12 Sep 2009, Posted by Kelly in Blog, Reviews, 1 Comments

Bean, The Anti-Vegetable

The little bean.

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16 May 2009, Posted by Kelly in Blog, Featured, 0 Comments

Point (& Shoot) Your Way To Basic Photo Tips

Take a moment to read the title again..yes, these are tips. Not rules. When it comes to photography, there really aren’t any rules. You do what you feel is best, what looks best, and you’ll get what you want.
If you’re in the market to get a point and shoot digital camera, please keep these simple tips in mind.

*Make sure that the camera you’re getting has at least 7 megapixels, even though most cameras now a days are 9 or 10.

*If you’re worried about the zoom on your new camera, do NOT worry about digital zoom. The only zoom you should be concerned with is optical. Digital zoom does nothing but make your picture very pixelated when you go to print it out (which is far from a good thing).

*The camera should have a USB Port to make it easy enough to plug the camera directly into your computer or laptop.

*Memory cards,

CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) are the 2 most common cards that are on the market. It will be easiest to use those cards with external card readers.

*Also, when it comes to memory cards, cameras normally come with a very tiny memory card. You’ll want to get another card (I would recommend a 1 gigabyte, which you can get for around $10). If you (a) take a lot of pictures and/or (b) don’t empty the card too often, this size card or larger would be good for you.

*Make sure that the LCD screen is big enough for you to see and constantly use.
The bigger the screen, the happier you’ll  be.

Other tips to keep in mind,
not pertaining just to point & shoot cameras.

*When taking pictures make sure you fill the frame. Not all pictures follow this “rule”, which is good. But for the most part, you want the entire frame to be filled.

*Do not rely on the flash. If you can get away by not using the flash, take advantage of it! If you are outdoors, in the sunlight, turn off the flash! Most cameras have the flash to automatically be used. Check out your camera manual (you know that book that came with your camera that you never looked it!) and see how to turn it off. Most flashes can be turned off in a button press or two.

*Plus with built in flashes, unless you are close enough to your subject, the flash won’t do anything for the picture, but more than likely make it underexposed, which you do not want.

*When photographing children or pets, it’s best to get eye level. Sit on your knees, lay down on your stomach, do what you have to do. Standing over your child won’t have the right feel. Try not to shoot down at them. Don’t get me wrong, unusual angles do work! But it’s just like framing, it’s not a “rule”, just something to try to remember.

*Don’t count out camera phones. While I would never rely on my camera phone as my everyday camera, look what broke the news on the Hudson River plane crash. Yep, a camera phone. And that picture was used all over the news! You know the one..

*Always have a camera with you, you NEVER know what you’re going to see or come across. Always be ready!

What are your favorite photography tips? Are there some tips that you think should just go away forever? Do you think about it or just take a picture? Are you such a pro that things just come natural?

Thanks to Adam Wiggall for this tip:
Showing is as important as taking.

Meaning, when you have been out and taken 200 shots it is unlikely that your audience wants to see every single one of them. Be a ruthless editor and remove anything you wouldn’t hang on your wall, four shots at a slightly different angle of exactly the same thing is boring, pick the best and delete the other three.

It is tough to do, but it improves not only your photography (as you learn to not press the shutter unless you are sure), but also everyone else’s opinion of your work. Win win baby!

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01 Apr 2009, Posted by Kelly in Blog, Featured, 0 Comments

You ask.."Do we have any kids?" My Answer..

One (what seems to be short) year ago, Jeff got a letter in the mail. To be straight to the point — it said “You have a child and you now have to start paying child support.” Hold up. What do you mean a child?

Yes, boys and girls, after a blood test, Jeff has a five (six in July) year old son. His name is Taylor.

He and his mother live in Kentucky, where Jeff is from, and Jeff’s parents and sister get to see him quite often.

So what’s a girl to do? Your boyfriend/might as well be husband of 5 years gets this letter. My only option was to completely freak out about how crazy this whole situation was. This letter comes on April Fool’s Day. Seriously, what are the odds?!

Most of this should have been handled better. How our address was given out for the letter to arrive to our house, the time it took for Jeff to find out (3 years), the fact that he was not the first from his family to meet Taylor and what had to happen in the child’s life for Jeff to get this letter.

I will be the first to say, I am WAY stubborn at times and this was no exception. All of this has bothered me for quite a while, but I do believe I am making strides towards wanting to communicate with everyone again. It’s got to be baby steps for me (no pun intended). I try not to be an all or nothing type of person, but then again, I’m not the type that likes to tip-toe around others that I am not pleased with.

Jeff and I have talked to Taylor a couple of times on the phone. He is super polite and he likes to draw. (Wonder where he gets that from!) We bought him an art kit from Disney last month and sent it to him via Jeff’s parents. He said that he liked it which makes me happy.

There are times when it hits me, “Wow, Jeff has a child. And it’s older than our friend’s children — friends that are SEVEN years older than us.” I know no one expects this kind of stuff to happen. Had Jeff had been the “I sleep around” type then it might not have been so shocking, but he’s not nor was he ever like that. This was his first time. (I guess that must count for something right..first time and 9 months later there is a child. That’s pretty serious!)

My best friends yell at me because me, being me, I make little sly remarks toward Jeff when we go out. It’s not meant to hurt anyone, but I guess it’s just my way of dealing with things.

Jeff messed up once and he was blessed to have this sweet little boy. He is human.

I am human. I mess up too. I am mean. And when I get angry/hurt, I get WAY mean. I say things. I do things. And I don’t think about what I’m saying. I apologize, but I AM human. I will get mad again. This will effect Jeff and myself for the rest of our lives. Will I think about it daily? Of course. Will it bother me deep inside? Of course. Have I forgiven him? Of course. Did he do something wrong? Well, besides sleep with someone that he shouldn’t have ever even touched, no.

From this day forward, when people ask us, “Do you have any kids?” My answer will be, “Yes.”

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