Mommy's Camera

Capture Santa On Camera For FREE!

2011-12-07T22:24:00.001-06:00

I'm sure you've seen those websites out there that offer to help you prove that Santa was in your home by capturing him on camera for you. "Upload a photo of your tree or fireplace and for $10 we'll put Santa in your photo!" I'm here to tell you, that with a little effort, you can do it yourself for FREE! Don't worry, I'll walk you through how to do it step by step:

I'll start by saying that this is my friend Lindsi's fireplace. At the time I started working on this tutorial I didn't have my tree up or house decorated yet. Since I'm also posting this tutorial on my other blog (Toys In The Dryer) I asked Lindsi to send me a photo.

Step 1) Download my favorite FREE photo editing software Gimp. If you have Photoshop you can still follow this tutorial. You just have to make adjustments for that program. If you are like me and don't want to dish out the money for expensive photo editing software, Gimp is comparable to Photoshop only it's FREE!

Step 2) Take a photo of your living room, tree, or fireplace. Remember, Santa comes at night so make sure you take the photo at night in that lighting! You don't want a bright, sunlit window in the background!

Photo courtesy of Design Dazzle. If you find this tutorial too hard, check out her post on how to capture Santa!

Step 3) Find a photo of Santa to use. Google "santa costume" or "capture santa" to find the best images.

Step 4) Open both photos in Gimp and make them the same size. Go to your larger photo and click "image > scale image" In the "height" part make it the same as your smaller image. (You will see your smaller image minimized on the bottom if you can't remember the size you need.) Now hit "scale". If your larger image becomes too small to see, go to "view > zoom > 100%".

Step 5) Click on your Santa image then click on "edit > copy". Now go to your house image and click on "edit > paste as > new layer". Make sure it's "new layer" or the rest of this tutorial won't work!

Step 6) Click on the little eraser icon in your toolbox. Then pick and scale your brush to preference. Now start erasing everything from your Santa photo except Santa. As you erase you'll see your room photo come through!

Step 6-2) To get closer to Santa with the eraser, click on "image > zoom > 200-400%". You will most likely have to scale your brush down to a smaller size. When you are done with the details, zoom your image back down to 100%.

Step 7) Move your Santa where you want him in the photo. Click on the cross or move arrows, make sure the "move the active layer" is checked at the bottom of your tool box, then click on the photo to move Santa. If you accidentally move the whole photo, go to "edit > undo" then make sure you have the "move the active layer" checked. (Can you tell I forgot to check the box?)

Step 8) Scale your santa. I got lucky with my photos, I did not need to make my Santa larger or smaller. The above photo of the super small Santa is just to show you that the steps work :) Go to "layer > scale layer" then play with the height until you think it looks right. As long as the link next to the height and width is connected the width will automatically change with the height. Do not change the width unless you want a super funny, wide looking Santa!

Step 9) Adjust Santa's color. Your house photo will most likely have a blue or yellow tint to it but your Santa will most likely be bright white. Fix the color difference by going to "colors > color balance". Play with the sliding scales until your Santa's white parts look like they match the tone of your photo.

Step 10) Combine the layers. Click on "image > flatten image". Save and you're done with the photo editing part!

Step 11) The night before Santa comes, set up your camera on table, chair, shelf or where ever you can prop it. Turn your camera on and tell your kids that it will take a photo when it sees Santa. (Don't forget to turn your camera off after the kids go to bed if it doesn't have an auto off)

Step 12) In the morning take the memory card out of your camera and pretend to upload the photos. Find the photo you edited on your computer and watch your kids eyes light up as they see you captured Santa on camera!

Wordless Wednesday--My New Motto

2011-11-09T09:43:00.001-06:00

Improving Your Cell Phone Photography

2011-11-06T20:01:00.000-06:00

I've been asked over and over again by my readers to do a post on cell phone photography. Until now, I wasn't a fan of cell phone cameras and I didn't think they were worth my time. After all, if you want good photos, you are going to have to use something better than a 3.2 mp phone camera with no options to change.

Cell phone cameras, however, have come a long way since I started this blog. Phones are becoming the "go to" cameras for every day life. With upwards of 8 mp and increasing options to change, along with facinating new accessories, cell phones are now learning to compete with basic point-and-shoot cameras.

I'll interject a disclaimer here. I do not own a smart phone (yet). My cell phone camera is only 3.2 mp. I rarely use my phone for photos, however, I am learning to remember that it is available in a pinch. When I get a smart phone I will probably use my phone a lot more than my actual camera. I'm hoping I won't feel guilty.

Ok, so now that camera phones are improving, how do we take better photos with them? It's simply really--treat your phone camera like a regular camera! All the basic things I have been teaching already can be applied to your phone camera.

1) Read your manual! It is the basic starting point for all photographers. Cell phones come with user manuals (either printed or online) and somewhere in that manual is a section about the camera in your phone. You'll be surprised at some of the options you might discover for your phone.

