welcome, 2012!

every new years eve is always a very different experience.

last year i spent it in the opryland hotel in Nashville,

and this year i spent it with some of my church family!

i set up a photobooth and brought lots of props!

this was probably the most fun i've had with a camera in a while!

i hope your year is all you hope for!

the "blurred Christmas tree" - lesson number 1

Christmas time is when everyone wants to take the perfect picture of their decorations.

i've come up with some really neat ideas

 to help you capture that!

and i can't wait to share them all with you!

last night my family put the Christmas tree up,

so of course i grabbed my camera!

i thought of a super awesome idea for a tree.

this one is a complete blur,

 but you can tell that it's a Christmas tree.

neat, right?!

this is how you do this:

1) make sure you're on manual.

remember! a real photographer always uses manual! 

it will force you to get better!

2) turn all overhead lights off

with them on, it makes the picture look "artificial" 

3) go ahead and set your ISO to 1800

4) set your f-stop to 4.8

5) set the shutter speed to 1/50

please keep in mind: this was what I did, your lighting situation may be different. 

therefore you may have to set it a little different 

6) aim at the tree (or whatever lit object you want)

7) push the button down halfway to get it to focus

8) as it's focusing itself, wait till it's as blurry as it'll get and..

9) on your lens, switch the focus to A (this is automatic)

the reason for doing this: 

when it gets blurry as your pushing the button halfway down, 

switching over to A will make it stay blurry, 

even when you take your finger off the button.

10) take the picture!

now....

not everyone has a DSL camera.

it is possible to do this with a regular digital camera.

it just won't look the same. 

but you'll get the same concept. 

1) make sure the flash it OFF!

2) when you're aiming at the tree, 

put something in front of you to focus on.

this way the tree will be blurry in the background.

you can lay on your back, and focus on your feet, right in front of you!

3) when you get your shot, crop out whatever you used as your prop!

did it work?!

please share with me how it worked out for ya!

giving thanks.

i know i'm a little "late" for a Thanksgiving post, but there's never a bad time to give thanks!

this year was our first Thanksgiving in "Spring Breeze"

(name of our house. refer to past posts of house pictures!)

i am so thankful for my family!

 my older brother dustin, now lives in tennessee! and he's engaged to one of the most lovely ladies, amanda.

 they both got to join us for dinner.
i am so thankful my favorite older brother has found his lady!
i couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law!

"We're getting married!"

i love the relationship that i have with my parents.

i could not ask for anyone else better to have raised me.

i am thankful that i grew up being taught about the love of Jesus Christ.

our thanksgiving this year was simple, yet the best!

i worked till 4, so i made it in time to make some soup while

 mom and dad finished up everything else!

i can't wait to finish out this year with a bang
and start the next completely fresh!
happy holidays to you and yours.

the Waldroup family.

lovey dovey.

this past week i got the opprotunity to take my brother's and my future sister-in-law's engagement pictures!

they turned out so cute!

Dear Amanda,

i couldn't tell you how excited i am to have a new sister!

i'm so glad my big brother found you. you're going to be an awesome wife.

i'm getting so excited thinking about wedding festivities and such.

it's going to be awesome! 

and thank for allowing me to do your engagement pictures, and to be a part of preparing

for the big day!

love you so much!

lattes, autumn, and growing up.

i've officially turned my table at Java Garden into my 

own personal desk. 

scattered papers, laptop charger, blank cd's, camera equipment,

and coffee cover the surface. 

i have realized this is the first time in a long time i've

been able to sit and breath. 

with an hour left before i have to pick up my little sister from school, 

i'll take this opprotunity to blog. 

(of course i have another internet open; uploading pictures from my other job)

ah yes, i think i'm just recently realizing what it's like being a grown up.

it's not as scary as i thought it would be.

sure, being 10 is a lot more fun. but i've got my little sister, jules to re-live being a kid.

this is my favorite time of the year.

october-december.

it's especially my favorite time of the year with my 

new found love of photography.

"don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. 

I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms"

 -you've got mail.

today has been a very relaxing day. ironically i've been working all day. 

i've spent the past 3 1/2 hours in starbucks.

i feel if you're editing baby pictures, sipping on a pumpkin spice latte on a cool/crisp first day of fall, and listening to a mix of The Beatles, Nat King Cole, and Kenny G; it wouldn't be considered "working". 

i'm so blessed. 

have i mentioned that?

“Here's to shorter days, 

longer nights,

 and not minding one bit."

spring breeze. part3

With being only weeks away from finally moving in, everyone is getting anxious! only a few things are left to be done on this house. thankfully there wasn't much to be done in my room. i've only got to clean the mantle and paint the walls,  and i'm done!

 as i've said, my mom is such a good decorator. i've found cute things she's put together around the outside.