Depth of My Soul- er, Field!

Depth of field fascinates me. It gives my eyes a workout, and demonstates, firsthand, just how cool DSLR cameras are. This is almost impossible to accomplish with a standard point and shoot. I acquired a major case of camera envy when I discovered this before I had my Nikon. Thus, depth of field is partly to blame for my current fixation.


For those of you who have a life, and don't read enormous amounts of photography literature and tutorials, depth of field is pretty easy to understand. It refers to the range of your subject that appears sharp. I say range, because there should be a clear focal point, and from that focal point, a gradual progression to a less sharp image. I won't bore you with aperture, and focus distance mumbo jumbo here, but it is really interesting! I encourage you to dive into your own little study. I'm far from truly understanding this concept entirely, but I found that once I played around and launched a little study of my own, I was literally seeing the world around me differently. I especially noticed it when I watched television. I started to notice that dramatic, emotionally charged scenes have shallow depth of fields. My guess is, to allow you to focus on the character's most dramatic feature- their face.


You'll see my sister's eyes are the most clear aspect of this photo. The farther "back" you allow your eyes to move, you'll notice an out of focus tree behind her, and farther, you really only see color. The green is obviously grass, but the blue is actually snow, although it looks like it might be a body of water. I like this photo. The only clear "story" it tells is the fierce look in her eyes.

I was intentionally trying to see if I could focus on that little curly twig. It was a bit challenging; high fives to me!

This is a more gradual transition, and admittedly, a more boring photo, but one that demonstrates my point.
I took this at Christmas, a couple weeks after I got my Nikon. This is the decorated chandelier in my parents' dining room. I'm slightly enamored with this photo. The depth of field is "off,"but it's interesting to me nonetheless!

Lifestyle: Barrett

So much of life flashes before us before we can reach out and grab even one moment to savor. So often I'm guilty of flying through my day, eager to make it on time, cram it all in, get it all done. In the heat of these mad dashes, I sometimes forget to stop, take a deep breath, look around, and say a quick thanks to the big guy upstairs for life's many blessings. As crazy as the daily grind gets, there are certain elements of my world that force me to hit the pause button. Thankfully. These are the moments that feel safe and secure and reminiscent, in an ever-changing world. My mom's cooking. Taking a quiet bike ride with my husband, racing each other down the path like ten-year-olds. My parents' house on Christmas Eve. Pulling off Exit 310 in Indian River, with the anticipation of summer of the horizon. Sitting around the campfire on a crisp, cool night. And lifelong friends. Friends you've known longer than your youngest sibling. Friends who know where the bodies are buried. And which closets the skeletons are hidden in.


I could go on for days about the shenanigans Bear and I (along with a handful of of other beautiful ladies, you know who you are!) have pulled. We've seen each other through baby teeth and braces, bad haircuts and bad boyfriends, first kisses and first detentions. Zack Morris, Tiger Beat and JTT. We stood next to one another on our wedding days; one of us had a ripped dress, the other ripped the person in charge of a hideous cake topper a new one. But I'll take some secrets to the grave. It's only fair. Like who rang the doorbell the night we all got caught toilet papering at 4am? Or who ran through the sprinklers, scantily clad, on campus, the night we turned Lisa's mom's van into the Brave Mobile? And why don't any of the flowers planted in a specific pot outside the Hilton downtown ever grow? I'll never tell. It's what exceptional friendships are made of: secrets and trouble. And laughing, lots and lots of laughing.


We shot the following photos in a nature preserve, across the street from her beautiful new home. A perfect morning, with fabulous light, paired with a perfect park, nestled quietly off the beaten path, is home to not one, but two, wedding-white gazebos, a waterfall, smooth, slate rocks and a rusted bridge. This proved to be a better outdoor studio than I ever could have imagined! And wait until you scroll down; this girl is smokin! Beautiful from the inside out, I'm truly blessed to have such an incredible best friend in my corner for life.


