Photography Class

O.K. I've been taking a photography class and am learning soooo much. Just wanted to share some of my favorite photos I've taken as homework...

This is a freeze action...

This is slow shutter speed...

This is slower shutter speed...

This is slowest shutter speed...

I maunally focused this photo. No "Auto" focus anymore...

This is what's called "Panning". Notice how the blackground is blurred, but he is in focus. And he is moving. Cool, huh?

This is my "Long Exposure". I held my shutter speed open for 3 seconds. Do you know how long that is? These are cars going by on the street. But notice how the mountains are in focus....

Photoshop

Just playing with Photoshop again...
Check it out...

Keri has to memorize this quote by Charles Swindoll for her 5th grade class. I asked her why she had to memorize it and she said that a lot of 5th graders have "attitude" problems.
Hmmm????
Maybe we all could use a little "attitude" adjustment and a little more love in our lives...

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Photoshop Tryout

I made a committment to myself awhile ago that I would learn how to use Photoshop. Well, this is what I came up with tonight. Just wanted to share a cute page I put together of me and the love of my life...

Grandparents

My mom sent me this photo right after my Grandmom Cox passed away. It's a picture of my grandparents and their little baby, Shilea Dianne. This sweet little spirit is who I am named after. She died a few months after she was born. I've wanted to do something special with this photo but haven't quite figured out what yet. Whenever I look at it I am reminded of the importance of family and the ties that bind us together. How blessed and loved I feel to be named after one of my relatives.

(Check out my Grandmom's shoes. Was she not fashionable back then or what?)

Hand Made Recipe Book

Just wanted to share with you this cute little recipe book I made for my neice for her wedding...

I just took a simple scrapbook that holds 4x6 photos and decorated it up. I included a few photos and recipes...

Then left the rest blank for her to fill in with her own recipes...

♥ I Got It! ♥

O.K. I finally figured it out! I was blog surfing the other day and noticed that all these blogs have these cute ♥'s in their posts. And I couldn't figure out how they did it! I googled it, and searched forever. No luck! Then I asked a friend of mine and she told me just to use the "alt" button and the "3" button. Still no luck. Well, I was surfing tonight and someone had posted about it on their blog.
So in case you're wondering how to do it on a laptop, it's just the "fn" button, "alt button", and the "L" button all pressed down at the same time. ♥ Who knew?
Just a little love tip...
From my ♥ to yours, Shilea

September 1st

September is one of my favorite months. Once it rolls around I feel fall coming quickly. I know the official start of fall is September 22. But enjoying fall to the fullest is all about the timing. You have to be ready. If you wait too long to notice how the leaves have changed colors your beauty will already be on the ground. Around here it happens way too fast. It starts at the higher elevations in the mountains and then the beauty works its way down to the valleys. So once the date on my calendar reads September 1st I am on high alert. Watching. Waiting. Anticipating. Hoping for a record breaking array of color. Are you ready?

The Undaunted

"To be 'undaunted' is 'to be unwilling to abandon one's purpose or effort; to be undiminished in courage or valor.'"

Last night I started reading The Undaunted by Gerald Lund. This is his first novel in seven years and it's a great one! I first became interested in the book after preparing to go to one of Mark's family reunions. I knew that some of Mark's ancestors were a part of the "Hole-in-the-Rock" pioneers. But I didn't know their story or history. At the reunion I learned a little bit about this expedition and what role Mark's ancestors played in it all.Mark's great great great grandfather was Lemuel Hardison Redd Sr.Now, 3 weeks later, I started the 800 page book and can't seem to put it down. It's amazing to learn of the sacrifices and trials these people endured so that we might live a better life. In the preface Gerald Lund quotes Gordon B. Hinckley on the importance of studying history, "It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nutured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all."And that is what I have gained so far from this book. Motivation. And also a little faith, hope, and love. Hope you get a chance to read it. I'll let you know my thoughts again when I'm done. Who knows how long it will take. (Joi read it in 4 days.) Hmmmm.....??????