These are a few of Lylah's Favorite Things

MIRRORS

AUNT K

EASTER EGGS

LOUNGING WITH HER PACI

THE CAMERA

How to Edit in RAW

Taking pictures in RAW is one of the things I wish I had started doing sooner. After taking the suggestion from a fellow photographer, I started doing it...and I love it. I took a class on it and it helped me so much.


First, open Bridge. If you have Photoshop, you have Bridge. Open the picture. Press command (if you have a mac) then R to open in Raw.

I'll start with one of my daughter, Lylah.

Here she is, on Easter. This was taken in RAW. She is about to fall asleep on her Great-grandma's lap at the Easter Egg hunt. She is great grand kid #20! 

So this is a great picture, Right? Right? Well, we can make it so much better. Here's how. 

1. Command and then R. Click the dropper at the top. Find a nice grey, neutral spot on the picture and click it. Then, I always up the exposure. I like that look. Not everyone does, but I love it.

2. Up the contrast. A little. I like +33.

3. Lower clarity.  I like -7. Up Vibrance. (just a little)

4. If you have skin color issues (not you personally, the subject) then you can up the orange or red on the tab that has the tiny lines. Play with it until you feel comfortable with the image. Here is our image now.

Already looking better, right? 

Now it's time for our vignette. Not everyone is a fan. I like a little vignette.

Go to the tab that says fx. Click where it says Amount and LOWER the number. 

A slight vignette can be pretty great. 

now add your photoshop magic...

That's a whole other post!

Don't forget....Open the image in Photoshop and save as a jpg. 

Capturing Lylah in her Natural Environment

So last week I read this article on I Heart Faces, which is one of my favorite photography websites. Great site! Anyway, if you read the article, the blogger talks about capturing a baby in a special, natural way. (I love the dog pictures! Haha!) As I read this, it totally inspired me. So last Friday I took some pictures of my baby girl (not an unusual occurrence) but I really tried to not pose her and capture details. There are so many expressions and things she does during the day that I want to capture. I want to look back at these pictures and remember how small her toes were, or how puffy her cloth diaper was, or how wide her eyes looked. I enlisted Ryan to help me, so he could play with her while I snapped pictures. 

Check it out!

I Heart Faces

My entry for the I Heart Faces Photo challenge....Best Face of 2010!

I love this picture!!]

Go here to see my real photo blog!

Go here to see my real photo blog! 

Go here to see my real photo blog! 

Might as well, I've posted it everywhere else..

Spots are filling up fast! Contact me for more details!

Ch-ch-check it out....

I've thrown caution to the wind and started a photography business. Eek!

Check it out here:
www.allisonharmsphotography.blogspot.com

and on Facebook!

I would love to take pictures of your family! :)

Photography Workshop

Yesterday I went to an awesome photography workshop with Taylor Jackson, my friend who is a fantastic photographer. And BONUS, my mother-in-law came with me! It was so much fun. We got to learn camera basics, photoshop, posing, lighting, and have two photo shoots for practice. It was so great! I would never have the chance to take pictures of these beautiful models otherwise! Both sessions were in beautiful downtown McKinney, the first a couple session, and the second a vintage model session.

They are such a beautiful couple!

(Please ignore the car in the back...that was part of the class and I failed. And its kinda dark.)

Second shoot..... 

It was such a fun day! Thanks, Taylor!! Visit Taylor's website here.

Sea World, I love you.

We took a trip with some good friends this past weekend to San Antonio. Despite one awful pull-out couch, scorching triple-digit heat,  and seeing too many people that needed to put more clothes on....we had a great time! 

The girls

Waiting for a show to start....

The whole gang at Salt Lick, this awesome barbeque place in Round Rock. It was so good!!

Baby sea lions!! So adorable.

We had so much fun with our friends. It was nice to get away for a weekend and enjoy great Mexican food, friends and of course, Shamu!

Favorite Awkward Summer Pictures

In London, on the way to Wicked. Oh, how I wish I was doing that now....

On the boat. Ignore my fat hand. Such a contrast from my last post. I have hand issues. 

Me and Allissa ON A BOAT.

So that was nice and grand, but I thought it would be more fun to post some awkward summer pictures. 

Needless to say, I wasn't ready. This is in Cinque Terre.

Again, not ready. This is in Paris.

For some reason, I thought I only needed to take a picture of the back half of the lion? This is in Trafalgar Square in London. 

This is not really awkward, but just plain weird. In Cinque Terre. 

You should share your summer awkward pictures....it's fun. 

Bluebonnets 2010

After bribing them with treats and a trip to the dog park, this is what we got....

Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

Photography Friday

My picture for Mandy's Photo Contest.

Another one...for fun!

Photography Friday

Above is my entry for Mandy's photography contest! The theme is water. This was taken in Ponca City, OK on a fishing trip with Ryan's Grandpa. It relaxes me!

...but I had SO much trouble deciding. Did I make the right choice? The rest are just for fun!

Creativity can cure a bad day.

After a long day, I decided to take some pictures at sunset, just before a storm. I couldn't get the shot I wanted, but I got these instead. I like them. 

Much love, 

Allison