Babies, Seniors, And A Wedding Coming Up!

A little while back, just before I was able to take those courses, I had the priviledge of doing an impromptu mini-session with 4-week old J. As you can see, he easily captured my heart in the process within just a matter of minutes! What a sweet face! He had the greatest expressions while awake and I was able to catch this one. Love it!




Here are some of the more formal ones once he fell asleep...



Perfect Little Hands...


And Sweet Little Feet!

In the next several weeks, I will be doing, not only my first Senior session, but also, a Wedding! And after that, I will be doing not only a couples shoot, but later in the summer, my first maternity/family session followed by my first birth story session! So for now, that means tons of research time so that I will be thoroughly prepared. Busy! Busy! Busy! but great for building my experiences, as well as my portfolio!

Well, as for the upcoming wedding, the equipment needed has been rented for several days prior to the wedding for lots of practice time. I was also fortunate enough to be introduced to a couple with vast experience for doing weddings and so appreciate all that I will learn from them in order to do the best possible job. I realize the enormous significance of this special day, and I so want the bride and groom to be pleased. So, prayers will be much appreciated in the next few weeks!

Leaning on His Everlasting Arms,

Denise

Spring Has Sprung With A New Excitement!

Wow! It's been awhile since I've posted, but it's not because I haven't been busy practicing! I finally got the 50mm portrait lens I'd been saving up for, and am enjoying it immensly!! I also signed up for a couple of mini-courses this week, and can hardly wait for the knowledge I'll gain from them!

I got to take my very first photography class last night, and left so encouraged and excited about the possibilities down this road. I learned so much in just 2 hours!! What a great class!! I took 7 loose leaf pages full of notes. Can't wait to put it all into practice!! I finally found out what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong! The whole time, whenever I'd get something that I hadn't quite gotten learning on my own, I'd just about get goosebumps, I was so excited!! After class, I got great feedback from the instructor. He was so helpful and encouraging! I feel reinvigorated, because at times I wonder if I really have the potential to go professional with this someday and it just gave me that boost to go on with it!!

I am so excited to be doing several photo shoots in the next few months, including a couple of engagement shoots, a couple of family shoots, a wedding, and even a birth story shoot!! I look forward to them and the experience I'll gain, especially after having the much needed courses I'll have taken by then!! More sessions + More experience + More learning = A much better prepared photographer (Me)!

I've gotten a few more props lately and couldn't wait to use them. I've taken up crocheting again, and have made a little hat and matching mini-blanket for this shoot. I used yarn in a Brown/Blue/Burgundy/Turquoise mix to go with the dark wood weaved basket I got the other day.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do a mini-shoot for new parents of a beautiful baby boy! They are for the same couple I did a shoot with last fall. I hope they like the results, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with them once more!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thanks for dropping in!

Leaning on His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

Critters, big and small...

Sometimes the best subjects are right in your own front yard. Just a few of the little critters I'd practiced with lately...

Our daughter spotted this caterpillar next to the sidewalk by our front door. This was shot in Macro mode and is unedited. I love the crispness of the picture as well as the contrast of the bright green leaf compared to it's reddish brown colour.


We have a birdhouse under the roof of our porch that was meant for...well, birds. However, it seems to be a hit with anything but the birds.

Here is our regular "boarder" in the birdhouse.


A couple of weeks ago, I caught this squirrel in it.



He didn't stick around for very long, but stayed long enough to give a "nyah-nyah can't catch me" look afterwards...


Around here, we love the lizards because they eat the bugs. The less bugs, the better, I think. So, "Feast on, lovely lizards!"

Here is a 'depth of field' practice shot...


Here is a shot that was taken at night, also in macro mode...


Love the textures and colours up close in this shot. Would you believe, it's no bigger than my pointer finger? Our daughter couldn't understand how the little hole on the side was it's ear and that her own ears were holes too!


I don't know what it is with me and the frogs lately, they just seem to fascinate me! This one was in the same bush as the lizard from the previous shot.


Here are a couple of my favorite shots. The frogs come out mostly at night, stick on the walls and windows with their little suction cupped toes, and feast on the moths and various bugs flying around the house. Let's hope they're helping keep the mosquito population at a minimum.


