Some Before and After

Just sharing some editing before and after. The original photo had the mom in there too... but I saw the potential in the tender moment between the girls. Oh my, were the skin tones in need of some adjustment! But that's almost always how it is. (Perhaps if I took the time to adjust my white balance... but for now I can fit it in PS) Can your eyes see how green their skin looks? How gray and blue? There are too many cool tones in there... some may like that, but it is not my taste! In Photoshop, I boosted the red at least 5 points, decreased the blue at least 5 points...and used a screen layer at least once, adjusting the opacity to taste. (Sorry, I can't remember specifically) I believe a great photograph these days is 50% the shot and 50% the post processing.

Practicing with my Flash... and a SIlly Boy

These are from the first night of practicing with my flash. I guess I should say "experimenting" since practice denotes that I may know what I'm doing. LOL. The flash was pointed in a different direction for each of these photos and it gives such a different look to each one! My favorite is the top photo (lighting wise).
Forgive me that he doesn't have his shirt on, it was quite warm in the house that evening and we let him take it off. All images are SOOC with resizing, of course.

A macro from 2 years ago.

At least, I think it was 2 years ago, at least. I took this photo at the butterfly house in the Pacific Science Center. It is one of my favorites! I think I will have to use my "old" camera for macro photograpy, since my new camera surely needs a special lens for that kind of stuff. We'll see, I haven't tried yet! I just love the water droplets here!!

Equipment Upgrade...

I didn't want to just "announce" that we got a new camera, but we're getting asked about it. Word is getting out... hee hee... our friends are asking me if I finally got a new camera, and the answer is yes, I did. Why? Well, I asked Dan (and myself) that same question for a few years, resisting the change to an upgrade... I felt like I could produce quality results with my Sony... and if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Right?? I really didn't want to invest in a new camera if I didn't feel it necessary. I loved my Sony, and was/am so famliar with it. Many of my friends around me had far superior cameras, but it's not the equipment that makes an amazing photo, it is the use of it. In fact, I'm almost the last to upgrage to a true DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex camera) from many around me.

Well, I was reaching the limitations of my equipment many times a week... there is only so much my old camera could do. Many of my photography friends were telling me often that I have learned so much and am limiting myself with my equipment. I resisted their input. :) I just didn't want to spend the money. Dan told me over and over that I have paid for my camera and computer twice over (at least) with the money I have earned with my photography, so it was time to upgrade. I just didn't want to yet. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?!

Well, it wasn't until my friend Garth got the new Nikon D90 for Christmas and let me "play" with it that my mind was opened!! (not that I didn't believe my photog friends at all - just that I felt good about my product with the Sony and didn't think there would be that much of a difference.) Not to mention I was still on the Canon versus Nikon fence! WELL, there WAS a difference.

At first I thought it was minimal.... seemed to perform the same way in the natural light that I am so used to shooting in.... but THEN! Then he (he being Garth, our friend with the new D90) brought his camera to the piano recital that our children performed in.... and he took some shots in the lower light that our church offers... and his camera HANDLED THE JOB~~!~!!! It blew my mind. :-O Meaning, it handled the job without the flash... the camera has very high ISO capabilities with relative low digital noise resulting... it was amazing. It was after seeing his beautiful shots on his display screen and then I zoomed in to see how sharp it REALLY was that I realized the camera's capabilites. All I could say was WOW.

We went over to their house that night and I really looked the camera over... looking at the menu systems, browsed the manual a bit... and MY what a HUGE BOOK that is. And Dan told me DO IT!!! (Meaning let's buy one!) I was still unsure.... but within a few days he said, "We're doing it. It's time! You have had the Sony for a very long time (we were waiting for it to die and it just wasn't kicking the bucket lol), and it's time to upgrade! You have paid for it. We're doing it."

Gulp. So we did it. With some amazing accessories. I am now a Nikon girl!

During Keturah's birthday party, a man was there that has a full time landscaping business. He asked why I got the new camera. I tried to bring it into his terms and told him it was like if he had been using a push mower for his big jobs every week and just got a riding mower. He said, "OH!!.... I see!" I also added the thought of using a rake to rake all the leaves verses using a blower. That is the best way to desccribe the new camera. The rake works just fine, but sometimes you reach the end of it's capabilities.

Oh, and about the Nikon/Canon thing...I researched and researched about the two brands... and let me say, BOTH are great camera makers!!! I liked the prices of Canon a bit more...and more of my semi-pro friends use Canons... but when compared skin tone to skin tone, I liked Nikon more, especially since I shoot portraits. Not to mention that this particular Nikon has some great features that the comparable Canons do not offer at all. It is the first DSLR to offer high def video. Don't know if I'll use it all that much, but it's nice to have it built into my still camera for when I do. I had always heard that the learning curve was a lot steeper on Nikons, but I can handle it. I'm going to approach that HUGE manual like a college course and try to study it for an hour every night. It would be sad to have an awesome peice of equipment that I have no idea about half of it's capabilities.

So, my equipment is as follows:

A Nikon D90.

The lens it comes with.

A 55-200mm VB (vibration reduction) lens

A SB 600 Speedlight flash (my favorite new toy)

And the lens I am saving up for will be a prime Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens. I can't Wait to play with that. Feel free to ask any questions, whoever may read this, if anything doesn't make sense.

OH MY! Time and study brings growth

I am so surprised to see the differences here! I had no idea that my editing had changed and grown so differently in a year and a half. Now my eyes can see exactly what I don't like about that middle photo... but I thought it was great at the time. Boy.... makes me wonder how I will have changed a year and a half from now.