Free Shape Collage Program!

Okay, I know this is out of order. . . and that I am delinquent and really need to go back and post for Saturday - Monday. [My delinquency is over. . . I have now back-posted. . .] But, I really had to post this RIGHT NOW because I am so excited about this fun new toy I found! I have been spending the past two days looking at programs and props and photo actions to assist my up-and-coming photography business, and I found a fun little program on another photographer's blog. It is absolutely FREE and it can make an amazing heart collage like this in about 30 seconds with an algorithm. Isn't that wonderful? A heart for your day!

Photoshop Action

I spent time today learning new things in Photoshop- namely, how to use actions more effectively to intensify color and contrast and to make the images POP off the page better. Here is a before and after shot. . . I hope you can see the dramatic difference even though the pictures aren't side by side! It is amazing what can be done. . . This image went from fine to GREAT with just a few little clicks!

Goode Company and Facebook

Dan spoke at his parent's home church, Chapelwood UMC, this morning - sharing our slideshow in a Sunday school and moment for missions at three services. After church, we went and ate world's GREATEST barbecue at Goode Company with the Burns grandparents and Norman cousins. And, if you can't read the fine print, the t-shirt says, "You Might Give Some Serious Thought to Thanking Your Lucky Stars You're in Texas!" I have no idea what people are talking about when they say Texans have attitude. . .

Back at home, Daniel and the girls helped Thomas get registered on Facebook so they can all keep up better on a day-to-day basis. Within about 10 minutes, Thomas had 30 friends. Apparently, most of his school friends were on Facebook at that moment, too!

Photographer for Hire

The management of our apartment complex asked me to offer a promotional photography session to residents this weekend. The whole endeavor was very poorly organized, but I did manage to photograph a few families on Saturday. I learned quite a bit through the experience, however. I learned that I DEFINITELY do not want to do pet photography as my primary business, that I never want to work at a JC Penney style in-and-out portrait studio, and that having parents standing behind my shoulder, exclaiming, "SMILE! Say CHEEEESE!" is not always the most helpful as it produces plenty of forced, and umm, well. . . cheesy grins. Need I say more?. . . All that aside, here are a few shots from the very brief weekend sessions.

Gotta Love These Kids and Happy 19!

So as not to reinforce the multi-cultural proverb, "The cobbler's children go poorly shod," I finally managed a photo session with our fantastic four. . . Things were looking dismal this week; wild weather all over the US - thunderstorms, snowstorms, tornadoes. . .it was looking like the photo shoot was NOT going to happen. But after the skies broke loose on Friday afternoon, the wild wind blew the dark clouds beyond Katy. It was very windy, muggy, and bright, but we still got a few shots that made the session worth it! I would love to get an assortment of frames and put a number of these all over one wall of our house. I have been eye-ing this corner of the neighborhood Taco Cabana fast-food joint for weeks. . . .

These kids "block" themselves so well. One would think they were professional models and actors :-)!

Gotta love being the only boy. . .

After our brief visit to Taco Cabana, we went out to the Katy historical park, just a few miles away. Great settings there for photo ops!!! SO happy to have found this place.

Something about doing photo sessions makes kids yawn. . . :-) I told them to get it out of their system all at once! (BTW. . . these two pictures look really great if you flip back and forth between them in a file folder!)

I told them this shot was the one for the fireplace mantle. . . (If only we had a fireplace mantle. . .)

There is only so long that these kids can be straight, however. . .

There is SUCH a fine line between THIS:

And THIS!!!:

Of course, they all wanted a shot with big sis who they miss so much. . .

And we got a few individual poses:

I have always wanted my life to be a Broadway musical. . . I think Daniel believes his is! He was suddenly transformed into "Yente the Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof and burst into song. . .

"Chava, oh Chava, do I have the match for you!!! He's handsome! he's young! .. . all right, he's 62. . "

What a lovely trio! When they get their faces so close together, you can see SO many resemblances :-)!Recipe for trouble: Three lovely girls, one handsome but impish brother,. . .

and a rocking chair!!!

And since I didn't get a chance to photograph Jackie in her 19th birthday, we took a minute to do it today. . . What a lovely and intelligent young lady she is becoming!

And there is that smile. . .!

Thanks for admiring the gallery! Someday, I hope they will be framed and on the wall!!!

Tropical Houston

I was driving down a major suburban street in Houston and I noted this amazing tree out of the corner of my eye. Since I had my handy-dandy camera with me, I did a U-turn and hopped out of the car.

Though it is warm in Houston, this strange but beautiful tree seemed slightly out of place next to the azaleas and pines. It would appear far more at home on a tropical island or in a Dr. Seuss book!

Still, I enjoyed its beauty and oddities and thought I would share it with you!

Sunday Paper

Don't worry, Pat! We got the paper!!!!!

The Grillmaster at Work!

Dan made amazing steaks tonight on the grill. . . those of us who are trying to eat more protein and vegetables are certainly NOT suffering!!

Anniversary, Lunches, Paparazzi and Windmills

Jackie and Leah: such cute girls. . . I wish I had the picture of them at five years old when they first became friends!!Happy 10th Anniversary to Mark and Melissa Vogan!! Unfortunately, Melissa was getting sick and was unable to attend church and admire the beautiful arrangement that Mark gave in her honor. . . Melissa stayed home with the baby while Mark took Susannah (who also wasn't feeling well) and the other two girls to church. Somehow, the whole episode seems somewhat indicative of their current life stage. Once again, Rachel RAN -in the opposite direction- when she saw me and my camera (I'll bet she has nightmares about me!) but I still managed to catch her and Becca in the shadows.

Great lunch and hanging out with the grandpeeps this afternoon - even a little reminiscing with the Muppets "Frog Prince". I didn't realize how deeply engrained that dialogue was in my brain. Apparently, I listened to the LP soundtrack QUITE a bit when I was small! While Daniel and Abby went to youth group, Jackie and Allison had some good "sister time" at Starbucks. The paparazzi managed to catch them. . .

In the Taste of Texas parking lot right alongside the interstate,there is a GINORMOUS Texas flag next to a quaint windmill. I have been longing to photograph this windmill for months and today was the day I had the camera in the car with me. Definitely, a taste of Texas!