I Heart Faces - Before & After

When it comes to photography, I’m ashamed to say it…I’m a very slow learner.  My first experience with digital photography came at the end of 1999 when I decided to sell some of my clothes on eBay.  With my film camera, I took a picture of each item and headed off to the store to get the pictures put on CD.  Turns out, you can’t get the CD without buying prints too.  In the midst of this, the eBay bug hit me.  Putting 2 and 2 together, it became clear that I needed to get one of those new-fangled digital cameras.

 

Even back then, I was big into researching cameras so I bought a low-budget, best-in-its-class Polaroid brand digital camera that produced pictures a whopping 640x480!    I remember taking pictures of things like jeans, and it produced lovely rainbow colors in the denim pattern.  When I wasn’t taking pictures of eBay items, though, I soon discovered the addiction that is digital photography.  After all, you can take a gazillion pictures until you find one you love. 

 

Eventually, I tried to print some pictures taken with that camera.  If I cropped the photo at all, the pictures were too small to print properly even on a 4x6.  Off I went to buy an Epson camera, and the Polaroid was sold on eBay.  :)

 

I was an addicted photographer.  (Absolutely clueless, but passionate nonetheless.)  Soon I was dubbed the “family photographer”.  Nieces and nephews ran away upon my arrival. 

 

I really thought I was good.  With my interest in photography still growing, I moved on to the Canon G1.  (Cutting edge stuff, folks!)  I researched extensively trying to get the best camera out there.  I paid a whopping $800+ for that thing.  I knew it had manual controls, but had no clue what that meant.  I just wanted the best.  Auto with flash was my most common setting, never anything on the manual side of the dial.

 

And this is where I stayed, taking mediocre pictures….one after the other.  I committed every photography sin there was.

 

Sin #1 – Center every single shot shot.  That’s what composure is all about, baby!

 

 

Sin #2 – Make sure that your subject always faces you head on. (like a dear in a headlight)

 

Sin #3 – Flash, always flash.  Natural light?  Never heard of it!  Shadow monsters are da bomb!

Sin #4 -  Use the preset B&W.  Who wants contrast?

Sin #5 -  Be on the outside looking in.  You wouldn’t want to get close and personal.

 

Sin #6 -   Take photos in direct sunlight.  Those harsh shadows just help create a mood. 

 

Sin #7 -  Backlighting.  Huh?  What’s that?

 

Sin #8 – Kill the picture in your photo editing program.  Vignettes are groovy in any color.  Must.have.one.for.every.picture!

 

Eventually (I’ll get to this in a bit), my skills started to improve, but that led to sin #9.

 

Sin #9 – If you have a lens with a wide aperture, you must always, always have that aperture wide open. (Never mind that one eye is always fuzzy.) 

 

Sin #10 -  Ignore white balance.  What is that anyway?

 

Sin #11 -  Clutter and pop cans in the background are great.  It just makes things more “real”.

 

Sin #12 -   Look up here!  It will never occur to me to get on your level.  What a concept that would be for me, as the photographer, to move!

 

Sin #13 – Automatic is the best choice.  It will figure everything out for me.  If someone has a cool picture, well, they must have doctored it in Photoshop.

(Little history…Allison, a friend of my sister and I, got into photography well before we did.  I started to notice the beautiful bokeh in her photos.  It was killing me to know how she did it.  Since I never had achieved that look with my camera, I assumed she doctored it.  I actually tried to “doctor” a photo of mine and the result is pretty hilarious, even though I thought it was right-on at the time!  Allison later shared a bit about aperture with us, but it sounded like rocket science to me.)

 

 

Sin #14 -  Create amputees everywhere you go.  (And, while you’re at it, totally be oblivious to red slides and the horrendous pink tone they reflect on a face.)

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Oh my goodness!  If I kept thinking about it, I’m sure I could think of a hundred sins.  Luckily, I am no longer stagnant in my photography.  What roused me out of my stupor? 

 

Who else?  My sister, Angie. 

