3 Sisters – 2

I love it when everyone is smiling from the heart. Here, the 3 sisters are sharing a happy moment together. I used Picasa 3 to edit this photo. I first added a little bit of Saturation, not too much because I wanted the colors to seem natural. I then added Glow for atmosphere. Lastly, I applied Vignette with an off-white border. I found the standard black border didn’t create the right effect for this image. It’s really easy editing a picture, just a few clicks and I was done!

Kids with Animals – 2

This is a great example of why taking pictures of kids with animals works so well. In this photo, Samantha gave me an amazing smile, one that I never would have been able to coax from her, not even with a bribe. I love the twinkle in her eyes. Her colorful jacket goes well with the bright yellow duckling. Both Jeremiah and Samantha hate having to smile on cue. It’s best to capture them in the moment, which also tells a more honest story.

To get this effect, I used Orton-ish. Besides giving the photo that warm glow that I mentioned in the previous picture, it also enhanced the colors making them more vibrant. I then added Vignette to give that dark boarder. You can find these editing tools in Picasa 3. You can learn more about Picasa 3 in "Being Herself - 3."

Being Herself - 2

Often the best photos are taken when your subject is unaware of the camera. It allows you to capture a glimpse of his or her personality that a “smile for the camera” does not evoke. I don't take enough photos to be indiscreet about it, on the rare occasion when I do, I’m impressed with the results.

This photo of Amanda at the beach is a perfect example of this. She was more interested in the ocean than she was of me and that’s how I captured the moment. Since I’m using a really basic digital camera, I often need photoshop tools to help make the photo look great. I used “sharpen” and “saturation” in Picasa 3 for this one.

You can read more about my camera on my About page.

Being Herself - 1

Is there a mom who doesn't take photos of their kids? I think all moms do. These days you don't even need a camera to take a picture, you just need your mobile phone. I am not a professional photographer. I'm just a mom who loves annoying the kids with picture time. Learn more about me or about my first cameras by visiting my pages.

Some of my most favorite photos were taken when my children weren't being asked to "smile for the camera," though it took me a long time to learn this lesson. This photo was taken of Amanda at age 1 who, as the title states, is just "being herself." As you can see, she's a real darling. I invite you to follow my blog, Amanda's Books and More, which is an inspirational parenting blog.

I used "saturation" and "retouch" in Picasa 3 to photoshop this photo. I needed the retouch for a mosquito bite on her cheek. I then used "matte" in Picnik to make the white border and "text" for my blog's name. I realize that Picnik will be closing soon. Since this is an up-to-date blog, I'll keep you posted on what photoshop tools I'm using.