Live from Tormville!

The baby made me do it

It's one of *those* mornings.  Ever have one? 
The baby woke up early
The baby won't stop crying
The baby pitched a fit over every solution I came up with - a drink, some food, a diaper change, a book, play toys
He was in continual fit mode. 

So I gave up.  I let him pitch his fit behind me and I came over here to get some work done.  During this time I wished I never got tubes put in my ears, or that maybe I had earplugs handy.

But I didn't.

But I do have email.  Nice, quiet, unobtrusive emails and outlets to another life, a quieter place....a sale.

A sale?
Yes.  A sale.
($30 off the sac, 30% off the covers)

Because apparently Jessica Claire is 29.  So now not only am I tired and weary from my badly awakened 18 month old - I'm also feeling old and fat.  Instead of clicking the perky young incredibly talented Jessica Claire off my screen tho, I decided to keep reading. Okay...it had something to do also with the fact that the baby had completely blocked my keyboard with his flailing body.  I was locked in to the page that I had last opened.

A sale.

On something that I've been debating the purchase of for the last 8 months or so.  Don't let it be said that I don't think my purchases over carefully.  You see...it's been a toss up between the suave, young, hip, makes me feel cool Shoot Sac, or the less expensive, practical, Crumpler.

And I just couldn't hit purchase on either one of them.  Mind you, I've been using the same camera bag for over 20 years now.  yeah. 20 years.  For two thirds of Jessica Claire's life I've been using the same camera bag.  Almost exactly.  I bought that camera bag in 1988. March. These types of purchases are important, afterall, and I remember them.  

So now, because my baby was crying.
Because I needed an escape
Because Jessica Claire had a sale and she was only 9, make that 8, when I bought my last camera bag.

I bought me a bag sac.
oh...and this cover

*Insert big I'm excited smile here*

I have this process....

I just sat down with my 3rd cup of tea and thought I'd take another look at the wedding pictures I took on Saturday. 

I realized then, that I have a process.  It's not really something that I thought about much - it's just the way I do things. I thought it would be fun to jot it down -

• The first thing I do when I download the pictures onto my computer is do a quick run thru the photos.  During this quick run, I, without hesitation, delete all out of focus and closed eye shots.  Pfft. Gone. Just like that.  I don't even think twice about them
• The second thing I do is back them up.  Always.  I currently have Amanda's wedding in three places.  My computer, my external harddrive, and they are still on the photo cards. I won't delete them, ever, from the photo cards until they are in at least two places - often three. The third being the delivery version.  This keeps me sane.
• Now, the next thing I do may sound funny - but for some reason it's what works for me.  I ignore the pictures for at least one day, sometimes two. This was by no means a conscious thing - but I've noticed more and more that it's what I do - I must need that time distance to be able to look at them clearly and objectively again.
• Now, this morning I'm going thru and my first thought is, 'oh...I really do like these'  I had that thought when I briefed them quickly Saturday night, so it was a pleasant experience to have that thought again.  LOL  I needed, however, that two days in between to get that again.  I have quirks - let there be no doubt.
• Now begins this side of the work process.  First - I create a new folder within the wedding pictures folder.  This folder is where I move all my favorites.  So where there might be 6 shots of the extended family - there might 2 that are my absolute favorites.  Everyone is looking - the light is right, etc.  These 2 go in that folder. Again - I'm pretty decisive on what I like and don't like.  I'm not deleting anything else at this point - just ranking.
• So now I have a folder of my favorites.  I create another folder within this folder - this is for the photos that are complete and ready to deliver.  Again, some instantly get dropped in this folder, they need no tweaking whatsoever, but there are many that won't be moved yet
• After that step - I begin playing.  Tiny color fixes, converting some to black and white, cropping some closer,  making sure some are good for 8 x 10 printing, anything that needs to be done gets done.  This part takes several days - sometimes more.  Total hours is more than the shoot itself. Always.
• As I complete groups of pictures - I continue to back up onto my external. This has become second nature and helps me sleep better at night
• After I have everything from the favorites folder moved over to the completed folder, I take one more glance thru the original set to see if there are anymore there that I missed, that should be added to the final set.  There really aren't often many left in this folder - mostly duplicates.
• When I'm certain that the final folder has every image possible, I go thru and rename them.  Wedding1 Wedding2 Wedding3  that type of thing. 
• Then - I often share for a review or last second critique or constructive criticism (I love contructive criticism...so much to learn!) before really finalizing. This step doesn't always yield much, but gives me more confidence and another set of eyes. It does happen that I miss something entirely - a fix or perhaps not turning a pic to b/w that might really be good
• Then, when I'm really done, I copy to a CD and deliver

I'd love to hear what my other photographer readers do the same or different.

