Jellyfish and A Reason to Switch to Manual Mode

Wednesday I posted pictures of field trips I’ve taken with the kids. One of the places we frequent during warm weather is the local aquarium. It’s a fascinating place. Around 1:00 every day, divers go into the shark tank and feed the fish. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually seen them feed the sharks, though. Maybe they think the kids would be traumatized! They... Read More

More Practice Shooting Manual, Plus Some Laughter

Two photographers have told me almost the exact same thing: “Start shooting fully manual. You’ll never go back.” I love aperture priority mode. It sure is nice just to set the aperture and let the camera adjust the other settings to get the right exposure! Their photos blow mine out of the water, though, so it’s to the “M” setting I go. I’m... Read More

I Heart Faces: Pet Week Photo Challenge

I hope everyone celebrated a happy Easter this morning! He is risen! I have been looking for a friendly photography community to join for inspiration. This past week I joined the weekly photo challenges at iheartfaces. Anyone of any level can join. To enter, photos can be posted to a flickr account, a blog, or the iheartfaces community web site. Usually a human face must be visible... Read More

The Trouble with Indoor Photography: Time to Start Shooting RAW?

My oldest daughter is like I was as a child in one particular way: She has a somber, pensive personality. I’ve made it one of my primary goals in life to get her to laugh as often as possible. And it would be the icing on the cake if I could catch it on camera! The other evening the kids and I were lounging around on the bed, and I was probably occupied with folding laundry... Read More

Hey There, You with the Light in Your Eyes

I’ve taken a break from the photography section of the blog. I knew that was a mistake when I hit a long lull… I’ve decided to tuck the photography section into its own little corner (link in the lower right hand corner of the blog). Anyone interested can come peek in, and others who aren’t quite so obsessed with buttons and dials can feel free to pass it... Read More

Her First Haircut is DIY

The other day I was busy getting ready for a trip into town, and the kids were occupying themselves nicely and being quiet. They were being very, very quiet. It was one of those “I know something’s going on, but I just want a moment of peace” times. My younger daughter has never had her hair cut. I think she’s simply gorgeous, and I was beginning to develop... Read More

Organization Inspiration

Last week I took the older three to their regular gymnastics class. The other moms there – really wonderful people – are very generous to me in providing mommy advice! I’ve wondered if it had to do with my son arriving in mismatched socks… balancing act One of the tips this time (solicited advice, to be fair 🙂 ) was to go visit the Learning Is Fun store. We... Read More

Embracing January: Bear Hunting

Last Thursday, my younger sister called for mutual motivation to get our houses clean. We enthusiastically made our lists (I ignored the fact that I have four children under age four, which often renders list-making a ridiculous exercise), and we started wrapping up the phone call. I haven’t been so pumped up to scrub bathrooms in a good long time. Any mother of young children... Read More

Surviving January: Beach Getaway!

Welcome to our Beach in January! Come plant your feet in the sand… happy toes kick back with a piña colada… (er, popsicle)… beach photoshoppage and relax in our castle in the sun! the stage is set I was so grateful last week for every comment from people who cheered me up, cracked me up, and couldn’t stop short of showing me up! 🙂 So many people said... Read More

Surviving January: Finger-and-Toe Painting

This has been a yucky week – no other word for it. The kids and I have colds, and the nose-wiping, combined with other things, had a result akin to the seriously heavy-duty bubble maker from last week’s post. I’ve felt bombarded. People want to help, but they can’t, because a) they can’t get here, and b) I wouldn’t want them to be the ones to... Read More