2) Get out of "auto mode". Yes, I realize that cell phone cameras do not have different modes such as program, shutter priority, and aperture priority, but there adjustments that you can make (just check your manual). With most cell phone cameras you can adjust the resolution, white balance, brightness, color effects, and can turn the flash off and on. Newer cameras have even more options. Use these to get the most from your camera.

3) Hold your phone camera correctly. You've seen the above photo before in my low light photography tutorial. Though you won't always be using your phone camera in low light, it's best to hold your camera close anyway. It helps you get the most clear photo you can.

4) Remember some basic rules of composition. Just because you are using a quick and convenient camera doesn't mean you can take a quick, non-composed shot. Check out Composition Part 1, Composition part 2, and Composition part 3 for some basic rules to keep in mind.

5) Get closer, don't zoom. Most cell phone cameras use digital zoom instead of optical zoom. This produces more grainy photos. It's best to get closer to your subject or to crop your photo closer later.

6) Clean your lens. Because phone camera lenses are on the back of the back of the phone we often forget about protecting them or keeping them clean. Making sure there isn't dirt, finger prints, or smudges on your lens will keep your photos crisp.

7) Don't edit in your phone. Sure it's easy to do simple crops, red-eye removal, and even add textures/filters to your photos with some of the newer phones and the apps you can download. However, if you are looking to keep the photos you take as memories, remember that classic is timeless. Some of the editing you do with programs such as Instagram will quickly go out of style.

How often do you choose to use your cell phone camera over your real camera? Are the photos you take with your cell phone meant to be keepsakes or are they just snapshots from "in the moment"?

Tottie's 3 Year Photos

2011-10-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

I took Tottie outside this morning to take some photos since she is turning 3 at the end of the month. Nutty had her school photos taken last month and I need a new picture of Tottie to match.

She was such a good sport for the photo shoot and I got a TON of great photos of her.I've narrowed it down to my three favorite but now I can't decide which photo to print and hang on the wall next to Nutty's school picture.I need your help! Which photo do you like best? Leave a comment or vote over at the top of the right column. Thanks so much!

10 Practical Low Light Photography Tips

2011-09-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

Search the internet and you'll find tons of tips for low light photography. Those tips, however, seem to be geared toward DSLR users or people who have tons of photography equipment such as tripods and external flashes. I don't know about you, but I have a point and shoot camera, I don't carry a tripod everywhere I go, and though I do have an external flash, I don't always have it with me. That's where these practical low light photography tips come in!

Avoid Camera Shake:

1) Hold your camera close! This is the most important tip I can give you. Camera shake (i.e. blury photo) is notorious in low light because your camera slows everything down while trying to let more light in. If you have a view finder, use it! If you only have an LCD, bring your camera as close to your face or body as possible while still being able to see your screen.

2) Brace yourself. Most people will tell you to use a tripod to avoid camera shake. A normal person, however, does not carry a tripod with them where ever they go. Instead, you can brace or steady yourself on anything you can find. Outside it could be a light post, tree, trash can, building...Inside it could be a table, chair, wall... If possible, sit down and brace your elbows with your knees, or lay down and brace your elbows on the ground to get your shot. Anything you can do to steady yourself is helpful.

3) Click with exhale. Hold your camera firmly, yet steady and slowly push down on the shutter button while exhaling. Keep your finger held down on the shutter button for a second, don't lift it right away or you'll move your camera.

4) Use the self timer for the shutter button. Most people don't think to use the self timer while they are holding their camera. However, this avoids moving your camera when you press the shutter button.

Get Out Of Auto Mode:

5) Increase ISO. This is probaby the easiest (at least for me) thing to do. The ISO changes your camera's sensitivity to light. The higher the number, the more light your camera will sense. The downfall to a high ISO is noise (or grain) in your photo. Most point and shoot cameras get noisy at an ISO greater than 400. If you are willing to risk some noise, there is free photo editing software out there that can help you get rid of a little noise in your photos.

6) Decrease aperture. Aperture is how wide your lens is open. Obviously, the wider it is, the more light it will let in. Decreasing your aperture (making the "f" number smaller) makes your lens open wider and increases the amount of light let into your camera. Camera shake is an issue when you decrease your aperture, however, you can use the tips above to help avoid it. See #8 for another downfall to decreasing aperture.

7) Long shutter speed. Keeping your shutter open longer will allow for more light however, you greatly risk camera shake the longer the shutter is open. A general rule of thumb is that you want to use a tripod for shutter speeds longer than 20 seconds (and that's being generous). Most people can't hold their camera still for even 20 seconds! If you have a "night scene" mode on your camera, this will lenghten the shutter speed while helping you to avoid camera shake. If you want to use a longer shutter speed, it might be a good idea to put your camera down on something, use the self timer, and leave it alone to do it's thing.

