A New Blog for the New Year!

I have started the blog over on our own page with our own address. Instead of migrating all of our blogs over, I linked them to the new one.

Please check out Rockin' the Empty Nest (www.rockintheemptynest.com)

It is more organized and more personalized. I hope to see you there!

India Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.

My Own Christmas Miracle

In 1990, when Eric was 3, he attended Hand In Hand Preschool in Tyler. For Christmas that year, they made a handprint wreath on a piece of fabric. They even used stamps and made wrapping paper. I hung it up that year and kept hanging it.

In 1996, when Joy Anna was 4, she attended Discovery School in Springhill. I wanted another for Joy Anna, so that year, my friend Deana and I made them with our kids.

Starting in 1996, I hung both of them. It was such a big deal to me, I took the large painting down from above the fireplace and hung them there or I would hang one in each front window. This was every year thorough 2007 - our last year in Longview.

When I tried to find them in El Paso, I couldn't. I usually rolled them up and and put them in the Christmas tree box after Christmas. I didn't take that Christmas tree with us to El Paso. The renter knew we had stuff in the attic and knew it was ok. She moved before the next Christmas and we had a new renter. When Dean when to Longview to meet the new renter, it was mid-year. We were not thinking about Christmas or the tree. Of course, when it was time to decorate, I remembered. When we called the renter to ask if he would look in the box and mail the two wreaths to me, he said he had thrown it all away. I was so upset.

This year, when I pulled out the decorations, I prayed that God would perform a Christmas Miracle and place those wreaths in a  box. We have lots and lots of Christmas boxes. I was pretty sure I had looked in each one of them. The stamped wrapping paper was in the boxes, I had saved it even though I had nothing to wrap in it. It was probably the 5thor 6th box to open when I found them. Way down in the bottom of the tub.

I was so excited. I confess to crying a little. Dean laughed a little. He thinks it is funny when I get emotional.

I had to do a little repair work on them, but they are hanging up where I can enjoy them. I can remember those sweet little hands.

Fun Day!

I am behind on blogging. I have been busy, which is a good thing. I have several blog posts I want to write - one on tradition and one on my own Christmas miracle. I also want to blog about a Thanksgiving and the Renaissance Festival.  I will work on catching up, but today was so much fun, I couldn't pass up posting about it today.

This morning was church- it was a good morning at church. Today starts the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and week of prayer for foreign missions. This is dear to my heart. It has always been, but even more so since Eric & Ashley worked with them.

Sunday School was good. I enjoy studying through the Bible. Having such a great group of people in there surely makes it nice. Then we went to worship where Second Mile was rocking the Christmas hymns and Brother Steve preached on how Christmas is not about us but about Jesus.

After Church, we came home and started on the decorations here again. This is turning into a lengthy process. It is going to look great, though.

My friend and neighbor is going to help me get into shape. I am so excited. For someone to enjoy working out as much as I do, I am just in horrible shape. Part of it is I don't like doing everything alone. I always enjoyed working out at Parkeway because I knew everyone. Even if I was working out alone, I didn't feel alone. We seemed to motivate one another. That hasn't happened since we moved from there. Lisa is going to motivate me. We met on Friday and talked about increasing my cardio. I will be adding cardio before I do water aerobics this week. It is a start.

There was city wide 5K, 1K fun run today at the park. She was taking the kids alone, so I offered to help out. We ended up having her husband and Dean, too. That was great with one kid per adult. We walked to the park only to realize we were at the wrong part of the park. We walked on up to Dell Diamond where the event was beginning. There were several things to do in the parking lot while we were waiting for the event to start.

 ready to walk to the race :)

 Checking out the firetruck

 a discussion with Santa

 Checking out the Police Car

 A good one of Avery

 A good one of Rylee

 

This was funny. The policeman gave Dax a frisbee. He asked for another for his sister. The policeman said it was nice he was taking care of his sister, but looked really funny when Dax asked for yet another.Lisa explained that he had lots of sisters :)

When we lined up for the 'race' we were all together. When the started said 'Go!' Rilee took off at sprint. Dean took off after her. Even a 4 year old's sprint is more running than he is used to doing. He suggested she slow down and wait for her mom, but she said she couldn't. She ran the whole way! When she had done about 3/4 of the race, she told him she wasn't sure she could make the whole way. She did, though. She ran the whole way.

After the 'race' we walked home through the park and the lights they have set up. The lights are very pretty, but I am not sure if it is worth $15.00. 

Walking home, I laughed when I told Lisa that she really is a tough trainer - on day one she makes me do a 1K after she makes me walk 4 miles to get there! Not really that far, but I did get my cardio workout in for the day. I actually am feeling the workout tonight. It isn't even 9pm and Dean is ready to head to bed. 

Why I Don't Sell Digital Files

Below is a copy of a post on why I don't sell digital files.

A lot of people want digital files. I don't sell digital files. I will include at least one digital file that you can use in social networking such as Facebook.

