Wednesday, January 27, 2010

"Professional" photography?



So, I stink at this. I think my days just get away from me and I think, 'oh, shoot, did I just completely miss Tuesday?' Does anyone else have that happen? I really think I'm just a teeny bit crazy.
Anyway, since today is another two picture post and I did intend for this blog to be the start of my "business" that is as-of-now nonexistent, I thought I would show you some of my "professional" work. I took Christmas Card pictures for a few of my friends back in the fall and this was one of those shoots.
These wonderful people are Wes and Melanie Jones. They are wonderful people and some of my best friends, and .... they're having a baby! Yay! :) I have this theory that the more friends I have with babies the less I will want one because I'll get to be around them. I don't know if it's working yet. I'll let you know. Anyway, that was completely off topic, but, it's still exciting.
So, yeah, this is Wes and Mel... aannndd, I like taking pictures of people. The end. :)

Thanks for sticking with me through the ramblings... Love you all!
hlm

Monday, January 25, 2010

Food!!!

Since I'm playing a little catch-up today I thought I'd at least play on a theme... and what better theme than food? Especially sweet food...
This first picture is of a kourambiedes (I'll admit it, I had to look up the spelling... but at least I remembered what they were called). This is a crumbly greek cookie sprinkled in powdered sugar. I first experienced these little guys when I worked at my very favorite job of all time, Patera's Bistro. They were a wonderful family who made delicious food and were so much fun to work with. This particular cookie was from the Greek Fest here in knoxville. It was very fun and we had quite a few treats like this one.

This is, obviously, a chocolate chip cookie. But it is no ordinary chocolate chip cookie. It is a vegan chocolate chip cookie from Tomato Head downtown. Oh, my, goodness. They are so good. I don't know what it is but they make me feel very happy inside (as does pretty much everything at Tomato Head... particularly anything with goat cheese. yum.)

This one is, you guessed it, cereal! It's the off-brand lucky charms (Marshmallow Mateys, which I personally think is a way cooler name... anyone else buy their cereal in the giant bags? I love em.) and for some reason it just inspired a picture. I think it's fun and whimsical and I love the soft pastel-ish colors in it. And it makes me want cereal. I loovvee cereal.

These little beauties are cupcakes from Bubblecake in Roanoke, VA. We had an assortment of bubblecakes last time we went to visit my Aunt and Uncle there. Everything was so amazing and so adorable. I couldn't get over how such simply decorated cupcakes could be so eye-catching, and then taste so fantastic. I'm pretty sure these were vanilla cupcakes with lemon buttercream... So simple, so good. I cannot wait to get back to Roanoke to get some more Bubblecake (and see my family, of course) :)

Well, looks like that's all for today. I'm glad to be caught up and to have internet access back. Thanks for sticking with me through my internet issues and my ridiculous food postings. :)

love to all,
hlm

Saturday, January 23, 2010

A small issue

Hi friends!
Not that I think anyone is terribly offended that I've missed a post (or two... I'm not sure) I thought I would just come on and say I was sorry and that the internet at our house has been down. I'm out right now using some wireless, and I don't think I can really post now, but as soon as I can I'll catch up. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reads, you really make me feel special :)

lovelove,
hlm

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sunsets and Sushi


Ok, just sunsets. But Sunsets and Sushi sounds like so much fun... and like my dream vacation. If I could do nothing but go to the beach and eat sushi for a week my life would be a wonderful place.
I'm going to have to get my Flickr account up to date because these little pictures don't do justice to what the actual photo looks like. Not that I'm saying my photography deserves better, but I think you all deserve to see how beautiful this sunset really was. :) It's always my favorite when there's a little hole in the clouds where the sun peeks through. It always reminds me of God looking down, for whatever reason.
Anyway, this was taken when I was down in PC to see my in-laws. I went with my lovely friend Kristin for the purpose of getting some sunset pictures. I was a little disappointed because there were so many clouds on the horizon so I couldn't get a "true" sunset picture, but I tried to work with it. I think what I ended up with was something a little different but still pretty special. What do you think? Thanks, as always, for your time!

lovelove,
hlm

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Honey Bears

This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken. I'm not really even sure why. I really like the composition and the warm colors. This was another one I took borrowing Cris' camera, this time during the trip to Virginia. I also think honey tastes better from a bear. Any opinions?
Thanks, as always.

lovelove,
hlm

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

My little friend

I am a strange person. Really, it's true. This little guy was stuck to my window as my husband and I were leaving for a trip to see my family in Virginia. I loved him. He was so cute and pretty. So, I took his picture. :) See how strange I am?
I took this picture with my good friend Cris' camera. Him lending us his camera was what got me hooked on photography. So, thanks Cris. :) I love the Bokeh, again. I'm also switching seasons again. Is it Winter? Spring? Fall? Who knows.
Thanks for reading!

lovelove,
hlm



Monday, January 18, 2010

Where are you Spring?

