My Camera Collection

I've been interested in photography since I was a little girl walking around the pasture of my childhood home snapping pictures with my mom's 35mm...where did that camera go? My next camera I used like crazy was all my own; I had saved my money from my high school job at the small town drug store where I worked. I was going to take a photography class my senior year and needed a camera, so I bought myself a 35mm Cannon rebel with manual AND auto focus. However, the more that piled on my plate...graduation, college, work, student loans, marriage, kids...the less I wondered around for pictures. My picture taking turned into the average snapshots of holidays, baby milestones and the everyday events that filled our lives and I did it all with my tiny Samsung 4mp digital camera,which I'm pretty sure I got when digital cameras first came out. I still managed to get a better than average snapshot every once in awhile, but blowing up the photo was usually out of the question. I used that little camera frequently over the next six years, after all, what woman doesn't take pictures of all her newlywed love nests and what mom doesn't take a gazillion pictures of her children? However, that burning passion inside was still there tugging at my creative nature, so I saved up some money and bought myself a big girl camera. Fancy new camera and all, I am still that little girl wondering the pasture with my 35mm for a great capture. However, this time I'm a little more grown up and I carry a Nikon D5000 in my diaper bag wondering our daily routines for that great capture.  Although, I do not plan on putting my passion on the shelf again, instead, I am learning more, understanding more, and growing more as a photographer.

So, of course my love for the camera has lead to a collection of antique and vintage cameras and today I just happen to snap a handful of shots of a few cameras in my collection...

{Although I have Photoshop Elements, I still use picnik.com to edit some of my pictures. It's so quick, easy and I just happen to LOVE their cross processing action}

{While in I was playing around at Picnik, I warmed these up a little too. I liked the effect it gave these shots of my cameras along with the cross processing}

{This one is my favorite shot and was day 20 of my project 365}

I'm a girl who can't resist a field of wildflowers!

Today we went driving around...OK, maybe we were garage sale hunting...and I found a field of wildflowers! I absolutely love random fields of wildflowers because you can encounter all of God's beauty in one spot! Perfectly imperfect flowers that grow and thrive with only the help of mother nature, crazy looking bugs, some of the most beautiful butterflies and nature at it's best!
If you have seen most of my work, you know I'm a sucker for flower shots and today I just happen to snap a few great photos of some flowers (it is OK to toot my own horn, right?). I might be patting my own back for no reason, but I am still proud of myself for the shots I produced today! Great shots, a field of wildflowers, a beautifully sunny day, perfectly fluffy clouds and blue skies what more could a girl ask for?

This first shot was my first of the day and is the picture I used for multi-layered in my second round of Creativity Boot Camp .

{I was so thrilled to get this shot, I love the brightness and the glow on the tiny flowers...It is pretty much untouched, as far as editing goes, I slightly sharpened it and changed the opacity to about 40% under soft light, and gave it a hint of an edge burn...that's about it!}

While my first shot was the favorite amidst the family folk, the next photo was my personal favorite for the day. So much so, I made it my photo of the day for my project 365. I'm not quite sure why it makes me so happy, it just does. Hopefully, it can make you happy too!

{I have it here three ways: The first is the original, "SOOC". The middle is after I did some color tweaking to give it a lighter whimsical feel, verging on vintage. The last one (far right) is after I added some texture. I actually could not pick a favorite, so I shared all three versions.}

{OK, so maybe I'm leaning toward this one!}

Bare with me as I learn...

I do plan on posting regularly, however, I might be slow at getting started. I am still learning the ropes to this blogging stuff and trying to get my blog to a place where I am happy...knowing in the back of my mind that the statement I just made will never actually happen. That being said, give me a few days and I'll be a regular chatterbox! For today I will leave you with this glimpse into my life...

Boys and Their Toys {and the never ending pile of them,where do they all come from anyway?}

The Journey Begins...

Welcome to my world through my lens...I look forward to sharing my point of view and giving you glimpses into my life. I am the momma to two crazy energetic boys and, as cliche as it sounds, the wife of a wonderfully devoted husband. I have spent the past three years engulfed with the things of motherhood. While I am still a mom, the world of diapers, spit-up, onesies and bottles is slowly fading away. Don't get me wrong, the job of MOM is never ending and my world has ventured into toys, tantrums, referee matches, and a personal vending machine. However, amidst it all things have slowed down. My kids, as bittersweet as it is, don't NEED me twenty-four seven. Their emerging personalities have come with independent little minds and the joy they continually bring me grows with every silly act and 'I love you mommy'. As I said, it is bittersweet...Bitter, because they are growing way to fast and their impending flight from the nest gets closer. Sweet ,because they ARE growing!!! I get the privilege to see them grow, evolve and learn everyday; to see them become little boys and one day *sniff* men. Sweeter, because their independence has giving me the time and opportunity to rekindle and old passion, photography. I have always had a place in my heart for photography, but, like many moms it was one of those 'things' that got shelved for more immediate matters. It is now however, rediscovered and dusted off and here we are...I still have a long road of learning and growing, but, I am ready and willing! I truly hope you enjoy my work...

  Here is a quick peek at what I've been working on. I have recently discovered and fallen in love with textures!!! Here is a photo I took yesterday called, Grandma's Pearls I have included the orginal, which I was quite pleased with, and my textured version.