Project MCP

Another blog I love is MCP Actions.  They have the best tips & tutorials.  I go there all the time & was a apart of their themed photo contests last year in Project 52.  This year, they originally changed their weekly photo challenges to "Project 12" which would be a monthly challenge.  I think with the difficulty of getting submissions in on time, etc...they decided to revamp it & have finally come up with Project MCP.  And I love the idea.  They give you four themes for the month (one per week) and you have all month to submit them.  So, basically you can work at your own pace & still be a part of the fun.  I finally submitted my photos on the Flickr page today.  I thought I'd share them here as well.

Week 1:

From a high vantage point-

Week 2:

Natural Light- $10 to the first person to guess the brand...jk.

Week 3:

Transition-

Week 4:

Abstract/Guess what- you take a photo of something at such an angle or or close proximity to the object that the identity of that object is no longer clear.  Anyone know what this is? 

Check out the Project MCP Flickr page to see more great interpretations of these words! 

To encourage you...

I read the following passage this morning & was so encouraged.  I thought it might encourage someone else too.

I am so thankful for a rock-solid, absolute in my life.  The words of Scripture touch my heart like nothing else can and remind me of this truth in life: all wisdom and knowledge and anything good, comes from God.

1 My Son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom 

and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

4 if you seek it like sliver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 guarding the paths of justice 

and watching over the way of His saints.

9  Then you will understand righteousness

and justice and equity, every good path;

10 for wisdom will come into your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

11 discretion will watch over you, 

understanding will guard you,

12 delivering you from the way of evil...

Proverbs 2: 1-12

Thanks be to God, for His grace to us in our Lord Jesus Christ!  

Imperfection

M4H submission for week 3:  Imperfection

I used this photo because of the state of the horse...matted hair, looked like he hadn't had a bath in a while, bits of grass all over him.  Even still...he's absolutely beautiful.

Sparkle

Does anyone else read the My Four Hens blog?  I fell in love with it after I stumbled upon it sometime last year.    Sarah Cornish offers so much great information & I absolutely love to stop by there each week! 

So, M4H's has a Flickr group as well & they do a Project 52 challenge.  So far, they're on week 12.  I've decided to join in on this weekly challenge.  I've got some making up to do, since I'm starting a little late in the game, but I think I can catch up :) 

Here's what I entered on the Flickr group for this week's challenge, SPARKLE:

There's a couple of other challenges I'm going to try to do as well...we'll see if I'm able to keep up ;)  Happy Wednesday to you! 

I just finished reading this blog post entitled 10 Common Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them from over at I Heart Faces.  This particular post is the first in a series of four that they'll be featuring this month. (They actually just posted the second one this morning.)

I have got to be honest...I love I Heart Faces.  I love the fact that a group of professional & hobbyist photographers would be so generous with their time, knowledge, and experience as to run a website where they share that information with folks like me.  I am so fortunate to have a professional mentor who is located about an hour from me.  I go sit with him once every two months or so & we discuss, critique, etc.  But there's something about having day to day or even weekly interaction with someone in relation to photography; having someone to gently guide you as you strive to grow and sharpen your skills.  And for me...places like I Heart Faces provides some of that guidance.

So...back to the article.  I found it so helpful!  It offered some of the greatest "little tips" to keep in mind as I go out shooting.  I'm noticing already when I shoot, that I am becoming more conscious of little things like color casts, composition, the rule of thirds...but one thing I still have trouble with is.....

...camera tilt!!  I do not know why I am like this...but I will tilt my camera in a heart beat...and then I end up with pictures in that people are having to turn their heads to look at.  I know that at times camera tilt is appropriate...even artistic.  But I also know that there are plenty of people out there who don't like crooked pictures.  I think I've got to find a balance.  I try to take one horizontal or vertical for every "tilted" shot that I do.  But sometimes, I tilt that camera and don't even realize I've done it.  Here are a few examples:

I think it works in the first two images:

But I don't think it works in these next two:

And again...I think it works in these two:

But not in this one: 

So, I'm curious to know anyone else's thoughts on camera tilt.  When it's best to use it & how to use it without having little Zeb (in the pic above) looking like he's about to slide out of the photo.  

