We always make my mother so proud when we “pick each others noses” and when we stick our tongues out. What can I say, we accomplished both here!
Somehow when Tbug gets picked on, I’m the one who always gets beat up.
She was trying to put her hands on my belly but poor girl has short arms or something and it looked like she was grabbing my chest. I cracked up laughing.
Now at first glance you may be asking what my problem is… well look at hubby there… He’s licking my face….
There are no words.
If my hair was longer I could soooo be Cousin It from the Addams Family.
Another what in the heck was my problem. Yeah hubby grabbed my butt and he caught my face on film. Dang it because it’s really a good photo minus my face.
Then I went to give Tbug a wedgy and she yanked me to the ground with her. I had to explain she can’t do that to me.
Um… I have no clue what Tbug’s problem is. My problem was I had a hair stuck on my tongue.
Yeah no words!
Again… um…
And who doesn’t go around acting like they’re licking their arm pits… seriously!
And that my friends, shows why my mom loves when we take pictures. Don’t worry though, we got some good ones too. I’d hope at least out of 159 photos give or take. Happy Monday and hopefully you at least got a good laugh at us!
Oh how to start this post… let’s think… Monday my husband called me a photography snob. Should I give a bit of a back story to this? I promise, he isn’t mean or rude or whatever {insert your favorite word here}… I promise. Actually I could almost agree with him sadly! But it isn’t intentional. Let me explain.
Monday was Memorial Day. We were at the lake all weekend working on all kinds of different scuba certifications. Okay I wasn’t, I’m not allowed to dive right now… but I was like the gopher. Anything anyone needed on shore I ran and grabbed for them. And I use ran loosely because we all know my speed right now…
When we went to bed on Sunday night, I wasn’t sure if anyone had said if “we” were diving on Monday or not. All I knew is we were driving in to Garfield (AR) for a breakfast fundraiser for the local fire department. While we were at the Fire house we decided to go over to Pea Ridge where the Civil War battle was fought and tour. Prior to that decision, no one knew we were doing that that so none of us really brought a camera. My FIL had his point and shoot and another girl had hers, the rest of us were stuck with phone cameras. Those of us who like pictures kind of complained. I was one of the complainers, especially because I almost took my camera but at the last minute left it in the RV.
So we got to this site in the tour and I thought it was gorgeous. One advantage of iPhone photo… pano shots!
I’m sure if you’ve been around these parts any time at all you know that I create a collage of photos of hubby and me, one photo per month for the year. So I got to thinking that I wasn’t sure that I had taken a May photo of just us yet and the month is almost over. I’ve kind of been avoiding being in front of cameras lately because I feel like a huge whale.
But I wanted to keep up with the tradition of one photo a month so I made him smile for a photo. These are the 2 photos I got….
The first one as you can see is fairly dark on us and the background is blown out. The second photo we were illuminated better but again, the background is really blown out. It annoyed me. So then my FIL walked over wanted wanted to take a picture of us there too. I then became the uncooperative person. I threw my hands over my face 1) I look like a whale 2) no make up at all which makes it even worse 3) I knew it would either blow one or the other out (us or the background). Okay I didn’t know but I figured based off those previous photos.
Eventually everyone made me take my hands down and he took the photo. I didn’t see it, so I’m not sure how it turned out really.
So here comes the photography snob part….
On our way home, I debated on how to make the shot work. I went through the different settings on my dSLR and how I would have set them, etc. And if this didn’t work, this is how I would tweak it to make it work and I went through this out loud for quite a while. That’s when hubby called me a picture snob. He said that I sit there and study photos and photography and camera settings, etc and sometimes I come off as a photography snob. Especially when I start walking through things I would have done differently etc or why that wouldn’t work with that particular shot. He said I was really bad in the fall of 2009 when I was taking my photography class. And I should mention at that time I shot in full auto mode. I’ve now learned how to shoot in manual mode.
Here’s the thing… I’m not trying to come off as that and usually I only say these things around him. But I think out loud with the knowledge I’ve acquired trying to decide if I think I know how to make the shot. I’ve even been known to try it if I have the opportunity. And sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And so I go back to the drawing board and re-think what I was thinking and try again. Sadly I don’t always get those “try” shots though… but that doesn’t keep me from trying to think about it. I see it as a way to grow my photography knowledge and be willing to try things. Trust me, I’ve taken a lot of really bad photos. I’m not trying to be a photography snob but trying to learn and teach myself as I go.
So maybe I am a photography snob, but I promise, that is not my intention. I’m just trying to learn. An art like this is one of those where you are constantly learning and growing as you go.
Sorry, you may not be interested in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, however, I think I’m making myself more notes than anything. That way I know where to go back once I can’t remember… LOL :).
Slowly but surely I’m trying to teach myself Photoshop. Remember, that’s one of my 101 in 1001 items. Although I’m not sure I’ll learn everything there is about photoshop in 1001 days, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give it my best effort.
