Dog's like pictures too

So - you have seen by now that I am a bit obsessive with pictures.  Well - for my husbands birthday we went out on a doggie playdate - with our Golden "puppy" and 4 of his brothers.

And so the trip begins - 5 of the brothers. 

Boys will be boys - they sure love the water.

Yeah - they are only 11 months old - big boys!

Off to the lake!

A gentle tap.

Trying to get 5 puppies together in one frame - very difficult - almost got it.

A dog and his sticks!

Getting closer with all 5....not bad.

That is one big stick!

I love seeing pictures like this - makes me smile!

Love this perspective - a brother watching his other brothers....one of my favorites.

Sorry for so many pictures - but - I had a hard time narrowing it down from the 1400 I took that day...and nope - that isn't exaggerating! 

Shutter Speed - freeze action

A friend is going having a birthday party at a gymnastic place and was asking about a good shutter speed to get a good stop motion.  I just happen to be at a birthday party at the beginning of this month - and here are some good speeds to get a stop motion in not the best of lighting.  I didn't use a flash.  Now - I am not an expert by any means - but I think these work.

Jumping on a trampoline:

1/250 sec at f/2.5 ISO 2000

1/250 sec at f/2.5 ISO 2000

Swinging on the zip line:

1/320 sec at f/3.2 ISO 2500 (a little fuzzo - should have been better exposed)

Jumping off a balance beam

1/250 sec at f /1.8 ISO 2500

Going down a bounce slide - super dark in there!

1/320 sec at f /4.5 ISO 2500

All of these were processed in Light Room and the exposure was tweaked and so was the contrast and clarity.

Then if you go outside - it brings a whole other game - I did this amazing Senior shoot - and look at the change in the settings.

1/1250 sec at f /3.5 ISO 250

1/800 sec at f /3.2 ISO 500

1/3200 sec at f /2.8 ISO 160

Look at how I was able to increase the shutter speed by a lot with the available natural light - I could increase the shutter speed because my ISO's were so much lower.  Difference between buildings and outside.  

Backlighting and new location

I was playing with backlighting today:

I actually got infront of the camera too!

And - I found a new location - it is so close to my house - who knew!

Life In-between

I am enjoying taking my camera everywhere....I don't know if my husband is - but I am :)

We went to the mall this weekend - and at first I was hesitant to take out my big honkin camera!  But - after I took a picture of one of my girls and someone was like - WOW - I have camera envy - and they admired I was taking pictures - it made it a lot easier.

If I was afraid to take out my camera - I would so easily forget moments like this:

Where Hayden is exploring Express for the first time - wishing they had clothes in her size.

And seeing high heels and wanting her size - in a pink glittery color of course!

Or Brianna's first trip into Justice.

Asking me to take her picture.

Not being embarrassed to walk around the mall with her mom!

Her first trip into the changing room - insisting to go in alone and that she needs "privacy please!"

Or shopping for her first pair of earrings to replace the ones she got her ears pierced with.

The days are going by so fast - I feel like it was just yesterday I found out I was pregnant (with the 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd) and now I am watching my youngest learning to talk, my middle growing into herself everyday, and my oldest picking out jewelry and going to birthday parties.

Those big moments you'll never forget, like the first words and the first steps - but it's those in-between moments (like trips to the mall) that are sometimes are the ones you long to remember!  So remember to take some pictures in the in-between.