Birth of a Photographer - Learning the Tips, Tricks and Secrets to good Photography

If I Could Juggle, This is What I'd Do - Seattle Children's Photographer

2012-01-20T22:53:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!!! Can I tell you how much I miss you? I miss being here. I miss writing about real stuff, about the "behind the scenes" part of being a photographer. I know, I left you all and went on to a shiny new, "professional" site. A site for clients, but do you know what? I always feel that there is something lacking over there. I feel a serious lack of Sarah-ness from that site. It's supposed to be my professional site, so I have to keep all of my quirks and flaws on the down low, right? I don't talk about the things I suck at over there. I don't admit that sometimes I over-expose images. I can't talk about how freaked out I was to shoot our first wedding, and how I get nervous every single time I go out for a session. Or how sometimes I feel like the business of photography has made me a bit more bitter than I used to be.

So, my solution is... da ta da da!!! I'm coming back! I don't know how many people will read this. I won't tell you I don't care. I do. I love people reading my blog. If I didn't, I would just write in a journal and that would be that. But, I will tell you that I have decided that I need a place where I can be me; where I can write the things that I just can't talk about over on my other blog. Plus, my therapist told me I need to start writing again, because I have emotions coming out of my ears, and, to be honest, the only thing I take time to do anymore is try to keep my businesses and children alive. If I can rationalize this as being for the business, I think I can persuade myself that it is ok to take some time to write, even if it is, secretly, for me.

I don't want this to be a dark and dreary, slit-your-wrists kind of post. I'm not really down in the dumps (if I were, I probably wouldn't use "down in the dumps"), I have just felt a great loss since I left this place.

So, the question of the hour is, "Do you think I will be able to take on all three blogs?"

HA HA HA! It is a juggling act for sure. Then again, so is running a preschool, starting up a photography business, raising two toddlers and becoming a full-time nanny (notice how I left out running a household? : ) There is a reason for this!). You want to know a little secret? I can't even juggle!!! Seriously. I suck at juggling. Even with just three balls. I've tried and tried and tired and after one round the balls always go flying in every direction.

I'm not going to promise anything yet. I have high hopes (I always do), but with expectation comes great stress. Ha ha! Like what I did there?

I will leave this babbling post with a few pictures of the girls using my new Lensbaby Composer Pro. I LOVE my new little friend. This will be my creative funk lens. My girls also help get me out of my creative funks, even if they hate having their pictures taken!

This wasn't taken with the Lensbaby, but I had to stick in a photo of them sledding. They loved it. Can't you tell? They did once they figured out how to sit on the sled together. Sharing space is tough.

The best thing about photographing kids is that they are so impulsive. You never know what they're going to do next.

To those of you reading, thank you! And I hope we meet here again soon! Maybe even next week (eeek! That wasn't a promise!)

Uncle Yef, Unclehood Training by Fire

2011-05-16T21:32:00.001-07:00

My little brother, Geoff, came up to visit last week. We hadn't seen each other in over two years. The last time he had seen Bella, she was nine months old. It was his first time meeting Julietta. It didn't take much to win the two of them over, though. They were putty in his hands. Nearly every morning this week, Bella has woken up wanting to go down and cuddle with "Uncle Yef". Throughout the day I would randomly here, "Uncle Yef, I'm on on the bunk bed!" and then I'd catch glimpse of a streak of color through the house - he whisking her around, arms spread, flying like a superhero.

It was certainly not much of a vacation for poor Geoffy. For the past week, he has been helping out around the house, standing in to watch the girls so I could do normal things like take a shower, or try to do some work, and well... yes, he also did two straight days of yard work. Check out my preschool website: www.elgatopreschool.blogspot.com to see what we accomplished. I'm pretty sure we've convinced him to put off parenthood for another ten years... at least. He loved the time with his nieces, but I have a feeling that he is looking forward to going shopping without frantically grabbing various things off the shelf to keep a baby fom crying, and I bet that the toddler meltdowns will be happily left behind.

I am so thankful he was here with us. For me, grocery shopping was a breeze! Two adults to two children. Simple! I even left the girls with him for a half an hour so I could go pick up a pizza. This, I could get used to!

A few hours ago, we dropped Uncle Yef off at the airport, all four of us in tears. That was the first time that had ever happened! Man, I'm going to miss him. I'm not ready to go back to being a single mom again!! Why can't someone just buy the stinkin' cafe?!?! ( Alex, get here soon!)

Geoffy, thank you so much for coming to spend the week with us. I miss you already!

Hi, I'm Sarah Bunch. Remember Me?

2011-04-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of dorky thing I say to people I went to high school with that I randomly meet on the island. Not only did I go to high school with them, I most likely went to middle school, elementary school, kindergarten, and possibly even preschool.

That first paragraph really has nothing to do with my post. The title doesn't really either. But, if my brother's motto can be, "I'm Geoff. I do what I want, when I want, it's part of my charm." I feel like I get to be random whenever I feel like it, because I can. I also haven't been around a lot lately, so I want to make sure you don't forget about me. Don't don't don't don't!

I talked to Alex today. HE'LL BE HERE SOON!!!! No plane tickets have been bought. The cafe still hasn't changed hands, but it will be happening very very soon. I bet you can guess how excited I am. Being a single mom of two is rough stuff. Anyway, while talking to Alex, he mentioned that I haven't been posting any photos at all recently, and he missed seeing the girls. I know I know I know. He's right. I have been so busy trying to get El Gato con Botas, the Spanish immersion preschool that I'm opening, ready, I haven't had time to focus on photography. I still have two sessions I haven't even finished editing because I just can't seem to get everything done!!! But, because I'm such a caring wife, I figured I'd post a few images from last weekend. We went down to Chehalis to help my brother, JJ, and sister in-law. Kayli, do some work. (We mostly just got in the way. But at least we were there to show our support!!)

"What's the deal with the bandana?" you may be asking. It was sunny. She's pretty bald. No sun hats in sight.

Alex, we can't wait to see you!

And to the rest of you, I promise I will back this way again soon. I will also be posting Shauna Ahern (a.k.a Gluten Free Girl ) and family's photo session soon on my Sarah Bunch Photography blog Monday morning.

Vashon Island Head Shot Photographer - Project 52 Week 13 - Black and White

2011-04-08T05:00:00.003-07:00

Black and White is the theme for this week's Project 52 that I'm participating in with 17 other incredibly talented photographers from The Bloom Forum.

Time has been somewhat of an unseen commodity these days. So, I won't waste any this week, and just leave you with my black and white images:

Now go on over and take a look at Shea Parker/Clinton Mississippi Child Photographer to see her amazing work.

Happy 3rd, Bella Lu!

2011-03-31T00:38:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I was lying in a hospital bed, mesmerized with this little bundle of gurggles and grunts and groans and poop and pee and cries. Oh, that first night, did she cry! I remember how new everything was, how I was afraid I would break her little arms while trying to change her onesie. It makes me smile to think how much rougher I am with Julietta. I just flip her and toss her and pull on those limbs that she likes to stiffen up. Anyway, back on March 31st 2008 I remember just sitting and staring at Bella. We stared at each other for hours.

I think it's funny how we imagine what our children are going to be like, and they turn out completely different. First of all, how did I get such a blondie? And character wise, well, sometimes I think that she didn't get an ounce of Sarah Bunch in her. She's fearless and tough and knows exactly what she wants. She can be the biggest pain in the butt at times because she is so decisive, and stubborn and quite bossy too (ok, maybe an ounce or two of me did slip into the mix) but I admire her for her strength. And with all that inside, she has such a gentle heart that she cries when her sister gets hurt, and yells and yells and YELLS for me if she thinks her sister might be in danger. She "reads" birthday cards and they always say, "I love you. I love you. I love you." and every now and then she'll say to me, "I love you sooooo much". She challenges me on a daily basis to keep my patience so I can teach her patience - to teach her kindness and understanding instead of getting frustrated and losing my cool. She challenges me to be a better person, so I can raise her to be the best person she can be.

3rd Birthday Party dressed in her "pincess dress"

First day of Preschool

I love you, Bella Lu. With every ounce of my heart and soul. Happy Birthday!

Seattle Lifestyle Photographer - Project 52 Week 11 - Close Up

2011-03-25T06:00:00.003-07:00

I am going to have to make this one quick and to the point.

Close ups. I love close ups, but I rarely take them. I think I'll make it a goal to take more of them.

Now head on over to Simply Shauna Photography to see what the fabulous Shauna, Sudbury, Ontario photographer, will dazzle us with.

Project 52 Week 10 - Vintage

2011-03-18T06:00:00.005-07:00

I am a big sucker for anything vintage. I think this must be because my dad owned an antique store when we were kids so he was constantly dragging us to antique stores, flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores. I remember one summer, spending the days at his shop in Quartermaster harbor on Vashon. I was eight and had just received my very first camera for my birthday. Oh, the pure joy!! I was so thrilled to be getting a camera. I wanted to take photos of all my dolls and write a book about them. I never finished it.

Vintage love has followed me throughout my life. My very first car was a cherry red ´64 Volkswagen bug that had a horn that constantly got stuck on. My friends and I had a blast cruising around in that thing. As for furniture, well, I have very few pieces of furniture, since I've moved around so much, but I do have a couple pieces that I've toted around with me - my parent's very first piece of furniture - a beautiful oak bookcase, and my very favorite - a wooden, wind up record player that dates back to the early 1900s. I adore it. I like to think about the people who bought it new. What excitement they must have felt!!

We moved into our new house two days ago, so I went to pick up my small stash of furniture from my dad's house. He could probably open another antique store, he has so much stored in his barn. One pretty chair caught my eye while I was there, and my dad let me have it. It has been badly damaged by a naughty kitty, but I don't care. I love it anyway. I can't remember what kind of chair he said it was, but he did mention that it dates back to the 1800s! Wowsers! Amazing.

Now head on over to see the talented Shauna, Sudbury, Ontario Photographer
of Simply Shauna Photography.

Project 52 Week 8 - Books

2011-03-04T06:00:00.004-08:00

The theme for this week's Project 52 (a 52 week-long photography project I'm participating in with 17 other extremely talented photographers from The Bloom Forum) was Books. Oh, how I adore books! I could think of a million different photographs that would fit the theme. This week, though, or today, really, is a special day for my family and me. It is our baby girl, Julietta's first birthday. Oh, I could eat her up, I love her so. And so does her papá. He is also a major book-lover. When I think of books, I also think of him, and how when we packed up our house, we could easily part with most of our stuff, but not our books.

Anyway, today is a very special day, but it is also a sad day. My husband isn't here. He's still in Spain, trying to sell our cafe, and missing his daughter's first birthday. It breaks my heart to know it's breaking his. A year ago, I was in a birthing pool in our living room (the one we had flooded a few weeks earlier with that very same pool!) and Alex was the saint of saints as far as husbands of laboring wives go - bringing me juice, holding my hair while I was puking my guts out, and allowing me to cut off the circulation in his hand from squeezing it so hard. (Was that really just a year ago? And at the same time - has it already been a year?!)

This week, my photos are for you, Alex. Here are your girls, doing one of your favorite things in the whole wide world - reading. Someday soon you'll be here to pick up where you left off with story time. The Queen of Hearts and Los Tres Cerditos just aren't the same without you (I, apparently, don't do the voices right!)

We miss you madly today. We miss you madly every day.

Will someone please buy the café already?!

Now, friends, eat something sweet in celebration of Julietta, and head on over to see what the cunningly creative Shauna, Sudbury Child and Family Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography has come up with!

Project 52 Week 7 - Beginnings

2011-02-25T06:00:00.001-08:00

This week's theme for Project 52 was pretty easy for me. I could have basically taken my camera with me everywhere I went and just started clicking away. It is all new for me, even though I'm moving back to where I'm from.

I haven't lived on my little island in more than 15 years, so I anticipate I'll feel like a foreigner again at the beginning... maybe not, though. I visited the island a few days ago, and I felt like I was finally home. I can not wait to start a new life there. Everytime I thought about where I wanted my kids to grow up, the only place I could imagine was Vashon Island. I have so many beautiful memories from my childhood, and I still have the same best friends I had from when I was eight. I want so badly for my children to get a dose of that wonder as well.

This second picture is my daughter (right) with my best friend's daughter (from when I was eight!) and my sister in la-la's daughter. (She's not really my sister-in-law. She's my best friend's sister-in-law, but we refer to each other as sister in la-las... we might as well be related!) I thought this photo really captured the beginning of what is sure to be a very long, beautiful friendship.

