I Need a Little Love Too!

So....I never buy myself anything. If I want to I always talk myself out of it and think of what one of the kids or hubby could use instead.  

(Isn't that what moms do?)

Well, today I decided to go a little crazy on myself and in doing so I ordered myself a fish eye lens and a new macro lens. 

 Hours passed and I decided......Hmm, I think I will also get a new wide angle lens while I'm at it.  ;o)

It's all good. 

I really can't wait for that fish eye lens to arrive. 

Yay

:o)

Textures

Just some photos with some texture added. 

The first is one I have previously posted and I just tweaked it a bit. 

This is an old church I found on a country road I have recently started traveling. It has a little charm to it but sadly it looks like it will never be what I'm sure it once was.  

Note: I added the cross in post processing because it added a bit more "oomph" to the photo and some may not have realized it was a church. 

This is a sheep.

Just a sheep.

Well, there are a few sheep in there but every time I would get out of the car they would all run. These sheep are on the same road as the church. 

I managed to sneak up on one......who then fled as well.

This last one is my daughter.

We were at a cemetery (a beautiful cemetery) by the lake. 

Life Is Good!

Yesterday evening I was flipping through channels and wondering to myself why I even pay for satellite when there is never anything different on t.v.

In the background I can hear my eldest two lovelies arguing about something in the rear of the house and getting louder with every word.

My husband is rolling his eyes at someone he is talking to on the phone.

Then......a bang, a crash and a crying baby. My 2 year old has just tripped while wearing a pair of my heels. Heels that I have taken away from her more then once. I rush over to her and she looks up at me and says, "Gabby Okay, Mommy." With that I do the kisses on her boo-boo thing and walk back over to the couch thinking, 

"Why am I even looking for something to watch when there is so much noise and commotion going on in this house?", 

and with that I toss the clicker onto the coffee table.

 

The light from the window catches my eye because it had a beautiful orange cast and when I look over my shoulder all of my frustration and stress just went away. 

 

I grabbed my camera.

 

This is what I saw....

This is a photo of my grandmother. She passed away a few years ago. The jam I keep next to her photo was made by my aunt from my grandmothers mango tree. I just keep it there as a sentimental token to her.
 Such a simple image, I know, but it made me realize, once again, how short and fragile life is.

Let the husband rant to whoever on the phone.

Remember that I was also once arguing with my own sister about something that doesn't even matter now. 

Let the baby wear your heels.... After all, she only wants to wear them because they are Mommies. 

When she falls, pick her up and kiss her boo-boo.

She will remember those kisses forever.   <3

With that way of thinking life is much less stressful. 

Ok Dear, I get it.......You are over me and my camera.

Me.......Hey beautiful daughter.....can you follow me outside so I can take a few quick photos.

Dear Daughter....... Nope.

Me......... Please? It will just be real quick.

Dear Daughter........ FINE. But this is IT.

Me......... Thank you Sweetie.    :)

And here is what she gave me....... but you know what? I will TAKE it! 

When All Else Fails...

I needed to adjust camera settings. 

The kids will pose for a small fee.  (eyeroll)

I grabbed a stuffed bunny but it just wasn't the same....so...I grabbed the Hubbster. 

 

 

He only has one pose, God love him, so I get bored shooting him when it's just to goof off a bit.  (Not to mention he keeps asking me if I'm done yet....Grrr)

 

I only had a few more victims.....ahem....models. 

They didn't really care so I took advantage.

 

 

Fresh Off The School Bus

A Cemetery Doesn't Have To Be Scary......

Saint Patrick's Day At The Cemetery....because it was such a beautiful peaceful day by the lake.

 

 

So Let's Grab a Couple of Props And Hit a Dirt Road

I like to pack my camera away for the winter. She hibernates because I love to shoot in natural light and, although there is a lot of natural light in the winter, I do not enjoy winter or anything about it and for this reason I do not find pleasure in shooting outside during the winter months. 

Finally, a few weeks ago, we had some warm weather and I just wanted to doll my little girl up a bit, grab my Canon and hit the road.....so we did.

These are not the best focus because my mind could not focus. I had several well-meaning motorists stop to see if I needed help. 

Note to self:  Find a more secluded road. 

: )

 

First Blog Post But Not The First Blog. :)

I have decided to start a blog for my photography only. I have had several blogs over the years. It started with my graphics blog. Everything you'd ever need to learn to make siggys. 

What is a siggy you ask?

A siggy is a stamp of sorts. For those who visit forums, it is a mark that you leave with every post. It could be anything simple from your name just typed at the bottom of your post to a photo of your kids with txt on it. 

This was my very first "siggy type" make ever...

That thing took me forEVER. And no I did not make the fairy, I only had to add my name but WHEW, back then that was lots of work and I was very proud.         :)

Oh but wait,

If I can add text to a random pixel fairy then surely I can add text to my own photos........ OMG....... I'm so talented.   And with that I made my first photo edits (well, I added text to my photos with horrendous fonts).

 

 Please take note of my mad tubing skills in this next photo. The flowers.........(whispering) they are not real.

 Then....Dear Lord......I joined a Johnny Depp forum. (Don't judge, this was when I only had a tiny baby and I had the time to swoon over Mr. Depp).

There I made many JD siggies for me and many other people. I really can't even count them all. I guarantee there are a few hundred easily, I also (somewhere here on the inter-web) still have all of my JD siggies free for the taking.  

On that same forum I learned to blend and with that...all hell broke loose.

Then came my animations......way too many to show but here are the very first ones.

 

                               

Blinkies, as with siggies, were made by the hundreds for me and for so many other people. I would have a list of people who wanted blinkies to say whatever they chose for them to say. 
I would eat, sleep and dream blinkies.



And then I learned to colorize (oy). For some reason I thought this was a really good idea. 

....and then I learned selective coloring. People actually saw my selective coloring and wanted me to do this to their photos! Can you believe it? 

This photo was probably my ONLY "halfway decent" selective color photo. I just think they are cliche which is why I rarely ever do this now. Not that there is not good selective coloring work out there, but not a lot.

 

Along with selective coloring that holiday season, I also learned to abuse the "burn tool". I really wanted to blow this one up and hang it on my wall. Thankfully I never got around to that.       :)

I got a lot "better" (<-- I use that word lightly) at layering, editing and blah, blah, blah...
This was a simple pic of JD wearing blue jeans, hat,white shirt and a wrist band, everything else was added by me.  

In between all that and now were many other blogs like scrapbooking, another photography blog that I couldn't keep up with,Photo restorations, an Etsy blog...and then I left the blog world but yay me.
I'm back.

Thankfully, I would like to think, I have left the crazy graphics world and am much less willing to make crap. Although back then I didn't think it was crap. I thought it was HELLAgood.

Humor me.

:)