A true friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world - Lois Wyse

Material Girl

So. It's really hard not to love things when you are into photography. And by things, I mean lenses and software, and filters and tripods, and light meters and flashes. Flashes. Something I, blindly, never thought I'd care the slightest bit about. I LOVE natural light. I love soft natural light. I love soft, creamy natural light. Even the word FLASH sounded harsh to my ears. However, it soon became apparent that my camera bag was in need of a harsh new friend. Maybe one that just flat tells it like it is.

Let me the first to admit how wrong I was to have prematurely judged the whole flash business. My nemesis has become my saving grace. I've seen the light! ...Catch that? I literally saw the light. I know, don't quit my day job, right? Anyway, I bought my external flash last weekend, and it has become my baby. Photo ops that I, subconsciously, was writing off, I am now seeking out. I'm starting to take variations of similar shots and to put it simply, HAVING FUN!

After looking at a few different models, I chose the Promaster 7500EDF. The Promaster is an extremely versatile brand that can be used on digital, or 35mm cameras, so yes! Nikon and Canon users can unite over this one. The Nikon brand flashes I'd been looking at are pretty pricey; Promaster is a little easier on your checkbook, and both do, virtually, the same thing. The only drawback is that if I ever got really into indoor studio photography, where I'd have a few flashes surrounding my subject, and I needed to be able to control them wirelessly, I couldn't. However, this is a five hundred dollar difference I'm willing to live without. For now. While still denting your wallet ever so slightly, it's definately been a good purchase, and one I can justify, having seen the results.

My dad has two new associates at his practice, and in introducing them to our patients and community, we launched a website. The website needed photos. Enter, me. Hey, Dad! Over here! Picture me waving, wildly, in my father's face. Of course he wanted me to do the honors. Anything to support his little girl's dream! After purchasing my flash, I was able to shoot in their somewhat dark exam rooms, next to the equipment. This would have been utterly impossible without it. And while I'm still aspiring to be more of a natural light photographer, I now view my flash not as a crutch, but as an enhancement, helping me to achieve a more polished, professional look.

Here are a few portraits from our shoot. You can also check them out on my dad's website! Once everything blooms, we'll be adding some outdoor shots of the office itself. But we are good to go, for now!

www.muirfieldeyecare.com

World's BEST dad right here:

Little Monster

It's no secret how much I adore my cat. She's hilarious. And sassy. Chloe thinks she's a dog, and I think she's my child. So you can see how we might be bordering on insanity in our house. I've compiled a list as proof, so that when they try to put me in a straight jacket, y'all can vouch that she is one gifted feline, and I am, simply, her supportive, loving mother.


- She hates fish, but comes running when she smells onions. Or beer. Little lush.
- She sits with her legs crossed. Just like a lady should.

- She watches tv. Last week, I was watching E! and Kendra's laugh woke her up. Chloe left the room in a huff. This is probably because she prefers watching the Kardashians over Kendra.


- When we say, "Talk to me," she does just that.


- Heaven forbid we put away her favorite blanket. She'll walk in circles, flabbergasted that it's gone, until in magically reappears. She, then, plops down and breathes a sigh of relief. Rough life, huh?


- We frequently find her asleep in our bed. Head on pillow, body under covers.
- She must be in the same room as us at all times.

- She tries to get us pumped up the same way football coaches do. By running, jumping and slapping our behinds before scampering away. Don't coaches do that?

- Saying the word, "treat" in our house will ensure that the monster will be sitting by the pantry, tail going crazy, within 2.7 seconds. Heart of a dog, what did I tell you?


- If either one of us has our laptop on our lap, she swats at it until we move it. She then takes her rightful place on said lap. Lord help us when we have a baby!


- She loves to hang out in my closet, in my shoe boxes. I love a girl with style. See Matt? Even Chloe likes peep toe pumps! I had to buy them. For her. Two pairs. For her four feet.
Like I said, crazy.

