I Love Fall

Just thought I'd write a quick post and share a few images from my fall collection. I'm selling these photos as 5x7, 8x10, 11x14(mounted) prints and as a set of 5 post cards. You can see the complete collection here on my facebook page. Just email me if you are interested in ordering!

On another note, I'd like to share with you a giveaway The Maternal Lens is having! They are giving away a mentoring session with Crave Photography! Head on over to The Maternal Lens for details. Here are all the links that you need:

The Maternal Lens
Crave Photography on Facebook
Crave Photography the Blog
and
My Facebook Page (I'll be sharing the news there too!)

Excuse the Mess

Excuse the mess I'm trying to make up my indecisive mind! Hopefully I'll be done moving things around soon!


Have a happy day!
Brooke

Happy Days

I took these photos last week and never got around to sharing them. It was my grandma's birthday and being that we are on a tight budget, I had to be creative for a birthday gift idea. So, I decided to make my grandma a collage of her grandkids...sorry, GREAT grandkids! The only problem, I had no recent shots of my oldest, most are of the back of his head or his profile as he zooms by! The rest of my photos of him are of his eye as he peeks through his hands or around the couch, since he runs when the camera comes out. So, I threw on the boys red polos, my grandma's favorite color, crossed my fingers and started snapping. OK, I'll admit, I did have to bribe my oldest and promise an hour of wii video games, but I did get some great shots! It also helped that it was a happy day it made the smiles come easy and made the our impromtu shoot enjoyable instead of frustrating! The best kind of shoots! I love these photos of my boys and are my favorite from last week, so, I'm using them for sweet shot tuesdays and since I love color fading my my pictures I thought I'd use the one of my youngest for the paper mama photos challenge a touch of color!

{No smile, but he IS looking at the camera!}

{Always smiles with my youngest!}

{A Smile! I think he's just happy he gets to play wii! My Sweet Shot Tuesday pick!}

{My entry for a 'Hint of Color' at Paper Mama photo challenge}

Check out more sweet shots

Join the photo challenge at Paper Mama

Have a great day,

Brooke

My New Toy and Some Blog Lovin'

A few weeks ago I broke down and ordered some new lenses I've been eyeing for awhile. I love my new 55-200mm and have already used it on several occasions! My other lens, is a 50mm...I love this lens too, however, being a little rushed and trying to order while refereeing brotherly brawls I wasn't paying attention and ordered the wrong one. It's not wrong in the sense it doesn't fit with my camera, it just wasn't the one I intended to purchase. While I switch between Manual and Aperture priority settings I am guilty of using my auto focus primarily, mostly due to my bulky scratched glasses distorting my perception of a sharp image. This is where my slight disappointment came from when my lens came in this week. While I'm still able to use my new lens, I am only able to us it as manual focus lens, no automatic focus settings. So, I've been contemplating exchanging it for a 35mm...decisions. Challenge myself and master the manual focus and already have the lens that will work to its full capabilities when I upgrade to a D90 (hopefully after tax season!) or exchange for the 'easier' option......Well, I decided take a few shots to try and get the feel for my new toy. All these are SOOC, I refrained myself from any edits as to get the actual results from my lens.

She looks so serious, this lens is very precise and a slight movement would of had her nos in focus instead

This lens had great selective focus, wish the out of focus area was a little smoother and less noisy...

She is watching for squirrels and birds

I've noticed with this lens I really have to play around with the aperture to get the look I want and be careful not to be too selective in my focusing, plus the noise in the background turned out smoother.

Not as sharp as I was wanting, like I said, I am extremely slow at manually focusing on my subject and my little on is extremely wiggly! But I like the softness this lens gives to his dirty little face! Even if I did chop off all his beautiful shaggy hair! Never again!

So, I'm still toying with the idea of exchanging my little toy...haven't quite decided. I'd love to hear any of your advice! How do you guys shoot? Auto focus or Manual? Manual settings or Aperture Priority or Full Auto? What is the lens you can't live without???

On a side note, a few weeks ago the talented Kristine from Blue Elephant Photography passed on a cute little blog award on to me!  However, I was preparing for my surgery and getting things ready around my house, since my boys and hubby would be fending for themselves for a  few weeks due to my restrictions of activities and never got the chance to thank her and pass on the love. So, thank you Kristine for the award and thinking of me! I love your blog as well and enjoy seeing your work, you are one talented gal! One of these days we will definitely have to grab that cup of coffee! You can read her blog love post here and see the other blogs she loves!