Here is my latest favorite close up shot. I love the detail, especially in the eyes, it looks like marbling, don't you think?


Well, thanks again for stopping by. I'd love to know which of these is your favorite?

Leaning on His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

First Shots From My Big Girl Camera...

Oh, what fun I'm having! The camera is beautiful! The pictures crispy, and the colours, so vibrant!! I love everything about it!

Look at the difference in just the colours between my old camera, a point and shoot Nikon Coolpix L11...

And now with my DSLR Nikon D80...

Those were both unretouched. It is everything and more than I had hoped for! Can you tell I'm still excited? It was about 3 hours before I could pick up the camera and try it out for the first time without my hands shaking. When I first got it, I put it together, but within minutes of assembling it and looking it over, my hands were shaking too much to hold it, so I had to put it back in the box where I couldn't stop looking at it. Silly woman, eh? I'm still unfamiliar with shooting in manual mode, so for now, the pictures are taken with the auto features. Sometime this week, I hope to start practicing the manual mode maybe in our local park. I can't hardly wait!

Well, here are just a few of the hundred shots that I've taken so far.

The first few, I took outdoors...

Here is a visitor I had in my kitchen on Saturday night. Look at the detail of the dragonfly.

And finally, here is a few from the mini photo shoot I did last night with our children.

I had never noticed until now the cream-colored flecks in our daughter's eyes. Awesome detail picked up by the camera!!

And here are a few of my favorites...

Thanks for looking! And if you're a repeat visitor to my site, thanks for stopping by again! Thanks for following my journey with me as I strive to learn as much as I can, to be the best that I can at what I do.

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

Like a Kid in a Candy Store...

I had the honour a couple of weeks ago to be a part of my sister's wedding back home in Canada, and of course, you know I just had to bring along my camera. My sister and her husband graciously gave permission to post a few of the pictures that I took.

Comments and constructive criticism , whether good or bad, are welcomed and encouraged.

Before the wedding began, my sister and I dressed at a friends' home. The photographer kindly allowed me to be his shadow for the shoot at that beautiful location. That was so nice of him to allow me to do that. Here are a few I took at the home our friends' living room. I had so much fun. For the most part, the lighting was great, my camera cooperated, and the soft yellow pallette of the room gave the ivory shade of my sister's gown a certain softness that I really liked in the final result.

This first one, I actually got the doorknob in there by mistake, but I actually really liked the way it appeared as if I were taking a peek in the doorway, so I opted not to crop it out.

A shot with our daughter, the flower girl...

In this one, I was practicing my macro setting, and focusing on the bouquets. Not bad, but I wish the background would have been a little more unfocused.

after fooling around with photoshop...

While the photographer was setting up another shot, I caught our daughter looking out the window and captured this...

and this...

I loved the look of it so much, I shyly suggested it to the photographer and showed him how it looked on my camera. He liked the setting as well, and took my suggestion. That was neat! His composition was a little different, but just as lovely. Here were my two takes on it.

after fooling around with photoshop...

This was my sister's huband's tribute to his late mother. It was too beautiful. I just had to capture it for him to remember that moment of his touching speech.


I just love the candid moments, don't you? Here is my sister and her very own beloved! My sister has such a joyful laugh...

Just a candid of the bride and her little flower girl (our daughter)...

Even the outlaws(just kidding!) felt the love (my beloved and my sister)...


Peek a boo! For being the only child present at the reception, our daughter behaved relatively well. I actually got compliments from management. Made me proud! Towards the end though, she discovered the tablecloths made a great fort!


Thanks for looking!
Leaning on His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

Back from our Trip...

While visiting my family in Canada, we went to visit Kings Landing Historical Settlement . It was so much fun to see it through new eyes. Everywhere I looked, I saw potential for a great composition. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and actually get out there in person someday. As a photographer, it truly can be a real feast for your eyes.

I took so many that I couldn't just choose a few, so I put them together on this slideshow.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Some shots I especially loved...

More Macro Practice(I'm crazy about this setting!!)

Cobwebs with and without spiders...
















































And some more itty bittie creatures...



































Notice the little spiral-like antennae! Neat!!