Finally getting to Zach's pictures

We had just a small window of opportunity and less than an hour before sundown.  I played with the settings on my camera a lot.  As a result, many of my images are grainy, but they will do.  I will continue to learn.  

Engagement Session

Tessa asked me to take some engagement photos of her and John.  We did this yesterday which meant that John was exhausted.  He had worked Friday night, all night, then stayed up to spend all of Saturday in an amusement park.  The very first shot I took was the unanimous favorite, but I went on to take 85 more.  I have lots to learn and really am researching photography classes, books, and resources.  One thing I have learned is that taking lots of pictures helps insure that you get the one shot you really like.

This was the first shot and the one they plan to use.  It is also the first shot in this  post.  However, we all like the black and white effect.

Tessa looks so much like Mom in this one.

They wanted Lola in the picture too.

I had  so many bad shots, poor lighting, bad shadows, etc.  However, I had so much fun, and this is why I think I am now ready to take this little hobby to a new level.

Quite the adventure

Once upon a time not so many years ago (depending on who you ask) there was a family with six kids who bought season passes most every summer to an amusement park.  They camped near the park and made several day trips to the park throughout the summer.  The amusement park was their vacation, and they never went to the beach or to the nation's capitol or to the mountains.  Then the children all grew up, and the family started traveling to the beach or mountains or Grand Canyon for vacation.  They occasionally still visited amusement parks, and the park that had once been so familiar to them seemed to lose some of it's appeal through budget cuts.

Last year through one of those original six children, discount tickets were purchased and most of the children and most of the grandchildren visited the park for the Halloween festival in the fall.  The plan was to repeat that again this year.  However, Zach (one of the said grandchildren) would not be able to go because the original plan was to go on a Friday which we all know is a football game day.  Julia (who had never been) wanted badly to go, and the coaster loving family agreed to take her and planned to push the coaster size limitations so that she could ride everything.

This is where I (Tamara, and one of the original six children) had to take matters into my own hands.  Mind you, I had no original intention of going to said amusement park.  Fall weekends are busy around here.  We have games and obligations, school stuff and a need to accomplish much around the house.  

However, two very important people were likely to be hurt in my absence.  Zach would miss the outing with his cousins and the entire family on his birthday weekend, and Julia just loves coasters and amusement parks so much.  We hatched a plan.  Zach could take some friends in lieu of receiving birthday gifts, and Julia could invite a friend more willing to ride the rides that Julia could ride.  We would go on Saturday.  As it turned out, the park had limited hours on Friday, and the entire group (the six original children, most of the spouses, a fiance, and several of the grandchildren) all made the two-hour trip to the park. Because the family grandchildren is quite boy heavy, Savannah got to invite a girl to go along with her.

We had a blast!  So much so, that we didn't turn down the opportunity to buy season passes for next summer at an insanely good price (insanely good is still a BIG splurge for a family of six, but Zach and Savannah will have to cover the costs of their passes...meaning Savannah may soon pursue a job with one of the rare businesses that hire 14 year olds).

I got one brief opportunity to get a picture of the eight kids for whom I was responsible for the day.  The boys split and did their own thing for the day.  Savannah and K ran around with the cousins and aunts and uncles. Julia, L, and I spent most of our day on our own.

I loved this fall scene while awaiting the train.

A water ride on a day when the high was only in the 50's and the low was in the low 30's...yep.  We had so much fun that we rode twice.

We loved the view from the top.

Happy Birthday Zach!  I only saw the big boys when they needed to eat.  They missed my 11:00 p.m. curfew at the gate, and we did not leave the park until 12:45a.m.   I drove for two hours with a car full of sleeping teens.

Photo booth pictures are such fun!

While we were away, I missed this kick from Wyatt in his tournament soccer game.  They lost in overtime and because of a bad call. The ref called a goal offsides when the ball was never passed to another player.  Bad calls are part of any sport, but they particularly stink when they affect the outcome of the game.

Andy and Wyatt stayed behind, and Wyatt invited a friend over to stay the night.  They had a blast too!

I awoke to 10 children in my home this morning.  Wyatt's loud voice rang through the house at 8:00 a.m. waking me despite my plans to sleep until at least 10:00.  A nap alluded me today, so I am hoping for an early bedtime tonight.

Flashback Friday

2008

It's that time of year again...

The school picture proofs arrive in the backpacks, and I gasp at the price of mediocre, if not worse, pictures.  I take the kids to a park and try to successfully get some good pictures. I am really thinking that I may ask for the opportunity to attend a photography workshop for Christmas, or I may ask for some good books on photography to try and improve my skills.  

I want to investigate the options for books at this blog a bit further.

http://kevansphotography.blogspot.com/

I took these shots of Wyatt and Julia yesterday.  We had very little time, and I have been battling a brutal cold all week...ugh.  

This is my favorite shot of Wyatt.  So GQ, don't you think?

Julia and I argued about her attire. I really wanted something with a more casual/fall look.   She won because part of capturing the pictures is capturing the personality too.  This outfit is definitely all Julia.  She loves this dress and tries to find every opportunity to wear it.  We are already getting our money's worth from it even though it was purchased for triple duty - Tessa's upcoming wedding, the school Christmas concert, and the Father/Daughter dance.  I may just have to splurge on another dress for her.

I really loved the pictures I got in this shoot of Wyatt even though I had to pull him away from hunting for fossils.  I am not as happy with Julia's as her smile seems forced in most of them, and her hair was a mess.  The wind didn't help that situation at all.

totally love this!

17 Years ago today....

Happy Birthday, Zach!