I ♥ Faces: Babies

It’s all about babies this week at I ♥ Faces!




I haven't participated in one of their weekly challenges for quite a while...

but when I saw the theme was "babies" I knew I wanted to play!

I have a TON of favorite baby shots!!

So, to narrow it down, I just decided to do one of my most recent. 

One of my beautiful little clients, Ansley Jane...

celebrating her six-month milestone.

 {Ansley is the daughter of Zach & Melissa}

Go over to I ♥ Faces and enter your favorite baby shot!

For Mamo...

I'm excited I could win this one, in honor of my Mamo!
My entry placed third this week at I ♥ Faces
(out of 369 wonderful entries)

Thank you to Rebekah Hood, this weeks guest photographer judge.
Head over to I ♥ Faces to check out all of this weeks' winners!

I ♥ Faces "Pink Week"

It is {PINK} week at I ♥ Faces:honoring breast cancer awareness month.

Although I would love to have a face in my photo entry...this week, it was not a requirement.

I took this photo last week on the 9th Street bridge in Winfield.

According to the Winfield Daily Courier, USDA members hung the bras a couple weeks ago as part of a Bridging Awareness with 'Bras for the Cause' event. Over 600 bras from all over Kansas were donated and hung on the bridge by a local breast cancer survivor and her friends.

I am dedicating this weeks photo to my Grandma Patsy (Mamo). She is currently fighting breast cancer for the second time in her life. Mamo is a beautiful, spunky and strong woman, with a lot of courage. Please say a little prayer for her, and everyone who suffers from this horrible disease.

To learn more, or make a donation in honor/memory of someone you love...
visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure

just braggin'

Braggin' on my adorable Little Bear! I just went over to I ♥ Faces to check out the winners for the {Week 40 "Excited!"} photo contest. He wasn't one of the top 10 winners chosen by this weeks' judge, but I was EXCITED to see that Barrett's pictures was chosen as one of Angie & Amy's "picks."

Each week Angie & Amy (the I ♥ Faces Co-Founders) showcase a few photos that caught their eye!
THANKS!! We'll keep entering :)

I ♥ Faces::Excited!

This week's I ♥ Faces Theme is "Excited!"



This is the expression I got while trying to take a sweet {posed} photo of Barrett with his Monkey.
Problem is...he demanded that George be in the picture too,
and anytime he's got George, he's EXCITED!! I think it shows.

I love this picture. The emotion is so {REAL}!

Head over to I ♥ Faces and enter one of YOUR photos in this week's challenge!

I {heart} Faces: Back to School

I'm participating in another Challenge at I {heart} Faces...
Week 35: "Back to School" Photo Challenge

I didn't sleep well last Thursday night. I was nervous and my belly hurt.

Friday morning would be Barrett's first day at Kid's Day In (KDI). KDI is a half day, Christian based child care program that takes place every Friday from 9am-1pm at our church. It is for children ages six months to five years. The children get to participate in crafts, music, Bible stories, recreation and interaction with other kids. The mommies get to enjoy a little time for themselves.

Barrett looked like such a sweet little school boy, standing outside the back door with his lunch bag. My heart ached at the thought of leaving him...but I did it. More pictures, and the story of how that went later.

Go check some of the other "Back to School" photos and enter your own!

"Before & After" Challenge

This week at I {heart} Faces, the challenge is to take a look back at how far your own photography has come!

It wasn't too hard for me to find some "not so wonderful" BEFORE shots...
These were both taken of my son, with my Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot. It's a good little camera, but I didn't really know anything about composition and settings at that point, so I just used it for it's "point and shoot" ease!

February 2008: Photos were usually blurry, a camera shake error by the operator. I always used a direct, harsh flash. Something I've since learned not to do, in order to get a natural picture. Last but not least, the only photo editing trick I knew at the time, since all I had was the photo editing software that came with my camera...I made it either black and white or sepia! Wowee!!

August 2008: First...I can't believe this sweet little toothless face was captured a year ago! Again with the harsh flash!! Totally washes out his face and makes a horrible shadow behind his head. Eyes are out of focus, and guess what...it's black and white! Ooooo, Ahhhh!

My AFTER shots were taken this month, August 2009. I have had my Canon Rebel Xsi since March 2009, and I primarily use the EF 50mm 1.8 lens. I love it, but would love to add a few more to my collection in the near future! I've had a slow August for client sessions, so these are from just last week.

Eyes in focus, and love the Bokeh background! Pure, rich colors at a perspective that's not just straight-on.


Another fun perspective, with focus on the eyes. I used the Pioneer Woman's action set II: Seventies on this image, along with some sharpening and contrast adjustments.

Had to throw this one in there, because it is in the "black and white or sepia" category I used in my before shoots. The difference is I've adjusted the curves in this one, to give some contrast and make the subjects pop.

I'm adding this last one (taken in March 2009) Just to show example of an in indoor shot. If you're photographing inside (with a point-and-shoot or SLR), find a spot with great natural light, and turn that flash OFF! This shot of Barrett was taken in my entry way, right in front of the door, so I had lots of natural light right on him. I happen to LOVE it, because his eyes are the first thing I see!


These comments are all just my own personal opinion on my images and progress :) I like to think I've improved over the last year...but I still have a long way to go! Head on over and enter your own before and afters!