Through My Eyes

Jeff and Jeannie.....Married!!

2011-11-06T12:07:00.013-06:00

My brother got married a few weekends ago. I had the opportunity to snap a few shots during the festivities in Chicago. It was so much fun just being a guest at a wedding for once!

My Favorite Subject........

2011-09-04T08:59:00.012-05:00

Kady!!!!

Visit to the Children's Museum

Grandma and Kady playing with the ants.

Crazy Hair Girl!

The following are from our zoo visit and the remainder of the 2 year old picts
that I never got around to posting back in the spring.

Hmmmmm......

2011-07-07T10:05:00.003-05:00

Wow. It's been a bit.

I taken some time away from the craziness of the whole photography business thing and tried to focus a bit more on my art.

however....

I miss my camera. I still take tones of pictures.....mostly of family gatherings and school activities....but it's not the same. I do have a few senior sessions scheduled later this summer!

The thought of shooting for other people again makes me happy.

So, where is my art going? Good question.

I can't even begin to count how many projects/paintings/drawings/art journal pages I've started and have yet to complete. They are just sitting there.....waiting to be finished.

Not sure why I can't seem to finish anything lately.

Zoo with my niece Kady

2011-05-08T20:00:00.006-05:00

Kady was dressed to impress! We had a blast!

Before we actually went into the zoo ~ we had to stop for little mini photo shoot!
Here are just a few. More will follow soon!

OVHS Spring Show Cast Photo

2011-04-28T21:23:00.003-05:00

It's a bit busy, but catches the essence of the show. I like it! Click for a better/larger view.

Kyle - Class of 2011

2011-02-19T09:36:00.002-06:00

Erik - Class of 2011

2011-02-04T12:54:00.003-06:00

Nathan - Class of 2011

2011-02-04T12:41:00.003-06:00

Kaytie - Class of 2011

2011-02-04T12:30:00.009-06:00

ice and snow......

2011-02-02T18:53:00.004-06:00

Stephanie & Jason - June 19, 2010

2010-09-04T18:13:00.003-05:00

Paige and Jared - May 1, 2010

2010-07-15T11:57:00.005-05:00

A few from Paige and Jared's May 1 wedding.

Alice!

2010-05-23T20:44:00.004-05:00

I finally finished our cast photo from this year's drama production of "Alice in Wonderland" - I really like it and hope the kids will too! Click on the photo to get a larger view.

Casey - Class of 2010

2010-05-07T16:26:00.005-05:00

Ashley - 2010

2010-04-24T14:30:00.004-05:00

Ciara - Class of 2010

2010-04-14T19:00:00.006-05:00

A few of my favorites from Ciara's senior session.

Robyn and Ethan

2010-04-14T18:40:00.008-05:00

A few more from Robyn and Ethan's Wedding.

Kady's One!!!

2010-02-27T21:49:00.031-06:00

My sweet little niece turned One on February 19, 2010! I couldn't let this momentous occasion go by without a fun little photo session. We took a gazillion pictures!!

My Favorite of the day!!!

Robyn and Ethan ~ December 5, 2009

2009-12-26T15:41:00.004-06:00

A few from Robyn and Ethan's Wedding.

Whitley 2010

2009-12-14T21:35:00.009-06:00

Long overdue images from Whitley's senior session.

A few favs from Grace's Indoor Session

2009-10-19T21:42:00.008-05:00

Paige and Jared - Engagement Session

2009-10-02T18:53:00.010-05:00

Jamie 2010

2009-10-02T18:20:00.006-05:00

Burgandy

2009-08-17T17:04:00.006-05:00

A few from Burgandy's Senior Session.

Sweetness!!

2009-08-14T10:56:00.004-05:00

Kady again.

She is just way too cute!

and my favorite..............

Grace

2009-08-10T13:23:00.005-05:00

A few from Grace's Senior session.

Overlay Images

2009-07-19T21:19:00.008-05:00

Back in the May, I did a 30 day overlay challenge where I took new images and pretty much photoshoped the daylights out of them (mostly I just overlayed a textured image and worked a little magic PS to get them just right).

