Christmas time in Elizabeth

We were so proud that we were able to sleep in until 6:15 on Christmas day! WooHoo!! Yea! Ok, so before that were footsteps of two little girls at 5am (after going to bed at 11pm) saying they saw Santa and his sleigh!! Best thing that was said was from my youngest "Did you have your camera?" So proud. So when we finally got up and got our first cup of a large mug of coffee, the unwrapping begins. I have been taking pictures of our Christmas celebration since hubby and I were first together and living in sin. More of remembrance than to show what the girls received. Looking back through the years, watching them grow from tiny little things to these amazing kids is so much fun. This year I was able to get some additional shots with the Nikon. I bought a Digital Field Guide book for my camera and gathered some ideas of taking different types of shots. Using the aperture setting and changing the speed of the flash to minimize the shadows in the background. There was a suggested shot for the holidays and said to use Christmas tree lights. So, with my trusty dog Colonel, I wrapped him up in lights and started taking some shots. And I have to say, not bad for an amateur. Ok, not the best in the world, but I liked them. Colonel was not happy with lights wrapped around him, so I used one of the girls to pose with him. Then got the old dog, Lani, to pose with lights. Figured since she was blind and deaf, it was a shot. Turned out pretty nice too. Then wrapped the girls in lights and finished the night off. Of course the next day were tons of pictures of what they got, but my finger was in the way for some shots so there are shadows. Ah well, it was a fun time.

Family Shots! WHA???

I love taking pictures and got my start with my first camera when I was about 10 years old. As the years have gone on, and boy have they gone on and on and on, I have loved taking pictures for any reason. Taking pictures of friends, neighbors, rodeo royalty competitions, etc. are easy. Taking pictures of family, not easy. Everyone has an opinion on what they want, where to stand, what is needed in the shot, etc. I do enjoy taking pictures of my family though. My girls are so used to me having a camera that they have their "smiles" ready just in case. Hubby just poses because he knows its what I want. With my folks though, that is a different story. My mom got me into taking pictures when I was a kid and showed me how to take a good shot. She would give me advice on the pictures I took as well. She loves taking pictures too and loves buying cameras. Hence, the fabulous Nikon I am "borrowing" for a long time. At Thanksgiving, I was told to bring my camera because they needed their Christmas card done. Usually they use a picture from one of the travels, but this year since they stayed home I was the chosen one to take the official shot. Now, understand I had to take the family pictures of my husband's family this past summer. Five generations all under one roof for two days. I was told that it was going to be done outside and had to be fast because it was hot. EASY shoot!!! I just kept clicking and got some amazing pictures. This one is different. My mom is VERY picky on how she looks and what she needs to wear. My dad just wants to make sure his hair is perfect. Then they have to pose with the dogs too. Very important to have the dogs in the shot. I don't mind taking pictures of dogs, mature or older dogs. Ones that are not hyper and will sit. My folks have a nine month old puppy. Sitting and staying are not in his vocabulary yet. One day, we hope. So taking these pictures were more of a challenge. Lighting needed to be right, poses needed to be correct, and dogs needed to stop wiggling. Well, to get this shot I used my girls to stop the wiggly puppy and it worked. The girls stood there for a few seconds and then quietly moved away. The dogs stopped wiggling and I got some real cool shots. Then it was our turn. My mom grabbed the camera and she took a few shots. She kept moving the camera back and forth while taking pictures. She kept saying that she was trying to get the best shot. Not sure what she was doing, but it was easy to edit to get the shot more centered. Being the photographer that I am trying to be, I had her do a few until I found ones I liked. By this time, it was getting cold and hubby was getting cranky. Which is why I like working alone. Did get some great shots!