So here is the photo Straight out of Camera (SOOC).
It’s a decent photo, but it could use some improvement. What I’m going to show you here though, is how to pop his eyes.
As you can see here, I played with the coloring. It was a bit on the blue side so I warmed it up a bit. Yes we both need a tan, but not like the first photo shows!
The two main types of dSLR cameras it seems like people use are Canon’s & Nikon’s. When I got my first dSLR, I bought a Canon but then later hubby switched me over to Nikon’s. I love my Nikon, not to say I didn’t love my Canon, but I’ve since upgraded as well, so to say I love my Nikon over my Canon would be a bit of an understatement because the Nikon is a few steps up from my original Canon.
Whew, did you follow all of that? I’m not sure I did!
So I took a photography class when I first bought my dSLR. In fact, that’s why I bought my dSLR. Prior to that I had a Canon Point and Shoot that had dSLR settings which I had absolutely no idea what they were or how to use them. I should have read the owners manual, but come on, seriously, read all that jargon that I didn’t understand in the first place. Oy!
Today I want to share with you what I’ve learned about the Settings. Now I’ve never shot in fully automatic. Sad to say I’m not sure I understand it. LOL. You know, the simplest one. All I knew is I didn’t want the flash and it kept putting it on so I steered clear of fully automatic.
The Settings
Green Auto (Canon – Green box) – This is the Fully Automatic setting. Everything is already programmed and the flash pops up when it thinks it is needed. (Steer clear of the flash if at all possible!!)
P = Program – I shot in this mode quite a bit before I totally figured out manual. You can pick and choose whether or not to use the flash in this setting. This setting is very similar to the Fully Auto setting, but you have the ability to change your ISO. As you change the ISO, the camera adjusts the rest of your settings.
S (Shutter Speed or Canon – Tv = Time Value)
~In this setting you can change the shutter speed using the little dial on the backside of the camera.You also set the ISO settings.
A Slow Shutter Speed (low number) was used for the picture on this picture.
~When keeping the shutter opened for a longer amount of time you will often need a tripod (or monopod) or you have to hold extremely still or you will a crazy blurry picture.
A Fast Shutter Speed (high number) was used for this picture.
~High light. Makes it extremely easy to use a fast shutter speed.
A (or Canon Av = Aperture Value) – this determines the amount of light you let in. The Aperture Value is changed by using the dial on the front of the camera. You also control the ISO. (It also includes the blurry depth of field, but we’ll address that another time)
In short….
Too much light entering the camera means you will have a photo that is overexposed or “Blown out”.
Too little light entering the camera means you will have a picture that is underexposed or too dark.
M = Manual – With Manual Exposure you have full control of your picture.You change both the Shutter Speed and Aperture Value as well as controlling the ISO.
The shutter speed is changed by using the dial on the back of the camera.
The aperture value is changed by using the dial on the front of the camera.
On my lens there is a switch that allows you to switch from AF (Auto Focus) to MF (Manual Focus) I don’t take it off Auto much but every once in a while I can’t get it to focus in on what I want so I will place it on Manual and focus it in my self.
The little lightning bolt button on the front left of the flash is what you push when you would like to use the flash in any of the setting except fully automatic. Remember, the camera does everything in fully automatic mode.
…And see how people react 🙂 Disclaimer! Only do that if you have a waterproof camera!!
Anyway… Tuesday night hubby and I got the opportunity to do something wild and CRAZY :). haha.
We got the opportunity to “Try it Tuesday” also known as scuba diving in a heated swimming pool. Earl’s sister and brother in law are certified scuba divers and through different means, we all got invited to go try out scuba diving.
Not going to lie, I always kind of wanted to learn to Scuba Dive and I even put it on my 101 in 1001 list. Yup, I sure was confident, wasn’t I? lol.
And those aren’t called Flippers, Flipper is a dolphin, they are called fins, just so you know. And fins are extremely hard to walk in! Then add the weight of the air tank and I about fell over 4 times until I got the weight distribution thing figured out.
They had to try 3 different pair of fins on me before they gave up and gave me adjustable ones.
T beat us in the water. Now being 8 he can’t become certified yet, however he can scuba dive in a swimming pool with an instructor present. You bet he was all over that and he had a blast. Of course he’s always been a fish, you should see him when he comes over to our pool in the summer. He’s going to have a long year and a half wait time to turn 10.
Now Pokey doesn’t like water in his face. Earl wasn’t quite sure if Pokey would like it, but Pokey is also one, let him do it at his own pace and he’ll even get underwater in our pool. He was doing sooo good. In fact, Earl said he didn’t like water especially in his eyes and they got him to take his mask off, under water, put it back on and blow the water out.
oh Hai, Yup, that’s hubby and me. The pool water was a bit on the murky side, not sure why.
