Just Playing Around

I don't have time to process any new pics I have taken...plus I need to clear off some photos before adding more to my PC. I really need an external hard drive. So anyways I decided to just play with some pictures that were already on my computer.

I really love the look of Amanda's
processing. Thanks to her generosity and knowledge I decided to do a few plays with her grunge share.

I found this picture of Blaze from a little less than a year ago, giving me his Blaze look:


I think her processing style really rocks the outdoor shoots but I wanted to see it on an indoor shot as well so I played with it on this one of Keats from a couple of weeks ago:


Which I also had to convert to b/w:


And another one from my shoot below. I just love this picture, and the processing really works here :)


Thanks for the share Amanda!

Personality X's 20

I had the pleasure of shooting the most awesomest family (you know they are great when I am willing to use bad grammar) They were so fun and full of love you could just see it from the way they interacted with each other. I love that when it is so obviously genuine and natural.

Plus the kids did some iCarly moves and I love iCarly. Is it sad that I am almost 30 and love that show..oh my gosh it is sad that I am almost 30 lol.

Anyways....Picture Overload. If I could I would post all the pictures from this session (it was that fun), but here are some of them.

Can you tell this is my favorite family pose? I just think it says everything about what life is after kids. They take center stage but we are always watching them with love in our eyes.


















This is one of my all time favorite shots from a session, it seems like it is just so her. Fun and funky, my kind of girl!


Thank you for letting me have a glimpse of your love for each other!

My Friend Ryan

What can I say about Ryan...well he told me he was tired of all the love on my blog (jokingly of course) so how about I list his faults. Obviously from the above statement he is bitter ;)

Ok, I can't do it, sorry yo I have to tell the good stuff.


Ryan has know me longer than anyone outside of my family. He has seen me go through the many phases of my life and become the person I am, as I have him. We have both come far :) I don't think he knows what an amazing friend he has been for me. He was there in some of the roughest stages of my life. At my wedding he walked me down the aisle. He was the first non family person to visit me after I had Blaze. I can just be my sarcastic self around him. The one thing I appreciate most about him is that he is real. He isn't afraid to tell me when I am making a stupid decision, and he doesn't sugar coat it. That to me is a true friend, not someone who doesn't want to face the hard stuff. So even if I didn't appreciate some advice he gave me at the time I have grown enough now to respect it.

I finally got to take some pictures of him after he kept cancelling on me...or maybe it was me cancelling on him. Who knows, lets go with him doing the cancelling,





b/w version:


Serious Ryan:


Thanks for being such a great influence in my life!

Mini Me

Just a quick little picture post from me :)

This picture strikes me because I see how much Keaton looks like me in it. Everyone always says that but I really see it here.






And a PSA- When you see someone saying buy the flash with the most power you can- believe them! I had to rent the 580 for an event coming up (picture above taken w/ it) so I can use my 430 on a different body. I love my 430 but I can see a huge difference. So I will be selling my 430 in the future to get the 580.

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Surprise!

I was going through my memory cards today and found these pictures of Keaton that I forgot I had taken. I love little surprises like that.

I love the look on his face here.

Another Adorable One Year Old

Little Miss Abbby is so stinking cute, she has some of the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. And she is turning one! It is amazing how fast time flys.

Here are a few pictures of her throughout her first year:









And here are a couple from the other day:




ETA color version per Pat's request :)




Happy early bday Abby, and thanks to your awesome parents for letting me photograph you throughout the year!

#1 reason I love James

He is an absolutly amazing father. While it's not the reason I fell in love with him (as it came after), it is the reason I fall more in love every day.

There is nothing like seeing a man with his children to take you to new levels of love. It is a joy to watch him with our kids. I love sitting on the steps and listening to him and Blaze when they don't know I am there and hear them talk about how they are best buddies. I love that he watches our kids sleep and calls me in to look at them "Cause they look so cute"

It means so much to me cause I don't have that relationship with my dad. He just wasn't a very nice, loving person. As amazing as my mom was, he was the opposite. Not a sad, I want sympathy statement just a fact. So when I see James playing and giving all his love to our children it means the world to me cause it is not something I am used to seeing.

Happy Fathers Day honey-You are the most amazing man in the world to me.

I made my dh a slideshow to pictures of him with the boys from the last year to the song "Let them Be Little"-the Lonestar version. If you haven't heard it go listen, it makes me cry. I am not too big into country music but this one is great.


It was too big and probably too long to put on here but I did throw together a collage and put a few random pictures from it on there.

Ways not to start a shoot

1. Getting pulled over (let my hubby drive-thankfully just got a warning)
2. Getting behind a wreck.

These two things result in you getting to the location with literally 25 minutes to shoot. Which will then cause you to be scatterbrained and forget to check your settings...and forget your camera bag.

Luckily it was just a fun shoot so I could play at this location. This is one of my best friends in the whole wide world Rachel and her boyfriend James. She is just awesome. The kind of friend that you can tell anything to and would do anything for you-love her!. And James rocks cause he let me take pictures of him...and he is willing to go back when I am more together to get more...pretty, pretty please with sugar on top ;) lol.

Which crop do you like better on this one?





I just edited to add 3rd crop...I am so a.d.d:





Have to have a money shot!


Color:


A little vintagy (again from the Tori share, who again rocks!)):


And a b/w version:


My Chicago girls will get to meet my most awesomest friend in two weeks!!!! So excited.

Mahi is Turning One!

I took these pics awhile ago but wanted to wait till the invites were safely out and received before I posted. We did a cake session the weekend before we took Mahi's one year old in the park pictures.

It was so cute, he really didn't know what to do with the cake at first. Here are some of the pics that didn't make the card though they were still adorable:







And here is the card:


Let's take a closer look at those adorable blues:


Can I just say that my there were some people (my hubby&son not to mention any names) who ate a piece of the "butt cake" afterwards. Sure the second layer was completely intact and the took from the middle, it's still butt cake dude ;)

Sneak Peak

Cat, sorry the sneak peak is coming so late :( But on the plus side here is your sneak peak and the rest of the pictures are coming to you tonight lol ;)

This was a fun super casual session! I love how they just wanted their kids be who they were-which was adorable. It was nice meeting your family.












Note-New blog song! Love it :)

For sale

Anyone looking to buy a grip and was going to buy the Opteka brand, I have a new one I am selling for $75 shipped(paid $94). For CanonD series (20/30/40D)

You may contine to my normal post below :)

Mom Shot!

It is so rare that my boys are actually around each other with out bickering/play-fighting. Blaze mostly actually. Keaton would follow him around all day if he could but Blaze wants his independence most of the time. Comepletely understandable of course and actually cute in it's own way.

So when they are actually enjoying each other I have to take the picture before the 30 seconds is up. Therefore I love this shot, imperfections and all :)


Processed playing with Tori's vintage that she shared-You rock Tori!