Guest posts

Hi peeps! We’re back (although my mind is still in sunny Florida and ignoring the horrible snow/rain mix that’s going on here). Tomorrow is a work day (ughhh) and a daycare day (double ughhhhh) and I promise that as we dig ourselves out of these suitcases, I will return to regular programming.

Today I wanted to introduce you to one of my very favorite bloggers and photographers, Ashley Sisk. If you follow along, you know that I participate in her Scavenger Hunt Sundays, which are so much fun! Read on and be sure to stop over and say “hi” (and take a stab at the Scavenger Hunt Sunday).

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Ashley Sisk and I live in North Carolina with my husband, Kitty Paw and soon enough…our newborn son or daughter. I’ve always loved art and photography, so shortly after we got married, I bought my first DSLR and started blogging. As a result of blogging, I re-discovered my creative spirit, enhanced my photography and editing skills and made some incredible friends. I’m passionate about my faith, my love affair with photography, building community and sharing what I know. Speaking of which, I want to thank Kat for having me on her blog today and giving me another opportunity to share my joy of photography with others.

Do you remember when you first decided to get serious about photography? I certainly do. In the early days, it was all I could do to even get proper focus. Even before purchasing my first DSLR, I thought if only I had a camera with a faster shutter speed, I’d be set. I mean, it couldn’t be ME…it had to be my equipment.You don’t know how many times I’ve been asked what camera I have…usually followed by some discussion of “that’s one of those cameras that shoots really fast right?” To which I respond, “you mean shutter speed, sure…it has that.” So, you upgrade your camera and are thrilled that you no longer have to worry about those blurry images that your old camera always seemed to produce. Of course, you quickly realize that it’s not the camera, but the photographer (yes, YOU). And at this point, you finally decide to learn how to really use your new fancy-spancy camera.
Months…years go by. You know aperture, shutter speed, exposure – life with your camera is good. You’re taking photos for friends, even considering going “pro.” Then it happens…you take a photo and your settings are all off. Maybe your shutter speed is too slow or you forgot to focus. You almost want to delete the photo, but something about it makes you linger. That blur is no longer annoying…it’s stunning.
And that’s what I want to talk about today – intentionally creating blur.

There are a number of ways to capture a blurred image:

Slow your shutter speed. Fast shutter speeds (ex. 1/4000)
will actually freeze movement. If you’re looking for something along
the lines of my image above, select a longer shutter speed (.5
seconds to 5 seconds). Your subject won’t need to move much at all
before you start to see blur. This is perfect for dancing or highway
scenes (although you may need a tripod).

Move the Camera. Moving the camera during
a long exposure can create the effect of an abstract painting. You no
longer control exactly what you get, but you create a new way of seeing
a still scene. These types of shot can be especially interesting at
night. I love to try this effect while we’re taking road trips.

Unfocus.
Turn your camera’s focus to manual. Then rotate your focus ring until
you’ve blurred the image. By a simple turn of the dial you can change an
otherwise ugly side street into a work of art. Using this approach,
you’ll also be able to better capture other elements of a scene such as
skylines, architectural shape, bokeh and emotion. It’s one of my
favorite techniques!

Whatever approach you take, blur it out! I hope these tips provide a little bit of encouragement and inspiration. It’s also a great reminder that I haven’t taken any blurred shots lately – time to get out and do some shooting. Have a great week!

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In an attempt to continue to provide you guys with something interesting to read (and not get bored with the same stuff I put up here), I’m continuing the guest blog spotlights. Check out Jessica’s from Living Our Love Song.

Hi! My name is Jessica from Living Our Love Song. I love Kat’s blog! So when she asked me to guest post I was very happy to do so.

Little bits of me.

Who am I?

Daughter to my wonderful parents who ran away and wed in high school and despite what people said are still happily married. Sibling of two older sisters and a younger brother. Aunt to six beautiful kids with a seventh due in May! Wife to my high school sweetheart. We began dating when I was just fourteen, on September 14, 2001. He asked me to marry him September 13th, 2008. And we were married June 20, 2009. Mommy. On September 14, 2011, our ten year dating anniversary, we welcomed our little girl into our life. Addison Mae, a tiny 5lb 7oz beauty. Thinking I would be induced, she surprised us all when my water broke six days before her due date. You can read about her birth story, and how we were pulled over on the way to the hospital here!

Being a Mommy

Addison, as sweet as she is, has never been an ‘easy’ baby. My beautiful little one n.e.v.e.r slept at night. I was up for two weeks straight when she was born. She did not take well to nursing. And after struggling for a month, we had to switch over to formula. It was very hard on me. I felt incredibly guilty. I cried. A lot. My wonderful ob/gyn finally helped me through it and I realized it wasn’t the end of the world. We’re okay now, she’s thriving and that’s all that matters. She was also a colic baby. Screaming was fairly normal in our household, especially at night. Patience. A word I thought I knew had been taken to a new level. Having zero sleep and a screaming baby who you could not calm down was very difficult. At four months, she is a much happier baby. No more colic. She still doesn’t sleep through the night but I think she’s getting there… or so I hope

Now that I’ve told you all how hard it was/still is at times. I have to tell you about how rewarding it is. I have never, ever, felt a love like this. I know all mommies say it but seriously you cannot imagine how big your heart grows until you have a child. Her birth was simply beautiful, I would experience it over and over again just to get to the point where I saw her for the first time and they laid her on me. Just to have that unforgettable moment where hubby and I cried tears of joy together. Her first smiles brought tears to my eyes. She amazes me every single day.

I love watching her grow and learn new things. Though at the same time she is growing way to fast. I tell myself to cherish every moment- even at 3am when she’s snuggled up to me after having her bottle. As tired as I am it’s still hard to put her back in bed.

Photography

In the 8th grade I began scrap-booking, I was addicted, so every Christmas after I asked for a new camera- better and faster. I was also intrigued by editing photos, no photo went unedited. In 2010 I purchased a bridge camera (a camera between a point and shoot and a dslr). I began using manual on that camera and realized I wanted and needed more options. Within two months I sold that camera and bought a dslr, Nikon D3100. It wasn’t long before I had friends asking me to do their children and family photos. My little photography business took off much faster than I ever expected. I love every aspect of it. The planning, the sessions, the post processing. It’s all very exciting to me. I am thrilled with how far I have come already, though I still have so much more to learn to get to where I want to be.

Some quick photography tips…

1. Practice (I can’t repeat that a million times on here so just know that it is probably the most important-in my eyes). If I don’t have a session one week I will use Addison as my client:) The girl has to have a zillion photos already! Or any object I come across that looks photo worthy!

2. Read. read up on blogs, photography sites, books, etc. Every time I get online I learn something new!

3. Learn how to find the best light. Outdoors during mid-day look for overhangs or hide out under trees. You do not want shadows on faces or sun in the eyes. Or I will put my clients backs to the sun a use a reflector. Indoors be near a window that lets in lots of light!

4. Manual. (goes along with practicing). you have to know manual to get the best photos out of your camera.

5. Focus. Never do I let my camera chose what to focus on anymore. I’ve learned my lesson when I upload my photos and people are out of focus and the background is in focus. Picking your focal point does wonders.

6. Challenge yourself. Look outside the box. Don’t be afraid to try a new angle. It may end up being your favorite photo.

7. Do whatever it takes to capture a child’s smile. Bribing, running around after them, making silly noises, singing (yes I have sang for little one year old’s and it worked), telling jokes, or in this case playing peek-a-boo!