Misc:

8) Do not zoom. Avoid zooming in on your subjects in low light. Camera shake is a factor, however the main factor in zooming is aperture. One huge disadvantage to point and shoot cameras is that the more you zoom in, the wider your aperture goes (the smaller your lens opens). You can not maintain a small aperture (wide open lens) while zooming with a point and shoot. The best thing to do is get physically close to your subject in low light conditions.

9) When all else fails, use your flash. Did I just say use your flash?!? Yes, sometimes a flash just can't be avoided. Diffusing your flash will help avoid those harsh shadows and flat photos. Simply put a piece of semi-occlusive Scotch tape over your flash, cover it with a piece of white toilet paper or tissue paper, or hold a white piece of paper in front of your flash while you take your shot.

10) Play around. The absolute best thing for you to do is play around! Try some of these tips and see what works best for you!

I hope these tips help! What have you done to improve your low light photography?

Living In The Moment

2011-09-15T14:02:00.001-05:00

I have put my camera away (GASP! No....what???). Ok, ok, don't freak. I haven't actually put my camera away. I've just learned a few things over the past couple of weeks since taking a Mommy's Camera break and focusing on my Toys In The Dryer adventure. I have learned to live in the moment.

Cloud watching with my girls

I have learned that I still have a lot to learn about photography. I have learned that's ok.
I have learned that I am first and foremost a mom. Photographer wanna-be comes second.
I have learned that it's ok to take pictures that aren't perfect and that it's also ok to simply put away your camera and live in the moment (did I just say put away your camera???).

What does all this mean? I means that I'm going to continue to practice photography. I'm going to continue to do tutorials on Mommy's Camera. I am not, however, always going to worry about getting the perfect shot or even getting a shot at all. After all, 20 years from now, when I look back at photos of my kids, am I really going to focus on the composition? You might end up seeing some pretty bad photos on this blog every once in a while. In that, however, I'll try to tell you what could have made the shot better.

Sometimes when I'm too wrapped up in getting the perfect shot, I miss what's actually going on around me. That isn't right. Some day I might be a good enough photographer to get a great photo every time but for now I am a mom with a camera and I am learning to live in the moment.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-09-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

Yep, I survived it. I survived Nutty's first day of Kindergarten. I only shed a few tears and that was after I got home and called a friend to tell her Nutty said, "Mom, I don't want you to walk in with me today." I replied, "Well, the teacher told me I had to." It was the truth! Here's her orientation and first day photos in a cute little slide show (make sure your sound is on):

A New Adventure...

2011-09-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

Wondering where I've been lately? I've been working on a fun new adventure!

My friend Lindsi (from Our Lil Kingdom) and I have started a new blog called Toys In The Dryer! We went live today, September 5th, 2011! Toys In The Dryer is a funny and informative blog containing activities to do with your kids, snack ideas, expert interviews on many topics, and a meme!

Don't worry, I'm not leaving Mommy's Camera. I'm simply expanding my horizons. After all, I'm not just a photography nut, I'm a mom! I'll be back to the grind of photography related posts most likely next week as my agenda for this week is FULL!

Monday: Toys In The Dryer goes live!

Tuesday: Nutty's orientation day for Kindergarten. First day of swimming lessons.

Wednesday: Nutty's first day of Kindergarten! (Will write a post about it)

Thursday: Get together with some friends.

Friday: Work during the day and then a Tweet-Up in the evening.

Saturday: The Minnesota Blogger Conference! (Will write a re-cap post)

PHEW! Told you I'm full! While you wait for my next photography related posts, go ahead and check out Toys In The Dryer. We're sure you'll like it!

Edit Me Challenge Guest Judge

2011-08-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

This week I have the honor/privilege of being the guest judge for My Reflection of Something's Edit Me Challenge! It would be wonderful if some of my loyal readers would enter into the contest! I'd love to see what you can do with this photo I took of my girls:

You have until Saturday to head on over My Reflection of Something, grab this photo, edit it to you liking, and link up. You could win 100 postcards from UPrinting.com if I choose your edit as the winner!

Excuse My Absence

2011-08-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

Excuse me if I am absent from Mommy's Camera over the next couple of weeks. At the risk of losing followers, advertising, page rank, and all that other stuff of this blog, I am taking a brief leave of absence to embark on a new adventure.

My friend Lindsi and I are starting on a new blog titled Toys In The Dryer! Please note that if you click on the link, the blog is still a WORK IN PROGRESS and doesn't officially go live until September 5th. This just gives you a sneak peak at it. The look WILL change over the next few days and weeks.

Don't worry, after the official launch of Toys In The Dryer, I will resume all my fun stuff and tutorials on Mommy's Camera. I am not leaving this blog in the dust, I am simply expanding my blogging horizons!

When Did This Happen?

2011-07-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday Nutty Buddy! Mama loves you more than you will ever know.

