I'm Back....

Really...I do hope to be.  It's been a mish mash of one of those....'life is what happens when you make other plans'.  Between weddings, engagement parties, family reunions, and changing jobs...a little bit of relationship stuff and an unproductive attempt to sell my house....

Let's just say...I was lost.  I hope I've found my way back.  I hope I am encouraged and cheered on...to hang out here again.

In case you missed the entire romantic, get engaged in front of the Eiffel Tower portion of the story...this is my son and his new wife, my daughter-in-law...getting married at a winery in Temecula  California.

It was, of course, beautiful, romantic, fun and just downright awesome.

I don't believe I have ever seen him this happy.  Oh, he has always been a happy child, but he has a bit of his dad's...analness in him sometimes. He is a hard worker and has become a bit of a geek.  All okay.

He is happy.  She completes him.  I truly wish them a very very long life together.  They are so awesome together.

So that was the main even of the year so far....and holy crap...it's more than half over.

So now...I'll go backwards a bit...or maybe I will just roam all over the place in some randomly fun type of order...and entertain you with other activities of this year on that island called 'lost'...in life.

I hope I haven't lost the few of you that were following me.

I hope I figure out how to gain a few more with lots of encouragement...to share.

I'm here to stay!!!


So...has your year been as crazy and lost as mine.  I need to catch up on all of your news also.

Style - Mine - 2BD19

My dear inspiration, Kim, has challenged us to show our style.  Photographic style.  Editing style.  Artisitic style.

I have to admit....I still wonder what I can call my style. I know where my passion is. Nature. Wildlife.  The outdoors.  God's given gift of the earth's bounty and beauty.  I know I've burned myself out a bit on just the shots of a single bird...a photo without a story.  I know...I keep my hand a bit in the portrait photography....but not enough to get some financial satisfaction out of it. (But neither has my non portrait style - a result, I say though, of the job that was supposed to pay the mortgage...now no more....now changed...with high hopes of 'being fun' again.) Portrait photography...I can easily find an excuse for not doing it...on a regular basis.  Nature, wildlife...I am very patient with.

I love the candid shots...sort of like the one above.  I guess, when I think about it...street photography.  Not posed.  I love photographing those that are so comfortable in front of the camera that all I have to do is create with my lens.  The setup stage is all natural.  They do it themselves....especially when they aren't aware of it.  My passion for 'surprise' maybe.  More so though...my passion for natural, simplicity, serendipity.

This shot above..stirs so many passions in me. Maybe because it was one of the few awesome images I captured during a week that was supposed to offer up so much more to me than what it did.  Maybe because of some of the awesome company (my mom and niece and her boyfriend) that joined me on the trip.  Maybe...just because....I'm proud of this shot.  It isn't just a single bird.  It tells a story...for me. It's a beach...and I can hear the waves in the background. The sandpipers just seemed to invite me over.

I like them in focus and her out of focus. It makes me want to walk on the beach again.

My style...not a true...all in focus landscape type person.  I love bokeh.  I love...blur.  I love dreamy.  I love mystical.

I did crop in on this.  I did add texture even though the picture worked for me even without the texture.

This picture...makes me wonder if I shouldn't make this a vacation location on a regular basis.

Does it stir anything up for you?  Does it make you wonder?  Smile? Dream? Does it tell a story to you?

Way Too Long

(slowly peeking out from under all the 'dirt'...thinking it might be safe....to live again.)

It's been way too long for me not having posted.  I truly apologize.   Life apparently had other plans for me.  I let my day job take over my life.  I. Let. It. Happen.

Well...no more.

I quit.

I found another job that so far I believe I will really like...for an office job.  Unfotunately, what I really would like to do just doesn't seem to want to fall in place for me.  My passion for gardening can't make the mortgage payment here, particularly since it is a seasonal thing here in the midwest.

I've been trying to get back into this. Hopefully now that I have removed the main thing that has had my creativity squished up in to a tight ball, I can fall back in to the swing of things and chat with all of you again.

I've had too many days of feeling caged and am happy to be 'free' again.

New beginnings. Coming out.  Springing back to life. Soaking up the 'fresh air'.

I can't wait to have something to share again!!

There is light....all around...outside of the one 'dark closet' that still needs to be cleaned out. Straightened up. Reorganized.

Thank you for your patience.

I guess I just needed a bit of ...nudging.

Please...nudge me.  Please don't let me slip away again.

Sometimes, alone is just way too lonely.

Please...nudge me.

Water me.  Feed me with some good down to earth healthy compost and I promise...to make you smile...time and time again.

2B Ace Chairs

A new editing challenge.  Maybe a bit much?  Not the normal me.  Creatively squashed again from the 9 to 5.  Just trying to brighten the day. Needing a bit of color...pizazz.

Added kk-whitewashed texture with a couple layers, one in soft light, one in screen.  Then I added a layer of contrast and increased the red and yellow saturation.

It needs something else though.  A bit of difference in color between the two chairs maybe.

I want a house with a wrap around porch...filled with colorful chairs, rocking chairs, porch swing...to sit in and relax and enjoy the magical sounds of the outdoors. Reading a good book.  A cup of hot tea. Snapping shots of the wildlife as they visit.

Oh NO...Not I....NO WAY

I found this pic today from one of my senior sessions.

That's Emily on the left.  An awesome person for the little that I know her.  She's got a wonderful life ahead of her.

