Miss Norah

Babysat Saturday evening and oh my this little one is very busy!!

The Weir, an ND filter and a slow shutter

I bought an ND (neutral density) filter for my wide angle lens about a year ago. I never get around to using it although I did use it to get some great shots of the ocean in Mexico.
So today I decided to head downtown and use it to get some sweeping architecture and skyscapes. The problem was that downtown was so congested and parking a pain so I headed to the weir. Maybe Sunday afternoon it will be quieter and I can take my Sherpa with me and head downtown. :)


First shot is 2.5 sec at f20
second is 1/5 at f6.3
Can you see the difference?

First 3.2 sec @ f22
Second 1/100 @ f5.6
See the difference?

Not the bird!
I mean in the water!

I much prefer the long exposure (the first) shots. That is what an ND filter allows me to do - shut down the aperture all the way and slow down the shutter.
:)

And that's what I did today!

And in other news.... Chatelaine Magazine has picked up one of my photos and is actually paying me to run it in their September issue. This is BIG news. Feeling pretty good tonight. I don't really put my stuff out there in wide circles, so when it gets noticed I am happy.
So Yup! published and paid. Nice to have someone actually ask and pay rather then just steal the photo for publishing. :)

I am almost fully booked for August - which just means I have so many gigs I probably won't take any more. Life is grand. Loving the MkIII. Still fighting with my 85mm 1.2 - time to take it into Don's and let them have a look at it. It either gives me incredibly fantastic photos or crappy grainy photos and I haven't figured out why yet. It is the only lens that does this to me.

Thanks for reading everyone!
Feel free to comment - really  - it is okay to comment. :)

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Thursday Thoughts

I was browsing some photos to upload to 500px and came across these photos taken just over a year ago. The South Saskatchewan was low and the sandbar was well exposed so we decided to wonder down there with the girls and my then new 85mm 1.2 so I could create some bokeh and preserve a few memories.

So here you are - the most photographed girl in the world.

:)

  Oh Miss Eva you are adorable.

 I am having a down day today.....
avoiding some weeds in the flower garden.
A little grocery shopping
Some laundry
Booked another photo shoot - August is almost full!
Made some banana bread with rice flour - it turned out!!
Playing with photos....
So far this week I have worked 2 days  for the Health region, hosted Bible Study and just put in 15 hrs of painting at Allison's house..... (loving BM Revere Pewter)
so I am trying not to feel guilty about a do nothing day.

I might even let myself have a glass of wine tonight. Chicken is in the slow cooker.
Got healthy snacks for the guys for the Rider Game tonight.

hmmm time to read a Good book....

Lunch with the girls

Last week took the week off at SHR and I helped out at VBS with our church. I took Eva with me each day. She had a blast and Norah had one on one Mommy time. On Tuesday after VBS I took the girls to East Side Marios for lunch. I like to eat there. Ordering is simple - the soup and salad - cheep and relatively lo cal. The children's menu is okay too although boy! don't you find that restaurant kids menus really lack anything healthy? It is all breaded carbs and no vegetables. Boston Pizza has a fair kids menu.....Hmmm listen to me. My children never ate out. Heck we never ate out!! I don't think there was such a thing as a kids menu back then. :)

Anyways, East Side Mario's offers these three little ice cream cones for dessert and they are always a hit.

We put the girls in the car and they were asleep before we were out of the parking lot.
Took them home and put them to bed for a long afternoon nap.

Successful day!!

Weekend Catchup

Well, I didn't take too many photos this weekend. Took a bundle last week and I have been a busy beaver editing and creating since then. But Saturday morning we did babysit the girls and I pulled my camera out of my purse for this quick snap of Norah.

She has the most incredible eye lashes!!
Just look at them - I didn't edit them in any way - I just removed breakfast from her face. :)

 ...and then she was off like a flash and the camera was put away.

Then this afternoon (Sunday) as I was on my computer working, I heard the jets from the air show over head sooo I put on my long lens, set the aperture real tight at F16. iso 100, shutter way up there and headed out to sit on the deck and wait....

I don't do waiting very well.
So with these setting for a fast jet in the sky I snapped a few around the yard and of course they were way underexposed. But you know what? I love how the setting captured the light filtering thru the trees giving that mottled look that photographer avoid like the plague. :)

And the jets never came back.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The rain on Saturday smelled wonderful. The flowers are bloomin' like crazy. I am enjoying summer!
Hope you are too!

I am starting to read in Judges tonight..... In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.

Saskatoon Newborn Photography

It has been a busy week and my camera has taken, well probably over 600 photos. Four days of Vacation Bible School with our church produced plenty of photos and I just put the final touches on the slideshow of that fun event. But also this week I had a newborn photo shoot.

I can't show you the VBS photos since I don't have releases for all the kids, but I can share this adorable photo shoot of this precious bundle (only 8 days old) and his family.

I thought my grand daughters were beautiful but oh my, these two little ones are strikingly beautiful. This couple have the right recipe!

You might recognize this family...... Mom is a politician here in Saskatoon.

 

 Dad is a serious Rider fan!!

Beautiful!

I have the most beautiful grandchildren in the whole world!

No really, I do!!

Went for lunch at Moxie's with the girls and I happened to have my camera with me.... imagine that!

 

Ballerina Saskatoon Photography

Well this was just a whole lot of fun. This is why I love doing what I do!!
I am super excited about this photo shoot. We had to reschedule 4 times because of weather, but we finally found an evening when the sun was shining and the paths were not too muddy and I think the results are wonderful.
Ashley is a beautiful young lady and I so enjoyed photographing her down by the river at sunset. So lovely, so graceful - just a sweet young woman.
We did a number on her point shoes though......
Here is a sampling of our work that evening - and I did make her work. :) but we both had fun!

There are many more on the web site in Ashley's private gallery.

Canada Day

My Orchid sent up another shoot last month and is now blooming again. I do not know why it appears to be so healthy since I know nothing about orchids or any other house plant for that matter!!

The Tiger Lilies are opening. Usually they open in early June but Canada Day they began to show forth all their beauty.

 David and I celebrated Canada Day with a walk down at River Landing and lunch at State & Main - I thought I was in Earls for a moment. The young waitresses have the same dress code.

Kinda liked this shot of an geranium opening up in the back yard.

Chomp!

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Thursday evening I was down by the river shooting a ballerina. (I promise to post those photos soon for those not following me on my Facebook page. :) )

We noticed this tree had grown into the railing and someone painted eyes on it - turning 'it' into a 'him'.

I thought I would share him with you. :)

I am off to photograph a newborn today. :)
And his family.