Stuff.

I'm just going to tell you guys, I type out posts and never publish them. It's quite pathetic.   I guess I'm going to be real with you today and also tell you that I'm going through a divorce right now.  We've been separated for 3 years almost and I have been trying to get a divorce for at least 2 of those 3.  It's a long story and you can read about it on my testimony page.  I never ever thought I'd be in this situation, but I walked right into it so it's my fault.

So I've had to make a few trips downtown this week to sign papers and things.  Here are some shots that I took with my iphone.

This one was taken on Tuesday

This one was taken on Thursday about the same time as the first one.

I just realized that I could look out the window from where I signed my divorce papers and see the place where we were married.  Strange.

Thanks for stopping in!

Becky

beautiful

I was inspired yesterday to take a walk with my camera after work. 

It was wet and there was a slight chill in the air.

I didn't mind though. I just kept snapping pictures here and there. Grabbing up the splendor of what God has created. It's amazing to look through the lens and see such beauty. The beauty that was hidden to me before I first lifted the camera to my face.

I imagine this is a often discussed subject. Things that I didn't notice before the camera, I now notice with the camera. I'm forever looking at things saying "That's beautiful, it would make a great picture". I've discussed this very subject here.  I don't know why I didn't notice everything before.  I guess I just didn't stop and look before, where now I stop and look for a shot.  Then I see it.

It amazes me that God made the earth so beautiful. He wanted us to see the beauty and enjoy it. I love to think about this. These pictures were taken on a dreary day in January when everything was wet and cold. Nobody was around enjoying the day or the beauty, but it was still there,

just in case someone wanted to enjoy it.
Here's a little bit of Natural texture for Texture Thursday:



Thanks for stopping in!

Becky

I heart faces {best face of 2011}

I had so many cute faces to sift through for last year, but I kept coming back to this one.  Benj thought I was catching him with his "Moose Antlers", but I just had to zoom in and get that cute little face ;0).  No worries, I got the antlers too!

Removal Edit

I've posted this picture before, it was from when I first started shooting in manual mode early last year.  I was taking pictures of the little girls of one of my friends after church one Wednesday evening.  This is Chloe.  She is a sweetie and this picture doesn't really do her personality justice.  She really is a bubbly little girl and now anytime the camera is on her she grins from ear to ear.  This day she just wasn't sure about it haha.  Anyhoo, there is the church van right behind her head.  I thought this picture was a bust because I couldn't remove that van from the picture... WRONG!  Thanks to Ashley over at Rambling and Photos, I have successfully removed the van.

Before Edit

After Edit

Just click here to go to Ashley's tutorial.

It really is a very easy tutorial.  I was very surprised at how quickly I did it.  You can tell I also sharpened up the photo a bit as well, that's another one of Ashley's tutorials that i read a while back.  I'm sure if you look around over there you'll come upon it.  I did my editing in Photoshop Elements 10.

Thanks for stopping in.  I just had to share this before and after.  It makes me so happy when I learn new editing skills!!!

Memories Dreams and Reflections 2011

1. Me - I really hate to share this shot... but here it is...

I'm proud that I took part in the Susan G Komen walk this year and not only raised money for a good cause, but I walked 3 miles so that was an accomplishment. Hopefully I will be able to walk it faster this year.

2. I Love you!

3. Still Laughing!!

This is my Papaw's birdfeeder and for years he has fought the squirrels off. They always somehow get the food. This feeder is newer I guess and the squirrels don't have any trouble getting into it... anyhoo, I caught this one in a prayer like pose. Thought my Papaw would enjoy it. :0)

4. Winter Wonderland

As we do not get much snow this is what I have to represent the winter ;0)

5. Birthday

# 2 for Emma

6. Friends

7. I was inspired... by my Papaw's birdfeeder to sit and try and catch some birds

8. Spring Fever

Dogwood Blooms and incidentally, my very first bokeh! ;0)

9. Vacation

Em at the beach, she would not put that shovel down for anything haha!

10. Summer

11. a day in my life

I did this earlier this fall, it was to represent my life then.

12. All Smiles

13. Fall

14. Family

I know there's a lot going on in the picture, but it represents Thanksgiving in WV to me and that is where I always feel at home with my family.

15. Celebration

Celebrating the 4th of July

16. Lets do it again

Our church picnic at the park. So nice, such a beautiful day!

17. I miss you

I know I still have miss Emma, but I sure miss my little baby Emma. She's growing up too fast! This is just from last spring.

18. Beautiful

Man, I have a mile long list of beautiful people in my life, but I chose to share my sister with you. She will kill me, but oh well haha! She is so beautiful and doesn't know it.  She would've killed me if I had used the shot I wanted to so this is what you guys get haha!

19. Dressed up

20. Macro

21. Holiday

Christmas morning at our house.

22. Favorite

It's very hard to chose a favorite shot. This is my favorite first edit shot.

23. Don't ever change

I had to make a collage for this one, it's my goofy little girl being silly with aunt Jessica. I hope she never changes!

24. Just because

25. Hopes and Dreams

I hope to keep learning photography.  To move towards a professional level.  I want to be more deliberate with my photos and hopefully have some great things to look back on next year.

For my blog I hope to find some direction. I have all kinds of ideas, but for some reason or another I just don't follow through.

Thanks so much for dropping in.

Becky

It's New Years Eve

I am sitting here in my living room watching some crazy old movie, not really paying attention to it, as I type away my thoughts.  I can hear the thunderous fireworks of those around us partying in the new year, but I just sit here.  Just like any other year.  I don't party, never have.  Mostly I watch a movie or reruns, turn it to watch the ball drop at midnight and then either go to bed or finish what I was watching.  So anyhoo, now that you know more than you wanted ;0)... I thought I'd just flip through some photos from this year just to see how far I've come. 

I bought my Canon rebel in February... I think... yeah, it was February and I've been trying to learn ever since.  My brother thinks I'm pretty crazy for shooting in full Manual mode because I can shoot in Aperature mode and get good shots everytime... I don't know how to explain why I do it, other than... I want to be a professional.  How can I be professional if I don't know how to get what I want out of my camera?  I want to know it all!!!  I want to be so familiar with my camera that all I have to do is step outside and I will know what settings to use before I even test it out.  I have a long way to go.  So anyways, I don't know where that rant came from... haha! 

Just thought I'd share a shot from each month since I've had the camera (which is why January was left out).

Oh, and the baby from May is my niece Abigail, the pregnant lady in July is my first maternity client and that's Abigail again at the very bottom in December.

Can't wait to share more of 2011 with Memories Dreams and Reflections with Ashley @ Ramblings and Photos!  Love her!

Thanks for stopping in and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!