After the Hiatus

This blog, once a steady stream of words and photos, seems to have become less the trickle that I intended, and more a stagnant pool of nothingness.  Oops.

I have no one else to blame; I started to have a life outside of the Internet world, and while I did my best to maintain virtual social aspects with my reality of work, school, and dog walks, I just couldn't do it.  I kept telling myself that summer would see a change, but it never did...instead, I delved deeper into a chaotic life, and soon this site was forgotten altogether, although not because I didn't feel a desire to keep it going.  Instead, I just wasn't sure where to start back up, or how to play catch up on what life has brought me since whenever I last posted.  I can't even remember what it was about.  Now, after a few words from husband, mother, and a couple others, I've decided to do my best to recreate this online personality because truthfully, I miss it.  I miss my blogger friends, I miss sharing my stories without the stutter that sometimes appears in real life, I miss using big words that I don't really know how to pronounce even though I understand what they mean.  So.  Here I am; please hang with me as I retrace my steps over the past few months to explain how husband came home from deployment, I hosted two Belarusian women for three weeks, I lost a job, I got a pretty new lens and camera, I traveled the world, and who knows what else.

If you happened to see the past couple posts, you know that I still do some photography sessions.  I managed to book a wedding over the summer, which was just as overwhelming as I thought it would be, and the same day that occurred I welcomed two 11 year old girls from Belarus into our home.  I had offered to host them because that last month before husbands come back from deployment are the absolute worst.  They drag, they limp, they craaaaawl by; so I found a way to keep myself occupied.  I'll share a photo or two from the wedding (which I hope was not my last, even though I hated the pressure of it) as well as the girls.

Ah, Katya and Nika.  They were very sweet, intelligent young ladies that left crumbs in the bedroom and shoes in the entryway.  I suddenly went from living alone with two dogs to having kids...something I am not familiar with at all.  They enjoyed Skpying with their families as much as possible, Pringles, walking the dogs, and having photo shoots in the thunder storms.  The entire time they were here, we managed to have the most beautiful summer Germany has seen in decades!  It was a huge stroke of luck.  I'm really not sure what else I could say about them, other than they changed a little something inside of me.  I felt like I, an extremely selfish and self-centered person, actually gave back.  They cried when they left and asked me to come visit, which I don't plan to do, but I know for sure that I will host again next summer.  If you have any particular questions, feel free to email me: I'd love to share about the program and help as many kids in need have a better chance at a healthy life as well.

Here are the pics; tomorrow, I'll share how DH came home to me just in time to see the girls off, our whirlwind trip to Budapest, Brussels, and Brugge, and why I won't be going back to school.

Etc.

Garmisch, Germany

While the rest of you wonderful people are being responsible and working jobs or taking care of children, I've decided to go on a photo tour expedition.  No guarantee I'll come back with anything amazing, but here's a glimpse of my surroundings at the moment.  Too much to do to edit, so these are straight off the camera!

Recently

Photo Challenge: Happiness

Perhaps I'm introducing photo overload, but this week's challenge leaves a little room for interpretation. I would love to show how happy I am with my life, but taking self portraits all the time seems a little narcissistic...instead, I'm going to show you a few things that make me happy.

Sunsets in foreign lands.  This one is from my recent trip to Cinque Terre, Italy.

Dogs.  Geez do my dogs make me happy.

Very very very happy.

Laying in a Belgian park with my best friend.

Warm, sunny days and pretty patios.

The knowledge that while my husband is gone for another few months, one day he'll come home to me.

Photo Challenge: Silhouettes

Amsterdam, Holland

Very excited to be linking up with LWLH this week to show off some silhouette photos.  I'm not too fantastic at these types of pictures, so this was an awesome challenge to help me feel a little more comfortable with camera settings.  I'll admit, though, the second one is kind of from a year ago...hope that's not considered cheating!
I regret having missed the past couple challenges, so I'm hoping the hostesses will allow me to play catch-up next week!

Weekend in Pictures

Sometimes I break my promises

and don't blog like I said I would.  That may or may not change.  I'm out of a job for the week, so I now have plenty of time to sit down and tell you guys all the stories I've been holding in for the past couple months.  Until then, however, I have some Weekend in Pictures catching up to do.

.coffee dates with the girls.

.sushi dates with entertaining friends.

.fun hats and cute dogs.

.mustache cups and bug dresses.

.worlds catching on fire.  or the eye of sauron...

.snow falling off of trees.

.more cute pups that make my heart happy.

.a boxer play date.

.rocking out and getting a new piercing.

Photo Challenge: Water

I've been missing the past couple weeks, but I'm going to wait until this weekend or Monday to explain why.  In the meantime, I'm linking up again with Ivy at LWLH in a photo challenge.  The tip of an icicle, icicle caves, and a throwback to warmer weather and prettier colors from last fall.  

Photo Challenge Link-Up!

You all know by now that I'm no pro at taking photos, but I have definitely come a very long way in my two years of holding a DSLR.  And while I still find myself making novice editing faux-pauxs, I thought I could pass along just some basic tips to help some of you who are just starting out.  What better day to do so than while participating in a photo challenge link up?  This week's challenge is self-portraits, which can be difficult to do without ending up with a Myspace pic [you know what I'm talking about].
Before I get to the pictures and my own ways of taking a self portrait without holding the camera at arm's length, here are some other tips:
1) Take it off of auto mode.  Yes, auto is our go to setting with all cameras.  I promise you, though, that by putting it on manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority, you will see a gigantic difference in your photos.  Seriously.  They won't start off that great [lots of under/over exposed pics coming your way], but it'll force you to pay attention to your surroundings and get used to the other controls of your camera.  Eventually, your pics will look like a pro.  Don't know what your settings are?  Youtube or read your manual.
2)  Play with manual focusing.  Auto focusing is fantastic, and very very useful, especially when your subject does a lot of moving.  I usually use auto focus 24/7, unless dealing with patient and still adults or when taking landscape/nature pictures.  But manual focusing allows for more creative shots, and can be tons of fun.

Okay!  Here is my before picture:

This is taken from a distance using a timer, without a remote.  It can be tricky to get your camera to have the correct depth of field, and thus focusing where you want it to without standing in front of the camera while focusing.  This one still isn't exactly right, but I was tired of posing.  It took some trial and error, but what I ended up doing was first focusing on the window exactly to the right of where I would be standing.  It helps to have dirty windows *ahem*.  I then manually adjusted the focus, bringing it forward just a tad to compensate for the fact that I wasn't exactly on the same plane as the window, standing in front of it instead.  Basically:
1) Focus on window in general area of where I'll be standing.  Dirty windows help keep track of the spot you're focusing on.  Another trick?  Use a corner: doorway or wall to focus on, then stand even with it!
2) Adjust focus [manually] if you will be standing slightly in front of your original focus spot [window].  If not, then leave it!  Using that corner of the door or wall, just make sure your desired focal point is even with it.
3) Use a larger f-stop so your depth of field is not too shallow.  The higher aperture allows for imperfect focusing, instead including more objects both in the foreground and background in the focus.
4) Use a timer!  No awkward arm in the way trying to press the button

Final results?  Ta-da!

[I wanted the focus on the heart.  I breathed on the window and drew a heart first, then used that as a guide of where to focus my camera]

[focus is a little too close to the camera for my liking...I would've preferred it to be on the eyes]

Thanks for hosting the link up ladies!  Can't wait 'til next week :)  

Questions, comments, requests or concerns?  Or maybe you want to yell at me since I don't know how to correctly use photography lingo?  Email or comment!