i heart faces: Fix-It Friday #52

I haven't had the time to take part in the last few fix-it Fridays so I was happy to be able to take part this time!

This is the description involving the picture:
"After a few weeks of really tricky photos to edit, this week's photo of Angie's daughter was chosen as one that we could just have fun with...it's a super-fun one to edit creatively and also gives an opportunity for cloning distracting elements out of the background. Have fun showing off your creativity with this one! :)"

the original picture:

I downloaded the RAW version of this picture and opened it up in Lightroom. I exported two copies of it with the exposure raised in one picture to +0,51 and the other one to +0,87 and opened both copies in photoshop. I brought both pictures into one picture and masked the girl in with the higher exposure so she was lighter than the background. I also cropped the picture and cloned out the distracting pink ribbon, the leaning stick and the yellow/black caution signs on the bridge (sometimes cloning sometimes selecting an area and using copy/paste).

And here is the basic edit I ended up with:

Then, since I am a tester for Amy McMaster's actions, I used some of  her actions to play with the picture a bit!

This is one of my personal favorite actions in her new set coming out. Rainbow Smile:

Here is Rainbow Smile and Epic together:

Sunset BW faded and a color splash:

And Sunset BW with an edge burn:

Amy is doing a contest to give away her newest action set, A Little Sugar, be sure to check it out! http://amymcmasterphotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/chance-to-win-little-sugar-action-set.html

And to see more fix-it Friday edits, head on over to iheartfaces: http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

365 Project - Day 270

I've mentioned before that I'm lucky enough to be in a photography internet group on facebook with some great ladies. One of these ladies makes fantastic actions and we get to be her "testers"! Amy is offering the chance for anyone to win her Little Suger Action Set: http://amymcmasterphotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/chance-to-win-little-sugar-action-set.html These are really REALLY awesome actions, be sure to check her contest out!!

And here is a little teaser of only a couple the actions to be found in her newest set "A Little Sugar":

365 Project - Day 269

I don't even think I need to write about how much I love spring!

"A picture is worth a thousand words!"

365 Project - Day 268

The poetry of the earth is never dead.  ~John Keats

365 Project - Day 267 Self Portrait

Although I love taking pictures, I much prefer being behind the camera rather than in front. If fact I often try to purposely be the one taking pictures so that I am not the one actually in the pictures. I decided spontaneously yesterday evening, to set up my tripod, get my remote and my lightscoop and take a few of myself. No excuses that I wasn't looking my best, not freshly showered, not freshly made up, not even anything done with my hair... just do it. I had to experiment quite a bit before I actually got myself framed within the focal area of the camera!

Of course, Niklas who was watching the whole procedure could not resist jumping in and taking over the remote!

and one last "mommy picture" that I can't resist adding:

365 Project - Day 266 iheartfaces "smiles" photo challenge

The theme for the photo challenge this week at iheartfaces is "smiles"! This is a dear friend of mine and it was so nice to see her beautiful smile in a recent photo shoot we did. I won't share her story here as I don't have permission to do so, but I will say she is remarkable. A strong, couragous woman who loves life despite some of the hard blows she has had to deal with. Spring time is a beautiful time to see some sunshiny smiles!!

There are lots of great entries at iheartfaces: http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/! Be sure to check them out!!

365 Project - Day 265

Just living is not enough...

One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Anderson~

365 Project - Day 264 Sneak Preview Photo Shoot

Today I did a photo shoot of a beautiful couple who have just celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary this week. They are extra special to me because they are my in-laws. Here is a sneak preveiw of the pictures from today:

365 Project - Day 264

Yesterday Niklas got his first "bike", a walking bike. When we got home, he refused to go inside until we had  done a test run with his new "vroooom vrooooooom". He is so happy and so proud of his new "laufrad"!!

365 Project - Day 263

Look at these two brothers enjoying the late afternoon spring sunshine along the banks of the Neckar in Heidelberg! This fantasy edit is part of the album of the photo shoot swap with another mom from a photography forum I'm on who was out in Germany for a visit.

Here is a little slide show with the rest of the edits from my side of the swap:

365 Project - Day 262

I am currently taking a photography course online. One of the assignments we have to do is to select a photograph from a photographer whose work we admire and try to copy it. I really like Kim Anderson's photography and this is my rendition of one of his pieces:

Here is the the picture from Kim Anderson that I was trying to copy:

365 Project - Day 261 iheartfaces "collages" photo challenge

This morning I was outside with my daughter and youngest son to use him as a model to help me with a photo assignment I wanted to get done. He did as well as to be expected for a two year old... Meaning, I have some cute shots, but not the poses I was hoping he'd give me for this assignment.

He and his older sister have such a loving relationship to each other. I could not resist taking a few pictures of them goofing around on the lawn as I was trying to pack up. I've been quite busy and have missed a couple of iheartfaces photo challenges but when I saw the theme for today's challenge, I had to put a couple of pictures together from the two of them this morning!

I used MCP Action's "Magic Blog-It Board Action" ( free sample) to create the collage (thank you  iheartfaces for posting that link!) and I used a couple of actions from Amy McMaster to help with editing the collage. 

To see more collages, head on over to iheartfaces!! 

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

365 Project - Day 260

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul 
by a flower in spring bloom, 
maybe your soul has never been in bloom.

~Terri Guillemets~

365 Project - Day 259

"In the places that call me out, I know I'll recover my wordless childhood
trust in the largeness of life and its willingness to take me in."

~Barbara Kingsolver~

365 Project - Day 258

Just a typical picture of Niklas today. I was experimenting with how high I could go with my ISO and still have a good picture. Usually I try to stay at ISO 100 or 200. This picture was taken in the early evening at ISO 3200! I was pretty surprised and pleased at how well my camera does at a higher ISO.