 

It all started when she began taking better pictures than me!  Ya, that’s right.  Angie started outdoing the family photographer.  In fact, my family started referring to her as the “family photographer”.   (Oh, the injustice!)  Luckily, family rivalry can be a good thing.

 

In the midst of this, my sister, who never does anything small, dreamed up I ♥ Faces.  Not only are we sisters but also best friends, so any project of hers becomes my passion too.  By the time I ♥ Faces became a reality, my photography was improving on a much quicker pace.

 

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Here’s some advice based on what I have learned in the past year:

 

1.  If your blogging template isn’t showcasing your photos, change it.  (I have a tutorial at the top of the page that can help out with that.  It’s also on I ♥ Faces.)  And I’ll also mention for the umpteenth time, the free software LiveWriter is awesome!

 

2.  Use the Rule of Thirds (and once you learn it, it’s okay to break it sometimes)

 

 

3.  Try different viewpoints.  Head on is okay, but sometimes a different angle will be even better!

 

 

4.  Learn about metering.  It can save an unavoidable backlighting situation.

 

5.  Not all B&W conversions are created equal.

 

 

(The first is Element’s default B&W.  The second uses a gradient map layer with a slight amount of chocolate tint.)

 

 

 

6.  Move!  Try different angles.  Get on the ground and look up.  Get up above and look down.  Circle your victim like he’s your prey. :) 

Move…move…move!

 

 

 

7.  If at all possible, use natural light.  If the lighting stinks and can’t be changed…if your aperture is wide open, your ISO is way up and the photos still won’t work out, then use flash.  When I’m talking flash, I mean a diffused external flash.  Honestly, the one on the camera is close to worthless.  But, if it’s all you have, use it.  (Better some pictures, than no pictures.) 

 

In the meantime, stash that spare change away and buy a flash.  One thing I have found out since buying my external flash is that it gives you instant credibility.  I’ve had several people come up to me and mention what a nice camera I have and that I must be REALLY good.  I had the same camera up until I got the flash, and no one ever said that to me.  Something about that flash sends the coolness factor sky rocketing! 

 

BTW, fill flash can work great outside for getting rid of harsh shadows when the harsh lighting can’t be avoided.

(Taken with a softer, kinder flash)

 

 

 

8.  When you think you’re too close, get even closer!

 

9.  If you haven’t taken the leap yet, do it!  Buy a digital SLR and get yourself a great prime lens like the 50mm 1.4.  (A cheaper and really good alternative is the 50mm 1.8.)  You just can’t beat the beautiful bokeh it achieves!

 

10.  If you have a friend who is good at photography, pick his/her brain.  They can lead you right to what you’re looking for.  (As Allison did when I couldn’t figure out the fuzzy background dilemma.)

 

11.  Pay attention to focus.  Someone once gave me the hint to focus on the eyes.  I can change focus points now in my sleep.  It really makes a difference.

 

 

 

12.  Open shade is your friend.  Get your subject into a shaded area that is not blotchy.  Those eyes will pop!  What a difference location can make in a picture.  Harsh sun or blotchy shade ruin too many potentially good pictures.

 

13.  Better to use Photoshop with a light hand rather than a heavy hand.  I’m still guilty of forgetting this rule, but it is a great rule to keep in mind.

14.  Until you’re comfortable with the settings of your camera, take your photos in RAW as well as jpeg.  The RAW editor covers a multitude of “sins”.

 

15.  Clear the clutter!  I was at a birthday party the other day and there was a pop can right next to the boy’s cake.  Bossy me went up and moved the pop can.  When it’s that easy to clear the clutter, it’s a crime not to.  :)

 

16. Don’t forget that your telephoto lens can take some awesome close-ups.  If you don’t have a macro lens, a telephoto is the next best thing to choose for close ups.

