Mr. Safety

So, this week my entire house has been a wreck since we (and I'm using the term "we" very loosely here) have been building built-in cabinets/shelves in our living room for our TV and "junk".

We have wonderful recessed areas on either side of our fireplace...and before this week we just had a TV stand in the area and used it like that.

Well, Travis (aka my lovely husband) has decided that he could BUILD! shelves and make it look fantastic.

We (again, I'm using this term loosely) started on Sunday morning and by Sunday evening we had a few boards up! Yay! I was skeptical at first...especially after hour 7 had passed and nothing resembled a shelf.

But, I stand corrected. After 5 days of working on it....we have 2 shelves completed and the area is set for our big-screen TV.

I am so proud. (Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from my words?!?!?!)

There is no TV downstairs. There is no electricity in our living room. There is no lovely space for me to curl up on the couch and watch TV.

Life is NOT the same for me.

And to go back to the term "we" I've been using. I HAVE helped. Really...I have. I have supplied Travis and our friend Heath (who has helped us tremendously and has kept Travis in a good mood) with yummy dinners, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (yes...they were the break and bake...but HEY!...not from a sack in the pantry!), sweet tea, and I did hold a couple of boards while he SAWED with a SAW! the other night.

My hearing is still trying to come back.

I am not a fan of saws....7 inches from my head.

Crazy, I know.

So we have sawdust everywhere, crap all over our house, tools in every direction, and we're having to park outside.

Yes! I am spoiled rotten...because parking outside is really bothering me. And yes I know it's not winter, so I should just shut up. But I haven't complained. Only to you.

Travis in his stocking this year (from my parents) got a pair of safety goggles. I mean, you never know when one might need safety goggles. Well, he scrounged them up the other day and they have come in handy while using the mighty power saw.

That is until G-Man found them and hasn't given them back to us yet.

Yesterday I finally busted out the grill (after nagging Travis to fill up the gas tank for at least a month) and grilled hamburgers. Can I just say how much I enjoy grilling? I do. I don't have to worry about messing up my kitchen when I grill (at least too much).

G-Man decided to come outside with me and take 3 (count them 3!) pirate ships that he has (and not little ones) with him to set up our Pirate! area.

I didn't really notice that he was carrying his goggles around, or that he really knew how to get them on his face. I ran inside to put the Crispy Crowns in the oven (YUMMO) and came back outside to see G-Man protecting his eyes from wayward, unknown items in the air.

Unfortunately, he pushed them up by the time I got back with my camera. I got some cute shots taken, played a little Pirate ship, and almost burnt the hamburgers.

Not good.

They turned out okay...and so did my picture.

Oldie...but goodie

It's funny how I can go through old pictures and run across a photo that I've always liked...but didn't absolutely love.

This was all before my beloved Photoshop entered the picture.

So I'm going through some older photos (last summer) and came across this photo that I always liked...but didn't love in color. I tweaked it, cropped it, edited some dirt off of his face, and changed it to black and white.

A prime example on how a few edits can make a good picture GREAT! I love his eyes in this photo...and the fact that the freckles on his nose are really prominent. And the color before made his hair really red and crazy...but b&w it makes it perfect.

Now I'm on the hunt for other old photos that I liked....but didn't love. ENJOY!...and dig out your old photos to edit. Trust me...it's fun!

Gettin' it on at the zoo...

So today was an absolutely gorgeous spring day (75+ degree weather) and I took a vacation day from work and took G-Man to the Indy Zoo.

We got up early, went to the "Bread Place" (aka Panera Bread) for some Cinnamon Crunch bagels and made it to the zoo at 9:00 a.m.

This was all of course after we survived an earthquake early this morning.

All was well, he did fantastic (all except for the lame dolphin "show") and we had a great time. The dude taking $$ for parking the cars didn't know how to work his credit card machine, so I got to park for free (YAY) and we munched enough on pretzels and popsicles that we didn't have to pay for a full lunch. Not too shabby.

I of course took my lovely camera and took a gazillion photos. Lots of G-Man, lots of elephants, and zero of the sharks since I had to physically restrain G from falling into the shark tank (where you can pet the little sharks). He was thrilled that he got to touch 10 sharks. Last trip to the zoo he was too scared...so this is progress!

And of course the highlight of the day was watching giraffes have sex.

Yes, you heard me. The giraffes had sex. Right in front of me. Well, me and about 10 other moms who were there with their kid's field trip. It was a slow day so not too many kids around, and somehow at this precise moment, there was nobody watching the X-rated show except for us.

