As you all know I take many photos. Many, many photos. Hooray for external hard-drives and DVD backups.
I find that the bulk of my billion yearly photos are taken in the spring and summer. As fall drags along the photos get fewer and farther between. Come winter? Not many photos are taken.
The main reason being that I much prefer taking photos in natural light. I hate the harshness of the flash. I’m still playing with the flash settings on my camera but have not found much improvement. I have asked to get a sweet external flash for Christmas. I think the odds are in my favour, considering that I am sleeping with “Santa”.
Being that I am newly addicted to playing with Adobe Lightroom (I spend hours in there after the kids are sleeping. I really do. I can sleep when I am dead.), I need new material to play with. Matthew and I also bought some cool frames on our date night in the hopes that I might actually develop some of my photos and, I don’t know, HANG THEM ON THE WALL?
Yesterday was a sunny day. After picking Graham up from school I took the kids outside so I could take photos of them they could play and have fun. I read a photography article the other day that said to get your subjects to say “whiskey” instead of “cheese” to get a more natural smile out of them. I thought I would give it a try.
Hey Graham! Say whiskey!
Is it me, or does he look like he might be up to something? Hmmmm.
Hey Nathan! Say whiskey!
Man. That dude is going to break some hearts one day.
OK Emily! Your turn!
Um, Mommy? I can’t talk. And If I could, are you sure you want your baby girl shouting “whiskey”?
Good point. Why don’t you just sit there and look sweet?
Well done, baby girl.
I also took a few photos from around the yard. We have a wood-burning furnace and Matthew has been hard at work getting us stocked up with split wood.
I don’t know why, but I like that shot. Matthew does too; he wants me to hang it on the wall. Your wish is my command, “Santa”.
Despite the bitterly cold nights, some of our wild flowers are still living.
I would have shriveled up and died by now.
(For you Foto Friday lovers (All three of you), am stumped as to what to cover this week. There are way too many things I could cover. I would love some questions/suggestions from the people who are really interested.)
It is another beautiful day here, and we have yet to take a photo of Miss Emily in her costume. I am helping out at Graham’s Kindergarten costume party (unbearable cuteness). Then there are the pumpkins that need carving. I am sure that I will fill my memory card yet again. Keep your eyes peeled either here or on Flickr (or both).
Whiskey! (Hee!)
YAY! Numero uno. Your little girl has got cuteness down pat. I’m gonna try that Whiskey thing. I have to admit I take more pictures inside … but that’s because there was a bear living in our back yard … but now we moved … so I”m out of excuses.
YAY FOR FOTO FRIDAYS!!!!!
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What about extra lenses? What are some good suggestions? And angles, gosh I’m horrible at angles.
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Jen! A bear! GEEZ!
I got married in Lake Tahoe, CA. And there was a black bear on the loose near our lodge. When our guests checked in they got a “crash course on bear safety.” And when my MOH’s boyfriend cracked a joke about the bear, the frontdesk guy said, “We don’t joke about bears.” So, I’m always tempted to say, re: bears, “Bears are no joke.”
I’m glad you’ve moved!
(And Ang, your kids–as always–just melt me. You are not helping this itch I have to be a mama.)
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beautiful photos..as i sit here reading, i actually said “whisky” out loud! hee hee
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Graham totally looks like he’s up to something. It’s the eyebrow.
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My grandfather always says to say “boobie” (or is it “booby? I guess I never actually spelled it out before) when he takes pictures. So all of the pictures taken by him are of my grandmother blushing, my brother and I snickering (yes, we still snicker at words like that), and every one else with an open-eyed, “O” mouth expression as they say the word. I’d stick with “whiskey” if I were you–the pictures of your children turned out much better than the ones of my crazy family.
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I just got the 430EX for my b-day after years of using an ancient vivitar one (the light is very harsh) and all I can say is it rocks and you won’t be disappointed. It actually looks really natural! And thanks for the Whiskey tip — I am so going to use that!
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Ha! I laughed out loud at the one of Graham and then of Nathan and then your comment about Emily. Tee hee.
You funny!
and I could not live without my flash. We live indoors for most of the year
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The flash will definitely make a difference. After I got my 430 EX (an early christmas gift to me!), I got the pictures I’ve been wanting to take all along.
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I agree with you about taking less pictures in the fall/winter. I take every chance I get to take pictures when the weather is nice in those seasons.
That picture of Graham is awesome! What a face!
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For older subjects, get them to say “sex”. They usually grin at that.
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great pics, Angella!
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LOVE that photo of Nathan….and the gleam in Graham’s eyes
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great pics! will have to try out your whiskey idea. Thanks!
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I have heard of the “fuzzy pickles” but not the “whiskey”. I promised our kids no more posing pictures until Christmas (although we only do a family shot in the fall and Christmas, but that is enough for our kids) Your kids are very photogenic. I may look into the Lightroom. I am liking PSP though and have a tough time learning a new program.
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My kids always say “Monkeys!” instead of “cheese” and I like the resulting smiles.
The photos of the kids are fantastic, as always. I really love the photo of the wood & the axe as well.
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I soooooooooooooooooooo want that software.
That and a lens baby … and … and…
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I’d like to know how to make sure I’m focused on the right thing – ie my kid, not the couch behind her. And even more specifically, maybe her eyes, more than the rest of her face. Any suggestions?
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I’ve heard the whiskey thing too. Usually the people I’m taking pictures of are in the over 18 age group, so it’s a little more natural for them.
As for Foto Friday, I second the angles/composition suggestion. And what about exposure histograms? That’s something I’ve wanted to learn about for awhile. You’re so good to us! =)
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Great pictures!
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I think you could have a secondary career in photography. Gorgeous captures.
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Hi Angella! This is my second comment ever on your blog (i de-lurked on your de-lurking post). I just wanted to say, nice pictures! and your kids are extremely cute! i really love the first picture of Emily. so adorable!
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Love the pictures as usual! I like the “whisky” idea – I have to admit I said it too, just to see if it worked! I’m still catching up from previous weeks, but I like the idea mentioned above about the angels etc.
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First time de-lurking
Anyway, love photo posts as I just got my first DSLR and am loving learning how to use it. Your blog has helped.
Repeating some of the above, but I would like to see posts on different lenses, exposure histograms and what is your procedure for downloading, storing and backing up your pictures?
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an external flash makes all the difference. We have an older version, bought in 2002 for us to use at our wedding (proof: http://www.spiritofplace.com/wedding/photos/grant/camera_grant.jpg) and it really does make indoor pictures gorgeous. Also pick up one of the diffusers (the little white plastic things) for shots where there isn’t a light ceiling to bounce the flash off of.
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The blue in that photo is so incredibly vivid!!! Beautiful. I need to get an external flash myself…I took some Halloween photos and a lot of them didn’t turn out so well – they were inside, obviously – and I only used the flash that came on the camera itself…
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