Please make sure to go visit Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography. She's been on fire lately!

Project 52 Week 6 - Love

2011-02-18T06:00:00.007-08:00

Love Love Love. That is the theme for this week's Project 52 that I'm participating in with 17 other wickedly talented photographers from The Bloom Forum.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of doing a photo session at dawn with the lovely Sarah Cook from www.beingfrugalbychoice.blogspot.com and her beautiful family. Their son, Jack, was out of sorts. He was crying and having mini tantrums and just plain ol' grumpy. I was like, "sounds like a perfectly normal two-year-old to me", but, apparently, this was not like him, and so both Sarah and her husband, Troy, were worried. I could tell that it was very hard for them to concentrate on photos while they're little kiddo was unhappy.

This was right after Jack had fallen down. I know this isn't going to win me any awards, but I just love the emotion in this photo.

I know it wasn't the ideal photo situation, but to me, those worried looks, represent the real LOVE that a parent has for a child. Once you become a parent, you are thrown into this whirlwind of emotion. It's something that no one can prepare you for. I certainly wasn't ready for it. A huge chunk of all that emotion is the worry that is thrown into the mix. Sometimes I feel like I won't be able to handle it, because I know it will always be there. What we worry about as parents will probably change, as time goes on, but there will always be something - whether it's not knowing why your baby's crying, to holding on to the door as your 16 year-old drives down the driveway for the first time.

And then there was the cuddly kissy love. Oh, I LOVE this LOVE.

Things calmed down quite a bit towards the end of the session, and it started to sprinkle, while the sun stayed out. Beautiful light. Beautiful family.
LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Now head on over to see the amazing Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography, and her interpretation of this week's theme.

What's Going On

2011-02-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I'm still on a weird schedule. I actually wake up at sunrise. So not like me!

This is going to be a quick one. I just had to share a couple things before I get completely back loaded with blogging.

First of all, despite being completely cautious and careful about my camera while travelling, look what happened during the flight -

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!

It's enough to make you sick, isn't it?

This is my Nikor 24-70mm, f/2.8 a lens much coveted by professional photographers. I love this lens. I don't use it as much as my 50mm, but it comes out for very special shots. Last week when I was taking photos of Julietta at sunrise on my mom's deck, I pulled out my 24-70mm and this is what I found. This was days after we'd landed. I was petrified. I knew Alex would be livid. Can you just imagine the feeling? I don't even want to think about it. Yuck.

Luckily, Alex had insisted on buying a polarizer immediately after we'd bought it, and the only part of the lens that was damaged was that. (HUGE sigh relief... I mean HUGE)

Oh to be HOME!!
This is what I've been missing. This is what I wanted my children to grow up with. I can take the cloudy days if they get to play in streams and mud and be surrounded with lush green every day of their lives. This is a beautiful park nearby my mom's house where there is a frisbee golf course!! I'll post more about this place soon.

And look at these sweet cheeks! This is my friend's daughter, Sarah. I had a session with them right before we left Valencia, and haven't had time to finish editing the images. (Sorry, Christina!!!) It has been blogged on my new site: sarahbunchphotography.com/blog
Check out this beautiful family. I just want to squeeze this little sweetie every time I see her adorable face!

And in case you're wondering what I'm doing with two blogs, I've decided that my new blog will be the place to go to see all my sessions that I do. It will be the more cut and dried, professional site. When you visit me here, you'll see the crazy, wild eyed, nut behind all the calm, collected and put together (if I somehow manage to achieve that!). I will be dedicating this site to what it was originally meant for - the behind the scenes take on my journey as a photographer. I'm sure you'll need a little dose of both to keep you balanced. Hey, I'm a gemini. It wouldn't be right to see only one side.

And don't forget to enter the FREE SESSION GIVEAWAY!!! I only have 21 people entered as of this moment. Get your little bums moving and leave a comment on this post PRONTO!

Project 52 Week 5 - Motions

2011-02-11T06:00:00.006-08:00

I have been MIA this past week. Man, travelling across the world will tucker you out! I've been waking up way too early and going to bed by 9!! That's crazy talk! Anyway, I haven't had much time at all to concentrate on photography (besides my lens fiasco, which I'll tell you about in a few days), but after missing last week of Project 52, I just could not let it slide another week. I missed you all too much!!

So, this is what I came up with in a pinch...

To me, this captures the love that my daughter and her yaya share. Yaya is going back to Spain tomorrow. There's a lot of motion and E-motion involved in all that surrounds us at the moment. (This was also an attempt to capture motion blur without a tripod. Not perfect, but not too shabby either!)

And I just found the motion in this one so evident, even though there is no motion blur. I am also loving that, even though I'm in Seattle, I'm still able to shoot with flare! Yippy! May the trend continue!!

Now head on over to see what the wickedly creative Shauna, Sudbury Photographer, from Simply Shauna Photography, has come up with.

Here Comes the Sun

2011-02-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to use this ironic title for years now!!!!

Here I am in my very first apartment in Valencia. I lived with a guy from Germany and one from Holland. My room was the size of a closet ( see below)

It's finally here. I'm leaving. I'm going home!!!! I've been dreaming about this day for years. There were times when I thought it would never happen - that I'd be doomed to spend the rest of my life here. It felt like the vacation that just wouldn't end. Nearly seven years ago, I took a sabatical from work to travel Europe. I was supposed to go back after the year and begin working again. I didn't. I was going to stay in Valencia for four months to learn the language. I didn't... I didn't learn the language perfectly either! I have cried so many tears and have gotten to such a lonely place that it's hard to remember what I'm really like anymore. It has been hard, to say the least, but I know what I've gone through has made me into a stronger person. I'm not going to say better. I think I've seen a lot of parts of myself that I wish weren't there. I've realized that in times of difficulty and stress, a lot of ugliness comes seaping out. It makes me sympathize with people, though, who I never could understand before.

Here's my little room. I came with only a backpack! I love it how it didn't even cross my mind to straighten up before taking the picture. I guess I wanted it to be real. I appreciate that!

Even though I'm going and looking forward to soooooo many things - my family, my friends, my home, friendly customer service, a dryer, a big back yard, being able to speak the language, being able to drive... and go places when I want to... (Oh, I could go on with this list forever!) I don't ever want to forget all of the things that I love about Spain. For starters - the sunshine. I love the weather here. I love that I can always count on backlight in my photos! Oh, and I will miss my insurance and never worrying about coverage. That's been a beautiful thing, never having to think about that. I will miss the fact that people disagree here about what's going on with the government, but that never divides them as people, nor does it define them. I will miss the public transportation system, the ability to walk everywhere and always feel safe. I'll miss the Mediterranean food and the social way of life. I'll miss the small independent cafés, restaurants and bars, the history and lack of strip malls. I'll miss the old, beautiful buildings, the cobblestone, the marble, and all the wisdom that comes with age.

Boy, I guess I could go on with this list forever as well. It's funny to love two places so much but in such completely different ways. I used to say that if I could only combine Spain and Seattle, I'd live in the perfect place (I think I'd have to throw a little Monterey into the mix, though!)

This was taken last Sunday at our very last paella together.

Since I've been here, I've lived in seven different apartments, with people from 10 different countries. I've worked as an English teacher, a bar owner, a translator, a mommy and a photographer. I've been dirt poor, have cried my eyes out on numerous occasions, but have experienced some of the greatest joys of my entire life. I have learned more than I could ever share. It has been an incredible experience.

And now, I'm ready to go home. : )

Scared

2011-01-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

We leave in three days. I've spent the last month being a pathetic excuse for a mom, so that I could be a better mom in the future by making a living off of photography, and do you know what is going through my head right now? It goes something like this - "What IN THE WORLD are you thinking?!"

I'm scared out of my mind.

We are leaving Valencia because our café can't support us. We are leaving because I either look for a job here and put my kids in not-so-great day care, or go back and try to find a job. But we all know that finding a job right now is not easy, especially for a teacher who's teaching license has expired. So, my bright idea was to start a photography business. I've put all of me into it. I've stayed up until 2 in the morning for the past 10 months. I haven't sat on the couch and watched a movie, read a book or knit a hat in 10 months. I have put every last thing I have into it, and now after lauching my website and my blog, most of my confidence is waning. I'm not good enough. No one wants me to take their photos. I am going to fall flat on my face. Like I feared. It's going to come true. It's already happening.

I am scared to leave here. I'm scared of all the humiliation that will come with failing.

I am just so scared.

Project 52 Week 3 - Warmth

2011-01-28T06:00:00.001-08:00

This week for Project 52, a year long photography project I'm working on with 17 other talented photographers from The Bloom Forum, our theme was WARMTH. I bet you can think of a zillion things to do for "warmth" right. Yeah, me too. The first thing I think of, though, is two people cuddled up, and guess what?! I just happened to get an image of my friend, Christina, and her fiancé, Markus, all cuddled up and lovey-dovey, and as an added bonus, she's wearing a scarf. We went for a photo session in the park with their daughter, Sarah, on Sunday afternoon. I'm pretty sure they thought it would mostly be pictures of Sarah, and were a little surprised when I turned it into a smootch fest. Look at the warm smiles on their faces, though. You know they LOVED it.

Now go take a peek at what Shauna from Simply Shauna Photography has in store for us. That girl is ON FIRE! (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) ; )

B-Rad and his Girls

2011-01-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the privelege to do a photoshoot with my friend, Bradford (I call him B-rad, and if I were him, I'd go by that all the time) and his two daughters, Julia and Anna. What fun we had, singing, and running and playing tag and Simon Says. Good times were had by all.

I'm so stoked at how these images turned out. I am in love with the light and the smiles, but most of all, I love the interaction between this family. It is apparent by looking at these images, just how much Bradford loves his girls, and how much they adore their daddy in return.

B-rad, it's been fun. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do. See you sometime in the future... either back in Spain, or in the US. TAKE CARE and give those little girls big squeezes for me!

Love,
Sarah

Project 52 Week 2 - Shades of Red

2011-01-21T06:00:00.003-08:00

Yay for week 2 of Project 52!!! If you aren't sure what the heck I'm talking about, click here to catch up to speed.

Should I tell you how much I struggled with this assigment? I think I should. I wanted to do something with lots of texture and different shades of red. I had it all pictured in my mind. It was going to blow you all away, it was so incredible. Unfortunately, though, reality won yet again. Grrr! I ran out of time, and I couldn't find that one amazing red, pink and orange explosion of textured brilliance.

So I went with it...

We spent most of our week at the beach this week, so I made sure Bella wore her red jacket and ruby slippers at all times, and this is what manifested...

I thought it turned out pretty cool.

Now, it's time to go check out what brilliance Shauna from Simply Shauna Photography will bedazzle us with.

See you next week!

Rub a Dub Dub

2011-01-17T01:32:00.001-08:00

One of their favorite activities... Bath Time!!

Bella insists on putting toys on top of Julietta's head, and pouring water on her. Julietta is pretty fierce, though. She has learned quickly how to handle having a big sister. I have already caught myself saying to Arabella, "Bella, you aren't the boss." which was probably the sentence my parents used most often with me when I was growing up with a younger brother.

Here are some of my favorite images from their bath time a few days ago. I had quite a few pictures of them just sitting and looking at me, cute as can be, but those didn't make it into my favorites folder. I chose the images that really made me laugh or feel something, although maybe not technically perfect... the ones that told more of a story. Little by little my style is emerging.

Project 52 Week 1 - Self Portrait

2011-01-14T06:00:00.006-08:00

I am so thrilled to announce that I am taking part in Project 52 with 16 other incredibly talented photographers!! Project 52 is a creative photography challenge. Each week for a year we get a new theme and all of us have to interpret the theme and then photograph it in our own unique way. Each Friday we all post our images to our blogs and then link our blogs together so everyone can cycle through them and see all the amazing images by each photographer. Sounds cool, right? That's because it is.

This week's theme was THE DREADED SELF PORTRAIT. Ok, ok. You got me. I added the "dreaded" part in there. Never before had I realized how difficult self-portraits are. I had to do this while Julietta was in her stroller screetching at me the whole time. Half of the images came back blurry. I don't understand how to use my self timer on my DSLR without getting a bunch of blur. Anyway, this was what I came up with. I can pick it apart - my nose looks huge and I desperately need a hair cut, but this is me right now in my life. Big nosed with bad hair, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. And because I couldn't choose between a bold contrasty black and white, or a softer processed image, I went with both. I'm sneaky like that.

