Angry Bird

Spring is in the air, well actually at this point summer is on my door step. The weather has been warming up nicely and all the signs of mother nature coming out the play are here. The trees are almost all in full foliage, flowers are blooming, birds singing, robin's nest in my tree is full of eggs and the wild turkeys have been out and about.

I live in a wonderful location where I get to enjoy many varieties of birds and those big ugly wild turkeys like to come out every spring (I assume they are nesting). This is also the time of year when I always have my camera with me. One day in particular I noticed a man in his car pulled off to the side of the road watching something in the field. I caught glance of two wild turkeys, one male and the other female. I pulled over, rolled down my window and  pointed the camera at the male turkey. He immediately became defensive and moved in for the attack. At one point he was so aggressive I grew scared and rolled up the window. He pecked at my tires and the front end of my car. When he felt satisfied that he had slayed the mini van he proceeded to attack other cars that were slowly passing by! This psycho turkey brings a whole new meaning to Angry Birds!

Why I Love Photography

For as long as I can remember I have always loved looking at photographs. I would spend hours looking through old photo albums, looking at pictures in magazines and other bits of photographic art. When I got my very first cheap camera as a child, one of those camera's that use that 110 film, I loved to take shots and most importantly getting them printed to see what the outcome was. I was not good at it but I loved the process.  It was not until I became a mother that I realized just how important the  photograph was. For me, as for many out there, the picture is a way to capture time. It was a way for me to immortalize my children in their various stages of growing up forever. Let's face it, they are only babies, toddlers or teens once (thank goodness). But as a Mom, when the kids get older, you find that you often forget what they were like when they were 2 years old. With a photo I can instantly be transported back in time and be reminded of all the joy (or heart ache) that we experienced.

Photography makes me feel creative. I love knowing that I created something beautiful, even if it is in my eyes only. I have never been good with paints or sewing. I could not keep a garden looking lush to save my life. I don't write poetry, work with pottery or sculpture. For me, photography is one of the only ways to express myself creatively outside of the kitchen.

I love the feel of the camera in my hands. There is something almost sensual in it. I love fiddling with the dials to achieve better images. I love playing with the alchemy of light, shutter speeds, ISO, and aperture settings. While I am not the best at achieving greatly exposed or beautifully lit photos, I do enjoy trying!

Since I have become a lover of photography I find that I see the world differently. To others a building may look just like a building, but for me, I notice it's structure, texture and color. I immediately think of ways that I can photograph it to capture certain moods or ambiance. I find that when I watch movies now that I see them from a cinematography view point. I notice how scenes are lit, what special effects are used, the angles the camera are used. To me, everything is a photograph and can be beautiful.

When I first got my DSLR camera it was suggested that I join Flickr as a source of inspiration and learning. From there my passion for the art intensified.  I came to know people from all over the world who all shared one common interest, photography. Some of these talented people I have met in person and have gone out on photoshoots with. The people are great, they inspire me and have taught me a great deal about using a camera correctly. I have also encountered quite a few photography snobs, you know the type, the ones who feel intimidated because you know a bit about something that they think they are experts in. These are the folk, that when you ask for advice will ignore you or insult your skill. Those people I just brush off and stick to the ones who love the art and want to share it with everybody.
 
At this stage in the game, I would not consider myself a photographer. Meaning that I don't see myself as a professional. I still have so much to learn. How to expose and compose images better, how to see light and capture it creatively; the list goes on. But in my heart I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER. This is one hobby that will last a life time and always be rewarding to me and my family.

10 Reason Why I Love Fall

For as long as I can remember I have always loved fall. It is my favorite season. As the summer draws to an end I start to get excited about the new season that is just around the corner.  I compiled a list of my top then reasons for loving fall. What do you love about the autumn season?

10 Reasons Why I Love Fall

10. Pumpkin Pie! I don't need to say much about this fall time favorite except for YUMMY!

9. Scary Movies! I have always been a fan of horror movies and look forward to the autumn when a bunch of new scary flicks are released in theatres. I also enjoy viewing some of my old favorites like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. As it gets closer to Halloween my hubby and I enjoy fright nights and watch spooky films, drink hot apple cider all under the glow of candle light! Love it!

