A PURPLE XV

Here's a few more from the purple dress shoot I did this past Saturday (for my niece).... These have been resized and USM... I might need to still do a bit of a color pop or such to them... Any HHCC is welcomed!

TFL!

ON FIRE...

A few shots from the fireworks over the bay .... two weeks ago .... nothing like Rebecca's but again, these were handheld . . . TFL!

SETTINGS: Manual Mode, ISO 1600 (thus the noise), AV f/4.5, SS 1/40. Kit Lens

FROM THE STRATOSPHERE

Here's a view of the strip at night...live, from the Stratosphere Hotel...
ps-I was freezing my ass off as all-of-a-sudden it got cold ... wth... daytime @ 110+ degrees and temperatures in the 6o's at night... something is definitely not right....

TFL!

THE PEOPLE

Today I'm sharing a few shots of some of the people I went to Vegas with... These are also the people I work with so it was lots of fun...not that we don't have fun at work but.... it's a different atmosphere kwim?


Joe is with Elvis after a show, Sandra and Me are with .... don't know who he's supposed to be... a country singer I think... just can't think of his name... country is not my strong point... and last, me with the Green M&M girl... nothing but celebrities today :D
PS - I know my skin looks funky in the shot w/the country boy but DH took the shot w/flash so... you know what happens when the flash is on and you're too close to the subject...

TFL!

REVOLUTION AT THE MIRAGE

This is the Beatles - Revolution Lounge at the Mirage. The lighting was horrible for pics but the place was supercool to photograph... Regrets? Didn't have a wide enough lens to shoot as I'd wanted...hey but DH was kind enough to pose for me (had no choice actually), and there was a lady who didn't want to get out and pretended that she hadn't seen me shooting (2nd shot)...rrrrrrrrright.... The stuff in the middle of the letters is the reflection from the casino which was right across...

These were shot with the kit lens and even at 18mm (but with a crop of 1.6) it's still not enough...plus my max AV is nowhere near where I needed it to be... These were handheld and I'm going to say I really like the shots... kinda moody I think...

TFL :D

GOING FOR LINES

So I'm sharing a few lines from Vegas ... yeah.. I know, you're probably tired of seeing Vegas shots but I finally got my laptop from work and I can work on them...and on an order I've had since I returned :( which I've yet to process. Anyway, I think it's just in my nature. I'm drawn to lines. It doesn't matter what I'm shooting, I tend to find lines in the stuff I see...

1. Lines at the M&M Store. Yup. Those containers are filled with nothing but plain m&m's and you buy them by the pound in whatever color you'd like.

ISO 1600, Manual mode, 18-55 mm lens @ 25mm, AV f/5, SS 1/100.

Same shot but ran through NR

2. The entrance (pathway) leading to the 'main' entrance at the Luxor Hotel. This shot was hard because people wouldn't get out of my way...and I was getting tired of kneeling...I'm getting old I tell 'ya .

ISO 100, Manual Mode, 18-55mm lens @ 33mm, AV f/5.6, SS 1/1000

3. & 4 are shots of the entrance to Bally's. We were waiting for a bus to take us to the other end of the strip but were too tired to walk anymore...and what do you know, I turn around and there's this beautiful.....stuff...with lights and lines...so I just had to shoot... I know it may not make much sense but it's just ME ...

ISO 1600, Manual Mode, 50mm lens, AV f/5, SS 1/40

Same shot ran through NR

ISO 1600, Manual Mode, 50mm lens, AV f/5, SS 1/320

Same shot ran through NR

PP includes resizing 4x6 @ 150 ppi. No other PP done.
Let's hear your HHCC on them (please).

MY RAMBLINGS TODAY...

I have no pictures today. I was called to work the day after I arrived from Vegas and I'll be working until the end of June. That pisses me off (a little). I had plans. I was going to stay with the girls and DH was going to teach summer school. Now it's the other way around. Go figure.

The good of all this? With this check I'll be getting the lens that Sara refuses to hand over - yeah, I'm talking about you Sara. I know you don't use it now since you're too busy with your new toy 70-200 ;) and that poor baby could have a lovely home down here in Texas...but noooo, you want it all to yourself...

Sooooo...I guess I gotta look at this from the bright side, I'll be getting that lens, then I'll bug Lauren with a gazillion questions, and ask her how to do this and that... and then I'll be set... until the lens itch bites again...

But right now, I'm pissed because my laptop (with the rest of my Vegas pics) is at at school, and I refuse to carry that sucker back and forth everyday. So until I stop being lazy, I'll post from my DS's laptop (which has absolutely NO photography software or anything fun/picture related).

Oh, and in case you didn't know, I'm trying to loose weight (I started in April 30th)... and thus far I've lost 15 lbs (from Apr 30 - May 30)...then I took off 1.5 weeks (the Vegas week)... and now (since Monday) I'm back in track - and not that you're interested or anything but here's my daily routine (M-F):

Gym - 530am for 1hr (I hate exercising...but gotta loose that weight)
Work - 8am - 3pm (don't mind it since most of my buddies are working there anyways)
College - 330pm - 730pm (did I tell you I hate going to college nowadays?)
Home - 745pm - till I go to bed 1130pm (unless I'm peaing or blogging like today)

So I've got about 30 lbs to go.... yup, you heard right...about 30 lbs to go... I'm not a bit embarrased to say that I weighed 175 lbs in April 30... yesterday I weighed in at 158lbs... so my goal is to reach 130... so wish me luck...

OK...enough rambling for today...

BODY PARTS AT MANDALAY BAY

This is some cool art I found embedded in a wall at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in LV. I tell you, I saw pretty cool stuff and I spent most of the trip making DH wait just to get the right shot kwim? He totally deserves an award for the most patient man on earth... and I might just have to give him a very special one ;)

**** My favorite picture from the previous post was the Eiffel Tower shot ;D ****

SPECS: Manual mode, handheld, ISO 1600, can't remember the exact AV or SS but do right click to see my exif-data if you wish.

PP:USM 30-10-0, Resized at 4x6240ppi and then NR - in that order...

Do you think this is the correct order or should I've done the NR first and then the USM and resizing?

TFL!

VEGAS - THE HOTELS...

****WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD AHEAD ****

OK, so on the MB I've shared the night shots so I'm posting the hotels that I took pics of...I guess you know which one was my favorite since I ended up taking sooooo many pics of it... yep, the Luxor. So many photo ops in there...

But do you know which one was my favorite pic of the entire trip????? Take a uess...it's on this post....I'll let you know tomorrow....

BTW - The shot where I'm on the phone was taken by DH - and yes, I know it's out of focus but I forgot to change the settings back to auto mode...live and learn...at least I'm in the pics this time huh?

* * * And that 5million crumpler was TOTALLY worth buying. I carried it during the entire trip with the following stuff in there - 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, and the camera with kit lens attached, spare battery for camera, CF cards, make up (i.e. lip gloss, mascara, eye liner, powder, lip liner & eyelash curler), dentyne artic ice gum, & a little coin holder * * *