By this spectacular artist:
twitter: lauren18nicole
Portfolio: http://www.behance.net/LaurenPyles
Burrowing Owls
When I have on my photography hat I stalk the pages of UglyHedgehog.com
It’s an amazing site where you can learn more about photography, ask questions, have your photography critiqued among other cool things.
I ran across these photos while perusing their site one day and thought them remarkable. They were taken by Bill Grabinski. He was kind enough to give me permission to use them here to show you guys!
I have a fondness for owls. I find them to be amazing and curious creatures. I’ve only seen a few in my 47 years so having photos someone actually took, meaning the sweet little owls were still enough for a photo shoot is just inspiring to me.
They look so wise! And in this photo look so mad especially the one on the bottom.
I like the way the one on the right looks a bit curious now. ”Hey dude, what are you doing with that black thing in your hand?”
And the one on the left is still just mad at the world!!! They seriously crack me up!
Thanks for indulging me this morning! Go Owls!! (and thanks Bill Grabinski for the beautiful shots)
Copper River Bags Giveaway
Pure Photoshop Actions is giving away one of Copper River Bags mostest wonderfulest (yes, I meant to say that) bag! If you have gear and you need a bag these are wonderful! Click on over and check them out!! I tried to get you a photo of the bag but it didn’t work. Happy looking!
The Football Dance
Most of our year is taken up with football in one form or another. After finishing flag ball this year we’ve plugged through the Florida heat and conditioning camp.
Since being gone for the Fourth of July the boys had a particularly hard training session yesterday. We had thunderstorms all around us which made the humidity and the bugs just horrible. The heat was bearable, however the mosquitos that tried to carry us off weren’t.
I purchased a new camera and a new lens a while back and I’m having fun getting accustomed to both. I love the new camera and toted my 50mm 1.4 yesterday.
Here’s a couple shots of the boys during practice.
This is Son#3 with his buddy Cam.
Son #2 with Ms. Kayla as everyone on the squad calls her. She’s a tough one and loves football.
Running full speed backwards. My backside would be on the ground!
This one just never looks fun:
Got to love the one who will pose for mom!!
Because one never will!!
Working the hips on the ladder:
This is just plain working hard!
Check out the height in these two photos:
Playing after training:
Stretching as a team:
I love this one. He loves his new cleats.
Tuckered out after stretching:
I’m thinking Mike needs to train my backside back into shape. What are you doing to keep in shape this summer? Anything?
Available for Purchase….
These and other great shots are now available to purchase here:
http://society6.com/PhotosbyJulie
Go check it out!
Abnormally Normal
These are the photo processing choices I usually make but I often don’t stand on the beach as a subtropical storm bears down on me either. So it’s Florida and I feeling a little grungy in my processing!!
The angry the sea yesterday!
No one was allowed in the water and most were leaving the beach (crazy people)! Cool photographers though!!
Someone’s turning eight…
She honestly was born just yesterday.
She called out, “My boys, my boys” every time she saw her brothers. She cuddled with my youngest son in her crib (video proof).
Now, on Memorial Day, she is eight.
It’s hard to believe growing up happens so quickly. Days sometimes crawl but as you look back they were gone in a single breath.
We celebrated her birthday with friends by a chilly pool, but kids don’t care! They had a blast.
One forgot her suit so she swam in her clothes. We’re easy like that.
Her brothers even made an appearance. This is one of my favorite shots. Something about the tilt of his head, the texture of his hair….
Life flies by so quickly.
Go hug your kids.
Photography Actions
I love Pioneer Womans Actions as well as MCP Actions.
So I wanted to share a few of my before and afters with you. (After posting I realized this isn’t EXACTLY the same shot, but goes with the 4:30am editing)
Before:
After:
One Click Color by MCP Actions at 40% – Lovely and Etherical at 100% by Pioneer Woman Actions – Selective Sharpening turned up to 80%
Then here’s baby girl:
Before:
And After: One Click Color again/ Raised exposure in Camera Raw and used MCP’s Magic Powder
I should have lightened up around her eyes some more but oh well….it was 4:30 this morning and I couldn’t sleep.
Here’s one more but I couldn’t tell you what I did!! I just love her hair in this one. It needs a little more work but here it is anyway….
Before:
After:
I had such high plans of this being a great tutorial but my early morning wakefulness got the best of me.
Enjoy anyway!
Rain, Glorious Rain!!
Last night we finally had rain. Real, pouring down, thunderous, booming rain!
It was glorious!
Jacksonville has resembled the Majava Dessert. I swear a scrub brush flew by yesterday.
This morning our neighborly little friends were bathing outside the house. Of course I ran for my camera. These were my favorite shots.
Isn’t her reflection spectacular?
Don’t you wonder what they are thinking?
Oh, to be a duck!
He’s our hero!
All three of my boys had football games on Saturday.
There are times when son #3 takes an interest and other times when he doesn’t really care about what’s going on. But I’ve noticed this season as we have progressed so has he.
Saturday I watched him run for 40 yards or so, but my proudest moment was this one.
He was chasing after the guy carrying the ball, got trampled, picked himself up and pulled the guy’s flag.
I tell ya, it was a moment that would make a mama cry!
Enjoy it in pictures as I did on a breezy Saturday morning in Florida…
The collision…(he’s the guy on the right getting clobbered)
The knockdown….
The pain…
And the snag! You go little man! You’re our man!
What others have said: