I just love taking my camera with me and snapping shots of our children. I have a collection of photos that I feel are notalgic, as they do not show their faces, but rather the backside of them during their activities. The reason I like to take shots like this is because it makes me wonder what they are thinking. For example here is my son standing in front of a lake with his bug catcher in hand.

To a mom we would just see this tiny lake, almost small enough to be called a pond, yet in his mind it’s a vast sea of adventure. He was on the hunt for insects and what do you think he was thinking as he paused to look around?

Here is another photo that I love. This one is of Timmy and my nephew Aaron. Aaron had gotten a new Hummer and he wanted to take Timmy for a little ride. We didn’t have an extra helmet, but they were driving on a level patch of grass in my mom’s yard and we had four adults with them. But the shot just brings my mind back to that adventurous afternoon as the tow ‘guys’ got to go for a ride.

In some of these black and white photos you can’t see the border, but in my Paint Shop Pro I added a 4pt white border around these photos and it makes them look like the old time snap shots of yesteryear. I added a drop shadow to this one so you can see what I’m talking about. This shot was of my son as he was walking across a bridge. He was letting his fingers hit each bar as he slowly strolled along. None of us taught him to do this, but I recall doing the same thing when I was a little girl.

I received an Editor’s Pick award on that shot of Timmy on the bridge, at BetterPhoto.com

This next shot was of Timmy and Aaron again at the baseball field. My husband was playing ball and the boys stood at the fence watching the action. As you can see from these images, that there’s something unique about this kind of shot.

Here is the last one I wanted to share with you. This was last year at Upper Bidwell Park in Northern California. Bidwell Park is a historical and famous park. The film, ‘Robinhood‘ with Errol Flynn was filmed there, as well as many other films. It’s park is gorgeous! I know the view from where he stands. He is looking upstream and as far as you can see is water and lush green brush and trees. The birds fly through without noticing that humans are there. Many times you come to a park and the birds and animals flee, but in Bidwell Park it’s as if you’re apart of their world. Knowing this experience myself makes this picture so nostalgic to me. Again, I see the picture and it’s up to my imagination to wonder what he’s thinking and experiencing that moment,

Do you have photos that ‘take you back’ and make your imagination soar? Dawn has one on a path at her PhotoBlog. Dawn also shares how she used her program to create a vintage look to her photos.

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Last week our family had the pleasure of visiting Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Cades Cove is a historic mountain community that has been preserved to appear much as it did in the 1800s. It is close to the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, popular vacation destinations. For more information about Cades Cove, visit this site to read more about what you’ll see on the 11-mile auto and bike tour.

Here are some images from our visit:

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While we were on vacation this month, we spent some time working on Aunt Susan’s patio garden. Some asked me how it came out so I thought I’d share the pictures during my Foto Friday. Aunt Susan lives on a small lake and her living room sliding glass door opens to see a view of the lake. She has two areas to have flowers in, as you see below.

She had chosen this old chest of drawers from a yard sale to use just for displaying flowers in her yard. She liked the vintage look of the dresser and had it sealed to protect from water. She likes that the paint has peeled back giving it that older look. My father-in-law, who my children adoringly call Poppop, drilled holes in the bottom of plastic boxes and placed them into the drawers. These serve as the pots for these tiny gardens.

For the hot dry climate in their city, we had to purchase plants that can resist the heat and withstand not being watered every day. The most ideal choice is cacti. However, Aunt Susan likes a nice cactus, she doesn’t prefer to have ALL cacti, so we found some various flowering succulents as well.

As you can see it was a bright sunny day and no flash was needed while taking these pictures. While these photos aren’t the kind I would submit to a contest, I do enjoy the colors seen in these snapshots. The brilliant blue of the lake is quite stunning. We did have some cloudy mornings while we were there and I noticed that those mornings would not have been good for photographs of the lake. The water reflects what is in the sky. When you are taking pictures with water in the shot, you’ll get a much better photograph is the sky is blue or even during a sunset when the colorful glow of the sun setting casts hues of pinks and oranges on the waters surface.

Although this shot wasn’t taken by me, we can thank sxc.hu for this free image. You can see how the reflection of the sunrise creates a beautiful reflection in the water. Sometimes photographers will rise early in the morning to catch a shot like this. The wise photographer will take hundreds of shots during 5 to 10 minutes of the sun rising or setting.

