Using the Kelvin Chart for White Balance

Yesterday I kept happening upon information about using the Kelvin setting for white balance while taking photos.  This might be my aha moment.  I am going to try using this method and see if it works as well for me as it seems to for so many other photographers.  Some of the entry level DSLRs will not have this option.  It will look like this under your white balance settings.

Kelvin is the choice on the far right “K”.

After you choose kelvin then you choose your setting by using your scroll wheel.

I did a little experiment using my window as the light source. 

These shots are straight out of camera.  The only change I made was decreasing the temperature of the Kelvin.  I have read that photos can look over or underexposed simply because the white balance is incorrect.  I think the photo that is labeled 3500 looks more underexposed the the rest.  Do you?   The Kelvin chart above was found on pinterest and created by Girl Hearts Camera.  I liked her chart the best. 

If you do not have the choice of Kelvin on your camera and you want some other options let me know and I will make a post about it. 

Happy shooting.

Photo Glass Plate Negatives Added to My Vintage Photography Collection

When my father in law asked if I would like some glass plate negatives he had from his grandma I said heck ya as fast as possible.  My father in law is 82 so these are pretty old.  I photographed all 3 of them, but I am only displaying one in my photo cubby shelf.  I think it makes a nice addition. 

I will always cherish these.  Photography has come a long way! 

The Christmas Tree That Didn’t Last

Yesterday morning I took my real tree down.  Yep I did.  It was stinky for a long time.  We think it was the water so we quit watering it.  It was drying out anyway.  It seemed to continue to dry out super fast and as is it dried it drooped.  It was time for it to go away.  As I pulled off the ornaments the needles and branches flew off the tree like rockets.  My husband was at work so I drug it outside by myself.  I cleaned up the needle mess and put up a tiny little tree in it’s place.  I will definitely use my faux tree with the pre-lit white lights next year and the year after that and the year after that……….

Just Sharing A Few Photos and Thoughts

Lately I find myself drawn to blog posts about life more than the ones that have to do with crafts or decorating.  I am not sure why those things that I use to enjoy have taken such a back seat and have become less important in my life.  I keep getting big reminders how precious life is all the time.  Friday’s tragedy at Sandy Hook certainly got my attention and taking photos for an old high school classmate who wanted family photos for the last time because her husband is terminally ill.  I have been trying to pay attention this week and capture moments in life that I want to remember forever. 

My favorite one  I took on Friday night.  I felt so lucky to have my family safe, at home and loving each other.

Then on Sunday my son was watching football with Izzy at his feet. 

I use to would worry and think that I couldn’t possibly post a pic with a cup in it.  Now I just think, well that is part of life. 

Last night I caught another photo of my son and our dog.  Yes he wore the same shirt 2 days in a row.  Less laundry. 

I learned I had to manually focus to get this dark shot. I like how it turned out.  I love that Izzy is looking out the window. 

Don’t forget to capture family moments.  Leave your camera out.  Don’t just take it out to take a pic of a project and then put it away when you are done.  They say the best photos is the one you took. 

Gettin Fit

It was either last year or the year before I complained about my blogging butt.  I had lost my passion for exercise and replaced it with blogging.  As you can see with the lack of post this year that I am putting other things before blogging.  One of them is exercise.  I have been a runner for a while, but I like to mix things up.  I go to the gym and do cardio, but I found myself putting off the strength training so I signed up for Purefit.  It is Crossfit exercises.  They are timed and you participate in a group.  The work out of the day is called a WOD.

Here is a recent one.

I have even talked a few of my coworkers into joining me.  We all love it.  I am about to finish my 3rd month.  We took a photo this week of us and we are going to take one every month and see the changes in our bodies. 

I also started doing Yoga.  I just did my 2nd class yesterday.  Yoga is nota sissy workout let me tell ya.  My butt hurts!  It’s tough.  Our Purefit instructor has been going with us and he grunts and groans and thinks it is tough too. 

I have not lost any weight, in fact I have gained a few pounds, but my body is stronger, more toned and I have lost inches.  I feel better than I have in a long time. 

And our summer vacation looks like it will involve lots of swimming suit days so I will hopefully be ready!    What do you do for you and your health?

New Year But Looks Like Last Year

Nothing new this year to my bench area.  I pulled out the same things I used last year to decorate for Christmas.  If I get motivated I might buy some of those light fixture globes and put lights inside and add them to the pots.  It has been in the 70s here so Christmas decorating seems so wrong.  I actually was sweating when I put this stuff out. 

Simple Christmas Mantel 2012

This year’s mantel was super simple.  I used what I already had and kept it very minimal.  It works for me. 

Christmas Tree Photography Fun

Although I am not a fan of the colored lights that my son and husband love, I do think they are much more fun to photograph.  My son did a good job decorating our first real tree this year. 

I love the shape of the tree and it smells so good, but man it is sucking up the water. 

I played with my camera to get some fun bokeh shots. 

Fun stuff!

Christmas 2012–1st Real Tree

We decided to get a real tree this year.  It’s our first as a family (I have been married 16 yrs).  We loaded up Izzy and headed out in our comfy clothes.

The Boy Scouts sell them every year and we were told by many that they are the place for getting a real tree.

We spotted our tree in less than 2 minutes.

Even though there were tons of trees in the greenhouses and outdoors. 

They wrapped our tree to make it easier to get it home.

A few bottom branches were removed.

And my husband trimmed the end off the tree to allow the water to soak into it.  It saps over when it gets dry. 

Then we headed home and Izzy got to poke her head out the window and enjoy the pretty day.

We unloaded it and set it up. 

Our fake tree is prelit with white lights which I love.  My son and husband have always liked colored lights better.  This year we went with colored lights to go with our real tree.  Might as well make changes all the way around.  AND….I let David decorated it.  Actually I just didn’t to do it so he did.  I will take pics of it later, but for now I got one that just shows the bokeh of the colored lights.

Are you doing anything new this year for Christmas? 

Happy-Project 52

This week’s photo theme is happy.  I thought I would join in and share some of the photos I took of my friend’s son.  At the end of the shoot he wanted to play in the leaves.  You can easily see the happiness on his face.