I'm not on theme huh?

Yeah , I know...but I didn't even check the theme...I'm just posting this pic because I like the 'mood' of it...It's one of the ones I did on Friday while I was 'testing' the light at the house where I was going to shoot on Saturday...does that even make sense? I did a BW conversion (all by myself) ... so you guys should be proud of me :D...and I know it's soft...but wth...I like it...

TFL! :o)

Are they old?

I guess they're as old as the youngest one huh? Though DS thinks he's already old enough...for what? God knows...but he still manages to sit still for a few shots...noticed I said 'few', because that's exactly what I get...

These were shot this morning at the beach. I was testing my new lens (Canon 70-200 f/4L) and am still undecided whether I'll be keeping it (or the Tamron for that matter). I guess I got to make up my mind since my 'deadline' to return is tomorrow Sunday...oh decisions, decisions...

DH says just to return both and get the Canon (24-70mm 2.8L) that I had wanted to begin with...what would you do?

TFL!

Old friendships

Check out the rattler...it sucked!!! Too rattly and not enough adrenaline :( a whole 1.5 hrs in line for nothing....oh well...




My buddies. The people I eat, laugh, cry, get mad, make fun, ignore, pay attention to, bitch at, ask advice from, give hugs, drive me nuts, keep me sane and basically do everything with...literally. These are my coworkers...(only some are pictured here)... Most of us have been here (at Rivera High) at least 10 years. And they're truly the best at what they do...teach math...really...

This past weekend we did it again. We chaperoned the trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio) and we had a blast. We rode all the 'scary' rides...except for Minnie because...well because she's just like that...chafas...(j/k you know I love you)....Indeed we are a great group...And here's just a bit of proof of that...

And soon we'll be going to Vegas together...watch out...

All shot with the Tamron lens...TFL!

Test #2

Ok, so following Amy's advice I decided to run a little test on close ups at 2.8 and then magnifying the eyes to 100%. (Thanks girl, you're awesome!)

Now, based on the DOF calculator over at ILP, and the focal distance and aperture at which I was shooting, I only had 0.14ft (when at 75mm) to 0.22ft (at 60mm) to work with. In reality, that's approximately 1.68inches to 2.64inches to work with (or that would be in focus). Man that's some little tiny space!

Here's what I came up with...oh and btw, I just went looking for a BW action and (though I have purchased a few before) and ran across Kristina's....I must say, it's a pretty cool one. Doesn't blow my whites like the other ones that I own (which are too contrasty at times). Anyway. Here are the shots. I think... well.... you be the judge...and DO tell me as you see them please. And I'm sorry I forgot to mention that my lens is the Tamron.

The focus on Chris and Lorely's shots is on the viewer's left eye.

The focus on Daniela's shot is on the viewer's right eye.

PP - USM at 20/25/0 and resized (4x6 @ 150ppi). BW done with Kristina's conversion.

SPECS: AV Mode at 2.8, focal length at 65-75mm (very close to them). ISO 200. SS - ????

TFL! :D

Nothing old...just my NEW lens

OK, be honest and really DO tell me if my lens is a good or a bad copy...I bought the 28-75mm 2.8 and I'm wondering how to tell the difference between 'good' vs 'bad'. Here's some examples that I've done... TFL!

PP :USM (at 20/25/0) and resizing (4x6 @ 300ppi).

SPECS: All shots in Manual Mode, RAW, ISO 400, AV 5.6 - Various SS's.

Emotions: Love

These are from last week session. This family was lots of fun to work with! Of course, the little one was non-stop all afternoon (can you tell?) but overall, it gave me lots of practice and made me realize how much I still have to learn if I want to be good at this... TFL!

PP: USM and resized with watermark embedded. No color pop or any other action used.

Emotions: Sadness

This is my representation.

My sadness.

The news reports are filled with different accounts of what happened in Virginia. Psychologists and experts trying to understand the oriental kid who had no motive. Questions keep piling up and answers are often not found.

As I sit at home, all I could think of was my students. These tragic events left me with a heavy heart. To think that this could have been any of my students killing. Or any of my students dying . Just the thought of it proves to be too much...

I could have lost an entire class period to this other kid... This could have been my son...or neighbor... or former student. This could have been anyone.

