Sweet Baby Boy

Photos today for a sweet baby boy, he was less than 2 weeks old and look at all that hair..... and those little lips.

Nothing makes a little baby look more fragile and loved than being held in his daddy's hands.

503 Online Photography Workshop

I recently took a workshop over the Internet for photography and it was fabulous. I signed up for the 6 week course sometime in August and finally got into the January class. Of course not the most convenient time for me since I was extremely busy with other things but I couldn't wait to learn from Jessica.

The 6 week course was taught on-line and I learned (I hope you can tell by my photos) so much more than I expected. I changed from Auto mode to AV mode about 2 years ago but haven't been able to master Manual mode. I knew how to shoot in manual mode but didn't understand fully what shutter/aperture and ISO had to do with each other. By taking this workshop I wanted to learn just that "how to shoot in Manual mode and understand it". I've read a lot about when someone finally gets it they have a ahhhhh-haaaaa moment. I had the ahhhh-haaaaa moment the 2 week of class and I screamed it from the rooftops (sorry if I woke you it was late that night). I have been shooting in Manual mode ever since and with all my practice I can even look at the lighting and know pretty darn close to what settings I will need for that perfect exposure.

Now that I've learned it I'm not sure how come it didn't click before that but right now I give all the credit to my teacher Jessica. She has a way of teaching that I grasped immediately. I learned many things about my camera and about being creative in photography in the short 6 week program. I thought learning my camera on-line was going to be impossible but I had to give it a try. I searched for lots of workshops to take and immediately after reading Jessica's site this was the one for me. You can browse her 503 workshop here. I feel that Jessica has taught me things I would have never learned by reading information found on the web. I met many other students and got to learn from all of them as well, it's fun to have a place to go where everyone has the same goal - learning your camera.

I do have to say that I miss the homework assignments and the weekly e-mails from Jessica putting me on my next mission. I took tons of photos before this workshop and Jessica asked us to take boatloads during this time. My camera really got a workout during these six weeks and my brain worked on overtime 24/7. It was so much fun I'd do it again..... if only Jessica would teach an advanced workshop. {hint, hint, wink, wink}

Today Miss Mallory came over for a visit and we had a little fun with her. She is at a perfect age for taking fun photos. As long as she's fed, dry and rested she is perfect for trying new things. She sits up by herself and can't run away from me...... I better take advantage of this time now because after seeing her today I'm sure mobility is on the way.

Here is Miss Mallory letting me practice. We haven't had the dresser in a photo for a while so I decided to put her in the drawer. It was okay until she started to find some of grandma's things in there with her. She's such a trouble maker.

That bottom lip of hers is so pouty....

I seen a photo of Mally a few weeks ago without something on her head (doesn't happen very often) and I seen my little brothers baby picture in her. Not any brother in particular since they all looked the same at this age. She looks just like a Emmerich baby but all this time I thought she was Hemmer.

Photo Show

Tonight I had a photo show with the local event "Women's Weekend". It was so much fun, I had a great time and lots of the girls had some really wonderful comments about my photography. I have been stressing a little to know how and what to display but it turned out beautiful. Thursday night when we got there and piled all the stuff in one spot it took about 3 hours and this is what we ended up with. I'll have more photos later to show you and I have a newborn shoot coming up and photos of the secret project so keep checking back for more fun photos and I'll get back on my regular daily post schedule.

Tracks

What animal makes tracks like this? This is the garage floor and it took awhile to figure out what got inside while we took a break.

A fly that is stuck in the sawdust...... I think he got some in his eyes!

Hidden Messages

This project is getting the best of me, our house, our garage, my aching arms and hands, my stress level..... I've not cooked or eaten anything decent in the last 2 weeks. My lunch consist of Oreo Cookies and a glass of milk and then supper is a couple handfuls of Sun chips. By the way don't give Oreo cookies that are assembled backwards to a quality girl, where is their quality control department. I'm on my 2nd package and it was the same in both of them, I'm going to file a complaint and expect a 5Y with added control plan checks and an updated FMEA of how this isn't going to happen again..... okay most of you have no idea what I just said.... for those of you that do I'm sure you agree. I can't eat them like that so I take them apart and put them together correctly before dunking in my glass of milk.

okay where was I?

This project has created mountains of sawdust in John's garage and he reminds me daily of how messy it is in there so I left him a message.

Happy Tuesday - Finding ways to communicate without words.

Step Back Monday

Had a very busy weekend and didn't take many photos, and right now I'm too beat to download what I did take.... that would require me to get up...... so this photo is from last week.

Junk Shopping

I went window shopping on my lunch hour the other day and asked John to buy me this.

I want it really bad and I don't even mind the strap holding the door on, or holding the entire cab to the frame, or keeping the frame up off the ground...... whatever the reason for the strap I can live with it. Maybe it's my seat belt??? He explained to me that since the strap is there it has no window..... yeah so??? It's green and calling my name...... wouldn't I look cute driving around in this. It is surrounded by other junker cars that I had to photoshop out of the background, it's too classy to be lost in the junk yard.

I am a junk lover and if I could load this up in my truck I would have brought it home already.... there is something about rust and vintage that makes my heart beat wildly crazy.

Sneak Peek

Here is a sneak peek for the mom of this adorable little girl. She was a happy little 6 month old that rocked the camera.

There is something about this photo that I love, I think it's the brightness of her face and those little hands in her mouth.

The tutu was in her mouth more than down, she's looking at mom right now and you can see she is a momma girl.... that is until daddy came home.

Thank you for letting me capture your little girl at this beautiful time in her life. You'll see the others real soon, until then I hope these tie you over. You have a beautiful little girl and her two older brothers are cuties as well.

I'm okay

I've gotten a few e-mails and phone calls asking if I was okay. Yeah I'm fine why? Just checking since your blog post haven't been the same as usual. Well I'm here to tell you I am just fine, I am super, super busy with work, photos, class and a project that is coming up fast. But thank you for asking since I have spent the last 2 nights coughing and not getting much sleep. It's been awhile since I have had a cold and I don't remember ever having a cough that is uncontrollable. I go to bed and I cough, and cough and cough.... then I roll over.... cough and cough and cough. I'm keeping John awake so I must stop coughing..... so I hold my urge to cough in and think..... don't cough, don't cough, don't cough and then I can't hold it in anymore and I cough and cough and cough. Now it's past midnight and I still have not gotten to sleep and I've coughed a million times.... I hold it in again and shut my eyes really tight and think.... you don't have to cough it's all in your head and then I feel a cough coming and I think it's going to be a really deep cough that is going to loosen up that tickle and I won't cough anymore and then I can finally get to sleep.... so I cough a big ole' deep cough and I cough and cough and cough.... this lasts all night long, I think a lot when I'm not sleeping...... I'm also thinking that if I'm up coughing all night long I could be working on my project and have so much more done..... now it's 2am and I finally get up to get a drink of water that will help, right? Nope but eventually I did fall asleep and stop coughing but it just in time for John to get up for work and I'm sleeping really hard. Now it's the 2nd night and I'm exhausted so I think this will be a better night and I promise John that if I cough I will sleep on the couch..... yeah well I had the same issues as the night before and I don't feel like leaving my nice warm comfy bed for the couch so I make him suffer with me.... and he does...... but this time at 2am he rubs my neck until I stop coughing and fall asleep.

So at lunch today I came home for a quick nap.

Are you kidding me, I don't nap...... thank you all for your concern but I am just fine. I'm busy and have so much going on right now that a photo with little words is all I can get some days. Soon I'll be able to show you what has been keeping me busy all night long, right now it's TOP SECRET.

Here I am and you can tell I am HAPPY...... coughing but happy. Busy makes me happy.

I know the new way to cough is in your elbow or arm not your hand.... I do cough that way but this way was so much more photogenic. Now for all of you that wanted stories with my photos are you thinking you shouldn't have asked.... :)

More Snow

Another day with snowfall.

