POTD (Photos of the Day) - Family & Kids

Dangggg...I forgot I had these pictures in draft all this time. These were taken this summer. My sister just had a baby and she wanted some family picture so I was happy to improvise. Baby Kimora was usually a bit fussy but with some luck she looked like she was smiling and happy here.

And then, here's my little nephew. He always has such a big smile when taking pictures. Sometimes a bit too unnatural, ehehe but he's a darling!

My youngest son normally doesn't like or care to be in pictures but I made him do it

My nephew and my niece. She didn't want to take pictures. She just wanted to run around in the backyard.

His goofy smile again

I love how he poses for the pictures. Clearly he loves the camera. 

Ah finally, a natural smile.

Kids are so hard to photograph. They are constantly moving and easily distracted. I managed to get some decent shot by putting my setting to action and snap the camera by looking through the view finder.

It was really bright and sunny that day and some areas are over exposed but I still enjoyed taking the pictures. I was under a big tree so the subject under the tree turned out fine.

My daughter and Max. He's a rat terrier.

I don't remember if there was a special occasion but I remember that we had some grilled goodies that day.

Prom Girls

I'm definitely not posting as much as I would like because I can't afford the equipment that I want and I can't find the time. However, I had to make the time for my daughter's prom photoshoot. By the time, I got the makeup, hair, and corsage done. I only had like 1 1/2 hour before Prom started. Nonetheless, I still managed to snap a few decent pics.

Fortunately, it was a beautiful day. Not too hot or cold. Just perfect. The girls were so silly. Constantly giggling and laughing for no reason. We also lacked posing ideas. Their feet were hurting, they didn't want to wear their heels. Well, not much I can do beside, keep them focused and and keep shooting.

My equipment...simple....My Canon Rebel T3i and 50 mm 1.4 lens, natural light, and the occasional use of the flash. Forgot to shoot in Raw but oh well...lol I was rushed. I need a faster computer too.
Bottom line is, you don't have to be a photographer and have fancy gears to take decent pictures. Photos were edited by free online software.

Photos of the Day - Camera Phone Pix (When I Don't Have My DSLR With Me)

I should really post here a little more regularly. I guess my problem is that I don't dedicate the time to just go out and shoot stuff. Plus with the winter in full swing, I rather stay inside, nice and warm, though I know there is beauty to be found in that coldness. 

It's not always feasible or convenient to carry a DSRL around because it's bulky and heavy. There are times when you come across a situation where you just have to take a picture to capture the moment and in that case I resort to my phone's camera.

Phone cameras are getting better nowadays but the picture quality may also vary on the make and model. I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and I'm quite pleased with the overall result of the pictures I've been taking with it. All the pictures on this post have been taken with my phone camera. I did a bit of editing but they are minor. The pictures lack the sharpness that a DSRL offers but they are still enjoyable in my opinion. 

The first picture above was taken right after I dropped off my daughter and her friend yesterday at school for the talent show. The sunset was glorious. I had to pull over to snap a picture. 

Prior to dropping off the girls at the school talent show, we spent a little time inside of Walgreens to kill some time and to grab some snacks. When we stepped out, I was like woah...Where's my phone? I need to picture this! It's not every day I get to see a lovely sunset, let alone getting a good view of it.

I am still night picture challenged. Low light and evening settings are always difficult for a novice like myself. Sometimes I get lucky. Sometimes, I have to futz with the camera and settings. This came out a little fuzzy but it was the best I could do with my phone. I took like 10 pictures I think that night. Ideally, it would have probably come out better if I had a steadier hand but perhaps I was slightly trembling with the cold. 

I was in Mequon sometime in December. Dropped off my son at school and I had a couple hours to kill so I went in Walgreens. It's one of the usual stores I stalk for new beauty products, lol. When I stepped out, I notice this really tall tree and it was beautifully lit so I was compelled to snap a picture. 

My sister turned 31 last December and we had a small family celebration. I forgot what kind of pie that was.

