Donna Lynn Photography

They call him Mr. Inappropriate....

2011-12-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Crisco...ladies man....Elf on a Misson...Crossdresser?

Crisco stole Barbies dress....left her naked for the world to see, and doesn't even look ashamed of himself...

Check out this awesome competition that Crisco is entering! Its for inappropriate elf photos...and Crisco is the king of inappropriate behavior :0) Merry Christmas Everyone!

It's all about ME!

2010-12-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

At least over at www.iheartfaces.com it is! This week, the challenge is 'Self Portraits'...Well, I hate having my picture taken, so that was a challenge in itself, lol...But, add in my 3 girls, and my self portrait was a breeze :0)

My kids are a part of me, and I am a part of them, so this just 'fit' for me, as a self-portrait :0)

So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see all the entries this week...and while you are at it, enter your own!

I heart faces....

2010-11-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the competition is for silhouettes! My sweet oldest girl, yoga posing on the beach, lol....what could be better :0)

I hope you come on over and enter!

Love that Shot-Faces

2010-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is my middle bit, she will soon be seven years old!! Yikes! Where does the time go :( I take lots of photos of my kiddos, but this one speaks to me. This IS my girl, this photo captures her spirit so well! Spunky, happy, a bit of a tomboy...the perfect combination of sugar and spice :0)

I took this in my driveway with my Nikon D90 and my Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens. I processed it with CS5. My processing on this one was pretty simple, as are most of my photos. I cropped, sharpened, adjusted levels a tad and then did my black and white conversion with an action. I think it turned out perfect :0)

Chalk play

2010-09-26T19:36:00.001-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the theme of the weekly challenge is 'Chalk'...well just last week, our homeschool group did a group study on clouds. After looking at clouds, and learning about clouds, the kids got to draw some clouds. They used white chalk on blue paper....here is what my baby girl came up with.

I hope you come over to www.iheartfaces.com and enter a 'Chalk' entry of your own!

Smirk....

2010-09-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, they want to see smirks! My kids are pros at the smirk, lol However, this smirk doesn't belong to one of mine...it belongs to the sweetest little newborn I have ever photographed....he looks like he knows something you don't, doesn't he? 5 days old and already wise beyond his days!

So come on over and check out all the smirks this week! lol

Vrooom!

2010-09-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the competition theme is 'Vroom, Vroom Vehicles'! I have a bunch of different takes on this subject, everything from tricycles to hot air balloons, but this one of my middle bit playing with her 'Cars' is my favorite.

I hope you come on over and enter your own photo in this super fun challenge! See you there :0)

Beach fun!

2010-08-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge over at www.iheartfaces.com could not have come at a better time! We just got back from the beach, where I snapped at least 30 eleban million photos :0) We had some beach fun!

Anyhow, here is my choice for this weeks challenge...

I had my family all color coordinated, everyone was positioned...I was going to get a great family beach portrait to hang in my home....to remember our vacation. My children were all trying their best to behave and give mama a beautiful photo...now Hubby on the other hand....HA!

The best part is, I did not know he was doing this until way later, when we were back in the condo and I was scrolling through the days photos....the big Goober! lol

So, if you would like to see more beach fun photos, come on over and check out www.iheartfaces.com, you will love it!

Shady character

2010-08-15T20:54:00.001-07:00

Yep, she certainly is, doncha think?

This week over at www.iheartfaces.com the theme for the weekly challenge is 'Gotta Wear Shades' So what do you think of my little model? Isn't she adorable with her pigtails and lolipop?

So, I hope you come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see all the shady pics this week!

hehehehe....SURPRISE!!!!!!!

2010-08-08T20:24:00.001-07:00

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see some super surprise photos this week! Here is mine, this lady sure looks surprised, doesn't she??

When that owl went zooming past her at the bird show, I don't think she realized he was going to get so close!

So I hope to see you enter this week! Come on and give it a try :0)

Nothing rhymes with purple....

2010-07-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously, nothing does rhyme with 'purple'....things that make you go hmmmmm, lol Anyhow, over at www.iheartfaces.com the weekly challenge is 'The Color Purple'.