Mixbook Review and Giveaway

2011-07-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

*The giveaway part of this post is now complete

I am excited to be posting this Mixbook review and giveaway! You've heard me talk about the (expensive) company that I swear by for my digital scrapbooks and photo books. I have yet to find a company that rivals them until now!

I had not heard of Mixbook until they contacted me to do a review post. Let me say, I am SO GLAD they emailed me! I finally found a reasonably priced company that compares to the customization that my expensive company allows. You can start completely from scratch with Mixbook or you can use one of their awesome, free customizable themes!

I chose a Father's Day themed book to make for my Husband but I didn't give him the book for Father's day. It was a "just because" book. Not to worry, I took the elements that had to do with Father's day out of the template and replaced them with other things. I am extremely happy with the way my book turned out!

I swear my Husband had a tear in his eye when he opened the book! The photos pop off the pages with great color and are super clear.

The template gave me plenty of room to put in all the photos I could find of Hubby and the girls together with the option to add in more photos or subtract them if needed. I also had plenty of space to add as much or as little text and I wanted.

Mixbook is SUPER easy and fun to use. Their site is easy to navigate and they've got a drag-and-drop format similar to the other popular companies for making your projects.

As far as quality goes, Mixbook pages are thinner than some of the other popular companies, but appear just as thick as my expensive company. As I said earlier, the colors are great and the photos are sharp. The cover is sturdy and has a beautiful glossy look. Unfortunately, the high gloss of the cover holds onto smudges and finger prints. It could be more noticeable because my cover is dark though.

The only thing I worry about with Mixbook is their binding. It appears to be a bit more flimsy than some of the other companies with a little less glue and no stitch binding. Multiple people have looked at my book and my girls have abused the binding as they look at the photos of themselves and their dad every day, so obviously it has held up so far! The difference in binding is not enough to deter me from Mixbook and I will DEFINITELY use them again!

Just for reading this post, all Mommy's Camera readers will receive 20% off when they purchase a product through Mixbook! Just use the code MOMCAM20 when checking out! There is no expiration date, but the code can only be used once per customer.

One lucky Mommy's Camera reader will receive a promo code from Mixbook for a complimentary 20-page, 11x8.5 landscape hardcover photobook with free US Ground shipping!

Mandatory entry: Leave a comment telling me what type of book you would make if you won a Mixbook photo book.

Additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
1) Tweet this (highlight and copy it): I just entered to win a @mixbook photobook from @mommyscamera! http://bit.ly/o95i7Q #photobook #giveaway
(Following @mommyscamera and @mixbook is NOT required but would be appreciated)
2) Answer either this question or this question in the Mommy's Camera Community. Three entries for answering both!

This giveaway ended on Tuesday, July 26, at 11:59 pm (CST). The winner was chosen using Random.org and is:

Congratulations to Mrs. Mommy! She is the winner of the 11x8.5 photobook!

I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did, however, receive the book that I made for free in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and were not influenced in any way. In addition, since reviewing Mixbook I have become an affiliate for them. The Mixbook links contained in this post include my affiliate link. I will receive monetary commission if you should purchase a Mixbook product from the links in this post.
Please note that I am not responsible for the delivery of the product once the winner receives the promo code and can not be held accountable if, for any reason, is it not received.

The Basics of On Camera White Balance

2011-07-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

On camera white balance is something that is often overlooked or forgotten by many photographers, yet makes a significant impact on straight out of the camera (SOOC) shots. Most average point and shoot cameras and all high-end point and shoots, along with DSLR cameras have the ability for on camera white balance.

These two photos were shot on a cloudy day. The one on the left is auto white balance, the one on the right is set to "cloudy" for white balance. Notice the flat, blue tone to the one on the left and the more accurate, less flat tones to the photo on the right.

So what is white balance? It takes care of that yellow color your photos get when shooting indoors under tungsten (regular) light bulbs, and gets rid of the flat, blue tone when shooting on a cloudy day. You see, different forms of light give off different color casts (or temperature as photographers like to say). Tungsten gives off yellow casts, fluorescent gives off green casts, and cloudy skies create a grey/blue cast. Our eyes are really good at filtering out the warmth (yellow/orange) and coolness (blue/green) of light to make white appear white. The camera, however, is not as smart as our eye/brain connection and is not as good at filtering out color temperature. Sometimes we have to tell the camera how warm or cool our lighting situation is.

These two photos were shot in tungsten lighting. The one on the right is auto white balance, the one on the left is set to "tungsten" white balance. The overall yellow color cast is gone in the photo on the right.

This is where on camera white balance comes into play. When you set the white balance it tells the camera to compensate for the color temperature of your surroundings. Sure, you could easily (or not so easily depending on your software) correct the white balance with post process photo editing but why not try to get it right SOOC and save yourself a step in editing.

