3.. 2..1... LIFT OFF!!

Alright so today we obviously went outside to enjoy the weather and play around. Tyler always asks me if we can takes these jumping shots off of a stump that we have in our backyard whenever we are outside. I tried to get Madison to take some of them, but she wasn't into it at all. Tyler will take these shots for an hour if I had the time, but we were only in that spot for like 10 minutes or so. While editing this picture, I added a stronger than normal vignette so that the focus was on the center of the image, and so the stump would be less noticeable. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Future Model? Of Course!

So today I decided to have another photo shoot with the kids. Tyler wasn't completely into it, but Madison was TOTALLY into it, as usual! This is the first photo shoot where the backgrounds of the pictures were completely white! They usually have a little tint of color in them, but this time I set the kids a little farther from the backdrop so that it would be blurred so much that the color would just disappear and fade away. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Raising the Bar

So today I decided to take another HDR photograph because they are my FAVORITE! I was walking around the yard with my telephoto lens on and I realized this line of trees that reminded me of the Cingular "raising the bar" commercials. I had never noticed these trees like this before, and I really liked how they looked. I also really like how the HDR brought out the deep shadows in the clouds, and also the vibrant colors in the trees. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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“Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows will fall behind you”

So today I decided to take one of those random shots that you would never think would come out as good as it looked in your head. I didn't think this would come out as cool as the picture in my head, but I am pretty happy with it. I was REALLY surprised that I didn't get any of those little shapey shine things from the sun (What are those called?). Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Purr-keh!

So today I was playing outside with the kids, when I noticed the cat walking towards us. I was sitting on the ground when I thought of this shot. As I always say, I love it when there is something in a picture that is really blurred, but you can still tell what it is. I bumped up the saturation so that the green grass would really stand out against the black fur, and it came out better than I thought. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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The Darkness of Fun

So today I decided to try HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography for the first time! HDR is where the camera takes a normally exposed image, over exposed, and an underexposed image. Then you take the pictures to a computer program (I used PhotoMatrix) that mashes them all together into one photograph. This process can be used to bring out details that would normally be blown out in an image. I am slowly falling in love with this technique and I will DEFINITELY be using it in the future. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Taking Flight

So today we had vultures flying around our yard ALL DAY! My mom was flipping out when I went outside to take pictures because she was convinced that they would attack me. Well obviously I am fine, and I am happy with my results. Unfortunately I found the reason that these animals were flying around our yard. I was walking around and I saw.. half of a possum in the grass! I could clearly see its rib cage, and its face. I only found this because I saw one of the vultures drop it. I did take some pictures of the possum, and I was debating whether or not to make it my photo of the day, but I decided it was a little too graphic. Well I hope you all had a vulture free day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. (Link below is where you can see the photo of the possum.. beware!)
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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3385861151_02ea6dec0a_o.jpg

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Kiwi Love

So today I decided to have a kiwi, which I haven't had in a LONG time! Before I peeled the kiwi, I took a slice and placed it near the window. I needed to use a couple of toothpicks to hold the kiwi slice up to let the sunlight shine through. I had to hold the camera at such an angle that I wouldn't get any strange shapes from the sunlight in the photo. I really like how you can see all of the details on the inside of the kiwi from the light shining through also. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Can You Hear Me Now?

So today when I was doing Madison's hair, she really wanted to play with my phone. I thought that it would be fine because I would be right there so she wouldn't be able to do anything too bad. Little did I know that she knew how to call someone.. I thought that she looked so cute holding the phone up to her ear, so I took this picture. Little did I know, she was actually calling someone! LOL Luckily I ended the call before anyone actually picked up. I absolutely love the natural lighting in this shot, and I didn't have to edit the photo at all! Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Chop it Down!