This photo is of the 'Red Hat' ladies. They always wear purple, and then they wear a red hat to complete their outfit. You have to be over 55 to be a red hatter I believe, and these gals have a ton of fun. I am definately joining up when I get to be of age, lol So here they are...the red hatters...oh wait...one of these things is not like the other 0_o

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

Sometimes I feel I am in over my head....

2010-07-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hey, with three girls, anyone would feel a bit overwhelmed at times, lol This week at www.iheartfaces.com, the weekly competition is 'Over my Head' Love this challenge! There are so many things that could fit this category...

Here's my middle-bit, she's got Georgia on her mind...:0)

I hope you come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see whats 'Up' this week!

Wanna pet my toad?

2010-06-29T06:36:00.001-07:00

This week at www.iheartfaces.com, the challenge is 'PETS'! Well pets come in all shapes and sizes...some are fuzzy, some are not, some are slimey, warm blooded, cold blooded...so many different types of pets!

Here is one of ours....

My girls all love frogs, toads, snakes, lizards etc etc. Of course they love dogs, cats, horses and hamsters too...in fact I don't think there are too many animals they don't like!

So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see all the fabulous Pets!

Teen week!

2010-06-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, we are celebrating teens over at www.iheartfaces.com this week. I love shooting teens, they always have such personality :0) I loved shooting this senior, she is beautiful inside and out...

So if you have some shots of some beautiful teens, come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and enter into this weeks challenge!

Oh Baby!

2010-06-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Its all about babies over at www.iheartfaces.com this week! I can feel the baby fever setting in already. My baby days are over, I am sad to say....they grow up too fast!

So, I have to live vicariously through others, and photograph as many newborns as I can get my hands on :0) Take a look at this little chunker...

Can you guess what his daddy's job is? Yep, he is a fireman for our local fire department :0) Oh, and these aren't props, this is daddys actual gear! What a memory we created that day, Dad LOVED these shots!

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see all the amazing baby pictures posted this week!

Wanna Play?

2010-06-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com, the theme this week is 'Play'...well, doesn't my baby's face say 'come on, lets play!' She is super serious when it comes to softball, and I am super serious when it comes to Twilight...great combonation, doncha think?

So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the PLAY photos!

yellow is...

2010-05-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yellow is the color my middle-bit wears while playing softball! Go Honeybees!

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see all the yellow entries this week!

Faces and Flowers

2010-05-16T12:05:00.001-07:00

So this week over at www.iheartfaces.com, the competition is for Flowers and Faces. Your photo must have at least one face and one flower in it....so...do I get extra points for a whole field full of flowers? Or should I say flower petals :0) This is my baby girl, sitting in a sea of cherry blossom petals that had dropped from the cherry trees. It looked like a magical fairy land and my little one was enchanted with all the blooms.

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see all the other lovely entries this week, and submit your own!

Smile and the world smiles with you...

2010-04-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the competition is 'Smile!' I bet I am the only one who enters smiling piggies...whatch think ;)

This is my middle-bit, she was eager to help me out with this photo. We both were giggling non-stop by the time I got done drawing all the little piggy faces, lol

So come on over to iheartfaces, it is sure to put a smile on your face this week!

Oh the DRAMA!

2010-03-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

The drama of dramatic black and whites that is!

Over at www.iheartfaces, the challenge this week is 'Dramatic Black and White'. My entry this time, is my middle girl. All three of my girls love to model for me, they are going to have TONS of photos to remember their childhoods with :0) perhaps the good and the bad?

There is a story behind this photo. What do you think that story is? It is a dramatic photo in my eyes, and in the eyes of my daughter. She can't even look at this photo of herself, she gets very sad whenever she sees it. I had an 8x10 made of it and she asked me to put it away.

Perhaps I will let you all in on the secret of this photo after the competition is over, until then, I will leave it up to your imaginations. I think the mystery of it adds to the impact this photo has. What do you think?

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see some amazing dramatic black and whites, and jump on in and enter one of your own!

Its all about the Angle...

2010-03-21T17:11:00.001-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the challenge is 'Angles'. Photos shot from a unique perspective almost always make them just a bit more interesting.

Here is my entry...my baby girl again! She is fearless in the water which is amazing and a little scary, all at the same time. She stayed in this position for a long time, just floating and looking up at the sky. While daddy was watching her, I was able to slip out of the pool and grab my camera to snap a picture. I love her expression, she is thinking some amazing thoughts, I am sure!