Today was one of those days where you get a glimpse of Spring even though it's still the bleak midwinter (I know, I have it good in East Tennessee, but still...) so I decided to post a picture of the beach. Logical, right?
Here are my reasonings.
1. I miss going to the beach in January. It is an innate right in every Floridian to go to the beach no matter what weather the rest of the country might be suffering. You play in the snow, I'll build a sand castle.
2. I have moments where I get "home-sick". Not, like, missing my family (though I do that a lot), but missing where I grew up. Flat roads, beaches within a few minutes drive, palm trees, good Chinese food. (Seriously, what's with the Chinese food in Knoxville? Sub-par.)
3. I feel like, if I post a picture and pretend like it's summer, it will magically become summer. *poof* (did it work? are we at the beach? no? drat.)

Well, here's to trying. Thanks, as always :)

lovelove,
hlm

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Random, Random.



This might be my most random posting. Two more pictures because, no surprise, I'm not great at this. Anywho, these pictures are random. Did I mention that? One is of my worship pastor's dog, Harley (remember Bill? I feel like I've mentioned him quite a bit...). I love Harley. I'm pretty sure we're BFFs. I went over to their house to babysit tonight and Harley and I hung out. She's awesome. She redeemed my feelings about pugs.
The other picture is of this fun new little kitchen gadget we got for christmas. It's called a "Veg-hog" (get it, veg-hog... hedge-hog? So punny) and it's in a whole line of kitchen products we're slowly starting to collect. My very favorite thing is the expression on his face. He looks like he's scared to be cleaning vegetables. Too cute. Also I love bokeh. Remember when I talked about bokeh? Yeah, it's fun.
So, here's to a mish-mash of pictures. Cheers! :) And thanks!

lovelove,
hlm

Friday, January 15, 2010

This Time Only the Song is About Babies.

This will be another short post because, well, it's late. Today I took some "album art" pictures for a song that my worship pastor (remember him? Bill? from yesterday?) wrote and that this beautiful girl sang. This is Emilee and she is super sweet, super talented, and, obviously, super pretty. Do you all think this could pass for a picture to go along with a CD? The song is called "A Baby Will Come" and there's a live recording of it on Bill's website that I linked to yesterday.... but you've already checked that out, haven't you? :) This was one of my favorite shots of the day, maybe you'll see more later! Thanks, as always.

lovelove,
hlm

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Yep... It's 2010. Can you believe it? That means it's the year I graduate from college. Wow. It feels weird to be a grown-up. Anyway, I was randomly walking around the house thinking I needed some new material and I found our calendar. It's a pretty rockin' calendar. It's made by Nintendo Power.... Ya know, the magazine... No? Well. Then I guess it's time you know... I'm a nerd. Or maybe it's a geek. I don't really know. I love Nintendo. I love Mario. I like nerdy things. It's true. Does anyone else have secret nerdy obsessions? I also love things like math and grammar. Yes, math... and grammar. It's cool, I know. :) Thanks for hearing my nerd rant and looking at this picture of my nerd calendar (picked out by my husband, so I'm not the only nerdy one).

lovelove,
hlm

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Look! Another Baby!