I will post a few when things are a little slow.

The first two are my favorites from the month.

Jacob's Jump

2009-07-13T08:36:00.008-05:00

My little brother Jacob went to camp last week and had a great time.

He said he jumped 10 other times, but none of them had the style and finesse of this particular one.

More Cute Kady

2009-07-02T22:10:00.004-05:00

Kady

2009-06-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

A few Family and Kady pictures for everyone to enjoy!

April

May

June

Father's Day

Ahhhhh!

2009-06-29T19:59:00.000-05:00

Trust me.......I've been taking pictures.......I just haven't had the time to post any.

More Kady pictures will be posted soon!!!....... and I have an entire month's worth of overlay images to show off.

Until then, here are a few of my favorite from an engagement session I just finished.

Robyn & Ethan

Goody Two Shoes Video

2009-04-29T23:27:00.000-05:00

I love this!!!

My photography students are creating PhotoMotion videos using 300 images they took over a two week period at the beginning of April. Most have finished processing the images are now in the final stages of creating the actual video. I can't wait to see them.

For your viewing pleasure, here is my finished product. It includes 744 pictures of OV's spring play, Goody Two Shoes. You get the whole 2 hour show in 2 minutes. Enjoy!

More Family and Kady

2009-03-17T16:44:00.001-05:00

Picts

2009-03-02T13:31:00.000-06:00

Just a few created just for fun and/or dpchallenge contests................

Saturday Afternoon with Kadie

2009-03-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

Kadence

2009-02-20T07:02:00.000-06:00

Finally! Kadence McKenna Riley was born at 6:33pm on February 19, 2009. My little niece weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long! Amy, Nic and baby are doing well.

Just a couple picts this morning..........check out my website for more Kadie.

2008-12-27T19:33:00.000-06:00

A few more images from my December 'Whatever' Side Challenge on DPC

One More Senior

2008-12-27T19:18:00.001-06:00

Liz

2008-12-14T23:35:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been working with some actions, overlays, frames and textures in my post processing and have been extremely happy with the results.

These images are part of my December "Whatever" side challenge on dpchallenge.

The Kitty Meowing is my favorite!

more seniors

2008-12-07T22:11:00.000-06:00

I took Brett and Trish's senior pictures a little while

back, but never got around to posting any images.........

Mad Crazy.......

2008-12-07T21:30:00.001-06:00

Life is a little bit ridiculous right now.

Seriously.

Insane.

Anyway.......
Here are a few images I found the time to create for a couple
of challenges over at dpchallenge.com.

These two aren't in any contest..... they just make me happy.

And lastly..........a few of my favorites from a
wedding I finally finished processing over the weekend.

Ashlyn & Heath

(and Haddley)

Lis and Bindi

2008-11-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

2008-10-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

2008-10-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

Football and Picts

2008-10-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

A little clip from Jacob's game last Thursday 10/2.

Pretty much all my time outside of work is spent processing pictures. Seniors Lauren and Tony have been waiting very patiently for their images for several weeks now. Tonys will be completely finished today and Laurens will be finished by Tuesday.

Tony

Lauren

I have two more seniors waiting to be processed ..... hopefully it won't take a month to get them done.

I also have a wedding this coming weekend. It's a never ending cycle!

......And a couple of pictures I entered in contests on dpchallenge.com this last week. I don't get much time to take pictures for myself - so I was pretty stoked to finally take something I could enter in a challenge.

"Reflecting"
Challenge: September Free Study.

"Once......"

Challenge: Emotional Abstract

Ok.
Not so abstract.
But emotional.......
Ok, maybe not.
I just like the image and entered it anyway.

******************
Remember those stupid floats I complained about?
Well, the kids were great and we had a good time creating a wonderful float. They worked hard and it only took two days to finish! However, it didn't look like it only took two days.
It was probably the best float I've been involved with over the last 12 years! The theme was 'Under The Sea" and the class chose to recreate a spongebob scene.

