Guess who is Guest Judge for I Heart Faces!

Oh the horror…I found out I have to fill out a questionnaire to be a guest judge! Shoot me now, just shoot me now…well, ok, maybe it won’t be so bad…deep breath, here we go!


• Your Name

Ahhh, an easy one to start. My name is Donna Stansbury, AKA Smoochiemom, and/or Donna Lynn Photography. Now, for just a short note about my Smoochiemom moniker… My baby had the nickname ‘Smoochie’ when she was a baby and had giant smoochable cheeks. That brought on the Smoochiemom name. Little one’s nickname morphed to Moo and then eventually faded away…I miss the Smoochie days.


• Links to your websites (ie. blog, website, twitter, face book fan page, etc.)

Well, if anyone is interested in learning more about me, I have a Facebook fanpage,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donna-Lynn-Photography/98776030938?ref=mf

You are on my blog, I don’t twitter and I don’t have a real webpage since I don’t have a real business. I don’t have a fake business either for that matter.



• A 2-3 sentence description of yourself.
2-3 sentences describing me? Describing how? Height/weight/hair color? Felony convictions? Stints in rehab? Results of my latest psych evaluation?

OK, I will keep it tame…I am a 40 something wife and mom. Married for 17 years, mother of 3 of the most beautiful girls, I homeschool them in my free time ;0) I don’t have a photography business though I love photography with my whole soul.

I am President of my county photography club and was named Photographer of the Year for 2009. I LOVE my club, it gives me a chance, several times a month, to get out with other adults who are as camera crazy as I am. Oh, and I have been dubbed ‘The Nikon Ninja’ by some fellow photogs….crazy camera people, lol



• A paragraph describing your photography journey

My journey began many, many years ago. I took some classes in high school , back in the age of film and darkrooms (gasp!) I did not get serious about photography until about 5 years ago. I got my first and only DSLR, a Nikon D80, approx 4 years ago.



• Your favorite online photographer who inspires you the most (please provide a link to this person's website)

One person who inspired me more then I can say is Grace ‘Cinya’ O’Connor. Check out her website, she is AMAZING! I swear some of her images will make you weep they are so beautiful.

http://www.gracephotographystudio.com/

and her blog
http://www.gracephotographystudio.com/blog/



• The editing program that you use (this could include your favorite PS actions if you like to use them in your editing process)

I edit in CS3 currently and LOVE Pioneer Woman’s actions! I don’t do a lot of processing to most of my pics, I defog and sharpen, boost them in levels and curves, and occasionally convert to BW, that’s it :0)



• The camera equipment you use (camera model, lenses, etc.)

Whenever I win a club competition I make sure to tell anyone who asks, that I won with my consumer grade, 4 year old Nikon D80 and my $100 50mm lens ;0) Its all in the eye, not in the equipment. I do not own any lenses over $400, and I only own 4 lenses. With that said, I am currently saving up for my dream camera….the Nikon D700.



• Five photos of your "Hilarious Outtakes"

See below :0)



• A short paragraph about what I Heart Faces has meant to you over the past year (as long as it's something good; if it's bad then you can skip this part of the questionnaire...LOL!)

My friend Dana Suggs introduced me to iheartfaces and I LOVE it! I love any competitions in photography; competitions force me to become a better photog. I end up shooting things I normally would not shoot, and find myself enjoying it! Iheartfaces has pushed me to grow and become better and as a great added bonus, I have ‘met’ some great people! I love the encouragement that is shown from one photog to another, I love the mentoring, the camaraderie, all of it. Iheartfaces is a great place for photographers to come together and learn and grow.


So that is me in a nutshell, or nuthouse, depending on the day. I am happy that I was asked to be a guest judge :0) I can't wait to see all the awesome entries this week!

So with all that said, have a peek at my out-takes, hope you enjoy them!


This is a fellow photog friend of mine...we found the Weinermobile and boy were we totally geeked! Lol We were definately more excited then our kids were...



Yep, theres one in every crowd....


My middle-bit, pretending to be trapped inside one of those play tunnel bubbles...She thought she was the most hilarious kid on the playground, lol



Ahhh, my 3 beautiful photogenic children...whats this? Is my oldest really trying to remove my youngest from my idealistic family portrait...say it ain't so....





So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com Check out all the funny outtakes this week, and enter some of your own! It is going to be a fun week!

Totally Hands On!

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this weeks competition is all about hands! Big hands, little hands, old hands and new hands, lets see those hands!

Here is my 'Hands On' photo...



Once again my baby girl...i think she gets photographed so much because she is ALWAYS with me! While my other two venture off, she sticks by my side...on this particular day I was thankful she did.

We were at the butterfly house at the TN Aquarium when this large butterfly chose to perch on her hands. She gently held him up to show me, and I snapped the picture! I love how it shows how little her hands are, how big the butterfly is, and her face softly out of focus makes me want to look at her hands.

I hope you enjoy looking at this photo as much as I enjoyed taking it. Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and show off your own 'Hands On' photo!

Its Fix it Friday!

Over at www.ihearfaces.com its time to play around and 'fix a pic'. This little one is already so adorable, I could help but play. This is a photo taken by Keli Hoskins, I have just edited it.

I cropped to bring her more to the forefront, defoged and sharpened, added a soft light layer, boosted levels and curves to bring out the midtones a bit more, burned down the background to make her stand out more, then converted to BW.

Hope you like it :0)

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to check out all the other awesome plays on this photo!

I hope you dance...

I just love this song by Lee Ann Womack, "I Hope you Dance"...here are some of the lyrics...

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance



Every time I look at this picture, I think of that song. It is everything I wish for all three of my daughters.

This is my baby, dancing and twirling in the sunset, so carefree, so full of joy! If I could only have one snapshot of her life as a 3 year old, stamped in my memory, this is the one I want.

Oh to be 3 again, with your whole life before you, where the world is yours to conquer.

Sweet, baby girl, I hope you dance...





Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the competition theme is 'I Wanna Dance'...come on over and see all the fabulous entries this week, and enter a dancing picture of your own~!

I HEART Kisses!!

And so does everyone over at www.iheartfaces.com

This weeks competition is 'Kisses' just in time for Valentines Day :0) So check this sweet little scene....my middle-bit and my little-bit....looks as if middle-bit is enjoying this kiss a little more then little-bit is, lol



So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the amazing entries this week!