My 100th Post!

For my 100th post I wanted to pick something really special to post. This may seem like just another flower and broken leaf, but it's more. This flower grows in a bed of pansies right next to our pool in the backyard. It was there almost a year ago when we 1st went to look at the house we ended up buying. I thought once it disappeared in the fall it would be lost forever. I think I practically forgot about it altogether until my husband called me outside one evening last week.

It was such a beautiful sight to see this beautiful flower pop out again this spring. The first time I saw it I figured would be the last.

What a happy reminder of our
soon to be
1 Year Anniversary in our new home!

So for my 100th post I give you..."A Beauty All It's Own"!

(click on the photo to enlarge it to it's full loveliness)

May & June Portrait Specials!

This month is almost over...and I thought why not run some portrait specials for my blog buddies who read & support me everyday!

"Prom Dress" Photo Shoot-I know prom just passed for both the local highschools in my neighborhood. Why only get to wear your dress once? Book a photo session with me for May or June to give that dress the attention it deserves! Do you know a senior who just went to prom? No idea what to get them for a graduation gift...give her the gift of a "Prom Dress" Photo Session! She will cherish it forever!

or

"Thinking of Dad" Photo Shoot-Don't know what to get dad this year for Father's Day on June 15th...why not a photo gift of his kids? This works for grandpa's too! There are countless options for unique and personal gifts...t-shirts, mugs, playing cards and even brag books just for the special Dad in your life. Don't wait on this one...we need time to do the shoot and get your order back so you can give dad a Father's Day gift to remember!

• These offers are good for the month of May or June 2008 only. Contact me for availability.
• Receive a "Prom Dress" Portrait Session or a "Thinking of Dad" Portrait Session at the special session price (contact me for the special price).
• These shoots must take place in Murrieta or Temecula, Ca at one location of your choice (or mine-if you need help picking the perfect spot).
• If you would like a "Prom Dress" or "Thinking of Dad" Portrait Session and are outside the Murrieta/Temecula area, please know I'd be happy to come to you, but will have to add a travel fee for doing so.
• "Prom Dress" Photos will be taken wearing Prom Dresses only...no wardrobe change for this session!
• "Thinking of Dad" Sessions can include up to 4 children and their mom (if desired) for no extra charge. If there are more than 4 little ones there will be a small additional fee.
• The Extra Special Part-1 free 8x10, 4 free wallets & 1 free 5x7 of your choice (same image will be used for all free prints & the finish will be Luster) will be given as my gift to you for taking advantage of these specials.

Please send a link to my blog to your own friends and family who may be interested in one of these two specials. I don't want anybody to miss out!

Contact me at hmccullah@gmail.com for session & portrait/gift pricing if you're interested in either of my May or June Specials!

Tuesday's Texture Challenge

I told you there'd be something FUN & FREE! How about a texture challenge for the next few Tuesdays? I went a little nutty with photographing textures the other day and thought
I'd give some away.

Here's the idea...feel free to download my textures and use them as you please. View my quick example of how I used my texture and create your own photograph or photographs using my FREE textures. Use one texture or both textures-your choice. Then email me your image & name and I'll post it the following Tuesday for everybody to see.

This way we can all get ideas on how many different ways we can use textures. Use it for backgrounds, overlays, borders-you name it! It's FREE! Also, feel free to share your own textures. Comment below or email me a link back to your blog
where the images will be.

All I ask is that you share what you create with the textures either by linking back to
me when you use them! And share my post with your photo buddies-the more participants the more free textures go up.

(Click Photos to Enlarge & Click Texture to Download Full Image)

Sample & Texture #1

Sample & Texture #2

I can't wait to see what you come up with-Happy Texturing!

A Taste of Spring

From my rose garden...

MAD AT THE WORLD!

" Do not teach your children never to be angry; teach them how to be angry." ~Lyman Abbott

I wanted to share this one from the shoot with my daughter the other day. As soon as I reviewed the images I had this photo manipulation in mind for the photo. The first one is the original photo that my idea formed from. And the story goes like this-

My son was watching the photo shoot and my daughter wanted him to stop whatever it was he was doing when she stared him down as you see in the photo. I am so glad I captured the look on her face at that moment because as all of you with teens out there know-this look is the typical "Mad at the World" or "Stop Bugging Me" look we all can do without on most days. This day I didn't mind her being a little mad!


