Triple Shots

Spring is Here!

2011-04-16T15:34:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist snapping a few of these gorgeous pretties from my garden... antiqued and texturized, I believe I will be printing and hanging this one!

Beautiful Bri

2010-09-18T20:58:00.001-07:00

Folsom Bridge

2010-07-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't notice the John 3:16 engraved on the Folsom bridge until I opened this image in lightroom. I created some dark contrast and over sharpened for a grungy look, that really causes the verse to pop. You never know what you might capture when you are out for a walk, it's always a good idea to have your camera handy!

Summer Wedding

2010-06-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Nothing says summer more than a wedding. This is a picture of my sister-in-laws flowers. They were in-between photos and I snapped this picture. I love that there really aren't any faces in the picture, yet it speaks volumes. :) I purposefully left the sunspots on the dress to add interest (hot summer feel), but patched and cloned out a cement water container on the ground.

The Golden Hour

2010-06-05T14:09:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about summer is the sun... I don't mean the squelching 100 degree weather, but that golden hour before the sun sets that brings about the most amazing golden rays.

LOVE

2010-05-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Now I must say that this is not the best composed shot. Nor does it have a beautiful background. The lighting wasn't all that great either. What makes this shot so beautiful are the people in it ... my brother and future sister-in-law. My brother has waited a long time for Mary and to see how God brought them together and the love they have for one another is beautiful thing. Even though this is not my most stunning photograph, the people make the shot amazing and that is what photography is all about for me.

The Sweetest Mother's Day Gift....

2010-05-11T14:21:00.001-07:00

Tony and Nina wanted to surprise Mom with a brother-sister portrait for Mother's Day- how sweet is that? These are my two favorite shots, the sun was setting behind them and I made the most of the dramatic lighting, using my flash to keep the shadows at bay.

May Challenge

2010-05-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

O.k. Since it is May and Mother's Day is in May, I want to see pretty pictures. I don't care what is in them, but they have to be of something beautiful. Can't wait to see what you show us!!

2010-04-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

I know it's not an action shot, but I thought it was so cute... this is Pete turning around on first base. I cropped to place Pete in the rule of thirds and like the way the two players in the background create a triangular dynamic.

Softball

2010-04-10T20:29:00.001-07:00

We are in the middle of softball season in our house! Cassie had a game today, so it was the perfect photo opportunity. I was hoping for sunny skies, but it was cloudy and grey. So, due to the lack of light, I bumped my ISO up to 400. My shutter speed was 1/500. Here is the shot I captured of her hitting the ball:

And yes, Cassie did hit this ball and ran to first. :)

APRIL CHALLENGE

2010-04-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

This month's challenge will be sports pictures. Remeber to use a fast shutter speed to freeze that play!

2010-03-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I did not have to travel far to find this beauty of a flower. I just walked right out my front door to our gorgeous Camelia bush in full bloom. For a creative perspective I cropped in very close for a Macro shot, filling the entire frame with the flower, and then cropped the image square in Lightroom.

Another Spring Picture

2010-03-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I was hoping to have a softball picture to show you, but we haven't had any games yet. So I decided to throw another picture of Cassie in the field with the pedals. :) I did have to use a fill flash to help take away the shadows on her face since we were in full sun. BUT I love how the sun highlights her hair.

2010-03-07T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well, this last week, I went to our park to take a picture of this beautiful tree. Unfortunately, the tree was surrounded by water due to our recent rains, and I could not get the shot that was in my head. I was getting very discouraged when I turned around and saw Cassie picking up the pedals from the tree ... there was my shot! Spring is finally here! :)

Heather- Spring Submission #1

2010-03-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Two versions of this lovely branch of blooms. The original and a textured version. I used my polarizing lens as I took this shot midday and was contending with a blown out sunny sky. I love the rich colors and detail a polarizing lens adds to full sun images.

From our viewer!!

2010-03-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

One of our viewers, Lisa, sent in this amazing shot of a crocus. I love how she has the purple flower in focus and the background leaves blurred out (January challenge). It helps make the flower pop! Plus it is a spring picture!!! Way to go Lisa!! :) Thanks for sharing!