Along with my sister's birthday, my nephew also turned 18. This set of candles were really cool because you only need to light up one and it instantly light up the rest in like 3 seconds. Happened way too fast for my phone camera to catch that in action. My sister said that it was a representation of how fast her son grew.

I stopped by the apartment office to turn in my lease renewal and spotted these amazing icicles dangling from the roof. Wow, you don't wanna be down there if these things fall off. They were pretty big, up to 16 inches if not more.

Phone selfie is quick and convenient and my phone has an app that allows me to edit and give that soft glowy complexion. I was pretty impressed.

POTD (aka Photo of the Day) - A Piece of Your Heart

Isn't it sad that all good things come to an end? That nothing really seem to last anymore. That you never know what tomorrow will bring. That the people who loved you today can take their love back tomorrow. That even good friendships can slip away...Or maybe that only happens to a certain unfortunate ones.

No, my life is not gloom and doom. In fact, it's been pretty quiet, lonesome, and mellow for a while now. Can't complaint. It was a personal choice of mine. I needed time to find myself. To reform myself. But I guess I'm a little lost, a little broken, and a little defeated...still. I feel a part of me closing in.

About a month ago, I received an unexpected letter. Tucked inside, I found this heart. It made me happy in a bitter sweet kind of way. It reminded me that our friendship was not lost or forgotten. I have not spoken to my friend in over 5 years. It's hard to believe that much time has passed already. Silence is part of our unspoken pact but in our lonely minds, we probably had a thousand conversation.

The thoughtful gesture felt like a pinch to my heart, a gentle reminder that I am not as alone as I thought I was. I saved this picture on my phone as wallpaper because it means a lot to me.

Sometimes we lose touch and sight of friends not because we want to but because life has a different plan for us. Don't forget to remind them that you still think of them. Being forgotten is a much worst feeling than being unloved.

Do you have an object, a charm, or a gift that has a meaning to you? Have you ever taken a picture of it?

Sorry for the lack of post....I haven't really been out there shooting things and my computer is having another episode and Lightroom keeps freezing on me... :(

The Graduate

My son graduated last weekend from high school. I am so proud of him. Not only for completing this milestone but he's been keeping with his grades throughout the high school years. He's a very responsible, intelligent, and dependable young man with a bright future ahead of him.

I took a few pictures but many of them didn't turn out that great. I don't know if it is me but sometimes I feel like my camera goes through mood swings. I just never know when I'm going to get a good picture so I just keep shooting and hope for the best.

I really like how these outdoors pictures came out. It was a fairly cool and cloudy day and the lighting was just perfect! I love using my 50 mm lens for the portrait shots. It gives the pictures a nice bokeh and depth of field. I really need to get my hands on an external flash and another lens. I have to step back so far when I'm shooting with the 50 mm.

Congrats to all the class of 2013!

Prom 2013

Hellooooo!

It's been like forever since I posted anything here...I feel terrible. I've been handicapped for the past month and just starting to get better. Other than that, I've been feeling a little depressed. Cabin fever, I suppose.

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I'm able to sorta walk again, I'm hoping to be taking more pictures.

Last weekend, my oldest son attended his senior prom. It was about time I bust out my camera and start taking some pictures and put my 50mm f/1.4 to use.

I'm not completely satisfied with the shots but overall, I still managed to take some fairly decent pictures. We were in a rush so I didn't even bother messing with the settings. All the pictures were taken under AV setting and natural light. I just wanted to make sure I get some pictures of my handsome spy (Skyfall was the theme) before he goes on with his prom business. I didn't even use a tripod. Just point and shoot and hope for the best.

I finally shooted in Raw this time. File transfer was a little slow but not too bad.
I used Lightroom 4.2 and PicMonkey to edit the pictures. I miss using Photoshop.

And lastly, here's a peak at the Prom corsage that I put together along with the matching boutonniere for my son. I will put a little more details on how I did them on my Beauty Blog.

Thanks for stopping by. Which camera/lens or other equipment do you use for special occasions?