So come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out the amazing angles that different photographers shoot from. You are sure to be inspired!

The cold streets of Atlanta

2010-03-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com this week, the theme is "Bundled Up'. I have tons of photos of my kids all bundled up that I could enter, but I chose this photo instead...

This is a photo I took while doing a photography field trip with my photo club. We went to Atlanta, first to Piedmont Park and then on to an area known as 'Little 5 Points'. This photo was taken at 'Little 5' where we met this gentleman who was homeless. We started talking to him and he told us a bit of his story. He told us he had quit drinking and was trying to get on with his life.

I hope he has.

He said he didn't mind at all that we took his picture and we all snapped a few. Then we all dug in our pockets and gave him some 'spare change' and a friend of mine hugged him and told him she loved him. We all told him good-bye and started to walk away...that is when I turned and snapped this last photo of him, deep in thought.

I think about him from time to time and pray he is well and no longer out on the streets. No one should be without a place to call home.

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com this week to see all the beautiful photos of people bundled up against the cold.

Might as well Jump...

2010-03-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

For Joy that is! Over at www.iheartfaces.com we are all jumping for joy this week!

The theme this week is 'Jump for Joy' and I can't wait to see all the awesome entries! Here is mine....my oldest girl, taking a leap of faith into a huge pile of leaves....while my middle-bit and our dog look on, lol

Hope you enjoyed my entry, and come on over to i heart faces to see all the other 'Jumping' pics!

Guess who is Guest Judge for I Heart Faces!

2010-02-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-02-19T05:15:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

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!!

2010-02-08T17:44:00.001-08:00

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!

Texture...lovely texture!

2010-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out this weeks competition theme... TEXTURE! Texture can be so lovely out in nature, when its on bricks or trees or Buttercups, but to me, the most glorious texture of all is overlayed in Photoshop ;)

Check out my oldest and my baby girl on our big SNOW DAY here in Georgia!

The background was pretty unappealing so I overlayed a grunge texture and erased back in my girls and our pup...what do you think?

Come on over to

And check out all the other amazing entries this week!

We are Family!

2010-01-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com it is time to celebrate families! It was easy for me to pick my favorite family shot of all time :0) Mom and Dad are tattoo artists and they have 2 of the sweetest little girls. They have recently added a little boy to their family and I hope I get the opportunity soon to photograph them all together. They were the most fun family I ever photographed and the love they have for each other shines through in this photo.

I love the completely relaxed feel to this photo, the little girl leaning on moms head, and dad looking at mom with so much love and adoration. This says 'family' to me in a BIG way!

I hope you enjoyed my entry and I hope you come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see all the other awesome entries this week!

Put your best face forward!

2010-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

At least over at www.iheartfaces.com you should! This weeks theme is 'Your Best Face Photo' from either December 2009 or January 2010. I took this photo of my baby girl just a few days ago, we were waiting for the snow to start falling and she wanted to try on all her hats and gloves...AND wanted me to take her picture wearing them :0) Thats my girl! So here she is, ready for snow!

We did finally get our 'dusting' of snow a couple days ago, and my poor little Southern kiddos made the very most of it!

So come on over to...

and check out all the awesome entries this week! There are sure to be tons of really cute faces!

“I ♥ Faces” Theme!

2010-01-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

So this week over at www.iheartfaces.com they are having a contest for pictures that have their logo incorporated into them...what fun! I had alot of fun working on these, some photoshopped, some not. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed creating them :0)

"Hey mom, look what I found in my Alphabits!"

On my way to Nashville with my guitar in my hand...

We are ready for Valentines Day!

Lolipop fun!

iheartfaces with additude!

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the other fun entries this week!

“I am submitting these photos into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photos for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Outtakes!

2009-12-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

With 3 kids, and specializing in child photography, its surprising I capture anything BUT outtakes sometimes...lol This week, over at www.iheartfaces.com they are focusing on hilarious outtakes. 5 entries are allowed this week, and I had a hard time narrowing my post to 5! Here they are, in no particular order...