 

 

 

17.  Devour any information you can get on photography.  I ♥ Faces is a great resource.  Google is awesome for locating information.  YouTube has tons of tutorial videos.  The library has photography books.   There are amazing photographers that show their work online.  Take it all in!  Instead of blaming your camera or lens, learn how to use it to its maximum capacity.  Even point and shoots can produce bokeh if manipulated correctly.  I’ve noticed a few complaints on I ♥ Faces that the playing field isn’t “level”.  I’m glad it isn’t.  With such phenomenal photographers contributing, the inspiration you can gain from the site (and thus improvement of your skills) is astounding. 

 

18.  Edit and save your photos in sRGB mode.  (sRGB works for printing too!)  If you find that your photos don’t look as vibrant as they did when you edited them, you are probably working in RGB mode.  There’s a tutorial on I ♥ Faces about this.

 

(The first is in RGB; the second is in sRGB.)

 

19.  Buy Photoshop and learn it.  Okay, I’m a bit biased there.  I own Elements, and it was the best $100 I’ve spent.  Yes, there are great free programs out there, but most of them come with a cost whether it be extra time getting to the things you want, lack of functions, having to upload pictures to an online site, etc.  To me, it’s worth it to invest a little in a photo program.  (Save money and buy an older version on eBay!) Did you know college students can buy one full version of Photoshop for around $200?  Know a college student?  Did you know that most could care less about owning their own copy and would be more than willing to pick one up for you?  I know, probably not “legal” but…

 

Before ever using actions, get to know the program.  I think it’s important to discover what the program can do before you start relying on actions.  I have some basic actions I use here and there, but mainly I use a levels adjustment, unsharp mask and very rarely brightness and contrast.  I’m working on learning color curves better. 

 

Once you start using actions, it’s important to know that most of the time, the opacity needs to be adjusted on each layer.

 

20.  Say goodbye to “cheese” forever!  Seriously.  I kind of get disappointed when I’m trying to photograph a child who has been “trained” to give an instant cheesy smile.  I’d much rather have a grouchy true expression than a forced smile any day!  I’m a candid kind of gal.  It brings me great joy to capture life as it happens.

 

21.  Calibrate your monitor.  Okay, I know nothing about this except that I know my monitor needs calibrated.  This is clearly evident to me because my prints do not always turn out like what I see on the screen.  If you’re going pro, I think this is a good investment to make.  If you don’t have a monitor calibrator and you are selling prints, pay a little extra to have a photo company color correct. Also, calibrate as best as you can using free online tools. 

 

22.  Practice any chance you get.  Go out on photography trips with your friends.  Do compare your photos with theirs with an attitude to learn from each other.

23.  Finally, don’t jump the gun.  Online, I’ve seen so many people go “pro” after just buying their first SLR camera.  A camera does not make a person a pro.  (Even though a pro does need a good camera.)  Experience, a critical eye and practice is what it takes. Those things take time.  

 

With all the advice I gave, do I think I’m a pro?    NO WAY! 

 

I have so far to go before I’d ever even venture into photography as a business.  I still make some of the same old mistakes.  My artistic eye for photography is nowhere near adequately developed.  There is so much to learn. 

 

If you decide to go pro, make sure the photos you are taking now will be ones you will still be proud of ten years down the road.  If you still have doubts or haven’t developed your knowledge of your camera, keep learning and save the business for later. 

 

Above all, remember:

I Heart Faces - Fix-It Friday - Beauty

(Original)

This photo was submitted for Constructive Feedback Friday by a super-cool (and gorgeous) mom of 7! Isn’t this photo absolutely beautiful? Whenever we have CFF, I can’t resist attempting to improve the photo or give it a different spin. This photo didn’t need improving, but it was fun to try anyway!

My response to the feedback request was this:

If I would have had the time, I probably would have made a muted color version. I just love the color of her dress and those beautiful flowers.

Yes, I’m being lazy.

I have gone back to school to get my Master’s degree. Between that and being a full-time teacher, oh my! I’ll get through it, but sadly, I don’t think I’ll be able to be online as much to visit blogs and post entries of my own. That makes me sad.

So how would you interpret this photo? I’m betting we’re going to see so many creative approaches. Go check it out at I ♥ Faces!

