its been awhile

but thought I'd share here some edited shots that I didn't show over on my other blog. Just to spread the photo overload around.

These show the before (unedited, straight-out-of-camera shots) the middle with tweaked levels and sharpened, ready to print without any frills, and the last right hand shot, had a light, sort of washy action run over, and then dialled right back. I LOVE the result, just love love it. Its all subjective, next week or next year I will be over this affect I guess.

And the one with the three, well this was the best of a bad bunch but I actually like this one. Its caught them in their natural state of being I guess, you can take your guess of what personality type each child is...

Now what to do with these photos....maybe pick my favourite of each child and get a small canvas done, the same size, of each, or perhaps just print out on photo paper, laminate and then blue tak to the wall. The start of a new simple and inexpensive photo wall. Decisions decisions.

maybe

what do you think? Fluked it perhaps?

getting it right

I've been very inspired by some photos I've seen recently, taken of a dear friend and her family, which are just gorgeous. The photographer has a great eye for lighting.  I struggle with this, or struggle to get my settings right to capture the image in the best light..although, I think I got this one right.

Which, now I come to think of it, was taken with the point and shoot I had in my pocket at the time (this image has been lightly edited) Hmm. What is that telling me ? !

Whatever that point was, I have still just ordered this imagine made into a canvas print to give my mum for Christmas, who is always complaining she never gets any photos of the kids. I have to say, I far prefer these sort of shots to the one of them all dressed up, even though I of course take heaps of them when we are all clean and polished. I have also ordered this same one in poster form for myself (or husband for Christmas too, if I can wait that long!) to go in a huge rimless clip frame I have.

I have also ordered this, as a gift for our friends and neighbours, from a session I did earlier this week. Am keen to see how the printing of both turn out, having ordered from Big W during a 50% off canvas sale.

My only issue is, whenever I have ordered canvases before, is that they are always strange dimensions and not in alignment with standard photo dimensions.

I'll come back later and share some of the stunning photos taken of my friends family.

ready to go

ready to be posted off to the bride and groom and their family.

thank goodness they're finally done...

another wedding

yes, puddin and pie has been much neglected. But I've gone and done another wedding. I swear I wouldn't again, and yet I did. Last time as the primary shooter, I swear. Back up and behind the scenes - for sure! I find its much more fun.

The bride was a natural in front of the camera.

And the gusty breeze gave that nice windblown look! ;-)

My photos aren't polished, or have that bridal magazine look. Every one seems very real and natural - working with seven young kids in the bridal party meant I had to work VERY quickly!

And there are always faces to be pulled (that boy on the end? that is his standard photo face)

Even the flower girls found it hard to smile or look all at the same time. I should have had someone poke tongues at them or something from behind my back.

And the groom - whom I've known since he was a small, annoying boy, wasn't much better at times, than his little nephews. Although apparently he was channelling his inner cool dude in this picture. So he told me.

I think I did well to get this picture before those two smallest bots legged it off down the beach!

Like I said, the photos are very real!

Did I mention that I swear this will be the last wedding I do?!

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...