8. New TV season. I look forward to the return of all of my favorite show come September. I find that watching the boob tube in the summer is just awful so welcome the much needed entertainment at the end of a long hard day.

7. Fall Colors. I absolutely love the color of the leaves in the autumn. The bright reds, oranges and yellows are so enticing. I find myself at least once every fall finding a big pile of leaves that I can just jump into and smell that sweet decay. It is also my favorite time of year to go for long drives in the country or walks in the forest.

6. Fall Harvest. I love to visit farmers markets this time of year. It is partly because I just love eating squash and corn and all of the other great bounty, but again I love to see the colors and textures of the harvest!

5. Thanksgiving! This is a great time of year to get together with your family; immediate and distant, and share in some great food and great times. It is also a cue for us in our household to start thinking about Christmas shopping!

4. I feel creative. For some reason all of the great colors, food and crisp cool air bring out the creative mom in me. I spend a great deal  of time taking walks with my camera, decorating for Halloween and coming up with fun costumes for the kids (and myself).

3. Halloween! This is one event that we love in our family. Hubby and I take it very seriously. We look forward to turning our front lawn into a graveyard, having Jack-o-lanterns all over the house, spooky music, candle light and so much more. We thrive on taking the kids trick or treating in our neighborhood; I guess it helps that the community as a whole gets right into the holiday as well. Best of all, hubby and I love to raid the kids candy bags once they have gone to bed. Chocolate for me, chips for hubby!

2. Cooler temperatures means more clothing! Yes! I look forward to this point in the year when summer has ended and the requirement to wear less clothing comes to an end. No longer do I have the shove my wobbly bits into tiny sundresses. No longer do I have to wear tanks that show the blubber on my arms. Goodbye shorts that display all the cottage cheese of my posterior. Hello jeans and warms knits, hooray for hoodies. The best part is that it is not so cold that you need to wear winter jackets, mits, hats and all that stuffy fashion that winter requires!

1. The number one reason for loving fall so much...pretty obvious to a lot of parents out there....BACK TO SCHOOL time for the ankle biters!!! Its the most wonderful time of the year!

When Laziness Gets In the Way

I have to admit something very personal, it is something I am not proud of, I AM LAZY!
That's right, LAZY!

I often find myself dreaming up wonderful crafts to do with the kids, but often they never come to fruition. Why? Laziness. I don't feel like purchasing the supplies to do the craft. I would rather watch a movie with the kids than have to clean up the mess that would surely be involved in said craft making venture.

Not only does my laziness prevent me from being a good mother, wife and housekeeper, but it also gets in the way of my one true hobby, photography. As a budding photographer I have snapped hundreds, if not thousands of photos over the years. In the beginning I was 'gung ho' to get the photos developed. I filled at least 30 albums. As time passes though I find my interest in developing the images has waned.

The walls of my family room are a dedicated showcase for my photographs. 90% of those photos are of family or special places we have visited. Recently I was going through my deep archives of pictures on the computer and came across quite a few images that have not been printed and that should be on display in my home. I was embarrassed. One picture in particular is loved by so many family members who have seen it on Flickr, but I was too lazy to give them prints. I don't even have a print, not even a small one.

So I have vowed to get off my lazy ass and get multiple prints of this photo printed. I will also spend quite a bit of money to get 500 more photos printed. This sounds excessive, but when your a 'photographer' it is the least you should do!

Mommy and Gaby Time

My daughter wanted to take some pictures of us together the other week. We decided to make funny faces and share kisses. This is the adorable outcome .... much less depressing than my last post!

My Beloved Is On The Mend

Since I received my first DSLR camera 3 years ago, a Canon EOS 40D, I have been hooked on photography. The camera is with me whenever I leave the house. I have become one of those crazy stealth shooters, always sneaking up in my loved ones and snapping some dreadful candid shot. The camera has become my third eye if  you will.