That's Lexi on the right.  You probably recognize her as she is my model quite often.  She followed us and was an extremely patient companion during this session.  Emily and her hit it off quite well and Emily wanted a picture with her in the end.

Well...Emily has a wonderful smile.

Lexi....well I have sat here for thirty minutes laughing at this photo.  At Lexi's expression.  She was so over the whole entire session thingy by this time.  She totally refused to 'smile'.  Normally I can throw a few quick trick words her way and she will perk up and smile....quickly...oh so quickly...but enough to capture the shot that I need.

Oh NO.  Not here.

She does have a bit of a stubborn streak.  Being a guinea pig so often for my practice sessions.  She knows how to turn her head away.  Or just plain...give me the silent treatment.

I laugh.  I am rolling on the floor laughing my.....well you know the rest of it.

Oh my...... I really needed that laugh.

She is very cooperative when she is in her own 'skin' doing the things she really loves.

But then...who isn't?!!!

I hope you get just as much pleasure out of her expressions as I do.  That is my purpose for sharing.

(Still laughing.....)

Dreamers

(Added KK texture 1402 magic at soft light and then 1402 at screen, merged layers, duplicated at soft light. Voila.  Dreamy...dreaming...out the window...dreaming of spring...soon to come.)


'The only thing standing between you and your dreams is....reluctance.'

..and fear, low self esteem, frustration, exhaustion...and maybe even some pure silliness.

There are days...I had one of those very recently...where I just wanted to shout out...or try to sing out... 'I am woman......' because I had such a great visionary day.  A lift in attitude that had my day so awesomely awesome..even though the only thing that was really different was my attitude. It. Felt. So. Good.

Why do I let things get in the way of that feeling and bring it down?  Because I am truly frustrated with certain aspects...too many ...aspects of my world right now.  I know what the main factor is.  I know.  I know what needs to be done to fix it.  There is one factor standing in the way and I keep praying and hoping that it will 'happen' soon....so I can get back to focusing on being that upbeat, positive, happy go lucky, down to earth....ME.

Winter doesn't help.
Winter.  Doesn't. Help.

I took the above picture almost a year ago...wanting to make an attempt at 'self portraits' and then one thing led to another with that 'factor' that needs to change....and I...had to go a different direction...or rather...wasn't able to take this other direction that I keep dreaming about.

I need to take control.
I need to be brave.
I need to stop blaming it on other circumstances.
I need to take that one...giant...step, focus, smile, hold my head high and sing....'I am a survivor....'.
I.  Need. To. Believe. In. Myself.

I can do this.  I can.

I've discovered a wonderful support group.   A meetup group.  'A Woman's Journey' group.  I've only been to one get together but it was the best.  I'm scheduled to go to the next...and I'm participating in a '90 Day Challenge' and can't wait to get started.  March 1...will be day one.

If you are in the Milwaukee area, join us at the next meeting.  The host of this group is trying to get this to be worldwide.  Helping women find their passion, meet their goals, making a difference in the world.

I discovered also, that same night, The Passion Test.  It brings so much emotion to my heart and soul.  Some much needed...looking forward to activities.

Are you middle aged?  Stuck in a rut?  Thinking it's just too late to 'start over'...or even just starting...to figure out what your ideal world is like?  Check out the passion test.  Check in to the meetup group of 'A Woman's Journey'.

Grab a support person and help each other make it to the finish line of a goal, a project.

Take a 90 day challenge.  Tackle it and complete it...and take another.

A Little Bit of Sybil

The things I want to do.  The themes and challenges I want to tackle!!!  The list is getting longer. The challenge is ...inspirational and much needed.

I found this while browsing....The Third Thursday Challenge.  Merely...learn and share something new.  It works because I can use it along side of my 2B class from the ever inspirational Kim Klassen which I try to focus on Wednesday nights.

This week...I learned to install a new preset in LR4.  It took me a bit and I had to use a few extra steps than were originally defined...but it works.

I learned how to add a little bit of soft light to my photos...when I need to.  I do have some awesome windows in my old two story farmhouse also that spills awesome lighting to use in different rooms at different times of the day. Frustratingly..many times it is when I am at work..inside those four walls that I don't really care to be inside of...but I get to enjoy the 'light' on the weekends and even in the evening...when the winter blues aren't sharing my life.

I want to try to gradient to add light in a different shot to see how it works and compare it with the LR way that I was shown and see how different they are.  Maybe tomorrow night as tonight...I was a bit interrupted with a phone all and am running really late.

Meanwhile...the above shot was actually one of my first attempts to take the inside out and I wasn't pleased with it...for that.  I decided to use it with my 'Sybil' mood tonight (texture by Kim Klassen - SO THANK YOU!!!).  Sybil.  She brings a little bit of that 'crazy' out of me.  And...it feels good.

First I added the new preset (also compliments of Kim Klassen) in LR4 and then it to PSE to add not just one...but four layers of Sybil, blended first with soft light, two layers at Color Burn, with fourth layer at soft light again and brushed the soft light off of the flower itself.  I love the grainy texture it added to the vase. I also brushed the last of the soft light away from the heart in the background because I wanted it to be noticed....if only  a bit.

I'm really loving Beyond Beyond.  It's an awesome mix of camera basics, Photoshop and Lightroom...just all kind of mixed up in a happy bucket of inspiration.

Join us, won't you!!!

PS...this was taken on Valentine's Day, it was snowing, and I thought the little red vase was just perfect...oh..and yes...the daisy (my favorite) from the bouquet my sweetie left me. Smiling.  really smiling.