I love me some Pioneer Woman ACTIONS! If you love to edit your photos in fun and new ways, then you MUST take a look at the new set of actions Pioneer Woman has posted. Here is a sample (picture below) of the seventies plus bring out the eyes action. Man...I really need to watch this addiction...anyone know of an AA for photography...lol!
Thank you Pioneer Woman for sharing all your wonderful tips and tricks of the trade...You ROCK!
You can check out these actions and much more at www.thepioneerwoman.com
AWWW the sound of music fills our living room. Little Austin has taken to the piano and well I must say he's got in his genes. Joel (my husband) and his side of the family have been very blessed in the musical arena and so maybe Austin has well. I was amazed today when he climbed up at the piano and started playing. Now, I know he's not going to play like Mozart, but I could see that he had an ear for it. He played for a bit here and there, but at the same time he was gentle and at ease with the piano. I guess we shall see if Austin will be the next Mozart or president...lol! (See Austin's talking up a storm video below)
Well now I could not go without documenting this moment, so I quickly grabbed my camera and tried to video this event. It's only a glimpse of what was played, but I promise there will be more...enjoy!
Make sure to pause the music below before viewing this video
OK OK....Now at the same time as all this amazing music was being played I had to take a couple of pictures...so here is my side of creativity!!
I know some of you who read my blog are already familiar with Stellan's story, but for those of you who do not know Stellan, I encourage you to go over to his mommy's blog (see button below and/or on side bar) and read his story. Stellan is a beautiful little boy who needs our faithful prayers to help him continue on his fight for life. Stellan for the last week has been in and out of SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) an extreme heart condition that makes it very hard for him to remain stable and healthy. His mommy who has been by his side at the local children's hospital also needs our prayers for continued strength and peace. As a mother myself, I could only imagine the emotional roller coaster she may be on and how she is feeling helpless to fix the problem. Stellan who was not suppose to be here today has already been impacted by prayer and miracles. He has already made significant footsteps in this world and needs the strength to continue walking. Please pray for Stellan and his family...Thank you!
I am sorry for this moment of standing on my soap box, but I just have a hard time understanding people sometimes. Lately, I have been inspired to find a mentor or someone to follow on site with photography. It's great and all to read read read all you can about photography, but there is something about hands on work that gets the inspiration flowing. So, I have sought out a couple photographers to see if they would be willing to mentor a mom who only want to learn to take better photos of her child and close friends. After a couple of attempts, I realized how weird people can be about their talent. I get that you don't want to teach someone in fear of them taking your clients, but HELLO you have a website with your work all over it...clue #1! Also, I am not out to take anyones business, I just want to learn more about photography. If I had a talent like some of the photographers I follow, I would love to be an inspiration to them and help them learn more of their passion. Life is too short to have beautiful talent and not share it. I will have to say that I am so thankful for the many photogs out there who love to share...just to name a few Gina with Peahead Prints www.peaheadprints.blogspot.com (ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS WOMAN), the ever so wonderful and addicting Pioneer Woman www.thepioneerwoman.com, and one of my favorite sites with tons of wonderful people is I Heart Faces. Even though I know these individuals are only an e-mail away, I want SO badly to be onsite and learn first hand about photography...shoot I am willing to pay if thats how one wants to work.
I don't know....blah...blah...blah! I just wish people would be a little less selfish and more productive in the world...why not pay it forward. We have all been in the same spot and I am sure you once wished someone would have been nice enough to help you, but no! Sorry I am getting off my soap box now...I feel much better!
