Break Time

Bet you have wondered how I did it. Take pictures, edit and post all those pictures. It was a careful balance of ignoring the family and Husband just enough that they wouldn't hate me. But alas, I have realized my mistake. I don't have time for all that. So I need a break, and I will still be doing it but not as often. It isn't my time... I have said it before. Not my time to volunteer at the kids school. Not my time to go to the movies or the theater (nursing baby). I can do this. I love being a mom. Stepping back for a little while from the hobbies. So if I don't post, I'm not dead. Just doing my job better.

Emmett 6 month picture

We are complete. I have had this project running for 10 years now. I get the kids pictures done at a studio at 6 months. I have all the pictures now. I love babies at 6 months. It is the CUTEST age. Just love'em love'em.

So now I have prints of all of them. They are going into frames tonight. Yay. Feels good to be done with a project.

Pioneer Woman Assignment/ Wish you a Happy Valentines

I know I can't win. The images that are chosen are so so so amazing. But I had to try. So this is my attempt. The assignment was Shallow Depth of Field/Bokeh. This means that a small part of the picture is in focus and the rest is blurry.

So I pulled out my 50mm. It can open wider than my 17-50mm. This one turned out so pretty. I love it. YY decided that the candies looked delicious. Cute element in the image. Check out the competition.

Pioneer Woman

A better sky

This picture of Tyler is mediocre. I wanted to do something to it to make it better. Or die trying. The image below has already been brightened and increased the exposure in RAW.

Then I took it into photoshop.

Remember the pictures in the desert. Love those clouds. So I replaced the clouds with the coolest tool. It is called the background eraser. Cloud picture on the bottom and the Tyler picture on the top. Choose the Background eraser tool and just click. It took away all of the white grey sky and revealed the beautiful blue. It did a great job around the branches of the trees too.

Then I added noise. Which I have never done to a picture before. But I see it on websites and it is an interesting look. Seventies action at 60% opacity. I think it is a huge improvement. Isn't ready for a wall portrait or anything. Like I have said before, still working on the photography part of this.

Got to get out

Today was so beautiful. THe clouds. My goodness the Clouds.

I just had to get some pictures. I loaded 5 boys up in the car and drove here. Out past Gilbert. I know where I was but I didn't know if I was supposed to be there. I just needed some open space to get some cloud shots. See If I don't like the sky in a picture that I take, I replace it with a sky I like. So I needed some High Res sky. Butterfly marks the spot on the map below.

What is that brown Streaky stuff in the shot? Oh that is my hair. It was very windy.
Every thing facinates boys. It is very interesting to see. An old bottle. A broken dishwasher. If only they had something to blow it up with. I am sure that is in my future.

They are so fun. I like em alot.

This one turned out pretty cool. The boys found the skeletal remains of a coyote? on the ground the head, mandible, and vertebra were scattered about 100 yards away from each other. No leg bones. Du du du. Where could they be?

I had Wes take some of me. This is the only one that looked half way decent.

My boys...... Oh YY was napping at home with Nate. He didn't want to come. He went to Kanas this weekend to watch his cousin Graham Hatch play at Witchita State. Graham is doing really well and we are so proud. Back to Nate, he was too tired to go traipsing off in the wild. Up at 3AM. It is so good to have him back. He was gone for a whole day and a half.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday.

Playing outside today

This one is funny. It turned out looking like a Crush Ad.

Tyler jumped all day. Loves it when the friends come over to jump. Hey, I love it too. They are good boys. Tyler is interested in taking bikes apart. He is begging me all the time. I want to switch the wheels. I want to move the brakes.... Ok. It is getting more and more interesting. He actually has potential to be good at it. He has a good eye for detail.

Emmett is sitting up

Oh these babies. I just love'em.

Emmett just lets his legs kick and kick. It is just so adorable.

My assignment to my self was to get nice, clear, sharp pictures of eyes. So the light in the window is usually good. I have been taking some CS4 tutorials and learning.