1/200 at f/8, ISO 400

Head over to my other blog, Serendipity Mommy, where starting Monday June 14th, I am giving away tons of prizes including a tent just like the one above!!

My first ever moon picture that actually turned out!

f/9 at 1/25 105 mm. handheld

You can view the story behind the photo HERE!

….and I got a 4.o in photography class! My particular instructor is known for being very picky in his grading too. In all I did very well with every photo I turned in through the whole semester but I didn’t do very well on the midterm and final. The photos are what got me the 4.0 though. I am still proud!

What did I learn this semester? I went from using AUTO to using full manual and shooting in RAW. I learned that less is more when it comes to trying to fix a photo. I was always the type to shoot and not use Photoshop. Not because I don’t know how but because I just like to try getting the shot near perfect in camera.

I also learned that I want to be a macro/closeup photographer of food and nature. I don’t like people and animals, they move. I very much love trying new ways to capture things. I like the abstract too. I like it when people are like, what is it?

I did flowers for my final project. I love the last one. I know a lot of you have been waiting a while to see them so here they are!

All photos used the Vivid 2 action from Coffee Shop!

What spurred my desire to even begin photography? To be honest it was scrapbooking in the late 90’s after my first son was born. The photographs they used in the layouts were so amazing. I never had a nice camera. I didn’t even own a 35 mm film camera until closer to 2002. I always longed to have a nice camera!

Hubby’s sister happened to be a part time photographer out of her house. I still wasn’t all that interested in her camera as it seemed so complicated. Years went by and she eventually got her own studio. She is in Rockford, MI and her studio is Wise Photography. I learned a lot of things from her. It wasn’t until I borrowed a real nice digital camera that I found out I had an eye for photography. To date this photo is my favorite from that camera, A Sony Cybershot. May it rest in peace.

When the question came to get my own dSLR I never ever had the thought of mind to be a professional photographer with a business. I have firsthand knowlegde of the stress that comes with it and I am not built to take that on AND be a mom. I just can’t do it. I simply wanted to take amazing photos. And that remains my goal.

Upgrading to the d90 came for a few reasons. One was my other blog, I really needed more megapixels (the Nikon d50 has 6 mp, the d90 has 12) because I sometimes work with printing companies and they do large poster prints. Another was that I had to have more speed because my youngest became a toddler and with him walking, wait no..make that running, I needed that speed. I needed a faster processor. I needed more.

But what could justify the cost considering its not for a business? We are talking slapping down $1k+ for the Nikon d90 with lens, and for sure an extended warranty etc. If I were paying that much I definitely wanted to protect. Is it too much camera for someone who is not a pro? Yes and No. This camera came with an auto mode so a beginner can use it but also all the custom settings. But because I made a leap into finally getting a really good dSLR, it was time to learn how to use it. Because honestly I don’t trust a machine to pick the right settings and thats what auto does on cameras. I wanted manual control. I have it now!

What is in my future? I could go into paid gigs because my camera could definitely handle it. I think my future is going to hold stock photography. Hopefully in the food area. I love cooking and I love taking photos of food. I still have the passion for photography that I had when I was 10 years younger, but now its a hobby. Life and college take up so much time and blogging as well. But I strive to learn more and more about photography. That is my goal. To learn. And share with my readers!

I really don’t understand what happened. I was extremely confident coming out of the exam, though maybe I missed a couple things but I did horrible. Like under 70% horrible. I looked up my grade online tonight but I don’t have class until tomorrow. He will then hand back the tests and then I guess I will know what I did wrong. And I am extremely curious what I got wrong. I guess I am hoping he made a mistake in the grades he put online because it doesn’t make sense. The exam wasn’t that hard. And knowing me and my performance anxiety, I probably missed a bunch of multiple choice questions.

At any rate I am fairly certain I will have to take math in summer school. I am not doing well in biology and hoped to pull a 4.0 in photography. There is still plenty of time to bring my grade up but for today I am upset about it!

Well, today was the midterm. We started class normally. I totally screwed up on my assignment of equivalent exposures. More on that another time! But we also did a shallow depth of field assignment and I did well on it. Shallow depth of field is where the subject is sharp and the background is blurry I think I did ok on the exam. The grades aren’t up just yet. I do ok on the fundamentals its the math part that trips me up (no surprise there, if you read my other blog you know I don’t do well with math!). But overall I think its okay. I have a couple things I need to redo because I am capable of doing better. I would love a 4.0 in this class!

My daughter is turning 7 on Saturday so I will be busy but I will leave you with a couple photos!

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine,—Sellers Publishing is excited to announce the exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with internationally acclaimed photographers Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden. Tracy and Kelley, who are also sisters, are quickly becoming leaders in the fastest growing new genre of studio photography: newborn baby portraiture. The public can now see for themselves with SLEEPING BEAUTIES: NEWBORNS IN DREAMLAND (Sellers Publishing; April 2010; Hardcover; $29.95)

“What makes Tracy and Kelley’s photography unique is that most of their subjects are only a few days old. In the past, studio portraits of babies usually weren’t taken until the babies were old enough to sit up by themselves. Now, more and more parents are opting to have professional portraits taken almost immediately after their children are born.

Another distinctive characteristic of their work is that most of the newborns they photograph are sleeping when their portraits are taken, and they use a minimum of props. This creates portraits that are as natural looking as they are profound, and this organic approach is one that is very much in sync with today’s trends.

Tracy and Kelley say the key to their technique is capturing the infants in the first month of their lives because after that they become more alert and outgoing. “Newborns are naturally very sleepy, and we ask the moms to get their bellies nice and full before arriving at the studio. We try to work towards natural, curly positions, like they are in the womb, and after the first hour or so when they get used to us positioning them, they are pretty easy to work with.” Their results are winning over the hearts of people everywhere.

My Review: This book is FANTASTIC. Its got so MANY delicious pictures of newborns sleeping. It is SO precious. And for almost every photo there is a saying or quote on the opposite page that goes along with babies and newborns. Its a perfect coffee table book and will get many awwwww’s from people looking at it. I can’t leave the book out because Aiden flocks right to it and he is a toddler tornado and will get excited when he sees the faces and may tear the pages. But he sure loves looking at the babies! Its a good sized book too, not small at all. My favorite parts? TWINS. This is absolute master of photographic perfection in the poses for these babies!

I am honored that I was able to view this wonderful book preview. Thanks so much Sellers Publishing for sending me this book. HUGE thumbs up!! Thank You Tracey and Kelley for taking such beautiful photographs!

Buy It: You can get more information on this book and order the calendar and accessories HERE

Get the book at Amazon!