So today we were planning on cutting down one of the trees in our front yard, but we decided that our chainsaw was just too small. And just our luck, our neighbors were getting some trees cut down and we just asked the guy if he would cut down the tree with his 2 foot chainsaw! He said that once he finished that he would come right over and cut it. If any of you guys have never actually seen a tree fall down, it is seriously so cool! Well I took this shot with my telephoto lens so I didn't have to be all up close to the tree and stuff LOL! Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Keep Your Peanuts to Yourself

So today we went to Five Guys, which I LOVE! I know that the food there is horrible for you, but it is so good (once and while). I had this picture in my mind ever since I walked into the door, and I told myself that I would only take the picture once I finished eating. Once I finished I just had to walk over to the entryway, and I brought my camera really low down to the ground, to take the shot. i just loved how the sun was shining through the door, and making the chair and the peanuts silhouettes. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Class of '11

So today was our sophomore class ring dance, and it was REALLY fun! I was wondering what I was going to be doing for four hours, but the time went by extremely fast! Everything about the dance was great, except I wouldn't brag about the food that we had. I mean I understand that they did have to feed hundreds of teenagers, but that was kind of ridiculous. I was SO excited to get my ring because I designed this ring online, and I was really getting tired of staring at the ring on a piece of paper, and I wanted to see it in real life. I am really happy with it! I got the Portuguese flag on one side with my name, and I got a CAMERA on the other side with 2011 on it. Well I hope you all had a great Friday, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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iFlickr!

So today I decided to take a picture of something that I have wanted to photograph for a long time.. my phone! For this picture I turned off all of the lights instead of my one favorite handheld light that I use ALL the time. I love how the icons on the screen just pop out against the black on the left. On my screen you can see an application called 'Darkslide'. This application is absolutely amazing! This is one of the applications that I actually use every single day! It is the perfect application for a flickr addict like myself :D Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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I Feel a Little Sketchy

So today I started brainstorming for my next sketchbook assignment, 'trees'. To show this in a photograph, I decided to flip to one of my older assignments in my sketchbook and I photographed that. I placed the book on my wooden lapboard, and placed the light really low on the ground so I could get that cool lighting effect on the paper. My favorite part of this picture is the texture on the paper and the contrast. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Best Friend..

So today I went outside again.. of course! I decided to take my tripod out to see what I would get, and I ended up taking a picture OF my tripod LOL! I lied really low down on the ground so that I could get the grass in the bottom of the picture, and so that I could get a really nice perspective. When I uploaded the computer I just had to bump up the saturation so that I could bring out those blues in the sky. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Model? Of course!

So today I decided that it was JUST warm enough to play outside for like half an hour with the kids. They always want to go outside, and when they actually do go outside they always get so excited! This was the first picture that I took today (of course, that always happens!), and I just loved it! This is such a modeling picture, and I just know that she will model in the future! Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Wanna Play Fetch?!

So today we went to Amy's house, and it was so nice outside! I started playing fetch with Princess because she just LOOVES it! I had to crouch down really low to get this shot because I wanted to get the shot from her eye level. I really like the lighting in this shot because it is natural light, and you all know how much I love my natural light! Well I hope you all had a great weekend, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Looking for Another Party?

So today we had ANOTHER family party to go to.. these parties are getting a little ridiculous! Well this party was kinda fun, and at least it wasn't super long. I took this picture with my point and shoot camera, and I am pretty happy with the result. I wanted to show part of Tyler's face, and I wanted to show the party blurred in the background. I especially like the bokeh from the christmas lights around the beam! Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Drive into the Distance

So today I decided to go outside and play with the kids before they went home. We had a lot of fun and I got some great shots. For this picture I had them stand in the rocket ship, and pretend to drive. Then I told them that I thought I saw something in the garden. I got them to pose, and it made them a little curious. LOL Well I hope you all went outside today, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Wanna Bite?