We of course all had our cameras out and were documenting the entire thing. We were all giggling like school girls and laughing and snapping away. It's like a car wreck...you just had to look. If anyone is interested in seeing the x-rated photos of Mr. Giraffe and his "red rocket", go here, here and here.

Who knew?!?!?!

I also captured another new-favorite photo of G-Man. I'm really liking the light-colored photos I'm doing in Photoshop. Somehow I like the style and like how it looks when I'm done. Very fresh and he just looks so angelic!!!!!


What do you think? Too washed out? Don't like it? Please advise.

Also, word is getting out about my photography and I've got 4 jobs lined up here in the next few weeks. I'm really excited to take photos of things besides my kid, my nieces, and my other family members. I'm ready to 'liven things up'.

I of course will keep you all up-to-date on my photo-taking process.

I'm having so much fun!!!!! Oh, and if you're interested in seeing all the other photos of our zoo trip, click here for the set.

News Flash...

I'm an idiot.

This is not some big news flash. It is what it is. And as I get older...the more of an idiot I am.

For example:

The other day I did a load of delicates, and forgot they were in the washer until 2 days later as I was getting ready for work. I got ready, and on my way out the door, I re-washed them. I was in such a hurry, I did my normal thing and just turned it on and ran out the door. 20 minutes into my drive (and about 3/4 way through the cycle), I remembered that I just set to wash my "delicates" on my normal setting of my washer.

Kinda defeated the purpose of washing them on "delicate" the first time around. Luckily, everything was fine with the clothes...but this is just an example of a ding-ey thing I've done lately.

Another example:

In February when I was in London for work (5 more weeks til I go back!), I toured Windsor Castle and some other cool places. Well, since G-Man is ADDICTED to swords of any nature, I found some cool knight-swords that make noise that I thought I'd bring back to him.

So I'm packing my bag, and my battery-operated swords will fit in my suitcase. However, any move I make, my luggage sounded like a sword fight was going on. So, I had a bright idea that I would just carry the gifts on board the plane with no problem.

Arrive to London Heathrow Airport (yikes...a HUGE-ass airport) and check my bags, and go through a maze of security, etc. Hmmmm...come to find out you CAN'T CARRY TOY WEAPONS ON BOARD AN AIRCRAFT.

DUH. What was I thinking?!?!?!? Seriously....I must not have been thinking very hard because HOW DUMB COULD I BE?

So, an hour later after going out of line, going to a store in the airport, and buying a stupid bag (all for a 14 pounds sword-set, which is really $28...damn the weak dollar) and re-checking my second bag, I finally got through security and to my gate out in no-mans-land with no pounds in my pocket and no place to buy a freakin' diet coke with credit that didn't have a line out the store door.........

That trip is a post all in its own.

So, it's stuff like that that annoys the crap out of me.

Oh! I remember another stupid thing I did in relation to my London trip.

My flight left at 6:00 a.m. out of Indy on my way to Newark. I parked the car at 5:00 a.m., and a shuttle was right at the pick-up point. So, I jumped out, grabbed my purse, grabbed my suitcase, and ran to the pick-up station. I got on the bus, no problem there, until I'm about 5 minutes from being dropped off and I remembered I DON'T HAVE MY COAT.

#$%^!!!!! Did I leave it on the back of my dining room chair at home? Is it in my trunk? I have absolutely no idea. My brain is blank. All I'm thinking is....Oh my God...I'm going to London in FEBRUARY...with NO COAT.

So, the driver dropped the people off at the terminal, and I go on the route with him. We get to my drop-off point, I leap out of the bus, run to my car (with a bus-load of people watching me) open my hatch, and THANK THE LORD JESUS that my coat is in the back. I grab it, lock my car, and run back to the waiting bus. (I thankfully stayed warm while in London in FEBRUARY).

I made it to my gate with time to spare and got to Newark fine (and ran into Mike Tyson!) (YIKES) and to London with no problem.

But again, it's stuff like this that KILLS me!

So, enough with my stupid ramblings. I really am a quite intelligent woman....with brain farts that occasionally ridden my brain.

In other words, I'm glad I'm practicing on friends and family with my photography.

Like on Sunday. We're at my dad's for dinner and my nieces are there. It's a glorious day, and the kids are riding their bikes. I'm taking photos, and getting some really good shots.

I go home, and later this week I Photoshopped them a bit.

But wait....what is this grainy blur on my photos? Why are they not super clear? Is the resolution crappy? What is this problem?

