All Dressed Up And No Place To Go

I got all fixed up this morning and then got the call that church was cancelled. Are you kidding me? I actually put on makeup and did my hair this morning and no one except my kids will see me today?

Then I remembered my trusty tripod and remote. Baby was sleeping, I had some time, so I tried more self portraits.

I think Blaire's self portraits are so cute, clever, and pretty that I wanted to try some more of my own. I had to be brave!

I used manual settings and manual focus and I learned a lot!

Mostly, I learned that I like myself better when I'm out of focus.

(Warning: You are going to get really tired of looking at me, me, me!)

50mm, 1/13 sec, F/2, ISO 200
Oops, a little to close to the camera. I don't have Photoshop, but when I was uploading my photos into PictureProject, I clicked a little button called "Enhance Dark Tones" and voila, it made me look a little Vogue-ish, don't you think?

50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400

50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200, +2 EV

50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
I cropped in because I thought it was cool that you could see the big window I'm staring into, plus a silhouette of my tripod, in the reflection of my eye.



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200
My entire face is in focus, plus the lower ISO makes everything clearer. More real. I think it makes me look like I'm on a prairie with the wind blowing or something natural like that.



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
Looks like an author's picture on the back of a book, don't you think?



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
The exposure is very blown-out, but I like the effect here.



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
Remember "Glamour Shots" in the mall? Total 90's fad.



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
A study in asymmetry.

50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400


50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400



50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200
See how everything is sharper in this photo than the other color ones just above it? The only thing I altered was the ISO.



I've never had a subject hold still, move to different angles, let me change settings and try again. We are our worst critic's after all, so I was able to be honest with myself about the quality of the shot. Within an hour I couldn't believe how many different "looks" I achieved with my camera, just by experimenting and having a little patience.

My advice to anyone who is going to try this? Bump up your ISO (or have a +EV). I found an ISO of 400 instead of 200 softened my features (so that every freckle, mole, and pockmark wasn't in detail) and gave the images a more "artistic" look.

Now, enough! Moving on...

Self Portraits

50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

50mm, 1/100 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

50mm, 1/40 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

50mm, 1/50 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

50mm, 1/60 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

Snow Angels

50mm, 1/60 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200

50mm, 1/60 sec, F/2.8, ISO 200 (Oops,a little "soft focus" going on here.)

Ice Age

300mm, 1/640 sec, F/5.6, ISO 200

170mm, 1/250 sec, F/5, ISO, ISO 200

70mm, 1/1600 sec, F/5, ISO 200

135mm, 1/320 sec, F/4.5, ISO 200

100mm, 1/500 sec, F/5.6, ISO 180

Splash

The True Meaning

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

55mm, 1/60 sec, F/5.6, ISO 200

Believe!

22mm, 1/60 sec, F/3.8, ISO 200

Pink is the New Red

26mm, 1/30 sec, F/4.2, ISO 1600

Sunset

We get a crazy amount of wind by living up on a hill, but it's worth it for the beautiful sunrises and sunsets!

Untouched photos. Trying out my new lens here!!

70mm, 1/50 sec, F/4, ISO 400

70mm, 1/60 sec, F/4, ISO 640

The Tree at Rockefeller Center

Christmas Girls

Frozen Rain

55mm, 1/60 sec, F/6.3, ISO 200, Close-up program.

55mm, 1/60 sec, F/5.6, ISO 360, Close-up program.

55mm, 1/60 sec, F/5.6, ISO 220, Close-up program.

55mm, 1/80 sec, F/11, +1.0 EV, ISO 1600, Aperture priority.

55mm, 1/500 sec, F/11, +1.0 EV, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority. The color turned out too dark on this shot, but I love the silouette of ice.

55mm, 1/60, F/11, +1.0 EV, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority.

The Day Dawn is Breaking

30 mm, 1/160 sec, F/11, +1 EV, ISO 1600

46mm, 1/250, F/11, +1EV, ISO 1600

Candy Carousel

38mm, 1/10 sec, F/5, +1 EV, ISO 400

I really feel like I messed up all her birthday pictures, there isn't one that I love in the whole bunch! Anyway, this is the best cake one.

Which lens?

If you had to choose which lens to add to your collection, which one would you choose?

• Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL-M "Motorized" DG Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens with Built-in Motor Drive for Nikon SLR Cameras Including D40, D40X, & D60 (click here for more info)
• OR
• Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (click here for more info.)

I need to choose one as an idea for my hubby to give me for Christmas! I currently have the standard 18-55mm.

I want your opinion!!

Cape Cod

30mm, 1/200 sec, F/7.1, ISO 100

38mm, 1/640 sec, F/5, ISO 200

30mm, 1/30 sec, F/4.2, ISO 1600

45mm, 1/200 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100, changed to Sepia

55mm, 1/125 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100

55mm, 1/200 sec, F/5.6, ISO 100



38 mm, 1/250 sec, F/8, ISO 100

52mm, 1/100 sec, F/10, ISO 400

55mm, 1/10 sec, F/32, ISO 400