Oh My...

So it has been quite a while since my last post - mainly because I didn't have internet at home...but now...I DO! Hooray!!!! My next goal is to set up my very first PS tutorial, so we'll see how that goes. It'll be something simple. Not sure exactly what yet, because there's SOOO many out there, but I'll see what strikes my fancy while I'm messing around with some new images and go from there. :)

SOAPS!

Shar came over yesterday (hooray!) and we made a bunch of little soaps, and a few big soaps! Enjoy!

Stuffs.

Ok, so I know I said my next post was going to be PS tutorial, but since I do not yet have internet in my home, I am not able to do that yet. But I do have two ideas on what to write about, so I think I'll just end up doing 2 tuts in the near future instead of deciding which one would be better.

Personal life: I have lost 13.8 pounds in the last 3 weeks! How awesome is that?! Just gonna keep truckin' along and see where that takes me now. :)

What have I been working on, you ask? (Ok maybe you didn't ask, but I'm still going to tell ya!) I have been making baby shower invitations for my sister-in-law and other various cards. So - that is what I am going to share today. By no means am I super awesome at doing things like this, but I really love getting to learn and be creative in more that just photography (and crocheting) so I do my best. Hope y'all enjoy!

Tah-dah! :)

The Happening

Ok, so seriously that was a horrible movie...granted I never actually watched it, but why would I waste time I can't get back?

Anyway - there has been a lot that has gone down since my last post and am going to take a brief hiatus from posting for a little while to get my life back on track (not that it was off, but I have some prioritizing to do). In that time I will be working on a Photoshop tut for I don't know what, but I will have it nonetheless. I know there's a lot out there, but I figure one more little how-to can't hurt, right? Hopefully...

1. Looking for a part time job kinda stinks, especially with what hours I have at the full time - I work here when most people would want to go to their second jobs. (No complaints though, I thoroughly enjoy where I work {and who I work with} it just means I have to wake up WAY early.)

2. I don't have puppies anymore. They've gone off to live with the person they're meant to be with and I'm babysitting (puppysitting) this cute little affenpinscher that I have named Gidget. She was either lost or dumped - no one has claimed her so far...and if I wasn't looking for another job she'd be mine to take. But! Since I am looking and no one has claimed her, we have a couple of hopeful homes for her. She deserves it, the litlle furball. She's taken a hold of my heart. All puppies do that...

3. I've moved! My place will shortly be girly-fied (by shortly I mean when I have money). And now I can bake and cook and do whatever I want. Huzzah! (That includes falling asleep watching FotC and Arrested Development)

4. For some reason I've put crocheting on hold - I have several things I need to add to the store, but I feel a little less passionate about it than I was 2 weeks ago. Like I said - major changes happened, and its just a matter now of getting back into it all.

5. I found my library card in the move - too bad I don't like the smell and idea of library books anymore...all those greasy hands touching them - germs everywhere. No thank you. Borders or B&N any day over that...what? I can't help it!

6. I'm too old to stay out late anymore. I mean, I am only 25 - but that crap is ok for college...I'm just not feelin' it anymore to be out past 10:30 or 11...that's my bedtime. Rather, that's the time I lay in bed and read for an hour or watch aforementioned television shows (on DVD, mind you).

7. I am vowing to take a vacation. Soon! Austin City Limits with me, anyone? Anyone??

That's all for now - like I said, next post is going to be a tutorial. Suggestions? Leave me a comment. :)

First Attempt: Amigurumi

So I've never done this before, and I'm also making something (the surprise for the new nephew/niece - we find out for sure this week) but it is quite a bit larger than the typical amigurumi you see. I have, at the moment, 1 leg and both ears left to make (oh and the tail). And since I didn't have the eyes for it, I just used some black yarn. I don't think it looks too bad, but tell me what ya think! Oh yeah, its an elephant. :)

*****Pattern can be found at Lion Brand's website*****

Another Baby Hat

Made for the nephew, or so we think. If we find out different, I'll have to "girly" it up. :)

I honestly have no clue what type of yarn this was. I thought I'd bought two balls but could only find the one when it came time to use it up. So, baby hat it was, and how perfect that we think there'll be a new baby boy in the family!

(My mom said this one looks like a cactus)

Happy St. Patty's (A Day Late)

So I really meant to get this out yesterday, but things go a little hectic. The office had a green potluck, and all this is for is to show off the green queso and AWESOME green deviled eggs. :)

By Request: The Wedding Photo Blog

I've been really thinking about how to start this topic off for a while, actually since this topic was requested, and I decided to start on the side of the consumer: the bride and families.

One thing I understand is that everyone has a budget and most want to strictly adhere to that budget. Some will often forget about the photographer until months before, when most of the budget is already taken up by dresses, flowers, venues, etc. Unfortunately a lot of the times you get what you pay for, and by no means is a wedding photographer any exception to this. For this reason, if anyone ever asks my opinion, I tell them to shop around. Know exactly what style you're looking for: traditional, photojournalistic, artistic, or having the photographer just go for it and do something fun. Then, know how much you're willing to pay for their services...keeping in mind of course the final agreement. Most photographers will have set packages that tell you "this is exactly what you're getting for this much money," and some may be willing to work within budget constraints to make a happy client. (I know I am!)

With all that said, for me, reputation and continued business from mouth-to-mouth advertising is a big deal. So on the photographer's side, there's a lot to think about: 2 flashes minimum if one goes out on you, either one lens that can get you a huge range or a few that you can (quickly) change between, tripod (in case there's no flash photography during the ceremony), and anything else you can think of (like business cards). There's a lot to be done at a wedding, and for myself, I'm typically the only shooter so it is ALWAYS a hectic day, but when I get to see the end results, I'm more than pleased. Personally, I love getting to be a part of that special day and documenting it for the couple and families...the photos and memories live on for many years and that is awesome.

I have to say that in school, I never thought about shooting weddings - it was always something that was untouchable to me because I've never been a fan of overly-posed portraits. I mean, c'mon, my favorite photographer is Henri Cartier-Bresson. So anyway, I feel like what I bring to the table is the willingness to take a chance on different angles/shots and take on a bit of a different personality geared more towards photojournalism. Now that may be what most wedding photogs do, but I don't know since I don't go around asking, "Hey, when you do a normal portrait sitting are you a different person from when you shoot an event/wedding?" I think I'd get some strange looks. :)

Anyway, on to some of my shots - which I am very proud of, however, I do have areas of improvement, so comments are always appreciated.

Jen & Nieman

Yvette & Jeff

Ashley & John

So there you have it. A blog about wedding photography. :) I've been lucky enough to photograph for my friends and (almost) family and I absolutely loved getting to be a part of their days. Something that keeps chiming in the back of my head as I write (and as I was painstakingly moving each and every photo into its right spot) was what a co-worker said to me when I told them why I was clicking away at my keyboard: "You know, not many people realize when you're spending big bucks on a designer gown you're going to where once that you can't take it out and see all your memories in it later - but you can with photos and videos - and that is something I know I couldn't do without." Well put awesome co-worker...well put. :)

Anyway, I don't presume to know all the tricks or have all the knowledge on the subject - all I can offer is what I learned from experience. One last note to all photographers either looking to branch out to weddings or those just getting into it - ALWAYS know what your clients expect (if there's no set pricing page) and ALWAYS make sure your CLIENTS know what to expect - no surprises! You never want someone coming back after the fact saying they hate their photos and want their money back - if you are uncomfortable with confrontations like this, have a short contract drawn up that all parties will sign so everyone knows the full scope of the deal. And that's all I have to say at the moment!

Shop Announcement: Sharlena's Debut!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade gaylehodges.etsy.com

Alright! So, anything listed on the store made by my awesome buddy Sharlena will be marked at the end of the description. Check out her awesome debut items, Clarence and Callie!

IT'S A BOY!

Ok, so this is going to be short and sweet (like a baby)! I've just been informed that in September we're going to have a new little boy - I'll have a nephew. Huzzah!!!

*Insert biggest smiley in the world here*

Deadlines...and more deadlines...

Over the last year or so I've had a bunch of pattern ideas and they've just been sort of scribbled down in random notebooks. I'd really like to go all out, test them and then write them up if I can remember what I did. My goal is to have at least 3 of them offered up here by...let's say...July? (deadline numero uno) Some are inspired by what I see in shops, and some are inspired by other patterns that I love but wanted something just slightly different. Obviously, if I do a derivation of one of said patterns, I will offer up the credit when it is due. :)

I am also really happy to let everyone know that my best buddy, Shar, will be joining me in my Etsy store with lots of cute things, ranging from amigurami to cowls and more. This will happen as soon as I'm done converting my .NEF files to .JPEG files and then tweaking them to make them even prettier! Which will probably be sometime this week, maybe by Wednesday. (deadline numero dos)

On a completely different note, my cousin's wedding was this weekend and I just have to say that it was absolutely gorgeous and oh-so-fancy! I loved every bit of it and I want to wish P & A nothing but the best and a happy future. :) I love you both!

Something else that I'm really excited about, my mom got me gigantic coffee/tea mugs (or soup cups, too) from Longeberger!!!!! Waaay excited about these, because not only are they cute, and green, but they are (did I mention) HUUUUGE! Now they just need to be washed and they're ready for battle! Huzzah!

One last thing, if anyone going thru my posts wants to request a topic, like wedding photography, or scarves, or even about photoshop questions...do it! :) Any ideas are welcome and it would help me keep up on posting and current.

Thanks, everyone!

Macro Photography

Macro photography is just one tiny aspect of the whole photo world, no pun intended, but is so SUPER AWESOME (in my opinion). I've been playing around with it for several years now, and I can say that I am definitely nowhere near perfect with it myself, but practice makes perfect, right? Anyway, I want to show of some of my work, and will include two links that highlight exceptional work in the macro field. Personally, I haven't updated my lenses to encompass the digital age, so I'm working with a digital body, a reverse ring, and my manual lenses. Which can make the process really tricky - but really rewarding when you nail it. The tricky part I refer to kicks in while trying to focus with a reversing ring - you don't actually have control over the lens as far as the focus ring goes...you have to move closer or farther away from your subject to get that sweet spot (hence the reward when you get it just right). While I'm saving up for new lenses, the reverse ring is great. I get to experiment with the field of macro, and people get to look at me crazy in the park while I'm laying on the ground.

I don't have many tips, because I don't feel really versed enough in the subject quite yet to suggest much...but...here goes what I have learned so far:

1. Keep it simple - with macro, you don't have a lot of space to work with, so the simpler the subject the better.
2. Composition - in keeping with smaller working area, composition is KEY. When you've significantly already minimized your photo plane, the last thing you want to have to do in post is crop too much out, you might lose what makes the whole thing interesting if you're not careful. I've done it plenty...
3. Tripod - if you can use your tripod, I always recommend it...just because.
4. Shoot something you love - but this also goes for any type of photography, not just macro. It makes the outcome that much more amazing. :)

Most of these I really have no name for, so I'll just place them in no particular order. Now, the more that I think about it, the more I feel that I'm playing it safe with my subjects - but I truly enjoy what I'm shooting. Dilemma. (My following images are copywrited, so please, if you want to use them anywhere for anything I would appreciate a message notifying me of such uses. I'm not opposed to sharing, I would just like credit for my work.)

The following links (here and here) are two great examples of what I'm hoping to achieve with more work on my macro photos. Enjoy! And leave comments/suggestions about the photos, too!

Where to find the patterns from my "Hat Blog"

A majority of them were found thru Ravelry so some may not be able to link up, but I'll post the names so that you might be able to find them later if you so choose.

The baby hat, I created on my own...as well as the purple and white hat (with color specks) and the rainbow hat, so those will not have any pattern to follow unless I figure out how I did them. :)

Ok, so the teal and black hat that I made as a gift for my (future) sister-in-law is from a pattern called "Scattered Mama Hat" that is published on the creators website: http://www.crazyhatlady.com/

The purple/white hat with the pom-pom on top is called the "Crocheted Vision Hat" (and the rows are actually worked vertically, instead of in the round, and then you sew together when you're done! You can find the pattern at Coats & Clark.

And finally the slouch hat (cream with colors) was designed by Jessica Suzanne (Ravelry) and can be found here.

Now, I can't forget to share the awesome scarf, so here y'all are - a bonus! This beautiful pattern is called the "Sea Shells Scarf" and is available as a .pdf download on Ravelry.

I guess the whole message of this little blog is to say, JOIN RAVELRY if you haven't already. It is an awesome place to share what you have created and see what other's have. I love it! I've been so inspired that I have even taken to writing down ideas for patterns I've had. While some may never come to fruition, it most certainly gives me another creative outlet. Which also is a nice transition, because I think the next entry of mine will be either a tutorial for Photoshop, or maybe just a "Hey look at my photos!" kind of deal. We'll see. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Hat Blog!

Ok, so lately I've been on a hat kick, so I'm going to share the hats I've been doing recently (or not so recently).

First, I'll start with another baby hat I have completed. This time it is for a co-worker and friend who is expecting her second little girl. Hooray! I started off wanting to do a hat more oriented toward the summertime, with maybe a mesh pattern, but it didn't work out so instead the only row of "mesh" I did turned into a place to put ribbons in. Ended it with a row of little ruffles, and all in all I'm super happy with the way it turned out. Props to another co-worker/friend for tying an awesome little bow for me (since that's one thing I'm not good at).

This next hat was the first one I ever did by following a pattern, and I'm not wearing it quite like a slouchy hat should be worn, but they fall off my head otherwise. I can't remember what the pattern was off the top of my head, but I will update the post later when I have resources available to offer up where I found these hats!

Pulled this next hat off from another free pattern offered, and I have to say, I think this one might just be my absolute favorite so far. It was a little confusing to follow the pattern at first, but once I figured it out, it became super simple. Yay for cute hats!

This was a last minute Christmas present for the manz sister - aka my boyfriend's sister - in her favorite colors. I also did a scarf to match, and apparently she's gotten lots of compliments on it. Yay! Again, a free pattern, and will update with a link to said cute pattern. I'll even include a photo of her scarf, and that pattern! (Quick note: the hat photo is closer to the colors than the scarf photo - turquoise in I love this yarn!)

Ok, now for the hat I did all on my own, based on what I've learned from all the previous patterns! It's all dc until the very end, where I believe I did one sc row and followed that up by sc backwards (can't remember what the st is called specifically now...darn memory). Love it! And its just long enough to cover the tops of my ears (which get cold the fastest) and keep me warm. Huzzah! (I apologize for all the photos of me, especially if I look angry. :) I wasn't!)

Almost forgot to add this last little shock of color (in my Etsy store if you feel like looking up Crafts & Crochets) - had this yarn from FOREVER ago and finally decided to do something with it. Since there wasn't enough (by far) to do a fun scarf from, I did a hat, and it was JUST enough. Turned out pretty cute too. Most of my co-workers told me it'd be great for a ski hat, since it's so thick.

Ok, so that is it for now, I think I'll do a complete separate post for the patterns that way I can dedicate more space to the awesome people who developed and shared these in the first place! Happy Thursday!