So, to pass on the love...I'm suppose to pass this award onto five blogs I heart! There are so many, but here are the five I picked today! They are all so talented and take gorgeous pictures,each with their own style! Be sure to check them out!

Stephanie from Home on North Fillmore Street
Maureen from Cottage 960
Danelle from I Take Pictures
Kristin from Freebird Photoblog
Traci from Traci Lord Photography


Before I finish this blog I'd just like to let you know I have some exciting news to share with you soon so stay tuned! Also, I've had my a/c turned off for two days and love the chill in the air! I love fall and plan on sharing my Fall collection of images with you soon! Lastly, I would honestly love to hear your thoughts on the lens Dilemma!

Have a great day!
Brooke

A Weekend of Sun...

Well...Sunflowers...

This weekend was HOT HOT HOT, the humidity was crazy and the sweat just poured, but all the beautiful sunflowers seemed to thrive in the heat and gorgeous sunlight! I have been admiring this brilliant little flowers scattered along the side of the road, making our journey just a little bit brighter. They were everywhere and I just couldn't help but to stop and try to capture them and their sunny little faces! So, this weekend I decided to stop and smell the....sunflowers...and my son and I even picked a few! So, despite the heat it was a beautiful weekend! Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Right before sunset and was able to catch some nice warm light!

{Day 101 of 365}

I liked this shot...a delicate flower growing next to sharp barbed wire, plus you can see all the other flowers scattered in the background

I only got one on Saturday, we had birthdays and ballgames, so only time for one quick shot, good think it turned out! {Day 102 of 365}

On Sunday my oldest son and I went in search for a place to pick some sunflowers and bring them back home to his Nana!

How can you resist taking some shots when your mother-in-law has a great faded barn backdrop and great antique containers to use as props!

My favorite from Sunday and the weekend {Day 103 of 365}

Hope you all had a great weekend and that your week ahead is wonderful too!

Brooke

100 Days of Photos!

Well, its official...I have been on this 365 day journey for 100 days now! Well 101 today, but, I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday... This journey has had its ups and downs and there have been many days I've almost forgot to get a shot for the day and had to improvise or compromise creativity in order to have the photo for the day. All in all it's been very fulfilling, I've seen myself grow and I've seen my photography get better, I've stretched myself creativity and succeeded and I've also failed. But, I've learned, which was my goal when I took on this project. So, yesterday I had an idea in mind to commemorate my 100th day and ended up taking a series of photos, so I collaged them all up and thought I'd share with you! While I’m sharing and I have yet to share anything from this month I thought I'd share what I have for the month of September so far! I've been taking this journey month by month and I know that is the only way I've reach 100 photos...To all of you partaking in this journey I've enjoyed seeing your work and I wish you well as we all forge on ahead and get closer picture by picture to 365!



To see more collages of my journey and some of my thoughts visit my 365 page here on my blog

Or

 Visit my 365 gallery on Flickr and see all my photos from my 365 day journey in their full size



Have a great day!

Brooke

It's official I made a decision!

Well, I've been thinking about for months now, gathering opinions of those around me, watching views and comments on my flickr account, and holding voting contest on my facebook page...I've made a decision on what images I am going to enter into the fair. A few a picked because they were fan favorites, others I just went with my heart since they had a place there.

So, since I'm getting ready to display them for my great state to see I thought I'd post them for the world to see as well. After all what is the point of being a photographer and artist is you don't share your work and heart?

I entered six categories three enhanced categories and three amateur categories which require sooc images, good thing I got smart and started to remember to keep my original file, why I wasn't doing that in the beginning I don't know...anyway here they are!

First up Portraits, both of these photos I picked were from my favorite sessions and both just for fun 'practice' sessions. Even so, I love these two portraits!

This first one is my enhanced portrait, I could of used it for my unenhanced one, but I just love the soft faded look and vintage feel in this version of it. There was another one from this session that was an alternative option and was a family favorite, but this is one of those that spoke to me as a photographer, so it won!

