A Blog Giveaway!!!

Not my own, mind you! ;o)

But at MCP Actions Blog. If you are a photographer and would like a chance at winning an incredible lens, hop on over and enter! The WINNER chooses from the 18-270mm (for a crop sensor Nikon or Canon) or the 28-300mm (for a full frame Nikon or Canon).

I'm too excited about it because My wonderful husband and 2 of my kids just pitched in all their pennies and bought me my dream camera on Monday!!! A Nikon D90!!!!!!! If you read my blog you might remember me mentioning it here. *smile*

Well, my dream has come true! I'm so blessed. Now I'm trying to learn all I can about photography and how to use this beautiful tool!

Anyway, to enter, you will need to do the following:

- Post to your blog, twitter and/or facebook about this contest (let people know how to enter and provide a link)

- Leave a comment writing where you posted (with link so that it can be verified if your post is picked from the random drawing)

- In your comment, please write why you want to win this lens, where you would want to most the lens, and for fun tell how many lenses you currently own.

To qualify, you must:

- Have a US mailing address that the lens can ship to – this can be yours or a friend or relative but make sure you have one prior to entering (Tamron USA is only authorized to sell and distribute in the US)

- Have a Camera that works with Tamron Lenses. If you do not have a Nikon or Canon SLR, a similar range lens for Pentax or Sony will be substituted.

- Do all the above items explained in the “enter section.”

Good Luck!!

Love,
Lisa

One More...

Sorry. Just had to share this one. I just love the clone tool in PS!!! Can you see what I did with it in this before and after?

One of My Favorite Photoshop Jobs So Far!!

This is my good friend Amy's daughter. She has the most beautiful red hair. I'm certainly no professional photographer, but I'm sure there are many out there who would love to photograph her and those wonderful curls!

Anyway, I took this picture out in my backyard one day while she was here playing and ran a little photoshop on it. Look at the results!

This is the original SOOC (straight out of camera) shot. Notice the smudges on her face, something blue in the grass and someone standing behind the left side of her head in the back ground. Also, notice her hair next to the tree.

Here is the after effects of photoshop. I love photoshop. Have I mentioned that to you before??? Notice her face is now clean, and the empty space of her hair is now filled. Plus, the blue thing and person behind the left side of her head is now gone!

Here is the black and white version, which I think came out beautiful.

This is a lovely shot of her cute little profile and beautiful red hair. This one, to me, had to be cropped in closer to her face. Again, notice the smudges on her face. Now watch how they disappear.

Here's the cropped edited version. I love love love this one, but.........

I think I love this one the best! I love black and whites and would love to learn more about how to achieve awesome black and white portaits.

By the way, my camera is a Sony Cyber-shot point and shoot. But my dream camera? Oh, that would be this.

OK, a girl can drool dream, can't she???

Love,

Lisa

Recent Photoshop Magic

Have I mentioned to you that I love Photoshop???? I just wish I had all kinds of time to play with it.
Here are a couple of photos I edited recently. First is Erika (5) playing in the grass in our back yard. I removed a couple of things in the finished portrait. Can you tell what they are?
Then there is a beautiful apple blossom from one of our apple trees in one of our pastures. So so beautiful.

Before and After.

Before and After.

Love,
Lisa

I WON!!!!!

Did you hear the news!!!! I can't believe it!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my children and my husband who, I'm sure, all voted for me. Take a look.

*wink*

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
~Lisa

Daddy's girl

Erika has been Daddy's girl from her very first breath. Her Daddy caught her as her little body emerged from mine, and she responded to his voice immediately. Nothing has changed in the 5 years she has been with us. Never mind that I was the one that carried her in my body for 9 months, or got up at all hours of the night to nurse her, or changed thousands of her diapers, potty trained her, etc.

Ahem....

Todd's the one she wants to be with.

So it only seemed obvious that she was the only one that wanted to enjoy a nice dinner of beef stew on this cool evening out back on the picnic table with him. He wanted all of us to join him, but it was just too cool for the rest of us. But not for Erika.

She found the only warm spot. Right on Daddy's lap, where she feels most secure....and warm. I mean, where else would she sit? Right?

They ate together....

Talked together....

They even look alike, don't you think? Maybe not. But, to me, there's just nothing more manly, nothing that makes my heart skip a beat like seeing a man love on his baby girls. Nothing at all..

~Lisa