"The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough." ~Bede Jarrett


So...how do you get a manipulation like this? Well, it's a lot of playing around in your favorite editing program. I knew I was going to use some of the cloud photos from my "Heaven's Above" blog, but didn't know which one until they were each tried one by one. I went with one that had both a dark side and a brighter blue side to it. I don't know why I picked it, it just looked good to me. My edit of the original photo already had extra noise added in to make it a bit more interesting and kind of deep. Sometimes I add noise to give extra interest to a photo. Normally photographers try to reduce the noise in their photos, which is at most times true for me too, but in some cases, usually when doing artist manipulations-adding noise is the better choice. I next added an adjustment layer to my existing layer (the original photo), positioning it just right. I then duplicated that layer and erased the clouds and sky from her face giving it the effect you see. I also tweaked the opacity on the second layer so that there was a bit of both layers (photos) present in my final piece. I think I added in some contrast and adjusted the hue on this as well. If you haven't tried this type of photo-reworking-do so! You may just find you love it like I do!

Anyhow, I loved the result...my daughter? I'm not so sure...I can say she didn't seem to hate it as she sometimes feels about my digital creations.

This brings up a topic to mention...what about ethics and photo manipulation? Is it unethical to alter photos in this way? Here's some interesting reading on the subject of digital manipulation and ethics if you're interested.

Also, I see your watching my posts closely...leave a comment now and then and let me know what you think-especially about my photo manipulations like this one...after all they are one of my favorite things! :)

Take this to bed with you tonight and wake with it in your head every morning-I dare you!

"If you're angry at a loved one, hug that person. And mean it. You may not want to hug - which is all the more reason to do so. It's hard to stay angry when someone shows they love you, and that's precisely what happens when we hug each other." ~Walter Anderson, The Confidence Course, 1997

You see...there is a message to find in every image created, there is something to be learned in every struggle we go through, something to be gained in every emotion-if you are willing to embrace it!

Nature Finale! (Maybe)

Whew! Are you as tired as I am? It's been a journey this week...I haven't shot this much of one thing-ever! I'm finding I kind of like it...

I think we all should take a fresh look at the things around us and appreciate the wonders they are...including the wonders we are!

I would go into detail on each of these, but I'm on my way to Vegas for the annual wedding & portrait convention. I hope to be able to share with you all the great things I learn while I'm there...and put them into practice in the coming months.

Beauty is all around us...in nature, animals and people...all you have to do is be open to finding it!

Enjoy your week! :)

Nature Part 4 (The Heavens Above)

The past few days I focused in on some small things in nature...this time I'm expanding to some of the largest wonders of nature...

Shall we start with the sky & clouds and the enormity of it? It's awesome when you think of it...the size alone. The shapes of the clouds is a whole different subject.

I decided to shoot the sky & clouds when I went outside today to do one of the days many mundane tasks and I was practically knocked over with the amazing beauty all over the sky above me-in every direction! This first one was taken of the sky and clouds above my very own home.












Then I went to an area about 5 minutes from home where I knew there were mountains and greenery surrounding. I was able to get the next few shots there. I really like this one b/c the clouds
seem endless the
way they are
climbing towards
the sky.












This next group of photos are a little more dark in contrast which gives
them a mysterious and spooky feel to them.




There were so many more great cloud photos-I just can't share them all today. Maybe I'll share them another day. Come back tomorrow and see the finale of my nature expedition!

I think there is rain on the way...hmm...how did I guess?!


My manipulation for this series...

"It's a Stormy World"

Nature Part 1 (Echoing Flowers)

Yesterday and today I worked on experimenting with macro photography. I am no expert, but I liked the results. I found that because I shot on a glass table there were some great natural reflections from the flowers that showed up in the images. I called this session "echoing flowers" because I imagine if they were to make noise it would sound like soft echoes off in a distance just like the soft mirror image echo they left on the glass table. I shot these with my Nikon D80 SLR camera and an 18-200mm lens using automatic focus and the macro mode on my camera. I am not finished editing them all for posting, but will share these few for tonight. Hope you enjoy the bright colors and reflections on these photos!

I have decided on a nature theme for my next few blogs. I find that being in tune with nature helps keep things in my life peaceful and light. I hope that you will see some of that shine through in my photography over time. When looking at these flowers they bring thoughts of hope, laughter, smiling, generosity and kindness to my mind. They are an assortment of all my favorite colors and maybe that is why they bring such happy thoughts to me. I love shades of yellow, orange & red. All of those are clearly seen inside these images.

I hope you are inspired to take time to smell some flowers sometime this week. Thank you for reading & viewing my blog on this beautiful evening...more tomorrow!