Wednesday, July 4, 2012

My latest class efforts

I started taking another online course with www.bellapop.com to learn how to use Photoshop Elements and Lightroom. I have found I have so much to learn. My preference would be able to take photos with no editing needed, but....well....so far that is not the case most of the time. Here are some samples of things I have done.


Original
Edited
  

Original


Edited
Original
Edit

Original


Edited


I am having fun, but it sure is a lot of work editing photos. Again, my desire is to truly just take good photos that don't require a lot of editing. :)


Monday, June 4, 2012

What I have been up to...

So I decided to take another online photography class because I enjoyed my last one so much, and I really felt like I learned so much. I LOVE taking pictures, just in case you didn't realize that. Buying my Canon was huge, not really spur of the moment. but major splurge on my part. And now my love has gone to a whole new level. I want to take even better pictures, which brings me back to this class. My first online experience was with Fife Photography, www.fifephotography.com. I loved it, and had so much fun learning what my camera to could do. As soon as that class was over I wanted to take another one, but she doesn't have another online class available yet. :( So I began searching for another class to take, blogs to read and so on. While perusing Pinterest I happened upon a link to Bella Pop, www.bellapop.com. I looked over her site, looked over her classes, thought about it a lot, and then decided, yep I am going to do it. I chose her Shooting with Natural Light, because I was struggling with getting my lighting right. It has been so much fun. Both classes have been wonderful, and both teachers are awesome :) I would recommend either of them if you want to learn more about your camera, or just how to take even more awesome pictures. Here are some examples of some of the photos I took for this last class. 

Week 1 Photo 4
Kids messing around, overcast, 6pm
Canon Rebel t3i
50mm f/1.8
ISO 400, f1.8, 1/400


Week 2 Photo 3
Canon Rebel t3i
Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
ISO 400 f4.5 1/250
Clear sky, early evening 630pm, full shade


Week 3 Pic 1
Backlighting
Canon t3i lens 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6
ISO 1600, f5.6 1/20



Week 3 Pic 3
Window light
Canon Rebel t3i lens 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6
ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/200
The next online class I am taking is to learn how to use Lightroom and Photoshop....online classes are so convenient and fun!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

DIY Camera bag

I have been looking online for a different type of camera bag than the one I have. What I have is functional of course, but it is specifically a camera bag, and I can't handle carrying that around, along with my purse, kids stuff and whatever else I might need. Plus it is totally not cute at all. Recently I have taken to using my backpack, which works, but my camera and lens are just thrown in the there. So not safe, but my thinking has been at least I have everything. 

What I really want is a purse type camera bag. I have found a few online and they are very expensive, at least $150 on up. As much as I would love one, I can't justify that expense right now. Especially since I have a camera bag already, and I want some different lenses. So I began looking online for other options. I found some examples on different blogs on how to make an insert for an existing purse. I didn't want to do that at first, because well, I didn't want to take the time. But after some thought, I decided to give it a try. I actually own a sewing machine, and so why not? This is what I came up with.

Nine West purse of course

Fabric I chose

Materials

The bottom piece

Inside the purse

All put together
I have already figured out I want to change some things with it, but it will work. I can fit my camera, a couple of lenses, my wallet, iPad, Leap pad if needed, and whatever else. I think it won't be obvious I have a camera in it, until I take the camera out, which will be nice. I am excited to use it. We shall see if I can hold off, and save the money over time for something different. And really, we all know I love Nine West purses, so it is a strong possibility I can.....

Here are some of the blogs I found more detailed instructions on.
http://vanillaandlace.blogspot.com/2011/01/diy-camera-pursebag.html
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2012/03/turn-a-purse-into-a-padded-camera-bag.html

Friday, March 9, 2012

Epiphanie "Green" photo contest

I entered a contest to try and win a camera bag. We know I love bags of all kinds :) The theme was green. So here goes....


Is it Spring yet :)




I entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags Picture It photo contest. http://bit.ly/xN3Pqc


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Fife Photography Week 4


This week for fun we had several options to choose from. I decided to document "a day in the life". What I found the most difficult, was picking out the pictures. I only took 105. Ha!

 

 

This is nap time. My two oldest get to lay down in the living room with me. Clearly Jeremiah actually slept, and well Chris pretended he was asleep. I just bought a new lens, the Canon 50mm f1.8. These were all shot with that lens at ISO 3200. The lights were off so the only light available was from the TV and an open window, with overcast skies. I really love these shots, because it looks exactly the way it did in the room, and truly shows it was nap time. Love the shadows in it.