'The boys' they did so well for me and I captured a variety of awesome photos for their mom :0) Then, it happened, the little guy hit.the.wall. He was done...can you tell? lol

This one may very well be my favorite...me and a photog friend of mine went out on a walkabout photo shoot. She was engrossed in getting the shot and oblivious to ALL else...and of course *I* had to take the shot ;0)

My girls, last years Christmas card photo shoot. We had been at it for a little while and my baby was getting restless...AND silly! This one made the front of the card last year :0)

My nephews, God love 'em.

OK, I lied...I think this is my favorite. My baby and my middle one, playing dress up. Big sis was smooching her and I captured it...LOVE how squishable my baby used to be, I miss those cheeks!!

So there they are, my top favorite outtakes...come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the other awesome entries...while you are at it, enter your own!

A house is not a home without a pet...

2009-12-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

And this week we are celebrating all our wonderful pets over at www.iheartfaces.com

I realize alot of people will look at this picture and think 'that's not a pet' but it is....just not a cute and cuddly one! My girls all love snakes, lizards, salamanders etc. This is a baby ringneck snake that they caught outside under a rock. I let them keep him captive for a while and then we released him back to the wild.

I think he's even smiling a bit in this picture ;)

If you love animals like I do, you need to come on over to see all the entries in this weeks 'Pet's' competition!

Lullabye..and goodnight...

2009-12-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

Its time for sweet dreams over on www.iheartfaces.com! This weeks competition is all about sleeping people pictures! I have photographed lots of sleeping babies, but I think this one by far is my favorite...

This is my neighbors grand-daughter Chloe...is she not the sweetest little thing! I just want to snuggle up to her!

So, come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the other little, and big snoozers!

I love tooshies....what???

2009-11-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

I seriously thought I had the BEST photo for this competition....then I read the rules...dang....no nudity...ugh. So I told hubby to forget about it and put his britches back on.... JUST KIDDING, lol Not that he doesn't have a cute toosh, but he would NEVER bare all for a picture being posted on the internet...Even though he married me, he does have some morals ;)

So, here is my toosh pic. Its not MY toosh, obviously, its my baby girls' toosh :0) Much cuter then my own toosh, I promise. Baby butt crack has always cracked me up, and this is a serious case of baby butt crack if I have ever seen one!

Anyhow, if you love this tooshies, you ought to come check out all the other tooshies at www.iheartfaces.com The competition should be fierce this week, contestants battling away cheek to cheek, you won't want to miss this crack shot match...no BUTTS about it!

I got a flare for this sort of thing....

2009-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

Sunflare that is! I have 'set up' many sunflare shots over the years, but this one is by far my favorite. This one was caught, by chance, and I am in love with the whole feel of it! Can you feel it?

Late afternoon...its hot...late springtime, funtimes at the ballpark watching my oldest daughter's team in their championship game! They huddled up, put their hands in the middle and then lifted their hands and cheered...'Go Team'! I can almost hear that cheer again when I look back at this picture.

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see some amazing sunflare pictures entered into this weeks competition!

I love Fall!

2009-11-15T15:32:00.001-08:00

Fall in the South is a wonderful time...We are finally out of the sweltering heat of summer! It takes until November or so for the temps to finally become 'fall like' so most years we don't have spectacular Fall colors like they do in the the Northern states...however, our leaves still fall off the trees!

So, what says Fall to me is....big ol' leaf piles! And just what do you do with those piles? Well if you're a kid, there is only one thing to do....JUMP!!!

Here is my oldest, with my middle girl looking on...and the dog was watching too, see her way in the back there? lol They had a blast jumping into the leaf piles this day.

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the awesome entries this week! Autumn Beauty...what does it mean to you?

Balloons!!

2009-11-01T19:43:00.001-08:00

So over at www.iheartfaces.com they are having a competition for 'Balloons!' I immediately thought of this picture when I saw the title :)

My baby girl, when she turned 1, gosh it seems so long ago but at the same time it seems like just yesterday. She was such a character, so funny! She hasn't changed much since then, except gotten a tad meaner...as mean as a snake this little one is...don't let the innocent face fool you, she is like a snake in disguise! I know you don't believe me, I know you are saying to yourself 'oh my goodness how cuuuuttttee!!! Yep, she is cute as a button, does not change the fact that she is seriously devious...she just hides it well ;)

So, come on over and check out all the awesome entries!