Well we have entered a new stage with Austin and that is he is eager to feed himself. It was quite the sight this evening when I gave Austin a spoon and a plate of mash potatoes. It's amazing how children watch and mimic your every actions. I couldn't believe how he dove right in and started feeding himself like he'd been doing it forever...lol! I also realized while he was eating that he is right handed which is funny coming from two left handed parents...how does that work? Well, our baby is changing by the day...wonder what tomorrow will bring? Good night:)
Before viewing the video, make sure to pause the music at the bottom of this page:)
Austin is talking up a storm! I took this video to show his daddy how close he is to talking. It's so funny to watch him get so serious into a conversation. Lately his facial expression have been so funny that I can't help but laugh when he talks. It's so cute! Hope you all enjoy the video and make sure to look closely at all the serious facial expressions he makes through out the video...he'll make a great president one of these days:))
I love the weekends...especially ones like this where you have nothing to do but just hang out. This weekend Austin and I just chilled and enjoyed eachothers company. We watched movies, went shopping at the mall, and even played the games at Chuckie Cheese. We also spent most of the morning yesterday playing in our pajamas...so nice! There aren't too many weekends where we just get to hang out so I soaked in every moment of it...Hope you all had a great weekend!! :)
I love this picture...can't beat hanging out in mommy's shoes with a sippy cup:)
Nooooo, I am not having twins, but I had the greatest time yesterday taking photographs of my first ever set of twins. These two little girls were so precious and fun. So, not to spoil it for their mommy, here is just a sneak peak of our shoot yesterday. I will post some more of these beautiful little girls later when I share these photos with their mommy! Enjoy:)
I came across Miley Cyrus's new single and music video today and what a perfect time to listen to this song. We all have our moments and mine was today. After a very much needed conversation with a close friend, I was able to release some emotions on the road I am currently on. Raising a child while daddy is away, is not easy. It's also not easy feeling out of your element and being away from the person you love the most. It's been six months now that my husband has been overseas and today I miss him more then ever. I miss being a family, having dinner together, and more importantly seeing him come through the door at the end of the day. My husband and I have been married for seven wonderful years. He is my best friend, soul mate, and love of my life. If you can imagine walking without your left leg, that is what he is to me. He is my rock and without him I am nothing but a grain of sand in the dessert. My husband is such a wonderful man and how I wish the whole world could meet him. At this very moment I know what my husband would tell me...He would would say sweetie, everything is going to be OK, I am always here for you no matter what. So simple, but yet so reassuring.
God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, friend, and father to Austin. He is my hero and I am so thankful to have him in my life. I miss you sweetie and even though we are more then thousands of miles apart I want you to know that I am SO proud of you and I too will be here no matter what!! I Love you!
If you wish to listen to the music video, make sure to first pause the music on the on the bottom of this page.
Now that it's one o' clock in the morning, it's time to go to bed...tomorrow is a new day and with a new day comes a fresh start!
My life quote...
"Life is not measured by the breathes you take, but by the moment that takes your breath away!"
I am sooooooooo on a roll...I love learning new techniques in photoshop. I just recently downloaded the thirty day trial for CS4 and I am already addicted. I am a very visual person so when it comes to learning a new program, I need the step by step visuals. Tonight after my little man went to bed, I decided to do a little cruising on the web and came across several tutorials on photoshop. One was enhancing the eyes and the second was softening the face. After playing around with both techniques, I finally got it figured out and it wasn't that hard at all!! So here are my pictures, please let me know what you think and if I should do anything different...don't want to take editing overboard if you know what I mean!!
Original photo from our day at the park...
Edited photo enhancing the eyes and softening the face...
We had such a blast today at the park! This was the first time Austin actually got to go to the park and play on his own. Of course I have taken him before, but all he did was try and eat the wood chips...lol! This time he enjoyed going down the slide all by himself, climbing, and most of all watching all the other kids do cool tricks. I took my camera with me today to mark this monumental moment and of course I went over board and took over 350 photos...I know I am a mamarazzi what can I say:)) Anyhow, I tried to narrow it down and well of course that didn't work either. So I hope you enjoy our first trip to the park...Yippee!
He went down the slide all by himself...no fear this child!
Hey how do I get up there! He watching the older kids with amazement:)))
What a great way to end your day with a smile like this...
Austin had so much fun he didn't want to leave. We ended our play with a tantrum to the car...poor guy...he'll learn soon that there will be many more days at the park!!
Sometimes I wish that I could stop time and just cherish the moment forever. As a mom for the first time, I am experiencing a new kind of love each day. My son is growing before my eyes and there is nothing that I can do to stop the time. He's his own little personality, grand spirit, and making his own footprints in this world. He's my little man and I wish more then anything he could stay small like this forever. As I went in this evening to check on him, I realized he's almost too big for his crib...Soon he'll be in a big boy bed and no longer a little baby laying in a crib. I couldn't help it...I had to take a picture...so sweet...so innocent...he laid there with no worry in the world. What a moment I will cherish forever looking over his little soul and thanking god for such a miracle. Good night and sweet dreams!
