Little Hands, Little Feet – A Caregivers Love

September 19, 2009

Years ago, my husband and I took care of a little boy who was the son of a woman who worked for my husband. Troy came to be with us almost every week day from the age of 7 weeks from early in the morning until late in the evening. This went on for nearly ten years. I got to hold baby Troy in the hospital when he was just one day old.

During the summer our family would vacation at Suttons Bay in Northern Michigan. It is a very beautiful area of gorgeous lakes, sand dunes, and quaint little villages. After our first summer in Suttons Bay, I longed for Troy to come and enjoy it too. The second summer his mother brought Troy and his older brother to Suttons Bay to spend some vacation time with us. After that Troy spent many summer vacations there with us, enjoying the water and especially learning to swim with his Uncle John in the Suttons Bay Yacht Club pool. I took many delightful pictures of him thus documenting his life for him to see after he grew up.

When Troy would nap in his crib at our home, I would always check on him after he fell asleep to see if he needed some covers. Sometimes I would be struck by the innocence of the sight of his little folded hand, or delighted by some little legs and feet sticking through the crib rails.

I would immediately have to get my Canon camera and take those beautiful and meaningful photographs of those little hands and feet!

When Troy was about two years old, my husband and I vacationed for three weeks in Europe. I missed Troy deeply those three weeks, and obviously he missed me too, because while I was gone, he had pulled out most of the hair in the back of his head by twirling it around his fingers very tightly. When I returned, I could never again just put him in his crib for a nap and tell him “Baby go night, night” and leave him to fall asleep by himself. I thought that he must think that I would leave him again if he fell asleep by himself, and so he would only now fall asleep in my arms. This lasted for as long as Troy needed naps.

When we went to Disney World, in Orlando, Florida, Troy, his Mother and his brother went with us too. Later, when we vacationed in Mexico, Troy also went with us many times. I think that he was only five years old the first time he came to Mexico. One time while we were in the Baja he came down with a fever of 104 degrees, and needed medical help which we found for him. The medicine helped, and Troy returned to normal health, and was his very lively, playful self once again.

Today, Troy is 17 years old, soon to be 18 years. His Uncle John and I miss the little guy who used to shoot basketball hoops in our yard, play with his golden retriever “Shadow,” and spend many nights in our home. This last week, I have been going through all of the many pictures that we have of Troy. I have been dividing them in half to give to him to treasure, and to know something of how much he is loved. Our hope is that someday, he will choose to get to know us once again!

Share Your New Baby Photos With Personalized Baby Photo Gifts and Cards

September 17, 2009

Those first days with a new baby are so precious and so fleeting that the photographers among us tend to go wild taking photos of their new baby. I know when my first child was born I had a whole album worth of photos within his first week. The very first thing you can do with your baby photos is create a unique personalized birth announcement as a photo card, to share your baby’s first portraits with the world.

Photoworks has a great selection of birth announcement photo cards, where you can upload one or more photos, to create a special card with your own message, to let friends and family share your joy in your new baby.

As a photographer my favorite is the graphic filmstrip design, which has space for three photos within the strip of film pictured on the card and room for captions underneath. The simplicity and black and white graphic quality appeals to the photographer in me., but there are also plenty of softer, cuter designs in the traditional pink and blue baby shades.

You have to register with the site to create your card but registration is free, and once you are a member you can use the site for all your future photographic needs, from photo gifts to canvas prints, as well as online photo sharing. The great thing about this is that you save so much time, and time, when you have a young baby, is a scarce and precious commodity, as all parents know well. Once your photos are uploaded you can use them again and again, for personalized photo gifts, photo albums, photo books and more. With easy instructions and the ability to edit as you go, it sure beats messing around with glue and scissors when you have young children around!

Having a baby is not only a complete life-changing event, but it will also completely re-focus your photographic passion. Your lens will be on your new baby day by day as he or she grows, recording every change, every expression. You’ll discover how wonderful it is to capture the curl of a baby’s fingers as they grasp yours, or the delicacy of a tiny foot with its miniature shell-like nails. All these wonderful pictures will make such great images for photo cards, that you’ll want to send out more than just a birth announcement card, your baby photos are bound to feature on your Christmas cards and birthday cards too.