Send us your picture! You never know when your picture might show up! :)

New Assignment

2010-02-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am sooooooo ready for Spring!! I know we need the rain, but I am ready for some nice 70 degree days with sun. ;) So, your assignment for this month is to capture spring. It could be in a new flower starting to bud, it could be the blue sky or kids finally being able to go outside and swing! Whatever spring looks like to you, capture it and show us!! Can't wait so see what you come up with!!! :D

Different View

2010-02-25T08:43:00.001-08:00

So for this post, I wanted to show how changing the contrast of the black and white look can change the feel of a picture. Here is the original picture:

Here is a softer black and white. I like this one because I can see her face better. There was a shadow from her visor in her face and this lighter version helps us to see the expression.

This picture gives more of a dramatic mood. More powerful, don't mess with me or more competitive because it is softball.

So, try playing around with your black & white pictures. What do you want to convey to the viewer? Fun, loving, soft? Or dark, moody, compelling. :) Happy Shooting!!!

City Lights in Black and White

2010-02-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to see how this night time image of the San Francisco City skyline translated in black and white. I boosted the contrast for more drama.

2010-02-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

So here is my take on the black and white ... I photographed my niece and her boyfriend. I love the color with the sun setting on her hair. The color version is fun, but the black and white gives it a sense of classic, timeless beauty. Great photo challenge Heather!

2010-02-03T14:18:00.001-08:00

I was inspired to try some artistic head shots with props after viewing some great images on Flickr. Changing an image from color to black and white changes the mood of the image and adds contrast as well as depth.

February Challenge: Black & White

2010-02-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

2010-01-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

Even though I applied a texture to create this dreamy, watercolor-like image, the soft feel comes from the wide open aperture of f/2.8. The focus is on the closest flower which caused the flowers in the background to blur and fade.

f/1.4

2010-01-18T09:25:00.001-08:00

So I wanted to try and get a really blurry shot at f/1.4. I must say, it was harder than I thought. I tried flowers, but the wind was blowing to hard. I tried using my daughter, but we haven't had the best days for weather, so the indoor shots just didn't turn out. I finally got this one of our dog. She loves to lay on a lap ... and if you have a blanket, even better. So here is my result of challenging myself to capture a shot using an aperture of f/1.4:

2010-01-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

This portrait was taken with an aperture of f/4. It leaves enough of the background detail to appreciate the design, but not so much that it distracts.

2010-01-05T16:58:00.001-08:00

For this shot of my beautiful Great Niece (yes, I am a Great Aunt) I used an f/stop of f/5. I wanted my background really blurry, and the focus on the face ... or more importantly the eyes.

I was asked a great question. How do you tell what your f/stop is on your lens? If you pretend someone is taking a picture of you, look on the inside rim of the lens. You will see something like "1:4-5.6" That means that my lens will only go to f/4-f/5.6 and up (f/13, f/22, etc). I can not go to f/3 or f/1.8. Usually, people like to by a 50mm lens because the f/stop will be around f/1.8 (it depends on the quality of lens you buy). This is hopefully a very simple explanation of what to look for when using your lens(es).

There was also this question: How do I change the setting? Well, I happen to know that this person has a Canon Rebel XTi, so you would want to look on your round knob at the top of your camera. You will see the green rectangle. Above that is "P, TV, Av, M" You want to choose "Av". That will change the aperture for your camera. If you look in your view finder, to the left of the light meter, you will see the f/stop numbers. You can change the numbers by rotating the dial by your right pointer finger where you would push the button to take the picture.

Hope that helps a little! :-)

New Assignment

2009-12-31T15:38:00.000-08:00

O.k., your assignment for January is aperture. I want to see pictures with you using f/1.2 - f/5.

2009-12-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

I thought I would emphasize the red berries on this bush by using selective color. In photoshop, i created a second layer and converted the new layer to black and white. I simply added a mask and brushed the color back in selectively.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T03:40:00.000-08:00

On this day that we celebrate our Saviors birth, we pray your family has a blessed day! Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T03:36:00.000-08:00

Again, another picture of one of the tables from our Christmas dinner production. I loved that there was a different ornament at each place setting. Even though I was at f/50, it still was not a clear shot ... soft focus in lightroom is my bff for these pics! ;-) This table was very busy with different items on the table, so I made the focus a little more blurred so that the focus was on the ornament. I was going to bring in more light for this picture, but it would have ruined the mood that was set with the candles.

Christmas dinner

2009-12-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

Every year our church puts on a Christmas dinner. There are over 30 tables that are decorated by different individuals. While walking around, this table caught my eye. I loved the fact that the color came from the jingle bells. The light was very low inside the church and I did not bring my tripod. I was using my 50mm lens, but it wasn't enough at f/2. So to hide the fact that this picture is blurry, I softened the focus in lightroom.

Christmas Berries

2009-12-16T13:05:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what tree these pretty red berries are growing on, but they seem to be present this time of year and always remind me of Christmas.
I used a nice wide open aperture to blur the background... I desaturated the color to for a vintage feel as well as a scratchy texture for added interest.

Living Christmas Tree

2009-12-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

I saw this image in a photography magazine and was inspired. Poor Pete was the subject...I wrapped him in lights and had him stand on a black backdrop. Then I got the ladder out and took the picture from a birds eye vantage point. I turned the lights off and relied on natural light filtering in from the windows to light my subject. My aperture was wide open at 2.8 and my shutter speed of 1/10... super slow. The lense flare and contrast were adjusted later in photoshop.

2009-12-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well, when Heather gave us the challenge anything Christmas, I knew I was in trouble ... I hadn't pulled down my Christmas items yet! Eeekkk!!! So, we finally got all of our decorations down from the attic and I decided to take a picture of one of my Cherished Teddies. I choose him because of what his banner states "Glory to the New Born King". It is what this Christmas season is all about. I decided to use my 50mm lens to put the focus on the banner verses the face. I had to bump the f stop to f/2. I also used a tripod since my shutter speed was 1/15. I used all natural lighting since I wanted a soft look. I then used a white vignette instead of black to keep the focus soft.

Christmas Sparkle

2009-11-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

I used a bokeh texture on this image.. I just love what different textures will do to an every day image.. so fun and colorful.

December Challenge

2009-11-29T16:28:00.000-08:00

This month's challenge will be all things Christmas. Have a merry ol' time!

More falling leaves ...

2009-11-25T00:16:00.000-08:00

My last pictures with leaves in them. Had to get both my girls laying down in the leaves. It just makes for such a fun, colorful picture. Cassie wanted a picture of her holding leaves, so I took the bottom picture of her. I had to do some touch up with the clone/healing brush for this picture due to hair on her check. I also used Suzette Allen's action "soft focus" to give it that glowing, soft look. While I am not a big fan of the season fall, I do like how my pictures turned out for this assignment! :-)

Different feel ...

2009-11-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

Still out on my photo shoot trying to capture leaves in a creative way. This time, I put the leaves in the background for a subtle effect. I also turned this photo to black & white to make the leaves even more subtle. These are the same picture, but I thought I would post both the portrait and landscape so show the difference a direction can make on one picture. The first one is my favorite, but I like the bottom one as well ... just gives a different feeling for each picture.

2009-11-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

Although the leaves are not the focus of this picture, the vibrant color of the leaves definitely enhances the overall appeal of this lovely fall picture of the girls taking a walk with their cousin.

I made sure the girl's backs were to the sun for a backlit effect.

Barefoot in the leaves

2009-11-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

My brilliant daughter who is getting straight A's right now, decides she does not need shoes for our photo shoot. As she is tip toeing through the leaves and such, I caught this picture ... notice her foot is popping up? Yeah, there was something prickly under her foot. Maybe next time she will think twice before going out of the house without shoes. ;-) I was using my 50mm lens for this shot f/5.6. It makes her feet and leaves in focus, but her skirt out of focus a little. I wanted the focus to go straight to her little piggies.

Posing in the leaves

2009-11-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

So our neighbor hasn't been raking his leaves on the side of his house. As I was driving home I noticed it would make a great photo opportunity, so I took advantage of it. With Cassie I had to fight the sun making shadows on her face, so I made sure to use a flash and compose my picture so that there were not shadows. With Brianna it was later in the afternoon, so I had to make sure I did use a flash to help fill in the shadows from the sun being in back of her. I tried doing the same shots with both girls, but like any photo shoot, they all turned out different. Here are two of my favorites with the leaves:

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Another Example of how texture and color can change the look of your images.
My name is Heather, and I'm a texture addict :-)

2009-11-01T14:58:00.001-08:00

I just love the Depth of Field of this shot- f/2.8. And the blue sky is such a compliment to the orange and yellow hues.
I added a colorful texture for a water color effect on the 2nd image.

New Theme

2009-10-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

With November almost upon us, I thought I would throw out our next theme. It is similar to "fall", but more specific. For this month, I want you to concentrate on "leaves". Interpret it any way you like, but I want to see a picture that has to do with "leaves or lack there of". Can't wait to see what you come up with! :D

2009-10-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

This caught my eye ... I was looking for something to fit the theme Heather gave us ... fall. I thought this captured what fall is. The weather is changing and not supportive of flowers, so the flowers start dying. But, some just hang on and won't give up. In the midst of dry, crumbled life, there is always life.

Feeling Fall

2009-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

While walking around, I found this pomegranate tree. I loved the colors and while there are traditional colors of fall, you don't see pomegranates very often. I loved how the sun faded the seeds in the top picture. Again, I had to use a little fill flash, boosted the colors and cropped in close. I also used f/5.6 to make the background blurry. I wanted the focus on the fruit.

Pumpkins and Gourds

2009-10-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Fall just wouldn't be Fall without pumpkins and gourds! By shooting these pictures close up and filling the frame, the color and texture become the focal point of these images.

Heidi's View

2009-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, one morning after dropping the girls off at school, I looked up through our tree and saw this sight. There is something about the autumn sunshine that is warm, soft and inviting. I had to use a flash while taking this picture to help light up the leaves facing me since the sun was shinning so bright on the opposite side.

Autum Apples

2009-10-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

It most definitely would not be Fall without our annual trip to Apple Hill. Lance and I attended Peter's class field trip this year. We came home with an apple pie and a camera full of great pictures :-)

First Signs of Fall

2009-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Fall is definitely in the air, but Summer is lingering. I wanted to capture the transitional colors of green and gold in the fallen leaves.
Tips: When taking outdoor portraits, choose clothes in colors that you would find in nature. Incorporate props like leaves and flowers to make a seasonal statement.

October Challenge

2009-10-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

Revamped!

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Surprise ...

2009-09-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

So, you might want to check back tomorrow ... I might have a slight surprise for you ... I'm just sayin'. ;-)

Heidi #113

2009-09-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Heidi#112

2009-09-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

Heidi #111

2009-09-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

Heidi #110

2009-09-23T00:49:00.000-07:00

Heidi #109

2009-09-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

Heidi #108

2009-09-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

Heidi #107

2009-09-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

Heidi #106

2009-09-11T00:46:00.000-07:00

Heidi #105

2009-09-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

Heidi#104

2009-09-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

Heidi #103

2009-09-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

Heidi #102

2009-08-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

Heidi #101

2009-08-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

Father & daughter before the "moment".

Heidi #100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

O.k., we will get back to the wedding pics in a couple of days. As you can see this is my 100th post, so I had to post a picture that I took and processed. Ever since I took my photography class back in May of 2008, I have had a goal. My teacher made a comment that it was extremely difficult to stop the wings of a humming bird because they moved so quickly. You had to have your shutter set to 1/1000 to get a good shot. Well, that requires A LOT of light as well. I have been practicing at my mom's house and my mother-in-laws house. I think I finally got a half way decent shot. So, for my 100th post here is a picture of a goal I set for myself and obtained. I am sure in the future I will take a better picture of a humming bird, but I am pretty proud of this picture:

Heidi #99

2009-08-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

A fun shot ...

Heidi #98

2009-08-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

Keeping the flower girl entertained. :)

Heidi #97

2009-08-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

It was so hard to try to get detail from the windows that were blown out. But it made for a beautiful backdrop.

A Wedding Heidi #96

2009-08-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

So, for the next couple of weeks I am going to be showcasing my husbands work. :) We were supposed to go to Jim's niece's wedding in June, where I was supposed to be the wedding photographer (no pressure!! LOL!). But due to unforeseen circumstances, only Jim was able to go, therefore he was the photographer. Of course I ended up processing all his work!!! :D I learned a lot of things while working on his pictures:

1. The view from a 6'4" man is totally different from a 5'8" point of view.
2. I didn't have his vision when taking the picture, therefore I had to interpret his point of view.
3. Wedding photographers definitely deserve the pay they charge. It is a lot of work, pressure and there is no second chances.
4. It is hard to try to save an important picture that is grainy, black and the only shot of its kind. I still didn't get it right, but I tried.
5. I learned how to take spinach out of the middle of teeth.
6. There are a TON of pictures to process.
7. I don't think I want to be a wedding photographer.
8. I got to "attend" the wedding and enjoy it through Jim's pictures even though I wasn't able to go.
9. You can burn out quickly.
10. It is fun and satisfying to see the finished product.
11. How are you supposed to make a room look level with 3 different straight edges that are all different?!? UGH!
12. A window from floor to ceiling is beautiful ... but blows out in a picture and makes everything dark.
13. When you see a smile from what the family sees in the pictures, it is all worth it. :)

