Presentation

So, the fun part, packaging it all up to look purty:

Quickly whipped up a cover to go in the cd case containing the final images (she does get another cd with all of the originals) and also one for the HD slideshow. I used two of my favourite shots.

And all of the cd's neatly wrapped up and ready to give to the happy couple, when I track them down!  I made a quick little tag to go on the package, so i could pretend I was professional!

Finally done.

Finally, the editing is done, and I have tried my first ever slideshow/video...probably a bit rough, I know!

I know the quality is low (I had to reduce it to upload here) but I am happy with the music I have paired with the images...let me know what you think!

I know how it makes ME feel, but I have a great affection for this couple that I have known for many, many years, so I could be biased. :-)

Last Weekend

I photographed a wedding. Busy editing now – here are some previews!

The black and white one needs some more work to lighten it – these were my first pick and were very quickly readied for facebook for the bride to have up there.  Love that the bottom one reflects the very country style and atmosphere of the wedding – and yet so so pleased that it rained unseasonably a few weeks ago and we scored some green grass! 

More to come later!

ideas for your own photo shoot!

there are so many great ideas for setting up simple little photo shoots of your own kids and family (and lets face it, we can never have too many photos of our own kids in varying states of cuteness or tantrums! ;-)

Here are a few ideas that I have collected from around the www, bookmarked to try out myself….one day!

(image from Karen Russell)

Picket fence!  I have a neighbour with a picket fence!  and study the angle from which this shot was taken – time to get down on our tummies and test out those lax abs!

(image from Karen Russell)

I also happen to have in my own back yard quite a few corrugated iron buildings – the chook house (in some disrepair, which could be quite cool for a shoot!) the laundry shed with its peeling paint, the garden shed….with hang on a second!!! its own pailing sliding door – which is very picket fence like! And the kids “new” cubbyhouse is also iron as well – but with the ripples running horizontally, which offers a whole new aspect!

Those of you who read my other blog will have seen the image below before – I love this set up with the sheets hanging on the string clothesline and the atmosphere the simple props (or not, who knows this may have been a real picnic and how this woman hangs her washing!)

So there you have it – hope you find these ideas most inspiring – this post is just for you KAT, my lovely old friend who never comments but did whinge on the phone to me that she hadn ‘t seen an update here for awhile.  I do have some sorting of my 2010 Captured shots, I have let that slide as things got a little busy here (well its never not busy, but busy-ER!)

Technorati Tags: ideas

New Lens

I know, I know.  I haven't been here for awhile.  But I am NOW ok!

A new lens - to be specific - Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. Bought it at Dick Smith for $149 - I know you can get them cheaper online, but I had a gift card that needed using, so I got it there.

To make a short story shorter:  I love it. 

I posted this photo over at my other blog, but I am posting it again, as I can't stop looking at it.

I just happened to catch the last of the lovely sunset light that was around this arvo.  The rest of these photos were taken in the dusk light, with ISO on 1600, and the rest however it happened to come out of the camera.  This new lens is great in low light!  I've done nothing at all to these photos - including the above - apart from a slight sharpening and resizing for web.

It was getting pretty late - 6pm  - on one of the shorter days of the year, but this little lens handled it wonderfully, with little input from me. 

I did some research before buying - around the net people were saying how inferior this lens is to the far more expensive f/1.4 lens.  All I can say is it must be bloody BRILLIANT if it is so much better than this little lens.  I am happy, and my wallet, while lighter by $100 (remembering I had a gift card! ;-) isn't broken hearted!

Captured :: April 2010

Happy Mothers Day all.  I'm avoiding doing some of those typical mother-type jobs at the moment (you know the usual - washing, folding etc) and thought I would take the opportunity to catch up on April, the month that was.

dinosaur discovery day at school

dani and nathan - what did he say?!

the easter bunny came!

truly THE biggest green frog we've ever seen.  NOTE:  I've decided to add the word strip caption to all or any photos I want throughout each month.  As I haven't printed ANY of these yet (going to organise that today) I can easily go back and add them.  Means no extra journalling needed, this is more of a pictorial summary of our year.

{ The frog photo will take up two of the baseball sized pockets.  Felt like mixing things up a little}

photo shoot at Lyons Creek - how did I not see the old truck's  potential before?!

all dressed up and most pleased about it too.

lest we forget.

Neglected

is what this poor blog is.

Some quick shots that I took when was assistant to my lovely friend Mel over the weekend. These are my  personal favourites from my camera (Mel's shots are brilliant. Pop on over to her blog to see the official shots, not the out-takes!)

Was fun. Was hectic. Was exhausting. So glad I wasn't the main photo person! I'd forgotten how much energy and brain power was required. Thanks for letting me be your prop bitch assistant for the afternoon Mel!

Ideas

so, obviously photography involves a lot of weddings, and I just love looking at how "real" photographers tackle wedding photos, and get something a little different to the norm, but still captures what is such a special day for those involved.

We have a wedding to attend (as guests) this weekend, and you can betcha that my camera will be carted along.  I'll be wandering along behind my friend Mel (she's the official photographer) helping out as best I can, and capturing the action from my own perspective. Should be fun!

