fPhoto Friday

My first post for fPhoto Friday, in honor of Christmas, my dog Cami in her Santa outfit. She was actually looking over at the cat (her best friend) in this picture.

Taken with my Nikon D40
f/5.6
55mm
ISO 1600

And, because she is too cute not to share one more...

Also with the Nikon D40
f/4.2
30mm
ISO 900

Want to see more? Visit my photography website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehopscotch

Join the fPhoto Fridays with Natalie at: http://marriedtothepreacher.blogspot.com/

I Saw God Today

I am that person that gets distracted driving because I am gazing at a sunset...that person that swerves on the road because I am looking at a hawk that's flying above or perched on a power line. Some people don't understand my love of photography, but it captures those moments and records them forever.

My current favorite song is by George Strait, "I Saw God Today"
Chorus:
I've been to church
I've read the Book
I know He's here, but I don't look
Near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slow down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

George Strait sums it up best in that song. That's what I feel when I see sunsets, wildlife, nature. All of these things are God's work and it amazes me how people can be unbelievers when they see His amazing work. He puts signs and reminders for us everywhere, but somehow, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and don't often "slow down to stop and stare." Everytime I see these things, I try to take some time, even if just a moment to think to myself "I saw God today."

I just got a new camera - Canon G10 - and I am so excited, because this camera allows for more portability than my DSLR while retaining excellent image quality. You can bet that the camera will be on me 24x7. I can now catch all those amazing moments when I "see" God. So for this entry in my blog, I decided to post a few pictures from my photography site when I have been thankful for the opportunity to see God's work. Hopefully there will be many, many more of these to come!

It's Been A While

It's been a while...possibly because I've been sucked into wedding planning overdrive. I've realized it comes in waves. Right after our engagement, we decided on a date, reserved the church and reception site, booked a photographer (the most important vendor to me) and then things slowed to a lull.

Now I'm fully engaged in getting as many things taken care of as quickly as possible. Perhaps it is because I've realized that we're now down to the 8 month mark. Maybe it has something to do with seeing the June 2009 Knotties that are on the ball and posting new "checks" everyday. Whatever it is, I've been jolted into action. Now, rather than wasting my time on Flickr, my enthusiasm has shifted to wasting my time on The Knot forums. It's addicting.

Things I have accomplished thus far...deciding on my Save The Dates (although I'm still waiting on the illustrator to get back in touch with me), designing my own invitations and RSVP cards, and setting up a meeting with a caterer next week. Not a lot...but something is better than nothing, I suppose.

I think once I get my invitation design finalized and book our caterer and DJ, I'll feel like I'm at a better place in the planning process.

That's all for now...I need to get back to The Knot. See...I told you I was addicted.

The Wild World of HDR

I was recently introduced into HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography courtesy of my new Flickr addiction. I am now thoroughly obsessed with it. You use a software of choice to merge multiple exposures of the same photograph together to capture lost highlights and ensure shadows stay deep. Tone mapping combined with bracketed exposures allow you to give the impression of a high dynamic range. Often, these images appear almost surreal...dependent upon the settings you choose. Right now, I love the surreal look because it gives the images more of an "artsy" feel that is different than your standard digital photograph. Below are a couple of samples I did off of some Cleveland photos I made. Let me know what you think!

Flickr and New Photography

I have a new obsession...Flickr. Previously, I had used Smugmug to store all of my photos. It was great for storage, but there was no interaction or community feel to it. I was introduced to Flickr and it has become my new website to waste as much time as possible. You can add yourself to "groups" of interest, participate in forums within those groups, and upload photos to those groups to receive comments on them regarding your technique, subjects, etc. It is addicting!

Last night Mama Hop and I went to Big Spring Park so I could take some pictures of landmarks, downtown, etc. I'm doing this for my wedding guestbook. Rather than having a boring guestbook where people sign their names and then it goes in a closet, this guestbook will allow people to write messages and include photos from various landmarks around Huntsville (for me) and Cleveland (for Ryan).

I had never done night photography before, so last night was my first stab at it. I loved it! Everything turned out really well...below are some samples:



And while I'm at it...below are some photos from our trip to Cleveland this past weekend. These will also be images that will go into our wedding guestbook. Ryan's dad was able to take us up to the 33rd floor of the BP building where he's working so I could get some awesome shots...

My Rant for Today...Smoking

Why in the world do people smoke? Seriously? I hate the stuff...despise it...and...I really don't feel like anyone has a right to destroy my health because I want to go to a bar and have a few drinks with friends.

