Working on: Focus and Processing

I know- I promised a non-photography post. THIS is not it. I am planning to share about our ladies cookie exchange at church but (ironically) have to upload my photos from that still.

But in case you are actually interested in reading about my latest photographic adventures, here we go....

I have MUCH to learn still and honestly, this is a hobby that can be quite overwhelming. The day I took my camera out of the box, I switched it Manual and haven't turned the dial back. It's sort of like driving stick shift, with a million a half things to concentrate on all at once. So, lest I get overly discouraged, I'm biting off specific areas to work on, little by little. Lately, it's been focus and post processing.

Focus is a little elusive to me still. Of course, I only post the pictures on here that are (I think!) in focus. But trust me, there are probably 10 out of focus images for every one that is! Achieving sharp focus, for me, is like trying to make gravy. I do the exact some thing every time but get varied results, as was apparent last night when we smothered our country fried steak with some sort of dark brown goo in a gravy boat.

So there it is people. Manual mode is like driving a stick shift and focus is like gravy. A publisher will be knocking on my door to write a photography book at any moment.

If any of ya'll have some ideas for me, I'm all ears. I've googled and read until my eye balls bleed and still.. not nailing it.

Eye balls bleeding is by far the grossest metaphor I've used to date. Sorry.

I do think I'm improving in post processing. I'm still looking for ways to illuminate skin tones without making people like bizarre. (Do you other bloggers have get annoyed by how many sentences you begin with "I". Blogging can feel totally egotistical at times.)

But here are some examples of what I hope are post processing success:

My original edit back in October (I think it was October... I'm not looking it up!)

And then my recent re-try:


I think seeing these side by side, the re-edit looks a little overdone, but when this was printed, the colors were muted and I really liked how it printed.

Another from that same day:


Re edit, which I already dis like. Look how pink that "white" shirt is:



Oh and by the way, those are 2 different pictuers. Oh well. It's about the same with the actual picture that belongs there.
And Little Leila, looking more than a little yellow:



And now, hopefully with her jaundice cured:



And of course, I have the feeling that a year from now I'll look at these re edits and cringe and wonder how in the world I thought they were good. =)

And I finally got around to creating a watermark because apparently the internet is full to the brim of mean dishonest people. Who knew? ;)



Love,