So, I hope you don't mind me showing off his work ... o.k., both our work. His pics, my processing. He deserves some credit for what he created. :) Here is the first picture of the church they were married in:

Heidi #95

2009-08-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

This is my last photo to show you from the shoot ... thought it appropriate that they were walking off into the sunset ... :)

Heidi #94

2009-08-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite shots, but there were HUNDREDS of bugs everywhere! Very frusterating, but I thought I would show this shot any way. ;)

Heidi #93

2009-08-03T00:50:00.000-07:00

Different treatments to the photos. Love the sunset ...

Heidi #92

2009-07-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quiet moment while the kids are playing at the park . ;)

Heidi #91

2009-07-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about this one. I think I oversaturated it ... the more I look at it the more I don't like it. Oh well ... live and learn, right? ;)

Heidi #90

2009-07-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

They choose the top pic, but they are both great shots of the two of them. ;)

Update

2009-07-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

Well, for the time being Heather & Cyndi have decided to step down from Triple Shots. Their lives have become a little hectic and this was just to much for them. I still have some pictures to post, so I will keep posting for awhile. :) Remember ... keep shooting! You never know when you will get "the shot"! :D

Heidi #89

2009-07-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

This was one of her favorites. :)

Heidi #88

2009-07-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

The couple loved this shot too. Ahhhhh .... :)

Heidi #87

2009-07-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Artistic shot of the husband and wife holding hands. ;)

Heidi #86

2009-07-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

Same shot of the mother & daughter, different photo treatment. :)

Heather #83

2009-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Same pink peony, different texture treatment.

Heidi #85

2009-07-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

Loved this shot with the sun on the back of them.

Heather #82

2009-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the image that earned me #174 in "interestingness" (on 2009-07-03)

on Flickr.

Heidi #84

2009-07-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

Similar to the shot above, only I didn't make the frame as close. :)

Cyndi #79

2009-07-06T15:30:00.001-07:00

One shot of the fountain at work. The second (obviously) with some antiquing going on.

Heather #81

2009-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Another poolside picture, this time of Maddie. I finally got tired of fighting with the sun and shadows and put a hat on Maddie to shade her face.

Heidi #83

2009-07-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!! May God truly bless America!!! :)

This was a fun pic. I was trying to get only their faces in the picture ... do you know how hard it is to get 5 heads into one spot? He, he!!

Cyndi #78

2009-07-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

I'm calling this one "Snuggled" :)

Heather # 80

2009-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe how the color of the water and Pete's eyes were almost identical in hue. I actually didn't process this much, the sun did most of the work for me!

Heidi #82

2009-07-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

I was messing aournd with my camera getting the setting correct when I snapped this pic. While it is totally overexposed, has sun spots and everyone is facing different directions, I thought it made a fun, artistic picture when I started playing around with it.

Heather #79

2009-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few more balloon shots, this time with some creative processing.

Heidi #81

2009-06-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of the bride and groom leaving the church as Mr. & Mrs.!!! :)

Cyndi #77

2009-06-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

Okay... I finally have some pictures to post. My next few will be from the cemetery, but my first is of this little guy who was really interested in what I was doing that day, taking all those pictures. I seriously thought he might jump on me.

Heather #78

2009-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Beautiful skies and colorful balloons made for one of my favorite photo shoots yet.

Heidi #80

2009-06-25T04:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a close up of one of the layers of cake. It was pretty fancy. I love the blue strips with the bling. :)

Cyndi #76

2009-06-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

So I know my posts have been really lame lately so I took my camera to work today and took a bunch of pics of the fountain. Then I left the camera at work :( So another from my stash. Seriously, just trying to get to 100. Photography is so not a priority right now. I gave this one a little color boost.

Heather #77

2009-06-23T06:00:00.001-07:00

A few more creekside portraits of the girls. I printed these and they turned out just beautiful.

Heidi #79

2009-06-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

Recently we were at a cousin's wedding. The cake was AMAZING! For some reason, this picture is blurry, not sure how it turned out like that. It is clear in LR. :( Anyway, I was competeing with the professional photographer to get some pictures, so I didn't get the front of the cake ... I let him take the pics he needed. He, he!!