Fix-It Friday #22

YAY! It's Friday again! I really didn't think I was going to be able to do this one this week because we're on vacation...but my baby needed a nap, so I was 'stuck' in the hotel room with nothing to do...sounds like a great vacation to me :) Here's the original picture.

And my edit. I basically followed the steps on PSE7 for making an old fashioned photo-under the guided section. I did adjust the hue/saturation more than it automatically did, and I darkened the edges a bit by following 'McMama's' steps.
This little girl is such a cutie!
Be sure to head on over to I heart faces to see lots of other great edits!

Figuring out a blurring edge...

Gettin' wet

Today 'e' and I went to the splash pad, and had a lot of fun getting all wet. Here's my shot SOOC

And my edit. I'm playing around with understanding layers and such. I have a ways to go, but am having fun learning!

Who's the strongest of them all?

I love this picture of my niece 'C' and nephew 'B'. They are so much fun! 'C' is laughing so hard you can't even see her eyes :)

This is my 'beaches' entry for I heart faces. Be sure to head on over there to see other great entries!

Love!

*sigh* I love this boy!

Fix It Friday #21

This week's fix it Friday was of a super cutie! I ventured into black and white...scary, but fun!

Here's my edit. Be sure to head on over to I heart faces to see more GREAT fix its!

A focus on the foot...

This week's I heart faces challenge was to get a good shot of the foot. Mine...well..not even really worth linking, so I probably won't. I kinda did this last minute anyway...The lighting wasn't good, and I was at a funny angle.

Here's my pic SOOC. It was a little grainy, so in my edit, I increased the 'graininess' to make it look intentional...not really sure I pulled it off. I got rid of the mosquito bite on the arm, and made all the wall colors match. I increased the glow as well...I'm kinda stuck on that look lately. Makes my kid look 'heavenly' HA!
Here's my edit.
Head on over to I heart faces to see some REALLY good foot photos!

An entry for my sister :)

I'm not sure if this counts or not, but I thought I'd enter this super cute picture of 'C' for my sister. She doesn't have a blog, but took this picture of 'C' lovin' on a kitty. I did nothing to edit or alter this photo-it is the shot SOOC. Any comments left will be directed to her! Her name is Randee-I put her name on the McLinky instead of mine :)

Be sure to head over to I heart faces to see other great entries!

Sweet kitty

Back on the farm there seems to always be a batch of kittens running around. 'A' loves them! This is a particularly fun batch, because they don't seem to be scared of people :)

This picture was taken by my sister. This is the shot SOOC.

And my edit.

Constructive Feedback Friday

I'm so excited to participate in 'Constructive Feedback Friday'! Hopefully I will get mine linked quickly enough! For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, this is when the contributors from I heart faces give feedback on what in the world I could do with this photo :)

This is the original picture. I have a Canon PowerShot SX110. It is pretty much a 'point and shoot', but you can adjust quite a few of the settings. I really love taking pictures, but am completely a beginner. I don't generally make any setting adjustments...I just put it to 'auto' and go to town. However, I do have the data on the picture: f/2.8 1/60 sec. ISO 250 6.0 mm

I can adjust most (if not all) of these settings, but have never really messed around with it. I don't really know what direction to take with it, camera-wise.

My photo editing program is Adobe Photoshop Elements 7, and I have only scratched the surface when it comes to learning the program.

This is my edit. I have no idea what to do with pictures that are so dark. We were at the aquarium, and I did my best to get a good shot, but the background especially came out so dark. I tried messing around with it in Photoshop, but every time I would try and lighten it, it would just look ridiculous. I brightened the eyes a bit, and tried to play with the color of the fish, and of course, cropped it.
Please, please, please, tell me what I can do (other than get a better camera ;) That's in the works...but not for a bit...)

Too much?

'A' is such a sweetie! And she loves great grandma's kitties :) This picture was also taken from my sister's camera.

Here's the shot SOOC

My edit. I think it might be a little to bright...there is too much 'glow'. I like how it frames her face, but the white on the cat is too bright. I was trying to just isolate the white on the cat, but it made the picture look funny. I wasn't quite sure what else to do, so I just went with it :)

Never leave home without a friend

My nephew 'J' loves his 'duckey'. It goes everywhere with him. It's a bit tattered, and not quite as yellow as it once was, but J is so cute with it! My sister 'R' took this shot with her new camera-I'm so jealous! Here's the picture SOOC...

...and my edit. J is just too cute!

A Happy Independence Day

The 4th of July started with a fun trip to E & L's pool. We swam together and played. My little boy is loving the pool more and more!

Nothing says 'summer' more than sunscreen in the hair...

Look! Red, White, and Blue :)

A 'quick' family game of Monopoly


Brother's and Sister's clownin' around.

So what do these pictures say about Independence? I think it is amazing that I get the chance to live in a country where a family can spend a day together, talk about everything from religion to politics, laugh, play, eat (and eat, and eat...) with no fear.

As my husband and I were driving home, we noticed a flag pole that once held a Confederate Flag, and now was waving a 'Betsy Ross' flag-with the 13 stars on it. We talked about the fact that though the confederate flag was controversial, it was amazing to us to live in a place where you were ALLOWED to wave such a flag.

Let me just say, I am pretty conservative, but I love that this country allows for all voices to be heard. I think it is a true sign of freedom that people are allowed to voice their opinion and not be sent to jail, or persecuted. To me, that is freedom, and I am so thankful that there are people RIGHT NOW fighting for that freedom!

Fix it Friday #19

Okay, so I feel like kind of a dork, because it shows how little I know about this whole process, but why is it that when I go to Flickr and download it, the picture doesn't load to photoshop well? It is SO pixelly (is that a word? and if it is, I'm sure it's not spelled right...) Any tips?

Above is the original.

...and my adjustments.
I am SO an amateur at this! But I'm learning!