I Heart Faces - Nostalgia

It’s the first week of school, and I almost skipped this week’s challenge.  I just couldn’t bring myself to opt out, though.  I haven’t missed a week yet!  My original plan for a picture never panned out.  What I ended up doing was taking a quick look through some recent photos to see if any stirred up any memories in me.  This is what I chose:

 

It’s my baby…in blue.  Blue hold significance to me because, for some odd reason, that was the main color my mom dressed me in.  (She figured blue dresses with blue eyes.) 

 

Guess who got to wear red (and bragged about it all the time)?   

 

Do I even need to say it? 

 

Hint:  It’s the same brown-eyed sister who only let me be the backup singer when we were kids.

 

Even though I longed to wear red, blue is actually my favorite color.  Seeing it on my brown-eyed girl brings back those days as if they were yesterday. 

 

Despite what this story implies, my siblings and I actually had a blast growing up together.  

 

(I guess I can forgive Angie for being the stingy red dress monopolizer.)

 

Go check out the sweet and often tear-jerking entries at I ♥ Faces!

Workin’ on the railroad…

Recently, I was involved in my first real photo shoot.  It was a lot of fun and great practice.  My friend Kim’s beautiful daughter, Alisha,  was our main model.  My nieces, Weslea and Caryn, also were along for some great photo-ops.    Alisha’s boyfriend came in handy for getting people on and off the train car, as well as joining Alisha for a few shots.  Since Kim and my sister Angie were also there taking pictures, we all agreed to wait until today to post our pictures.  It will be interesting to see how three different photographers interpret the same subject and setting.

 

The photos were all taken near my in-laws’ house.  Ever since the economy went sour, there has been a huge line of train cars kept on one of the tracks.  Lucky for us, they provided a great backdrop for our pictures.  Don’t worry, we even got permission from some of the guys who work for the railroad.

 

I have a gazillion pictures.  Prepare for photo overload!  (You might find this hard to believe, but I really pared it down.)  I tried to represent several different photo processing techniques.   Hope you enjoy!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

    

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

   

 

    

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fix-it Friday #25

(Original)

 

I love that we got an older child this week to work with.  This photo provides a challenge because since it is such a close crop, it’s harder to get creative with it.

 

The most immediate needs I saw for fixin’ was underexposure and red tones in the skin.

 

As usual, I first made basic adjustments in the RAW editor.

After making adjustments in RAW, I noticed that something I did seemed to accentuate blues and greens in his hair.  (Not what I was going for!)  I made an attempt to fix this by using a hue adjustment layer.  I chose the blue channel, took a sample from the hair with the eyedropper tool and attempted to lighten it.   It didn’t work very well, but it did lead me to thinking about what would happen if I changed the layer style from “Normal” to something else.  I finally settled on “Overlay.”

 

I thought it gave the photo a fun, edgy look.  There were still some reds to deal with (particularly in the corners of the eyes), so I did another hue adjustment layer, this time dealing with the red channel.  I painted back the color into the lips using the layers mask attached to the hue adjustment layer.

With the overlay effect, the eyes took on a somewhat unrealistic color, but I thought it was fun and unique.  I used the Julie Rivera method for touching up the eyes.

The change is very subtle.

 

I then cropped the photo at a tilt and reduced the noise.

 

I then added a curled border made by Kate Pertiet from Designer Digitals.

After that, I made a scrapbook page using papers and elements from a digital scrapbooking kit called “No Limits” from Michelle Underwood.

Day 1 of our vacation

I’m finally attempting to post some of our vacation pictures.  (Yes, we actually went somewhere other than Strasburg.)

 

Two days before our vacation, I got a call from the doctor’s office reminding us of Jordyn’s well-child visit.  Only problem was that we were supposed to leave for vacation before the appointment.  They very kindly rescheduled for earlier in the day. 

 

If anyone cares to know, Jordyn is now officially 25 pounds.  (Nathan was that at 11 months.)  She was 90th percentile for height, 75th for weight and off the charts for head size.    When the doctor told me that, I said something like, “That’s okay.  I have a big head.”    The doctor quickly agreed with me.  (A little humbling there)  She then went on to say that parents start freaking out if their child’s head is too big, and she’s looking at their big old noggins thinking What do you expect?  So, the doctor basically confirmed it.  I have a huge watermelon head.

