Lots to share today!

Good morning! I have lots of pictures to share today to catch up on all of the ones I haven't posted {blush}. I'm going to start with my favorite. I was watering my flowers and I have a Bleeding Heart bush right in the middle. Once I was done watering I notice how the sun was perfectly shining on the leaves. So, off to grab the camera and this is one of the ones I got. I just love it! It makes me calm and serene. Which I really need most days!

*18-55 mm lens
*Taken in AV setting with aperture set at F5.6 (lowest it would go). When you have it in AV mode you set the aperture and it automatically sets the shutter speed for you. If you use TV mode it does the same thing but opposite. You set the shutter speed in TV.

*Tip* The lower your F stop (aperture) the more blurry the background will be. This is good when you want the focus to be on something close without having all of the background drown it out.


*18-55 mm lens
*Taken in Manual with Manual Focus

This is one of our 5 squirrels we have running around our side yard all the time. We have had one living here for the last 3 years (Goliath we named him) but this past spring he had 3 babies with his girlfriend. So, now there are 5 of them and I can't really tell them apart. Other than the young ones play a lot more. I just love the look on this ones face though because he knew I was there taking pictures of him.
"You lookin' at me!?"

*75-300 mm lens


*18-55 mm lens
*Converted to black and white

The next two photos are of one of our pine trees. We trimmed the lower branches off last spring so now the sap drips out of where we cut them. I think the picture looks neat because it looks like water dripping off. But I'm so not that talented!



*18-55 mm lens
*Taken in AV mode with lowest F stop

I wanted to point something out to you guys too. Ever notice how some of the things we see all the time or a lot of we don't tend to notice? I am very guilty of that! Like with this Tiger Lilly for instance. These flowers grow in such abundance around here that it's easy to ignore their beauty. But once I photographed it I really noticed how gorgeous this flower really is! The color is so vibrant and bold! So, the next time you're out, stop a second and look at something you normally pass right by. You just might find something beautiful!

*18-55 mm lens
*Taken in AV mode with lowest F stop

I don't know what kind of fly this is hangin' out on the side of this weed but I know it's teeny!!

*18-55 mm lens
*Taken in AV mode with the lowest F stop

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I am learning so much about my camera! My niece just got a horse a few days ago and I can't wait to take a trip down there (about an hour away) and get some photos of Oreo and Sarah together. Oreo is the horse by the way, not my niece. {wink}

Have a Sweet Life!

-Heidi

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Hello all! I'm just gonna get right to the pictures today! We had a pretty good thunderstorm a few days ago and this is what the outcome was. A double rainbow! I would have never seen it if it hadn't been for my MIL who called me and asked if we knew it was there and if I had taken a picture of it yet. Isn't she sweet?! I'm super glad she called! Plus a I got a pretty neat one of the good clouds moving in as the yucky ones were moving out.

*All were taken with 18-55 mm lens






For this next set of pictures I wanted to show you how you can start with a good picture but make it even better. I took this one just earlier of my oh so photogenic daughter.

I love the way she looks in this pic but didn't like the houses in the background. So, I cropped out the houses and the next thing I did was to blur the picture by 20. You can find your blur option right by the sharpen option on your editing program. It gives it that soft, hazy feel that you sometimes get with the portraits from Sears or JCPenney.



And then I took it one step further and converted it to black and white. When you convert a soft picture to black and white it makes it even more stunning.



So, next time you have that picture that is awesome, play around with it, you might be able to make it even better!

Have a Sweet Life!

-Heidi

My swingin' Angel

Oh my have I been busy this past week! Joe was off work on Monday for Memorial day and we stayed up late watching movies with the kids. Then I finally got my house totally clean and organized (which I have been working on for a long while) except for a few piles to take to the Salvation Army. Anyway, I am back and will be posting more frequently!

This is one I took on Memorial Day of Ava. We were all talking and doing our own thing so she decided to twist herself up this time. And she and Jolee also insisted on wearing angel and butterfly wings outside to play.

*75-300 mm lens
*Changed hue slightly to brighten up the grass and swing

This was taken on Monday also. Clinton and daddy just taking a walk.

*75-300 mm lens
*changed to black and white

Here are another set of before and after pictures. The before picture is a Peony that was in my MIL's garden. I loved the bright pink and how you could really see the veins of color in it.


And this is what it looked like after I changed the hue. It dulled the colors more but I really think it's as equally attractive as the first one, just in a different way.


I had to throw just one in of hubby's 2nd cousin Owen. Isn't he just the sweetest thing? That boy is all smiles! Ah, if I ever get to the point (wait, shouldn't I say WHEN) where I can make money from this I can't wait to take pics of all those little babies! I am so ready for my sister to have her baby (she is due in July) so I can photograph those tiny little toes!!!!!