Now click yourself on over to see the gorgeous Shauna from Simply Shauna Photography. I'm quite certain she will knock your socks off with her talent and beauty.

Goodnight Irene

2011-01-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to Alex's sister, Irene, for a while. We don't know when we will be back in Spain, and since Irene can't leave the monastery, it's up to us to go see her again. I got so many images that I absolutely love on this trip. It doesn't hurt that the nuns are so sweet and playful. I always want to pick up Halel, the mother superior, and swing her around. She's the cutest thing you ever did see.

Seeing Irene for the first time. This is what Bella does when she feels shy.

Un beso

On a nature walk. Bella is the leader, of course.

Julietta knows how to give kisses now.

Sunset and playing with Papá.

This is one of my favorite shots with Halel.

A Divine Intervention - Where it All Began

2011-01-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Some may call it a "divine intervention". I do believe that there is a reason for everything. I probably would never admit to my mother-in-law that my inspiration began at the monastery in Sigena, Spain, where her daughter (my sister-in-law), is a nun. I'd never hear the end of it if I even hinted about it! I do believe, though, that there was something magical that happened to me at the monastery in Sigena back in April 2010. That is when I started trying to take good pictures. That is when I began to blossom.

Have I told you about my favorite quote yet? I want to add it to the header of my blog so it is always there for us to read.

"And then the came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

- Anaïs Nin

It gives me such inspiration every time I read it, and reminds me that life is about risks. Sometimes we succeed and some time we fail, but whenever we do something a bit risky it makes us feel so alive!

I think this is the image that started it all. It's not perfect, but I will love it for the rest of my life.

These are some of the images I took waaaay back in April. ; ) I still love some of these. Others I look at and think, "what the heck was I thinking?!" with the processing or exposure... and lots of them are out of focus, something I hardly noticed back then.

For a non-posed shot, it can't get much more beautifully biblical. Not such a huge fan of the processing anymore, but I still love the image.

It's amazing to look back at the beginning of a journey and see how far you've come. I think I will start doing this every six months. It really helps me stay encouraged, and affirms that all this hard work is, in fact, paying off!

My poor purple baby. And I sure wish I hadn't cut off Irene's fingers.

Ok, what was I thinking with the color?? Why would I want them to look dead?!

Edgy!

I love this image.

And the good news is that we are going back tomorrow to spend the weekend!! I can't wait!!! Let's see what kind of images I get this time. I'll post early next week.

Until then, dear friends, have a wonderful weekend!

20 Houses

2011-01-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago I started thinking about all of the different houses and apartments I've lived in throughout my life. I counted 20. That seems like a lot to me, especially since I lived in the same house from ages five to 18. I went a bit stir crazy after high school, I guess.

Julietta, my little "artiste", helping me unpack the arts and crafts box.

While packing up this one, I realized that each time I've packed up a house, I've been eager to get to the next place. I've never felt very attached or nostalgic. I usually even leave a few days early because I can't wait for what lies ahead. I was really caught off guard when I was hit with a sudden wave of sadness as I was tossing out old worn out clothes a few days ago.

Gripping my pant legs. "Ma ma ma ma ma"

I have not been a big fan of living here in Terramelar. To be honest, I've had to fight with my inner grump from coming out on a regular basis. I found it odd that I was feeling twinges of sadness. This house, though, spills over with memories for the short time we were here: Bella took her first steps here, we flooded the living room with a birthing pool, Julietta was born here, the café started doing really well, the economy took a nose dive, the café started to suffer, we struggled with money, we ate at Asian buffets, Alex learned how to make paella, Julietta learned to crawl, Bella started speaking Spanglish, and my photography journey began here. There were a lot of difficult times, but I know when I close the door for the last time, I will probably only remember the good stuff.

Here are some photos I took of my girls with their grandparents, or their "Yayos". In the first few, Bella and Julietta are dressed like Falleras.( Fallas is the biggest festival in Valencia that takes place in March where all chaos breaks loose. It's an amazing festival where they burn these huge incredible sculptures that they spend all year making.)

I was experimenting with some different types of processing, so there is some variation in color, contrast...etc.

And these are from our New Years day family lunch. In Spain, the entire family gets together to have dinner on New Years Eve, and then after midnight, the party animals go out until the wee morning hours. I don't know if it's such a tradition to have lunch together on New Years Day, but it's a tradition in Alex's family. You eat shrimp for both of them!! MMM!

No, this is not an exorcism. The Yayos are very devout Catholics, and Bella likes to play with the cross.

And so does Julietta!

Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-30T11:22:00.001-08:00

So here we are, at the end of 2010. I can't say it's been the easiest year of my life, but it has sure been full. It brought me some good things: a little package of pure enthusiasm - my daughter, Julietta. Her smile and squeals can flip my mood 180 degrees. Seriously, you've got to meet this kid. I know she was sent to us, especially, to remind us to smile, even when we may not feel it. You can't not smile when she is around.

2010 brought me a new love as well - my passion for photography. Who can believe that after all of these years of being that annoying friend with the camera in your face and the one who made her college buddies sit down and go through every.single. photo album, one day I'd be on the verge of taking photos for a living?!

When I left the US, nearly eight years ago, I remember writing in my journal about how excited I was to see how I'd fill up the rest of the pages - what adventures lay before me, what new people would impact my life, and where I'd end up. I couldn't even fathom the idea that I'd be writing from a small house in Valencia eight years later with a husband and two daughters. I had no idea I'd be about to start up a photography business.

Life sure floors me now and then... well, actually, it floors me every time I stop and think about it. I'm writing this from one of the deepest, darkest, lowest points in my life so far, and yet I'm filled with so much hope. I know that there are a lot of us out there at this very moment who are suffering in some way. I do believe, though, that it is our faith and our hope that get us through the rough patches, and it is with our actions and our pure desire to want something better that we can change the parts we don't like, even if that means looking at things in a different light. I have absolutely no idea what this next year will be like, but I do believe, my friends, that it will floor us.

It will bring us to our knees.

It will be the best year yet.

I believe it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Love,

Sarah

From our Home to Yours

2010-12-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

And here is Julietta's first picture with Santa...

When I asked Bella what she and Santa had talked about she said, "presents... y cosas de la vida (stuff about life)" Priceless.

Wishing you all love, peace and happiness!!!

Love,
Sarah

Going for it

2010-12-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the news?! We are heading back to my home - the Seattle area!!!! There were times when I thought I'd never see the day. For the past six months my mom has been calling and asking, "have you started packing yet?", and I'd laugh and say, "yeah, right." Then I'd imagine the day when that would actually be happening. It never seemed real - always so far away. And now it is here, and I just want to sing sing sing! (But, I won't because both of my kids are sleeping, and you'd have to be some kind of wack job to wake your kids once they've finally fallen asleep).

She insists on exploring every little thing with all of her senses!

For the past week I've teetered between little surges of excitement that rise up in my chest to head-between-my-knees panic. The conditions of this move aren't ideal. I'm taking the girls ahead while Alex stays behind to wait for his visa and for the café to sell. Our choices were very limited, and in the end, the only obvious solution was for us to move back first, which would give me a chance to get things settled and find a job.

A job.

Oh my.

A job.

Crap.

Turns out that's not so easy. My teaching certificate has expired. This is when my head starts spinning and makes it's way back between my knees. Deep breath. Commuting. Deep breath. Finding (and paying for) full-time day care for my kids. Deep breath. Finding a job in the first place... etc. And to endure this ridiculously difficult juggling act when all I really want to do is make beautiful photographs of people enjoying life and each other's company.

So, guess what?!

I'M GOING FOR IT!

I'm going to take a huge leap of faith and go into business as a photographer. I'm doing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I know that there is a major chance I won't make it. Of course I know that. As naïve as it sounds, for some reason, I just believe it will be ok. Plus, I would much rather give it a shot than wonder my life away.

Man, I'm just full of big news right now! I am finally feeling like I'm gaining back some control over my life, as ironic as that is! Wish me luck. I will put my whole self into this, and try my very hardest.

Oh, and if you're interested in a portfolio-building session, (which will be about half the normal price), I plan on taking between 8-10 in February. After that it will be regular prices, so let me know. I'll be posting very soon about my cunning plan!

A Very GERRIE Christmas

2010-12-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

I bet if my name were Geraldine, people would have used "A very Gerrie Christmas" a BUNCH of times. I'm sure of it. And if I know my friend, Gerrie, she's probably either a) used it herself, or b)plans to do it from now on just because that is the kind of girl Gerrie is. She is my oldest and closest friend here in Valencia. We have gone on maaaaaaany adventures together - many of them involving freak dancing, tequila shots and random guitar playing strangers, among them - "Beatles Guy".

Anyway, my friends, a little over a week ago, I got to go out with my dear friend Gerrie for the first time in TWO YEARS. It was the first time I'd been out with anyone, actually. Yes, you read that right. Two years. If you knew me before I was españolisized, you would have known that to be ludicrous. I think I must have seen a friend every single day. Friendship to me is one of my life lines.

So, Gerrie and I made plans to meet up during the day when my in-laws could watch the girls and I wouldn't have to worry about Julietta waking them up every few hours. Smart thinking, I know. We went to El barrio del Carmen, our old stomping ground, and you'll never believe what we did! We talked, had a few drinks, and TOOK PICTURES OF OURSELVES. Ha ha ha!! We found a very dark, colorful bar called El Infante, which is decorated with vintage posters, and we tried to pose like the movie stars in the posters!!

This is one of the many reasons I love Gerrie. We get so silly together. We have so much fun doing dorky things, despite the fact that we undoubtedly get stares and possibly eye rolls from fellow customers.

Now, you may have noticed that the quality of these photos isn't the best, but listen to this - they were taken at ss 1/40 and at f/1.4, if you can believe that!! That's some hard core stuff! I can't remember what the iso was, but it was high. That's why they are so grainy. I was just amazed by Gerrie's artistic eye, and by the fact that she got so wrapped up in the posing and in getting "the shot".

This last one is my favorite of me. And after a gin and tonic or two. Man, I am impressed! Way to go, Gerrie!

Smile! A Contest (Yes, I Need Help AGAIN!)

2010-12-15T17:26:00.003-08:00

This month the theme is smiling or laughing. I have about eight zillion photos of people laughing, because I think it's probably my favorite thing to photograph. Anyway, here are some of my favorites from the past year. I think I know which one I'm going to enter, but I'd love to get your opinions before I do. Which one moves you the most? Which one do you think is unique enough to win? Help!

Here's to eight zillion more smiles in the coming years!
1.

Thanks, dear friends!! I sure love you guys a lot!

My First Shoot - Valencia, Spain

2010-12-10T16:48:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, back in the day when I was student teaching, I had my very first teacher assessment with the director of the program and my two mentor teachers. I remember I had prepared so much for that thing until I probably annoyed all the people around me with the songs we'd sing and the information I'd cover.

Anyone want to take a guess as to what happened?

I bombed it.

BIG time.

After my head stopped spinning and I recovered enough to drag myself out of bed the next day, I think I actually referred to it as a "Kindergarten Cop experience". Not kidding. It was pure chaos. Kids were standing on chairs, lights were flashing on and off, I barely got all the kids' coats on before they ran out the door... I seriously wanted to quit the program right then and there, it was so humiliating.

I didn't quit, though. I stuck it out and went on to be the very first kindergarten teacher at The International School of Monterey, and still later to teach at various English academies in Valencia. Yay for perseverance!

Why am I digging up such a traumatic past experience? Well, because, my friends, as I walked away from the park last Monday after my very first photo shoot, those memories came flooding back to me. I guess it was when, after the first ten minutes of (finally) taking some photos (after I'd kicked the soccer ball around a bit with the boys, and asked them questions and let them run around to let them get used to the surroundings...etc), both of the older boys, Juan and Hugo were like, "ok, we're done. Let's go play!", and I didn't really know what to do. I had prepared so well to get them to relax and have a good time with me, they only wanted to play and forget about the photography thing all together!

I wasn't prepared for that.

Plus, my exposure was all over the place because the light was changing, and sweet little Daniel was so curious about the park, the last thing he wanted to do was to sit down.

Half way through the shoot I started thinking, "What am I thinking? I can't do this. I may take some nice pictures here and there, but I'm no photographer."