This baby's name is Jude. Ya know, like the song. This picture is one of my favorites for many reasons. First, it was halloween and Jude is clearly a rockstar musician. That's his daddy (and my worship pastor) Bill Wolf, who was the roadie. Mom (Betsy, not pictured) was the singer. They were hilarious and are all around wonderful people. I love that Jude isn't looking at the camera because, well, Jude does what he wants more often than not. Have you ever known a baby like that? Yeah. But man, do I love him.
I wanted to take the color out of the picture but then realized you couldn't see Jude's awesome blue mohawk... So I just brought down the saturation until you could still see the blue and kicked up the vibrancy to make it stand out. Maybe tomorrow I'll move on from babies :). Thanks a bunch!

lovelove,
hlm

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Model Coop

I love Coop. He is an amazing little baby. I'm not sure how I got this model shot, but I love it. I don't think it quite does him justice as the amazingly adorable boy he is, but I still love it. I don't know what more to say. I'll try not to inundate you with photos of this baby, but it'll be hard. :) Sorry I've been a little more short with these and maybe not as witty... I need to get back into the swing of things... But, thanks, as always, for reading.

lovelove,
hlm

Monday, January 11, 2010

Winter in the Trees



Hi all! :) Today is another day of two posts because yesterday just ran away from me. It was definitely a recovery day from tctc, so I wasn't on the ball, and for that I apologize. But today I was searching through my pictures and found a tree theme. I really like photographing trees. They show the world for what it is. Happy and warm, dreary and dark, or in the case of these two, freezing but beautiful. I think these trees are the hope for winter. Yes, I hate going outside. My toes freeze. My pant legs turn into icicles because I'm short and all of my pants are too long. It makes me feel trapped inside. But, it also means snuggling and beautiful snow. It means the times when we get to be with people we love more than usual and enjoy them. It means that spring is coming and there will be flowers and cool breezes and light jackets. Winter is beautiful. :) Thanks, as always, for stopping in.

lovelove,
hlm

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The day of 2 photos... at TCTC



I missed posting yesterday because it was such a busy first day of TCTC (Tennessee Christian Teen Convention). I'm here with my husband, Terry, because he is playing with Taylor Brown and company (who are awesome, check them out at www.taylorbrownandcompany.com). So I thought I'd share a few pictures from my time here. I'm working for them at the merch table so the first picture is of some of Taylor's CDs. The second is of the boys playing outside. They play half of their sets outside on a loading dock in approximately 10 degree weather. I'm sure it's lots of fun for them. I liked this picture of Taylor because I caught him laughing and I think it's sweet. I hope you guys enjoy this glimpse of my weekend and I hope you're having a great one! Anyone doing anything exciting? Thanks!

lovelove,
hlm

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The View.


This was my view on the plane ride back to Knoxville today... For the ride, not so great, but it proved for a pretty cool picture, I think. Let me know what you think! How do you like to ride on a plane? Aisle, middle, window? Do you have an airplane drink? (mine was either tomato juice or ginger ale before I started flying allegiant and started being charged for drinks)... Everyone likes a little feedback, right? Thanks, as always!

lovelove,
hlm

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

"Regal Creature" or "Knows a Tourist with a Camera when He Sees It"???


I think that we don't give Florida Birds enough credit. They know what's up. They flock when they saw my camera case that Kristin ever so clever-ly pointed out looks a lot like a lunch box. They posed for pictures. They are Florida. I mean, they don't know that I'm a native and know their tricks. Sad, that I'm proud of being smarter than a bird. Also, why do I use masculine pronouns for birds? What is it about birds that make me think "he"? Just some things for you to ponder.
I didn't edit this at all, partially because it's almost one in the morning and partially because I think it's beautiful just the way it us. The sunset lighting on the chest of the bird is perfect. Sorry the post for today (the 6th) is a little late... I really did do it as soon as I got back to my hubby's computer. Thanks for bearing with me, to the 4 people that regularly visit :). Thanks, again.

love love,
hlm

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

What is it about Piers?


There's something about piers that draws me. Maybe it's because I have spent a lot of time on them in my life. Maybe it's because I was proposed to on one. Maybe it is because I was born in a city with a really amazing one. Whatever it is, I think they're cool. It's like walking on water, but safer. This is about as basic as piers get, but I still thought it was picture worthy. My good friend Kristin and I went to the Port Charlotte Beach today around sunset to take some pictures in the cold (for Florida standards... I know anyone even a little bit north would laugh at what people here consider "cold"). I ended up with a lot of pictures I liked, which I'm sure you'll see some of eventually, but this one stuck out. I just think it's simple, beautiful, and sunset-y. I did warm it up to make sure it was clearly Florida Sunset Orange (new crayon color?) and sharpen it to make it a little more exciting. Tomorrow will bring more free Chick-fil-a and a little more time with family and friends before I head back to the Tundra on Thursday. I just loooovvveee leaving the beach to go back to snow. :/ Ugh.
And on that happy note :), thanks for stopping in!

