Sweet Shot Tuesday…On Monday ?

You know it’s not been a good day when you wife looks at you and says, “I guess I’m gonna have to contact your scheduler, and get on the calendar to have my photos taken”!  Oops!  Let’s just say I’ve dropped the ball on this one on more that one occasion.  So, this last weekend, she went out with 5 of her friends for tea.  Yes, they went to a “tea”, complete with crumpets, lacy dollies, and fine china.  Me, give me my tea in a mason jar and I’m cool :)

Anyway, I decided to surprise her and take some shots before she went.  Yes, I am a good husband after all !!!!  So here’s my “Sweet Shot Tuesday” entry for this week.  My wife, my love, and my partner in crime!  By the way, she’s the one that schedules all of my photo appointments.

Well, that’s it for this week’s Sweet Shot Tuesday.  I know it’s just Monday, but I’m getting a head start. 

So pop on over to Darcy’s place and check out the other sweet shots…on Tuesday!

Sweet Shot Tuesday 8/24/2010

And God said:

“This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Genesis 9:12-13 (New King James Version)

This is my Sweet Shot Tuesday for the week.  There is nothing sweeter than God’s promise.

Have a great day and hop over to Darcy's place and check out the other sweet shots!

 

I Heart Faces “Beach Fun”

It’s been a while, but I thought I would enter a photo once again in the I ♥ Faces weekly photo challenge.

This week’s topic, “Beach Fun”. 

This photo says it all. 

Last year I got to participate in an event my wife worked on in West Palm Beach, Florida.  One morning, we had some free time and decided to walk the beach.  Now all I want out of life is to keep my family safe, take care of their needs, and see my wife happy.  Well, this was one of those magical days.  Now she will not like this pic, simply because it was before her plastic surgery in December. 

But that’s ok, because I ♥ her, and I think she ♥’s me !

Head on over to I ♥ Faces and check out the other entries this week!  It definitely makes me want to head to the beach!

Just Another Tequila, I Mean Saturday Sunrise!

It’s pretty obvious…

I’m obsessed with sunrises! 

 

There is just something about that time of day that really fills my soul with life and energy. Think about it, without the sun, where would we be?  The ancients worshiped the sun--for good reason. Without the sun, this planet would be a pitch dark ball of ice doomed to wander the void of space without life or purpose.  I don’t know about you, but I want need purpose!

  

So, can you guess what I did this weekend?  That’s right, I met up with another photographer (Joe Bellino Photography) and his daughter to “lasso another sunrise” as George Bailey would say!

 

Sweet Shot Tuesday is what this is all about!  If you get a chance, head over to Life with 3 Boybarians and check out the other Sweet Shots! 

So, what’s yours, sweet shot that is?

Sweet Shot Tuesday 8/10/10

What shot do I want to use this week?  It gets harder and harder to choose my favorites.  I’m talking about which shot would be my sweet shot.  Well this week, it’s not a photo that I took.  I hope that’s legal anyway.

 

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of shooting with some really good photographers. Not only good photographers, but good friends I have found through photography.  These guys give of themselves every time we are together with their friendship, knowledge and just general support to this newbie camera hound.  I met them through the Nashville Photography Meet-up group, and they are awesome.

 

So, this weeks shot is not one of mine, but one Wendy C. took.  Wendy is a wedding photographer here in Nashville, and I’d recommend her anytime you need someone to document your special day.  She not only specializes in weddings, but senior shots, maternity and engagement. 

 

 

That’s right folks, that’s me! Wendy walked up behind me in the woods and said, “Don’t move”.  Geez, I thought there was a huge spider on my back, or a snake at my feet.  Then I realized it was Wendy, and she wouldn’t be telling me those things, she would be going the other way!  LOL!  Then all of the sudden, I heard the shutter click, and I knew what she was doing!

I hate having my photo taken, I’d rather be the one taking the picture, not in it.  But this was different. 

So, here’s my Sweet Shot for this Tuesday.  A Sweet Shot from a Sweet Friend…

Thanks Wendy!

And Today's Forecast, Sunny!

The other day I was working on Facebook.  OK, I was playing, do you feel better now?  Anyway, while I was playing, I noticed one of my friends was talking how she had committed to getting up early the following morn.  I immediately said it sounded as if she had a ”sunrise photo session” in the works.   Sure enough, she did!  Now, before we go any further, I suggest you head over to Megan's blog and read about last weekend’s excursion, and then you will understand a little more!  After a few post back and forth, she invited me to meet her and a few other local photographers to catch the sunrise.