I am sad to report that the 40D has decided she needs a break. For the last few months I was having difficulty getting shots. The camera had trouble focusing therefor the shutter would  not release. At first, being a newbie to cameras, I though the sensor needed cleaning. Then I started to second guess what I thought I knew about exposure and what not. I decided to put the camera through as many 'tests' as I could thing of. First I did some indoor shots using all 3 of my lenses, with and without on camera flash and speedlight. I used every single setting on the camera. The shutter would only release 1 out of every 10 attempts. So then I took it out on a nice sunny day and did the same thing. Still I had the same problem. I brought it into a camera shop and had the guy test it and he concluded (as did I) that there was a malfunction in the camera body, not a problem with me or my lenses.

I shipped the camera off to Canon and am crossing my fingers and hoping that the problem can be repaired. Thank God I still have warranty left on the camera, even if it is only a few months remaining!
I can't wait until my beloved 40D and I can be reunited. My shooting finger has got a terrible itch!

My Favorite Photoshop Actions - Help For The Busy Mommy Photographer

As a lover of photography I take many, many pictures. The problem is finding the time to edit them in Photoshop. One easy (perhaps lazy) way to get around this is by using Actions. While Photoshop purists may scoff at the idea of automating your editing because you don't really learn how to use the software, I say phooey and take the easy way out on many of my photos. Once you find actions that interest you it takes a few simple steps to add them to PS and then you are on your lazy ass way to producing some wonderful images!

How to Install Photoshop Actions
1. Download your desired action.
2. Select "Save File" from the pop up window. Click "Desktop" in the save location window on the left side and click "Save" at the bottom. This will save a ZIP file of the actions on your desktop for easy access.
3. Right-click the compressed zip file and select "Open With">>"Compressed (zipped) Folders." This will open the file in a new window.
4. Select "Extract all files" from the left-hand menu. This will open the file extraction wizard.
5. Click "Next" when the wizard opens. Leave the location set as the default in the next window (it will extract the files to a folder in the same location as the compressed file). Click "Next" at the bottom.
6. Select "Show Extracted Files" in the next window and click "Finish" at the bottom. Your extracted folder will now open in a new window displaying your ATN files. Depending on the actions you chose to download, there may be more than one file.
7. Select your action file or files by clicking on them once. If there is more than one, hold "Control" on your keyboard and click each one once. Now click "Control + x" on your keyboard to "cut" the ATN files. Close all windows.
8. Open your Start menu by clicking on the "Start" button in the lower left of your screen. If you are using Vista, it will just be the Vista icon. Select "My Computer" from the right-hand menu. If you are using Vista, it will be labeled "Computer" only.
9. Double-click your main hard drive in the new window. It should be labeled drive C:\. Double-click "Programs">>"Adobe" and locate your Photoshop installation folder. This may vary slightly, depending on which version of Photoshop you are using and what suite it is part of. It will probably be something like Adobe Photoshop CS3 or Adobe Photoshop Technical Communications Suite 2>>Adobe Photoshop CS4.
10. Open your Photoshop installation folder by double-clicking it. Double-click the "Presets">>"Actions" folders to open the Photoshop actions installation location.
11. Press "Control + v" on your keyboard to "paste" the Photoshop action (or ATN) files you "cut" earlier. Next time you open Photoshop, your new actions will be available from your library.

There may be a quicker or easier way to do all this, but this works for me just fine!

Now on to the actions! The ones that I am sharing with you are only the ones that I use often, my most favorite. I will toss in a link to a large collection though, so you can have a wide variety to choose from.

The actions I use most frequently are created by Rita over at Coffeetea Photography aka Coffee Shop . Her actions are fantastic and user friendly giving the user control over the settings which is a plus for me. Among my favorite actions available here are Creamy Chocolate B&W, Baby Powder Room and CoffeeShop Vivid 2. 













The Light's Right Studio is also another fabulous place to find actions. There are a bunch of them and they are also user friendly. I use TLR Tone Enhance the most. You can easily adjust the exposure of your image in familiar photographic stops. Eight actions take your image from -1 stop to +1 stop in 1/4 stop increments.  But all of the other actions are great.

The Pioneer Woman Photography  has an amazing blog. Not only does she share great recipes, but also provides free Photoshop actions that are easy to use and editable. Check out Pioneer Woman Action Sets 1 and 2.

