I Heart Faces: Fix It Friday

I have been meaning to participate in one of the I Heart Faces Fix It Friday for a while now. This will be my first time and I think I will try to make it a habit. The way this works is they post a picture and you (meaning me in this case) edits the picture however we (I) like. I am not usually a fan of post processing texture in Photoshop but that is part of the theme this week so I decided to jump in on the texture fun!

Here is the original...

And here is my edited version...

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

Speedlight L-O-V-E

Ummmmmm yeah, there have definitely been a few "AAAAHHHHAAAA" moments for me while learning about photography. Tonight I had a HUGE moment of clarity. My Speedlight came today and WOW what a difference! As soon as my daughter was asleep for the night I got out the manual and started reading. I also went online and watched a couple of videos and read a few blog posts on the subject. I attached the Speedlight to my camera took a deep breath adjusted my settings and viola...a decent picture taken in doors at night! I am really stunned at the difference. Worth every penny! I still LOVE (and prefer) taking pictures in natural light, there is nothing like it but with the use of a Speedlight it is a fairly close substitute. There have been so many occasions and wonderful moments missed because I refused to use my pop up flash (I am stubborn like that). I am still figuring out all of the settings but here is a shot from my first attempt at using my Speedlight. Nighty night!!

Rain Rain Go Away

It has been raining rather heavily for CA standards for the past couple of days. It makes me even more sleepy (if that is possible). I have had the itch to start shooting more and with the lack of natural light it is making things rather tough! I HATE using my on camera flash, the pictures always seem off and unflattering. So I decided to take a big leap with the help of a B&H Photo gift card from Christmas and purchase a Speedlight for my camera. I have been hesitant to do so because this is a whole new territory for me that I know nothing about. We all have to start somewhere though right?! So once I get my new friend in the mail (hopefully next week) I will be devoting all of my free time to learning the ins and out of my Speedlight. Wish me luck!!!