 

Our vacation plan was to head across Pennsylvania, stopping at attractions along the way, until we ended up at my brother Jeff’s house.  Most everything went according to plan with slight adjustments along the way.

 

After Jordyn’s appointment, we headed to the Pittsburgh Zoo.  The last time Nathan went to the zoo, he was really too young to care.  This time, both Nathan and Ben really seemed to enjoy it.

 

As a crazy camera mom, I can’t seem to stop taking pictures.  I took picture after picture of animals, all the while thinking What am I going to do with these?    Since I have already posted several animal photos at my year in photos site, I’m just going to show our 4 favorites.

 

 

 

 

#1 - The Polar Bear

Wow!  The pictures do not do it justice, but this humongous polar bear swimming gracefully through the water was a site to behold.  Pittsburgh Zoo has a totally clear water tunnel that allows people to look up at the polar bears swimming.  There is also a site up above to interact more with the bears.  One of the bears was so social!  She was so fun to watch showing off.

(The tight quarters in the underwater tunnel convinced me that I “needed” a wide-angle lens.)

 

 

 

 

 

#2 - The Caterpillar

Nathan and Ben were in the stroller while Jordyn walked beside them.  (Hmmm…what’s wrong with this picture?) 

After taking this picture, I took a turn pushing the stroller.  Since we were going downhill, I thought it would be fun to let go of the stroller and freak Nathan out a bit.  (He gets very worried with my driving abilities.)  Suddenly, his mild protests changed to Stop the stroller now!  Nathan was determined to save the life of this little guy crossing our path:

 

Let me tell you, this Luna Moth caterpillar provided as much entertainment as any of the zoo exhibits.

 

 

 

 

 

#3 - Komodo Dragon

 

When we stopped by this exhibit, it was feeding time.  I warn you…these photos are GROSS!

The boys found this VERY entertaining.

 

 

 

 

 

#4 – The Monkeys

 

 

 

Oops, I’m sorry.  That’s my family.  :)

 

 

 

Out of all the cool animals and attractions at the zoo, guess what my kids’ favorite thing was?

 

 

 

 

It was so nice of the zoo to provide this free, fun ride that my kids went on over and over.

 

 

 

After we left the zoo, our plan was to go check out the Horseshoe Curves.  We got a bit sidetracked by a sign advertising train tunnels.

 

 

The kids got to see the inside of a caboose.

 

 

The guy in charge thought that a train would be coming by soon, so we stayed and watched for it.    

 

 

Can you sense the anticipation?

 

 

 

 

 

  We waited… 

 

…and waited…

 

 

  …and waited some more.

 

 

 

We never got to see the train, but we had fun just hanging out together.

I Heart Faces - Bubbles

After my whole bubble ideas post, you’d think I would have come up with something a lot more creative (and a little less gross) for this week’s challenge at I ♥ Faces.  Despite having ideas galore, up until this afternoon, I didn’t really have a photo.  Then Ben came and sat on my lap with a proud look on his face as he blew a big juicy bubble.  I looked at it as a sign, especially since he was willing to keep producing these lovely gems as I hurried to get my camera ready.

 

Before you call Social Services…yes, Ben has a black eye, and, no, we didn’t do it.  :)  His dear older brother threw the door back as they were chasing each other around the house, and poor little Ben got a shiner! 

Bubbles…

Are you stuck on what to do for this week’s theme for I ♥ Faces?

 

Not to worry…I have all kinds of ideas!

 

 

I’m sure these will be very popular for the bubble theme:

 

But, maybe you want to get crazy creative!

 

 

 

How about some champagne or soda bubbles?

 

 

 

 

Bubble wrap, anyone?  (Keep it clean, though, people!)

 

 

You haven’t forgotten about these haute couture, one-size fits all numbers, have you?