365 Project - Day 256

Neuer Frühling

Unterm weißen Baume sitzend,
Hörst du fern die Winde schrillen,
Siehst, wie oben stumme Wolken
Sich in Nebeldecken hüllen;

Siehst, wie unten ausgestorben
Wald und Flur, wie kahl geschoren; -
Um dich Winter, in dir Winter,
Und dein Herz ist eingefroren.

Plötzlich fallen auf dich nieder
Weiße Flocken, und verdrossen
Meinst du schon, mit Schneegestöber
Hab der Baum dich übergossen.

Doch es ist kein Schneegestöber,
Merkst es bald mit freudgem Schrecken;
Duftge Frühlingsblüten sind es,
Die dich necken und bedecken.

Welch ein schauersüßer Zauber!
Winter wandelt sich in Maie,
Schnee verwandelt sich in Blüten,
Und dein Herz es liebt aufs neue.

~Heinrich Heine~

365 Project - Day 255

Follow the wisdom provided by nature. Everything in moderation - sunlight, water, nutrients.

Too much of a good thing will topple your structure.

You can't harvest what you don't sow. So plant your desires, gently nurture them,

and they will be rewarded with abundance.
~Vivian Elisabeth Glyck

365 Project - Day 254

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. 

Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; 

your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

~James Allen~

*******************************************************************************

I just wanted to add a note about the edit I did on the above picture. I have the good fortune of being in a photography forum with someone who does a fantastic job at creating actions and I have the even better fortune of being one of her testers! Yes, I get to test her actions before they get offered to the general public!  The above picture was edited using her "clean it up" action and then her "sweet light" action. Be sure to visit her site to see what other great actions she's offering as well as taking a look at her beautiful pictures! http://amymcmasterphotography.blogspot.com/

365 Project- Baby/Familie/Kleinkind Fotoshooting 67117 Limburgerhof, Ludwigshafen, Speyer

A couple of weeks ago, I showed a sneak preview of a  beautiful family who had just welcomed a new member into their family. When I do a photo shoot, I try to also do a fantasy edit as one of the edits. The above picture is a fantasy edit from one of the pictures from that shoot plus a picture I had taken at the beginning of April as the forsythia sunrise came into bloom in our yard. Don't the boys look sweet, enjoying the view as they relax amongst the blooms?

Here is a slide show to see the other edits from this shoot:


and the link to the flickr album with the pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantasiaphotos/sets/72157623555939815/

365 Project - Day 252

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."

-  Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

365 Project - Day 251

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, 
but to add color to my sunset sky."

~Rabindranath Tagore~

365 Project - Day 250

Very rarely, a day will come, when I don't take a picture. Today is one of those days. I have been busy doing other stuff today and although, I've had my camera in my hands a few times, I actually did not take a picture with it! But I have so many pictures that I have not shared yet, it wasn't hard to find one for today. I love this picture of Niklas taken yesterday in the cherry orchard. He is so fascinated with nature and is also a dreamer. He loves just to stare at nature's beauty and enjoy it.

365 Project - Day 249 Schwetzingen

Yesterday on our way home from the shoot swap in Heidelberg, we drove by the Schwetzingen Castle gardens. The sun was already set but I could see all these beautiful flowering cherry trees and knew I wanted to get back to get some pictures before the blossoming time was over. We headed over there today just before sunset time and I was able to get some pictures.

Niklas just loved running around the gardens! We could hardly get him to come with us when it was time to leave. In fact, he tried to hide!

I have so many more pictures from today, I've got 12 up so far in flickr and will be posting more when I have time to get to them! http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantasiaphotos/sets/72157623682625801/

Right now, I'm off to bed (*yawn*)!

365 Project - Day 248 Sneak Preview Photo Shoot Swap in Heidelberg

Today I got to do my first photo shoot swap with another mom from a photography forum I'm on. She's from America but is here in Germany right now visiting family. It was so much fun to meet someone that I only know from internet and be able to see them and hear them in person!

We got to take pictures of each other taking pictures. It's always fun to see what's happening behind the camera and not only the finished pictures.

Isn't she great, how she balances kids and camera. She takes fantastic pictures! Be sure to check her out: http://www.wix.com/SJRosaPhotography/SJRosaPhotography

And of course, we had to get a few pictures of our kids!

365 Project - Day 247

My advice to the women of America is to raise more hell and fewer dahlias

~William Allen White ~

I just planted some dahlias today on our balcony. I love how they look so bright against the sky... 
I guess I'm just not into "raising hell"...

365 Project - Day 246 Baby Fotoshooting 67117 Limburgerhof, Ludwigshafen, Speyer

It's been a couple of weeks since this shoot, but I've been so busy with renovating, easter holidays and not having my lap top to work with, it's taken me a bit longer than usual to get these edits finished. As usual, I like to include a fantasy picture when I do a shoot. These are tulips that were sitting beside baby on the table for most of the pictures so I thought it would be fun to put her in them for the fantasy picture!

Here is the link to the album with the rest of the edits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantasiaphotos/sets/72157623527583101/

and the slide show of the pictures:

365 Project - Day 245

Over The Land Is April

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Over the land is April,

Over my heart a rose;

Over the high, brown mountain

The sound of singing goes.

Say, love, do you hear me,

Hear my sonnets ring?

Over the high, brown mountain,

Love, do you hear me sing?

By highway, love, and byway
The snows succeed the rose.
Over the high, brown mountain
The wind of winter blows.
Say, love, do you hear me,
Hear my sonnets ring?
Over the high, brown mountain
I sound the song of spring,
I throw the flowers of spring.
Do you hear the song of spring?
Hear you the songs of spring?