What a handsome little man I have...We went the other day to get his hair cut because he was starting to look alittle shaggy. I didn't realize until today when I took this picture how great his haircut really was. He sure does take after his daddy...So cute:))
OK so after my photography class in Seattle, I am feeling SUPER creative...I have all these ideas that I want to do, but need those special faces to create. My passion for photography is beginning to grow beyond my son (of course I still love taking pictures of him). I am having the niche to start asking my girlfriends to capture their children and begin a portfolio...what do you think? I am thinking my passion for photography and wanting to learn more is driving me to my calling. Who knows, maybe in the next year I will go from being a stay at home mom to having my own studio. I know it's a lot to think about now, but truly I am driven to get there...I need some serious advice! I have had many people tell me that I am good enough to go out on my own, but I am still not confident that I know all I need to know....Any advice? Well I could go on and ON over this subject. I suppose I just need to follow my heart and let it lead me in the right direction. Thanks for listening:))
Well I am back to I Heart Faces after several weeks of being away due to travel, a sick child who then passed it off to me and also a very exciting venture a photography class! So now that things have slowed down a bit, I am excited to be back for week nine and this weeks theme is "creative crop." I've had this picture for a couple months now and love love love it! I hope you enjoy my photo entries for this week and if you would like to check out other contest entries, feel free to visit their website at www.iheartfaces.com
So, I have shared several photos of baby Ashton already, but I just can't get enough!! Today, my girlfriend asked me to come over and take some photos of Ashton who is turning two months...already how time flies!! Of course I was all over it and had a blast taking photos of the little guy who I might add is so stinking cute:) Anyhow, I had a blast today shooting what I love…children and their precious expressions. Here are a couple of my favorite from today…
Baby Cora went to be with the Lord on February 8, 2009 after a very short and unexpected battle with cancer. Today March 5, 2009 would have been the celebration of Cora's first birthday. As a mother to my son who turned a year in October, my heart goes out to this family. I could not imagine the overwhelming emotions Cora's family is feeling today. Please take a moment today to say a prayer for this sweet family. Cora's life here on earth may have been short, but in the last month, her life has touch and moved so many that her name will never be forgotten. God bless the McClenahan family and their journey to come.
Cora with her mother Jess and father Joel. Please pray for continued strength and healing of this young family.
Last night was the last night of my Intro to Digital SLR photography and I am so excited and inspired to learn more! I highly recommend that if you are a hands on kind of person like myself and need more then just your camera manual and books to learn photography then taking a class is a great way to learn. I have learned so much over the last two months that I feel more confident now it taking pictures and capturing them on the first try. Now, I know capturing the perfect picture is not always caught on the first shot or 50th for that matter, but I now know how to properly expose my pictures so that I have several to choose from in the end rather then just a few. Mostly this classed has helped me understand the functions of my camera, explained aperture, ISO, metering, shutter speed and so on. It's amazing what you can do after you learn the fundamental concept of digital photography. I plan to continue learning as much as I can to enhance my passion for photography....you never know you may see me down the road as the next Ann Geddes...LOL! Just kidding:)
Here is some of my work that I shot as homework for the class. Normally, it's not the kind of photographs I would shoot, but it's always good to think outside the box and these were great exercises to experiment with....
Depth of field...
Color and composition...
Contrast done by editing.
Original shot...
Edited shot...
Long exposures and shutter speeds...
Well I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them...Now on to my true passion...Child photography! I love capturing those timeless expressions!
I have many loves in my life, but the most important are the two men that consume my life. I have been married to a wonderful man named Joel for six years. He is my best friend, soul mate, and the first to steal my heart. The second is my son Austin who is the most precious gift from god I have ever received. After trying for four years, Austin came into our lives on October 31st 2007.
My name is Stephanie! I am a dedicated wife, mother, and friend. I love to spend my time traveling, shopping, dancing, and MOST OF ALL spending time with my friends and family. I am a fun and outgoing person who truly has a passion for life. I love to meet new people, make new friends and experience new things. My motto is, you only have one life to live, so you might as well "live like you were dying."
