Day 212

Today I did the incline. It took me an hour and ten minutes to climb up it (it's a mile long), and it took me 45 minutes to run down the trail (which is 4 miles long). The incline is SO hard. It felt harder today than it usually does... but maybe it's because I'm still getting over mono? I thought about lugging my camera up with me, but decided against it. Which I am very glad about. Here are some lovely cell phone pictures for you guys :)

Here's a picture my sister took of me at the top. 

I'll admit, I did play around with the colors and lighting in picnik a lot! It's hard to go from a DSLR to a camera phone :) 

I haven't been up the incline in over a year, and the last time I went up, this happened. Thankfully my sister and friend were very safe :) And other than a few blisters we are all happy and alive. 

Day 211

Yesterday I was privileged enough to do yet another photo shoot. What an adorable family this is :)

The one downfall? I'm not so happy with the pictures of ALL four of them. I definitely had trouble getting them not to stand like soldiers, so when it was all four of them it was practically impossible to get them all to look at me, and to have them all in comfortable postions. Sigh, well I hope that one of them is usable.

But their eyes are SO gorgeous. WOW!

Day 210

Today was a busy day indeed. We went up to Denver and spent the day at the lake.

I'm sleepy, goodnight world :)

Day 209

Today was a busy busy day! I went to work to help get ready for Asher's birthday party, and when I got there she asked me if I would mind running errands for her. I said that was fine... and then she asked me if I would mind if one or two of the boys came along.... well, one or two of the boys actually means all three boys. Which, I didn't really mind. But, oh my is it hard to get stuff done when you're toting three boys around. I took them to 6 different places, plus I took them out to lunch. Seriously though, if I was a mom, I would have a hard time finding the motivation to ever do that. So, (I know I've said this before) but kudos to the moms out there. Really.

Moving on, tonight my dad took me out to practice driving a stick shift. I was slightly nervous because before they moved to Ecuador, I had practiced driving, but I stalled a lot. Tonight I did MUCH better. While we were in an empty parking lot driving around, we saw this GORGEOUS double rainbow... and I was so happy that I had grabbed my camera while walking out the door.

(f/4.5; 1/1250; ISO 800; 18-55mm lens)

I love how there's a church right there too :)

Moving on, tomorrow is sweet little Asher's birthday. And I cannot believe he's one. I started caring for him when he was only a few weeks old, and since then he's been a huge part of my life. What a little cutie he is (although I'm probably biased :))


Here he is about 1 month old.

Here he is at one year. 

Although I LOVE the stage he is in right now, that first picture of him really makes me miss that age. Happy birthday, Asher! Way to live one year :)

Click it Up a Notch Photography Contest

Posing

Lately since I've had a few more photo shoots, I've been really researching posture/positions. I think that's where I struggle during a shoot... WHAT DO I DO WITH THIER BODIES? When I can't figure out what to do, I get nervous. Once I'm nervous it's going to be a lot harder to get some good pictures.

I did find this post on posing though, and I really found it useful and interesting.

Enjoy!

Day 208

 I've been working on math most of the day. Let's just say that I am SOO ready to be done. I took my test today, but it didn't go so well.
We haven't had much internet this past week (seriously, it's worse than Ecuador internet) so I had to go to the library to take my test. Let's just say all the noise and distraction didn't help me with the test. Sigh, oh well. I should still easily pass the class.

(f/ 3.5; 1/80s; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

Day 207

I finally did my photo shoot of the boys I nanny today (third times the charm, eh?)... and surprisingly I got some really good ones. It helps that they are adorable.

(f/ 4.5; 1/200s; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

(f/5.0; 1/200s; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

(f/ 3.5; 1/125; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

(f/4.5; 1/125; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

(f/4.5; 1/200s; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens)

There are so many more pictures that I love. But for now I don't have the time to put them up.

I really love the last two though :)

What do you think?

A few of the issues I encountered  were:

• I was rushed. I did all of this in 30 minutes time. Mostly because I know thier attention span was not going to last very long. 
• They know me so well, so they didn't really want to listen to me. 
• All they wanted to do was make silly faces.
• Asher would not sit still. (what do you do with an active baby??) 

Other than that, I feel like it went pretty smoothly.

Oh, and this was all in thier backyard too. 

Day 206

Curious little kids make me smile :) I love it!

(f/ 1.8; 1/100s; ISO 400; 50mm lens)

I've noticed that I'm taking waaay fewer pictures now to get one I like than I did even a couple months ago. I used to take probably close to 100 a day, and even then I didn't get any that I really liked. Now, most of the pictures I take I like... and it's sometimes only 3 or 4 pictures.  Is that the same for you?

Day 205

I did a photo shoot with my sister and neighbor yesterday. It was fun :)

Here are a few of my favorites:

(f/2.8; 1/400s; ISO 800; 50mm lens) 

(f/ 2.8; 1/400s; ISO 800; 50mm lens)

(f/2.8; 1/400s; ISO 800; 50mm lens)

(f/ 2.8; 1/400s; ISO 800; 50 mm lens)

(f/2.8; 1/160s; ISO 800; 50mm lens)

(f/ 2.8; 1/160s; ISO 800; 50mm lens) 

(f/ 2.8; 1/400s; ISO 800; 50mm lens)

I love how almost all of the settings stay the same for each picture.