Photo on the right taken with auto white balance. The middle photo demonstrates using a white piece of paper to set custom white balance with the result of the custom white balance being the photo on the left. (Excuse the blurry middle photo. I don't know what happened to my focus!)

If you have a higher end point and shoot or a DSLR camera you'll have the option for custom white balance. This is for those times when your camera won't get the lighting right no matter which setting you choose. Simply use a white piece of paper to tell the camera what white should look like in your lighting situation and the camera figures it out from there! Super simple!

Just for fun, on the left is what happens when you accidentally leave your camera set to "cloudy" white balance and you shoot under tungsten lights. You get a super orange/yellow photo! I am more often than not, guilty of either not using my camera's white balance, or forgetting to change it once I set it. Remember to set your white balance back to "auto" when you are done with your shoot or better yet, change it to the next lighting situation before shooting again!

Do you use the white balance in your camera?

Macro Friday--Bug

2011-07-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

I am so glad I checked my Facebook and saw Laura's Macro Friday Post this evening! It was a reminder to me that I needed to link up!

I had a bit of fun a few days ago out in the back yard snapping photos of flowers. I know that I say bugs and flowers are overdone in macro and I try to avoid them, but sometimes you just can't help yourself...

This is what I call a lucky shot! I wasn't really aiming to get a bug at all but this guy happened to crawl into my shot at just the right moment! I moved my focus over a hair and this is what I got! I love that you can see the pollen on his face and legs. What do you think?

My New Toy!

2011-07-06T16:45:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was searching through Craigslist and I came across an external flash I've been wanting. It was actually the old model of the flash I've been eyeing, but it was in good shape and it was 1/2 the cost of the new model. I asked Hubby if I could get it but he said "no," we didn't have the money at the time.

A few days after seeing the flash on Craigslist I remembered that I've made a little money from advertising and sponsored blog posts. I checked my accounts and sure enough, I had enough money for the flash plus a little extra! I asked Hubby if I could "borrow money from him" until my money got here and I would pay him back (with interest as an added incentive). He agreed!

Look what I picked up last week!

*Photo taken with my cell phone.

It's a Canon Speedlite 420EX. It's a basic flash, nothing special but it works for what I want it to do. I want to be able to bounce and diffuse my flash. This does the job!

Look at what a difference this flash makes!

Without any flash.

Using the on-camera flash.

My Canon Speedlite 420EX external flash bounced off the ceiling.

I'm SO EXCITED about my flash! Unfortunately, I haven't had a lot of time to play with it. We've had a bunch of family stuff going on over the past couple of weeks and most of it has been outdoors (you know, the 4th of July stuff...). I look forward to doing some indoor shots soon!

Do you have an external flash? What do you have and how do you use it?

RAW and More With Your Point and Shoot Camera!--CHDK

2011-06-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

Do you have a Canon Point & Shoot camera? Do you want to more with it such as shoot in RAW? You can with CHDK!

I can't remember how I first found out about the Canon Hack Development Kit (known as CHDK for short) but ever since I discovered it exists I've been totally intrigued and overwhelmed! The one thing I feel like I've been missing on my Canon SX20 has been the ability to shoot in RAW. (I'll write a post on why I want to shoot in RAW vs JPG in a little while) Now that I've installed CHDK on my camera, I can shoot in RAW and do so much more with my point & shoot camera!

JPG on left, RAW on right. Source for photo HERE.

Ok, so what is CHDK? It's a FREE software for most Canon PowerShot cameras that when installed on your memory card, allows you to over-ride some of the manufacturer stops in your camera. Yes, manufacturers put stops in your camera's software that make it not function as well as it could! Why? I don't really know except that it makes people think they need a more fancy camera to get some functions when they really don't! Unfortunately, CHDK is only available for Canon cameras so those of you with Nikons, Sonys, or other point & shoots, you are out of luck.

Yes, CHDK is totally legit! Even my local news did a story about it! Unfortunately I can't find the link to the story as it was a few months ago and I forgot to look it up after it aired. I have done plenty of my own research on CHDK though. Because it is installed on the memory card and not directly onto the camera, it is not permanent and will not hurt your camera.* As soon as the memory card is taken out of your camera, the software is gone.

So, what exactly can you do with CHDK? I mean, why install it? Here's a few reasons:

As, I mentioned already, it allows you to shoot in RAW
It gives you more control over and more options for ISO, aperture, and shutter speed
It allows you to see live histograms
It allows for exposure and focus bracketing
You can do high-speed burst shots
So much more!

I installed CHDK a few days ago and am still trying to learn it and figure it all out. It is a bit intimidating and can be confusing if you don't know a lot of computer and photography language. However, there are some GREAT resources to help including the main web page, CHDK for Dummies, and a 76 page user's guide. Despite these resources, I still have a lot of playing around to do before I show any of my photos done with the CHDK perks. I'm just so excited I couldn't wait to share this wonderful thing with you! If you have a Canon point & shoot camera and want to do more with it, I highly suggest you check out CHDK for yourself!