But, since this was my first real job with a "stranger", I brushed those thoughts away so I could try to pull it together. And then I found it - A tree!

And the good shots started coming.

I'll admit it. Bribery was used. I used the same tricks I use with my own girls. I got some really bored looks too. But, in the end I got the shots I wanted, and I don't think the boys had to struggle through too much. I might even say that they had a pretty good time (when we weren't taking the pictures!)

I know I still have a long way to go before I can be called a professional, but I'm glad I took the plunge. It's very different taking pictures for people you don't know, but it's a challenge I think I will enjoy more and more once I get the hang of it! I was so lucky to have such a supportive family to work with.

Heather, thank you so much for being so awesome! Your boys are out of this world, and I had a lot of fun with them. Some day, I will probably tell the story of my very first photo shoot - all about these three cutie boys who wanted to play and play and play, but how I kept pushing on until I convinced them to let me take some good shots...

Three Sweet Boys

2010-12-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

My first real photo shoot with "strangers" happened today. I had been preparing all week long and you know what? I still felt unprepared! I'm not used to boys, especially when there are three of them!! I sure had a good time with them, though! Juan is the oldest - the soccer player. Hugo, the middle child, is very independent and wants to do everything on his own. And Daniel is the little baby who doesn't stop moving! All of them were as sweet as could be, and for my very first job with "strangers", I think it went quite well. I didn't think it at the time, though. I was about ready to sell all my gear on ebay as I left the park. It was much more difficult than I had anticipated, but once I got home and uploaded all the images onto my computer, I was relieved. There are so many that I love. (big HUGE sigh of relief here).

I told Heather, the boys' mom, that I would post one photo tonight for the "sneak peak". Well, Heather, I couldn't choose, so I decided to post five of my favorites. Enjoy!

I'll be posting more towards the end of the week. Stay tuned!

Pouring Myself Into it

2010-11-30T13:54:00.003-08:00

She is a huge fan of crackers. The turkey? Not so much.

Our Thanksgiving, Sunday November 28th. As I put the mashed potatoes and stuffing into the oven, I caught myself breathing a sigh of relief. "Ah! Thank god I'm almost done with this." After five hours of nearly non-stop cooking and cleaning, I could finally sit down and enjoy the food.

You know what happened, though? The turkey and the stuffing both came out too dry, and the rice salad was just ok (I found myself really enjoying the wine and canned cranberry sauce, though!). I was bummed. I had worked so hard, and the food was not yummy at all.

This is my typical crazy-eyed look. I think it's also my, "thank god, I'm done with this thing" expression.

I have been thinking about this for the past few days and I think I know what happened. Have any of you read "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel, about the girl who pours all of her emotions into the food she is cooking? I think it's like that. I don't LOVE cooking by any means. Actually, I find it more of a chore, and catch myself looking forward to the end of it (when I get to eat my overly dried, tasteless food). I certainly don't pour any of my love into it.


Let's get carvin'!

When I realized this, it dawned on me that I live most of my days like that - just getting through the chores so I can do what I really want to do - play with my kids (I mean really play - not worry about one of them kicking the other in the head, or worry about discipline or how not correcting bad behavior might end up making them serial killers down the road). I want to go on long walks with my husband and kids, and take beautiful photos and learn as much as I can about photography, and take beautiful photographs... (Wait, did I already say that? ) When I'm doing these things, I'm absorbed with them. I put all of myself into them. Everything. And you know what else? I never seem to have enough time to do them. What I mean is I use up every last second of the time I do have, but it's never enough. I always wish I had more!

I don't know why I love this photo so much. I just really do.

See her little teeth? One of her top teeth popped through too.

Thanksgiving 2010 in Valencia, Spain

My mom used to tell us that we should put our whole selves into everything we do. I need to reconsider this, because otherwise I feel like I'm just going through the motions, holding on until the moment when I really get to live again. I certainly don't enjoying the less than desirable activities like doing the dishes and hanging the laundry, but, maybe if I put my whole self into them, I would enjoy them more. I really do think it makes a difference.

She sticks her tongue out whenever she's happily shy, or just excited.

The most beautiful thing to see on a tv screen

When someone loves what they do, they never need to tell you so. It's that obvious. You can see it... or taste it... quite literally. Those people who are fortunate enough to make a living out of one of their passions must live a joyful existence. I hope I make it there one day. Until then, I think it's time to pour more of myself into all the rest of it.

(SQUEAL!!!!!) My First REAL Shoot!

2010-11-25T14:35:00.002-08:00

Yes, folks, you saw that right! I'm doing my very first photo shoot for someone I've never even met! I'm ecstatic and nervous and giddy, and just in a silly stupor at the moment. I think I'll start moving over toward the "biting my nails nervous" end of the spectrum as the date gets closer.

This photo has nothing to do with the post. I'd have thought you were used to this by now! ; )

"How did this happen?!" you might be asking yourself.

Well...

I cyber-met this really awesome American girl, Heather, through a mutual friend here in Valencia. We've exchanged emails but have never met IN PERSON, so I can officially call this my first shoot with a stranger! It's a portrait shoot of her three boys, ages 8, 6 and 1.5. YIKES! I'm totally nervous about shooting three kids at the same time. And boys! What am I going to do with boys? I'm used to girls! (And Heather, if you're reading this, prepare yourself. I really am this much of a dork!)

We're planning on doing it around Dec 5th ish, so be prepared for the whole story. I'm excited to hear how it goes myself!

Yay! Not a Loser!

2010-11-24T11:34:00.001-08:00

This is full sun. Can you believe that?!

Just wanted to let you all know they announced the winner of the FEET contest on Monday. I didn't come in first place, but was happy to have come in third! Yeah! It was so so close, though. Out of 76 votes, the winner ended up with 14, second place with 11 and third (me) with 9 (it's a very small forum of photographers). The other 12 images were just as wonderful, and when it came down to it, I really think it was just a question of preference (although the winner's was pretty freakin' awesome).

I'm also adding some of the images I got yesterday at one of the parks close to our house called Beniferri. There are some really opinionated, high-maintenance moms that hang out there, that we have to avoid. It's pretty easy. I wear my wool rainbow hat from college, and baggy pants and carry around my huge camera, so they talk to Alex! ha ha ha! I think in order to feel my best, I really can't listen to so much judgment and negativity. It only makes me feel stressed, and usually a bit frustrated since they also tend to be a somewhat ignorant.

Compose

I also wanted to add this last photo of Julietta wearing this adorable hat that our friend, Erin, of Froggy Holler Outdoor Preschool made for us. Isn't it just fab? I think she could be one of the Simpson children in it... Marge's daughter! Ha! Cute as a button!

Being Nice

2010-11-20T03:56:00.000-08:00

Is this a photography blog, or a blog about life? Um... both, I guess... I don't know. They seem intertwined to me, so that is what it will be. Life and Photography intertwined. As you know, I have a lot to talk about and no one to listen, so forgive me if I'm long-winded at times.

I've become a bit of a grump. I snap at my two-year-old daughter sometimes. I get angry at little things, like when my husband jokes with me and I don't think it's funny. I want to be nice and kind and sweet and lovely, but sometimes I get stuck on the dismount. I am not as awesome as I want to be.

Last night was the first class from Tamara Lackey's workshop on Creativelive. Like Jasmine Star, this woman is amazing. She is a child photographer, but above all that, she is a self-taught expert on child psychology. She knows how to interact and play and just be with children. She gets down to their level, she talks to them and she relates to them. She tries to empathize with them when their little fingers are cold or if they just don't want to be there getting their picture taken. She is kind.

Although fabulous photographers, what sets Jasmine Star and Tamara Lackey apart from the massive crowd of photographers, in my opinion, is their ability to work with other people. In a word, they are nice. They are the kind of people you'd like to sit down and have a beer with and just shoot the breeze all afternoon long. You know you'd laugh, and you'd be heard and they'd never make you feel stupid, no matter how many dorky things you did!

I have always held faith in that one quality that I believe in so strongly - kindness. I truly think that if you can just be nice to people, to treat them like friends, to talk to them and make them feel heard and understood and welcome and special, well... it will take you places. Unfortunately, it is much easier to treat people the way they treat you.

I meet a lot of grumpy people here. I mean A LOT. And I have to make a conscious effort to be nice to people, because right now in my life, it isn't coming naturally. I either want to shrivel up and disappear, or I want to yell and scream and kick my feet and hit things and yell, "JUST BE NICE... PLEASE!!" People want to feel like they belong. Believe me, I have never felt so low in my entire life because I don't feel like I really belong anywhere except in my own house with my own family. I feel like I'm completely out of my zone. I want to go home, but I can't. And to top it off, I have very few friends here, which makes me feel grumpy and miserable. Trying to be nice to others when you are miserable is like trying to brush your two-year-old's teeth while she's having a tantrum.

I don't have a photo of that, but I wish I did. The only more difficult thing would be taking a picture of yourself trying to brush your two-year-old's teeth while she's having a tantrum.

The thing I try to imagine, though, is that maybe those other people are feeling just like me. Maybe they are tired of feeling ignored. Maybe they used to say hello to each other, but after they realized that no one was responding, they stopped.

Oh, I don't now. I guess I'm trying to say that it seems too easy - "be kind and you will be successful", but when it comes down to it, being kind isn't as simple as it sounds. People can be mean and grumpy and rude. People can really suck sometimes. Why would I want to be nice to those meanies?

Maybe that's why those few who make it a goal to really truly understand others, and give them a break when they behave less than ideally, are the ones who do go far.

Kindness isn't given much thought to when we think of factors that influence success in life. But maybe it should be.

A Finalist!!! (without Thick Skin)

2010-11-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Judgment. Criticism. Advice.

You know, I'm not a huge fan of any of those words. I know they are necessary, but in my happy little world, we'd all just float around on clouds, dance under cherry trees in bloom and eat chocolate, strawberries and champagne all day long.

Without these words, though, I guess we'd never become world renowned swing dancers and I bet there'd be tons of cloud collisions due to the excessive amounts of champagne consumption.

So, yeah, all right, I'll give you that. They're necessary, in small doses, especially if you find yourself strolling down an artistic path like photography. I've realized that if I want to be any good at this craft, I have to put myself out there, and open myself up to criticism. I have to take a photo that I think could be the spawn of Ansel Adams' work and then have others rip it apart. Ok, so far no one has ripped apart my work, but then again, I've only posted to have my photos critiqued a few times. It's nerve wracking! (Oh, and don't worry, I've never even humored myself enough to compare my work with Ansel Adams' photo babies).

And now for the news...

My foot image was chosen as a finalist in the We Love Feet contest on the Bloom forum. WAHOO!!! Awesome! Wonderful! Kick ass! Right? Right?! It's fabulous, isn't it?

Well... yeah, it is. But now they open it up and forum members vote for the images (gulp!). And you know what else? Everyone can see how many votes our photos get (big gulp that just won't seem to go down!). I'm so scared that I'm going to end up with only one vote. Even more humiliating would be the knowledge that the lone vote would be my own. (Help! Memories of me walking around with toilet paper hanging out of the back of my pants are flooding my mind.)

OH!!!! Don't let me ever enter a contest again!! Do you hear me?!!!

I'll never enter another contest again.

Never

Ever

Ever.

What if I fail?!!

And there it is.

If I let myself be honest with you, and with myself, I'm afraid.

It's really scary to let yourself and parts of yourself - your own creations - be so vulnerable. Photography is such a hit or miss career. The probability that I'll succeed is low. I know this going into it. I will most likely fall flat on my face - in front of everyone (because damn! I started this blog, announcing my cloud dancing high hopes to the world didn't I? Smart one, Sarah.)

The thing is, though, just imagining stopping now because I'm afraid I'll never make it is totally idiotic. And if I don't try, if I let all these thoughts of mediocrity and fear of embarrassment and failure deter me from even attempting it, I honestly feel like I'd suffocate from the inside out. (And I'm not even being just the tiniest bit melodramatic. So there!)

The contests and critiques, the judgment and criticism - these are all just precursors to what is yet to come. So I guess the only logical solution is to step down from the cloud I've been dancing on and hop into a Volvo. At least then when I collide, I'll be ready for it!

Oh, and don't worry your pretty little heads off. Sundays are still reserved for cloud surfing and champagne sipping.

