Downtown Photoshoot

Fun, fun, fun! This afternoon we went downtown to do our street photo shoot for our photography class. It was awesome! (Couldn't resist using that word!) I didn't realize how much character there was in this part of our own hometown! Where've I been?? :D Here are some of my favorite shots from this shoot. I couldn't wait to get these posted! Enjoy!

The kids will be submitting their shots from today by next Tuesday. I will post their shots Wednesday, so stay tuned! I can't wait to see their work! :D

Okay, I need to mention how excited I am of this last shot (below). Except for a defog, this shot is SOOC. Can you believe how deep of a blue the sky is??? Wowzers! I didn't even have my polarizing filter on. I am soooo in love with my D40! Color, color, color. Gotta love it! LOL! :D

Oh! For those who are following my photography journey, I wanted to share something exciting.....

I ordered a new 50mm f/1.8D lens last week and it just arrived this afternoon!! Yippee!! This is a prime lens and is super sharp, even in low light. This lens has been recommended for portrait shots and low light shots (because of the wide aperture). Can't wait to show some shots with this. Btw...it does not autofocus on the D40, so I am forced to shoot in manual mode. And guess what?? I am LOVVVIINNG it (manual mode, I mean -- of course, the lens too)!! :D

Assignment: Morning

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD;

in the morning will I direct [my prayer]
unto thee, and will look up."

(Psalm 5:3)

This week's DPS assignment is "Morning" - anything that deals with the early part of the day, sunrises, work commutes, breakfast, etc.

The above photo is my submission. The photos below were extra shots I took as I was taking photos for the assignment. Although, I must confess, these photos were staged for the assignment since everyone was up and dressed by the time I was ready to take pictures. LOL.

The Castle Lamplight

Hello, hello! I've been MIA for a little while, I know. It's been quite a busy time for me lately and I've been trying to stay focused on my priorities, especially here at home. As a SAHM, it's so easy to get distracted. And photography is a hobby I most easily get distracted with!

I've also been posting more on my personal blog, which I've neglected. I think I need to combine my blogs or something. Well, not to worry (not that I think anyone would actually worry about lil' ole me and my photo blog! LOL)... I'm back. :D

I've not had any motivation lately to take any new photos, so I am posting another photo from my archives. This was taken during the LaRose Tea Party I attended last month at The Castle. I'll hopefully have more (new) photos soon!

Pima Air & Space Museum

Today, we went on a last minute trip to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson in honor of Labor Day. We had a great time and were surprised at how large this museum was, especially the amount of aircraft they carried. I took over 160 pictures! As you can imagine, I had a difficult time choosing what photos to post.

How cool is this -- we were on the actual
Air Force One that operated during the
Kennedy & Johnson's administration (1961-1965)

Just taking a reflection photo of myself on the stairway
heading up into Air Force One

My two men had a great time together!

Shower: For King & Kingdom! (part 1)

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good;

and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly,

and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

(Micah 6:8)

Here are some photos from yesterday's baby shower for our pastor and his wife. They are expecting a boy (woo-hoo!) and are naming him "Micah". We cannot wait to meet this precious gift from God in person!

In keeping with the theme, many came dressed in royal attire and also acted accordingly with old english/scottish accents and using proper etiquette in addressing one another. Totally fun! More photos to come shortly in part 2. :D

Assignment: Music

The current assignment in the Christian Photographers forum is "music". We're allowed up to 4 submissions. I entered 3. The bottom photo I have previously submitted for another assignment with DPS, but it was appropriate for this assignment as well. The top two are current, specific for this assignment. :)

PP work varies with each photo which includes my basic pp, toning b&w conversion, vignetting, and adding a gaussian blur layer using overlay mode.

Glory in the Heavens

"...O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name

in all the earth! who hast set thy glory

above the heavens."

(Psalm 8:1)

Taken in our backyard last week, this is our neighbor's home situated directly behind us with the sun setting behind it. What a glorious sunset!

PP: Ken Rockwell's "toning b&w images" tutorial is what I used to convert this photo during post processing. I also defogged and added a little more contrast.

Baby Shower

I attended a baby shower today for one of my good friends from our homeschool group. She is expecting her third child/daughter in August. It was a great shower!