Thanks in advance to anyone who might comment :) 

my patient

Someone is home from surgery this morning & is doing well ;)  We are so thankful for a great surgery & the prognosis of an excellent recovery.  The Lord has been very gracious to us.  

So...guess what the next few days will look like for me...

Thanksgiving to the Lord for his many blessings!! 

I Heart Faces || Beautiful Black & White

My Beautiful Black & White entry:  

Little Zeb.

He makes my heart melt!  

To see more Beautiful Black & White go here!

Our first blooms

So...I had the opportunity to borrow an 85mm 1.8 lens from my mentor for the wedding I shot last weekend.  (Thoughts on the wedding to come soon!)  And...I have to take it back today.  It was such a blessing to be able to use.  I am now dead set on getting my own, so we all know where Carrie's extra $ will be going over the next few months!

Knowing that I had to give it back, I decided that I needed to take it out one last time.  So I used it to capture our first blooms of spring.  We have a tulip tree right beside our house & I noticed the other day that it was really starting to blossom.  The vibrant pink is absolutely beautiful.  I love that we get to see it year after year.  And if you read my last post...you know that spring really puts me in a good mood!!

Here's a few shots I was able to snag... I hope you enjoy.  I'm linking up with Tuesday Tips & Pics on Live, Love, Travel.

I think I missed the focus a bit on this one, but I'm really happy with the composition of the overall shot. Gotta keep practicing & practicing.  Sometimes it can look so sharp on the camera screen & then not so much when you get it on the computer!  

Tried to get a good sun-flare here.  Focus isn't as sharp in this one either. 

Probably my favorite. 

Hope you're having a fabulous Wednesday!

I'm dreaming spring

Has anyone else had crazy weather like we've been having here?  It's been an unseasonably warm winter for us in general, but everywhere you look, things are in bloom!  Green grass is slowly starting to appear and the trees are budding already.  We even have a handful of daffodils blooming in our yard :)

Makes me want to start spring cleaning & do some spring decorating in our house.  I don't know what it is, but every year...around the time that nature starts budding & blooming again...I want to throw out the old & bring in new pretty things to our house.  (I don't do this every year, but I want to!)  Since this years budget is much tighter than last, I can't just go out & pick up what I want.  So, I'm browsing online, pinning (of course!!) and gaining inspiration.  My gears are turning, deciding what the essential will be.  So far, I know I want to do new throw pillows for our living room, a new flower arrangement in our bedroom, and maybe a few new rugs. 

Here's some of the inspirations I've been pinning.  What do you think?  Does spring make you want to redecorate?

Source: onekingslane.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: crateandbarrel.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: onekingslane.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: onekingslane.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: stylemepretty.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: stylemepretty.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Wedding Day...

I'm shooting my first wedding today...and it's rainy & grey, lol.  I'm very excited though!  Wish me luck!!

Canon 5D Mark III

http://www.adorama.com/alc/news/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-Pro-HDSLR-Announced

Is anyone else drooling over this puppy?

I know I am.  It's Canon's newest full frame HDSLR.  She was just "officially announced" last night/this morning @ midnight.  And oh, how I wish I could buy one, lol!  With 22 megapixel resolution, major ISO capabilities, & claiming to have durability to over 150,000 shutter cycles...she sounds beautiful!  But she's got a hefty price-tag to go with: $3500 for body only.  So, this little girl is going to have to keep waiting for now.  Wonder if the 5d Mk II will drop in price now??

Are you going to pre-order one?

Hello toes

He's so cute...I can hardly stand it!  And just so you can see how adorably chubby he is...here's another:

Hope your day is going well! I'm editing away with this fun little guy :)