So today while I was doing Maddie's hair (cornrows today!), I decided to give her a piece of cantaloupe, and she kinda liked it. She ate like half of it and then decided that she didn't like it. This shot is completely lit by NATURAL LIGHT! I love the look of natural light because it just looks 10000 times better in a photograph, and it also makes post processing easier for the photographer. Another one of my favorite parts of this photo is her eyes. I love the shine from the window on her eyes! Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Petal by Petal.. Leaf by Leaf

So today I decided to go outside, once again, to take my photo of the day. I just can't wait until I can go outside in shorts and take pictures now! Well I was walking around the yard and this little red leaf on a rock caught my eye. It was really windy when I was taking the picture so the leaf kept flying away. I had to find a dip in the rock that would hold the leaf still long enough for me to get the shot. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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An Angel Sent from Heaven

Alright so today I decided to take a picture of one of the little statues that we have on our front porch. I walk by this little thing at least twice a day, and I've never taken one single picture of it. Anyways, I decided to turn it at such an angle that it would catch some of the warm light from the inside of the house on one of its sides. My favorite part is the difference between each side of the statue. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Rock 'n' Roll

So today I decided to go outside and take a picture of the rock wall next to our house. I wanted to get it at such an angle, that rock wall looked like it disappeared at a point. When I uploaded it to the computer, I bumped up the saturation to bring out the green in the rocks in the front. I also really like the depth of field where the rock in the front are really clear, and the ones in the back are really blurry, but you can still tell what they are. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Lonely Leaf

So today I decided to go outside and take a picture because I haven't been around the yard with my camera in a while. I was walking down our sidewalk, and I saw this plant with almost nothing on it besides these tiny leaves. I really wanted to take this picture because I thought that it really displayed loneliness. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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I Command You!

So today I felt that I needed to take a picture that had something to do with the computer or the television, because that is pretty much all I did today other than eat. I was actually going to leave the house to go out to dinner, but we just decided to stay home and have chinese. Of course I don't mind chinese food, but I kinda wish I left the house today.. LOL Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Classic Mirror Self-Portrait

So today I decided that I needed to take another one of these classic mirror shots. I took one of them a while ago, and I had to use a long enough shutter speed that the picture was blurry. I like this one because it is clearer, although my face is slightly blurred because the picture is focused on the camera. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Innocence..

So today I just had to do a photo shoot with the kids. I haven't done one in FOREVER and it just needed to be done. This was actually a quick shoot because Tyler really wasn't into it, and Madison doesn't really like to just sit there. Madison is however, a natural model. This was literally the first shot i took, and I didn't even tell her what to do. I really like this in black and white because it makes the 'innocence' really stand out. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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The Silence of Light

I was walking around the house today when I saw this really nice angle of the chandelier in our dining room with the sunset behind it. I really liked how the chandelier was silhouetted against the sun. This picture barely needed any post processing at all! (Which is very surprising considering I have to edit almost all of my photographs) I have finally begun to learn about "White Balance", which should help me in my photography in the future, especially with my post processing. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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After a Hard Day..

So today I really wanted to take some pictures of the kids because I haven't taken pictures of them in a while. I went in the family room and found madison cuddled up with a blanket. I took a picture of her on the sofa, and made it black and white on the computer. I felt that this was definitely black and white material because I really wanted her eyes to speak for themselves in the photograph. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Golden Fountain

So today I had a need to take some water shots, so I went into the bathroom with my tripod and telephoto lens. I really like using my telephoto lens because it always gives a really short depth of field to photographs. To get the shot, I simply placed the camera across the bathroom and went over to the faucet to get it to drip. I had to get the timing perfect so that I could get the drips perfect. Once I got the rhythm down, it was pretty simple. I really like the golden tone in the faucet too, even though the faucet is really a silver color. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Textured Lake

So today we went out for my brother-in-law's birthday to this restaurant on a lake. Just before dinner, I decided to grab my camera and take a picture of the lake through the window. I played around with the colors, and added a scratched metal texture. I really like the overall effect that these two techniques added. Well I hope you all had a great day, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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