Somewhere Near Albacete

2010-11-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

Now that we are down to only one day off per week, it makes it extremely important to wisely choose what we are going to do with that precious day. You see, I say that "we" are down to only one day off because even though I'm a stay-at-home mom, I feel like the only time I really get a break is when Alex is home with me. So, Sunday it is. This Sunday, though, we found ourselves obligated to go on a mini trip to Albacete for an 8 year-old's birthday party. I have to admit that I was less than enthusiastic when it came to the prospect of spending the day locked up in their house with the tv blaring and trying to make sense of their strange vocabulary and difficult accents. It turned out to be fine, though, and do you know why? Because I had some new stuff to photograph!! Always a good enough reason to give up a lazy day at home!

I grabbed Julietta right after lunch and we went on a walk around the tiny, run-down town. I mean, it's OLD! Walls are falling down, paint is chipped everywhere you look. The entire place is weathered, and I think it's beautiful. I would have been in awesome backdrop heaven if I had had a willing upright model, but Letta likes to put everything in her mouth and doesn't sit still long enough for me even to push the shutter release, so instead I went around and just took some shots of the town. I'm pretty sure these photos aren't really any good, because I have no idea what I'm doing when I'm not shooting people, but I thought they really captured the feel of the town.

I thought this was so cool with the kitty cat staring at me.

After walking around in circles for quite a while (the town is tiny. EVERYONE knows each other. A man stopped to talk to me and knew immediately that I wasn't from there. He, of course knew Juani and Felipe, Alex's cousins, and even knew exactly where they lived.) I found a spot where I could let Julietta roam free for a bit.

And later we met up with the rest of the crew and I fired off a few more shots before heading to the town pub for a warm drink... or was it a gin and tonic... tomato tomato (to be pronounced differently, obviously).

This is Julietta and Christian seeing each other for the first time.

Christian. He looked like the Marshmallow Man in his big green jacket. I wanted to eat him up!

And Felipe. He's a real ham. If all kids were this easy to photograph, it would be a breeze!!

The bunch

Serious Alex

Serious Bella.

Not a bad day, if I do say so myself. And next weekend? Another workshop from Creative LIVE! with Tamara Lackey!!

Entering Number One!

2010-11-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

This was a hard decision, guys. I was really leaning towards number three, but the favorites were clearly number one and four. I chose to enter number one.

Oh and just so you know, this isn't some huge contest or anything. It's for a contest on the Bloom forum I'm a member of. But, you know, I LOVE games, so I have to enter, right?!

Thanks to everyone who helped me choose! You are THE BEST!!

Love, Sarah

Help me Choose - Barefoot Babies

2010-11-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Remember back a couple months ago, when I wanted to enter into a photo contest, but I didn't know which picture to choose, so you helped me, and I sort of, kind of won a little bit? Well, there's another contest (nothing big. Just a fun one from a forum) and once again I don't know which image to choose. Help me, please!!

The theme is FEET. Which one do you think I should I enter?

1)

4a)

4b) Which version?

I have to turn it in by Monday, so if you get a minute, let me know what you think.

Thanks, friends!

Flare it up

2010-11-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

I heart flare. I do. I like the sound of the word. I like that it means putting a bunch of pins on a vest if you work in a restaurant. I love that one of the definitions is : a. To erupt or intensify suddenly. And I would have a love affair with lens flare and haze if it weren't so controversial.

This one doesn't really have any flare, but I just love it.

Flare isn't loved by all, apparently. One of my photographer friends said that she's surprised at how many of her clients don't dig it. I dig it, though, and so I will make sure that it plays a major role in the unraveling and evolution of my style.

Our Last Halloween in Spain

2010-11-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

She liked being the mermaid princess

Halloween. It's special to me. Do I have to tell you all how much I miss Halloweens back home? Since I've lived here, I've done my part to bring the spirit out. We used to do a huge Halloween party at our café, The Bohemian Café, every year. This year was Bella's first year to really understand what was going on, so I wanted to make it important.

Our stawberry/ladybug

I considered taking the girls to the Halloween party with The American Club, but that sounded so overwhelming - making costumes, making a dish to bring, bringing drinks and sweets for the kids, bringing a drink for myself, finding transportation there and back ( it was outside of Valencia and Alex, of course, had to work), and then on top of that, going by myself to a place where I'd only met one person, all the while trying to take care of two kids by myself... I don't know, maybe it's just me, but it just sounded a bit too stressful for what was supposed to be a party.

Not a fan of butterfly wings

Instead I took our leftover decorations from The Bohemian and decked out our house while Bella was with the Yayos. The look on her face was priceless when she walked in to see the walls covered with bats and the windows trimmed with garland. She, of course, wanted to start touching everything, and then she did her rendition of "Cumpleaños feliz" (it evidently looked like a birthday part!).

For costumes, I brought down our box of costumes from Halloween's past and Paquita borrowed some kids' costumes from a workmate. We all went wild playing dress up.

Good thing we went to all those St. Patty's day parties back in the day.

And Carnival celebrations

I also tried to make a Halloween inspired menu, but we won't go there. I should always stick to being on the decorations or costume committee. Let's just say there was yet another burnt beans incident.

Representin'!! Go Vashon!

I know I said this last year, but friends, I WILL be home next year, and we WILL have a Halloween party together. We can even do it at my house. (I'll be in charge of the decorations!)

A Day in the Life

2010-10-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

Spain sounds like a grand place to live, doesn't it? I get that all the time. I think people assume all we do is get together with our friends in cafés, eat yummy food, drink sangria and travel around, taking in the beautiful scenery every day. And let's not forget the massive amounts of siestas we take! We obviously need the rest with the constant fiestas!!

Ok, we do these things... sometimes. But instead of sangria, I usually drink tinto de verano, because it's not as strong and just tastes like sparkly juice. (But WATCH OUT! It's NOT juice! I found that out the hard way!)

Anyway, I thought you might like to see what we do on a typical day, so these are just some candids from around the house the past few days, nothing special, but I did get some really cute shots that I wanted to share with you.

After the two hours it takes us to get ready in the morning, we almost always take a walk to the park, or go to the grocery store.

Bella likes to copy Alex and sometimes she pretends she's "fadada", or angry.


I left the dog pee in the picture, because it's ridiculously realistic.


Julietta chills and smiles at everyone she sees.


Bella pushes her buggy everywhere we go. Usually it's carrying a sleeping Grinch or Winnie the Pooh.

Sometimes we'll see the Ya yos on their way home for lunch, and they'll stop and push the girlies on the swings for a few minutes.

Juji is very fond of the grass, sticks and leaves, and Bella is very fond of being around her sister ALL THE TIME!


After park time, we'll usually hit up the local grocery store (it's tiny) and buy whatever ingredient we forgot to buy the last time, and then we'll all have lunch together. Alex leaves immediately after lunch, and the girls take their nap.

I know I said the "girls" take their nap, but Julietta has been very erratic lately with her naps. Instead, she usually crawls around, gets into the potatoes and onions in the kitchen, and follows me around.

She doesn't like it when I cook or clean or spend very much time in the kitchen at all. Ok, Juji, I'm not going to argue! I actually spend a lot of this time on my computer, if she lets me.

After nap time, we may see a few breakdowns here and there. We usually spend the next two hours either just playing at home (while I try to get some cleaning and cooking done... and laundry. I MISS having a dryer!!), doing a bigger project, or meeting with Sarah and Christina, our German friends. At 7.15 it's Ya yo time where I get a little break!!! (I love this time of the day) And when the girls get back, the three of us have dinner, story time and bedtime.

I know I have some more shots of the girls playing in the living room, but you get the general idea. This is what we do most days. I get really bored of doing the same thing all the time, and I jump on any chance we get to hang out with other people, but it doesn't happen very often since I am car-less.

I do manage to stay sane, however, because we are getting much much closer with the paperwork for Alex's visa, so we're just waiting now on the interview date. It doesn't sound too intense, so let's all just keep our fingers crossed!

And that is my life. Undoubtedly simpler than you imagined. but simply special!

Ever Wonder What my Kids Look Like? - Wordless Weekend

2010-10-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

TIP OF THE WEEK - Kids, Bribes and Winnie the Poop

2010-10-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

I said I could get her to look at the camera. I never said she'd be happy about it.

Bella has come to expect chocolate every time I take her picture, otherwise she ignores me and my dear camera, which makes me even more annoying (oh, how I wish there was a good translation for the word "pesada" in English, because this is the perfect word to describe what I'm like with my camera - somewhere between "heavy" and "annoying") If only she'd just learn to put up with me for a few minutes so she could then get on with her preferred activities.

Singing

Having a conversation with me probably about King Kong and his friend,the giraffe, who often come and visit us at dinner time because they are cold and hungry and want to eat french fries.

That's where my little friend bribery comes in. Yes, I'll admit it. Bribery and I are chummy. I use things like chocolate and tv to encourage Bella to be my photography model (BAD MOMMY!) But they work... sometimes... for a limited time. Even with the bribes, I still can't get her to actually look at the camera.

So, today's Tip of the Week is Getting Them to (at least) Look in Your General Direction.

My newest tricks are either singing with Bella (she loves Five Little Pupkins and The Wheels on the Bus at the moment) or I say something that I want her to repeat and then make up a funny ending that she's not expecting. To get these shots, it went something like this -

Me: Say "I love mommy"

Bella: I wub mommy!

Me: Say " I love Papá!

Bella: I wub Papá!

Me: Say, "I love Winnie the Poop"

Bella: "ah ha ha ha! I wub Winnie the POOP!"

She was so done by this point. This is the closest I came to having her interact with the camera.

I hope this helps someone! Have a fabulous weekend!

And this little munchkin is a challenge as well! If all else fails, have someone stand behind you and make silly faces and noises. Works like a charm.

Hotties Part Dos

2010-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

I didn't really have to tell them to do much posing. Although, I think I told Luis that he was "The Man" in this one.

These two are so ridiculously good-looking, it kills me. They are my friends who... well, it's a bit more complicated than the second half of a short sentence.

Here goes...

Nora - ON FIRE!

Nora is from the UK. We met here in Valencia while doing the Cambridge Celta course to become English teachers. She lived here for about two years (is that right, Nora?) and then took off in search of new adventures in Costa Rica...and adventure she found! ; )

Enter Luis.

I swear, model material! Look at that smile!

Luis was a student in one of her classes who showed her the real Costa Rican way of life.

Somehow she convinced him to leave sunny, tropical Costa Rica to move back to England with her (I bet all she had to do was wink at him. Have you seen her?!!) where they both found real, proper, responsible jobs.

I can't stand how cute Luis is in the background of this one! I smile every time I see it.

Doesn't this make me look like such a detail-aware photographer, with that little old couple, barely in the frame. How cute are they? That was a total accident. Sssshhh! Don't tell anyone. ; )

They are now a "cheesy" married couple living in Cambridge, and being real proper, responsible adults who are planning their celebration wedding for 2011. On the side, Nora is the famous "Nora the Kitchen Splorer" who always taunts me with her yummy recipes that I know I'll never have the patience, nor the ability, to make. And Luis is Mr. Splorer. He gets to eat all her yummy food and laugh with her. I bet he takes care of most of the technology in their house too, as he's a computer genius.

I love these two. They are so easy-going and fun to be around, and it's so obvious how much they love each other. They make romance look easy, and they made photographing it a snap. Just looking at each other or laughing together made for these incredibly romantic images. ( Hey, thanks for making me look so good, guys!)

Last year these two came to visit while I was pregnant and cranky and chasing around a toddler. We live in a residential area outside of the city with not much to do around here. They had no problems whatsoever hanging out and going with the flow. No stresses. No complaints. They are just pleasant people who I love being around. I wish they could come and visit me once a month. Everyone needs a little Nora and Luis in their life.

Nora and Luis - The Ridiculously Good-Looking Couple

2010-10-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Nora and Luis are here visiting!!! We went out and did a quick photo-shoot Saturday evening. We are going to take a few more shots tomorrow as the sun hid behind the buildings an hour earlier than I had anticipated. DOH!

Here's a little peak at how ridiculously good-looking they are, though. I don't think you have to be much of a photographer if your subjects are this attractive.

Look for more photos of these hotties on Wednesday!!

Why, God? WHY??!!!

2010-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

I just spent 45 minutes taking gorgeous pictures of my dear Juji. I made up the bed, put the antique bedspread on that Paquita's mother made, and then I pulled down our pretty white mosquito net, and began shooting away - snap after snap of cuteness overload. Julietta was hamming it up for the camera, being adorable times three, the room was lit up from the afternoon sun. I was loving it and I thought everything was coming out beautifully. It looked that way in the LCD screen (though I never zoomed in to be sure).

