a bag of chips

Sick as a dog.

Yep that's me, looking and sounding like death warmed over. And it's a sick tri-fecta. A cold, my monthly "flu" and my back is out. I need hugs and chicken noodle soup. And a fresh bottle of Nyquil.

So, before I blow snot all over my keyboard, I'm signing out for the weekend and leaving you with this photo of Miss Makena. Inspired by the incredible Dina Marie (who photographed my girls on Sunday - see a few of them here) and these fabulous photos by Tara, I took this in a field near my house.

Oh, how I love this girl.

 

 

(camera info: Canon 5D, lens 24/70L @ 5.6, ISO 250, SS 1/250, portrait mode, outdoors, natural light, cloudy, auto WB)

Got ketchup?

(Or is it catsup? Whatever.)

Sometimes I take the perfect picture. Perfect, I'm sure, to no one else but me (and maybe this baby's parents), this photo has something in the lighting, the composition, the placement of the hands and feet (and the discreetly covered hoohoo) that emits from my heart the maternal "awwwwww" that stirs my ovaries, renders me temporarily insane, and gets me thinking about adopting again.

So, instead, I'll just settle for some ketchup so I can nibble on that little toe.

(Image info: Canon 5D, 24-70L @ 2.8, ISO 200, 1/500 SS, AV mode, natural light, shade, outdoors)

Announcements!

Happy Friday!

Just wanted to say here that I posted some announcements over on my business site that I want to make sure are seen by all who should see them. Go check it out!

And I scrapped! I used one of the photos from my prior entry - love that photo! You can also find this layout at the Simple Studio.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Answers!

Not too many questions to get through this time, so I should be able to get them answered with this one post. But first:

Aidan's feet while he's reading. He's a toe-curler. Love it. Don't love the smell, but whaddya gonna do.

This is Aidan's superhero face. Oooh. Scary.

So, here we go with the answering:

Tram asked:  What are your "must have" props/accessories for your newborn photo sessions? Bean bag, black blanket, etc..... 

And I say:  A full, large beanbag and a variety of backdrops and blankets - and lots of them - are best for newborns. It's not uncommon for a newborn to "go" five or six times during a session, so make sure you've got plenty of washable options. I usually bring six cream and white blankets and four or five black ones.  And they're all quite big, too. I'm also considering investing in a backdrop stand and some seamless paper for when a neutral background is needed.  Also, ask the baby's parents if there are any heirloom or special items they'd like included in any shots.  One recent client had an heirloom gown and blanket as well as a special quilt made by great-grandma.  I also love the big wooden bowl I've been borrowing from a friend and feverishly trying to find my own. They're called trencher bowls or dough bowls and they should be deep and long enough for baby.

Jenn G. asked a whole list of questions (and covers questions from Christy (hey, girl!) and Mandy:

1)what is 'noise'/'noise reduction' when it comes to photgraphy?
2)what actions do you use on your photos? (lost of people really ham it up on the color, but yours are realistic and beautiful).
3)If you had a wish list when it came to photography equipment what would it be?
4)Did you take any photography classes, or are you more self-taught?
5)Which Photographer(s) do you look up to for inspiration?
6)Did you always have an 'eye' for photography, or did you have to learn as you go what works?
7)When did you start photography?
8)Is most of your pictures taken on Manual, or do you use AF?
9)I know that you are more of a natural light photographer, but when you are indoors do you use a flash, and what is your ISO settings indoors?
10)Did you start scrapbooking first, and then get more into photography, or was it the other way around?

And I say:

1) Noise in photography is the result of a high ISO setting and/or long exposure time in low light. Noise reduction reduces the noise and gives the photo a more consistent look. If you'd like, go here and scroll to the bottom to download a free noiseware plug-in for Photoshop and PSE. This freebie kicks butt!

2) I have quite a few different action sets: some Kubota, some Totally Rad, a few from Brenda Acuncius, Itty Bitty, and the freebies from Pioneer Woman. However, I rarely use them. For my photos, my typical workflow involves adjustments in levels and curves, and the awesome Smart Sharpen feature in CS2. I'll also play with color balance, saturation and contrast as needed. Perhaps in another post I'll detail exactly what I do in levels and curves to get my photos the way I like 'em.

3) Ooooh, a wish list. On my list right now are a 15mm 2.8 and a 50mm 1.2. I'd also like another camera, either a 40D or another 5D. I'd also love a Shootsac, but I collect camera bags like I collect laundry. I've yet to find one that I really like, although my Crumpler is the best so far.