This time yesterday

okay..that's not the best title because this time yesterday I was still sleeping - but what I wanted to relate is that this time yesterday when I was actually awake (follow that) I was shaking like a leaf.  Dead serious.  From wake up time until about 3:30ish when I finally relaxed a little bit, my hands were so shaky I could barely type.  Honest truth.  I had typed yesterday's post the night previous.

But I can relax now, I'm pleased with how most of the wedding pictures turned out. 

Phew.  Huge relief. Weddings are a good weight loss program - I burn mega calories for my pacing and shaking the week prior, not to mention the hours of lugging the camera around during pictures.

All for now....it'll be a bit before I share any photos...I have a rule that the bride and groom see them first. 

Now off to hustle some kids up for Sunday school and church - Pa's out on a milk run.  Show's how our morning is going....Markie's ticked that his demands are being immediately met. 

be good!

So, I mentioned that my lightsphere came the other day....

and I mentioned that I got some pretty funny slackjawed pictures of the little boys when I took their pictures using it. 

I've been practicing with it a little bit here and there, but the bigs hadn't seen it yet since it got tucked away before school let out. Nothing intentional - in fact, I hadn't even really realized they didn't see it yet.

When one reads up on the reviews for the lighsphere, the same comment resurfaces over and over - you'll get weird looks.  I'm not sure if this is what I'm looking for in wedding photography - but it's fun at home.

Take last night.  Let's visit Allan when he's doing his chores, shall we?  It's always such a pleasant time...

Hey Al! Say hello to my blog readers!

Mom, I'm kinda busy right now. Really?  Whatchya doin'?  Mooom. Duuuh.

oooh! You're doing the dishes! Yes, mom...and I'm almost done - what do you want, and what is that red light? (the sensor was reflecting in the water)

oooh, I just wanted to see how you were doing, and seriously...we need to cut your hair tomorrow.  moooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!!!  (and he begins to, finally, turn - I knew that hair comment would get him)

whooooaaaa!  MOM!  What the heck is that thing?????

I laughed so hysterically that I nearly lost control of my inefficiently kegelled had four kids bladder control.

We spent three hours together yesterday

I actually wrote this post a week ago or so...so it wasn't yesterday we hung out, I just don't feel like reversing it all.  ;)

I have to confess.
In a million years I never thought I'd use photoshop.  I actually rather poo-poo'ed it.
I wouldn't read the threads
I'd ignore the hype
did
not
enter
my
world

I'm not sure at what point the wall I had built started to come down, but it did.  I was paying a bit of attention to what the Pioneer Woman was saying about it, I was listening and looking more at what running an action can do.

It was starting to occur to me that as a photographer, it can be a mighty handy thing to have in the ol' back pocket, whether one uses it regularly or not...just the fact that it's there is a safety net.

At least that's how I now see it.

Posed photography is not my favorite.  Never has been.  The actual setting up of people, I don't mind that so much...but senior head shots, that type of thing.  Not my favorite.  Probably because I have lights that I don't have room to set up so my photos are weak from the get go.

Probably because I just prefer natural and candid.
Even when I get calls to do senior photos I always say that I prefer the outdoor candid shots.  Most of my clients end up picking a headshot from those.

But many people still enjoy the backdrop shot

   

This is Stephanie
When Stephanie was about two or three, she used to often sit by me in Bible Class and giggle and wiggle and hop on my lap and down again, on my lap and down again and then she'd giggle some more.  In fact, she reminds me very much of my niece Rebecca.  Same gene.  Stephanie is my cousins second oldest. I did this headshot as a favor because the ones that she had done didn't have a good headshot for the wall in the bunch.

So I said send her over.  Even with headshots, I like to take them outside.  I'm all about natural light whenever I can get it.  It was a beautiful day and I set up a backdrop against the abandoned house next door and took test shots on my kids.  All was well.

And then the wind picked up.

We ended up moving the whole kit and kaboodle into our garage - a place I had forgotten about as we normally had a boat in there but had just gotten rid of that the week prior.

And we tried it in there.  And it's okay - but not exactly what my cousin or I wanted and she also has a lot of stray fine hair floating around.  I kept trying to pank it (total yooper word) down but it just wasn't happening.

So we spent three hours together yesterday.  Only she doesn't know it.