When I uploaded it up to Lightroom - all the droolified, squeezable, cuteness was marred by the BLUR. Snap after snap of BLURRY OVERLOAD. GASP! squeak. cry. wine. .moan. pssssssssst DEFLATE.

You may not see the blurry blur. It may not be too clear. But the focus should fall on Juji's eyes, instead of on her ears. (you may also not know that when the moon and stars align properly in the second week of October, I bust out in rhyme without warning, for no apparent reason).


Here you go, I zoomed in really close so you can see what I mean.


If Bella could see this, I bet I know what she'd say. She's say, "No gusta."

WHY OH WHY OH WHY??! They are such sweet shots too. You know what? I'm blaming it on the camera. It has absolutely nothing to do with me being a novice. ; ) Nikon D80, you have foiled me again!

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!

And just to show that we do get along when the conditions are right, here are a few LESS blurry images. They still aren't tack sharp, but I'm in no position to start beef with my camera. One can dream on puffy white clouds about the Nikon D700, right? One can dream.

This is how I like to see eyes in every. single. picture.

TIP OF THE WEEK - Shooting in Direct Sun

2010-10-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I nearly forgot about my promise yesterday to post the TIP OF THE WEEK today. It's nearly midnight here, and now I'd better get my bum in gear!! Now, that's dedication for you.

Ok, so the tip for this week...
I've been avoiding shooting in mid day sun like the plague until I learned a very important tip -
(Drum roll please.... )

If you're shooting in bright mid day, direct sunlight, turn your subject so she's standing IN FRONT of the sun.

In other words, the sun should be BEHIND your subject. I always thought that you, as the photographer, wanted to the sun behind you. Turns out, that's not true. If you have soft, even light, like at sunset, then yes, that light will rock your world. During the day, though, you want to rotate your subject, otherwise you're bound do get squinty eyes and shadows that are very unflattering.


This was actually taken pretty late in the afternoon, but check out the shadows under her eyes. It makes her eyes seem hallowed.

SO, turn your subject away from the sun, and spot meter of her face. This will dazzle you. I swear.

See how much better her face looks? There was a bit of light bouncing back up off the table which evened it out nicely.

Ok, how cute is she?! And look! No dark shadows.

And these are later in the day, but I just love back light, so I'm posting a few that I thought were super cute.

Bella's fashion sense. I love it!

There you go, my friends. I hope this is useful to some of you. Have a wonderful weekend! Take it easy and keep on clickin' on! ; )

Improv in Photography

2010-10-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

This week our assignment in my photography class is to continue taking pictures in the mid day sun, using the sun as back light, but now we're to use a reflector. Unfortunately, I don't have a reflector, so instead I found a white table cloth to do the trick. Improvisation can work wonders!

I don't think I've ever loved any piece of clothing as much as I love Bella's rainbow leggings.

Yesterday around 11:30 am, I went out on a walk with Alex and the girls in tow. The sun was shinning, the kids were in good spirits and Alex was game to help me by holding the table cloth. While I messed around, trying to get the perfect shot, moving up and down and then waiting for that ONE moment, Alex began to get antsy. He stayed for about five shots and then decided to go on a run. There I was with the two girls, a table cloth and the mid day sun. No problem! I found a spot right in front of some hedges in some nice, lush, hyper-color green grass. Julietta is pretty eager to get out of the stroller just to explore, touch the grass and pick up the leaves and twigs...etc, so I put her down and tadaaa! Instant baby model. Her innate curiosity makes me nervous, of course, so in addition to all the stuff I have to think about while shooting, I have to make sure my kid doesn't choke on anything.

She's showing off her little blades of grass that she happened to find.

Setting up the "reflector" must have been a sight to see. I tried to throw it over my shoulder, like a toga, then I laid it over by body and stretched it all the way down to my foot. Since I was shooting my kids, I had to get down at their level, so I got down toward the ground with it laying over my leg and I put that leg forward while I squatted on the other (are you getting a mental picture?). Not the most comfortable position, but I did what I had to do!

This one doesn't REALLY fulfill the assignment, but I did use a my table cloth (see the reflection in her eyes?)

Bella was unusually helpful with the shoot and actually sat still for a few minutes. That was when I got my favorite shots. It's amazing the shots you can get when your subject will just sit still!!

Tomorrow I will post the TIP OF THE WEEK: Shooting in the Direct Sun. Until then, keep on clickin'!

Third Anniversary

2010-10-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Alex and I celebrated our third anniversary yesterday. Our real anniversary, September 29th, fell on a Wednesday, so we waited to celebrate it on Alex's day off. Actually, our REAL anniversary was last Monday, the 27th. We had to get married in the civil courtroom two days before our wedding, but we don't acknowledge that day as our real wedding day. I couldn't understand anything that the judge said, anyway. It felt like we were at a Spanish auction. I just waited until he stopped and stared at me before saying, "Sí, quiero".

Anyway, yesterday we sent the kiddos to the Yayos' house for the day and we went for lunch at La Forqueta in Rocafort (mmmmm!!!). We had planned on going to a movie afterward. Instead, we drank too much wine, wandered around Rocafort taking pictures of each other, and ended up going home and watching Dexter. It was perfect. It was us - three years later, worn out and tired after too much work and two energetic, crazy kids, just wanting to take it easy on a true day off.

I woke up wishing we could go on another date today. No such luck. ; )

Sweatin' it in the Mid Day Sun

2010-09-30T08:07:00.000-07:00


I just don't get! See all the over exposed spots? Grrr.	.

When I first moved to Spain, at the end of each day I used to sit, defeated and drained, while my brain would spin and spin. There were so many things to think about while I was trying to learn Spanish - choosing one of the 14 tenses, deciding on the gender of each noun, conjugating each verb, thinking about things like possession, word order. . .etc, plus I still had to come up with something clever and winning to say (which is hard enough for me in English!!). Learning a language is seriously like doing mental exercise. It felt like I was doing a mental Ironman marathon when I was only equipped for Sweating to the Oldies with Richard Simmons. Actually, come to think of it, I still feel that way most of the time!

I had to back light him in full sun without blowing out too many of the high lights. I did it! FINALLY!!!

Anyway, since starting photography, that feeling has come back strong. Trying to get all elements to come together at once - exposure, aperture, focus, lighting, angle, and making sure I'm not chopping off any fingers or toes (all the while trying to capture that perfect moment) is no sock hop. My brain hurts by the time I'm done. I'm sure it will become like second nature at some point (um... yeah... like Spanish was supposed to become as well...), but at the moment, it's kicking my butt. I had no idea how exhausting taking pictures could be!

This one came out really well. I had to bribe Bella with a cracker.

See how her head is over exposed and her leg too? It's ok to overexpose a little bit of wispy hair, but not so much of her head. DOH!

This week has been especially trying because of the assignment we are working on for my photography workshop. We have to take photos at midday in full sun, or in the shade with a bit of back light sun to make the hair look flowy and glowy and glam. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it's not. Not at all. I've been strugglin'. Big time!!!! I'm posting a few of the shots I've got this week, but they are nothin' special. Getting perfect exposure in high contrast situations makes me weeze just thinking about it.

So, that's that. Have a wonderful weekend!! I'm skipping the TIP OF THE WEEK until next week when my brain has stopped spinning!

This is Bella saying "Stop taking pictures of me! I just want my cracker!"


"What does she have in her mouth?" you're asking. It's a stick! Yes, I give my children sticks to chew on.

TIP OF THE WEEK - WARNING: Backgrounds Not Child Appropriate!

2010-09-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Do you notice anything, I don't know... out of place in this photo? No? Ok good, that makes me feel much better. Here, I'll give you a hint. I'm pretty sure that black graffiti above Bella isn't supposed to be a lotus flower. You'd think I'd have realized this before or even during this mini shoot, considering I took about 40 pictures here! On top of that, before taking this shot, I'd read a bazillion critiques on the photography forum I'm a member of, and the reoccurring criticism was that the background was distracting.

I'm apparently not distracted, or even aware of graffitied penises on walls, or stake-like trees that go right through children's bellies. But you should be. This is one of those kinds of tips - "do as I say, not as I do" (but really, all of my tips are going to be like, because I'm not a professional. And I'm not a robot. And I'm certainly not a professional robot, so I'm going to make many many photography-related errors, and you will too. At the end of the day, though, we can still pat ourselves on the back and have a good laugh at all the ridiculous things we did throughout day, knowing that it was already in the cards to begin with.)

So, my tip of the week? Pay attention to the background.

You want to watch out for any distractions in the background. This includes bright colored objects, garbage cans, trees and poles growing out of heads, and signs (anatomical graffiti included, of course). A the moment, I am reading a book about composition and the author was talking about how much the eye is attracted to writing in paintings and photographs. Interesting stuff.

Another thing to try to avoid is a lot of clutter. If you have the choice between a plain wall and toys scattered and strewn across the floor, choose the wall (unless, of course you want to include the toys as content).

I didn't have time to clean up, but I wish I could have removed some of the clutter.

Obviously there will be times when you just don't have the option of choosing your background because the moment is more important, but when you have a little extra time to compose, take a look around and see what is right behind your subject.

I adore this shot. Too bad she looks like Daisy-Head Maiyze.

A Rare Occasion

2010-09-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

So how old is it getting, seeing my two cute kids ALL THE TIME?! I know, sorry I don't have a lot of other subjects to photograph. I, of course, never tire of seeing their squeezable faces, but I do understand the boredom that comes from repetition. So, to shake things up, I thought I'd share a face with you that you rarely get to see - MINE! Hail the marching bands and bring out the drill team!

I'm so glad we captured this - Bella let the girl next door put her hair in a ponytail!!!

I asked Jesús to take some family photos for us, and I think he did a wonderful job. He's a miracle worker! I especially love how he got all the "imperfect" moments as well. Those are my favorites. I'm posting some more of the "outtakes" on my face book page.

Here are a few of the ones I got of Alex, Bella and Julietta this past week.

Ok, I just love this one. I love how you can see the similarities between them

This is my sweet family.

Tip of the Week: Window Light

2010-09-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

It seems fitting to talk about window light, since that's what I'm learning about (plus I couldn't think of a tip to share and Erin asked if I'd share on window light so I said, "BINGO!").

The cool thing about window light is that you can get so many different effects, by just turning your subject, plus, you don't have to wait all day long for perfect light.

Sweet little Cam Man. I love this kid. I love how these impromptu window lit photos came out too.

Here are some things that I've learned since I started learning about photography (remember, I'm no pro, I'm just a girl who would like to be someday. ; ))

1. When you see light shinning in through a window - the bright sunlight - that is NOT the light you want. You want soft, indirect light. Think of the kind of light many indoor plants like. Most people say that a north-facing window is the bomb. I just say, "It's preferable" because, c'mon, you know I don't talk like that (I use much cooler vocabulary, like "BINGO!").

An exception to direct window light would be evening window light when you want to play with sunflare.

2. Look at the room you're shooting in. If you're in a room with a lot of windows and white walls, COOL! I'd love to come shoot at your house. You might not get a lot of contrast, but you'll get some amazing shots. If you shoot in a room with only one window, you'll get some very dramatic images which will also be stunning.

This was shot upstairs in our sunny attic. It has windows on both sides, so she's all lit up. Her face it still a tad dark, though, but you get the idea.

This was shot in our living room which only has one large window.

3. Move. You move. Try taking the shot from different angles. Then tell your subject to move (if they'll oblige. I don't typically have that luxury, so I move... or I bribe, then shoot quickly). Try some with your subject facing the window for a really nice even effect, and also try some like I have been working on where your subject sits in front of the window, but at a slight angle.

This is the one I submitted for our first assignment. The teacher said "great job", so I guess I did all right!

4. Pay attention to the light. Where is it falling? Where are the shadows? You typically want at least a portion of the face lit up with some shadow. Try not to get the entire face in the shadow. I did this waaaay too many times to count while I was doing my practice shots.

Julietta! Where did your face go?! Yeah, I know you can see it, but it's so dark, you see? Get it?

5. Don't over-expose your subject. You want light parts, but not completely WHITE parts. If you can only see white, it's overexposed (if you have a DSLR you can check to see if you've blown anything out after each shot). Other parts of the picture can be over-exposed, but not your subject.