Pets love Halloween too!

2009-10-25T20:32:00.001-07:00

Especially over at http://www.iheartfaces.com/

My friend's dog is a clown, seriously...he is the best dog, the sweetest golden you could even meet....and had endless patience with us as we dressed him up in old Halloween costumes...give a big cheer for David the Golden Retriever!! Good boy!

BOO!!!

2009-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's time to dress up for Halloween, and time to enter those dress up shots over at http://www.iheartfaces.com/ The weekly competition this week is for Halloween Dress up and I just had to share this adorable picture of my baby girl dressed up as a screaming chicken.

My baby girl, :sigh: I love her, more then life itself, so how can I say this delicately...she was a screamer. From the moment she was born, up until she was nearly a year old, she screamed...ALOT. She screamed from colic in the beginning, then she screamed every single time we went for a ride in the car. No matter how short the car ride. Trips to Walmart became a true test of my nerves as she screamed and my older two complained about her screaming. She also screamed alot for no other reason then she was mad about something. On this day, she was pretty ticked off about being put into this chicken costume. :sigh: Those were the days....so, needless to say I have many pictures of her screaming ;) She's still pretty loud to this day but at least this has stopped.... Precious isn't it? Yeah, its technically not the best picture, I took it with a point and shoot 3 years ago. However, every year when Halloween comes around I can't help but think back to this photo....this is the one I will display at her wedding...Yes, that is when I will reap the reward of enduring all the screaming trips to Walmart ;)

I am a big fan!

2009-10-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

And fan of the week! Thank you www.iheartfaces.com ~! I really enjoy your blog, your competitions, your friendly advice and challenges, what an awesome blog!! Then to be chosen as fan of the week....that just made my day :)

I would like to invite everyone who loves photography to come on over and check out this awesome blog!

Pink week!

2009-10-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

Over at www.iheartfaces.com in honor of Breast Cancer awareness. I have photographed Relay for Life, which is for all cancer survivors...but survivors wear purple at the Relay. I have never attended a 3 day though I would like to some day.

So here is my pink entry, my oldest girl. I always have such a hard time getting her to look natural for pictures. She is at that awakward stage where its either a fake goofy smile or a scowl when I bring out the camera. So, trying to get these was a challenge! I was saying all sorts of silly things trying to get her to crack a genuine smile, and instead I was blessed with this genuine belly laugh. I can't help but smile every time I look at this picture of her. I hope it brings a smile to your face too!

So come on over and check out all the great 'Pink' pictures this week at

I'm so excited!

2009-10-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

And I just can't hide it, lol Over at http://www.iheartfaces.com/ this week, the theme for the competition is 'Excited'! So here is my entry, my middle girl, I took her down to the abandoned railroad tracks to snap some pictures of her for her 6th birthday...wait, did I just say she is turning 6!!! Eeek, where has the time gone? Crazy how fast the years the years fly by...

Anyhow, here she is, my little girl who is growing up way too fast! She loves getting alone time with mom, she LOVE LOVE LOVES modeling for me, and her excitement just bubbles over in this picture of her. happy almost 6th birthday baby!

Soooo Blue!!!

2009-09-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yep, over at www.iheartfaces.com the theme for this weeks competition is Blue!

So check it out...one of my favorite little models in the whole world...she was almost blue from the cold but luckily her warm coat kept her nice and toasty! We were watching the Christmas parade that our town puts on every year and my baby girl was bundled up against the cold. She has a great time watching the parade and can't wait to watch it again this year!

So come on over to Faces and check out all the awesome entries this week!

Can I be candid with you?

2009-09-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and see all the great entries in this weeks competition...'Completely Candid'!

We are having floods here in Georgia this past week so I am a little off in getting my post in this week. I hope you enjoy....I snapped this picture of my baby girl playing on her swing. I love the look of excitement on her face!

Fix-it-Friday

2009-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Come on over to http://www.iheartfaces/. for fix it friday! this was an adorable picture but looked awkward to me because of her arm placement. I went for a tight crop, popped the colors, adjusted the levels and sharpened. Oh. and cloaned out the bit of rainbow sunflare on her face. Hope you like it!

