Guess what todays photos are

Can anyone guess what these images are?

Autumn leaves in Colorado

Some shots of the season I took a few months back at Air Force Academy, Colorado.

Visit my webpage to see more images at www.joykingcollection.com
or my Facebook page

First backdrop!

I got my first backdrop yesterday. It's just a plain one but Vince was dying it for me last night . Hope it went well as I went to bed last night before he was done. It's supposed to be a blue muslin look to it.

Obviously this is a quick post but I wanted to share the news. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow :)

The second time I've done a portrait shoot (just for practice). It didn't came out quite like I was expecting and there's a lot I have to get used to.

For example, I'm used to shooting as I want the print to look in the viewfinder. I can't do that in portraiture as I need to consider that this print may be going on an 8x10 print. So, I need to shoot with extra space around the subject in order to crop in to an 8x10 print if need be.
I'm also fighting with fluorescent lighting. The two studio shoots I've had, have been overly yellow. Trying to figure out if my studio lights need to be brighter or what the deal is to get rid of that yellow.

I also need to get used to all the equipment, setting everything up and moving quickly w/out damaging anything, haha. I am hoping to practice some more tonight if the kids will go to sleep quickly for me tonight.

On a good note, I did find a way to make these images work and they look fantastic! B&W does wonders for a print, especially one that has more overly yellow lighting than I'd like. My girls did an excellent job posing for me & with the lace these really give the impression of old Hollywood style photos.

My next gig

We have plans to make a family reunion (on my husband's side) in about two weeks time. Well, we got a call yesterday and the family wants to hire me as a photographer for the event.

Portraits is a new area for me, I'm not familiar or comfortable with it. I've done some senior portraits for my niece, which came out very well but that's been about it. Most of my people shots are candid shots and nothing set up.

So, I am nervous and we've only about 4 days to figure out well....a full studios worth of things to set up such as pricing, a way to view the images, receipts, order forms and so forth.

I'm also excited and I just hope I don't let the whole family down. I hope the weather will be good for outdoor photography, but I'll also be bringing along my studio lights for fill lights and also just in case it is bad weather that day and we have to shoot indoors.

The pass few week ends I have had the pleasure of visiting a couple of neat car shows which were a lot of fun. So, this post is dedicated to a few of my favorite automobile shots that I have taken.

Camera upgrade!

With the sad parting of my beloved (& sporty) car tomorrow morning, comes the upgrade of my Nikon D40 to the Nikon D200!

I should have it tomorrow evening if all goes well and I am super excited about it. I loved the D40, it was a great intro for me as my first DSLR as opposed to SLR's. I quickly ran into limitations with the D40 but the D200 will be so much easier.

We wanted to upgrade my camera set to a more entry pro level, before Vince got out of the Army and becomes a full time student, in which case, money will be tight during that time.

I'm also looking forward to the next few weeks as I will be looking into moving my 4 month old, Noah, onto formula. Having the two boys has been a drain on me (you people w/twins or more...I have NO IDEA how you do it?!) and Vince has been itching to help but feels helpless of not being able to. SO, with Noah on formula, Vince can watch the kids more and let me have more freedom to go out on my own to get some shots around town.

If you're curious about the features of the D200, some of the features are listed on Wikipedia. NIKON D200 FEATURES

Hopefully, the next blog I post will be to showcase images from my new camera : )

Dandelions

Dandelions are arguably one of the most beautiful weeds you can find in your yard. But it's so hard for me to label them as weeds, when not only are they so pretty, but the childhood memories that goes with them. Anyone remember eating the delicate yellow middle? Or perhaps making necklaces, bracelets or crowns with them?



Here is my devotion to such a humble plant as well as some interesting myths & superstitions that goes with them.

*When woven into a wedding bouquet, dandelions are good luck for newly married couples.

*When dandelions appear in dreams, they are thought to represent happy unions.

*They are symbols of hope, summer and childhood.

*Dandelions are also a symbol of grief and the Passion of Christ in theological symbolism.

*The name, Dandelion, is the alteration for a french term for the plant that means "lions teeth", a reference to the petals of the plant.

*Legend says, that in early spring, if a child seeks out the tallest dandelion stalk he/she can find, that is how much they will grow in the coming year.



*If you blow on a white dandelion & every seed scatters, means that you are loved. If some seeds are still on the stalk, than you are out of luck.

*If you make a wish before blowing on the dandelion, your wish might come true.

*After blowing on a white dandelion, the number of seeds left are how many years you've left to live.

*Dandelions are used in treatments of constipation, acne, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, edema (swollen ankles), osteoarthritis, gout, gallstones, high blood pressure & digestion problems.

*Dandelions originated from Asia and now thrive in every parts of the world.

*Cooking with dandelions; Dandelion recipes

So what ever you call this little plant/weed/flower/pest, just remember, there's more to them than meets the eye!

By the way, if anyone tries any of the Dandelion recipes, let me know! I'm curious to hear how those would come out.