Maternity shoot :::L:::

 It's been a really long time since I have posted pictures. And I LOVE picture taking. These are a few of my beautiful sister in law that I took about a week ago in a flower field before it got cold. We started rapidly losing light before we got finished, but we are going to do a few more when my brother can be present as well. Isn't she gorgeous?!?

I can't wait to get into all the photos people are asking me to take. And then this little baby girl will be here and I'll have another newborn shoot!

Pearl-y Girl-y

We seriously have the best dog. She is so patient. She plays great with Camden. She is loving, and SO obedient. I think it comes from being a rescue dog. One of her favorite things? Playing in the water in the summer. She LOVES the swimming pool and I think she also has self-diagnosed S.A.D. like her momma. She loves summertime! 

I took these shots the other day while we were outside mowing and watering. She was drenched by the time we came inside, but she wouldn't have it any other way. I made sure she got her daily joint pill, because even though she looks like a puppy in these pictures? Homegirl is somewhere around ten. She plays so hard then gimps and sleeps for 2-3 days after. She loves it though! 

We love you Pearl! I'm entering this last photo in The Paper Mama's photo challenge.  I love her sweet, expressive and trusting eyes here. I love that she fully trusts us after being rescued from an abusive home. It goes to show that you can find a happily ever after!! 

What a lucky dog. :)

Linking up with The Paper Mama.

Maternity Pics of Snowflake

I know, it's taken me absolutely forever to get around to this. But here are some of my favorites, finally!!  These are of my bestie Jennie, and I must say, pregnancy suits her!

Photo Challenge: Favorite from March

It is incredibly hard for me to pick my favorite photo from this month. I sure have some adorable shots from this month. For me it is a tie. It's between this one:

And this one:

The first one means so much to me, because Camden is sitting on the lap of my almost 94 year old Granddaddy. The fact that he has a Great Granddaddy to take pictures with is beyond amazing. Camden humored me and sat in his lap for quite a bit when we went to go visit, and I got quite a few shots of the two of them. Honestly? That made my week.

The other picture that I love is the second one. His face says it all in that shot, and he's pointing right at me. That tow headed boy with those chubby cheeks, blue eyes and little hands pointing at me, makes me mushy. I'm so lucky that he's mine!


Linking up with the Paper Mama for her photo challenge.

Eye See You

Camden has had a rough go the past few days, as it seems the bottom molars may be wanting to poke through. Little man hasn't been in the best of moods when he hurts, I feel for him. He also isn't the biggest fan of having a camera stuck in his face when he isn't feeling well, but Mommy can't help it. She is such a fan of those baby blues that she just can't get enough.

I took this picture the other day after eating lunch. I pulled Camden over to our big windows in the kitchen while still in his high chair so I could get some good light into those eyes so I could really capture the color. I think I succeeded, no?

Coupled with the gorgeous blue and green shirt? Nom nom nom. Just want to kiss those cheeks!


Linking up with The Paper Mama, for her photography challenge: eyes.

photography

I love taking pictures. It is no secret that one of my favorite gifts was the DSLR camera husband bought shortly after little C arrived. It arrived just a day after his birth. If he had waited until his due date, we would of had it for the big day.

When we first bought the camera we had no idea how to use it. We shot in the automatic modes, most often with a flash. The pictures were better with the higher quality camera, but still not great.

In February of this year, I took a class recommended by a friend, through a local public school. A cheap 40 dollar class that met for 4 sessions. Nothing major, and I was able to attend as it was a week night after work and for a short period of a couple hours at a time. This class taught me the basics of photography and how to shoot in manual modes. It also taught me how to have an eye for the composition in a photograph, and how to best use my camera and what lens to use to get the desired effects when I am taking pictures.

Now, by no means am I a professional. But I love taking pictures of our ornery little one and seeing just what shots I can capture. I mostly shoot in the manual modes anymore, and I am continually kept on my toes, as photographing a toddler that doesn't. hold. still. Can be quite challenging.

I have PLENTY of blurry-toddler-moving shots as I am still learning shutter speeds and apertures and what works best in certain situations. My photos are nowhere near the caliber of other mom-photog-hobby-ers, but I am proud of the photos I can achieve now. Looking back and comparing Camden's newborn pictures to ones I take today is a world of difference. I at least know enough of what I am doing to have some decent looking shots.

To keep myself challenged I like to enter little photography contests here and there, as I have time to take pictures and submit. Last week I entered a photo challenge on The Paper Mama, and the challenge was 'colorful'. Husband had dressed little C one day last week in a bright green onesie with bright plaid overalls. While we were outside playing after work I snapped a few shots. I was presently surprised to see this greet me one morning... FIFTH PLACE!!

You can click that link and look at the top five pictures, and see what I was up against. (Really, really good photographers!) And I actually MADE THE LIST!! Whooooo!! I looked back to see how many entries - there were about 40! It just feels good to have a photo I took be picked out of that many to make someones top five favorites. It's good for the self esteem. :)