Post processing: All shots were "defogged" and I adjusted the hue/saturation. I also added a vignette (top photo) and used the burn tool to add a soft dark frame around the photo (rest of photos). Top photo, I converted the image to b&w using Stacy's b&w conversion tutorial. Third photo, I also added a "memory lane vintage" action.

Watermarked Photo

Thought I'd test out "watermarking" my photos. This was a lot of fun to do in CS2 (creating a "brush" with my watermark logo). I realize watermarking doesn't guarantee anyone will not copy my photos, but I think it helps. I will start watermarking more. This photo is of our handsome soon-to-be 10yo son. I took it yesterday while he was resting on his bed. This is one of my favorite photos I've taken of our son.

Post processing: converted image to b&w using Stacy's "b&w conversion" tip and added a vignette. I also cropped it, just a tad, for better composition. I also used Stacy's tip on watermarking.

You can visit Stacy's photography tips page here. Her photos are amazing, especially with a Nikon D50 (which has been replaced with the D40). So you CAN get pro-like photos with an entry level DSLR! I'm so inspired!

Scottsdale Train Park

These are photos I took today at our visit to Scottsdale Train Park. What a beautiful park! But it would have been a more pleasant trip if the weather wasn't so hot. The price you pay for living in the desert, I guess. :)

• PP for top photo: texture layer, curves layer, sepia photo filter, sharpened
• PP for middle photo: monochrome channel mixer, sharpened, vignette
• PP for last photo: sharpened, vignette

Cloudy & Blustery Day

Yesterday's strong winds gave way to a blustery day today! This photo was not taken today (it didn't dawn on me to take one!), but it represents well the day's cloudy weather prior to the heavy rain in the afternoon. I actually shot this photo during our son's track meet last month.

A Princess at Rest

Our friend's youngest daughter getting a little rest by a fountain before we all made the drive back to Arizona from CA. Even tired, this precious little princess looks so cute! Why can't I look that cute when I'm tired?? :)

I played around with the brush tool for the border effect, as well as slightly angling the photo. I also did my typical post processing in converting the color image to b&w, with a sepia photo filter.

Assignment: B&W (#2)

My second submission for the B&W assignment on the Christian Photographers' forum. What a precious little princess! I couldn't resist taking a photo of my friend's daughter. This is another photo taken at our homeschool p.e. class.

Assignment: B&W (#1)

"Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the

fruit of the womb [is his] reward."
(Psalm 127:3)

The Christian Photographers forum's next assignment is "Black & White", which also includes sepia tones. We are allowed to submit up to 4 photos, which is nice. So, here is my first submission which I am titling "Kids at Play". I've given it kind of a vintage look, as well. This is another photo from my homeschool PE class photo shoot! :)

Post processing: converted color image to b&w, added sepia photo filter, added a texture layer.

Converging Lines

The next DPS assignment is "Converging Lines" and is due by next Tues. I have not officially submitted anything for it yet, but I needed a photo for today so I thought I'd try to come up with a possible submission. This shot (taken at the Sonoran Desert Museum) has a lot of converging lines: the stairs, the hand rails, and also the shadows on the right side of the wall. But as much as I like this photo, I'm not thrilled enough with it to submit for the assignment. So, onto more photo taking!

So, what exactly is meant by converging lines? Lines that run parallel into the distance or that actually converge at some point.

Post Processing: converted color image to b&w, added sharpness, and also a vignette.

Prayer Warrior

"Pray without ceasing"
(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Our pastor's son during our prayer time at yesterday's baby shower. What a fine example of a godly young man living for Christ and for His Kingdom.

Evidence of Spring

Spring is definitely in the air here in Arizona! Actually, summer is already peeking around the corner. This photo was taken at our latest trip to the Sonoran Desert Museum. The post edit technique I used is from DPS' Photoshop CS2 tutorial, "Mono, with a Dash of Colour". I then added a deep inner shadow around the edges.

New Hobby for a Lasting Legacy

"Precious Joy"

Digital photography - my new hobby! I am a total novice with this but am so excited to learn. Aside from the creative & fun aspects, my primary reason for getting into photography is to help fulfill our family's vision in leaving a lasting and godly LEGACY for future generations.

As I grow in this hobby, my photoblog will take you along my journey. May the glory of the Lord be visible in all that is seen!

The above photo was post edited in Photoshop CS2. It's my first attemp using the blur/overlay technique I learned on DPS' "Post Production Techniques and Tips" page.