I learned a lot. I still have tons to learn.  Speaking of which...I've had Scott Kelby's CS3 book in my cart over there at Amazon for a few days now...has anyone used/looked at that one?  Tell me to just buy it.

I removed most of her stray hair and just cleaned it up a bit.
   

I also learned that I should step back one step when taking a headshot - the problem came when trying to print and 8 x 10.  Pictures are pretty much set up for a 2:3 ratio as in a 4 x 6.  So when you go to print an 8 x 10, that ratio is off so it cuts of either the top or bottom or both ends of the photo.  In this case, it was really tight.  The 8 x 10 hits just below the button on her sweater and just a little bit above her head.  So so close. 

So I'm learning a lot

And I no longer poo-poo photoshop.   

okay...trying this out

I began an album at flickr a few days ago - here. I think.

I'm going for the photo a day for the year - my photos from my everyday for a month projects are my favorites so if I keep up with this, I know it will be a treasure to me.

I'm not a part of any group, mostly because flickr overwhelms me - I'm definitely a rookie. 

If anyone has any tips on how to waddle thru that place, I'd love to hear them.  ;)

be good

This tip works best with the age 5-13 crowd

So, I was reading Audrey's blog yesterday wherein she shared the makings of a non-smile.   Audrey takes photos of the Ford Models, she's done work for Pottery Barn - basically...she knows her stuff, and I like to pick up tips wherever I can.  In fact, you might just want to stop reading mine now and just go straight to hers.

But in reading hers, I realized that I haven't shared mine. I've got tips too.

You see - with a 12 year old and an almost 7 year old, we've got fake smile bad in this house.

The two year old has also learned the fake smile. They learn 'em younger and younger 

Can't you just Feel the boredom here? Who'd want to get this picture in the mail for Christmas? I can almost sense some silent communication between the elders.  I dare you to stick out your tongue.  I dare you first.  Will she ever be done?  We better get good treats for this one.  I dare you to hide her camera tonight.

I was losing them.  And fast.  I only had one shot left.

*Toot!*

heh

Use it wisely.
This tip is not recommended for seniors or weddings.

And after a little action action

I'm still not all that crazy about playing with photo after photo after photo...but I like to tinker a little bit here and there.  I have the bad habit tho of playing then and not keeping real good track of what I did.  Whatever it was, I used Mindy's actions (link over there on the left) to do it and I chased it with a vignette and a photo frame.  I like.  It's the same picture as I just posted below, so you can see the difference. 

On Sunday

Pa took the kids to Sunday school.  He had to return the company car on the way and it was with a chuckle and a ohmygoodness that I realized we don't all fit in the company vehicle or the jeep, for that matter.

So Brian slept in until 10am, which was lovely.

And then he woke up

He looks like he grew a bit in the night, eh?
And Markie...he did the stand up in the middle of the floor thing today.  Three months ahead of any of our others.  Overachiever.

What else went on around here?

Miss W brought home a friend after church

and Allan did not, which was a good thing because a peek thru his binder found that he has a very large project due.  On Wednesday.  A project that I would not have known about had I not glanced in his binder.  grr.  So Allan did homework all day.

Brian created art



And Pa took pictures of his

speaking of pictures...I had some fun with my new printer today.  She's very fun. I call her Hilla. I once knew a little girl named Hilla and she always made me smile...she once told me a sassy little ditty, "Silma silma nena suu..."  and well, I guess you'd kinda have to understand Finn to get it

and then..just for fun, we drove to town and I brought along my other new friend, my new lens.  Guess which one?  I was jigging as much as one can with a pinched sciatic nerve when I realized I could take pictures of both sides of the street at the same time.  I mean, is that cool, or what?  Heidi, your family is going to look SO good in this lens.  I'm getting excited!

And because it was like 89 degrees today, we and everyone else in town decided to top of the day with some ice cream.  The fam went in and ordered while I played with my new toy.  I was jiggin' again when I realized I could take a picture of the entire DQ when I was standing right in front of it.  Seriously....that's cool. And so was my hot fudge sundae

And this is where we like to eat our DQ's.  I was itching to try a lay down shot, but that darn nerve.  It was doing fine for a couple days and went and got wangled again sometime this afternoon.  It's less than pleasant.

But my new lens made me forget about it for a few moments.  I'm hoping the other lens shows up tomorrow

be good!

Whew *fanning myself*

It took me a week to work up the nerve to hit the buy it now button....but I just did it, transaction completed.  Next week I'll be playing with my new friends

the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
and

Canon EF 85mm F/1.8

I think I need to go lie down now