My New Lens!

After about four months of babysitting, I made enough money to purchase a new lens.  I bought a 50mm lens, and I absolutely love it!  It was actually priced really well - only about $120 - which means I have a lot of money left over.  (Which is good.  Very good.)

This is what it looks like.  It's small - it makes my camera look tiny!!  But, it takes amazing pictures!

The only bad thing - there's always a bad thing - is that is does not have auto-focus with my body.  I probably should have looked at that before I bought it, but now I can practice manual focus!

Here are some of the pictures I have taken.  The one above is SOOC.  Look at that beautiful bokeh!!  :)

This one is edited, but it still looks great I think.

So there you have it.  That was the surprise I told you about.  If you go to my 365 blog, you will see more photos that I have taken with it!

A 365 Blog!

I am so excited to tell you guys about this.  This is not the surprise I mentioned in my last post though....

I started a 365 blog!  You know you all want to go check it out!!  Here is the link.

Let me know what you think!

Happy Monday

It's been a while since I've linked up to Allie's Happy Monday Photo Challenge.  I love this week's theme: pets.  If you have followed my blog for a while, you might remember this post where I talked about this little guy.  His names is Socks.  I'm not kidding when I say that besides my baby sister, he is the joy of our lives.  He and his brother Tuffy make us laugh almost every day!

p.s. I have a surprise.  I'll tell you about it tomorrow!

Giveaway

{life's to short not to} wear red shoes is having an amazing giveaway!  Click on the button and go check it out!

Has Spring Sprung?

Well, that's a very good question.  Because if I remember correctly, it was 75 degrees a week ago.  What happened?? 

The flowers think it's spring...

Ahhh...green.  I love green in spring.  (That rhymed!  Kind of.)  The trees start to fill out and the grass loses its brown color.

The trees are beginning to look like this. 

If you who live where it's always warm - you are lucky.  You see, on Monday last week, I was wearing shorts.  Today, when I got in the car for church, it was 28 degrees.  How do these things happen??

The birds thought it was spring.  They started singing early in the mornings, and digging around for worms.

Lord, I am really beginning to think that part of the problem with this world is the fact that it has been cold way too long.  Could you please bring the sun and warm temperatures back?

I think my chat status on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday last week had to do with "Warm weather!!!"  or "Shorts!  Yes!".  Sadly, that statues went from that to "So much for warm weather".

Father, your people are waiting for warmth.  We don't like cold.  Please bless us with warm weather this week!  For those of you who live where it's warm - I am very jealous!   :)  Have a wonderful week!

p.s. Like the new blog design?

p.s.s. I was venting up there.  Sorry you had to read that.  You can just go on your merry way now and forget you ever read this post!  :) 

under construction

Hi everyone!  I'm giving my blog a new April makeover.  So, even though my blog looks a little wierd right now, it is going to look amazing when it's all done!  ;) 

these are the things i can't capture with a camera

There are days when I realize that there are some moments in my life that I will never be able to capture with a camera.  There are days when I just decide to put the camera away and enjoy the moment, rather than make sure the light is perfect. 

Take tonight for example.  I was giving my three youngest siblings a bath.  I scrubbed leftover temporary tattooes off little arms, and wiped water out of blinking eyes.  This, I thought, I cannot capture with a camera.  I can't bottle the laughter, the smiles, the overall joy of this night. 

I can't replace any of those memories with a photo.  I just can't.  I can tell you in words, but the memory that I have will remain, telling me just exactly how it really was.

I will laugh at our kitten sitting on the ledge of the bathtub throughout the bathtime.  He got splashed and poked and knowcked off,  but he climbed back up and kept watch over us.

I will smile and maybe someday cry over the faces my baby sister made.  I will always, always, always remember the way she looked up at me every few minutes to make sure I was still there.  When she was reassured, an innocent, contented smile lit her face. 

These aren't things that I can photograph.  In fact, these aren't even things that most of you care about.  But to me, I take comfort and joy in the fact that there are just some things you can't capture with a camera.  These are the memories that will last - the ones that I can only remember in my head.  Isn't it exciting to think that sometimes, we just need to revel in the moment instead of worrying about capturing the moment?

*Just to show you what I mean, I stopped writing this post so I could go have a dance party with the whole family.  We were dancing to Disney songs and having a lot of fun!  I don't have any pictures of that, but it was one of the best weeknights I've had in a long time!*

so hard

It's been said that practice makes perfect.  Why, yes, yes it does.  Especially when I take self-portraits.  I have failed many a time.  I continue to fail.  It makes me angry, and sad, and jealous of my sisters - who have many, many self-portraits that are decent.  Why can't I do this?  Let me show you a few of my embarrassing failed attempts...  



Um...Olivia, you're supposed to look at the camera.  Keep your eyes open!





Half of my face is in focus.  That doesn't look very good!

