52 Weeks of Me

Selfie was included in the dictionary this year. That is not a word I would ever say out loud, but in text it's not nearly as annoying.

Last week I decided to do 52 weeks of photos of my kids. After talking to a friend the other day, I realized that I didn't have very many photos of myself. So now I'm challenging myself to do a photo of myself each week in addition to the photos of the boys. The ones of me will most often just be cell phone photos, I can't get myself in my big camera without help and five year olds aren't the best with a camera.

Week One

While perusing the internet today, mostly by chance actually, I found a blog that was doing a 52 week challenge. In an effort to both post on a regular basis and take more photos of my kids, I'm going to post photos of them weekly. Some weeks it will be more posed shots, some weeks just fun stuff. Today it's just them being silly boys in mommy's bed.

Need Help Picking!

So, if you'll remember, I ordered a canvas for a picture of Archer and I. Well, I took a picture of Archer and Chance with the hopes of having one framed or made into a canvas. Which one do you like best?

#1

#2

#3

Anniversary Chronicles

If you'll remember, my ten year anniversary (since dating) was last month. Chance and I (well, mostly just I) decided to take a picture of just the two of us every year around our anniversary. I thought it would be a fun way of measuring the years.

So, we took this picture.

Well as I was recently going through my photos and organzing them on my computer I found a random picture in my phone from the same time last year. We actually took a picture of just the two of us, both dressed nicely, on the exact same day the previous year. Apparently I must have thought about taking an anniversary pic that year too and just forgot? Who knows, but it's most definitely a tradition I'm starting.

How about you? Any traditions for your anniversary? Any you want to start?

Photoshop Fun

I took Archer out in the beautiful sunshine today to snap a few quick pictures. I love the effect of the spring and summer sun in pictures. Well today, I wanted to do something kind of fun, but he wouldn't sit too still. We ended up with this.

To which I first edited into this. Basic reverse black and white, created with the reverse b/w tool in Photoshop Elements 9.

Then I wanted to do even more, so I played around with the hue and saturation of the image in quick editing, also PSE 9. 

Both of these turned out cute! I'm thinking of doing a collage print, Andy Warhol style. 

Chance bought me PSE 9 for my anniversary gift, so I'm learning my way through it. If you have any tips, please feel free to let me know. I've looked a few up on youtube and found how to brighten the eyes, but that's basically the extent of my knowledge.

Photograpy Note

If you have a DSLR camera, you probably already know that the awesome weather I've been having here in Oklahoma (minus the lack of rain and the windy wind) is perfect for the taking of photos. The lighting is perfect most of the day and best in the warm evenings. The color of the green grass and blue sky just set everything off. I love this time of year.

Photo Update

I'm needing to brag a little about my fantastic camera, lenses, and the subject. I took these last month and just love them!

Archer's Photo-Blog Debut

Check out Brooke Turney Photography in the sidebar over there ------>

She just posted a blog of Arch's pics!

Big boy picture!

One of my new favorite pictures!!



I got the idea from my aunt, but when she went on photobucket, she used the paint tool, not the black and white tool.

Props to take?

We are going next week to take Archer's 1 year pics, and some of our family.

There are a few things I know I want to take:

Teddy Bear
Dump Truck
My old tricycle

A few things I'm thinking about:
Wagon

I need some more ideas. The pics will be outside in the evening at the park where we had his bday party.

My favorite kind of pictures

After taking and viewing over 500 pictures this weekend, I have decided I have a favorite type.

I love closely cropped pictures that are zoomed directly to the face, the kind where the whole face isn't visible. I took a ton of pictures of Archer and my sister's SIL is a photographer and took some pictures of my neice that I love.

Here is the pic of my neice that is my fave.

And here are some that I have taken of my cousins, neice and nephew: