Day 94 of 365, Experimenting with my off camera flash

Day 94 of 365, Tonight I went outside in the dark of night to try to experiment with off camera flash.  For the rose, I simply held my flash unit in my outstretched left arm while trying to hand hold my camera steady for the shot with my opposite.  This rose bush is my trusty go to practice subject. 

Mia is another little trusty/not so trusty subject.  She is always here but not always still enough to be a trusty practice subject.  Here she is in the spotlight.  I laid my flash head on the grass and threw one of her little toys out in front of her.  She just plopped down and stayed there for a couple seconds which was just enough to snap this spotlight shot. 

Done!  I was barefoot and kept stepping in the stickers so I called her to come in for the night!  I want to practice more later.

Day 93 of 365, My oldest daughter's 22nd Birthday!

Day 93 of 365, Happy Birthday to Kayla!  Kayla is my oldest baby girl.  Below, Kayla is pictured with Granny to her right and her sister, Karmyn to her left.  I took this in the parking lot before walking into the restaurant. 

Kayla chose BRAVO! as the restaurant where she wanted to celebrate her birthday. She opened her gifts, we laughed, talked and ate delicious Italian food tonight.I like the atmosphere of this restaurant.  We had a very enjoyable time. 

Featuring Maria & Andy's Wedding Day Memories

For a limited time, I will feature Maria and Andy's beautiful Wedding Day Images at my client proofing website.  If you would like to see more, go to http://michellesibley.smugmug.com/.  

Day 92 of 365, Presented the Wedding Album to Bride and Groom

Day 92 of 365...Presentation/Delivery Date!  Here is the gift bag that I presented to Maria and Andy today.  Found inside is the Dvd slideshow movie which is a compilation of their Wedding Day images that I had photographed.  Also, their album is filled with a timeline story of photos from the getting ready, to the ceremony, first dance, daddy dance, cutting the cake, celebration reception and guests... all the way to the big smoocheroo right before they went away!  I think Maria, Andy and her family love all the pictures.  I am so honored to have captured her special day.  Check out Maria looking at her album with Andy looking over her shoulder.  When Maria realized that I wanted to take a pic of her, she said, "Oh no!  I've been laying out at the pool!"   

Yeah right, Maria!  You are beautiful no matter what! :)

Isabella awoke from her baby nap while I was there.  She is such an adorable little punkin'!  When her daddy playfully lifts her up and over his head, she squishes up her little face into the cutest giggly smile!  She is laying in the middle of her pallette playland.  She has all her toys around.  Next thing ya know she will be toddling around and pulling them all out of the toybox. 

 It is so amazing how babies can change so fast. 

You gotta love, capture and treasure every precious moment. 

My modum went down a few days ago.

For this entire past week, my internet would konk out intermittently.  Finally, it just konked out for good!  I called tech support and ordered my replacement.  I received my new modum so here I am again. 

My last posting was a small field of flowers that reminded me of strawberries.  The bonafide strawberries are in season right now!  I purchased a flat from a vendor yesterday.  I put them in the frig but have not tasted any yet.  I hope they are sweet and delicious! 

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is this weekend.  That is a very popular festival down here in our area of Louisiana.  I hope to go but I am still doing the finish work on Maria's DVD that I would like to get to her ASAP!  After the wedding, I told her it was going to be take appoximately two weeks.  I know she is anxious and can hardly stand it.   I can't wait for her to be able to relive her wedding day through my images!  All I can say is that Wedding Photography is soooo much more work than I ever imagined.  The payoff for me? ... to know that the bride, groom and their family lineage will love and treasure their wedding portraits for a lifetime.  I can't wait to see their faces as they get to do their first preview.  And, that is soon!

Day 87 of 365, Strawberry fields forever...Actually, I think it is a weed...:)

Day 87 of 365, Well, yesterday, I posted that I wanted to go on an adventure today.  I wanted to do something that I had never done before.  I didn't really get to do anything exciting.  Today, was an ordinary day.  No excitement to speak of.   bummer.  At about 6 pm, Kayla and I went to work out at the gym.  I have been noticing these flowers that look just like strawberries growing in the median.  I told Kayla that I really wanted to get a shot of these flowers.  She stayed in the vehicle while I crossed the highway and jumped into the median for this photo opp.  I got waaaay down low on the ground to get this perspective.  The wind was blowing so that is the reason for the soft focus on some.   They were caught while swaying with the breeze.  I was there for only a minute or two, tops.  I told Kayla that I will consider that my adventure for the day.  Hey, it's my blog so I can call it adventure if I want to, right?  I have never stood in that busy four lane median before.  So, I guess it felt like an adventure to me. 

When I got back to my vehicle, Kayla looked up from her I-phone and told me that I looked like a BOW-tinist out there.  "Huh?"  I asked her, 'What is that?'  She looked back down at her I-phone and said, "Someone who works with plants."  OMGosh!  I cracked up.  I said, 'You mean botanist?'  heheee !!!   I'm sure she had googled that info so that she could hit me with it.  She cracked up too.  She has this big ole laugh.  Ya can't help but love her.  Her daddy calls her Ding bat Jenny Lee.  She doesn't mind being called  a ding bat cuz she knows its true.  That silly daughter of mine.  

I had to wait for a million cars to pass before I could cross the highway.  I happened to look back to see if Kayla was looking my way.  What I saw was my own looooong tall shadow. 

I ambled around the corner of the little strip mall building.  This field is found on the south side.  I took these pics a little after 7 pm.  Even though the subject matter is quite simplistic, I love how the warm light of the setting sun looks at that time of day. 

Day 86 of 365, Little Critters

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Day 86 of 365,  I didn't do any shooting today.  I reached back in the archives for these little critter pics.  The first picture of  the lizard was at my home.  He jumped from the concrete onto the brick wall and I watched him change colors before my eyes.  He kept his eye on me the whole time too.  Isn't that chamellion effect the most amazing thing to watch?    The butterfly and beatle were taken at Water Country USA in Williamsburg, VA. 

I had my camera with me one day and I shot the little wasp in the Walmart parking lot. They had moved their spring flowers out to the parking lot for display.  I was out and about looking for an opportunity to test a new lens.  When I saw the variety of flowers, I thought why not?  I figured if they ran me off, fine.  The didn't.  I was thrilled when I caught the little wasp.  Look at the sidebar.  I have a pic of a little bee on purple flowers.  Guess where that one was taken.  You got it...Walmart, same day.   

 Tomorrow, I plan to go on a field trip.  I don't know where, but I want to go somewhere that I have never been.  Hoping for a new adventure!  If anybody lives around me and wants to hop along on a field trip with me, give me a call.  All I have to do is put on my shoes and grab my keys & I'm ready to go...!