New Pics (Week 9)... Just 5

...Cause I only have 5 pictures to share today. 

So can you believe that all this time, at least for months now, I had the ability to maintain the quality of my images while still being able to resize for blog posts?  When I purchased the Miracle Makeover actions from Paint the Moon awhile back, it came with two web resize actions.  One converts an image to 500 px and the other to 900 px.  There is a VERY noticeable difference between using these actions to resize and just letting Blogger do it.  It's amazing!  I wanted to share the differences with you below.  My first picture was resized using the action, the second one was resized by Blogger (yuck).  The ones that were automatically resized became a little blurry and, more annoyingly, pixelated.  It's horrible!  Thanks again Pain the Moon!  Seriously, you made my year!

New Pics (Week 8)... A Noisy Saturday

I really wanted to title this post Silent Saturday because I'm too tired to write today but then I realized silent is not the same as wordless.  Hello!  So anyway, I went with 'A Noisy Saturday' because the following pictures were all taken with my ISO as high as 1600!  Yeah you heard me right.  And I hate noise!  I had no choice though.  I wasn't resorting to the flash.  I'm too in love with the look of natural light photography.  Anyhow, I'm starting to change my mind a bit.  About noise that is.  My sister said that a noisy picture isn't always bad especially when the picture is good.  She said you wouldn't notice the noise in a good picture and that sometimes (good) noise can add to the details of your subject.  That's right, I guess there is good noise and bad noise!  Boy my sister is one smart cookie!  In fact, I wouldn't have believed her as much until I saw it myself.  These pictures didn't bother me so much.  If this were about a month ago I would have labeled these 'ruined' and put them aside to collect cyber dust.  In fact, I was very happy with them!  I used PSE to reduce the noise a little but actually left a lot of it in!  In a way, the noise made the picture almost sharper!  So to stick to my previously written words of a prior post, 'I can tone it down', these edits were almost entirely to the color and lighting of the photograph ONLY.  No airbrushing, wrinkle removing or eye brightening actions used from Picnik!  Here is my Livvy, au naturale, in all her splendor!

Blog Hoppin' & A very random note to Livvy

Linking up to the Before & After Blog Hop over at Pixel Perfect.

I've attached my original, clean edit, and final below.

Camera Settings for SOOC:   Shutter Speed-200  ISO-400   Aperture-f/5.6   Focal Length-45 mm

Somebody stop me!

I wasn't sure what to do here but I just loved the picture that Jamie provided for the Edit Me Photo Challenge so much that I found myself still making edits to it even after I already linked up and entered my 'one' submission!  To me it's not about the photo challenge and whether this is entered in, I just wanted to be able to share my other edit with everyone because I fell in love with it.  I used Picnik as my editing software.  My goal was to focus in on those colorful striped knee socks so I converted it to black & white again but, this time, left the vibrant color on the socks and shoes.  To finish it off, I applied a vintage frame in PSE that I purchased from Paint the Moon.  The Polaroid was a frame provided by PSE.  I thought it was cute!

Woo hoo; very excited about the Edit Me Photo Challenge

I'm lovin' the picture this week for the Edit Me photo challenge over at My Reflection of Something.  I know I always say that but, seriously, this picture is so adorable!  It was taken by Jamie over at Mommy's Camera.  The original shot was so great it would have been really difficult to improve.  Instead I went for changing it completely.  I absolutely love the colors in the original shot, but I wanted to convert to sepia so that you would focus on the striped knee socks!  I just happened to find a paper bag frame in PSE that I decided to put it on.  Thought it was cute and, for some reason, fitting!  So here is my entry:

New Pics (Week 8)... Thank You Paint the Moon!

I had another photo shoot with Livvy yesterday.  Although we found some spots of shade, it was a bit more challenging for me to find the proper camera settings with the sun being out and bright!  I feel like some were blown out a little but I was able to adjust the exposure.  I don't even know if "blown out" is the correct term but let's see if I can explain.  Sometimes her face almost looked neon if that makes sense.  Because I purchased some more VERY cool actions from Paint the Moon, I wanted to attach my before and afters to mark my SOOC, clean edit, and action applications.  In some cases, I actually like my clean edit better.  I am, however, VERY excited to work more with these new actions some more!  Paint the Moon makes it so easy to download and install into whatever editing software you are using.  I love that!  Not to mention the affordable prices! 

New Pics (Week 8)... Still really excited to share!

This is a continuation of my last post titled New Pics (Week 8)... Really excited to share! While revisiting my SOOC shots from the photo shoot of Alivia in my back yard, I decided to process a few more!  While I was at it, I figured why not link up to a few photo challenges? 

