Saturday, October 29, 2011

Week 3 Homework...

Yes I know...it's just a washing machine. Or is it?? I am showing several parts to reveal a location. Laundry soap, dirty clothes, washing machine...all this means I'm doing laundry!
Framing...I am using the slide to reveal my subject. What is even more cool about this, is I took this picture at the Fluvanna playground at almost sunset(so the community center is blocking most of our light). Normally you wouldn't be able to see her face, but changing the settings on my camera it revealed her perfectly!! YAY!!!
Bad angle...shooting up...also known as "nostril shot"
Good Angle...I got eye level with them...
I tried getting pictures of Syd...I think she's getting tired of her picture being taken...cause she just wouldn't hold still.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Week 2 Homework...

This past week we only had two assignments...

Selective focus...I shot through the head locks to focus on Miles. The back ground isn't as blurred as I would like, but I'm still learning.
Miles was so cute when I asked if he wanted to go outside so I could take his picture...He asked me if he could wear his cowboy outfit...

Large focus...It's all about focus focus focus! This is probably one of my favorite ways to shoot. Especially kids.

Little stink just wouldn't look at me. Doesn't she look so angelic...unlike the "little monster" she is. I love her oh so much!!!
 My little goofball! I think she was having more fun than I was...which is hard to believe, because I am loving this class!
 Now he's just being silly! You can look at this one and the one of Tenley and see the difference that focus makes. This picture is not a good example of "large focus", but I didn't want to leave Miles out.
I may have to start shooting "subjects" that cooperate a little more than these three little munchkins do!! I have to say though...they make really cute pics

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Homework...

Goose bought me my fancy Cannon camera a couple of years ago. Since then, well basically, I look like I know what I'm doing, but I don't really have a clue. 

When WTC started offering a photography class through College on the Square, Goose suggested I take it. Well, I put it off and put it off. See while I was working the thought of staying in town for a two hour class one night a week was not very appealing. Now that I'm staying home...it's a little different. A chance for a little break and I get to learn about all the really cool things my camera will do...sign me up! 

I am loving it. It's just a small group of ladies...there are 5 of us and our fearless teacher Carol. We laugh (at ourselves mostly) and we learn about our cameras. We are learning how to make them work with us not against us.

My first class was last week...this was my homework...

The kids were more than happy to be my subjects.
Here I shot with a fast Shutter Speed...So it froze the motion...
 This is a slower shutter speed...so I captured the motion, but there is slight blurring.
 Very slow shutter speed...perfectly capturing Miles, but blurring everything else...catching him in motion.
 Medium shutter speed...you can see the rain drop hit, but there is also some blurring.
  Shallow depth of field...
Deep depth of field...If you look closely you can actually make out the birds in the sky and the poles in the background.
Since this isn't actually credited course work Carol doesn't give out grades...but I am happy with what I shot, and really that is what's most important...right?!? In most of these shots, I'm trying to focus your eye to what I want you to see in the picture...and blur out all the "extra". More to come...I have homework again this week.

This class is so much fun. I wish I had taken it a lot sooner...I'm realizing things that I have been doing wrong all along. There is A LOT more to taking pictures than just pointing the camera and shooting. That is...if you want better pictures than I usually take.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Spring Flowers...

..Bring Winter Babies! At least this seems to ring true for our family.

Baby Stansell #4 is well on his/her way to making an appearance in mid Jan. 
 This little guy/gal weighs 1.7lbs! So small, yet every part(arms, legs, lungs, heart, brain...etc) is formed and functioning...OUR GOD IS WONDERFULLY AMAZING!!! You would think, with this being my 4th pregnancy that this would all be"old hat" to me, but its not! I am still amazed and blessed every time I have a sonogram or feel this little one move. I'm blown away by the blessing that, of all the women in the world God chose me to be this baby's Mom, and of all the possible babies, He chose this one for our family! How incredible!! Yet, there are people who have experienced this miracle and they still deny there is a God...

My heart aches for all the women who long to be mothers and are struggling through one way or another. I say to you...God has a plan for you and he knows the desires of your heart! Hold onto Him and trust that He is working on your special miracle.

The black and white profile shots are always my favorite...
I imagine He/She is holding their hand in front of their face thinking..."oh, I think they can see me...yikes!"

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Updates...

We are doing really good here. Life has been pretty much normal. The kids still seem to love me staying home with them, and I have to say, I love it too!