A Bit of Wedding Sparkle & Shine

A fresh faced bride-to-be lights up the room, filled with her closest lady family members, future in-laws, bridesmaids and friends. Gifts pile around her, shiny gift bags, sparkly boxes adorned with oversized bows. Bows that will soon be broken and analyzed. You broke four, oh, there's another! Five kids for you two! There is something about bridal shower gifts. No matter what the wrapping contains, it is overflowing with love, with hope for a blessed future, and the ease that love and hope both bring. The cake servers they will use as they cut their wedding cake, and later, quiches, and birthday cakes, and pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving. The cloth placemats she will display a meal she prepares on, to celebrate her husband's promotion, her own big booking to photograph a wedding, their anniversary, and Christmas dinner. These things are more than merely items, they are pieces of their future home, and life together. They will someday be passed down to their children. Cookbooks and recipes surround her, little secrets from the kitchens of all the special women in her life. The bride squeals as she opens serving ware, flat ware and kitchen gadgets. Pieces she took great care in choosing. Just as she took great care in choosing her life partner.

In Lisa's case, her heart found Will. And in Will, she found her best friend. They are set to marry next month and begin their story as husband and wife. Their story is destined for greatness. Congratulations you two, we couldn't be happier for you, and more excited to share in such a beautiful beginning.

"My Other Car is a Zamboni"

Matt has always been athletic. Not only can he out-run, out-bike, out-swim, out-rollerblade me (which isn't saying much, really), he can pick up a sport, and within weeks, be on top of his game. This is exactly what happened when he started playing hockey a year ago. Having grown up playing baseball and soccer, he picked this up pretty quick, and currently plays in the Chiller league, skating and scoring and knocking people around every Sunday night. His team? The Donuts. Yep. Sprinkle plays for the Donuts. Classic.

As of now, he still has all his teeth. I can say that it's a big relief that our wedding is over. Every game last year, I'd say a little prayer that he wouldn't be sporting a toothless grin in our wedding photos. Now we are just waiting for a call from Scott Howson to bring him up onto the Blue Jackets roster. I can see the sportspage now. Nash & Sprinkle Tie in Goal Scoring, Pass Ovechkin's Lead. Maybe he can turn this season around.

These photos aren't the greatest quality. They are in need of some serious Photoshop TLC, and have quite a bit of noise. Sports photography is really challenging, and hockey rinks are notorious for awful lighting. However, I think the photos below capture the spirit of the game, and I liked the composition.

I love this next photo. After the Donuts issued a beating of 8-1 to Mo's Fire Hoses, I snapped this of Matt and his dad. I love my father-in-law's proud smile.

Sisterface

I have gorgeous sisters. Call me biased, but it's true. See for yourself. My littlest sis, Emily, is a senior in high school and heading to Miami University in the fall. She normally hates when I snap candids of, well, her entire life, but since I asked in advance, and let her get ready before I made her model, she was way happier with the situation. Em grew up beautiful, never having an awkward stage like the rest of us permed hair, brace-faced, four-eyed freaks. I'm still a little salty about it when I look at our kid photos, but ecstatic about it when I shoot her. With my camera, people, don't worry.. sibling rivalry never got that intense!

But seriously, I'm ridiculously blessed to have such incredible sisters. Sometimes I forget Em and I are eight years apart; she's always been an old soul.. Way wise beyond her 18 years. Oh yeah, and she's hilarious. And a total brain. She's gonna do big things. Which is why I'm glad I was born first. It'd be hard to follow in this girls footsteps!

There's something really awesome about having sisters. They know where you come from, and sometimes understand you better than you know yourself, despite being so different. The three of us balance each other perfectly, and you can bet you'll barely get a word in when we're all together. Just ask Matt. He has sat through many nights of all of talking in unison, a mile a minute. The best part of having sisters? Being related to your best friends. Knowing they are there, standing next to you on your wedding day, blissfully, eternally happy for you. And also to tell you that bootcut jeans are SO last season.

I've been working on lighting, and close ups, thus my theme for our shoot. My Photoshop class begins at the end of the month.. and I'm looking forward to having some direction in my editing process. Em's beautiful, which totally makes this a cakewalk! Here are some of my favorites!