Christabelle's Actions are also among some of my favorites. They are very subtle and ever so slightly lighten and brighten images, adjust color and much more. Some of them are free and some are for pay. I of course being cheap opt for the freebies and I love them.



Last but not least is a collection of 124+ photoshop actions to boosts your photos. Here you will find many fun and useful actions, although I must say that I find them a bit repetative. Just browse and see what sparks your creative juices. Oh and I forgot to mention, all of the actions I recommended here are free! That's right...FREE! Man do I love free! 
Enjoy!

New to Photography? Learn from Flickr

 Like many people, I love pictures. I love to travel around the world in my mind through the simple and inexpensive practice of viewing photos of exotic locations. Photography has taught me to look at subjects differently. I have always seen beauty in everyday things such as a cup of coffee, fallen leafs, old sneakers, so learning to capture these subjects in an manner that is thought provoking, smile inducing and giving the subject a platform to be appreciated is amazing.  

Growing up I always had some cheap camera that I would pull out just to take snaps for memories sake.  When I had my first child I started to take photography a little more seriously, realizing how valuable documenting my child's life was. By the time my daughter was born I had discovered the art of photography through Flickr and was caught up in the world of seeing things through a lens. My husband fed my new passion by purchasing me a Canon EOS 40D one year for Christmas. That was the icing on the cake! I was hooked for life. My camera was and is still my best friend. 

Since that time, I have become very active on Flickr. Sure Flickr gets a bad rap sometimes, and with good reason. There are some real assholes out there. There are the creepy folk who look for kids and trouble. Then there is the issue of recieving comments on your photos. One of the main reasons I joined Flickr was to share my images and get feedback, good or bad, so that I may learn and grow as a photographer. But you get these schmo's who only comment "Nice picture" or give some meaningless reward just to promote a group they belong to. These are all things that bug me about Flickr. But on the positive side, I have learned a great deal from Flickr.  I sought out groups that were geared towards learning and feedback. I became active in these groups. I also looked for photo assignments so that I could learn about the technical side of photography as well as composition, lighting and more. I also started a Flickr group, Newbies Learning Photography , that is dedicated to learning photography through assignments, helpful information and sharing. Majority of the group members are new to photography, but we are also blessed to have some advanced amateurs and a few pro's in the mix, to help the newbie in their quest to learn. 

As a Wannabe photographer would I recommend joining Flickr to another amateur, the answer is simple, Yes! I have noticed great improvement in my photographs. I have learned a great deal, found inspiration, and made some friends along the way. I have even lucked out to meet some photographers who live close to me. We meet every few months for photoshoots! All this, because of photography. So I say, take the shitty comments and creepy guys with a grain of salt and join Flickr, the world of photography is within reach!


Here are few samples of how my work has changed since I joined Flickr.

This is one of the first portraits that I ever posted on Flickr. Sure it is not that bad for a complete novice, but the compositition is boring. There is too much shadow on my sons face and he competes to much with the background for the viewers attention.

This is my most recent portrait post to Flickr. I am proud of this photo for a few reasons. One being that my hubby willingly posed for the photo. I like that he is not looking directly into the camera, it gives the image a bit of mystery, what is he thinking? I like the heavy snow falling around him so I chose to black and white to showcase the contrast between light and dark. The composition is much better too. He is not posed in the middle of the frame, but off to the side. The background is sufficiently blurred as to not compete for attention.

These are all images that I posted to Flickr when I first joined.

This is one of my most recent additions to Flickr. I really like the composition and now that I can use Photoshop (however limited), I was able to take the image to a whole new level by adding a texture and playing with the color a bit.

My landscape and travel photography has gotten much better as well. This is a photo I took in Amalfi, Italy when I was there last spring.