 

 

Maybe you have an underwater camera…

 

 

 

 

…or perhaps your kid lives IN a bubble.

 

 

 

 

Most of us have bubble gum on hand.

 

 

 

 

And, I’m sure Scrubbing Bubbles would make for a super exciting photo.

 

 

 

 

Bubble bath photos (of the kids, of course) are always fun.

 

 

 

We all know it’s oh-so-flattering to position our faces behind bubbles in an aquarium.

 

 

 

Could you possibly be lucky enough to snag a photo of Bubbles herself?

 

 

 

 

If all else fails, smack a speech bubble onto your photo.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t forget about these fine bubble chairs that I’m sure you all have hanging from your living room ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

I certainly see enough of these kinds of bubbles every day.

 

 

 

 

Last, but definitely not least, I hear there’s a famous Bubbles hanging out somewhere in Florida.

 

 

Oh,  I’m adding one more idea that I saw a participant use.

How could I forget a favorite childhood pastime? 

 

So, do share.

What ideas do you have for this week’s bubble theme?

ugh!

From about noon today until after 8 this evening, guess what I did.

 

HINT: 

 

Snap,

 

 

snap,

 

 

snap, snap, snap,

 

 

snap, snap,

 

snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap…

 

I’m not sure how many beans I snapped, but I can say there is some concern as to whether I’ll be able to move the fingers in my right hand to play piano at church tomorrow.  Yes, I know.  I’m typing just fine right now, but my hand does hurt.  (Get out the violins.)

 

Mark and Dale are still up cleaning, blanching and canning those suckers. 

 

While I snapped beans, Ben took a dirt shower…

 

Honestly…I actually caught Ben pouring dirt on top of his head.  I have no idea what goes through a boy’s mind. 

 

Looks like Jordyn was taking lessons from him, though.

They are both still in this muddy state because they fell asleep on the way home.  Tomorrow will definitely be a bath before church and clean sheets after church kind of day.

Never mind…I just looked at the clock.  Change that to TODAY. 

Fix-it Friday

(Original)

  (My fix)

 

The steps for my fix are on I ♥ Faces.  Go check it out, and then see all the great fixes that the many participants make.  Perhaps you’d even like to give it a go yourself? 

 

Just for the fun of it, here’s the entire poem from my fix it above:

 

I Remember, I Remember

I remember, I remember
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon
Nor brought too long a day;
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away.

I remember, I remember
The roses red and white,
The violets and the lily cups--
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,--
The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then
That is so heavy now,
The summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow.

I remember, I remember
The fir-trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from Heaven
Than when I was a boy.

~Thomas Hood

Tangible Memories

I have finally gotten around to putting my photo printer to good use.  Last night, I printed a ton of pictures.  Do you know how rarely I get photos printed?  Strange, I  know.  A  million photos on my hard drive, probably 1% of that in print. 

 

I bought a cheapo silver poster frame and made a photo collage out of some of the photos I printed.  My intention was to get it hung up in the kitchen before my teacher friends came over today.  That project didn’t get completed in time, so instead I stored it in the hallway. 

 

As I was cleaning, I kept hearing happy squeals and laughter from Jordyn.  It was so fun to discover her perched in front of the collage, the source of her delight.  She spent a good amount of time just staring at the photos (and calling Mark “ma-ma”).  Hmmm…

 

Later in the evening, all the kiddos enjoyed playing scavenger hunt with the photos.  (Ex.  Where’s Uncle Jeff?  Can you find a frog?  Which picture shows Ben running?)

 

If that’s not enough to persuade me to get around to printing my photos, I don’t know what will do the trick!

My Flower Girl

Well, she was my flower girl 10 years ago.  Now Jenna is “all grown up” and absolutely gorgeous.  My sister took her senior photos today.  Let me tell you…they are awesome! 

I didn’t even get to be a back-up shooter on this one.  Darn those kids of mine!  I did manage to snag a couple shots between monitoring the kids on the playground.  Since it was Angie’s shoot, I’m not going to post a bunch of pictures, but I did want to show at least one that I took.