Here is the original....

and here is my 'fix'

I also really love it in BW...

Feeling Contemplative?

2009-09-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Then come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the great entries this week in the competition 'Contemplative'.

I have some pictures that fit this catagory that are sad...some very, very sad...but I wanted to go with something more wistful, thoughtful....this one of my baby girl makes me smile whenever I look at it. It also puts me in the mood for the up coming holidays, my most very favorite time of the year.

Can you guess which book and movie she was obsessed with at the time? Yep, 'The Polar Express'! She found this bell at the bottom of her toybox and was convinced beyond a doubt that it had fallen off one of Santa's Reindeer.

She would hold it near her ear and give it a gentle shake...I love this picture of her, so innocent, so ready to BELIEVE in magic :)

...the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

Can YOU hear the bell ring?

Back to School Time!!

2009-09-06T20:58:00.001-07:00

Over at http://www.iheartfaces.com/

Come check out all the awesome entries this week in the back to school contest! here is my entry, a very pretty 'senior' girl...bet you would have never guessed that on your own huh? lol

I did so many great pics of this pretty girl but the ones done in front of her 'Senior' sign are some of my favorites.

Before and after...

2009-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well I wasn't going to do this post just because I haven't been around www.iheartfaces.com very long. I have learned things, fun things mostly, like how to make a camera strap cover...now that was an awesome tutorial! lol Faces is a great place to share and learn and grow and I wish it were around when I was JSO....

However, I have had some AMAZING mentors over the years! I belong to a couple little private boards where I was blessed to have one of the top children's photograhers in Alabama guide me in my journey to learn.

I know I am continually improving... every time I go out and shoot. So, I really wanted to see how far I have come. I also wanted to show others...there is hope, if you shoot shoot shoot and read read read, you WILL get better :)

This was taken 3 years ago! I had a Kodak with manual capabilities...I practiced so much with that camera and I was pretty proud of myself with this picture of my girls...

This was just a couple months ago...with my Nikon

In the beginning, there was desire and hope and a bulldog sense of 'never give up'...I just needed time and practice...ready?

see if you can tell the before and afters....

There is no rare disease that turned her orange, I promise....

thinking I may have been color blind at some point in this journey.....cause I know she wasn't bluish....

She's not supposed to be red either is she.....and, what do you mean I chopped her hand off? I was a limb chopping ninja in the beginning, lol

You can't tell at this size, but this was is terribly OOF...another of my 3 girls that I was so proud of! I had it hanging over my mantle.

And seriously, take my advice on this one...you can NOT trust friends to tell you the truth about photography. I had people asking me to take pictures of their kids when I was at this point in my learning journey....seriously, and wanting to PAY me! Luckily I had some good online photographer friends who were honest with me, giving very gentle CC...making me see my screwups without making me feel bad about it,lol

So here I am, its been nearly 3 years since I bought my first DSLR...probably a good 5 years or so since I seriously became interested in photography. I have always had some slight interest....even way back in the dinosaur age of film I was taking photography classes in high school and learning dark room development...fun times!

Photography has become much more fun with the age of digital, much more affordable too! This has been a blessing to those of us in it for the love of a good shoot. Unfortunately it has also managed to breed a whole new group of photographers...you know the ones I am talking about. They go out, buy a bottom of the line DSLR and put a sign out front offering a session for $20 including a CD of all images!

Off my soapbox....

Just have to add....
Its been a fun journey for sure and I have made some great friends along the way! Photography has opened up doors for me. My local photography club is my refuge where I can go and hide out with grown ups a few times a month...grown ups who are as camera crazy as me!

Here are some of my recent shots....I am branching out a little, breaking some of the 'rules' trying more vintage stuff, more textures, and loving every minute of it :)

So, moral of the story...if you have the desire to become a great photographer, never give up!

Feeling Nostalgic?

2009-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Then come on over to www.iheartfaces.com and check out all the super cool entries this week! The theme is nostalgia....hmmm, it made me nostalgic going through all my old pictures to find one to enter! Looking back at my girls pictures as they have grown...it is going by way too fast! Thats one reason I love photography, I can stop time, if just for a moment.