4) I'm self-taught, baby. Lotsandlotsandlotsandlots of P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E. With photography, like any other art form, to find your groove and your style takes time and lotsandlotsandlotsandlots of practice. Classes are a great way to learn the basics and I highly recommend them, but that still requires, you guessed it, lots of practice. Rome wasn't built in a day and it's going to take a while to be in sync with your camera. You'll get there. Besides your camera's operating manual, any book by Scott Kelby regarding digital photography, Photoshop, Lightroom or PSE are helpful and informative reads.

5) Audrey Woulard, Carrie Sandoval, Jessica Claire and the amazing talent at The Image is Found are my regular sources for jaw-dropping photography inspiration. There are many others who consistently and continually blow me away, but there are really too many to mention.

6) I guess I've always had an eye for photography and have enjoyed being a "life tourist". Having fabulous equipment and the digital age have made it possible for me to hone my skillz.

7) While I've been taking photos all my life (took lots of pictures as a real estate appraiser), I started my business about three years ago.

8) I generally shoot in either AV mode (Aperture Priority) or in Manual mode. Manual mode works best when the setting and lighting conditions are pretty consistent since it's up to the photographer to set all exposure elements - ISO, shutter speed and aperture value. AV mode gives the photographer control over aperture and ISO but the camera sets the shutter speed. I use AV mode most often for outdoor photography, and manual for indoors.

9) I have a flash and really don't know how to use it well.  I have a Canon 430EX flash and both the Clear and Cloudy Lightspheres which make flash photography more appealing.

10) Great question! When I started scrapbooking I became much more aware of my photographs and really wanted to make my scrapbooking better by taking better photos and that's really where my passion for photography blossomed. And now that I'm taking better photos, I'm even more passionate about making them the focus of my pages. And taking better photographs and thereby creating better pages has resulted in an editorial board position at Simple Scrapbooks.

And, lastly, Cindy asked about resizing photos for the web.  Click here for a prior blog entry that covers that.

So there you have it, another installment of Q&A over at my place. Please keep the questions coming - there are no secrets in photography or scrapbooking and I really enjoy sharing what I know.

(I'm still so very tempted to strangle my computer or watch it drop from a ten-story building and smash into a billion tiny pieces, especially since this stupid thing has done exactly that to whatever small amount of sanity I have left. If you have one of those fancy email doohickeys that tell you when someone's posted on their blog, I'm sorry for all the entries today. I had to keep saving it so I wouldn't lose my post, only to realize later that I could have saved a draft version and my embarrassment.)

Kids and Q & A.

First things first!

It's been awhile since I've updated on how the baby is doing. And, honestly, she's not (sniffle) a baby (sob) anymore. She's a 19-month-old opinionated little spitfire of a girl who thinks her daddy is a god.

(Case in point:

Here she is, playing on the slide, ignoring me. She's really good at it, too.

Then she sees daddy pull up.

And she starts to scream with excitement. If there were an audio with this photo, your ears would be bleeding.) 

She is pretty outgoing and is not above working a crowd - she can turn on the charm, this one, and she's a shameless flirt. She loves to run in that head-first, heavy-footed way that toddlers do, and it's adorable to watch. She's off the bottle and almost-kinda-sorta off the binkie unless I've had enough of the whining and fussing (the binkie is my preferred mute botton). She loves fruit (apples, grapes, blueberries, raisins, watermelon, prunes and dried apricots(she's also really regular)), vegetables (carrots, cauliflower and edamame) and whole grains, but our little lady can put away the chicken nuggets with reckless abandon (five is her record). She still fingers most of her meals but is getting a bit better with the spoon.

She can say, with varying clarity, apple, up, juice, airplane, light, bye-bye, night-night, love you, and step-on-the-gas-you-son-of-a-bitch, though I have no idea where she picked up that last one. 

Nadia is the light of our lives and the perfect finale to our growth as a family. We continue to see her birthmother and bio siblings about every two weeks and it's been joyful beyond words what a remarkable thing open adoption has been for us all. God is thanked many times a day for the many blessings in our lives.

