HDR Image

I've always been intrigued by the HDR images I see on the Internet.  While vacationing in Florida I ran into a fellow photographer on the beach who was shooting HDR images for a magazine.  This enticed me even more to find out what this whole HDR process was about.  There is a great video that Corel has shared on HDR:  http://youtu.be/O2LBy9tBid0

So after watching this video I decided to take a journey to my backyard and see what I could shoot.  After a few attempts this is the one I liked the best.  I'll be venturing out later to try it with a tripod next.





 I also had this idea when I took a trip to the cider mill.  There was this very large tree and the roots were growing above ground.  I really liked the look of it and thought it would make a neat HDR image.  I think it is pretty cool!

These are some other cool HDR images I captured this evening.  Love them all!!!!!

 

Giveaway

Shuttermom University is having a giveawy for Dreamy Baby Props, a beanbag prop.  You definately need to enter.  Wish you all the best of luck!!


http://www.shuttermomuniversityblog.com/2011/10/giveaway-from-dreamy-baby-props/

9th Grade Homecoming

Tonight was my youngest step-daughter's homecoming.  Can't believe she is already in 9th grade, my how time flies.  I hope she has a great time with her friends and she looked just beautiful.

A Girl's Shoes

Today as I was trying to take a self-portrait, which I hate to do, I decided to take a photo of my fav black heels.  You can never have enough black heels I must say myself.

Here's the dreaded self-portrait.

Natural Light & Speedlite

In an effort to practice with natural light since I don't have strobe lights, which I really really want (hint to my husband) I decided to use Mocha, my dog, as my model.  Natural light can really make for some beautiful photographs.  My last post mentioned how I loved Adorma TV and Mark Wallace's instructional videos.  Well, here is my "first" attempt at using natural light along with my Canon Speedlite 420ex and reflector.  I really like the lighting and was so proud of Mocha for being such a great model!  Yes, she got a treat after our session.

First I want to show you my setup.  As Mark explains in his video you can practically find any area in your home to set up a small studio, mine is in my basement.  I used a white paper backdrop, a small window in the basement, my reflector bouncing the natural light onto Mocha and my speedlite.

Here is what it looks like:

And these are some of my favorite portraits of Mocha.  I did try to tie a ribbon on her, but all she wanted to do was chew on it so that was not a success. 

This is my FAV!

This one my chair isn't real centered, but it turned out ok.



Photography TV

If you are like me, a sponge wanting to learn as much as you can about your passion for photography I have found a great website.  Adorama TV hosted by Mark Wallace is a set of learning videos to help photographers fine tune their trade.  The latest video I watched was how to use your speedlite for a small studio on a budget.  Of course, since I have not invested in strobe lights yet I found this video very informative.  I do have a Canon Speedlite 420EX, a stand and an umbrella so I am going to try out this shot.  Once I do I will display my photos from the experiment to see if I can get the same effect as Mark Wallace. 

What I really like about these videos is that Mark does a great job in explaining his camera settings, what they do and shows the final result of the photo.  This is definately a "favorite" in my book; or should I say on my Internet list! LOL

Here is the link to the web site:

http://www.adorama.com/alc/taginfo/Mark%20Wallace/article

Little Red Wagon

Yeah, my birthday gift (from three months ago) finally arrived today!  My husband ordered me this great collapsible wagon for my on location photography sessions.  It has been on back order for three months and we were almost ready to cancel it.  As a matter of fact we just discussed a few days ago to call and cancel, but luckily for me it arrived today!

This is going to be great to carry my camera equipment, ladder and accessories to my photography sessions.  It also has a section in the back where I can carry along waters and snacks for clients.  The wagon has  canopy so in the event it were to start raining while I'm on location my equipment will not get ruined.

Thank you honey for always thinking of me and helping me to pursue my passion; photography!!!!

Day at the Cider Mill

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged.  I've been out of commission for a few weeks and am just now getting back into the swing of things.  Today, the hubby and I went to the cider mill to enjoy some time outside since I've been stuck inside.  It was a beautiful day and it's this time of the year that we LOVE the cider mill here in Michigan.  Today was the first day we have been to the Yates Cider Mill in years.  What a nice memory thinking back to the time when me, my mom and grandma would take Jeremy there when he was a baby.  My how time flies!!

I'm a Pepper, You're a Pepper!

Over the weekend I bought some peppers to make with potatoes and onions, well that never amounted to anything.  So I decided I was going to make stuffed peppers for dinner tonight.  As I was filling the peppers I loved how colorful they appeared in my bowl so I thought, "photo time." 

They are in the oven baking and I can't wait to taste the sweet flavor of these delicious, colorful peppers!

Cricut not criquet...

Yes, one of my crafty items that I haven't pulled out in awhile would be my Cricut machine.  This little man does wonders and can be used for so many crafts.  Today my friend, Claudette, needed to cut some words for a project she was working on.  So it put me in the mood to cut some words to dress up my laundry room a bit.  I mean who doesn't need that!!

Here is my completed project and I love it!  Now I want to put words all around my house.  Mmmm, what room is next???




Cricut Expression