They wanted us to swim down along the bottom. At first I couldn’t get off the top portion of the water so they put a 2lb weight in my vest and that helped me. Then I was scraping my knees on the bottom and could actually sit on the bottom. Earl didn’t have any problem getting down there, in fact she put some air in her vest (so not the right technical name) so she wouldn’t worry about scraping her knees.
It’s Pokey and Earl 🙂
I tried smiling with all my might but those goggles refused to let me. And they aren’t goggles either… goggles are what someone wear (I forget what they told me). This is a mask.
It was a busy night and luckily we got there early. Once we were done, they took our tanks/masks/fins and gave them to other people to try out. We went and sat in the lovely hot tub to chilax.
And then the gator tried to get us… or is it a croc?
Hey again. Ignore the makeup running down my face and the hair all over the place, k?
T wanted to get back in so he went on the hunt for fins to fit him. He’s learning that I’ll stalk him until I get a picture. ha!
And Moo even got in on the action and is becoming a fish. Can’t wait to see what this summer brings for her in the pool!
I may yet get to cross a task off the list of becoming scuba certified… we’ll see. I’ll let you know 🙂
I love pictures. That’s all there is to it! I want to get better at photos, especially get some better photos of me. Yeah I guess you can call me vein if you want. I’m not trying to be. I think it’s more self-conscious. All summer long I have found different blog posts about taking your own photo or doing a 365 a day project. And yes 365 photos of yourself is a lot! And I tried the whole 52 Photo challenge and have had difficulties, but I’m going to try this whole photo a day for a year thing and see how it turns out. I put it off all summer waiting for January 1 so that I could do it January 1 through December 31.
I have recently entered a photo contest and I have a really big favor to ask of you. Here are 3 of the photos that I have entered (below) and it would be phenomenal to win. What am I winning? A chance to have my photo displayed on the Pards.com website for an entire month. Oh and I just found out a $25 gift card to Pards… You don’t have to register to vote, all you have to do is click on a link, click vote and that’s it. You can vote only one time per day but on as many photos as you’d like. There are 463 entries, so if none of mine suit your fancy, obviously there are others to choose from 🙂.
I know this is a big favor to ask, but I would appreciate it if you can or would like to. You can vote every day from November 1, 2012 (today) through December 15, 2012. Please don’t feel any pressure to vote though.
Official Rules to vote from Pards.com – You can vote for 1 or more entries every day, but you CAN’T vote for the same photo twice in one day. So come back often to vote again and while you are here check out what Pard’s has on sale too! Make sure to check out our Featured Items below
http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/560
http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/554
http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/553
Ok so I’ll fess up now… between the hubs and me, we entered 9 photos total. If the three above (my faves) don’t suit your fancy, check out the rest 🙂 Remember, you can vote for all 463 entries if you really wanted, you can just only vote for the photos 1 time per day :). Vote Early, Vote Often! http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/558 http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/557 http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/556 http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/550 http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/551 http://pards.com/contests/viewentry/552
I hope you all have a wonderful, fabulous 1st day of November. and don’t forget to read about hubby’s Surprise Birthday Party, today’s his birthday!
It’s always great to learn new things, right? I mean I know we aren’t all in school anymore but still, it’s always good to learn a new thing once a day! That’s what I’ve always been told anyway. So today I’ll show you how to make a Watermark brush in PSE. Super simple and super easy!
btw, I use PSE 8 but I’ve played around on 10 and I know it isn’t a whole lot different, obviously 10 has more features but anyway, you get the picture 🙂
Ok first off you’ll start by opening PSE up and going to New–> Blank File
It’s always better to have a huge canvas then to have too small of a canvas to work with, so I opened a 2000×2000 pixel canvas. Make sure you select Transparent at the bottom too.
Saturday was the Moss Springs Old Settler’s Picnic.
My dad saw a flier for it weeks ago and said they had a photography contest. He mentioned that I should enter. So hubby and I started going through our photos and debating which photos we’d like to enter.
There were 7 categories:
Black and White
Still Life
Portrait 11 and under
Portrait 12 and up
Animal
Floral
Landscape
I entered a photo in every category. Hubby entered in 5 of the 7.
So when we arrived to turn our photos, things were in full swing. The drizzling rain didn’t stop anyone! Here is a friend of my grandma’s and my uncle competing in the Horse Shoe contest.
My mom entered an afghan. And I’m pleased to say, she won!!
My grandma entered bread, fudge and one other category. I haven’t heard yet how she did.
And then our photos. Here were our placings!!
The Black & White feet was hubby’s entry.
The Floral was my entry.
the Hawaiian Sunset was Hubby’s entry.
The boots entry was mine.
The Horse Entry was mine.
The picture of hubby was mine.
The picture of Tbug was hubby’s.
I entered the Las Vegas Strip Landscape. I got a compliment from a Professional Photographer saying that it should have won hands down.
This was hubby’s entry.
This was my entry.
This was my entry.
This was hubby’s entry.
Really, for our first ever photo contest we were quite pleased with how we did :). Have you ever attended your local Old Settler’s Picnic?