I Dream of Italy

We vacationed in Italy last summer. I was such a lucky girl to have experienced a dream vacation, even with my family! We stayed with family in Salerno, which is in the Campania region. The best part about being in Salerno was that is right near, or the gateway to, the Amalfi Coast! From Salerno we took a ferry to Amalfi. From Amalfi we visited the other towns nearby with Ravello being my favorite. We did not have to risk our lives driving along the infamous Amalfi Coast, but still had some of that hair raising fun by taking a bus up to Ravello. From Salerno we also visited Pompeii, which was an incredible experience, which I would love to do again, by myself. We also saw some adorable towns called Vietri and Cetara. After a week in Salerno we all piled into our rental car and drove south to Sicily. The drive was lovely, but all the same, hills and sunny sky and sea, how shitty ;)
We took a ferry from the mainland to Messina, Sicily then continued to our final destination in my inlaws home town of Priolo Gargallo, a small town outside of Siracusa. While we stayed in Sicily we visited Palermo, Erice, Trapani, Cefalu, an agriturisimo in Ragusa, Mt.Etna and of course Ortigia (Siracusa). I am sharing just a really small portion of photos I took on that vacation (there were 800 total!) because I find myself craving another Italian vacation. If all goes well my desire will be fulfilled in May, but until then, I can browse through my photos!




Created with flickr slideshow.

Italian Wedding Soup (as made by a mangia cake)

I do not recall the first time I tried this soup, and I can honestly say I have never had it at a wedding. But this is one of my favorite soups to make because it is packed full of tasty and healthy ingredients. I have seen a few variations on this recipe, but I prefer to keep it simple. If you want to add extra ooomph to the soup, chop up some sausage, or add some diced cooked chicken. For the meatballs I usually like to use a combination of ground beef and pork. Sometimes when I feel extra 'fancy' or adventurous I use ground lamb. 

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (if I prepare this just for my crew I up the garlic to 2 tsp)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (just enough to help bind the meat)
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 8-10 cups low-sodium chicken broth, water, veggie broth (whatever you have)
  
• 1 pound spinach- chopped (I usually use the frozen chopped stuff - I'm lazy)
  
• 1 onion - chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1-2 roma tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 dry pasta such as tubetti, macaroni, shells (they should be small and this is optional)
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the meatballs: Doesn't take a rocket scientist. Really just chop, mince or grate all to the first 5 ingredients. Toss them into the meat mixture and stir it around. Combine it nicely. You will know when the consistency is right. I like to add more cheese if the mixture is too liquid, and sometimes more bread crumbs. . Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Don't take my word as scripture though, you can make the balls however big you like. Set those bad boys aside to await their eventual bath with the broth.

To make the soup: First saute the onions for about a 1-2 minutes (you want to smell it). Then toss in the carrots, celery and tomatoes. Pour the broth over top of the veggies and heat until a gently boil.  Add the meatballs and cook for around about 5 minutes.

  

Then add your spinach and pasta. Cook for another 4 or 5 minutes (until the balls are cooked through and the greens are tender). Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired. Or make it better and drizzle olive oil over top. Serve it with nice crusty bread that has been lightly toasted and drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a big pinch of oregano (what we call Nonno bread). Oh, and don't forget the wine!

People Take Good Pictures Not Cameras

I have learned quite a bit about photography in the last few years. Sure, like most people I can just point the camera and shoot and hope for the best. But I am now beyond that, I expect more from my photos. I want to capture a memory in time forever. That is the most amazing part of photography. Over the last few years I have really worked on portraiture and I will admit I like to show off pictures of my kids....they are awfully cute. A few times in the past when I am showing off the viewer has remarked that I must have a good camera. I then stop to think about it for a moment....I do have a good camera, but they did not produce the good shots, I did! Of course I don’t want to come off as a snob so I just smile and nod yes. Those of us who are photography addicts know that the camera does play a big role of your image quality, but composing a good photo it does not. That job is left up to the person behind the camera.
You can spend thousands of dollars on the best camera out there. You can buy all the accessories such as lenses, filters and the list goes on. But all that gear will not create a great image....you do it....the person behind the camera. It starts with vision, an eye for scenery and some imagination. Here are a few tips that will help you “see a photo”.

1. Inspiration. You can be inspired by anything, even something as simple as a coffee cup.  Sometimes it can be my mood. Am I happy or sad, angry? I may then choose to ‘create’ an image that depicts my feelings. I know, how totally EMO of me! I see potential photos everywhere, a man waiting for a bus and chatting with other commuters. Or a flower in a field with the light casting a lovely glow over it. In both cases I “see” a great picture.