After getting my directions and time to meet, I pulled up “The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE)”.  Now if you’ve never used this little gem, I suggest you do.  Especially if you shoot sunrises, sunsets, or just need to know when and where the sun will rise and set!  The good thing, it’s a freebie, and I’m all about freebies.

So, I’m ready for my weekly excursion to catch the sunrise.  Every time I make that statement, my mind races back to “It’s A Wonderful Life” when Jimmy Stewart ask Donna Read the following question: What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.  That’s what I feel like I’m doing, lassoing the sun and saving it for a rainy day.  Saving it for those moments when our mind races to those deep, dark places we all have.  I’ll just pop open a sunrise and life is good once again!  If it was only that simple!

  

I digress, or maybe I just have adult onset ADHD and I can’t focus.  Either way, this is me, and this is all you get!  Back to the sunrise.  Did you know that the sun comes up early?  Well it does.  I’m usually up for it anyway, so meeting at 5:00 a.m. is nothing for me, but for others…well I’ll just leave it at that!

 

Basically, I had a blast.  You see, I’m shooting sunrises most every weekend.  My thought process is this.  My family is still asleep,so I can go out, take photos, and not take any precious time away from the.  You see, working 2 jobs has it’s disadvantages.  You miss a lot of family time.  This way, I can still pursue something that gives me what I call “me time”, and still be there when the family  needs me!  Geez, it’s like having your cake and eating it too!  Did somebody say cake?  Dang, there’s that ADHD thing again.  OK, enough rambling and on to some more pics!

  

An important note on how Meagan found this place, or at least I found it important, yet funny in a way.  You see, I would have never stumbled onto this area.  When asked how she found it, I was told her  husband Googled “East facing boat ramps on Percy Priest Lake”.  You mean it’s that simple? WOW!

  Thanks Meagan, Wendy and Mark for sharing a very special morning with me!  I can’t wait to do it again.

Well, that’s it for today.  I’m sure I’ll be chasing more sunrises next week.  But between now and then, I’ll be Googlin Eastern facing boat ramps!  If you’re intersted, check out a devotional I wrote for my Church called “Chasing The Son”.

Fix It Friday Purple!

This weeks photo comes from Michelle Johnson over at My Two Seasons.  This is Michelle's lovely daughter, dressed in purple to go along with I ♥ Faces weekly challenge.  Can you guess what it is?  That’s right…purple!

Original photo downloaded from I ♥ Faces.

Lightroom 3 Edits

1) Corrected white balance using white balance eye dropper.

2) Used the adjustment brush to brighten and highlight the eyes, whiten the teeth, and give the lips a little saturations.

3) Pumped up the black slider to give a little oomph.

4) Punched up the clarity and vibrancy very little.

5) Used a trick from Matt Klowskowski.  Using the adjustment brush, set the brush size very large, turn off the auto mask, and take the exposure down at least one stop.  Paint over the entire photo.  Then switch to the eraser, make the adjustment brush smaller, about the size of the face, and then paint over the face.  This gives a very nice spot light effect on the face.

 

At this point in time, I switched over to Photoshop to run a few of my favorite actions.

Photoshop CS5 Edits

1)  Ran Pioneer Woman’s Sharpen This Action

2) Merge all visible layers and run Florabella Luxe Sapphire Action and reduced opacity of the group to 68%

3) Added Nichole Vans Chic Texture, blend mode to overlay at 32%

Photoshop CS5 Edits

1)  Ran Pioneer Woman’s Sharpen This Action

2) Ran Nichole Vans Essential Color Pop

Well, that’s about it!  As I was saving my work, I noticed that I had 38 Fix It Friday edits on my hard drive.  I know I have not uploaded all of them, but I still worked on them and learned!  I can’t write all the things I’ve learned from these Friday happenings!  T

Technorati Tags: Fix It Friday

o watch and observe how other people edit these photos, has taught me all that I know!  Angie and Amy, you guys are “Rock stars” in my opinion and I ♥ you ladies!

Well time to move on to the next project!  See ya’ll next week!  Same I ♥ Faces time, same I ♥ Faces channel!

Ciao!