While I Was Walking

So my husband and I have recently taken up walking...

Exercise and I have never really been on a first name basis, but there is something about taking the time out of the day for a nice walk that really opens your eyes and your mind to the world around you.  I can undoubtedly say that each time I go on a walk I happen upon something spectacular.

Whether we're out with the kids, just walking around our neighborhood...

Okay...so they were happier when the walk started but that is our little Japser waving hello with his foot!

or walking along our favorite pathway...

This is just one of ten or so murals painted along the Ogden River Parkway

or taking a stroll downtown...

Yes...that is a giant skateboard bust!

or even out enjoying nature...

This beautiful wall of ivy is my new favorite spot!

The many wonders of walking never cease to amaze me!  Have you been on a walk recently?

Friday Faves: My Favorite FREE Lightroom Presets

I'm back!  And like any good friend I brought you all gifts back from my vacation or stay-cation, rather :)  That's right...the only thing better than faves...are FREE faves!

There are so many things I love about Adobe's Lightroom--including the ability to give my photos a one-of-a-kind look with the simple click of a button!

This is done with the use of presets--Lightroom's equivalent of  Photoshop's actions.  Like actions, presets can bring so many different looks and feels to your photos


Today I'd like to share a few of my favorite FREE presets available for download at Presets Heaven:

Click Here to Download

Click Here to Download

Click Here to Download

Click Here to Download

All of these transformations were made with a simple click of a button--that's right, no additional edits were needed! 

You can download a 30-day free trial of Adobe Lightroom here and for extra help on importing your free presets into Lightroom for use, check out this video tutorial.

Have a Happy Friday!

Thumbs Up Thursday: Coffee Shop's Color Bar Templates!

You know me when I find something I LOVE...I can't help but share it! And this week I just had to share these handy Color Bar Templates from The CoffeeShop Blog!

Now let me tell you what I love about these templates:

• They're FREE!
• They help to identify the prominent colors in my photo simply and quickly.
• They help me to visualize obvious color schemes for my layouts.
• And I can easily resize the template so that the photo is the size I need  for my layout and then print the color bar out alongside it to match my papers to!

If you'd like a little extra help matching the products for your layouts to your photos then definitely give these templates a try.  Just hop on over to the Coffee Shop to download these--and while your there, take a look at all of their fabulous actions, presets, storyboards and tutorials!

I LOVE this Boy! He LOVES...

I Love This Boy...

He LOVES...

TRANSFORMERS

WATER

BASKETBALL

PAJAMAS

Unfortunately he doesn't love the camera so much lately...so I count myself lucky that I got these perfect shots of him this week!

POTD: Play Time!

Captured with my Nikon P90

These days this is what playtime looks like at our house!  Caleb eats, breathes and sleeps CARS!  If he's not making adorable car noises while moving his Hot Wheels and Audimoblox around the house, then he's watching Battle Force Five and using daddy's gaming wheel and pedal to play along!  When we leave the house he tells every, "Come on...Time to Drive!"  This may be a childhood love that he never outgrows ;)

POTD: High Five!

Congratulations Brett and Jesse on Five Months! 
Before you know it it will be five years!

POTD: It's In The Bag

Captured w/ my Nikon P90 and processed in Lightroom

My first "Not for Moms" Handbag--this marks a huge milestone in my life!  No crayons or bottles or Hot Wheels have made their way into this bag!  Just my camera, my journal, my wallet and my cell phone.  This handbag truly belongs to ME!

POTD: Seeing Eye to Eye

Captured w/ my Nikon P90 and processed in Lightroom

I feel so fortunate to have these kind eyes to look into each and every day!

POTD: Little Boy Blue

Captured with my Nikon P90 and processed in Lightroom.

I just love that pudgy face of yours and those gorgeous baby blues!

Photo of The Day: Together

(Captured with my LG Vortex Phone)

For daily or even weekly photo prompts delivered right to your inbox, visit: Capture Your 365

Makeover Monday: Making Your Camera More You-ser Friendly!

Over a year ago I upgraded from my humble Kodak EasyShare to a Nikon P90. It's not a DSLR, but its a vast improvement over the camera I was using to capture all of life's greatest moments (though I still have my old one as it holds a great deal of sentimental value for me!). I have LOVED this camera with all my heart, despite the fact that its sometimes hard to get properly exposed photos indoors, and even harder to get that really great background blur, without a great deal of distance between my subject and its background.  And while I've entertained the idea of purchasing a new camera (just 18 months later) I feel like I still have ALOT of work to do before upgrading.  So when I have these thoughts, I remind myself  that my current camera has been my trusty companion through my journey to capture photos I LOVE and instead of replacing it for better camera, I should embrace it as an extension off my creative self and focus on becoming a better photographer.

So how does one go about creating this type of "bond" with their camera...?  After a great deal of consideration, I came up with the following ideas to help us make our cameras more "you-ser friendly":

Have a Way to Carry Your Camera With You That is Both Practical and Comfortable 

Having your camera with you at all times is a good first step. Being prepared to capture all of those perfect moments--instead of saying, "Wow that would have made a great photo..." will not only improve your chances of capturing those "perfect shots," but will also strengthen the relationship between you and your camera.  You will become more comfortable with using your settings and pretty soon all of those technical details will become like second nature.

Photo Source: Donna Downey

Start by finding a bag that you can carry with you at all times, like the raw canvas camera bags from Donna Downey (pictured above) that you can design youself, or even a beautiful over-sized vintage handbag like this one used by Elsie Flannigan.  Using a bag thats comfortable and fits your personal style will make carrying your camera with you feel like less of a burden and more like an everyday routine.

Photo Source: Design Sponge

Maybe a bag isn't really practical for you, then why not consider making a fun camera strap, like this awesome DIY Neck Tie Camera Strap from Design Sponge or purchasing a funky ready-made strap like this one from Capturing Couture.

Learn the Ins and Outs of YOUR Camera

For some people referencing their manual from time to time may be enough, for others you might want to consider taking a class that will not only help you to understand your camera's settings better, but also help you to understand how all of those buttons and knobs fit into the grand scheme of capturing photos you'll love. 

Photo Source: Get It Scrapped

I recommend Katrina Kennedy's "The Very Basics" class available at Get It Scrapped! Or Karen Grunberg has a great series of videos on her blog Karenika, which offers tons of very useful info!

Use the Right Equipment to Help You Capture Photos You'll Love 

While it may not be practical to go out and buy all of the things you think you may need to capture beautiful pictures...there may be a few essentials that you should consider.  And whether you buy them or make them yourself, having the right equipment can help you to have more pride in your photos and more faith in your camera!  To get an idea of the products you may benefit from owning give this article a look. Or check out this awesome article featuring 10 DIY Projects to Improve Your Photography!  Besides featuring fun step-by-step visuals, this article could save you a lot of money, while giving you access to more than just the essentials!

Sometimes our thoughts of replacing our cameras can be justified.  However, the next time you find yourself on the verge of replacing your trusty sidekick, first consider how you and your current camera can overcome your differences and team up to take better photos!

Looking forward to seeing you next Monday for more great makeover tips!

A Boy and His Ball...

Even though he fell asleep on the way to the park and wasn't quite  ready to wake...

And he wasn't quite sure how he was going to get that ball loose from it's tether...

Once his eye caught that "lellow ball tied to a string" it was love at first sight!