You’d be amazed at how different and unique each shot is. Even making a water reflection photo into black & white has a special attraction, as you see here. (photo features Lady Jess and Master Timothy) Do you have any photos of reflections from a body of water that you’d like to share? Please leave a link to a post from your own blog so we may enjoy the photos with you. :O)

I am really excited about this week’s Foto Friday interview. As an amateur photographer, Donna Boucher is an inspiration to me. Let’s get to know this homeschooling amateur photographer extraordinaire!

Me: Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My husband of 27 years and I have four children ages ranging from 25 to 8 years old.
I like just about everybody and everything and I’m easily amused ;o)
I have loved photography most of my life.
I think of photography as the most accessible of art forms.

One year ago I bought a digital SLR camera when I saw Ree’s beautiful photographs on thepioneerwoman.com website.

I was totally surprised when she wrote me and asked if I would help her write tutorials for her website. I love sharing what I have learned and I love having a place to talk about something I love so much.

Me: Photography at The Pioneer Woman is an art form. I love the tutorials there!

How long have you been blogging? Homeschooling?

I have been blogging at www.booshay.blogspot.com for nearly five years. I started blogging to encourage young women to love their husbands and children in the spirit of Titus 2.

I have been homeschooling for 14 years. Wow.
My boys were home for a few years, my daughter Emma went from K-12 and Katie is in 2nd grade, currently.

Me: Wow! You have been blogging and homeschooling for quite some time.

You take amazing pictures! What kind of camera do you use?

I have a Nikon D80.
Two lenses.
50mm 1.8
17-55mm 2.8

Me: This is the same camera that I now own and the reason I love your photos and tutorials - you make me believe that I can do that, too.

What are your favorite photo editing programs?

I like both Lightroom and Photoshop CS3.
My goal is to shoot nearly perfect straight out of camera.
But that rarely happens.

Me: Approximately what percentage of your photos do you enhance with photo editing software?

90% edited.
It may be just a sharpen or a lightening or a contrast.

Me: What are your favorite things to photograph?

People especially my little girl. She is my muse.
Landscapes and Cities. You know Paris for instance.

Me: Do you have any tips for composing better shots?

Notice your surroundings. What is in the background?
Are there shadows on the faces? Is the light abundant and pretty?

Me: What is a simple, “anyone can do it” trick for enhancing photos on your computer? Can you show us an example?

Anyone can learn to find the light! Look for the light in your subjects eyes.

[Donna says, "This shot I think anyone can do. I know that the light in my garage is really sweet. So I take a lot of picture in my garage :o) Make sure you are exposing your shot well (enough light) and focus and shoot with a steady hand."]

Me: Now show us something fancy – impress us!!

Backlighting

Me: That’s awesome! I love the glow on top of her head. When I aim people towards the sun I tend to get a lot of squinty eyes.

Do you have any photos that are your particular favorites?

[Donna says, "I took this in Paris a few weeks after I bought my camera. It remains one of my favorites. I shot it on Auto."]

Me: Donna, now I don’t feel so bad about still being in auto modes with my new camera. Thank you for teaching and inspiring your readers!

What is your best advice for an amateur photographer like myself?

Learn all about your camera.
Go out and practice every single day.

I promise you will improve!

Me: Thanks, Donna, for a wonderful and informative interview. Didn’t y’all love it? Visit Donna at Quiet Life and Pioneer Woman Photography.

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Photography is such a fun hobby and in our home we consider this digital visual art. We use a digital camera and spend a few days a week walking through our neighborhood and local parks taking advantage of the beautiful world God gave us. I used to make photo invitations and announcements for friends and family, but I kept running into the copyright law with some of my clients photographers. That’s when I decided it was time for me to learn on my own.

I found BetterPhoto.com and started reading through their message board to learn more about how to get my shots to look more professional. Then I became a bit more brave and decided it was time to attempt their free contest. I began uploading and entering one photo a day into their contest, which has several categories to choose from.

It was so encouraging to see people commenting on my photos! The support and encouragement from the other photographers was awesome. Some are professionals, others simply hobbyists having fun like I was. My daughter, Moni, became interested as well and we opened her an account so she could enter her work as well. We were both so excited when we both received several Editor’s Picks and even placed in the next round as Finalists.

When we began to homeschool, we incorporated photography into our ‘art studies’ and I saw Moni soar in her talent! We decided to open our own Homeschool Photography Club at BetterPhoto.com so that parents and children together can explore photography in a safe environment. We’d love to have you join us at Home School Photo, so come on by and open your free account at BetterPhoto.com and request to join us.

Now on to my Foto for this Friday, I took this shot last summer as we were enjoying a drive through the orchard neighborhoods just outside of town.

I used the standard setting on my digital camera with a flash at a distance and I was even sitting in the driver’s seat when I took this shot out the passenger window.

