Day 7- Photograph Fruit

Soooo.... fruit.

Huh.

I like fruit. But to photograph it? Not so sure. I decided to photograph the fruit on my counter currently.

Oh, and by the way, I LOVE bananas. Not the ripe bananas. I don't care what the Chiquita Banana song says, DO NOT eat them when they're speckled. They are too overdone at that point.

I like them when they're still ever so slightly green, just barely turned yellow. When they're still slightly hard but they're just turning to ripeness.

Mwah! So good!

I've decided that still shots are not my thing. It is so hard to get food to look good! Those food photographers are amazing!!

This is my snack jar....my cool find at Winco that still earns me some laughs. "Really, you found that at Winco?"

"Yes, yes I did."

My kids can grab as much fruit out of there as they want. The other kinds of foods we try to limit, but fruit, not so much. We're trying to get the family to eat healthier. The other day I saw Andon eating an apple TEN MINUTES to dinner being on the table. I said, "What are you doing? We're about to eat dinner!" He spread his arms wide and shrugged his shoulders. "Mom, its' HEALTHY." Like, duh mom!













To make this fruit post a bit jazzier, I decided to play Jenga with the fruit.



Ahhh? Not too bad right? And really, that took some pretty good slight of hand:)



Saaaweet!! Day 7 done. Only.... well we won't count how many days left. :)

Photography Challenge Day 5 (Cause I already did Day 6)

I told my sister in law that I was going to start this challenge up again, since I no longer have the excuse that the holidays are in the way. To the hubbs, I'm actually going to finish this challenge.

I am.

I swear. :)

(It's really turning into a challenge. A challenge to actually do it daily:)

It is so fun watching my children grow up. I feel so blessed to be able to experience parenthood, to see my kids make choices, get older, grow into themselves. Just by virtue of the fact that Teaghan is the oldest, every milestone that she goes through is also our first. She's turning 15 in April and it has been so fun to see her grow and mature, and figure out who she is. She's outgoing, super fun to hang out with, smart, and a crazy addict of Just Dance:) The girl can move!

Doug and I have also met so many other parents of her friends and that has been really fun for us!! Last night two of her best friends came over to hang out and then go ice skating with our church group. I knew that for Day 5 of the challenge I needed to photo something from a high distance, so I made them come be my models.

It didn't take too much coaxing:) Teaghan loves pictures, as do most teenagers nowadays, as long as it's "Facebook Profile worthy." Ya, how do you like that term? So I pulled my ladder out to the middle of the street, and took their picture.



Here's their serious pose.



Love that my girls are getting older, but it also makes me want to slow down time. As much as there is a new frontier looming in the form of driving and dating (aaahhh!!!) and it's an exciting time, I still marvel at how fast they've grown. I often wondered if I stuck in my brain all the important stuff as they were growing up. Did I really appreciate it when they were babies and toddlers? Have I stored up enough memory? Did I give it my all?

Thus far, it has been so fun for Doug and I to be a parent of a teenager! It's scares us so much, but the ride is definitely worth it:)



Aren't they the cutest!?!

Duffield Family Photos

I have known Amy for some years now, but it had been a while since we'd seen each other. Her boys have gotten so big!!! And boy do they have some energy:) Whew! As I was editing through all the MANY photos I took, I realized that it was going to be a bit difficult finding a photo where everyone was looking forward. Amy's boys are super cute and it really was fun to take pictures of them. Especially the portraits. I think that is my favorite part of photography. It's just you and the other person....they can't escape if they tried. Boowahahaha! (That was said maniacally:)

So Amy, thank you for asking me to take your photos! It was great to catch up with you, and quite frankly, you are looking amazing girl!! I hope you like your pictures!

Strickland Family Photos

How fun it is to meet new people!! This family was no exception, and despite the fact that I could not manage to keep names straight :) we did manage to have a good time.

Faith, Maddie, Hannah. Totally got it now!! :D

Thanks Ladies for asking me to do your photos, and for being such good models. I had a great time hanging out with you and I do so hope you like your photos!! It was so very hard to choose which ones to show you:)

Here we go!

Photography Challenge Day 6

I know I'm not technically on Day 6, but Day 5 wasn't advantageous today. Day 6 of the challenge was, so I will come back to it. Cause that's how I roll :)

Day 6 challenge is to photo something from a low angle. Since Teaghan and I were hanging out together today and I needed a model to come with me to check out a new venue, she became said model. So before I win "Bad parent of the year award" for letting my child stay out of school, in my defense she was getting her bottom braces on, and then I used the opportunity to hang out with her and help her with some of her Christmas shopping. And yes, it was fun. It is ever so nice to hang out with my children one by one!

As I was going through the photos I had taken I realized that one of them could be used for Day 6. Voila! If I can do things in bulk I will:)





Of course, at least for me, it's easy to photograph my children. I know their individual looks.... I can predict their behavior so I know whether to follow them around or stay put... I know what I want to capture in their smile. Today wasn't any different. I was there to just make sure I knew how I wanted to work my lighting for a photo session I'm doing on Saturday, and I knew that Teaghan would go where I needed her to go and not gripe as I fiddled with my settings. What I didn't account for was that she used the opportunity to get some photos done. I mean, why not right? I found myself getting into it too. It really was very fun!! Especially when you're 14 and EVERYTHING is an adventure and EVERYTHING is silly in some way. Makes me feel young.

*sigh*

So I figured I would share a few cause they just turned out so stinking cute. I know I'm biased, but I still think the girl is striking:) And she's got a great personality to boot!

Now just where does she get that from?

:)












But here's the really great part. I hardly had to edit these!! It was super fast cause I had the lighting SOOC exactly how I like it.

Woo hoo!!

Light bulb moment: Manual really is better. Who knew? :)

I leave you with...

Leah Baptism Photos

Leah...

This girl is spunky, has a great smile, is COMPLETELY photogenic, and was such a trooper while taking pictures in the cold cold morning. I don't think she ever complained!! How easy it was to photo Leah for her special day, and I feel very privileged to have been asked. Thanks Angela!! I hope you and Leah like them!















I mentioned that she's a trooper right? So I saw this picture of blowing confetti on Pinterest, and since I haven't been able to get one of my girls to do it, I thought... why not ask Leah? So she did! And I do think they turned out cute! I was able to use an edit that I rarely use too so I am one happy photographer:)



She also humored me when I gave her some bubbles too. I just love bubbles!!



Thanks Leah for being such a good subject to photograph!! You're the best!

Whitmill Family Photos- AKA My Brother :)

My sister in law Tasha asked me to take some photos of her family while we were all in San Francisco. Admidst Brittnee throwing up the entire day, we did manage to get some shots done. I just wish we would've had more time, but my poor Britt needed to get home. And it was her birthday and Tasha's. Happy Birthday poor girl!!

Tasha, I know I was just going to let you edit these yourself cause I didn't have any more CD's, but I couldn't help myself. Kenley is GORGEOUS and well, so are you and Aaron. These photos couldn't help but turn out cute! I almost wish they were mine so I could frame them:)
























Thanks for asking me to take them! Love to you all!!