Beautiful, Blissful, Natural Light

For those of you who live in this ever-changing weather crazed midwest America...you can sympathize with beautiful skies one day and horizontal rain the next...

The storms were brewin' last night...

I take that back...they were in full force...

Rain saturated our yard and the sun went into hiding...

So, you might wonder...why in the world would a photographer choose THIS day, of all days, to take pictures?

It might be the challenge of trying to find the natural light indoors when light is scarce...
It could be the calmness after the storm that is inspiring and enchanting...

Or it could just be both...

My youngest opted for a bright red sweater dress on this damp, over-chilled day...and I couldn't help but want to capture a bit of her personality.

As a lover of natural light, I knew it would be difficult to work around shadows and graininess that comes with a heightened ISO (come to the workshop to find out more about ISO:) but, I knew that today was a day that I didn't want to miss...

she had chosen her outfit...she had been asking questions about the puddles and rain outside all morning...

so, we took our place in the music room, where the most light tends to be let in and I was able to snap a few images that I know that I'll keep in my heart forever...




And even though I had a higher ISO, the graininess didn't bother me much...but if it did...I can always change the pics to black and white to give it a more dramatic flair!

Stop over at the facebook page to see some more "fun" things I did with these pictures...

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Moments

Isn't that what makes life so worthwhile?

Seeing the seemingly insignificant details and realizing that it's much more...

Life becomes that much more extraordinary when we notice the blessing of the ordinary...

I'm reading a book currently that is challenging me in so many ways...it's causing me to think and struggle

...and it's making me smile and remember.

There IS much to be thankful for...so often, I focus on the to-do list and the hurry of life...

things to do, people to see, lists to check off...

Photography has been such a tool in my focus on life...when I'm hurried and rushed and just getting by, my images of  life blur...I get a "cheesy" smile and it's over...onto the next thing...

But...

when it's purposeful...when I stop and really look...really see what's going on around me...there is so much more to take in...

There are countless moments to capture...to savor...to remember.



...whispers in ears
...kisses on cheeks
...jumping to see how high you can fly
...brothers "roughing" it up
...tired little feet to piggy back rides
...the look of  "I love you"



THIS is the type of image I want to capture...THIS is what makes my heart jump...These little moments that have their own story...that speak all alone...

I had such fun sifting through old photos of clients and seeing the memories that they allowed me to be apart of...

Thank you to all of them...for reminding me to keep my eyes open and search purposefully for the simple blessings of today!

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Getting out of Green (ya know...AUTO MODE)


Two weeks from today begins an opportunity to
* gain some confidence
* learn to savor moments of childhood
* explore new ways to "see" things
* discover tools to help you capture memories

March 5th from noon to 4pm...only 8 "moms" will have the opportunity to experience these things...will you be one of them?  This workshop, along with numerous freebies and savory treats, will not be offered again at this introductory price.  Take advantage of the opportunity now:)  There are still a couple of slots left!

See HERE for more details...

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Get out of GREEN


It's a shame really...Green is actually my favorite color...

But, in terms of photography, getting out of GREEN means saying NO to Auto Mode!!!

There's a little green box or green camera on your settings dial...most people just leave it there and take their pictures.  The problem, is that you probably bought your DSLR camera because you wanted to get better pictures...only to discover not much difference once you started shooting...why is that?

Well, even though auto mode works some of the time and it can be a great place to start...if you have invested the money into a DSLR, you probably are getting a good idea of what type of pictures you are attracted too...and they have something to do with the crispness, clarity, bokeh-blurry backgrounds, and countless other things that make an image POP!

So, if you've never owned an SLR camera before (meaning a big ole piece of equipment that is not a point and shoot camera)...all those settings can be intimidating!

I know...I've been there!

But, I also know how to break it down into everyday language and not the scientific mumbo-jumbo that gives some people the jitters!

My introductory workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 5th from noon to 4pm.  During this time we'll:


* de-mystify your camera by learning about all those settings that make an image come to life.
* discuss aperature, depth of field, shutter speed, ISO and how they correspond with the images you want.
* learn about lighting, how to locate and use the best light
* give some lens suggestions
* have some practice time along with some questions & answers
* edit and process photos in photoshop elements, learning some basic tips
* talk about composition and how to "tell the story" through your images

In your TAKE HOME you'll receive:

* an E-book with "cliff notes" of what we covered in class for you to print and keep in your camera bag for quick reference.
* a handmade, reversible camera strap slip cover to make you feel extra-special!
* friendships with other local "moms" who have a desire to capture their children's childhood.
* a FUN getaway afternoon in a relaxed and no-stress situation where you'll feel confident to try new things and expand your knowledge in order to become a better photographer AND "photo-journalist"!!!

ALL THIS FOR ONLY $55 !!!!!



CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU!!!

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LOVE Moments

It doesn't take much to show someone you love them!  When people say, "it's the thought that counts"...it really is true...

Communicating with others is not what you say, but what they hear...

Showcase the details of what you feel...of what you live, day in and day out...

Show love to others in simple ways...

And...don't forget to capture the memories so that you never forget!

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Workshop for Moms

EDIT: I have been notified of numerous scheduling conflicts...looking at returning to the original date of March 5th from noon to 4pm for the workshop...please email ctphotomemories@aol.com ifyou are interested and the new date/time works for you!

We've entered into this technology age...

Well, I suppose we've been here for awhile, but it just keeps getting better and better and seemingly more and more complicated...

We've switched from 8 tracks to cassettes to CDs to mp3 players to the ipod touch and more...

What started as film cameras to a simple digital point and shoot...now has gone to consumer ready digital SLR cameras...

And along this journey, our children are growing and changing and the moments are whipping past!

As a mom, I want to document my children's life...their many stages of childhood...

However, I don't want just the big, cheesy grin in front of a different number of candles each year...I want the MOMENTS...

Time keeps blurring by...childhood slips away...life seems so hurried...

I want to be caught up in the wonder of NOW...the seemingly small MOMENTS of today!

Over the past years of my experience in photography AND in just being a mom, I've learned just a few things that have helped me capture the tiny things that really are the BIG things in the scope of our journey in life...

I want to be able to help others that have that same passion to develop their skills at capturing memories...

See below for more information on the upcoming workshop that is being offered next month! 

We will discuss how to work this big, black piece of equipment and practice simple strategies to get the right "photo recipe"...we'll talk about photo tips that will help you see the story in the moment and then walk yourself through the steps to get the image that will capture it forever...we'll dive into photoshop and learn how to fix up the ones that we just didn't quite get right, but we'll also work on taking those images and making them into art pieces or photo-journals (aka scrapbooks)

We'll make this workshop work for you...we'll tweak it and have open questions and answers on how to meet you where you are and take you to the next level in your journey...

Savor the moments you have and then capture them to remember forever...

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Love Month!

Not only is now a good time to get some photographs with your special someone...but, if you're more of the cozy up in front of a fireplace instead of heading out in the cold for a photoshoot...

Another idea you can whip up, is to try to be creative with what you have in your own home!

You can find things around your house that show LOVE!  You can also create some "love" if you use a little imagination!  Taking a quick snapshot of your creations can be sent via email or enlarged & printed out to display for just slipped into a lunch box for a surprise. 




Enjoy some love this month!!!

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Blog Archive

How can I reach you?

The best way to contact me is either through Facebook Messaging or emailing me at ctphotomemories@gmail.com

I can't wait to hear from you!
"Teach us to number our days, (savor the moments) so that we may gain a heart of wisdom" ~Psalm 90:12

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