Taking it to the Next Level

Apologies for being a little distracted.  I have been quite busy.  After watching a guy take pictures at a race the other day, I decided that I could do what he was doing.  After all, I had a LOT of practice during All Stars.  I wouldn't charge as much as he did and I would just give it a go.  So....after many several hours of work, I have a website and I have pictures for sale.  (Lisa, I still owe you pictures of the Sunny King and I do not intend for you to have to pay for them - I'm just running behind.)

The site (www.candisnaps.com) is slowly being populated, but I have to say it has been fun.  I think the tipping point was when a couple from Colombia came up and asked me if I would take pictures of their son.  I at least looked the part.

I'll let you know how it turns out.  More pictures and interesting posts are coming....just have to wait until that software isn't being used for uploading pictures.

Happy Fourth of July....would love some comments about what you're doing.

Chicago Workshop

Me Ra and Brian posted pictures from the workshop my bffm and I went to in November.  I'll let their blog do the talking.  Check out the story and pics here.  We met some other nice people - I especially enjoyed Traci from Ohio and Gretchen.  Absolute sweethearts!

This workshop gave birth to candisnaps.

Arggh. Football.

I am so glad football season is over for us.  We had tickets to the Chik Fil A Bowl to see Georgia Tech (hubby's alma mater) play LSU and I had planned to take the little guys home to Alabama to watch the Tide play Utah.

CBT quickly got bored of the game (and what Tech fan didn't) so he grabbed the camera and started snapping everything in sight.  He is quite creative with the camera.

We don't have many of us together, so this one will be a treasure.

James stayed faithful until the end, donning that awful yellow hair (even on the MARTA train on the way down).  He was quite the target for LSU fan jokes - you can imagine their assumptions about his level of intelligence as he is there with this on his head and SHORTS in the 30 degree weather!!

He was using all angles and shutter speeds.  Yep - you're looking at this one correctly.  He held the camera upside down after he did several self portraits the normal way....my creative child.

The Great...well, First Photo Shoot

Thanksgiving weekend is a perfect time to try out something new.  There's lots of time and family to share in the torture fun.  

This Thanksgiving Joanna wanted some family pictures and asked if I would take some.  After all, I had flown all the way to Chicago for a class and I had  bought a new lens.  What she didn't now was that the class was enough to make me realize how little I knew and that the lens...the lens and I needed more quality time together.

Nonetheless, I told her I would be glad to take family photos.  I think I ended up with something over 300.  There were a few of my munchkins, but most of them were like a real photo shoot.  Keith was arranging people and I was trying to get the light right.  And trying.  And trying.  And trying.  It was so much fun.  Really.  It was - nephews not happy about being there, my darling sons complaining that their playmates were getting their pictures made for the 100th time.  What could be more fun?  Needless to say, I am even more hooked.

Then, there was "post processing."  I don't really have the right software, yet, so I'm sure I am working with "the crappiest" software in the world.  Joanna and I had fun tweaking this and that any way.  We didn't have a clue, but I think we ended up with some nice effects.  Or, maybe we were just delirious and were glad we had weeded out some of the 300 photos by the time we started editing.

I love the shots of the entire family, but I think the one below is my favorite - out of 300 there were some pretty bad ones, but there were enough that it was hard to pick a fav.  If had to pick, I am pretty sure this would be it.

  

You can't even tell he's holding her on his back - what a strong guy my brother is!  Of course, she's pretty skinny these days.

Oops!  Spoke too soon.

The Pictures Tell the Story

During our Thanksgiving break, I got to practice my budding photography skills.  Joanna wanted some family pictures so I took about 300 pictures.  I will get around to sharing some of those photos, but in the meantime I wanted to share some of my munchkins that came out that "photo shoot."  The pictures really highlight the differences in the two of them.

James has a great smile when you can get him past "cheese"....

The smile doesn't vary a lot.

But, it's there, constant.

Even if it's with a slight blush when a certain young lady's name is mentioned.

My other child, on the other hand, loves the camera.  

He has a very mischievous smile...

that can quickly change to a face of surprise or

cool confidence.

He can ham it up...

and switch right back to a typical portrait pose...unpredictable

and when you least expect it...a new face all over again.

He has a soulmate in Aunt Joanna - she loves to ham it up, too.

Couldn't Have Said it Better

Last weekend was the big photography class trip.  I have to admit I was dreading it a bit beforehand.   I should have known better because traveling with Molly is always fun and easy.  She knows me so well - maybe too well.  

I was afraid we were off to a bad start when we couldn't figure out how to turn on the computers.  My Mac laptop at home has a very obvious on/off button.  The MAC thing there did not.  After our dubious start, we did alright.  It turned out to be pretty fun and I actually learned a lot.

I am even starting candisnaps - a new blog to make myself practice.  (Candi is a tribute to Molly who has called me that since I was 5 - as has everyone else who has known me that long.)

Because she did such an excellent job describing our adventure, I'm just linking to her site for her November 18th post (after I previewed it, of course - anyone who has known me that long knows things).  Thanks for a great trip, Molly.

mollyblog