I love this shot so much, but I did over expose Julietta's face a bit and Bella's hair. Shucks!

If you want to learn more, "Available Light" by Don Marr is a really great, informative read. Or you can always take Detra's Creative Light workshop (and no, I don't get a kick back for mentioning her. I just really love it so far!)

I hope this helps a bit. Make sure to leave me a comment if you have any questions, or you can always leave me a comment just because it makes me smile. : )

Drama Queen

2010-09-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our first assignment in Detra's Creative Light workshop is to take a picture using dramatic light (ha! I feel so official. My first "assignment"). The subject needs to be in front of a light source, so you blow out the background and have some dramatic shadows on your subject. Sounds easy enough, right? Yeah, I thought so too until I started taking pictures. I took around 300 photos yesterday!! (So before you go telling me how great they are, remember · I took 300 photos to get them!!) I like a large percentage of the ones I took yesterday (thank god!), but I'd get a big fat F for the assignment because the majority didn't follow the guidelines at all. First of all, Julietta is not the most accommodating of subjects. She never does what I tell her to do!!

I expressly told her not to use this face, but do you think she listens to me? Ok, her face cracks me up, but it doesn't work with what I'm trying to accomplish here.She just doesn't understand that I have a vision. ; )

I ended up bribing Bella with two juice pops so she'd sit still in front of the window. I also had to put on the movie Monster's Inc. Jeez! The things I'll do to get a shot!

Anyway, here are some of my practice shots. Do you see one that sticks out that you think I should turn in? We have until next Friday, so I thought I'd keep practicing.

After all of the bribes were exhuasted, I settled for just taking some random shots of my girls while they played (and cried) and got excited to see the Yayos when they came.

I've never seen a kid shed such a large quantity of tears every time she cries. Look how big those tears are!

The Yayos had just pulled up.

This probably would have been better if I'd had more room to back up, but I really like how it shows the contrast between youth and age.

Today I got Alex in on the action. I also have to do a sidelight shot for a bonus. He was not feeling well, but he humored me for a few minutes.

Wow! That was a long post. But it was aimed at your viewing pleasure. Less words, more photos. That's how it should be. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Back in the day, I dreamt of being a writer. I've always loved storytelling. The problem, however, is that I can never think of the right words, which can slightly hinder the writing process. I like to think that finding photography is my outlet to share stories; to see the things other people overlook. Maybe I was always meant to be a story teller, just not with words. I sure hope so. I hope I hope I hope...

A Case of the Monday Blahs. Wait, it's Tuesday...

2010-09-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling very uninspired. Blah! What do I have to share with you guys? Hmmm... You'd think I wouldn't shut up since I'm home alone most of the day with two babies under three, but not today. Today feels like a Monday, like I've got leftover Brain Mush from all the crazy partying I was up to last weekend.

Ok, you got me. I joke. We did go to Canet, though, this past weekend. Canet is off da hook! It's a small beach town outside of Valencia near Sagunto where my in-laws own a cute little apartment. (Yes, you heard me right. My In Laws. What about it? You don't think they know how to party? Ohhhh, we par-tay.) Anyway, lately we have been making quite the tradition of spending Sundays at the apartment. We usually go, have lunch (Paella or Arroz al Horno. mmm!) play in the pool, and then go on a walk. This time Bella and Julietta both got in the pool. They are hardcore water babies. I think they'd spend most of the day in the water if they never got cold.

These aren't the best shots. It was still pretty sunny.

I'm telling you, she goes stiff every time her sister tries to hug her. Smart kid.

Later we took a walk to the nearby garden/park so Bella could play some more (i.e. so I could take pictures). I swear, it must be so annoying to have to be around me all the time. I drag everyone out at sunset, and spend the next hour and a half in my own little world, trying to get as many good shots as I can before there's no more light. It's actually a bit of a work out (and thank god for that, because I'm not the gym type).

Bella and Yayo

At my defense though, I don't have a car, and we live outside of the city, so trying to get anywhere at sunset and then back home using public transportation before dinner is... well, it's idiotic is what it is, and plain out stressful. I have to make the most of Alex's day off if I ever want to get that dreamy light.

At this point, I monopolized Julietta because Bella just doesn't stop moving.

But I don't think she was very happy about it...

I get a lot of pictures of Bella from the back.

And that's that. It was a nice, chill, Sunday afternoon. We spent time together, the kids played, Alex relaxed, I got to take pictures, and we partied it up (ok, you know that didn't happen, but I still like to imagine). Happy times.

In order to get this shot, I had to act like a turkey on crack, making silly gobble noises and flapping my arms.

Tip of the Week: Sparkly Eyes

2010-09-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Oops! Last week I said that I would post a new tip every Thursday or Friday, and here it is Saturday, and no tip. Can you ever forgive me? To make up for it, I'm going to share a real quick and easy one today that you can do with a point and shoot or a DSLR. It's all about the eyes.

Big, beautiful, sparkly eyes

Before I had learned anything about photography, I remember telling Alex, "I really love those pictures that you can see sparkles in their eyes." Now, I love sparkly stuff to begin with (I have been both a sparkler and a "sparkle monster" for Halloween just to give me an excuse to wear lots of glitter), but I was really on to something when I mentioned this. Do you know the sparkly eyes I'm talking about? Black and white images of babies come to mind when I think of them. All you really see are these big beautiful baby eyes. Anyway, little did I know that you really REALLY want those lights in their eyes! They are called "catch lights" and it makes your subject seem alive and vibrant, of course, even more stunning.

No Catch Lights (or very minimal catch lights):

So, how do you get these so called "catch lights"? You turn your subject towards the light source. Easy as pie! If you're not sure where you'll get the best catch lights, take your subject and just turn him/her until you see those eyes light up like magic! It really is something spectacular, and so easy to do.

Fairly Awesome Catch Lights:

And this one I don't love, but her catch lights are sparkly. Sometimes you can even see the photographer's reflection in the subject's eyes. I think that's pretty cool.

So there you have, your fabulous photographic tip of the week. May you have beautiful weather this weekend, and plenty of opportunities to use your camera!

Like the Blink of an Eye

2010-09-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

My how time rushes past us, doesn't it? I am still a bit bewildered that it was six months ago that Julietta came to us through the most beautiful birth I could imagine- house flooding and all. I don't like to think about how quickly my kids are growing up. My eyes well up just thinking about it. But I do.

Julietta's refusal to be put down often frustrates me. I occasionally catch myself rolling my eyes when she wakes up five minutes after the major effort it took to finally soothe her to sleep. She's at that stage now where she clutches on to every single thing within reach. I can't even count how many times she's nearly pulled my plate down on top of me while eating (she won't let me put her down, so sometimes that means having a laptop companion through dinner). Yesterday while holding her, I reached down to get a glass of water from the water cooler and when I stood back up, I noticed that we had gained some extra cargo - she was holding the garbage pail lid. And it's HEAVY! Or what about the wobbly way babies begin sitting on their own? You never know how long it will be until they end up in a full out faceplant. It can be pure chaos, but man, this is what it's all about!!
These are the things I will smile about later. So when I feel the frustration brewing under the surface, I remind myself that it will all be over sooner than I even want to imagine.

Here are a few more little things that bring a smile to my face when I think of Julietta: She is freakishly strong and can pull herself up to standing - in her stroller. She's a pincher and a biter and she constantly rubs her feet together. She absolutely adores her sister and her papá, and when she wakes up in the morning, she greets the world with a smile, and it's not just any smile. It's a joy-filled, ear to ear, bust at the seams grin. Sometimes it seems that it's hard for her to contain herself - she's just so darn happy - so she has to resort to short, piercing squeals. She reminds me of one of my favorite poems called "Joy" by J. Ruth Gendler.

She is in love with life - all of it - the sun and the rain and the rainbow.

Her two bottom teeth just popped through and now she makes all kinds of funny faces while she sucks on her lips.

This is my sweet Jujicita.

Before she was born, Hailey asked me what I'd call her for a nickname. I thought it would be "Jules", since I'm not the type to make up unique nicknames for people... or so I thought. I've not called her "Jules" even once. I call her things like "Juji", "Jujitsu", "Jujifante" "Juji Fruit" and other silly stuff like that. Maybe "Jules" will be used when she's a teenager and too cool for school.

For her six month photos, we took the girls down to the beach and set them free. I brought down Julietta's Moses basket with the cover that Yaya (her grandma) made from scratch. That woman has some mad sewing skills! I wish I had more time to sit down and learn from her. I know this will be something I will regret later.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure to get a picture of it before Juji got too big for it. It turned into a sailboat somewhere along the way.

Bella concentrated on keeping the umbrella stationary while Julietta laughed and played. I foresee more of this in the future!

Happy six month birthday, my sweet, joy-filled baby girl. I love you with everything I have.

I LOVE the Sunshine.

2010-09-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sunshine is my friend. I love it. When I was a little girl, I would wish for sunshine on my birthday every single year. Having a June birthday, you'd think I'd have gotten it most of the time. You'd be wrong. I'm from the Seattle area. One year, though, I do remember making homemade ice cream in one of those old fashioned ice cream makers that you have to crank. And crank. And crank some more. After all the cranking, we were so ready to eat the ice cream, we didn't even care how it turned out. Good thing too. The old fashioned ice cream maker was a find my dad had picked up at an antique store (he was an antique dealer) and it definitely had its flaws. It wasn't water proof and the salt had seaped into the vanilla creamy goodness. Did we eat it anyway? Probably.

That reminds me of another story... peanut butter and caviar sandwiches... but I'll save that for another day.

But, I digress. Again. Where was I? Oh yeah, sunshine, oh sunshine....

Laura was up to do another shoot on Saturday afternoon. We met earlier - about an hour earlier (does it seem to be getting dark waaaay too early to anyone else?!), and we played with the light. We played and played and played. And it was fun. (At least it was for me.... Laura?)

Laura, as you can see, is a complete and utter beauty. She doesn't think so, and I told her "you're crazy, lady! You're SMOKIN'!" She thought it was funny when I said "smokin'". But she is. I think you can see that.

Laura has been my friend for quite a few years now. I met her at our café/cocktail bar, The Bohemian Café, and she even worked for us for about a year. She's a Leo, so we get along smashingly well (I've always wanted to say 'smashingly'). She's easy going, and fun to be around, and likes to crack jokes.

This is what she did when I told her to open her eyes wider.

Shall we talk about the technical side of the shoot? I suppose... I felt that I got pretty good exposure most of the time, which can be hard with backlight and a setting sun, so I did give myself a little pat on the back for that. Composition was ok (we avoided the hand clutching arm pose), but it still needs some work. The flaws were many, but I still love these images. I guess that's all a part of the growth process, though, right? My favorite thing about these photos (besides Lovely Laura, or course!) is the light. I LOVE the sunshine.

Tip of the Week - Photographing Children

2010-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

When my photography obsession really started, about five months ago, I stopped watching tv. I put away my knitting needles, covered up my sewing machine and let my novels sit, unread, on the shelf (wow, don't I sound like a thrill ride!). I'm definitely not known for my balance in life. I'm the kind of person who throws herself in, head first, with everything she has, and that becomes her everything (of course the people in my life come first, but everything else - "climb into the back seat!"). I'm not saying this is a good thing, but it's what I do. So, instead, I spend my free moments searching the web for every piece of information I can find about photography, and learning how to process my photos, and then I look for inspiration. That's my favorite part of photography - looking at pictures.

Anyway, I do have a point to all of this. Since I've put in all the time figuring this stuff out, I thought you might like me to share what I'm learning with you. I've decided I will do a Tip of The Week. It will most likely be on Thursday or Friday when I post this spectacular piece of information. Remember, I'm just learning this stuff myself, so I'm not an expert on the subject, but I like sharing, and I especially love sharing with you, my loyal nine readers (I'm up four more! Yippy!)

So here we go...
Today's tip is for those of you with children... or pets, I suppose.. or really short hyper-active friends...

Tip #1 GET DOWN!
The first thing to remember when taking pictures of children is to get down to their level. You will see this advice time and time again. It's everywhere, so try it, because it will make a big difference! When you shoot from above, you get everything from an adult's perspective, missing the point of the photo. You want to capture childhood, which means you need to show it from their eyes. Also, when you shoot from above, you usually end up getting the ground as background which is often pretty boring.

Shot taken from above.

Although it's not the best shot of Juji, it's much better than the previous one.