Day 204

We went to the batting cages today. 

(f/ 1.8; 1/1000s; ISO 800; 50 mm lens) 

Day 203

I don't really have a picture for today...
But I did press the button on the Ipad to take this one:

Day 202

Today I was supposed to do a photo shoot of the boys I nanny, but since it had been 2 weeks since I had last talked to them, she forgot I was coming. So I didn't do it tonight... hopefully next week? And no, it didn't even rain!

Today I remembered everything when I went to my brother's baseball game :) So, I got some good pictures there.

(f; 5.6; 1/500s; ISO 100; 18-55mm lens; fisheye attachment) 

(f/2.2; 1/500s; ISO 100; 50mm lens)

Isn't Andrew just adorable? I think so.

Also, tonight someone told us we look a lot alike... I've never gotten that one before.

Day 201

I have nothing for today. I went to my brother's baseball game, and I grabbed my entire camera bag. What I didn't realize was that I had left the memory card in my computer. Such a bummer. This isn't the first time I've done it either.

Please don't rain.

I have a photo shoot in 2 hours... and I hear thunder on the horizon. please don't. please don't. please don't.

Maybe it will pass quickly. Maybe it will give me some really good lighting :)

Anyway, life has been a little hectic lately. Some major plans have changed... at least for my living situation. I'm about 99% sure that I will not be living in MY basement this next year.

I know, I'm leaving you all hanging... my handful of followers.

So, for now I will leave you to wonder. But when I have more time I will fill ya'll in.

Happy Thursday!

Day 200

I found out that when using my 18-55mm lens and my fisheye lens, I can get the cool effect of natural vignetting? Is that what I would call it? Well, anyway, this is how it came out SOOC. I love the DOF of a fisheye lens. 

(f/3.5; 1/400s; ISO 400; 18-55mm lens; fisheye attachment)

What do you think?

Hello.

My name is Christina. 

There's so much to know. 

Life is beautiful.
I love the days when I feel like I'm living life the fullest that I can. 

I'm weird. 

I really do do this to avoid cleaning my room. 

I take pictures of myself instead of cleaning my room. 

It's much more enjoyable. 

I love learning about pregnancy. 

and birth. 

I love learning about child development. 

I'm a people person. 

Or an extrovert. 

My hobby is to take pictures,

and to learn about my camera/photography. 

I love it. 

My camera. Definitely a canon girl. 

My camera goes almost everywhere that I go. 

So does my water bottle. 

Sunshine is my favorite. 

Hence, summer is my favorite season. 

I only have a few friends, but they are good ones. 

My biggest fear? Being alone. 

Although, at the moment, God has me quite isolated. 

I'm slowly learning to trust Him. 

My family lives in a third world country. 

I live in a first world country. 

Our lives are quite opposite. 

I have a large family. 

2 parents.

4 brothers.

3 sisters.

1 brother in law.

1 nephew. 

I am quite fond of them all. 

Believe it or not.

Meet my best friend/ boyfriend... best boyfriend? Yes, that works ;) 

Something I would like to be really good at? Loving. 

"the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13 

I love to talk. 

A doctor once told me I dislocated my jaw because I talked too much. 

I don't think that that's why my jaw dislocated. 

Just sayin'.

I love being busy. 

I L.O.V.E. ice cream. 

I was born in Ecuador.

Ecuador will always have a special place in my heart. 

Especially the kids there.
I love staying up late.
And sleeping in.
If only this society worked that way...
instead of everything starting so early every morning. 

That's just a little bit that you may or may not know about me.
I haven't done a personal post in a long while. My apologies.

Happy Monday, ya'll

Day 199

Today I got my diploma. It's official. High school is behind me.

(f/1.8; 1/320s; ISO 1600; 50mm lens) 

I haven't felt like I was in high school for years now. Mostly because I am so mature, and intelligent. Aha, just kidding.

Day 198

(f/4.0; 1/40s; ISO 800; 50mm lens)

My brothers, Andrew and Jonathan, are so cute :) I love them.

(f/ 4.0; 1/640s; ISO 100; 50 mm lens with fisheye attachment)

I recently bought a fisheye lens and it arrived on Saturday. I haven't had much chance to use it, but here is one picture. It was pretty cheap, and it just goes onto one of my lenses. So, we'll see if I like it or not.

Day 197

(f/2.5; 320; ISO 200; 50mm lens)

Because there are rarely any pictures of me up here, I set the settings, told Lydia to have the red dot on my eye, and this is how the picture came out. Not bad, Lyd, not bad.

(f/1.8; 1/320s; ISO 200; 50mm lens)

 I love the focus in this one :)

(f/1.8; 1/320s; ISO 200; 50mm lens)

The lighting in this one is so grand. Love it. Maddie is SO white. Poor girl.

(f/1.8; 1/400s; ISO 200; 50 mm lens)

Lydia is such a great model... although I don't think she knows I took this picture.