Love Love,
hlm

Monday, January 4, 2010

Glory!


The title of this post should be read in a "gospel-esque" voice. I wish I could find a way to have my friend Milt's voice saying "Glory!" every time someone came to read this post. That would be perfect. Milt can "Glory" like the best gospel choir member I've heard :) Anywho, the reason for the glorifying of the Lord is that I feel like I should thank him for things like FREE Chicken Biscuits at Chick-fil-a! Oh man, I love Chicken Biscuits. If you've never had one, you need to. Like now. Maybe sooner. I don't know what it is about them that makes them so delectable but they are... they so are. The biscuit is perfectly fluffy, flaky, and buttery. The chicken is, well, Chick-fil-a chicken, which I think is pretty hard to beat. The combination is nothing short of perfect. Yum. I took my camera with me on my shopping adventure to Ft. Myers today and somehow breakfast is the only thing I actually got around to taking pictures of. Oops :) But I promise I will have some more Florida-y pictures on here before the week is up.
I didn't do too much to this picture because, for one, it is perfection in a breakfast food, and for two, if you mess with pictures of food too much they end up looking kinda odd. Food is usually the color it is for a reason. If you mess with, say, the saturation or contrast of a picture of this biscuit it could end up looking really orange or the chicken could get sort-of grey... and that's not very appetizing. Well, as always, thanks for stopping in, and I hope everyone is staying warm, wherever you are!

Love,
hlm

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Christmas with the Partridge Family


Hi friends! This blog comes to you straight from good old Port Charlotte, Florida. I'm getting a little concerned about this whole blogtography with no photos thing... but I think we'll manage. :) Today I was thinking I had no pictures so I'd have nothing to share with the world (oh, no!) and then I saw my in-laws' beautiful Christmas tree and was reminded of The Pioneer Woman. For those of you who don't know, PW is a fantastic blogger (and person, I'm sure) who I follow faithfully and basically want to be. She makes amazing food, is an incredible photographer, homeschools her 4 kids (or punks, as she calls them), is unintentionally, amazingly hilarious, and is overall awesome. Do you think I like her a little? I do.
Anyway, recently in her Photography blog she did an "assignment" where she had her readers post their favorite Holiday Bokeh pictures on her Flickr account and she would then choose finalists and a winner from them. (Bokeh is that fuzzy/blurryness in the background of some pictures that makes them look just oh so yummy) This brought me to the conclusion that there is just something about ornaments that makes them perfectly photograph-able. What is that? Well, whatever it is, I'm thankful for it because that's how I got today's picture! (You thought I'd never get around to the picture, didn't you? Well, ha!)
So, this picture is of an adorable Partridge Family bus ornament on the Gill family tree. I thought it was so precious and the light was good, so I messed with the saturation and contrast to make it look a little 70s-ish... What do you think?

Love Love :)
- hlm

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Flowers and Cakes


Terry's Aunt Donna got married in October and it was my first chance to try out a little basic wedding photography. I could tell just from the few pictures I took what skill and patience it must require to shoot weddings. Someday I hope that I'll make it to that point in my photography, but we'll see. Today we head back to Florida to visit family and I'm not bringing my computer so expect my pictures for Tomorrow through Thursday to be from the trip, since those will be the only pictures I have :) I hope everyone is having a fantastic beginning of 2010!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Celebration


I thought it would be fun to try to get a focus on just the.... um... what do you call those things? They aren't noise-makers.... Celebratory Expander? I have no idea. Anyway, I thought it might be cool to get just that in focus. I took them with quite a few people and this one was my favorite, mostly because Brittany was pretty out of focus but you can still see the silly expression because she can't help but giggle when someone is taking her picture. :) I really like my pictures to look "warm" and I like high contrast and black point, but hopefully during the course of this project I'll spend some time trying some different editing. Anyone else have any favorite edits? Favorite Photoshop actions? Just a way you like pictures to look? I can always use advice.

For this picture and the one yesterday I just did some basic editing. My first picture I used an action from a set I got online to warm it up.

Thanks for stopping by!
- hlm