I'd also like to say a very special Happy Mother's Day! to all of you, and especially to my own amazing mommy.  You, mother dear, are the reason I am who I am and where I am today. Were it not for your unfailing love, support, gentle criticism and encouragement, I wouldn't be the confident, strong and loving woman, wife and mother that I think I turned out to be. I had a great role model in you. Really. Despite everything you think you did wrong or coulda-woulda-shoulda done differently over the years, my love, respect and admiration for you has never waned nor has it ever been undeserved. You are my hero, my rock, and you'll always be my mommy. I love you!

(This concludes the sappy part of this broadcast. We now resume our regularly scheduled blathering.)

Okay! It's time to hit me with your questions! Bring 'em on! 

I'll be away from the computer over the weekend but I'll be back on Monday to start the answering. Me and a few of my friends are heading to Palm Springs (yeah, baby) for some spa time, girl time, pool time and kid-free time, then it's back on Sunday for some family time.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sheesh!

I wonder how far I can throw my computer?

Seriously, I've sat down and tried to post five times in the last week and each time my browser freezes in the middle of each post, effectively deleting all my witty and exciting posts. Yes, folks, I'm on a PC and I'm hating life right now, dreaming of a Mac. Dreaming of having a Mac in the next few months. (Yes, honey, that's right. I know you're reading this and rolling your eyes right now, and seriously considering removing my credit card from my wallet. I know we just bought a new washer and dryer and I really love them and I kinda-sorta-almost love doing the laundry now, and I'm even willing to sacrifice my very small but very expensive Mother's Day gift for the promise of a Mac in the very near future. I love you, you're my treasure, my reason for breathing. And you know, I'm sure once I have a Mac I'll spend less time dealing with my unruly and unrealiable PC and that means I'll have more time for s-e-x. Really. Kisskiss.)

So, yes, major computer issues and a busy and hectic schedule. I've had a lot of photography work lately (check out www.tinacockburnphotography.com for some baby cuteness), including my first commercial shoot for JW Tumbles and a shoot for my friend and local Christian recording artist Mary James for her upcoming album release.  Whew!

And, in honor of National Scrapbooking Day, I scrapped this weekend! YAY! I've been having fun stepping up the embellishments on my layouts in an effort to make even just a tiny dent in my stash, and I love this red Making Memories polkie paper that I picked up at Target.

I also wanted to say a huge THANK YOU!!! for all the awesome birthday wishes. I had an awesome birthday weekend and, so far, 39 is shaping up quite nicely. Not too much progress yet on the "40 by 40" endeavor, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

Later this week, barring any more computer issues, I'll be opening the old bloggity up for a Q&A. Got a burning question? Save it up and look out for another post on Thursday or Friday.

39. And holding.

Yes, today's my birthday. Woohoo.

Actually, it's okay. I've never been one to feel dread or regret or get depressed about upcoming birthdays. And, even as I've been inching my way closer to 40, I still feel totally fine about getting older. However, I do feel that it's time for a change. A good, healthy, change geared toward increasing my chances at living the longest possible life and toward decreasing my weight and cholesterol. So here's my goal:

40 by 40

I plan to lose 40 lbs and permanently change my eating and exercising habits by the time I'm 40. I recently came across this photo of myself from 9 years ago. I had just lost about 30 lbs in about 4 months by eliminating the bread, pasta, potatoes and rice from my diet, and exercising at least four days a week. I weighed about 155 in this photo which put me in a size 8 jeans and a medium shirt. I looked great and I felt great. (Of course, this was before marriage, infertility and the three kids whose metabolisms work off Oreos and pancakes much better than mine does.)

I'm currently 204 lbs (yes, she really did tell the entire internet how much she weighs) and I don't look great or feel great. So my goal is to be 164 lbs or lower by this time next year. With the help of my YMCA membership and a good diet program to jump-start my journey, I can do this. For myself, my kids, my man.

And for my birthday I also did a little scrapping:

So tonight my folks are coming down to watch the kids while my hubby takes me out for a nice, relaxed evening out, and then tomorrow it's friends and festivities in our backyard for mojitos and my hubby's amazing pork back ribs. I'll be strapping on the feedbag one last time before my program starts on Monday.

And a huge thanks to all who commented on my previous post about Aidan. You all are awesome and I can't tell you how much your support and encouragement has meant to us. You ROCK!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Aidan Aidan Bo Baidan.

Aidan will be 5.5 years old the end of this month. At home he is sweet to his sisters, affectionate with us, playful and curious, helpful and sweet. He has his moments of impulsiveness and inattention at home, but he can play on the computer, watch a movie or build stuff with rapt attention for hours.