Our days are pretty laid back. I try to get up an hour before the kids so I can have some "me" time. Doesn't always happen, but when it does it's pretty relaxing. Once the kids get up(or I wake them up...whichever comes first). We have breakfast and then start our day...
 Ten is doing great in school and still seems to really like it. We do have the occasional, "I don't care if you say 1+1=2...I say it equals 6". But for the most part she has a great attitude and does a good job. She loves to explain things to Miles once she catches on to them, he could care less, but he still let's her tell him.
 Once we are done with school(about 2 hours) she enjoys spending the rest of her day riding her bike, playing with Miles and Sydney, coloring, being bossy(no she doesn't get that from me...I can't believe you would even think that!). 
 She doesn't seem to mind being at home most of the time, but she does love when it's "church day" as she calls it. She loves Awannas and is doing really good learning her verses each week. Her teacher says Ten is a lot of fun to teach. I can only imagine what she tells them :-)
 Miles is still my little monkey child. He can and WILL climb on any and every thing. He has the sweetest spirit. It is not uncommon for him to just stop in the middle of his playing and tell me or anyone in the room that he loves them. I love this about him. He is only 3 and he makes a point to stop and make sure you know that he loves you. Such a sweet sweet boy!
 I still say he is ALL boy! He can't get enough trucks with trailers(it's not enough to just have a truck). He firmly believes every truck(toy or real) should have a trailer. I'm here to tell you he even notices if a truck has a trailer hitch when we pass by it. If it does have a trailer hitch, he wants to know where their trailer is. He loves horses and cows, well actually pretty much all animal. He loves to wear his cowboy hat, boots, and belt. His absolute favorite thing to do is go work with Daddy. Mind you he doesn't actually help with the work yet, but he feels like he's helping by just being there.
 He is the sweetest big brother. He can't stand it if he thinks Syd is going to get hurt. It just breaks his heart if we are playing outside and she gets off the cement slab, he's afraid she'll get out in the road. He loves her to tears.
My sweet, precious, lovable Sydney...well I've dubbed her my "Little Monster"! It cracks me up when everyone is like, oh isn't she the sweetest little thing! I want to say, No! See, God knew what he was doing. If he had blessed me with an ugly little monster, I'd give her away. But I can't do that, because every time she squirts Hershey syrup all over the kitchen floor, or tries to flush a whole roll of toilet paper down the commode, or when she ever so sweetly walks up to me acting like she's going to give me a hug, but hits me in the face instead, or even when she dumps the whole canister of coffee onto the carpet, so now that every time I turn on my shop vac it smells like freshly brewed coffee. I look at her sweet, precious, lovable face and can't help but keep her. What can I say...She's MY "Little Monster"!
Potty training is still going good, I feel like I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. She actually told me she needed to poop the other day. Usually I have to ask her, but this time she told me and then waited until we got to the potty. I always feel like that's a turning point...we shall see. She is pretty stubborn! 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Denver Zoo

While in CO, not only did we get a mani/pedi. We also stopped at the Denver Zoo. I knew Miles would be trilled...since he loves animal!

Ready to head in and see what great animals we can find...
Cheezzzeeeeeee! Syd has started saying cheese before you take her picture. This is both a good and bad thing, but cause some times...you get just a little too much cheese...
Learning about Tigers...
Taking a quick stop for a drink...Pop treated the kids to fun "animal juice"...juice in a animal shape bottle.
Miles thought the Polar bears were fun...even though they wouldn't swim for us. Male polar bears can grow to be as tall as 10', Miles stood just at 3' 6" He's got a little more growing to do if he's going to be as tall as a Polar bear.
The girls...well most of us. Mom took this pic or she would have been in the picture too. Syd was too busy looking at the animals to stop for a picture.
Pop also treated the grand kids to shirts from the gift shop...
"Zooper Cute"...At least we think so!
 "Poo at the Zoo...Who Dung It?!" I told Miles, even if no one else did, Luke would think his shirt was funny!
 "Animals Incognito" Not really sure why the animals at the Zoo would want to disguise themselves, but it does make a cute shirt.
We had a great time...the weather was PERFECT!! I would go to the Zoo every weekend if the weather would always be that nice. Usually when we go we are sweating our faces off...you think I'm kidding.

Next trip we may venture to the Colorado Springs Zoo...I think Mom has said that it's built on the side of a hill(Not sure if that's a Texas size hill or Colorado size). Sounds interesting.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Labor Day...

Over labor day weekend I decided to be brave so the kids and I headed out for a 10 hour drive to CO to see my parents. The drive was surprisingly pleasant. The kids did great.

While we were there, Mom treated Tenley and me to a pedicure.

It was Tenley's first so she got a mani/pedi...
She loved it...
She was presently surprised when they started putting flowers on her toes.
So sad...
...she scuffed up her big toe before the were completely dry. The lady was really sweet and  repainted her toe with another flower.
She felt pretty special when they started on her hands.
Naturally she selected pink as her paint color.
Finished products...

Now she's hopeless...she will never be satisfied with me doing her nails again.