My second portrait is my SOOC pick. This was one of those that was a fan favorite, I had another one from this session that I just loved, but, after matting and looking at it from far away my fans were right, this was more eye catching and it was my second favorite. I loved this session and thought they would be best for the unenhanced category since I loved them the second I took them, they only got better with minor enhancements! So This is pick number two!

Next up the miscellaneous category. This category is so vague, so I just used it as a chance to enter some of my favorites...

This is my SOOC entry for this category, I actually love all the photos from this series of photos, but this is the one that I was most drawn to and looked best after being matted!

This one is my enhanced entry, didn't enhance it to much, just a little levels balancing and a slight color pop...This was one that was a heart choice, I had another one of my cherry pictures in the running to be picked and the majority preferred it over this one. However, this one just kept speaking to me and it also speaks 'me'...So, this time  heart won!



Of course everyone has a flower entry...

This entry is SOOC and is a heart winner. I took this photo on a whim while out garage sale hopping and fell in love with it. It is my favorite photo I've taken. It's not always a fan favorite, but it's my favorite. This has even been blown up and displayed as art in my sister's house, so it's at least one fan's favorite! Thinking I might blow it up too for my house!

My final entry fits in the candid category...



Of course I like this photo, after all my adorable youngest son is in it.  But, it's not my favorite and I'm now completely happy with it...However, it's a fan favorite and I think I got out numbered for my final selection! So, here is my enhanced candid entry.

So, here they are, not necessarily the best, but the favorites! Thanks for letting me share my hearts work with you!

Have a great day everyone!

Brooke

All rolled up in one package...

Well, I am finally back! Between recovering from my surgery and having issues with blogger, I am finally able to post something! Has anyone else been having issues with blogger??? OK, on with my post...Things have been a little crazy around here! Our life has been turned inside out and upside down, I'm having to learn how to accept the help of others and let my family do things for me! Which is a hard task, when I 'm just use to doing it all myself. I'm learning not to feel guilty for accepting all the help I've been given and instead just be grateful! I am grateful, very grateful! I have been very blessed to be able to have my mom and husband here by my side, helping me keep my house in order and my children happy! If it wasn't for them, I'd be very tired and very stressed and my house would be quickly piling up with things to do! It has been beyond hard to hear my little boys ask for me to hold them and have to tell them no, their little minds not being able to understand my inability to physically hold them. So I have to wait, wait for someone to help them on the couch to sit next to me. But, it's only for a short time and soon I will be good as new! I just keep reminding myself,the closer I follow doctors orders, the faster I heal and I avoid anymore trips to the surgery room! All this craziness has made me realize that things have got to change, especially with my lifestyle habits. So, as soon as I am released to do something other than walk, things are changing around here. Our family is going to attempt ignore all our southern family food traditions and start eating better! We are going to need your help and encouragement too, its hard when every time you visit with family(which is about every weekend) attempting to find something is not fried is quite daunting!

So, I said I was rolling up things in one package, well I am! Since I've been gone I have missed out on my regular photo challenges and group participation! Well, I've already let you in on my bigger picture moment, now how about some Sweet Shots that also happen to fit the theme for The Sunday Creative!

The weekend before my surgery my family and I went to a few antique malls, a flea market and a quiet little stroll on some land near our house....Well we hit the jackpot! I ran into all kinds of finds this past weekend!

I found an old cardboard suitcase and some weathered books.

I also discovered an old rusty scale that just happens to boast my state's capital on the side!

I added to the pile an old silk and lace dress complete with gloves.

And to just add to the weekend finds, we discovered some gourds growing wild just off the path we choose to walk that evening!

Like I said, a weekend full of great finds, right?? Not to mention I managed to snag all these treasures for around $20! I just loved these shots from my weekend of treasure hunting and if I had not been in surgery on Tuesday I would of posted this next picture for Sweet Shot Tuesday. I thought these shots fit the theme, Timeworn, for The Sunday Creative quite well and I just happened to already have the shots before the theme came up, it just worked out perfect!

I'm glad to be back and sharing all my wonderful finds! Hopefully I can get myself updated on all your wonderful blogs and get back into the swing of things!!!

Don't forget to stop by all the wonderful link-ups I've mentioned in this post!

The Sunday Creative over at Madeline Bea: Life Set to Words

The Bigger Picture Blogs: Hosted this week by Sarah at This Heavenly Life

Sweet Shot Tuesdays