Tip #2 Keep them Busy
The other thing to keep in mind is that children move FAST! I think the best thing to do is to find them an activity that holds their attention (that just happens to be in a place with perfect light and a simple background), and then take shots from all different angles.

Tip #3 Be Silly
When you want them to look at the camera forget about saying "look" or calling their name. That might work at the beginning, but kids catch on very very fast. Instead, say something ridiculous. I read someplace that a one photographer used to say, "oh no! I think a bird just pooped on my head!". I tried it and Bella looked at me with an expression of wonder and disbelief. It worked like a charm! Yesterday I said something like, "OH! Is it raining watermelons?".


Looking for watermelons.

And then she looked at me (Silly Mommy!), and I was ready!

So there you have it. Go forth and photograph! Oh, and don't worry. I have a blanket about to be cast on the needles very very soon.

Wake Up Call While Shooting Laura

2010-09-01T02:25:00.000-07:00

You guys are too much. Thank you so much for all the positive comments you've been leaving. It really makes my day. The problem is, though, I think it may be going to my head!! I was really starting to think I was getting the hang of this photography thing. I nearly caught myself exhaling warm air onto my fingernails and then buffing them on my shirt, while looking at myself in the mirror and saying "you are RAD!" (Then I nearly put my sunglasses on, turned on my heel, flicked my hair, threw my jacket up over my shoulder and strutted away). Wait... was that me, or a cheerleader in a 1980's teen movie? Whatever... The point is that I started feeling like a certain destiny was waiting just on the other side of the horizon... (help! can.not. kick. eighties. theme!).

Well, I got a taste of reality today to put me back in my place. I tried doing a photoshoot with an adult. My beautiful friend, Laura, let me photograph her this afternoon. Despite the fact that I didn't need to chase after her just to get her to look at the camera, and that she would just sit there letting me take photo after photo (and even did what I asked her to do), it was HARD! Finding interesting poses wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I had even researched before and made myself a notebook of poses from fashion magazines, but in the moment, I fell short. Plus, the light was horrible. That was the most disappointing thing about the entire situation. The photos were all grainy because it was overcast so it got dark super duper early and I underexposed the majority of them. I'm posting some of my favorites, because even though they didn't come out perfectly, I still loved quite a few of them.

I loved the close up ones. See what amazing skin she has?! JEALOUS! The rest of them were just as beautiful, but I managed to catch her nose at a weird angle, or catch focus on her eyebrows instead of her eyes. Doh!

I do love this one. About 80% of the poses I told her to use look exactly like this, but now I know what to work on.

¡¡GUAPA!!!

I feel like I should post some of the bad photos so I'm not misrepresenting myself, but that sucks for Laura. Who wants anyone to post bad pictures of them on the internet? Not me for sure. So, I'll post one of my favorite bad ones, leaving you and your brain to imagine what the rest are like.

Oh, and and the good news is, Laura is so freakin' gorgeous, she saved many of the potential "reject" photos. They may be grainy and lacking originality, but Laura's genuine beauty overpowered them.

(Ok. I'm ending this post and all my cheeseball commentary. Jeez!)

The Obsession Continues

2010-08-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

Are you getting tired of me talking about workshops? Am I blabbing on too much? I'm sorry, but you're going to have a to bear with me a little longer because I'm just too excited to contain myself.

These photos have NOTHING to do with this post. But I figured you'd get bored with just words.

A few weeks ago my fellow photographer friend, Marty, sent me a link to CreativeLive, which is basically an online classroom. He mentioned Jamine Star, a very well- renowned wedding photographer, would be doing a free workshop. Now, I remembered that my amazing photographer friend (and my very first best friend in the whole wide world), Leah, from The Salted Image, had gone to a Jasmine Star workshop in California, not long ago, so I thought, "What the heck: I'll check it out".

Let-s get this out in the open right now - I'm not very interested in ever doing wedding photography because, well... because to tell you the truth, brides scare the crap out of me! It's just too much stress. I've taught 20 five- year- old kids mostly on my own before. I've run a café before fully understanding how to make Spanish coffee. I've lived in a country before I could understand ANY answer to ANY question. Those are all particularly stressful situations, but a bride on her wedding day? Let's just say I prefer to take my head home with me at the end of the day, thank you very much. Anyway, reservations about wedding photography aside, I decided to watch. It was going to be a five day event all revolving around a real live wedding that took place in, of all places, Seattle, Wa!

So I tuned in. I had Bella stay with The Ya Yos (her grandparents), and I watched from 9 pm to 2am! What a good decision! It was incredible. She shared all her secrets and tips to running a successful business. On the second day she did the "first look" and we watched her pose the bride and groom and saw how she talked to them to calm them down and make them look beautiful instead of like stiff robotic people. To me, this seems to be one of the hardest things about photography - getting people to look natural and relaxed. I don't tend to like posing, and prefer capturing real moments, but how do you do this during a photoshoot? I still don't know, but now I have some more ideas.

See what awesome posing techniques I learned? Does she look natural or what?! ; )

What did Jasmine do? She told them how fantastic they looked over and over and also kind of made a fool of herself. (I'm totally set, because I do this most of the time anyway, so it's right up my alley). Yesterday, was the wedding. It didn't start until after 2am my time, so I only caught the very beginning of it. But, man, how cool to see a live wedding and watch EXACTLY how the photographer works her magic. And magic, it was. I can't wait to see the photos.

Ok, you made it! I'm done talking about workshops... until September 13th when I start The Creative Light Workshop.

Lucky Number 3!!!

2010-08-28T03:31:00.000-07:00

The deed is done. I've sent in this photo - Number 3.

I'll let you know when they post the results. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Help! I'm Stuck.

2010-08-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

I need some help. I'm entering a contest for Detra's Creative Light Workshop and I don't know which picture to choose. I have already signed up for the workshop, but she is running this contest until August 28th for Clickin Mom's members (until August 26th for everyone else) and I wouldn't mind getting a bit of discount off the course! The theme is SUMMER. I know it will be really hard to compete. The past winners have all been A-MAZING, but I have to try, right? No harm in trying is what I always say. Anyway, I can't decide which one to enter. I'm stuck.

These are my top four. Which one do you think I should enter? I'm leaning toward the swinging storm picture, but I don't know if it goes with the theme. I mean, she is wearing shorts and sandals, but the big black clouds in the background... it doesn't really scream summer, does it? What do you think? If you would all be so kind to leave a comment and let me know which one is your favorite, I'd love you forever and ever. Cross my heart!
Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Number 4:

Gracias!

So it's not "Art". Big Deal!

2010-08-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Life's a lot easier when we aren't aware of the way things "should be". I can never get enough of those moments when children do things that aren't exactly socially acceptable. Bella just talked to her Grandpa and Grandma Joyce on Skype today. With enthusiasm and pride in her voice, one of the first things that came out of her mouth was "Gampa! Gampa! Caca -toilel!!". It takes a while before we learn that talking freely about our bowel movements isn't going to win us any friends. But how could she know that bowel movement chit chat isn't "good"? She hasn't learned "The Rules" yet. Oh, and how sweet life is, when you don't know "The Rules", giving you leeway to break every one of them and be none the wiser.

I'm finding photography to be like that. I suppose all art is, really. Before I started learning about "The Rules" of photography, I thought I was taking some amazing photos. I'd flip through them, and gush a little at how beautiful some of them came out. Little by little, though, I started reading more and more about composition and all the technical criteria behind what makes a photo "good", and right before my very eyes, what I once thought was an incredible, life affirming image, transformed into a soggy piece of poo (in the "toilel").

I don't always take the perfect photograph (er.., ok, I never do). None of the photos I've posted today are technically correct. Maybe you look at the photo above and see it's flaws, because according to the technical rules of photography, it is full of them. Her fingers are cut off. There's something green that's distracting in the background. Her legs are chopped too closely to the knee. It is not a "good" photo. But to me, it screams perfection. To me it is a moment captured, that I'll never be able to relive. I look at this photo and I can feel the emotion and excitement that the storm brought. When I look at it, those rules don't mean a thing, because it doesn't need to be good to you. It only needs to be good to me.

There is a never-ending debate about what makes art - art. Some say rules must be strictly adhered to. Others argue that rules are meant to be broken. I think the wise ones are those that say that we do need rules. Knowing them is necessary. Knowing when to break them is essential. Knowing when it really doesn't matter is the key.

Exposing Myself

2010-08-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

(I wonder how many times that title has been used in reference to photography. I bet a BUNCH of times!)

Oh, Exposure, my clever foe. Why must you insist on wrecking havoc on my photos?

As I promised, I'm here to share with you a bit about what I'm learning. Have I mentioned that I'm working on exposure? This is a difficult thing to share tips on because a). I obviously struggle with it and b). once you switch your DSLR into manual mode, this is initially the main difference between a point and shoot and a DSLR, meaning it's a HUGE topic (and if you don't understand why that's a problem, see point a.)

I shall do my best though! Here we go...


SOOC Underexposed. ISO 160 SS 200, f/2.0

Properly exposed, after Lightroom.

We'll start off with SHUTTER SPEED today, so you don't get too overwhelmed, ok? Relax. If I can figure this stuff out, you can too. It just takes time and patience to get it right. Quietly set your camera to M for manual! (Now you can yell and jump around because Yay! you did it!), set your aperture to 5.6 (or a lower # if you want and can), leave it there and go find some nice light (evening light or open shade. Stay away from direct sunlight.) Aight, on we go...

Shutter Speed.
These are your numbers like 40, 60, 80, 100, 160, 200, 250 and up into 1000... etc. This is the speed of your shutter (revolutionary explanation, I know!). This is essentially what makes your photo tack sharp or completely blurry. The higher your numbers, the faster the shutter opens and closes - freezing the image in time. So, if you have very low numbers, you can easily get blurry photos if ANYTHING moves because you're allowing your shutter to capture motion just by having it open longer. (Does that make sense?). The longer it's open, the more motion it's going to capture resulting in a blurry image. Have I beaten this horse enough? I hope.

Things to keep in mind:

Use your meter inside the camera's viewfinder! That's the little line of itsy bitsy lines and a 0 in the middle. You want to be on the 0 to get correct exposure. It's super easy if you pay attention to this (but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll always have correct exposure. BELIEVE ME!)

Lots of Light use High Numbers
Less Light use Lower numbers. The numbers are actually fractions of a second. So 200 is really 1/200 and is faster than 40 (1/40), if that helps.
The general rule is when photographing kids or anything that moves quickly and unexpectedly, don't go lower than 160 or you'll most likely get blurry images. I'd compensate with a lower aperture or higher ISO. More on that in the the weeks to come.
When you're photographing kids (or anything that moves unexpectedly), keep your shutter speed at 160 or higher (you don't want to go lower, or you'll probably get blurry images) Hmmm... didn't I just say this? This must be incredibly important. YES, it is!

And this is to show that practice does pay off. NEARLY perfect exposure TA DAH!! I'll keep working on it, and hope that someday Exposure and I will be able to co-exist peacefully.

This one is pretty close to proper exposure. ISO 160 SS 250 f/ 2.0

I upped the exposure not even a half stop in Lightroom.

After RAW Class Number One

2010-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Though I'm still not the Photoshop master I thought I was going to be after this RAW class, I did learn some important things about white balance and exposure and all the fun toggles in Camera RAW (the program that is part of Photoshop and starts up immediately when you open up a RAW file). I typically use Lightroom, but it's more or less the same. (and for those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, it really doesn't mater that much...unless you really want to know. In that case I'll tell you... but only if you ask me ;-))
So, this is what I came up with after this class. Julietta still looks like an alien child to me. Her face is too bright, but I'm not sure how you lighten the face without making someone look like they're from another planet. I am really interested to see what next week holds.

Here is the newest edited photo:

Before Class:

Straight out of Camera (SOOC):

I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. The goal is to get it right IN CAMERA!!! I swear, I was trying to work on getting good exposure, but sometimes you (or, I guess, 'I') just don't have time to change your (my) settings to get the shot. This was one of those moments. My girls were actually sitting down for a few seconds next to each other, so I ran like a maniac, got way down on the ground and started clicking away. It wasn't until about five shots into it that I realized I needed to lower my shutter speed quite a bit (or open up my aperture). RATS!

What have I learned from this whole lesson? That I really need to keep working on nailing exposure! So off I go...

Until next time, my friends, keep on clickin' on. Ha ha ha!