New Pics (Week 8)... Really excited to share!

I am so excited to share these with you because I feel like they came out great and I'm really happy with them!  Not much editing involved which was nice!  I did, however, use the clone tool on some of these to remove distractions from the picture.  It was my first time using the clone tool and I absolutely love it! 

New Pics (Week 7)... The BIG 01! OMG!

I'm drafting this post two days early because I know I want to do something extra special for your birthday but I'm not sure just what yet.  I'm hoping to have, not only pictures but, a video to share also.  So I'll have to be all up in Daddy's Kool-Aid these next few days to the point of annoying so that I am sure to get it!  I bought Daddy an awesome camcorder as a gift for Father's Day last year when you were still in mommy's tummy.  I knew that he would have loved to get some footage of the delivery.  Then before we knew it, the day was upon us and I was hee, hee, hooing through labor pains and it was the furthest thing from our minds.  Of course after all was said and done, and you were finally here, Daddy took some great video of your first few days in this world.... er, well in Brigham and Women's Hospital.  I can't believe that's almost exactly a year ago today!

New Pics (Week 7)... Wordish Wednesday

Not that this pic really needs any words...

And just some randomness around the house...

I love this picture of me and the hubby that my sister took.  This frame fit the picture perfectly.

This is my living room lamp stand...

See.  Sort of wordish but not really.

Edit Me

Yay it's Wednesday.  And why am I so excited?  Because today the linky for the Edit Me photo challenge opens!  I was a little hesitant with this weeks photo because it was already so lovely.  How could I make it better?  Then I realized I don't have to make it better, just different. 

New Pics (Week 6)... Livvy did what?

- 8/5: tried soft serve vanilla ice cream right from the cone
- 8/6: made the switch from formula to whole milk

OMG!  And to think her birthday is on Saturday is completely INSANE.  I'm runnin' around like a chicken with its head cut off!  No no just kiddin'.  I've got everything under control.  I just hope I take pictures.  I always intend to especially at BIG events such as this one but then I get wrapped up in hosting, socializing, giving hugs & kisses to my babies (my babies being my hubby and Livvy) and forget I have a camera!  I really feel like I'm missing out behind the view finder.  My sister is bringing her camera anyway.

QUOTOGRAPHY

This is my submission for the Quotography photo challenge at {My} Perspective.  This is a picture of my nephew ALEX.  He is, as you can see, all eyes!  I love this shot of him.  Not only is he super cute but such a good kid.  A little fresh at times but really such a sweet boy.  I say this because you should see him with Alivia (my one year old).  He is so good with her. 

New Pics (Week 6)... Fortunate, I am.

I spent a good portion of yesterday reading A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard the 11 year old that was kidnapped in 1991 and held captive for 18 years as a sex slave.  Yes, unfortunately you read that right.  I read most of it while Alivia napped for 3 1/2 hours.  It was sad, gruesome, and jaw dropping to name a few but mostly UNIMAGINABLE not that you'd really want to imagine any of the horrible things this poor little girl was subjected to.  In case you are unfamiliar with her story, I've attached some links below.

There's really laundry to do, but first a photo challenge or two...

I've been trying to establish whether I have time to participate in a photo challenge.  My favorite part of the photo challenge is blog hoppin' to comment on other peoples submissions.  I love seeing what other people are capturing.  It really inspires me!  Although my favorite part of the photo challenge, it's also the most time consuming.  I'd hate to enter the challenge and then get tied up and not be able to leave comments.  I'm going to give it a try anyway.

New Pics (Week 6)... From 'To Do' to 'To Done'

Yesterday I was trying to nap when Livvy went down for hers, but my brain had other plans!   No matter how much I’d try to fight my thoughts, I still found myself awake and thinking after 10 minutes, ½ hour, an hour, and, yes, even 3 hours later.  So there it was 3:10 pm and random words from my To Do list were floating in my head.  I decided to share them below in an effort to remove them from my head.

New Pics (Week 6)... New Frames

New frames for PSE!  Woo hoo!

Can you believe I had a birthday party and trip to Laconia this weekend with not one picture to show?  I took my camera but didn't snap one shot.  Not one!  I'm a little disappointed in myself.  I was having such a great time socializing and playing with Alivia that I didn't want to step away not even for a second.  Does that ever happen to you?  No matter how passionate you are about photography?  I've been so busy lately that trying to process what could have easily been hundreds of pictures would have only given me anxiety anyway.  I've been trying to focus more on Alivia and I have to admit it's been working out well.