Well here is the picture I finally decided on, this is my oldest child...I have always loved this picture of her, the whole feel of it, I hope you enjoy it too :) Writing by candle light brings to mind visions of Little House on the Prarie for me :)

bubbles bubbles everywhere!

2009-08-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

At www.iheartfaces.com this weeks competition is all about bubbles! Well I have quite a few pictures of my kids blowing bubbles, but this is my favorite bubble picture by far....this is my baby girl in bubble bath, with all her rubber duckies! This was also one of my first attempts at bouncing my flash :)

Come on over to I Heart Faces and check out all the awesome entries this week!

Iheartfaces pets!

2009-08-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to enter a 'pet' picture, though these are not really what I would consider pets. This is a mama pea-hen and her chicks...beautiful family portrait doncha think? lol

Come on over and check out all the fantastic entries!

Funny faces and iheartfaces

2009-08-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here is my choice for the contest...this is a 4 year old little girl, photographed with her newborn baby sister. I think you can see by her expression that she is not quite sure what to make of the new addition to the family...The princess now has to share her throne :)

I am entering this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com weekly photo competition for 'Crazy, silly, funny faces' Come on over and check out all the great entries!

getting geared up for the next contest...

2009-08-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Over at iheartfaces.com! Next week is crazy, silly, funny faces! Got to decide what to enter...I am sure I have a few, need to decide.

Wow! The giveaway on www.iheartfaces.com this week is awesome!

2009-08-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Can you believe this contest!

Surprise Tamron Lens Giveaway!

We’re SO excited to be giving away one of these... (WOW!)

A Tamron 18-270mm VC
The World’s First and Only 15X Zoom Lens!
(Value $629)

For Canon or Nikon DSLR users.
If you use a different camera, Tamron will substitute an appropriate prize.
Must have a U.S. mailing address to win.

Wouldn’t you love to have this kind of zoom??? I WOULD! lol, I have been wanting a good zoom for a long time now...along with a good macro....an upgraded camera....etc.etc.etc. The never ending want list of a photographer :-D

OK, gonna give it a try..."My story in photos" Summer Edition..

2009-08-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Can it be? Is this what it will take to get me blogging?

I have had this blog for a while and never do anything with it....ever. So along comes www.iheartfaces.com and they have these weekly contests...I LOVE a good contest! So, I start entering, then...holy crap, I win one! Now I am feeling the push to have an actual 'Blog' to enter from, instead of using my flickr.

Anyhow, this week is not a contest week, its a blogging week....so, here I am, blogging about....My Story in Photos, Summer Edition! Here it is, for your viewing pleasure :)

This summer, we have done ALOT of swimming...

At the beach....

In the pool...we learned that Daddy Longlegs can walk on water :eek:

and if you hold real still dragonflies will land on your hand...

We spent lots of time sunbathing...

We splashed in waterfalls...

And along the way, I had some awesome opportunities to take some amazing pictures of my girls...stopping time for just a moment, capturing their innocence.

And celebrating the joy of my children playing in the waves at sunset.

It has been a glorious summer!

I won :)

2009-08-01T12:22:00.001-07:00

I have been entering photos into the www.iheartfaces.com blog weekly photo contests for a month or two now. This is the first time I have placed :) I love this image because it is my baby girl, on the beach, in Panama City Beach. her and I went out for a walk, and of course I brought my camera. I feel I captured the innocence, her beauty....thank you again for the first place win!

Happy Birthday!

2009-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for the I heart faces week 21 contest...theme...Happy Birthday! What says celebration better then day-glo icing on cupcakes!

Come on over to www.iheartfaces.com to see all the great photographs entered this week!

Entering I Heart Faces Photography contests

2009-05-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

For the past couple weeks I have been entering contests at:

I will start linking here for all my furture entries. Here is my entry this week for Silhouettes

Starting over

2008-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well I have had this blog for a while now but have just now decided to possibly do something with it. Not sure what yet, since my life is not all that exciting to blog about!

I could brag about my accomplishments in wrangling 3 kids through breakfast and a morning of homeschooling, but not too many people would find that very interesting I bet....

I could talk about me, and my photography, and maybe share a few new pictures now and again, perhaps I will do that.

This image just placed second in a photo contest sponsored by betterphotos.com. Its a pretty big contest so I was thrilled with my win.