Where did we go wrong? Is there something that we could have done as teachers? parents? society? Are we too blind to see what's happening right before our eyes? Maybe we choose not to see it.

The flags will fly at half-mast until Sunday...but for me, it's a bit more than that. It's a personal struggle to make a consciencious effort to really 'listen' to those that have been here all along ...you know which ones, the quiet ones, the rebels, the gothic, the rich, the poor, the airheads, the pregnant, the jocks, the nerds... Could one of them be next? Where's the stereotype? How can I know? No one is exempt.

I can only hope I can make a difference...I can always pray...

Emotions: Grumpy

I don't know if you've seen this shot before (MB) but here she is. My grumpy Dany. At this point, I think she's beyond grumpy, she's just plain spoiled... Seriously. To the point where she makes a scene every morning and refuses to go to school and every night she packs her little sack and tells me she's ready to go to Grandma's house...And I have no idea how she got that way ... I think it's Nany's fault!

BTW - The color-pop (settings) for this shot are compliments of dear buddy Sara (SocialWorkMama). Thanks girl! You're the best ;)

SPECS: Manual Mode with 50mm f/1.8 lens, Natural light, ISO 400.

PP: USM and Channel Mixer with Sara's #'s.

Emotions - Winning

Our soccer season has come to an end. Unfortunately, we lost in the state semifinal match this past Friday. However, I couldn't be more proud of the accomplishments of this year's varsity team.

MUY BIEN RIVERA!!!!

Here's some shots of the awesome feeling of 'winning' as experienced by our Raiders. TFL. :D

First Holy Communion

DD will be receiving the Holy Eucharist this Sunday for the first time...or so I thought... You see, today she received the sacrament of Reconcilliation...and while we were there waiting for her turn to go to confession... The director of the religious education program says very non-chalantly.. "and we'll still continue to meet until May 6th when we'll have our First Communion celebration..." Parents looked at each other like...what?? She just said May 6th...Oh well, I guess I'll be going to Austin this weekend to see our Rivera Soccer team compete in the state finals... Just gotta make the best of it...plus I didn't have anything 'nice' to wear anyway...

SPECS: ISO 100, Manual Mode, in RAW, AV 11, SS 1/250, studio lights

PP: Resized and cropped (all of them), Linna's Sepia (on the sepias), Glambur (on all). No color popping this time...maybe I should have huh?

More Action...

This shot (just like yesterday's post) was enhanced using a Soft Color Action. This is my little Andy. Her eyes totally reflect her personality.

Shot taken last summer by our stairs...who'd known huh...that's where I have my best light at home ;)

SPECS: Shot in JPEG, P Mode and using the kit lens...That's all I remember from then...

Teya's Soft Color Action...or what is it called?

A shot I did for one of my friend's DD. She has georgous eyes with extremely long eyelashes...Shot at the university during dusk... No sun today, sorry... :(

And yes....I forgot to add my Copyright thingie but I'm just too lazy tonight and want to go to sleep...

Sunrise at Tranquil Trail

The only day (last week) I go to the gym I get lucky...heehee, not THAT type of lucky, I mean lucky in the sense that Lorely runs out to tell me "Mom, come see the sun! You gotta take a picture of it!" I'm starting to think I'm ruining this girl with my obsessions....hey but at least she can find beauty in the everyday things...

Now, since Lorely and I were the only ones still at home (DH had left with the little ones already), we took our time shooting (we meaning, me), and I played around with the settings to see if I could make the shots a bit different. Didn't work. At least I don't think so. Anyway, here's the settings:

All shot in Manual Mode with 50mm 1.8 lens and ISO 100 and taken a few min/secs apart

#1-AV f/5.6, SS 1/320 in RAW

#2-AV f/5.6, SS 1/160 in RAW

#3-AV f/5.6, SS 1/320, changed the temperature in RAW processing to the left (don't know #'s)

TFL!

Sunset at South Padre Island

The picture was taken on our way back from South Padre one summer night last August. Jaime (dh) was driving on the causeway and I was literally sticking my camera out of the window trying very hard for the rail not to come out (at the bottom of shot)...looking back, not a very good idea :D

TFL!