therefore, I do not have a studio where I trudge everyday.  That makes it too much like work and the whole point of my photography is to have fun, make money and be able to stay home with my daughter!

So where do you shoot in the winter????  Well, during the colder months there is some creativity required but I am telling you that it is not impossible!!  For newborn shoots I usually go to the home of the client and carry a few things that really make the photos look like they were done in a studio.  I travel fairly light with a basket that carries various material, a boppy, hats, cocoons and a sling!

The photos of these two little cuties were done at my house on my couch and my antique sideboard in my dining room!  So easy and no studio rental to pay!!

OK, I want family shots but it is February and very cold and snowy!  What can we do?  I have found several great indoor locations and they are really cool!  Location number one:  the public library!  Oh, yeah it is really cool especially if you live in a town with an older, quaint library or a very new and modern library!  Both work great!!


This adorable trio was shot at the public library in Charleston, IL.  It worked perfectly and we also got some shots in new kids section of the library!  No library close by?  My new favorite location is Common Grounds, the local coffee house!!  It also helps that a Snickers Latte is my favorite hot drink and shooting there allows me to purchase this wonderful treat!!  Most of you know I have been trying to do the Diva's three year photos here but find myself in need of an assistant to help wrangle my own child!!  LOL!  You can see my feeble attempts here and here!  I also use an old warehouse that has been converted into a youth center for a local church and the new Fine Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University!  The next weekend I will be doing a session with a 9 year old boy in a barn that houses lots of cool old car, trucks and memorabilia!  This is the same little boy that I took to the historic train depot last year!

If your clients are really open minded and willing to try anything go to the laundry mat, during the off hours!  It can be lots of fun to shoot there and different!  So see, all you gotta do is think outside the box and create your own "studio"!!

My business has grown 500% in the first few months of 2010 so I am venturing out a little bit and getting ready to do some OCF (Off Camera Flash) when all my new toys arrive!  Stay tuned for more photo madness!!

The Diva

Likes to read a lot!!

Is considering taking up chess!  Actually, she just wants the pieces!

Loves little tables and chairs!  I have one chair to paint and am looking

for another little wooden school chair also!  The Knight is going to 

make her a cute little table to go with them!

Loves the bright colors of Common Grounds, our new icky day hang out!

Loves the icing off of the Valentine cookies and the homemade chocolate milk!

Will not look at the camera, no matter what I do or say!!  Sigh....

One Rockin' Night.......

We set out to raise money for Haiti and Convoy of Hope and boy did we ever!!!  Common Grounds Coffee House was PACKED wall to wall and front to back!  There were NO seats available!  The best part was we raised $1088.00 for Convoy of Hope!  That will buy a ton of meals for the people who need it most right now!!

I had so much fun!!  Yes, I sang and no I did not get any photos or video of myself but I did take some cool concert photos!!  These were all shot without flash using a Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens!  This primary lens is my go-to gal for low light situations and she did not disappoint this time either!  I wanted to make sure to capture the mood that was set with the blue lighting on the artists while capturing the window of the coffee house and the lighting outside from traffic lights and passing cars! 

Here is the info for all the photos: 
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO:  400 (added to the edgy look of the photos!  One time when grainy is OK!)
Aperture:  f 1.4
Speed:  1/50 sec.

Now on to the photos of some great young artists!!

 

Bethany Hansen

AJ Schubert

 

Jenna Jackley

 

  

I am not sure of the names of the guys in the last two photos but they were a couple of my favorites shots from the night!!   The last photo is my absolute favorite!!  It was a great night for a great cause and I was just humbled by the response!