Good Canon Rebel Camera Flash At A Great Price

September 16, 2009

A good Canon Rebel Camera Flash is the Speedlite 270EX. The Speedlite 270EX is the newest for the Canon Rebel Flash line up. Introduced in 2009 the retailed suggested price is $160.00. This makes it one of the lowest price Canon Rebel flashes and a nice addition for your Canon Rebel EOS camera.

Characteristics
The first item you notice when looking at the Speedlite 270EX is its size. The flash is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. There are two main reasons to explain the smaller size. The first is that the flash needs to be controlled from the camera. This limits what functions you can use on the flash if you do not have a newer camera that supports this feature. If your camera does support the flash control system, you must go through the menus to set up the flash. This is time-consuming versus using a flip switch on the flash. The only switch on the flash on the Speedlite 270EX is the on/off switch. The second reason is that the flash is powered by two AA batteries instead of 4 which are used in most Speedlites. The foot of the horseshoe flash is metal, instead of plastic, with a slide-locking mechanism. A delightful feature on this compact flash is the ability to tilt the head at 60, 75 and 90 degrees. The tilt is accomplished by pulling the head forward. This also changes the coverage from a 28mm focal length to 50mm.

Flash Firing System
The Speedlite 270EX uses an intermittent flash firing system for the autofocus to work. If you are familiar with other Speedlites, you know that in other models they have a red light that is used to assist the autofocus when light levels are low. The red light either projects lines for autofocusing in low light or a single point coverage as on the small Speedlites. The flash firing system on the Speedlite 270EX covers all focus points when used with the EOS cameras. A drawback to this system is that it delivers bright flashes of light that your subject may find irritating.

The Speedlite 270EX works wonderfully with the newer EOS cameras that allow you to control the flash from the screen. A tremendous draw for the beginner or amateur photographer is the price and size. This flash delivers flexibility and a stronger flash then the standard built in flash. This flash is also helpful in low-light situations.

The Canon EOS Rebel 12.2 Megapixel XSi Digital SLR Camera

September 15, 2009

The Canon EOS Rebel 12.2 Megapixel XSi digital SLR camera delivers detailed pictures with point and shoot ease. The Canon Rebel XSi is an entry-level DSLR that has brought advance technology former found only in professional cameras to the general public. Canon has transitioned this technology into an easy to understand format.

XSi vs XTi
The Canon Rebel XSi has 12.2 megapixels as compared to the Canon Rebel XTi’s 10.1 megapixels. The Canon Rebel XSi is now offered in solid black and two-tone silver and black. You can purchase the Canon XSi either with the body-only or the single-lens kit with the EF-S 18-55mm Optical Image Stabilizer lens. Canon has over 60 EF and EF-S lenses that are compatible with the XSi. The LCD screen has been enlarged to 3 inches allowing for 170 degree wide viewing angle. When increasing the size of the LCD screen, Canon redesigned the layout of the control buttons. They are now placed under the right hand. Each button has a different feel, so you do not have to look to change them. A step forward for the casual photographer is the change from the compact flash used in the XTi to the compatibility of a SD and SDHC memory cards. The compact flash can easily be damaged by trying to place it in sideways or backward.

Live View Mode
Live view mode has two auto focusing modes, quick and live. In both modes, you can magnify parts of your image up to 10x. A grid overlay option can help line up you images. Quick mode uses the 9 point auto focus system. Quick mode is useful in action or low-light situations. Live mode uses an imaging sensor to capture the image. A small square appears then you can use the keys to move the square on the image.

Picture Style Settings
The Canon Rebel XSi has six preset Picture Style settings and Canon offers additional files that can be downloaded. Standard is the most widely used in photographs since it can be used in a number of conditions. The portrait setting keeps the person in sharp focus versus the background. Landscape is used when the desired outcome is to have the scene in focus whether the object is close or far. Neutral setting is ideal if you choose to edit on the computer. Faithful is the setting most true to color of the image. Monochrome produces black and white images. Using the Picture Style settings allows for the photographer to have a wide range of images without having to change 35mm film.

The Canon Rebel XSi is an excellent EOS digital SLR camera. The camera builds on the Canon Rebel XTi foundation and takes it a step further toward the professional side of cameras. The color rich and various styles of the pictures you can take will make you want to have this camera around at all times.

Make Personalized Photo Christmas Cards For An Affordable and Unique Gift

September 15, 2009

Sometimes the simplest ideas are best. When you’re looking for creative ways to use those gorgeous pictures of your kids, to make unique and personalized photo gifts, you can get carried away by all the brilliant ideas that are available online. It would be wonderful to order canvas prints for all the family, or have that picture printed onto photo blankets or pillows, but if you have a big family and a limited budget, sometimes it’s unrealistic.  What you can do with that stunning photo of your kids, which is just crying out for special treatment, is make it into Christmas cards.

It’s very easy to make personalized Christmas cards out of your photos. Online you’ll find hundreds of options to order a pack of photo cards with envelopes included. Some of them incorporate your photos into a traditional Christmas card design, so that the photos of your children will be peeking out from Christmas tree baubles or be surrounded by a choir of angels. Others use a simple graphic design and allow you to print your own personalized message.

The advantage of these simpler photo cards is that your family is more likely to keep the photo on display all year round. Also if you have taken a great picture of your baby or kids, you often want to be able to show it off without the distraction of holly, mistletoe and robins draped all around it.

Perhaps September is a little early to start thinking about Christmas, but by ordering your Christmas photo cards now you’ll be ahead of the game and won’t have to worry about last minute delays with the holiday rush.

Don’t feel you have to dress your kids up in Santa Claus hats for a special photo shoot. Choose any gorgeous photo you’ve taken of them recently. Often a simple close-up portrait is most effective. The most important thing is that the photo is up to date, so that you give family and friends an idea of how your family looks now another year has passed.

If your kids love dressing up though, think of some different outfits they could wear to make an original picture especially for your Christmas card. Fairies, princesses and ballerinas would look great on a Christmas card and so would firemen and pirates! Get out some strands of tinsel and baubles and have your kids decorate a tree in the garden for a backdrop to your photo, or just snap away as they decorate and see what you get. You can have great fun taking photos of your kids getting festive in September in the spirit of Let’s Pretend and you’ll have all the satisfaction of being way ahead on the holiday season too!

There Is An Easy Website For Every Type Of Online Picture Sharing That You Desire.

September 14, 2009

Everyone online and many who aren’t are taking advantage of picture sharing. With family and friends all over the world, it’s strange that staying in touch is easier than ever. Letters, phone calls and emails have taken a backseat to mass communication. Twitters might be less personal, but they certainly get the job done quickly.

I use a variety of websites to keep the people in my life updated on the important things going on, like my son happily ringing in his first birthday. Each has its specific advantages and uses and I utilize them to stay connected.

My father’s side of the family has their own website where I post photos of family that they know, while recent pictures of my in-laws visit got posted onto my husband’s Facebook page. It helps to keep things organized and everyone able to take a quick peek at the pictures that interest them.

I like to post my more artistic photos on a site with a gorgeous black background where other photographers can critique them. And when I need prints quickly I load them onto Wal-mart’s site and pick them up when I get my groceries. I also use that site to have pictures printed at my Nana’s local store since she doesn’t have a computer and it is much faster than mail.

That photo sharing has become mainstream amongst blogs and chatting applications is another bonus. Using a photo to illustrate a posting, or telling the tale that surrounds the picture has taken sharing to a new level. Whether you want to share your baby’s first smile or an old prom picture there is are easy applications to make it available to everyone you want to share that memory with.

You can use one website or a variety, depending on what you want to share with whom. If your community website is frequented by the majority of those you care to share with then make the most of their photo applications. If your family and friends are wide spread and have never met you may want to target your audience by using a variety of sites.

There are more photo sharing websites available than ever. Uploading takes seconds rather than minutes or hours, and nearly everyone that you want to share your precious memories with has some sort of internet access. It is easier than ever to give your child access to every member of his family and vice versa, with a camera and a computer no one has to miss milestones or everyday entertainment.

Photograph Your Pets Too – A Different Dog Story

September 12, 2009

Our family has owned a few different dogs over the years. After growing up and leaving the farm to live in the suburbs, we have had some very nice dogs. The first one was a collie, and the last two have both been golden retrievers. They have all been very loving animals and very nice companions for our family.

My Dog

Only the last one named Shadow did I ever consider really being “my dog.” I thought that it was because he spent so much of his time as a puppy with me.

Growing Up On A Dairy Farm

When I was growing up on a dairy farm, pets were a different matter. They had work to do just as we did. The first dog that I even remember was a little black puppy with white tipped paws that my mother named “Tippy.” Tippy didn’t live long because he was run over accidentally by my grandfather who felt so bad about the accident that he gave us his own dog. His dog was a German Shepard named “Nip” and you can guess as to why he was given that name!