Honestly, could this girl take a bad picture?  I don’t think it’s possible!  Just wait until you see the ones Angie took!

Our Vacation - Strasburg Trains

 

Are you ready for picture overload?  That’s what is coming your way!  We just got home from vacation yesterday, and I have tons of pictures waiting to make it to the blog.

 

One of the kids’ favorite activities was going to Strasburg, PA, to see tons of full size engines and train cars in the museum, and ride a real steam engine.

 

 

We made a pathetic attempt to take a photo of the kids all in one picture.  Yep, as usual, it just wasn’t happening.

 

 

We bought the package deal which included the museum, unlimited train rides, special trains for the kiddos and a day at Dutch Wonderland.  (Pictures of that will be coming later.)

 

 

 

 

The boys were too young to operate the pump car, so they rode and watched daddy do all the work.

 

 

 

The ride on a real steam engine was the absolute highlight of the day.  We ended up taking 2 trips (each one lasting an hour).

 

 

 

This is a typical photo that I’m getting of Nathan lately.  I either get “pretend the camera isn’t there” (that’s what is below), “cover my face with my hands”, or “run like crazy to get away from the camera”.  I much prefer Nathan to just pretend the camera isn’t there because when he does try to be cooperative and smile, I can’t even describe what a cheesy face he gives me.

  

 

 

 

 

Ben is getting a bit too old for the thumb sucking, but isn’t this cute?

 

This…not so much!

 

Along the way, we passed a caboose motel.

 

We also saw a few Amish.  (They were much more “modern” than the ones around here.)

 

   

 

When we got to the end of the line, the engine would travel to the other end of the train and then take us back.  It gave us a good opportunity to take a look at the steam engine.  We also saw an Amtrak train pass by.  You wouldn’t even believe how fast it was going.  You could blink and miss it.  Someone said that there are several crossings without lights.  Kind of scary considering the speeds of the trains traveling on those tracks.

 

 

 

Towards the end of our first ride on the train, the engineer stepped into our coach.   He then went out onto the platform.  The kids decided to head out there also.  As I was gathering our stuff to join them, I looked up and saw Nathan grab the engineer by the legs and give him a big hug.  I think it took the engineer by surprise, but he was so nice to Nathan.  It cracked me up because Nathan was so enthralled by him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jordyn even seemed to enjoy the ride.  I have to say, the lighting on the train was perfect for capturing her brown eyes.  Usually, Jordyn’s eyes look like big black holes, but on many of the pictures I took of her, the detail and color actually showed.  I’m thinking the coach provided that coveted “open shade”.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into one day on our vacation.  There will be more to come!

I Heart Faces - Silly Faces & Pets - Rule-Breaking Edition

Angie broke the rules.

 

So did Amy.

 

Guess what?  I’m going to go wild and crazy and break all the rules too!

 

(I can do that because, as a contributor, I can’t win.)

 

 

These silly pictures needed to go together as a group.  I mean, when your husband puts on “the charm”, how can you decide which is the most “devilishly handsome” photo out of the group?

 

My husband, Mark, likes to take a perfectly good photo moment and make it silly.  All I wanted him to do was pose with our daughter…you know, perfect father/daughter moment. 

 

My hubby immediately went into “Mark mode” and I got this:

 

 

 

  

 

But, you know what?  In the end, I got this:

I could have tried to pose them for hours and never have gotten this great interaction between the two. 

 

Yay for Mark being a goof ball!

 

 

Since we happened to be at the zoo while taking this pictures, I’ll also submit a photo of this cuddly, sweet creature below.

Don’t ya just want to take it home with you?

Fix It Friday #23

(Original)

 

 

(My version)

 

I’m on vacation this week, so I totally didn’t keep track of how I fixed this photo.  How inconsiderate of me! 

 

I couldn’t totally skip this week because this photo was taken by Erin, who I think is a wonderful blogger and photographer.   Plus, I haven’t missed a FIF yet!

Lucky Me!