  

I got better though.  The lighting was good.  They look OK.

I'm not sure what I was doing with my mouth, but, you know, it looks pretty good.  So, that was my exerience.  Maybe I could be smart and buy a remote.  Hmmm....I might do that!  For now, though, I can take pictures of myself the "old-fashioned" way.  What do you think?  What could I work on?  Had any experiences like this?

will i ever get to see you again?

Is there no end to the sorrow, the shame, the torture?

Is there no end to the pain?

Is there no end to the waiting - the endless, difficult waiting?

Will I ever see your face again, or see you sitting all alone?

Though you are there and I am here, I feel so close to you.

I miss you like I've never missed anyone before.

Will I ever get to see you again?

i am busy

1.  Yes, I realize I have not posted very much.  I'm sorry.

2.  I have been very busy.  I promise... :)

3.  I lost my retainer.  My mom wasn't very happy.

4.  School.  I have a lot of it.  Oh the joys of highschool.

5.  This post is going nowhere.  *sigh*

6.  I designed a blog!!!  This was really exciting for me!  If you want to check it out, go here.  I, personally, love it!

7.  On Tuesday, I am having a photo contest.  There won't be any prizes - it's just for fun.  You know you want to enter!  :)

8.  I am going to take pictures tomorrow.  I need to.  The weather is perfect for it, and there are so many new things to photograph now that it is getting warmer!

9.  I am finished.  You have just read the most boring, unproductive post ever.  I am sorry to torture you.  The end.

peaceful

I'm entering this is Danielle's "peaceful" photo contest.  I love this picture.  It's really old, but I still love it!

blogger break

Dear lovely readers,

Due to a eight-to-three week long class this week (was that redundant?) I will be taking a blogging break.  I decided that this will help me get more rest, focus on my family, and finish some schoolwork.  Besides the class, I am working on a blog design, so I have to get that done as well.  I will return next Saturday or Sunday.  Next week, there will also be a photography challenge!  Have a wonderful, blessed week!

"You don't believe I'll come back to blogging.  Well, you better think again!"  :)

(Sorry for that.  I was having fun!)

Me and my friend

People say we look alike. 

spinning barefoot {or wishing to}

The weather has been teasing us.  It was warm just a few weeks ago.  We were wearing t-shirts!

Then, it rained and rained.  Maybe - finally - we'll be able to work outside in the garden.  Maybe we'll be able to actually go outside and not wear a coat.  Maybe?  Yes?  And....no.

After all the rain, came the snow.  And though there isn't any ground covering, it made you feel like it was winter again.

Hello March, this is me.  Remember who you are?  You are March - the month when it should start getting warm.  Spring is your friend?  Do you remember spring?

I think you need to unite with your good friend spring and have a party.  Make it a nice, sunny, and warm party please!

While we're cooped up inside doing school, I get this itch to take pictures.  They have to be outside pictures too.  Even though I know it's freezing, I just have to get out there with my camera.  So, I forced my sisters outside, and we had some fun.  Well, I had fun.  They weren't that happy about it. 

So, while we're waiting to spin barefoot, we're spinning in our coats and boots.  Who says we can't? 

While we're waiting to wear skirts in public, we wear them where no one can see us!  Sisters are good.  Sisters are even better when they let you take pictures of them.

naughty & nice

NICE

NAUGHTY

(I entered this in the Pioneer Woman's "Sisters" contest.)

what do you want to be?

What do I want to be?

This question has been in my mind the past few days.

"What do I want to be when I grow up?"

Photograhy.  That word is always present.  Photography is a passion, but is it meant to be more than that?

Is photography what I want to do when I am older?  Can I start doing it now?

But then, I think, there are so many photographers out there.  So many other things I could do.

The question is: what else could I do?

Right now, I can't thing of anything else I would rather be doing.

Writing is an interest, but do I want to do that for the rest of my life?

What does God have in store for me?

What does He want me to be?

If I have been blessed to buy a camera, get a few photography jobs, and have a photo blog, is this what He wants me to do?

These thoughts.  I can't find an answer to them.

There are so many photographers, so many writers, so many bloggers. 

How will I make a name for myself?

I am reminded of my trip to Ethiopia.

One of our translators said,

"It is my belief that you should be the best in your career, the top of your class, the best at what you do."

How can I do that if there are so many photographers?

What else could I do?

I don't know what my career would be if I was not a photographer.

Is this what God has called me to be, or is there something else He is preparing me for?

happy monday -- children

My brother.  He is sweet and smart.

He taught himself to read, and amazes us with his spelling.

He can make the best lego ships ever.

Climbing and sprinting are his sports.  He likes to perform both in the house.

He was my first "little" brother.

He never lets me read to him anymore.

He rarely let's me hold him anymore.

He gives the best hugs.

Even though you won't be reading this, I love you buddy!