Playing with My Christmas Present
Luke and I don’t typically buy one another anything for Christmas because we have four kids and do I need to say anything else? So I was shocked when he took me on a date and told me he was buying me (us) a camera. I’d been wanting one for a long time that would be better for taking sports pics of the kids and so he got no argument from me whatsoever. I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut and jump on board when Daddy’s feeling generous.
I’ve taken almost 4000 pictures (really) but I will spare you and just pitch out a few that are my favorites in the first folder I’ve just started sorting through. (Speaking of sorting, if you are someone who takes lots of photos can you give me tips on the best programs for organizing, storing etc? I need to host them somewhere besides my server since my space is limited if that is even possible.)
If it appears I have lots more pictures of Sydney than anyone else it’s because she will stand still and let me use her for a guinea pig. In this first one I needed to warm her up. I won’t tell you what I said to make her laugh. It may or may not have included potty humor.
I absolutely love the colors in this one. I have no idea how I did it.
I have no idea what I did to this one of Elijah either but the vintage-y colors remind me of the Elf on the Shelf.
If Elijah is Happy Elf in the last photo, he’s Not Happy Elf in this one. This was the 411th time I had snapped his picture Christmas Day and he was over it. This is one of the only ones Sawyer will let me post of him because he doesn’t like his hair. He is a girl.
This background of Sam looks like Rivendell is off in the distance. Points if you know the reference. Trust me though, it isn’t a Rivendell over there. Those few scraggly trees are all that’s left of our woods. I will not be sad.
I’m not typically a fan of the blown-out look but this is straight from the camera and made Syd look so sunshine-y that I didn’t touch it.
Syd has a long way to go with throwing symbols and making thug faces. Translated, this one means, “Peace Out and Happy New Year”.
Oh my friend!! This was my birthday/Christmas/New Years/anniversary/Easter/St.Patricks Day (you get my point) present in 2009. My life has been changed forever. Don’t you just love taking great pictures?! We got ours for the same reason, wanting good sports photos of the kids, plus just in general great pictures of them now, since they’re only young once. What kind did you get?
Mine sort by date automatically in iPhoto. Then I label them by event and back them up on an external hard drive. I’m ashamed to tell you I’ve got over 50,000 pictures in iPhoto right now. How many have I printed, you ask? Maybe 300. (hangs head in shame) I do suggest deleting ones you won’t want later as you go… they do pile up on ya. I didn’t do this early on, and it was time consuming cleaning them all up later.
I’m soooo excited for you!! What a wonderful gift for y’all to give each other.
Happy New Year Lisa :)
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Now is when I regret not getting a mac when I had to buy a new laptop. And my camera is a Canon rebel t3i. And it will be my gift for years..haha. I really want to take a class so I can figure out how to really use it!
lavonda Reply:
January 3rd, 2012 at 12:33 am
Come over here for the day and we’ll take one together! I have the Canon 50D… have taught myself some, but there’s SO much I don’t know. They have lots of great classes offered around here. My friend took one up in Alpharetta recently and learned a TON in just a few hours.
(and because it’s worth mentioning, The Cheesecake Factory is also in Alpharetta.)
(Then again, I’m sure they have photography classes near Pappasitos too. Surely they do.)
Definitely get a lens filter for your lens… about $50-$70 but will protect it from scratches. I didn’t have one the first year, but got one this past summer, and love having the protection on it!
I just love these pictures!!! (especially the one taken in Rivendell lol)
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 8:54 pm
hahaa Brooke! thanks, ;)
Lisa your photos are fantastic. Be prepared to be addicted. The more I take pictures the more I want to learn and be better and get better equipment. I would suggest taking a class to learn the features of your dslr. Sometimes tech scoops or community colleges offer them. For extra storage you can purchase a drive that connects to the computer that will free up your memory, and will ensure you not losing the images when your current computer is outdated in a few years. (there is a more technical name for that driver thing, but I cannot think of it.). Finally I have fallen in love with Lightroom for editing my pics. You can find it half price every couple months so don’t pay full price for it, but it is really great, and there are a lot of free places to learn how to use it. Find a photog friend and ask tons of questions. You’ll pick up quickly. You have a great natural eye, and soon you’ll know how you got those great results. Love you