Photo Friday #14....

Everyone knows toddlers are difficult to photograph.  With my experience, they either take no direction, do the opposite of what you ask, or even run from the camera!  Well, I do believe I have figured out a solution to this problem.  It's very simple!  Place them in an environment where they are having fun, being themselves.  They will pay no attention to you, therefore you will be able to get amazing photos of their NATURAL self!!  NO fake smiles, NO forced poses, and NO refusing direction!  Today Julia and Daddy K played on a trampoline!  I got a few fantastic shots of true toddler happiness.....

Static anyone??



ISO 100, 1/800 sec at f/1.8, 50 mm 1.4 lens

Free Fallin'.....

ISO 100, 1/1000 sec at f/1.6, 50 mm 1.4 lens

Ohhh the flexability.....

ISO 100, 1/1000 sec at f/1.4, 50 mm 1.4 lens

There's nothing like having fun with her Daddy....

ISO 100, 1/1000 sec at f/1.4, 50 mm 1.4 lens

That smile makes me melt......

ISO 100, 1/1000 sec at f/1.4, 50 mm 1.4 lens

I wish I went through life every day feeling this relaxed and carefree!  So much you can learn from a kid!

ISO 100, 1/1000 sec at f/1.6, 50 mm 1.4 lens

Taking it all in....

ISO 100, 1/800 sec at f/2.2, 50 mm 1.4 lens

Sharing with Sweet Shot Tuesdays, Show off your Shot, Tuesday Tips and Pics, Foto Friday!!

just because....

Things that are making me smile today...

Pasta with Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun-dried tomatoes, and Spinach.....

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This ADORABLE toddler dress.....



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Being a SOUTHERN GAL....

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And seeing my Lightroom 4 being delivered......

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I hope your Wednesday was full of smiles too!!

Photo Friday #13.....

As I browse through the thousands of photos taken since I received my new camera, I find there is something missing......something very important......something I will one day regret if I do not address it now.  It's ME!!  I have been soooo OBSESSED with learning all the functions on my camera, making sure everything is exactly how I envision it....the lighting, the composition, the settings, that I have yet to actually be in any of the pictures! 

I don't want to always be the face behind the camera capturing all of the memories, I want to be part of those memories.  So with that being said, on Easter weekend, I handed my camera over to my sweet mother and let her snap away!!  

All photos were taken with my Nikon D7000, in Auto, by my mother!  And because my 30 day free trial of LR has expired....until my new Lightroom 4 software arrives next week, I have edited all of the below photos in Picmonkey!  Every heard of it?  It is a free editing site that took over picnik.  It's super easy and has a ton of filters to play with......

Me and my girl.......

Dusk filter......

LOVE this shot!!!  Good job mom!!

Black and White filter.......

Eggs, eggs, and more eggs.....

Urban filter......

Girl on a mission.....

Cross Princess filter.....

Me, Jules, and my sweet Brother!

Sepia/Intrepid filter......

Tip for the week:

Get into some of those photos!!

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Baskets and Candles and Flowers, OH MY!!

Because summer is approaching and grilling time is upon us, it is time to give my back porch the attention it deserves.  Every summer I get all excited about the "outdoor" possibilities, and NOTHING ever seems to gets accomplished!  Well, not this year!!  I am making it a point to put it first over all other house hold projects!  Here are a few inspiration images to get the party started.....

outdoor drapes......yes please!!!

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a fancy, sparkely, fabulous chandelier.....ok, ok, so Daddy K probably won't go for this.....

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but what about a birdcage with pretty flowers!!

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or candles would be nice....(my vote is still on the sparkely chandelier)

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how about this birdfeeder!! I am allll over this!! 

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can't forget about the lighting....

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definitely need these!!

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ohhhh, and a hammock!!!  A girl can dream, right!!??

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gotta add some color!!  love the simplicity!

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baskets and candles and flowers oh my!

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wood stumps, check!, mason jars, check!, candles, check!  i can so pull this off!

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Well that seems like a good start don't ya think?? 

We shall see what all gets accomplished!! 

 

Photo Friday #12.....

Today I am sharing with you my very first infant photo shoot! I am so thankful my good friend, Beth, let me invade her home, bring over tons of baby stuff, and allowed me to "play" with her 8 pound, 11 day old, bundle of goodness.  Miley Kate, welcome to the world!!  You are such an angel!!

Sleeping Beauty........

After 3 hours of shooting and being slightly overwhelmed, I am extremely excited about how these photos turned out!!

Sharing with Sweet Shot Tuesdays, Show off your shot, Tuesday Tips and Pics, and Foto Friday

Photo Friday #11.....

Someone discovered the "macro" button on her camera this week!!  woohooo!  It is GREAT for getting crisp, upclose, detailed photos!!  Take a look......

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/7.1, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/7.1, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/125 sec at f/7.1, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/6.3, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/6.3, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/6.3, 50mm 1.4 lens

ISO 250, 1/60 sec at f/4.5, 50mm 1.4 lens

I'm super impressed!!!  I do belive I will be using this setting more often!! 

Sharing with Sweet Shot Tuesdays, Show off your Shot, Tuesday Tips and Picks, Foto Friday

Newborn Beanbag

Tiny toes and tiny fingers....they instantly make my heart melt!!  There is just something about being in the presence of a brand new baby that has just entered this world!  Not only do I have the opportunity to hold a fresh little peanut this weekend, I get the honor of doing her first photo shoot!! The thought of molding and creating art with a teeny tiny 10 day old baby just makes my heart skip a beat!!  It's not only her first photo shoot, it is my first infant shoot as well!  And that goes without saying I'm sooo excited yet overwhelmed at the same time!!

The number one piece of advice I have gotten from everyone is to "be prepared!"  Newborns will run the show, and you need patience, patience, patience to survive!  I've been doing a lot of research on how to SAFELY handle a newborn, how to wrap and pose them, how to position them for the best light, and also how to create a "newborn set."

  

The main component of a newborn set is the baby beanbag!  That's easy.....just run to Walmart and grab a cheap one!!  Or so I thought!  The majority of "newborn tip" blog posts that I've read all say, that yes, the cheap beanbags will get the job done, but you have to work really hard to get the look you want.  Because there is not much stuffing in a regular beanbag, the baby will sink down the middle, and if you try to over stuff it it turns into a big giant ball.  The ideal beanbag for newborn photography looks more like an ottoman!  It is flat on the top and bottom.....it looks something like this.....

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This particular beanbag is from Shootbaby.com and is priced at $95!  That does not include the stuffing inside!   After taking one look at this, and seeing the price, I decided to put my sewing skills to the test.  I found a great tutorial HERE!

  

And here is my final result.....   

Not too shabby!  Thank you to my sweet mom for helping me construct this monster of an ottoman!  It is 42" in diameter and 14" high!  It also took a LOT of stuffing!!  When I say a lot I am talking 2 comforters, 2 boxes of peanuts, 2 pillows and a sleeping bag!!!  NO KIDDING!!!

I got the vinyl (4 yards) at Hobby Lobby at 40% off for $23, and the needle/thread for around $4.  Other than that, I had all other supplies (including the stuffing)!  So for $27 dollars and a LOT of help from my mom, I now have my very own Newborn Photography Beanbag!!  

Wish me luck this weekend!!  I am open to any tips you may have!!!