Back on my grind!!!

I'm trying to get back on my grind.  It's not easy as my life has totally changed. I am now a mother of three with three of the most perfect subjects but it seems as though the hours/days go by too quickly.  With all excuses aside I am recommitting myself.

My son now plays basketball in a church league for the first time and my daughter is a cheerleader for the first time.  It has been so much fun going to these games and watching my children explore their talents.  Enjoy the pictures.

I am still working on perfecting the high key picture. I had a few problems with the first set of pictures as they were blown out but I love them so I am posting them and using them as a learning experience.

My lights were set as follows:

Key light:  f5.6

Background lights:  f11

Fill light:  f3.5

These are the settling I learned in a photography class which always worked for me so I don't know why it didn't this time.  In my opinion, the background lights look like they were too bright and spilling onto my subject.  

So, I went ahead and adjusted my lights without metering until I got what I wanted.  Here are some more pictures with better lighting.  Some still have a few grey spots that I could've cleaned in Photoshop but I hope to get a follower that is an expert photographer that leaves a few good comments until I can take a few more classes.  Hey you never know!!!!


The below pictures came out a lot better.  I didn't do a meter reading until after all pictures were done and they were as follows:
Key light:  f2.8
Fill light:  f3.5 (this is what I usually set it at)
Background lights:  f5.6
Although the pictures came out pretty good it goes against what I've been taught....Fill light should be less powerful with a 3:1 ratio
I am going to have to play with this some more as I might have found something that works for me.  

Pulling from the archives....May 2011 - Randy III Pre-K graduation

Graduation from Goddard Pre-K  What an accomplishment.  He knows all of his sight words already, can count way past 100, adds and subtracts very well, put together 100+ piece puzzles and the list goes on.  Can you tell that I am a proud mother.....ENJOY!!!!

So, I'm still playing catch up but I am going to also challenge myself everyday. Sooooo, I am going to try to photograph a silhouette of a person.  I love these type of pictures as they have so much character. It actually allows the person in the picture to stand out without even knowing who they are.

OMG, how time flies!!!!!

So many special events, milestones and holidays have passed and I haven't posted since November 14, 2011.  SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON ME. That means I haven't posted pictures for the birth of my new baby, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, my birthday, Randy III playing basketball, Sidney cheering, my girlfriends/moms annual dinner out (should be at least quarterly), Brooke, Randy III and Sidney's special everyday moments and above all LIFE.  Although I am beyond busy I must make time for ME and I am not only a mother and a wife but an individual with wants, desires and a passion for capturing life's precious moments, so I am recommitting myself to my passion and I promise never to disappoint myself again.  So, this first post is going to be of pictures that should have been posted months ago.....ENJOY!!!!
Oh yea!!!!!!!! I also decided that I am no longer going to just post GREAT poised client edited pictures but just GREAT pictures.

2011 4th of July!!!!

July 2011 - Brady Birthday Bash

"Cousin Love"

This is it for now.  I will continue to dig through all of the pictures I took over the last few months and post just GREAT pictures.