She's baaaack!

WOOHOO!!

 I have my computer up and running! Now, if I could somehow add some hours in the day, ones that my children aren't awake and I don't need sleep, I would have more time to work on my photography. I don't have a lot of time because during the day I chase around my three monkeys, ages 5, 4, and 11 months, as well as homeschooling and regular wife/mommy duties. In the evening I have to work at my part-time job, and by the time I finish, I'm too exhausted to do anything but sleep. I'm just glad that I once again have the opportunity to once again do some photography work when I can squeeze it in a few minutes during the day.

 I actually did a photo shoot of a family in my neighborhood. It was great! The family is not only gorgeous, but they were tons of fun to work with. Here are a few of the pictures.

Computer Woes

Just to quick note to explain why I have not been posting. My hard drive decided it was time to crash even though it was less than 2 years old. I had backed up a lot of my work, but it is still take time transferring programs and other items onto my new hard drive. I also have to find all the correct drivers to ensure my computer works, and this is not the easiest task. Did I mention I have to do all of this between taking care of my 3 daughters, doing housework, homeschooling, taking pictures (yes, two of my neighbors asked me to do family portraits), spending time with my husband, getting ready for Christmas, and doing my part-time job that actually makes me a little money. Man, life is tough. I miss posting pictures, and I hope to have Photoshop up and running again soon.

A blessing

I have so much to catch up on, but just a short post for now. 

God has blessed me with amazing neighbors!  While I was never enthusiastic about moving to where we currently live, God helped me with the adjustment by sending me somewhere with amazing people.  Truly God gave me the help I needed in my neighbors. 

One family, in particular, has been very kind, and it's awesome that they have so many children that get along with my girls.  How could I not take pictures of this amazing family?







I am SO blessed to call this woman my friend!

More Fun with Shallow Depth of Field

Just a quick post with some pictures.  Must get some sleep.

A New Lens

When I'm not busy taking care of the baby or homeschooling my 5 year old, I'm out playing with my new 35mm lens!  Yes, as an early birthday present to me, my youngest brother's in-laws and my parents gave me the gift of a new lens, a UV filter, and a polarizing filter.  I am THRILLED; I just wish I was able to put the baby down long enough to spend some time taking pictures. 

Last weekend my family escaped to the mountains for some hiking, and my husband was awesome enough to carry the baby so I could actually take pictures.  The cool mountain air and escape from the house were rejuvenating and exhilarating.  We even saw a bear, but he was too quick for me to take his picture. 

Here are two pictures I took with my new lens.



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Pet Faces

The latest photo challenge at I Heart Faces is the theme "Pet Faces."  Although we are all animal lovers, we do not have a pet.  We attempted owning a dog, but that didn't last very long.  The sweet dog we adopted did not like our cramped yard, and she became seriously overprotective while I was pregnant (really, a two year walking along the sidewalk did not pose a threat to me).  Thankfully, she found a good home at my parents' house.

Since we are pet lovers and need a "furry face fix" quite frequently, we are on first-name basis with dogs from our neighborhood, we explore the woods in search of birds, squirrels, bugs, frogs, turtles, worms, deer, and foxes, and we go to the local farm.

Peanut was nervous around the very large horses at the farm, but when she was finally feeling brave, I was able to snap this picture.

Enjoying Life

I've decided to enter a photo contest.  I haven't entered one since I was taking photography classes while in college.  I Heart Faces hosts many photography contests, as well as offers tutorials, inspiration, and interviews of other photographers.  Their theme for this contest, "enjoying life," seemed just right for me to get my "contest feet" wet again.  Here's my entry.

Click on the picture to see it larger.

The girls had been swinging in the backyard, but Popper suddenly decided she wanted to build a sandcastle.  With her messy hair and serious look, I couldn't resist snapping a picture.