Photo Tip #2

There are hundreds of photography sites online...you can google and take classes and get free tutorials all over the place...I just tell you this because I want you to know that it's out there...and I am by no means an expert. 

I thought I'd just share tiny tips that I have used to just enhance my photos a bit here and there...

Here's a photoshop tip...if you have any Adobe photoshop Elements program, you can use this tip...the screens you'll see are from Photoshop Elements 7.0

Here's what I do to a number of my photos to make them pop a bit more...you'll often hear it referred to burned edges..

#1:  Open your picture in the program
#2:  go over to the layers palette and click on an adjustment layer.  It's the half black and white cirlce and scroll your mouse to the Brightness/contrast.  Once the sliders show up, you can slide your brightness and contrast to your liking...I normally just boost it a bit to make the colors pop, but not so much that you wash everyone out.

Adjustment layers are really neat because you can do things to photos without actually changing the image itself..you can also do an adjustment layer on the hue/saturation at this point if you wanted.  And, I may decide to after it's all said and done...maybe I want to make the pink sweatshirts POP...so I'd just choose my saturation slider and move it to the right until I get the color I like...

#3 Once you've gotten the brightness/contrast fixed to your liking...go ahead and choose another adjustment layer by clicking on that same circle, but choose levels this time. 

See that slider...get your arrow/mouse onto the middle triangle slider and move it to the right...keep going just a bit (not all the way to the right, but enough to darken the picture)

see how dark my picture got?

#4 Now, in your layers palette, you have 3 layers: the original picture, the brightness/contrast layer and now the levels layer....Take your arrow over to the gradient button in the tool bar.  Once you click on it, make sure that the gradient chosen is the middle light, with dark around all the edges of the square.  You'll see this at the top ofyour screen.  If all is chosen, take your new little gradient cursor and click it on the center of your picture and drag it to one corner...

What you'll notice in your layers palette now, is that the levels layer has this dark middle to it...what happened is that it "erased" some of the darkening...it basically lets the brightness shine through more and you get that dark edge look...

We're almost done...

#5 Finally..the gradient button does a great job, however, sometimes you need just a leeeeetle more brightness...sooo, first make sure that your top color chosen is black...it works opposite in this case:  black means erase, white means darken.. Then go and click on the brush...make sure you choose the soft brush and make it a fairly large size...then go and "color" on top of the faces....if you check your layers palette, you'll see that the levels layer will begin to get darker each time you "brush".  (FYI:  make sure that the levels layer is the one selected, otherwise you'll start "erasing" one of the other layers instead)

In the end you'll see just a subtle difference, but I like the depth it gives to photos...

Now you can just save your picture as a new name and TADA, you're finished!

I hope that all made sense...please let me know if you need any more clarification...it can be a little tricky starting out, but once you get just a few things under your belt, you start to experiment and it's just plain FUN!

Remember my Strong Willed Child?

Yes, she has a "quality" about her...it's an "aura" of: I'm in charge, I want it my way, and If I can't have it my way...you'll get this POUT and a very edgy, "NO" from me! She can be cute...don't get me wrong...how does that face not melt you?


But, when it comes down to trying to get her to take that stinkin' picture that I so desperately want...it's just not happenin' people...I can not win... Just call her little Miss Uncooperative.

Does she honestly think I don't "notice" that she's not there to just pick the beautiful grass? Does she think that I don't know that she's totally stalling because she doesn't want to take pictures Mommy!!! Yes well...here she is, being uncooperative again...

on second though, that's okay...I think I might just settle for this...cuz, who knows...maybe this is just what I was lookin' for all along...

I bit the bullet...

I bought this:

Because I like to do this:

A LOT!

And because I like to do this:

And, I guess sometimes, it's kinda, sorta, fun to do this:

In all seriousness, they are just too doggone cute and I just gotta have some way to set their little angelic faces in permanent memory!
It's a fun program...I've had 2.0 for a longgggggg time. I finally decided to switch it up because my volume of pictures is increasing every year...it's only a click of the mouse in PSE 7.0 which took me 4 or 5 steps to do with 2.0. I don't like change, it was a big move for me...but, one I hope I will continue to be happy with...

In other news...

The weekend was a blast! We ate, saw fireworks, ate some more, saw some more fireworks...went to a bounce house (absolute blast!)...went fishing

The girls got their own fishing poles and everything! Doesn't it look so peaceful...such a relaxing way to spend the afternoon? The joy of being together with our little family after such a hectic week of late nights, lots of food and people everywhere? Ahhhhhhh...breathe it in...



Yep...and then let me photograph reality:


Happy Independence Day...

Bring it On...

Crazy Week is officially OV-AH!!!

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more hectic…Saturday, after the wedding (see some of my fav shots below) we headed over to the neighbor’s house for a cookout/slip down the water slide with too many going at one time so that you tumble and start crying/get soaked in the left out in the sun for too many days, bug and grass infested wading pool/run around in the yard until you’re a sweaty mess/fire off way old firecrackers while plugging your ears near tears cuz the noise is just “too much”/go to bed way past your bedtime without taking a shower or bath because mom and dad are just too doggone tired to deal> relaxing evening.

But, that’s all done…fun was to be had…but it’s over now (lay a whisper, on my pillow, leave the winter on the ground…it musta been “Love” (read FUN), but it’s over now)… With all the MJ news lately, it’s got everyone remembering their 80’s childhood…It’s funny how things stick in your head…but, I digress…

So, we’re done with crazy week and ready to acclimate to some normalcy again! Of course, my house is quite the disaster…again, it’s amazing to me how 3 small children are able to wreak havoc in such a small amount of time. Who am I kidding, most of the mess comes from my “brilliant” ideas to store our new and freshly dug up produce, and shaving the dog (not at the same time mind you) But, I DID make a large mess, much to my husband’s chagrin…

And, well, that means my day is cut out for me from the start…it will begin in the laundry room and probably end there too…with bleaching, scouring, vacuuming, and other warm, household chores in the middle…but, compared to having to pack lunches, jump in the car, while making sure everyone has their shoes and has gone potty at least twice before we head out for a day of cousin fun…yeah, bring on the house baby!!! I’m there!!
Here are just a few pics from the wedding that I shot on Saturday and a few garden pictures…cuz you know, they go SOOOO well together!

I love her expression in this photo...

And now...for the garden pictures: We picked our potatoes...My Italian Stallion "swears" there were over 200 potatoes...I'm not sure that's "quite" accurate, but since he does most of the weeding, hauling of the dirt, washing of the produce...I'm just gonna humor him and let him think that we are our very own little potato factory!

The Five Senses of Summer