First Birthday Photo Shoot

 I don't get much time with my camera these days but I still like it and who could resist this face.

 He still has his moments though

I love you darling son, you bring so much joy into our lives, I thank God for giving you to us!  Happy Birthday!

Big Blue Eyed Boy

The other day I was commenting on how pretty my son's eyes are and how long & lush his eye lashes are. Women work so hard to get their eye lashes to look like his, and his are all natural.

I love those eyes, those big blue eyes. I can get lost in them. You can see so much in little children's eyes, watch them learn, look at you with love, or say "what?! I'm not doing anything wrong", or "can't you just hold me for 5 more minutes"

Bed Time Routine

Before we put the kids to bed we have a routine we follow . . . . brush your teeth, use the toilet, read a book, sing a song, say a prayer. Sometimes we like to throw in watching a YouTube clip. We have our favorites we usually watch: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, John Williams is the Man, a new favorite is Dancin on the Train (two Americans living in China wrote this song). But my son's favorite is Charlie Bite My Finger. I don't know why but usually as soon as we turn that one on he starts giggling. I'm not sure if he just thinks the baby is funny or he enjoys watching others inflict pain . . . should I be worried?

Photography Frustrations

I have loved pictures for as long as I remember. When I was a child I loved looking at old family photos. In high school I liked taking pictures and would organize them in boxes. When we moved to China a family member told me before we left to make sure we took lots of pictures so they could "see" our life. I don't think that I have let them down.

Now that I have a DSLR (which I have been dreaming about for 4 years now) I have had fun trying to take "better" looking photos. I haven't ever worked with an DSLR before so I am trying to learn all the elements of how to take a good picture. I really learn best with a teacher who gives me hands on explanation (which I don't have). The latest frustration I had was my photo shoot at the park yesterday. The sun was shining, the weather was perfect (not too hot, not too cold), the flowers were blooming, so off we went to take some photos.

The good thing about having a digital camera is that you can look at your pictures right away allowing you to try different settings to get what you are looking for. The problem I faced yesterday is that I was outside in the sun so I couldn't see the preview picture very well. The sun reflecting off the LCD screen makes it really difficult to see the picture's true colors.

Last time I took pictures outside there was too much light coming in, so I put on a filter. Now, there is still a little too much light and the color is maybe a little too vibrant. It looks like it is fake. I don't know what to do. Anyone have any suggestions?

True Color 2

True Color

We got a DSLR camera while we were in the States and I am trying to learn how to use it. The other day I was trying to take a picture of the beauty outside my bedroom window. I love when the sun is shining and reflecting off the water. Every time I look at it I am just in awe of our Maker's handy work. But, every time I try and capture the beauty in a picture I am always disappointed.

This was my first attempt. Basically I took the camera and took the shot not doing anything to the settings. I was very disappointed in how it turned out. I looked at it and knew that it did not do the scene justice.

Then I remembered that we had purchased a filter with the camera for pictures taken outside. I placed it on and took another shot. Much better blue but still not right.

Next I played with the white balance setting and got a shot that looks much closer to the real thing. Such beauty!