2. Be spontaneous. I love taking candid shots of kids. They are a constant source of entertainment and photographic possibilities. Unlike adults, they don’t filter their reaction to seeing a camera. Many of them strike a pose immediately, some may be shy and you will have to work harder at getting a good shot. You may have to get down to their level, you may have to crawl around in the dirt, but the outcome will be so much more rewarding. Take a shot when your subject is looking directly at you....but don’t think that if they aren’t posing for the camera that you shouldn’t shoot, sometimes they are the best portraits.
Whether posed or candid, you can capture genuine personality in your image. Try to avoid the ‘cheese’ smile; they just are not as authentic or memorable.

3. Scenic and landscape pictures are everywhere. We often take for granted what is right in our own back yard and don’t see the lovely vistas waiting to be photographed.You don’t need to visit Tuscany (although that certainly would be nice) or sitting on a tropical beach to capture great landscapes. Sometimes the tree on the hill down the street will make the best shot! Sunrises and sunsets as well as trees, plants, birds, wildlife, vistas, hills and so on all make great landscape shots. The possibilities are endless.

4. Then there are the man made subjects, such as architecture. Look for buildings with interesting lines, height or fancy features. Shoot from different angles. Churches, old barns, and abandoned houses are a constant source of inspiration. The architectural detail can be captured and you would be amazed at how much you love those shots. The other type of man made subjects can be used in Still Life photography. This is when you ‘set up a scene’ with anything from a bowl of fruit to a row of bottles. Still life can be a very creative way to photograph.

5. Always bring your camera with you. I keep a small point and shoot in my purse so I don’t always have to lug around my DSLR and lenses. Any subject, any item, can make for a great photo. Those hydro lines running through the field may be ugly when not seen with a creative eye. Just stop, pull out your camera and snap a few shots....you may be pleasantly surprised.

6. Look for a different perspective. Get low on the ground, lie on your back or stomach. Climb up a ladder. It is amazing how a simple change in perspective can make an image pop!

All of the above tips are not difficult to do. They are easy. It is really just about changing the way you think when it comes to taking photos. These tips will also help you create more outstanding photographs. So save your money, keep the small point and shoot and try this for a while. If you find that you get bitten by the photography bug....then upgrade your camera.

Why am I doing this?

You may wonder what the purpose of this blog is. You have seen thousands of photography blogs, some with useful information, others with amazing photos...others that just make  you smile.

The purpose of my blog is purely selfish. It is a way for me to document my adventures in learning all that I can about the art of  photography. As a relative newbie to the field, I still  have so much to learn. In fact, I am on a quest....to know as much as I can....to better myself as a photographer. 

This passion not only applies to my hobby, but also to my family. I want to share stories, images and informative bits about being a mother and a wife.

So considering my purpose for this blog is mainly about growth, both professionally (semi) and personally, I thought I would share my first photo I took with my beloved Canon EOS 40D and the most recent. This is to compare how I have grown...if at all!

 

A portrait of my daughter taken when I first got my DSLR. Sure she is cute....I know that. But the light on her face was too harsh and too much strong shadow. I think that she also competes with the background which is not good in a portrait. Your subject should be the focus, not the background. Another problem I had at the time of taking this photo was that I would only use the automatic settings and only shot in JPEG format. In post processing, the only conversion to black and white that I knew how to do was greyscale conversion, hence the flat look of the picture.

 

Here is a portrait I shot recently of a little boy. In shooting this shot, I did quite a few things differently. I chose a better time of day to shoot, in this case it was nearing sunset. I also used some fill light (when needed) to brighten any shadows on his face. I did not 'force' him to pose. I just followed him around and chatted with  him. We became good buddies and just before I shot this pic, he gave me a big wet leaf as a gift....the coy grin was the result of his being pleased with himself. In post processing I used Photoshop and adjusted levels, curves and added a tint. The end was a much richer black and white image.

Neither shot is perfect...certainly not pro quality (although my 5 year old shoots better than some so called pro's). But I have learned alot about how to make an image look better.....mostly!