At school, however, his behavior is quite different. And we're all struggling to address his issues with the awesome help of his two teachers. We're desperately seeking a non-drug way of modifying his behavior and have explored many options. We're having his vision checked and we're also exploring an allergy treatment program in the event Aidan has hidden allergies which affect the way his brain functions. Anna Aspnes and her family have been going through the rigors of an NAET program and it's her story that inspired my to give NAET a try. And who knows? Maybe we'll all do it together, especially Miss Makena with her egg/nut/soy allergies, asthma and frequent coughs/colds.

He's been diagnosed as ADHD by our HMO (ahemKaiserahem), but I really wonder if that's what he has. When Aidan wants to have a good day at school, he does, and he can correct some behaviors with the help of his teacher when he wants to. Rarely does he truly seem unable to control himself. It seems more like he acts out as a result of anger or frustration (and perhaps an inability to appropriately  express his feelings) or in a bid for attention. One particular doctor, Dr. Lawrence Weathers, believes ADHD symptoms are a "refined adaptive skill" and not a defect or disorder, and that seems more in line with Aidan's behavior. And Aidan's worst behaviors are primarily only at school. At the park or in other group play settings, he makes friends easily and plays well with others, and, beyond typical sibling disagreements, he has never been aggressive with his sisters.

I'm writing about all of this because I'm sad and heartbroken, frustrated and totally insecure about the job I'm/we're doing of raising our man. I'm questioning everything we've ever done as parents, looking for triggers and patterns (both his and ours) that have lead us to where we are today. My sweet, loving boy becomes a terror at school. Once a week for the last few weeks he's been sent home for hurting a friend or a teacher. Today he bit someone.

Aidan says he prays a lot which is awesome, and he usually asks God to help him make good choices during bedtime prayers. On some level he is aware of his challenges and we are dilligent about make sure he knows that he's not a bad boy, he just sometimes makes bad choices.

I pray for our boy everday, and I pray hardest for patience and guidance as his parent. Patience is not one of my strongest attributes and guidance seems hard to come by. My sole desire is to just do the right thing for my son and for our family but I'm struggling with what the right thing really is.

So, if I may request prayers again, please pray for this amazing boy whose charm and curiosity warm my soul and kindled the fire of motherhood in my heart:

(Here he is at the mall the other day, admiring himself in the mirror.)

Life.

I bought Makena a flute the other day during a serious momentary lapse of reason.  She loves her "fwoot." My ears do not.

Is this not the most adorable sad face ever? Now that she's officially 18 months old (how the hell did that happen so fast?) and throwing curve-ball tantrums, we see this face a lot around here.

Little miss chow-hound wrapping up some lunch. I want to repaint my kitchen (now a fun lime green) and my dining room which is currently some sort of burnt orange that turned out nothing like I hoped it would. I'm seriously color-challenged when it comes to the walls in my house.

Giving daddy a through-the-screen kiss. Be still my heart.

Tomorrow's my last day hosting the Simple Studio blog so I should be a bit more present back here at ny own little bit of blogdom.

Easter Birthday.

On Easter Sunday, after mass and a lovely, healthy Easter lunch at McDonald's which we ate in the car, we headed up to Los Angeles to celebrate not only Easter with my family, but my grandfather's 82nd birthday, too.  Almost everyone was there and it was, as it always is, a treat to see everyone and catch up. And my aunt Judi made corned beef and cabbage, one of my all-time favorite meals. YUM!

It's also always a treat to photograph my family, and they are (usually) very patient and willing to let me. I love all my sweet cousins and my darling aunts and uncles, and my grandparents are so sweet and (usually) enjoy the chaos in their home that comes with the arrival of their progeny. I'm blessed beyond measure to be a part of such an awesome family.

So here's a glimpse at the Champlin family Easter Birthday celebration:

Uncle Coco wth Makena on the back porch.

The birthday boy himself, waiting patiently for some cake. He's 82 years old and took out all his candles with a single breath.  Impressive!

My cousin Sean's lovely girlfriend, Tawnya. This was my first time meeting her. She is utterly delightful and loves being in front of the camera. Lucky me!

My youngest cousin JoJo with Nadia.  They were so cute together!

And the dudes, JoJo and Aidan. They always enjoy each other.

The Desmond clan - Terry, Bob, Tawnya, Sean and Judi. Sean is leaving next week for two weeks in Thailand. Be safe Sean and have fun!