I got to meet Rebeckah yesterday! 

When Mark and I started planning our vacation, we decided to head to NJ to visit my brother and sis-in-law.  Pennsylvania just happens to be sandwiched between Ohio and NJ.  And, in the great state of PA just happens to live one of my favorite bloggers ever! 

 

Our families met up and had a great time at the Please Touch Museum.  I got to hang with….

 

Kaishon…

…and Naji.

To top off a great day, I also got to meet another fabulous blogger…

 

Dot and her beautiful daughter.

I am just amazed at the connections I have made through blogging. I just loved how easy it was to talk to both of them.  My only wish is that I could have had more time to spend with them.  If it had worked out in our schedule, I think I might have even talked Rebeckah into finally using one of her lenses that has never even made it out of the box!

 

We totally need to have a blogging get-together! Can you even imagine how much fun that would be? 

 

Just to ensure that Becky would never forget me, I sent Kaishon and Naji home with remote-control fart machines.  I can’t tell you how many times Becky “thanked” me for my “generosity”.

 

Speaking of generous, Becky paid for our visit to the Please Touch Museum, and Dot bought all the kiddos treats at Cracker Barrel.  You really couldn’t meet two nicer gals!

So, Dot and Becky, I really enjoyed getting to know you more in person.  It was so much fun, and I hope we get to do this again!  All I have left to say is…

 

  Eat your heart out, Angie! 

 

(Angie really wanted to go, but a 7 hour trip was just a wee bit too much out of the way.)

I Heart Faces - Summer Theme

Better late than never, right?

 

I thought for this theme, I’d do a “quick” recap of this summer.

 

The first day of summer started with Ben getting a procedure done on his ear (to remove an ear tag).

 

 

Right after the procedure, we headed to Nathan’s graduation from preschool.

 

 

 

We’re finally on an actual vacation.  But until then, the kids….

 

Played on the slip-n-slide,

 

Rode the 4-wheelers,

 

Built train tracks,

 

 

Pounded on the piano,

 

 

Played at the playground,  

Avoided looking at mom’s camera as much as possible,

 

 

 

Swung on the tire swing,

 

 

 

Enjoyed the backyard sandbox…(and bringing all that sand into the house!)

 

 

…dirt was a favorite too…

 

They also fed ducks,

 

 

Caught frogs,   

 

Played at the lake,

 

 

Looked darn cute 24/7,

 

 

Hung out with cousins,

 

 

Spent lots of time with grandparents,

 

  

 

 

Finally gave up a tooth to the Tooth Fairy,

 

 

 

Picked and ate black raspberries,

 

 

Swam in our itty, bitty backyard pool…

 

 

 

 

I…

 

Spent time with friends,

 

Took pictures at VBS,

 

 

And shot a wedding as Angie’s “back-up”,

 

We all got to….

 

Hang out with family friends,

 

 

Have a splashin’ good time at Kalahari…

 

 

And spend time with family near and far…

  

 

 

Mark and I celebrated 10 years of wedded bliss…

…and he got me this sweet little video camera. 

 

Speaking of fun stuff, I also won a free bracelet from Agape Gems through Melinda’s website… (color version will be shown later)

 

…didn’t win this, but it’s another fun techie toy I picked up.  My underwater camera…

 

 

 

AND, NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN….

 

 

Ben learned how to go on the potty!!!

 

 

So, there you have it.  A little glimpse into our summer…all in black and white because that makes for a quick edit.  :)   (I am on vacation, after all!)

 

 

 

The End (for now)!

Leave of Absence

I think this might end up being the first time ever that I haven't gotten an I Heart Faces submission in. I have all my pictures ready to go for the "Summer Edition", but our hotel does not have Internet access in the room. Mark has a wireless card, but since it's for use only on his company computer, I'm very limited as to what I can do on it.

(I can't even check my e-mail...sob...sob.)


All that to say....

We're having a great time on our vacay in PA.

I miss my Internet, but I love paying low $$$ for a hotel. :)

........AND............

Pictures will be coming soon!