Friday, June 22, 2012

Name Calling and Eyes

Jesse just came next to me here on the computer and, plopping on the chair next to me, proclaimed, “I just wanna be by my cute mamma!” Then, leaning over and wrapping himself around my arm he added, “And I’m not ginna call you stinky or bad.” In a burst or complete and heartfelt altruism he added, “And I’m not ginna call you poopy!”
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Which is weird because it isn’t as if he ever really calls me those things . . .

And, look at Penny all wild haired and ragamuffiny (which is sometimes the very cutest way for a kid to be).
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My favorite way to take pictures is shooting directly into morning or evening sunlight. “Correct” or not, I love the glow and don’t mind one bit some blown highlights. My very least favorite time to shoot is mid afternoon. Blech. However, would you look at these shots? Mid afternoon and quite lovely. Let me tell you what is so lovely. Her eyes. While I adjusted a few things on the overall picture after taking it,  I did absolutely no specific editing to her eyes. Nothing, and look at them! That bright afternoon sunlight was good for something after all.
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Now I am sadly wondering how to have the best of both worlds. That dreamy glow from shooting with the sun behind my kids as well as non-photoshopped pretty eyes reflecting sunshine. Hmm. I know. I know what you are all thinking . . . I’ll just need to practice. I’ll just need to take MORE pictures of my kids. Yes, I am certain all of you were thinking that more pictures of my kids is exactly what I am lacking!

4 comments:

Perla said...

Oh the pictures. They make me cry. When oh when oh when will I ever practice and try and be happy with a result. Never. But I must still feel so happy when I see your pictures and not just lament that I don't have any pictures like that of my children. And I am so so happy that Jesse didn't call you stinky or poopy or any of those other things.
:)

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures, from my lovely Aunt. And Shannon, I have often been jealous of how good your pictures look! Sigh! Someday we will have enough money and Ben will surprise me with a nice camera (he really will--he forbid me to find a way to buy it for myself because just once, he says, he wants the fun of buying my present for me--isn't that nice of him?) And then I might post pictures that are actually nice, after lots and lots of practice. :) But also, really your kids are so cute, especially ragamuffiny. :)

Nancy said...

Oh you are both so nice, and Kristen, how cute and sweet of Ben. I like that.

And Shan, I agree with Kristen, you already take great photos of your kids. So what if you don't go practice all kinds of lighting and manual modes. Someday I am going to send you a lens that lets your backgrounds be blurry shmurry as they could ever be and we will just have more conversations about cameras because, like you, I dont' really want it to be an unhappy pressure. I don't want to have to feel like it is a job to figure out. I have learned all of this very slowly since I bought my camera over two years ago, and I wish we could just be close and go to the park or to moms or just be doing normal fun stuff and just mess around together because now I am comfortable enough that, even though I get stressed when I hear a ton about editing and layers and things I don't get, or when I hear people talk about fancy camera extras, I am mostly at a point that I am totally comfortable just playing around with things and getting good shots any time the camera happens to be out and discovering fun things like these shots of Penny where I realized that while bright sunshine is crummy, if she was in the shade and I was in the shade and their was bright sunlight just beyond her shade, it was quite lovely. (I still can never get a good shot in crummy indoor lighting inside the house in the evening). Anywho, it would just be so fun to just show you things and play around with our kids for fun because then you wouldn't have to slowly miserably try to "learn" it. And, one bad thing I've noticed about my new hobby. I never want to take pics of my kids doing normal stuff in normal messy rooms etc. Those are some of the best most important memories that are all that really matter, and I miss a lot of them because I just want dreamy photos of their faces in perfect lighting. How lame is that. Love you both!

jami v. said...

:) practice away!! And when I come to utah I'm hoping you'll practice on my kids!! :) and then give some private lessons!! :) I love your pics. So talented!! I'm jealous!!

And I agree--Shannon does great stuff too!!

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