Happy Valentines Day

Rag-a-muffin

Miss El likes to be barefoot, and her hair as messy as it can be. Now with her toothless grin it adds to her rag-a-muffin look and I think she's the cutest rag-a-muffin ever.

Cold Winds

Sliver of Life

As I'm stopped in the middle of the road taking this photo this morning my cell phone starts buzzing in my pocket and scares the bejeezes out of me. It's early why is someone calling me.... it was my girlfriend making sure I was getting pictures of the beautiful morning. Does she know me or what? As I'm chatting with her driving to work, catching up on things my cell phone dies. Gosh-dagum dead zones.... I call her back, nothing. I call her again.... nothing. I call her again I'm almost to the area of the living cell phone waves so what's the problem.... Now I have a dead battery. Who needs these dang cell phones?

Here is the sliver of the moon that caught my attention this morning.

The sliver in our lives for a short moment, the beautiful ways that God gives us signs ;)

Afternoon Sun

Just for those of you that don't like Tuesday's art.... here is another shot with everything in focus. I love the levels of the buildings and the way the sunsetting is shining on the copper roof of the courthouse.

Morning Sun & Afternoon Sun = Yummy Photos

Happy Tuesday

It makes such a difference to have sunshine.... sun makes me happy.

Yes those houses are suppose to be blurry, that's called art and it's my style.

"Know what goes into making a good photograph
and then fill in the rest with you" - author unknown

Not sure

I'm not sure why I love these cows because I am not a animal person but these cows looks so darn cute laying here everyday as I drive by. As long as I don't have to touch them I think they're cute. So let's give a big ole' welcome to the furry woolly cows that helped me with Step Back Monday.

Garrett Man

John had the race on today and Garrett loves the surround sound when those cars go racing by. He's 100% BOY

Of course that's a picture of "sissy" and he carries it everywhere when he's here. Only 7 more days buddy........ then you and Grandpa can watch the Daytona 500 and turn the tv as loud as it goes.

Miss Mallory

doesn't feel good. She has a cold again and that nose is running all day long, maybe it's time to get some teeth.

Elly Mae Hemmer Clampett Laska

hates her picture taken.... this is all I get.

El smile.... El tilt your head.... El pretend I'm not here.... El can you please let Grandma take a picture of you...... Elly Mae Hemmer Clampett Laska..... I LOVE YOU

Yummy morning light

Morning light is so yummy and when the snow is sparkling it makes it even more yummy. I didn't take this photo...... John did Wednesday morning... through the window.

I love the shadows, I love the depth the angled light gives it, I love the tree off to the side (rule of thirds) and I love how he captured the sparkle of the morning.

Something looks wrong

That's what John said today when he picked me up for lunch "something looks wrong". Hummmm I can't hide anything from him but of course when your legs are walking one way, your middle section another, your butt is sticking out as your kinda hunched over and your eyebrows are bunched up in pain, it's hard not to notice something is wrong...... yep my back went out today, I'm not sure where it went and why it didn't take me with it.

I don't have time for this, I'm a busy girl and have places to go, things to do, people to see.... why now?? I still had a few things to do after work and I did them but in constant pain while being a little crooked I then set my camera and sent John outside to "get the shot". These icicles are going sideways and kinda reflects how my back feels. Hopefully a little core exercising and ice packs tonight I'll be good as new tomorrow.

Happy Taco Tuesday

Tonight was a throw together supper and if you don't make these you are missing out on easy peasy suppers that are so darn good. It's a frozen burrito warmed up on the microwave and then lettuce, cheese, tomato, green pepper, onions, salsa and sour cream....... yum-o I walked in the door and within 15 minutes were were eating and it's so good, that makes me Happy.

Step Back Monday

I loved the fog that hung below the trees so I tried to capture it on film. I had my super duper lens on so this house is 1 mile away from me. That's crazy.....look how clear it is