There are several reasons, I don't sell digital files. The first reason is that photography is a creative business. As the artist, I want some control over how the finished product will look. If I gave you a cd of edit files, I turn over part of that creativity to you. Here is why:

This photo is from a recent session. This is the way it came out of the camera as to the size/crop. It is a nice image.I do not like the bright light on her hair. It is very distracting to me.

 The photo below is my choice of crop - I cropped it the same perspectives as the above. Notice the bright light is gone. Her eyes are in a good location to draw you in to the photo.

 Many people would have cropped it like the one below. I do not think it is nearly as strong or interesting as the one above. The distracting light is still there.

 8x10 photos are a completely different perspective than the original photo and the two crops above. Below is the way I would crop it for an 8x10.

 If you sent in the original file to a lab and ordered an 8x10, they would choose the crop for you. Because of the difference in perspectives, they chop off an even amount on the top and bottom. Below is what you would get. Not necessarily bad, but it just doesn't have the look that I would want for it to have.  If I had her head closer to the top, the lab would still chop off an even amount top and bottom. She could have lost her eyebrows!

 A 5x7 is even another perspective for a crop.Below is the one that would be the way a lab would naturally crop it. Both of these still have the distracting light.

None of these look horrible. For me, it is very important that I crop the photo where it looks the best. If you order a 5x7 and an 8x10 of the same file, I am going to crop each one of them separately, so that I can make sure your file looks the best it possibly can.

Another reason is so much depends on where you have a photo printed. I have no control of you taking it to a local drug or discount store to have it processed. My monitor is very close to the profile that my lab uses. This week, I did have an issue with a few prints from my lab. I think it was the fact that the gold walls in the house really caused a different cast to my monitor, so the photos didn't look right. I will know that I need to wait until after dark to check the colors. I will have those photos reprinted. I would not have that control if you get them done at a retail outlet. A good example of this is my cards. I have used the same design for a while on my cards. I have been having them printed at a chain drug store. I have the file on their online system. When I order from the one closest to my house, they look okay. When I order from the same file to be printed at the one closer to town, they are awful. The pinks are not even close. It is very important to me that you have a quality finished product. Be assured that when I have your photos printed, I do not have them done at a local drugstore or discount store. I will always have your photos shipped to me and I do the quality control before they ever delivered to you.

Maybe I am selfish, but it is my name on the finished product - even if I don't have the opportunity to actually finish it. If someone sees a photo that has an awkward crop or the color is off and asks you who the photographer was - I don't want you to tell them it was me! So much for word of mouth advertising - they will never ask me to photograph them. I wouldn't blame them!

Walking the Line Revisited

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post called Walk the Line. If you missed it, you can read it here.
  Walk The Line

This week with the high profile affairs in the media it really made me think along these same lines again. Oops, I really wasn't trying to make a reference with the line/lines comment. Anyway, after reading several news articles and seeing it on the television, it really made me think about the three things that I talked about in that last post.

The first thing was Guard Your Heart. It is very doubtful that this woman set out to have an affair or he planned an affair when they first discussed her writing his biography. From all the reports, she seemed to have a very happy marriage and family life. He has been quoted over and over saying how much he loved his wife. When they spent so much time together discussing his life, it opened the door to allowing her into his life in a way I doubt they ever intended. Too much time with a member of the opposite sex that is not your spouse is not safe! Don't do it!

The second was Be an Open Book. It is coming out now that there were secret email accounts set up. They were avoiding an email trail by using the same account and just saving them in drafts. Never set up an account your spouse doesn't know about or know the password. It is too easy for things to cross the line. Be very careful on your messages on facebook as well. Make them available to your spouse. I might message a couple of male photographers, but everything is above board. I would be happy for anyone to see any message in my account. They are saved and if Dean ever wants to read them, he can. Holding yourself accountable by making your messages available is a good thing.

The last was to Make Your Marriage A Priority. I realize both men in the news were at war, and it was impossible to have their spouse with them. However, there are ways to make your spouse a priority even when deployed. Too many military couple do it for it to be impossible. Work at it together. Make it Work. Don't let the line get thin enough to make it easy to cross.

Long before the affair became a sexual affair, they had crossed the line. Their emotions had been engaged, and the line was crossed. Don't cross the line!

I am praying for those involved. Having to go through what they are going through would be hard enough without the whole world knowing your business.

Turkey Bowl!

Sunday after church, we went to the Turkey Bowl. This was a flag football game between the church's youth and the workers and parents.  The game was fun and there was plenty of junk food and turkey legs for the spectators. I took photos. It has been years (like since high school) since I took photos at a football game. I don't have a great lens for distance, so I did the best I could. It really was fun!

 On one end of the field, the kiddos were planning their own little pick up game - they played tackle instead of flag. It was great! I was closer to them, so these are better.

 I just liked the photo above. :)

 Team Pics!

 I really like this photo above. Not everyone playing was a church member, so Matt shared Jesus with them! The pics below are of children and people they love :) These were so much fun!

 

While we were praying, I looked up. This little guy below was a long way away from me.  I took the photo from the distance, because it was just too cute to pass up. When I cropped it up close, I realized I wasn't the only one with my eyes open.