Spring Break 2014

12. Change My Hair Drastically

Ombré!

Light Painting

Photography fun doesn't have to stop when the sun's gone. Grab a sparkler, flashlight, or lighter and you can create luminous, dreamy light shows. Granted that I'm fairly a greenhorn (these pictures definitely could have been clearer), I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out!

Here's the recipe I did with my dSLR: set ISO high (anywhere above 2000), my f/stop was at 11, and my shutter speed varied anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds. I know I probably could have used lower ISO, but it was practically pitch black besides the porchlight, and I'm new to this whole manual photography thing. I should have seen what I could have gotten with a lower f/stop, too, but hey, this was my first time! I think my shots turned out pretty cool for an amateur. Oh, and check out Viktoria's blog Sable to see my "tripod".

For writing in the pictures, write the word from right to left while making sure you write the letters backwards. Basically your camera is like a mirror, so practice a few times drawing out the mirror-image of letters before you take them. You can always lengthen how long the shutter stays open, so there's no need to rush. This technique may take a few practice takes before you get it, but the results are worth it!

19. Write Kyle Love Letters

I'll post how I did this technique in a few days.

I found a love letter I wrote to Kyle dates July 23, 2012 two days ago. I don't know why I never sent it or gave it to him, but I definitely will. I guess that I must have known that this would be one of my thirty before thirty goals before I even wrote it down. I'll have to continue the tradition and keep writing him cheesy-pie smoochy-woochy love notes in order to fully fulfill this goal. 

This newest love letter is in picture form with a photographic technique called light painting. I guess tonight I was just lovin' my boy and my new camera.

New Holland Brew Company

So today I went to the New Holland Brew Company in Holland, Michigan. It's about 50 minutes from my cottage in Union Pier, and I've been meaning to go since my friend Tim works there. Unfortunately I missed Tim, but I definitely had a fantastic time with my lovely Mummy and Uncle. I had the Full Circle and the Dragon's Milk. I really enjoyed them both, especially the sweetness and heaviness of the Dragon's Milk. I tasted the their Oatmeal Stout and one of their IPA's, but they weren't really my style (to be fair, IPA's really never are my style).

When my Mom tried beer you know it's something special

I had the chicken pesto sandwich, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My meal came came with fresh chips, which were so crispy that they made me forget that I'm cheating on my usual diet. But I do let myself cheat a bit when I go out to dinner. I can't have no fun all of the time, can I?

Heck, we even got dessert - blueberry vodka cheesecake baked in an adorable jar no less! 

Between the rainbow on the way to Holland and a great time at the Brew Company, I'm really looking forward to spending more time here next summer. Oh, and I came home with a growler for my brother who couldn't make it out with us, so everybody wins!

#9. Buy a DSLR

The lovely Viktoria from Sable

It's done! After a few years of dragging my feet and one year of researching, I finally took the plunge and bought a DSLR. It's a long road of learning, but I'm excited for better pictures and better post-production capabilities. It just makes like more beautiful. All of these pictures I've taken in just the first few days.

Setting the table for breakfast.

My pictures aren't anywhere near consistent, but I am still quite smitten with my Nikon d5100. I was sure I'd be a Canon girl, but the d5100 gave me all I needed and more. Plus it fits well into my oh-so-tiny petite hands since it's a smaller camera.

Ridiculously fantastic Bacon Chocolate Sable cookies courtesy of Viktoria from Sable. Recipe can be found here.

Plus I'm excited to rely more on the quality of my photos than the amount of work I spend in fixing /editing. Each picture I shoot is saved in JPEG and RAW formats, so I have a ton of options for editing on top of everything. Rita from the CoffeeShop Blog has also provided a vast resource of Photoshop actions / tutorials that work wonders and let me experiment with my new pictures. I've used other free actions before, but none compare to the quality of Rita's (so go check out all of her fun stuff and support her!). 

Yours truly with a big smile on her face!

I'm just so excited to be at a new level of my hobby, and hopefully, you'll see that reflected in my blog. I hope you're looking forward to the changes as much as I am.

Blueberry Season

The best summers have little rain.

Since this one's been a complete drought, I guess you could say it's the best one ever? Well, it's certainly been pretty spectacular despite the lack of precipitation and major blistering heat. :o)

July means blueberry season, which is even better with your closest friends. Silliness always ensues.

Case in point.

We came home with about 20-25 pounds of blueberries! Bethie was a blueberry-picking fiend. Me? I just talk too much and eat too many.

Lovin' my girls Jill, Viktoria, and Bethie. <3