*Disclaimer: There is a remote possibility that by using CHDK you could force your camera to do something it is not physically capable of doing therefore harming your camera. However, according to the CHDK website, there have been NO reports of that happening. In the interest of full disclosure, however, I need to tell you the remote risk. Mommy's Camera and anyone associated with the Mommy's Camera website can not, and will not be held responsible should you use CHDK and you do damage to your camera. Use it at your own risk.

**Other stuff: CHDK is FREE software with multiple contributors to it's development. I was NOT asked by anyone associated with CHDK to write this post nor am I being compensated in any way for writing this post. All opinions are my own and of my own free will because it thought CHDK was a cool thing to share with you.

Joyful Moments

2011-06-19T23:05:00.003-05:00

I love to watch my Hubby with my girls.

It's so fun to sit back and watch them interact together.

There's definitely something to be said about the bond between a father and his daughters.

I took these photos of Hubby and the girls together at my friend's housewarming party (yes she moved to a house on the lake). Though the party was super fun, the most fun I had was watching Hubby play with my girls.

Happy Father's Day Honey!

I’d love to hear about a joyful moment you have had! Share your story and upload a photo (optional), and in return Shutterfly will gift you $5 off your next photo book to commemorate life’s joyous moments, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a $200 Shutterfly Gift card! How great is that?!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shutterfly. The opinions and text are all mine. Offer valid for $5 off one photo book order and valid for one-time redemption per member. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. BlogFrog hosted gift card contest live from June 17th to July 14th. A winner will be randomly chosen and announced on July 18th. All participants remain the copyright holder of their photos.

Before and After--Relaxation

2011-06-16T13:57:00.000-05:00

I am excited to have the opportunity to join Pixel Perfect's Before and After Blog Hop this week! I think this is the third time I have participated in Monica's blog hop and I have fun every time I do it!

I have not put much effort into photo editing lately. I think I may have found my groove as far as how I like to edit photos. A simple unsharp mask and a bit of color curve boosting, and I'm good to go. I've been keeping my edits pretty natural looking. However, I do have fun going crazy with editing every now and then!

I snapped this photo at my friend's housewarming party with full intent on editing it. I knew the shot had a ton of potential.

The moment I snapped this photo I knew what I wanted to do with it. I tried a few other things but in the end, I went back to my original idea:

I rarely crop my photos in ratios other than the original, but this one begged to be cropped this way. I think the creamy black and white with the slightly rounded corners give it a soft, relaxing look. What do you think?

Edited with Gimp, cropped and rounded corners with Photoscape:
1) In Gimp I opened two copies of the photo.
2) The first copy I desaturated using "luminosity".
3) The second copy I ran a "split-tone" script using the default settings.
4) I then copy/pasted the black and white (desaturated) copy as a new layer onto the "split-tone" overlaying it as "multiply" 50%.
5) I moved to Photoscape, cropped the photo as a 16:9 ratio and slightly rounded the corners.

I'd love constructive criticism if you have any thoughts!

A New Photography Buddy!

2011-06-07T09:19:00.001-05:00

I met Lindsi (aka Mrs. Mommy from Our Lil' Kingdom) a little over 5 years ago when I oriented her as a new nurse in the Intermediate Care Unit of the hospital I work at.

Since then, we've talked on a at least daily basis (some days it's 5-6 times a day!). We live 40 minutes from each other, but only see each other face-to-face once every two to three months if we're lucky.

Lindsi is my go-to girl. She's now a stay-at-home mom (kudos to her) so I know she's (almost) always available if I need a quick vent, have a random thought, or need some immediate advice. We swear our husbands are long-lost twins when it comes to personality traits, and we've sometimes been mistaken for sisters when we're out together!

Ok, so what does my friendship Lindsi have to do photography? Well, she called me today to tell me she bought a new camera...the same camera I have (except this year's model instead of last year's)!

Source for below photo HERE

I have the Canon SX20 IS and she is now waiting for her Canon SX30 IS to arrive in the mail! Yipee!! I think I'm just as excited for her as she is for herself!

I have been wanting a "photography buddy" for a while now. I have a lot of photographer friends but almost all of them are semi-professional or professionals with DSLR cameras and almost all of them live an hour or farther away from me. I want someone who is at or near my level of photography who also owns a point-and-shoot camera. They also have to live near me so we can get together every now and then.

Lindsi has been getting into photography as I talk more about it. She too wants to take great pictures of her (cute) kids but doesn't want to lug around a DSLR and all the gear that goes with it. She finally upgraded her P&S camera and is now ready to take her photography to the next level. She just so happened to get the same camera I have, lives near me, and is also one of my closest friends! YIPEE!!! I now have a photography buddy! We're already talking about the places we can go to try to challenge ourselves for cool pictures! I can't wait for her camera to arrive in the mail!

