Sheba for the New Year

Since Sheba did such an amazing modeling job for Christmas, I figured I'd do something small for New Years. She willingly, (and if I dare say, gladly) wore the head band I got her to say Happy New Year. She's such an amazing sport!

The first set of photos are done without the flash but with a little light by her to help brighten the room.

ISO 320 18mm f/5.6 1/6sec

The holiday season has worn her out! LOL! (I know how you feel dear.)

ISO 320 18mm f/5.6 1/6sec

ISO 320 18mm f/5.0 1/6sec

ISO 320 18mm f/5.0 1/6sec

ISO 320 18mm f/5.0 1/6sec

ISO 320 18mm f/5.0 1/6sec

The following photos are with flash. They have a bit of an airy feel to them. I'm not as big of a fan of these, but that may vary from person to person and what they like seeing.

ISO 320 18mm f/5.6 1/6sec

I tried something new with this next photo. It was to create a haze around the outside of picture. What did I use to get this look? A sandwich baggy. This photo is also WITHOUT the flash.

ISO 320 30mm f/5.6 1/6sec

This is the haze (with sandwich bag) with Flash.

ISO 320 30mm f/5.6 1/6sec

What do you think of the sandwich bag haze on the photo? It may not fit these photos, but it's something to experiment with. Do you enjoy these photos with Sheba? I will continue with different holidays with her. 

Oh Christmas Tree...We Found You!

I know Christmas is over and we are well into the new year. Readying for Valentine's day actually. But I didn't get to share my Christmas photos with being tied up with all the holiday racing around and preparing. So, I'm going to start with our tree.

We go to a local tree farm cut our tree down each year. It's become a tradition for us. And something fun for us to do together. It's about an hour drive to get there, so we make a day out of it. We pick on each other as we drive and laugh. Even on the way home, we talk about how big the tree is this year compared to previous ones and how it won't fit in the house. Even the fun of cutting or carrying it.

This year the tree was quick and easy to cut down.

These photos were taken with my new camera, I'm still getting use to it. Nikon D7200.

This is my son under the tree with my husband instructing. lol. My son brought along the girl he was seeing at the time. Yep, we share our goofy with everyone. But they have fun with us.

ISO 200 21mm f/8.0 1/40sec

This is one of my favorite images! The view under the tree as my son saws away. (Yes, I've always said it's more natural to saw than to use a chain saw. It makes it more personal! You have to work for that tree.)

ISO 500 18mm f/8.0 1/40sec

ISO 200 18mm f/8.0 1/40sec

I try to get a shot of the rings of the tree each year. When my son was younger we counted them to see how old the tree was. How many rings do you count?

ISO 125 40mm f/8.0 1/40sec

This was the view from the field we were at. It is so open and the air is fresh. I feel as though I could breath better here.

ISO 100 55mm f/8.0 1/40sec

How many does it take to carry the tree? It's heavier than it looks! LOL!

ISO 100 34mm f/8.0 1/40sec

I couldn't pass up this shot. They were having so much fun.

ISO 100 34mm f/8.0 1/40sec

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and took all the photos you could along the way.

Sports: Little League Baseball action shots.

This little man is adorable and the kindest of heart. Watching him play, I saw a little pro in him. He made some amazing catches and throws to bases. His eyes were on the field and what was happening the whole time. He's a dang good player! He totally deserves some amazing photos while he's at his favorite pastime. Baseball.

We start with a classic view. Through the fence which gives the image a little extra flare at the edges. In black and white, wow it took my breath away.

Into action!

He watches and cheers on his team mates from the pit as he waits his turn to bat.

Or go with color.

That exciting moment. Waiting for the hit for the run into home plate.

One of his favorite images. What kid doesn't want to see himself slide across home?!

I think he looks like a little pro baseball player!

I'm new to and loving Adobe Lightroom

My photography has taken a step forward recently. I'm starting to take portraits and more. So I started fiddling with a photo program on my laptop. It's not the worlds greatest of programs but it gave me a feel for playing with contrast, lighting, and colors. I liked what I was seeing but wanted more. The next step was making the dive to Photoshop for $10 a month (estimated). 

And I'm thrilled I made the leap!

Since football season has started, I'm going to use one of my son as an example.

This photo is the original, straight from the camera. I like it, but it has a bit of a dull look to it. The reds aren't as vibrant as they should be and the grass looks flat as well. The sun was so bright that day that even with the filter lens everything still looked washed out.

The photo could be better. At least in my mind. I love the action in it and want it to be eye catching as well.

So I opened it in Adobe Lightroom, which I'm still learning. I brightened. I clarified. I sharpened. I cropped. I had a blast learning how to touch up different colors (look at that grass!). And this is what I ended up with.

I was pleased with the results. I'm not one to over do everything. I want to keep the original essence of the image, the heart that I caught in the lens. But I want the colors to look true. And this is what I get to see now.

So I grabbed the next photo that I fell in love with:

Yes, it's touched up already. Something drew me to capture this when the guys were running. I'm so glad I listened to that voice in my head. I love the lines and the view of all the boys (I say boys, they are young men as it's a college team) in sync. The candid shot that is so true to a football feel.

So, I'm still learning Adobe Lightroom. I'm making my way with learning the different elements of a picture and what I can touch up and how. It's just an experiment for me at this time. I keep trying different degrees. Which I'll continue to do.

Do you have any suggestions?

Action Shots 1: In the Air...

As I mentioned in my welcome post, I LOVE action shots. This is something I've done for the last few years with track and football, and even more events with the family. So today, I'm going to share an untouched photos of the high jump from 2013. It's like watching a slow movie with the slides.

Action shots can be a struggle to take. I've taken many that are out of focus as the camera picked a different spot than I to focus on. It happens when moving quick. But the more I took, the better I got at knowing what focal point is picked on my camera and ready for that spellbinding moment. (Yes, I'm that person with the camera glued to my eye at events, waiting.)

I have many photos just like these. These pictures are from before I knew of different programs to touch them up and fade out the backgrounds. But, I like the background as it gives the feel of the whole essence of the time and event.

One thing I'll probably repeat through out this blog on posts is something I've learned is extremely important: 
   NEVER stop clicking. You never know what you'll get in those moments after the first shoot you are looking for. Sometimes, those are the pictures I love most as they are the raw moments that speak the loudest words.

How do you feel about action shots? Love them or struggle with them?






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