Tips:

-Read your camera’s owners manual. If you lost it you can try your camera brand’s website to see if it’s available online or call their 1-800 number to get one.

-Take shots of the same subjects in morning light and sunset light. For ex: a flower in your yard. You’ll get different effects from the different times of day.

Vocabulary:

Aperature: an opening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter an optical instrument.

Focus: the position of a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce a clear image.

Macro: excessively developed.

Fun Assignment:

Some cameras have a macro setting which is usually indicated by a small tulip or flower icon. When you use this setting you can focus in on an object and while the object becomes crisp, the background will be out of focus. Practice using this setting and use your zoom to come in and out on the object until you get your desired effect. Then try the same shot on your standard setting, without using macro or zoom. Compare your photos and you’ll see the difference.

We’d love to see what your findings so be sure and come back to let us know. You can post your assignment on your blog and bring us the link.

You can view some of our fun photos here:

Dawn

Sprittibee

Sisterlisa

Miss Amanda

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You knew it was fun, but did you realize how educational the fair can be? My kids love the petting zoo!

What about this guy? It’s difficult to tell from the picture, but he was big enough to ride!

Lessons in Physics: Can you race to a photo-worthy vantage point; find your kids on the ride; pan your camera on their smiling faces - in the dark, no less - and snap the photo at just the right moment as they whiz past you; and then race back through the crowd to the exit gate before they’re released into the masses?

The merry-go-round is the perfect way to unwind at the end of the night, especially if your insides can’t handle being flipped upside down another time.

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This post could qualify for a Better Blogging and a Foto Friday post, I’m sure.

I just wanted to share my latest favorite photo tool with you. I’m sure if you have seen some of my latest posts round’ about, you will have come across some photo collages. The best thing about them is that they require NO skill. All you have to do is download the FREE program Picasa and you can automatically create your own really neat collages as well. Try it! You’ll be a Picasa junkie in no time!

The photos above were taken at the Botanical Gardens in Austin. What a lovely place for pictures! I’d love to see some of your collages! Leave a link if you have a cool one to share!

Love in Him,

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Give a kid a camera and what do they see?

These photos were taken by my nine year old. She has taken a liking to my camera lately. Often times we think of kids as unable to express their creativity or incapable of adult thinking or tasks. I believe that if we just turn them loose with some good tools, they will surprise us every time! Maybe it is us - the parents - who need to see things differently.

In Him,

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Recently three of my kids and I took an impromptu field trip to The Center for Puppetry Arts for their homeschool day production of Duke Ellington’s Cat:

On the road with jazz great Duke Ellington is one cool cat. From the early days in the pool halls to the concert halls performing before crowned heads, this feisty feline has been at Duke’s side, sometimes even sitting in with the band.

But not everything is in rhythm. One day when Duke is to play a suite in honor of the Queen of England, the score has been stolen! Will the cat find the music and get it to the Duke in time?

This lyrical look at the life and times of one of America’s musical giants gets right in the middle of a career that spanned from the Roaring Twenties through the Civil Rights Movement.

The show features a mix of flat rod puppets (some are huge), shadow puppets, and short film sequences of stop-motion animation. The puppets seemed to glow in the dark thanks to the use of ultraviolet paint and lights. The cast of five puppeteers demonstrated a few tricks and techniques for us after the show. I was amazed that the vocals were performed live during each performance using cordless microphones mounted on headbands.

As well as original music composed in the style of Duke Ellington, the recorded music is a showcase of some of Ellington’s greatest compositions such as “East St. Louis Toodle-oo,” “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t got that Swing.”

Ticket price includes a create-a-puppet workshop, admission to the museum, and a special exhibit featuring the work of Jim Henson. We enjoyed the museum almost as much as the show. The room pictured on the left contained a floor-to-ceiling collection of strange and interesting puppets that sometimes seemed to have a life of their own!

There are lots of interactive activities. When my daughter moved the levers (pictured below), she activated a large puppet head on the wall in front of her. We also had a lot of fun on a scavenger hunt searching for items throughout the museum.

What’ll Ya Have???

No trip to downtown Atlanta is complete without a visit to The Varsity, America’s largest drive-in, for chili dogs, onion rings, and a frosted orange! Thanks to my dedicated documenting of the day and failure to take a picture while we were there, I snapped this one out the window as we drove away. Don’t try this at home!

A playful blend of fact, fiction, and history, Duke Ellington’s Cat entertained us all. This fabulous puppet show runs through March 16, 2008, at the Center for Puppetry Arts in downtown Atlanta.

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