I don't understand why Alabama hasn't passed a law yet against smoking in any public place. California did it...so did New York...and Ohio...etc. I have no sympathy for the people that say they don't want to have to deal with going outside to smoke. Sorry folks, but it's your choice to smoke so deal with it. If people in frigid Ohio and New York can go outside to smoke on the patio/balcony, surely people in nice, balmy Alabama can handle it.

I was watching the new show The Doctors yesterday and they were going through exactly what is in a cigarette...including but not limited to tobacco, ingredients from antifreeze, rat poison, moth balls, etc. Mmmmm...sounds tasty, huh? Remember that when you reach for your next cigarette because you think you really "need" one...

Why in the world would someone want to smoke after knowing that smoke has been PROVEN to cause lung cancer? Ninety, yes 90, percent of lung cancer cases are caused from smoking. I would have to assume the other 10% or majority thereof are due to secondhand smoke. Thanks, smokers! I have known of 2 people who got lung cancer and never smoked a day in their life. Both are now dead. I can't help but think that had state-wide laws banned smoking in public places years ago those deaths may have been prevented. Just think about that the next time you go to "light up" in a public place.

Had I the power...I would ban cigarettes the way drugs are banned. I hate smelling even the faintest smell of them. I hate having to turn my A/C in my car onto the "circulation within the car" mode merely because someone in a car in front of me/beside me is smoking. I hate walking into a store where people are smoking outside and having to smell the crap. I hate walking into a gas station or bathroom where people have been smoking before I get in there and having my hair smell like smoke when I walk out. But...most of all...I hate hate hate going to bars where smoking is allowed and knowing that my lungs are being polluted...not because of something I am doing or choose to do, but because of what SOMEONE ELSE is doing. It's ridiculous.

We're heading to Ohio for a football game this weekend and I love knowing we can go to any bar without worry of smoke. It's a great feeling.

So...a big THANK YOU to states like New York, California, Ohio, etc that have passed laws banning ALL smoking in public places.

Alabama...get with the times and ban it before secondhand smoke affects the health of more people than it has already!

And you smokers...really think about what you're doing the next time you light that cigarette. I don't care if it's just a "habit when you drink" or if you smoke 3 packs a day...you're killing yourself and turning your lungs into a black, charred organ...and affecting other people's health while your at it...

Back Pain, Photography, and Wedding Planning...A Day in the Life of Melissa

So I have now determined that bowling...well...it's just not for me. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I'm not so much in love with the havoc it wreaks on my back. I was in two leagues a while back and started noticing a directly proportional relationship with my back pain....more bowling = more pain. I was just starting to feel back to normal and Ryan and I bowled 2 games last week...BAD idea. I now have to keep Advil coursing through my bloodstream to maintain some level of sanity. Today is chiropractor visit #2 this week at an attempt to get back to where I was before the bowling excursion. Needless to say, I will NOT be joining the Thursday league that Ryan is playing in. Sad that a 28 year old can't do something as simple as bowling, huh? I can lift weights MUCH heavier than my little 10 lb bowling ball but something about the motion of heaving it down a bowling lane is clearly not an option.

Enough of the complaining. I bought a new camera a couple of weeks ago...Nikon D40 and I adore it. I haven't had as much time to experiment with it as I would like, but I can already tell it's a gem. I had a DSLR before (Canon 400D) but sold it and the lens at an attempt to pay off some of my credit card debt. The Nikon (and additional 55-200mm lens I plan to buy) is cheaper than the body and kit lens only of the Canon. Ah how I've missed having a quality camera! Took a few pictures of our zoo (3 dogs and a cat) and made the collage below. The shot of Cami (Shih-Tzu) was actually from my old Canon 400D but the other pics are from the Nikon D40. These were actually the first pictures I ever took with the Nikon and all were taken in auto mode (didn't feel like messing with the settings when it first came out of the box). I can't wait to start shooting more with it!

Wedding planning is going well. For those of you that didn't hear...I found the dress of my dreams in Birmingham and got an amazing deal on it. I fell in love with it in The Knot magazine and called everywhere looking for one...called a store in Bham (after calling 10-12 other stores who didn't have one) and found out they were closing down at the end of the year and had a 50-80% sale on everything going on...AND...they had my dress and it was my size! My mom and I made a flying trip to Birmingham and I tried it on and loved it. Now if we can just find a caterer and DJ! I have a couple of calls/emails out to vendors in both areas so hopefully we'll be able to get those booked soon.

Well, I guess I've rambled enough for today...

My First Post

Seems like everyone has a blog these days so I thought...why not. I'm in the midst of wedding planning and have seen a lot of girls on The Knot with blogs. It seems like a great way to organize my thoughts and share my plans with the rest of the world...so...here goes nothing!