Some ideas:

How cool is that shot!  And I love that the bride is wearing pink shoes under her white dress!

same wedding party (bridesmaids in the pink, matching the brides shoes! brilliant!) Great shot, and hilarious when you look closer and see the dag of a groomsman with the umbrella on his head. Someone with a sense of humour (photographer I suspect). Love it!

Oh the gorgeousness. Reflection. Balloons. Swoon.

Carsonhall are over there > on my blog links. Check em out (and as a random fact, I know the sister to one of the Carsonhall duo. She lives in our nearby town)

Props

so, its been parked there for awhile, a landing place for drums and wire and the like, and I've walked past it a countless number of times.

Yesterday I saw the light.

There she is, faithful old truck - and perfect photographic prop.

I have an issue with my husband cluttering up my backyard with random bits of machinery (working and not), steel and other crap "good" stuff, and we have had many a "discussion" about where else it might be located.

So I wonder how I might be able to have this old dear brought home from the property (without giving him carte blanche to add more stuff!), as she most certainly falls within the catergory of non working machinery!

And oh, the agony! She has a little sister, dusty green (you know how the paint finish becomes?), slightly younger, but just so perfect. We didn't get time to play with her, and quite frankly the co-operation on the part of all subjects was getting quite poor. Especially the biggest one.

March - finally!

A boy and a squiggly, licky little puppy = heaven for both

Batch no 2: my garden is thankful they've all moved out! we miss their unbridled joy at seeing us every morning though!

working girls at Lyons Creek

cow whackin' stick for the boy - another day at LC

its exhausting waiting for mum

swimming carnival fun!

rolling at the swags at Lyons Creek - and do you see the kids playing in the sandpile, out the window?

penning up the calves - yes, at Lyons Creek (we've been there a lot this month!)

There we have it, my selection for March. We were at Lyons Creek a lot...

A New Look

I discovered blogger draft, and the new and wonderful array of possibilites of changing the look of my blog(s). LOVE it. Just what I have been wanting, and was wishing blogger would keep up and let us get that fresher look that other blogs can offer.

I thought I would try here, and freshen up (if only spring cleaning the house were so easy!) and plan to do the same over at the quiet life too - and perhaps this will get me motivated to finish our business website!

Stay posted, I hope to have my selection that represents March up soon - sooner rather and later.  And let it be noted I don't think I will be over run with images to choose from for March - busy busy and not much time for photos, nor much inclination to be honest.

I think April is making up for that with a vengeance!

Photographer's Eye

Love this different type of wedding photo!

Again, its my favourite type, catching the little details (don't you just LOVE the little hair accessory?! swoon) like the hair and the dress and the hair accessory, but not as a close up!  And I love that the groom is in there too.  This type of photo could work equally as well for any photo of a couple (not just a wedding photo).

February

Late, but not forgotten.  I haven't printed January yet, but Ithink might send a batch away every couple of months, just to make the postage worthwhile. I am itching to have them put away in their little divided pockets!

This month it was a little easier to narrow down my choices, simply becuase I didn't take nearly as many photographs!  That said, I still had to do a cull back to end up with eight that represented February for us.

I know none of these really push the boundary photographically (although I LOVE the last two!) but this excercise isn't really about doing new things, its more about capturing little bits of us from each month. Mind you, there is no reason why I can't combine the two, but the arty farty shots don't seem to belong in these groups of photos!

I love the little watermark that I've worked out how to apply!  Not much good for anything but posting online (done in File > Process Multiple Files) but it still makes my list makin' label lovin' little heart happy!

Details

Thanks to Pottery Barn for this image....love the photo!  More than just the delicious table setiing and the glorious colours, this shot reminds me to catch the details.

I love wedding photo collections that show not only the bride and groom and their attendants, but the ones that show the flowers and the jewellry and the table settings that someone spent so much time putting together. 

This same paying attention to detail can apply to any event or thing that you are photographing....birthday parties:  make sure to include the cake and the beautifully wrapped gifts, as well as of course, the guest of honour. 

Granmas' house:  I have of course lots of photos of my grandmother, but on my last visit (after she had passed away) I took photos of the old yellow patterned lino (that I used to lay on and trace with my finger as a child);  the bleached white and so, so smooth floor boards (great for sliding on in socks!), the driveway (the oh so steep driveway that had us all huffing and puffing as we came back from a walk) and its pebbles;  the creek with the cold mountain water where we spent many summer afternoons on our annual "holiday at Granma's". The rattly old bridge - I can't capture the sound on film, but the image of it brings back the sound that it made when driven over, as clear as if I were there now. Those little details that we might forget over time.

The images, when collected together,  be it on a scrapbook page, or photo album or photo book, fill out the memories of that occassion, fill out the story. (a bit like that story about placing big rocks in a glass jar, and thinking there was no more room, but then filling the jar with small pebbles, and finally sand)

And just before I go, it has occurred to me that another month has gone by, so I must go through my photo files and select my favourites for my pictorial monthly review!  :-)

A different point of view

January

Forgive the mass onslaught of photos:  here is my selection of shots that represent January. 

our big girl

floss

bushies or beach babies

sunset through the branches

we had to wear our new shoes with our jarmies

summer= swimming in the creek

we all love Ben

i am a tiger grrrr

more like a kitty cat..prrr prr

my heart swells....

excited but embarrassed!

aussie aussie aussie!

1st day of school 2010

special birthday sparkles

words defy me!