However, Nip was a one man dog as are most German Shepards, and he never accepted anybody in our family to be the special one other than my Grandfather. Because my grandfather worked with us on our family farms, he came to our home on most week days from spring through the fall. So, Nip was delighted at his arrival. But when my father would go work at my grandfathers farm, and return home late in the day to do the milking, Nip would smell the running boards of the truck for my grandfathers scent.

Never Tease A Dog

I learned early in life not to tease a dog. One day Nip had caught a pheasant and was standing at the lane entrance from the barnyard. I was across the barnyard from him in the gateway between the horse barn and the milk house. I thought that I would make fun of him like a silly kid. I put my thumbs in my ears and waved my fingers at him saying Na! Na! Na! Na! Na! That was the wrong thing to do, because Nip put his pheasant down and ran across the barn yard and bit me in the face! I never teased him again, but years later, when he was dying, I went into the hay mow where he was and with tears in my eyes, I talked to him.

My father was never one to let an animal suffer, and I remember the next day playing in the farm house while knowing that my father had taken his shotgun out to shoot Nip outside. I put my hands over my ears as I tried to accept something that I didn’t understand. Later, that night I rode with my father on our little Ferguson tractor, and we took Nip in the front end loader down the lane and back to the woods to bury him. On a farm, you learn the realities of life very young.

Our Next Dog

Our next dog was a little black puppy that my father named “Sport.” I still remember Sport as a black furry ball trying to navigate the deep snow as he followed me from barn to barn doing my chores that January. Later, that summer, Sport was killed in the road by a large truck. Then a white and black collie named Shep came to live with us as a puppy. Sheppy really became my baby sister’s dog. Shep also had a pension to wander to other farms & one of our neighbors had sheep and he shot any dog that came onto his property.

One time Shep was missing for several days, and my little sister felt for certain that he was dead. Shep had been hurt badly somehow, and had made his way home where my sister found him about halfway from the back of our farm trying to drag himself home. She went back to the house and got her radio flyer red wagon and took it back to where Shep was and very gently lifted him into the wagon and pulled him up the lane to the house where she took care of him. Since, I had left home by then, I didn’t know just what happened to Shep after that.

Be Sure To Photograph Your Pets

The moral of the story is this: Be sure to photograph your pets (all of them) with members of your family. For all of the love & devotion that they give you, you certainly owe them this remembrance.

Re-capture Your Summer With A Photo Printed On To Canvas

September 10, 2009

Summer is drawing to a close and the kids are back at school. Now is a great time to look through all the photos you’ve taken of your kids this summer and pick out the best ones to get them printed. You could put together a whole series to make a photo album of your vacation or just pick out one photo that really captures the joyous feeling of your family vacation and get it printed on to canvas so that the memory will last you forever.

Canvas prints are a fantastic way of preserving and displaying your very best photos and building up a gallery of gorgeous memories of your children. Good canvas prints are printed on archival quality canvas, which will last for over a hundred years and are coated with a special UV protective spray to stop them fading. They are the equivalent of the ancestral oil paintings hanging on the walls of stately homes, except that these days they are affordable for all of us and much more fun!

You don’t need to choose solemn portraits for your canvas prints. Any informal moment that captures your kids with happy laughing smiles has the makings of a wonderful picture for your family gallery. Vacations are great times to grab these moments when you are relaxed and have more time to spend with your kids and just play with them and with your camera.

Make a selection of all the pictures of your kids that you like from your summer and then view them large on your computer screen in a slideshow. Look through it several times, stand back and see how the pictures look from a distance. You should begin to get a feel of which photos will translate into prints that you’ll enjoying looking at on the wall for the years to come. Of course no-one is saying that you just have to choose one photo to print. A whole series of photos from one vacation can make a very effective display on your wall. You are only limited by the space that you have available on your walls and by your budget for printing.

Remember too that when you send your photos off to be printed on canvas you can ask for some re-touching to be done, so if there is a picture that you love which is spoiled by an unsightly background or a splash of chocolate ice-cream down the front of a pretty summer dress, then you can still have it printed with the help of a little digital magic.

So get sorting through your summer photos and re-capture your vacation with a beautiful canvas print of your kids having the time of their lives.

Will You Buy The Newest Canon Rebel Camera?