Do you have a "photography buddy"? How do you challenge each other?

GEMomsperience Part 3--21C Museum Hotel

2011-06-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting around to writing my third and final post about my trip to Louisville, Kentucky for the GEMomsperience. Thank you to my loyal photography readers who put up with these three off-topic posts! If you're lost, my first post was about the GEMomsperience itself, my second post was about the great women and fabulous hats at Churchill Downs, and this is my third post--all about the fabulous 21C Museum Hotel!

Yes, this hotel was so awesome it deserves a post of it's own! If you are anyone who's anyone (such as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber) staying in Louisville, KY, you stay at the 21C Museum Hotel.

21C Museum Hotel, as it's name says, it a combo of a hotel and art museum in one. It's got great, modern, eclectic artwork everywhere you look!

It also has the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in!

Since 21C is a famous, upscale hotel, I thought it was going to be a bit snooty. I was WAY wrong in my assumption! The staff was super friendly and super fun! You've got to read Love Feast Table's post about me and Creative Kristi's red penguin prank gone WAY overboard!! No, seriously--STOP--read the post! I guarantee you'll laugh your butt off!

Yes, these 21C mascots create a lot of fun for the hotel...

...as does this interactive artwork that you just can't help but play with while you wait for the elevator. It's a poem that rains down on you! You can "catch" words on your limbs and can even make letters bounce up and down. Too much fun not to play with!

Even the public bathrooms have some interesting "art work". The above left is the men's urinal. It's a waterfall that you pee into. While you pee into the waterfall though, you look into the hallway! Don't worry, it's a one-way mirror so the people in the hall can't watch you pee, but still...kinda weird! On the right are little screens in the mirrors (of both sex bathrooms). Those screens have eyeballs that look at you--really creepy!

There you have it, one of the best, most comfortable, most fun hotels I've ever stayed at! If you are ever in Louisville, KY, you have to check it out!

*Disclaimer* GE Appliances paid for my hotel stay as part of the GEMomsperience. I was NOT asked to blog about 21C Museum Hotel by GE or by the hotel itself (in fact, 21C doesn't even have a clue I'm writing this post!). All opinions are my own and are of my own will because I thought the hotel was so cool!

GEMomsperience Part 2--Fun Women, Fabulous Hats!

2011-05-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

I had a blast with some amazing women at GE Appliances' GE Momsperience! We met on Sunday evening over dirty martinis and derby hat making.

Yes, I said derby hat making! Dee's Crafts (a professional Kentucky Derby hat maker) helped us make our own derby hats in preparation for our trip to Churchill Downs on Monday night. Did you know a hat like mine can retail for well over $100?!

Crazy!! (Above photo courtesy of Love Feast Table)

Anyway, like I said earlier, I met some amazing women! Bloggers from all different niches were at the GE Momsperience, yet we all got along and found a ton of stuff in common! Only in a group of bloggers can you talk face-to-face and be on Twitter/Facebook at the same time and no one thinks it's rude. Only in a group of bloggers can you go around taking photos of all kind of weird things (including all the food you eat) and no one thinks you're crazy. Only in a group of bloggers can you get so many pictures of yourself because everyone is willing to take photos for you! Only in a group of bloggers can people ask you to take photos for them to be emailed later. Only in a group of bloggers can you keep up with people who aren't in the same room with you via Twitter.

After a long, yet super fun day at the GE Monogram Experience Center, and some photo ops with the interactive artwork at the 21C Museum Hotel on Monday...

it was time to head to Churchill Downs (hats and all)!

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see the actual track at Churchill Downs but it was fun anyway.

We ate some amazing food and sipped on Mint Juleps, interacted with some of GE Appliances various managers, and toured the museum.

What a great time to interact with some of the amazing women I met and bounce around ideas with the GE appliances managers!

(Calie from Broccoli Cupcake who's blog I won my trip from, and Kristen from High Heels and a Hammer with Chris Ann from Love Feast Table--my travel buddies.)

There you have it, fun women and fabulous hats!

To see the first post I wrote about the GE Momsperience, click HERE. To see a list of all the bloggers that went, click HERE or HERE (I'm too lazy to make my own list).

*Disclaimer* GE Appliances paid for all my expenses related to the GE Momsperience including the stuff to make my derby hat and the trip to Churchill Downs. I was NOT asked to blog about it. All opinions are my own and of my own will because I had so much fun!

GEMomsperience Part 1

2011-05-19T12:13:00.001-05:00

I didn't quite know what to expect when I found out I had won a trip to GE Appliances' first ever GE Momsperience from Calie at Broccoli Cupcake. I kind of thought it was going to be one big sales pitch where we look at the newest GE Appliances, they tell us how great they are, and then GE asks us to blog about them. Boy was I wrong! The GE Momsperience went far beyond my expectations! I had so much fun that I'm going to have to write three posts about the event!