Jeremiah was pretty upset with me. I had accidentally thrown out his drink. Oops, bad mommy. 


Jacob just after nap. Gotta love the hairdo. 

We had brownie sundaes for desert. The kids were pretty excited about them. These shots I changed the ISO to 1600 with the aperture between 2 and 2.8, shutter speed of 1/40.





Getting ready to go take baths. Gotta love that my boys put their chairs on the couch to sit on them.




Finally had to include this last one, even though you can see the huge mess in the back. This is a typical scene in my house. This last photo I switched back to my kit lens, 18-55.


I am going to try and practice my settings tomorrow, shooting at the highest ISO inside and the lowest outside. That is if the weather cooperates. 


ISO 6400, f3.5, 1/80, 50mm
ISO 100, f2.8, 1/1600, 50mm

Well I was able to practice the settings. Zooming in the photos I can definitely tell the difference. It was nice to be able to go outside for a change.



Saturday, February 11, 2012

Fife Photography Homework Week 3

This week's homework was for us to show leading lines, tell a story, or use shapes. We could do one, two or all three of these options. Every week I keep hoping I can take some pictures outside, for something different, have access to better lighting from the sun etc. Needless to say, the 20 degrees weather we had today forced us to stay inside. And since I do my homework on the weekend, well.....

I chose to "tell a story" first. Since my oldest son had to make a Valentines box for his class I chose to take some pictures showing him working on this project.


I tried to incorporate some leading lines in this picture, with the markers and glitter pens. I was having a lot of "help" so it was hard to really set up the picture. Settings are ISO 3200, f5.6, 1/20 shutter.


Here is Chris hard at work on his project. He really liked the glitter pens. A lot. Settings ISO 6400 f5.6, 1/30 shutter.


And his final finished project. He is very proud of it. :) Settings ISO 6400, f5.6, 1/30 shutter.

I also decided to take a picture showing shapes. 



I took some pictures with a different candle at first, but wasn't happy with it, because the wick in that candle is off center. This candle has been burned so is not perfectly round, but I still liked it better. There are also some leading lines from the folds in the napkin the plate is sitting on. Settings ISO 6400, f5.6, 1/125 shutter.

This class has been so good. I have definitely been learning a lot, and it makes me think about what I am trying to capture with my pictures. If you are looking to learn how to take better pictures, look into www.lessons.fifephotography.com. I really enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing as well as getting the feedback on my own photos. It helps me to really think about how I can capture the images I can see in my head :). It's clearly still a work in progress.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Why am I not surprised

For Jeremiah's birthday I got him a leap pad. I was concerned at first that he was not going to like it. Yes he plays on my iPhone and my iPad, but not as much as his older brother. I just wasn't sure if he would use it a lot. Since he is not even in school yet, I thought he wouldn't be able to play the games, and I would have to help him all of the time. But I had heard so many good things about it, I thought I would try it. I guess I can stop worrying about it, as every night he gets it out and plays. In turn then, the other two boys wants to play games on electronic devices, meaning mommy's iPhone and iPad. I thought with the leap pad my devices would be saved, but alas, no.......








Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Fife Photography Class Homework Week 2


Here I am in week 2 of my photography class through www.lessons.fifephotography.com. It is an online class, which is so convenient! I have learned a lot, but have so much more to learn. I think the scariest thing so far for me was actually moving my dial from the "A" (automatic) mode to the "M" (manual) mode. 



 These two pictures I was working on the break in pattern, plus lighting, as well as making my horizon straight. I had trouble with these pictures, primarily because my kids were up, and jumping all over the place, trying to "help" me set things up. :) Settings are ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/3 shutter.
This is another is another indoor break in pattern shot. It was in a different room of my house, with more windows. My settings were ISO 6400, f5.6, 1/15 shutter. I wish I had moved over just a little bit, centering more on my door. I was taking these during nap time and so was trying to hurry before my other 3 woke up.

This is another break in pattern, outside. It was cloudy and later in the afternoon. Settings ISO 800, f5.6, 1/60 shutter.

This final one is another outside break in patter with a larger object. Settings ISO 800, f5.6, 1/80 shutter.


Let me know what you think. Now on to week 3....