September 10, 2009

The newest Canon Rebel Camera was announced to the public on March of 2009. The Canon EOS Rebel T1i has impressive features that are difficult to beat in the entry-level, under $1,000 SLR category. Just imagine the detailed color rich pictures you will be taking with this 15.1-megapixel digital SLR camera.
The Canon EOS Rebel T1i body is essentially the same as the Rebel XSi. They both weigh 1.2 pounds, and you can use the same optional handgrip/battery pack. The T1i also uses a SD or SDHC memory card, so you will not find the same problem that might occur with a compact flash. The compact flash pins sometimes are bent because they are installed sideways and no longer can be used. The large 3 inch LCD screen has continued with the T1i. You will be able to find the same 9 point Autofocus (AF). A feature I appreciate is that most of the buttons are grouped on the right side and have their own feel, so you can use them without looking. As with the XSi, the T1i is compatible with the 60 plus lenses that Canon offers.
Live View Mode
The Live view mode has three different AF modes, Quick, Live and Face detection mode. The face detection mode can focus on faces within 35 feet. Quick mode allows you to use one of the 9 point AF points to focus on and shoot. The live mode also includes a grid or blocks to allow you to line up your image so that it is straight.
HD Movie Mode
Two new modes appear on the dial of the new T1i. The first mode is the HD movie mode. The right-hand side of the body contains a microphone for recording your HD Movie. This mode does not work quite like a camcorder that we are use to using. The camera does not auto focus continuously and needs to AF-Lock button activated. The best comparison I have heard is that it is video snapshots. You will be focusing as you are recording but you can edit your video on the computer.
The Creative Auto Mode
The second is creative auto mode allows photographers to make adjustments such as shutter speed on the LCD screen. Simple wording such as blurred background and exposure level can be controlled by a slide bar. This allows for easier and more confident adjustments for beginning photographers.
As technology progress, the digital camera options are becoming more competitive as well as more consumer friendly. The Rebel T1i was introduced in less than two years from the last Xs and XSi models. The T1i builds on their foundation while keeping up with consumer demands.

The Canon EOS Rebel XS digital SLR camera, is it the next step for you?

September 8, 2009

Why the XS?

The Canon EOS Rebel XS digital SLR camera introduced to the public in July, 2008. The XS is considered an entry level dSLR with high-end functions. Great for the consumer who wants to switch from a point and shoot camera to a dSLR. This camera has such flexibility that even experienced photographers will enjoy.

What are the basics?

The XS has 10.1 megapixels for clear detailed pictures. While, the EF-s 18-55mm lens comes with the camera it can support all Canon EOS series lenses. Currently, there are over 60 lenses in the Canon EOS line up. Optical Image Stabilizer lenses, that Canon does make, help you obtain clear, blurry-free precious memories. You have a wide range of automatic or manual modes to improve your picture taking. Reading the owner’s manual is an ideal place to start. I think trying out the functions is the fun part of picture taking. The large 2.5” LCD monitor makes viewing easier, so you can choose to save or remove the pictures. The XS uses a SDHC or SD memory card that needs to be purchased to keep your images before downloading to your computer.

Are you ready for distinctive features?

The XS has excellent distinctive features that can be difficult to find for the under $1,000 camera category. One such feature is Live View mode which has two focusing modes, Quick and Live. Live View modes are as the title states, pictures in real time. The pictures are viewed on the LCD Screen instead of using the viewfinder. These modes require you to hold the camera away from you as with a point and shoot camera. The stability needed for these modes would be easier accomplished by using a tripod instead of holding the camera yourself. If you are looking for continuous shots for that just right picture of a moving subject, the Rebel XS is the first in Canon’s EOS products. You can shoot until your memory card is full. Continuous Shooting mode, according to Canon, captures as many as 54 images as fast as 3 frames per second. The built in retractable flash with red-eye reduction has a topside shoe for an external flash. A fabulous option for those of us who forget to charge our batteries is the external hand grip/battery pack. Place six AA batteries will get you going again. The hand grip besides adding 1.5” of height to the camera offers additional secondary controls. The USB cable that comes with the XS offers 2.0 connectivity with TWAIN driver for the PC and Adobe Photoshop plug-in for Macintosh.

The Canon Rebel XS has a wide range of functions at an exceptional price point. If you are ready to take the next step into the world of SLR, then this camera would make an excellent fit.

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