Oh....yeah....I took all these photos with the wrong setting on my camera (?) and somehow got the photos to turn out grainy.

I think this is the problem...and checking my photo details realize I think this is the problem. So from now on, I am going to be much more careful on what setting I have it set on. I just thank the Lord that for my really great photos of the triplets the other day, I had it set on the RIGHT setting.

See this photo???? It's GRAINY. And I hate it. Open it up in Flickr here to see the original file.

Oh well....we learn from our mistakes, right?

I sure hope so.

Photos for the taking...

I love taking smiling photos, sleeping photos, staring intently photos...but most of all I love the pissed-off/crying photos.

Like this one of my neice, E.

I do believe she's crying because G-Man knocked her over and her mommy (my sister) came to the rescue.

I just love the big tears....

When 3 do it...G-Man will follow

One thing I learned this weekend....if I take my son with me on a shoot (like I did on Saturday), I absolutely cannot NOT take his photo.

Especially when I was taking A, B and C's photo by a tree (individually) and when I was done with the third one, he climbed up behind the tree and posed for me like the others did.

I mean, how cute is that?!?!?

I told A, B and C that I needed to bring them along with me when I wanted to shoot G-Man's photo...and they could get him to do anything. Like Follow-the-Leader!

I think this one is my favorite.

Mr. Blue-Eyes (aka G-Man).

Photoshop is my friend...

and I'm just now realizing how much I love one single photo....7 different ways.

I mean...how do you choose 1 single photo? Especially when I like that one photo with a lot of color, with black and white, and with an "old school" look to it?

I'm finding out that my preference is an old school look...with a lot of light.

Like these kiddos...my triplet neices and nephew. In order, A, B and C.

I guess I need to ask my clients what they like (BW, color, old school) before I edit 100 photos for them...and edit them 3 different ways. *sigh*

You're welcome

Okay, so I don't want to bog down my blog with hundreds of photos so my readers have to wait a gazillion years for the page to load.

Therefore, I'm just going to keep updating my flickr slideshow (see left hand side of page) so if you want to see updated photos, click on the moving flickr button over there. See?!?!?! Easy!!!!

I will post the photos...but since I'm crazy with the camera clicker...I end up having hundreds of photos I love from the shoots!

This weekend, I downloaded 109 photos of the triplets.

This is after I deleted some of the really bad ones.

So when I say I'm doing you a favor by not posting all the photos on my blog...I mean it. If you're crazy and want to look at every single one...click on the flickr slideshow.

You're welcome.

Check it daily for more updates...I put more photos in it nightly!!!!

First "Official" Photoshoot

Okay, the photoshoot was a hit. I don't know if I had great models (yes, I did), or if I really do have a knack for this photography stuff.

I'm thinking both.

I definitely feel more qualified after having my first "successful" photoshoot. I got a ton of photos that I'm working on editing, and I have to say I believe this one is my favorite so far.

My neices are beautiful, and my nephew quite handsome (although he quit posing for me about 30 minutes into the "shoot") and I can't help but take good photos when you got cute kids to work with.

Question for my readers....would YOU pay me to take photos of your kids? I think I need a little validation here.

Anyway, enjoy! I'll post more of the shoot later...but I am thinking this one is my favorite so far.

My neice, A.

Saturday

In starting my new side-business, I need subjects to photograph. And G-Man is certainly adorable...but I think everyone over at Ms. Crafty Wanna-Be is sick and tired of looking at photos of my son.

I am not...but it's all about you.

So I called my step-sister the other day (who has triplets) and asked her if I could practice on her kids. You know, the ones that are at that perfect age where they're not too old to hate getting their picture taken, and older than the kids who avoid me like the plague.

And it doesn't hurt that they are adorable.

So I'm going over to their house Saturday to do a shoot, and I hope to get some great shots. I can't wait to share them all with you!

Until then, here's their Christmas card photo from 2007.

First Post....

Of my brand new blog.

Welcome! Ms. Crafty Wanna-Be lurkers can come on over to JVW Photography!

As long as I can remember, I've loved to take photos. It's always been a dream to be a photographer. You know...one of those dreams that never come true and you never think they'll come true.

Yeah, one of those.

But guess what?

It's coming true.

Thanks to my handy-dandy camera I bought late last summer and some really cool subjects, websites, and some moolah ($$).

Again, welcome to my site. I plan to update it as I go along and get a better look, but for now it's going to have to do.

In the meantime, check out my photos, think about hiring me to take your kid's photos, and send me cool photo ideas (I'm always up for inspiration!).

So, for now, I leave you with my neice, E.