First, and foremost, GE Appliances brought us to their headquarters to learn from us. The whole experience was personal, from our names on our lockers, to hand stenciled swag bags.

During our sessions learning about the appliances, we talked just as much, if not more, than they did!

Sure, they gave us small sales pitches about some awesome products (the Advantium oven *drool*) but they also valued our feedback. I think they were a bit overwhelmed by how much info we gave them about online presence and advertising!

I think Shell from Things I Can't Say summed up my feelings about GE Appliances and the Momsperience pretty well. Please read her post!

Midway through the day of learning about GE Appliances at the GE Monogram Experience Center, we took a break to cook our lunch with top Chefs Joe Castro and Brian Logsdon!

(Did you know that Chef Joe Castro won over Chef Bobby Flay in the Food Network's show Throwdown? That's HUGE!) I learned so much while cooking with the chefs and made an awesome meal at the same time! (Reminder to self: put it in the pan and LEAVE IT ALONE!)

While eating our fabulous, and most delicious lunch, the President and CEO of GE Appliances, James Campbell, along with the Mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, made a surprise visit! I don't even think the people who put on our event knew they were coming! I also don't think the CEO and Mayor were prepared for a bunch of women bloggers begging for photo opps!

Rumor has it that they enjoyed the "celebdom" though :)

After lunch, we enjoyed sharing our laundry secrets/confessions which we wrote out the night before over dirty martinis!

I have SO MUCH more to tell you about this AWESOME event from eclectic artwork and red penguins at the fabulous 21C Museum Hotel, to derby hats at Churchill Downs, to the awesome women I met! Look for my next two posts coming up later this week!

Love Feast Table is doing a link-up of posts about the GE Momsperience event. If you want to check out what other people have to say about it, check out their site!

*Disclaimer* GE Appliances paid for ALL my expenses related to this event however I was NOT asked to write a post about it! All opinions are strictly my own and of my own will because I truly thought the event was awesome!

Wordless Wednesday--My Beautiful Girls

2011-05-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

Brought to you by: 5 Minutes for Mom

Make Your Own Camera Bag/Purse

2011-05-04T17:39:00.001-05:00

I've been drooling over Epiphanie and Kelly Moore camera purses for over a year now. I think I've entered pretty much every giveaway I could find for these bags hoping to win one because, let's face it, they're expensive! I had pretty much given up on owning my own camera purse, until, somewhere I read that I could make my own! Thus began my Google search for tutorials...

I came across many tutorials for making your own camera purse. Some were complicated, others super simple. I ultimately decided that, for me, this post, and this post were most helpful. I took those two posts and went to work making my own camera purse!

The longest part of this whole process was finding the perfect purse to convert into a camera bag. I wanted something cheap and large enough to hold my camera plus all the stuff I usually put in my purse. I found a ton of purses that fit those criteria, but they didn't fit my last criteria--it had to have a zipper. I FINALLY found this purse on sale for $10!!

It's got two pockets on either side of the middle which has a large zipper pocket. I knew right away that this purse would be large enough. If in doubt though, take your camera with you when purse shopping.

I already had fabric and thread on hand so the only other thing I needed to buy was 1 inch foam. I found it at my local craft store. (I opted not to use Velcro like in the above tutorials for reasons I'll explain later.) I got home from the craft store, measured the inside of my purse pocket and cut the foam to fit.

The foam was a little harder to cut than I thought it was going to be (just an FYI). It was too thick for the scissors I was using.

After measuring and cutting the foam, it was time to cover it. To make sure I got a tight fit, I sewed three sides inside out with the foam in the middle, took the foam out, turned it right side out, then stuffed the foam back in and sewed the last side.

Again, stuffing the foam back in was a little harder than I thought it would be, but it did give a tight fit.

I made 4 sides, the bottom, and a divider foam piece. That's 6 total. You don't have to make 4 sides if you don't want to, the two biggest sides are technically good enough, but I'm protecting valuable equipment so I opted to do all 4.

When all the foam pieces were covered, I stuffed them in my purse and I was done!! Like I said above, I opted not to use Velcro because the pieces fit snugly enough in my purse that I don't feel they will move. As for Velcro for the divider foam, I didn't think that would move much either since I'm using both sides of the divider.

Above is my completed purse with all my purse stuff but minus my camera. Below is my purse with everything in it. Excuse the poor quality of the photo below, I had to use my cell phone to take it!

Here's me carrying my purse with everything in it! (Again, taken with my cell phone--if you couldn't tell).

So what do you think? Super simple huh? And the best part, it was all done for less than $20!! It took about 2 hours to make but that was, for the most part, because I kept getting interrupted by my girls and husband.

Have you, or will you make your own camera bag/purse?

Wordless Wednesday--Poor Dog!

2011-04-28T20:34:00.000-05:00