Our Trip to Kentucky...

Just thought that I would share our pics that I took on our trip to Kentucky. We had a week that we wanted to go and take the boys somewhere, but not spend too much.. so we DROVE down to KY and went to Mammoth Cave and Kentucky Down Under.. and then spent a couple days in Louisville (where I MUST go back because we didn't get to do Waterfront park OR Tioga Falls/fort knox area).

Just a bit of highlights for ya... definitely worth the trip!

Getting to know your camera

I finally am able to get into the class for learning to use my camera. I am thrilled to be getting to take a class that is actually for FUN.

I actually learned how to DO the manual settings in the first class and how the great triangle relates. I *think* I actually get the concept!

Our assignment for today was to take a picture on Auto, and then one on manual with setting the white balance (WB). I couldn't decide between these three sets of pics, so I am posting them here. You can definitely TELL the difference..

This one is the first one I took on Auto - Our lizard Perk.

This next one is Perk with MY touch. Shutter Speed 1/4, F5.6, ISO 200 with 'daylight' for WB.


Then I was taking more pics and got one I thought was decent, so I did an auto after it as well to test the settings...

This is the "AUTO" Version:



This is the Manual Version with the following settings: Shutter Speed 1/4, F5.6, ISO 200 with Daylight (WB).



Now the one I took waiting for my computer to reboot... This one is auto:




This is the one on Manual. And it was really hard to get it to take. It didn't like me taking a close shot with such low light with no flash.. but I was determined. The settings were: Shutter Speed 1/15, F5.6 ISO 1600 (way higher then I had wanted, but I was trying to keep the timing down to around 30) this had the Tungsten (WB) setting because of the one lonely bulb and some barely there light from the window).



I definitely think I need a lot of practice, and would probably use an auto white balance next time in the mix to see if I can get it even better? hmmm... guess it's a good thing I have another class about taking better pictures. =)

Looks like a nice day to play...

So today the boys asked to go to the park. Who can argue when you get a 60 degree day in Feb? I thought it would be a great opportunity to try out my new camera. This is totally all auto/basic settings right now, but I was trying to get the feel for taking pics and looking through the view finder and seeing what sort of came natural. How fast pics can be taken, what it takes to get it to focus.. you know the basics. Just totally toying with it. I did get a few shots that I do happen to like!



I accidentally caught a picture with the boys hands, and they had their heads in there.. I asked them to do it again. For some reason, I just LOVE this picture.. the way their hands are what my eyes are drawn to.. I was so happy to grab this!



This is just so them.. Carter cheesing and Pierce taking in the world. The colors and the blur in the background just make me really happy! For being on Auto and my first time out, I feel like I got a few good gems.



Pierce really got into me taking pictures. He's usually not one to ham it up, but he wanted all sorts of shots of him up on the roof..



Pierce was climbing up on the structures in the 'small kid park'. It was starting to hit that sunset time, and the wind picked up a bit... I love how he pops at me in this one.

Earlier at the park we had a bit of a fall.. I think Carter was trying to smile for the camera and look around and he ended up taking a tumble. I snapped this as I was walking to check on him. It's the only one I got, because he started to cry. I asked him if I could take more and he said, "NO!". I didn't want to upset him more...

Here were just a few more that I came up with that I liked...