Jake's games

2008-09-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Soooooo behind.

game 2

Fixed game 3

game 4

2008-09-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Here you go Jessica...

Video from Jacob's last two games will hopefully get posted this weekend.

Yowzaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

2008-09-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

Wow.

It's already September.

I didn't even post in August.

Wow.

Busy is the name of the game. I complained this summer that I was a bit overwhelmed with all the weddings and pictures........Boy was I stupid.

School started on August 19th and I have barely had time to breath. Things are going well....it's just that there are too many things going.

We jumped right into the new year with a new principal and new expectations. More work gets piled on us and is expected to be done in the same amount of time as before. A little frustrating and tiring.

Since starting back to school, I've done four photo sessions. Three seniors and a bridal session (and finally got the wedding from this summer finished).

Leslie and Travis Wedding

I'm really excited about the bridal pictures. They turned out great and the bride really liked them. Her wedding was yesterday. I wish them the best!

Leanne

The senior's images are taking a bit more time since my days are filled with my actual real job, but they are coming along well. Jessica's will be finished today hopefully and I will begin on Lauren and Tony's soon.

Jessica

This week is homecoming week. One of the great "thrills" of teaching high school is the sponsorships and the "wonderful" activities one gets to oversee and supervise.

Homecoming.
Parade floats.
Seniors.
Enough said.

Blahhhhh.........

A highlight of my year so far has been to watch my little brother play his first season of football. He's only had one game so far (last Thursday was rained out), but it's really exciting.

Here is a little bit of Jacob's first game.

Jeff - this is all you are getting. I had to figure out how to use the stupid camera again and haven't had time to do any editing of the footage. You are getting only the parts where Jacob played. Keep in mind, I'm not the only one who held the camera!

(You might want to turn the volume down way low - it's a little annoying - I will work on editing the sound for next week's game)

Enough catching up. I have to finish up Jessica's senior pictures before heading out to work on a float.

O, Joy.

Oooops.....

2008-07-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

Missed a week or two....

I was very busy. Very, very busy.

I had a wedding in Lincoln, IL on the 19th. It was a friend, so the day was pretty laid back and much to my relief went rather smooth. I'm just now getting ready to start on her images......I have this quirky thing about having to set the images from major events aside for a few days before actually working on them. A week later - I am now ready to start and have a great deal of work ahead ----and I would love to get them all processed by the end of this week. Ugh!!

Here is the one image I have processed.

So, I didn't work on wedding images....but I did work my fingers to the bone trying to finish up the OV yearbook. I got behind early on in the summer and kept putting them off. I finally sucked it up, got busy and finished them. The last of the pages are uploading to Jostens as I type.

Here are a few new images created for dpchallenge contests.

....I See You!
I love this image. I think we will have it printed and framed.
He looks soooo cute!

Contrasted Colors

I am also going to have this one printed and framed.
I love the colors!

Strawberry Burst
This was for the Recipe (beverage) Challenge. Yummm!!!!

This morning, I had to send back the wonderful Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens I've had rented for the last three weeks. It was worth every penny and someday I hope to have one of my own!!!
Sweet lens - tack sharp. I'm sad to see it go.

O, yeah ........ and the PAD for July......... lasted a 15 whole days. I had to give it up and get the silly yearbook done.

I also just realized that school starts in three weeks..................... blah!

2008-07-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well.....
The Dell's toast. My IT guy said it was beyond repair and I should just let it go. That stupid Del and I have been through a great deal together. It was a sad day.

I purchased a new monitor to use with my husband's laptop and I'm back in business. Good news is that I will have to get a new computer!! We are going to have one custom built and I can't wait!!! Woooohoooo!!!!!

Here are a few recently processed images.
I'm doing a Photo-A-Day project for July - without any particular theme - so these are a bit random.

Dew soaked spider web.

These are the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls my grandmother made when I was little. Actually, I think the Andy might have been my brother's????? Doesn't matter - it's mine now!

My Dad's puppy Hannah.

My kitty Calvin.

The top part of a wedding cake from a few weeks ago.
I love this image!

Pictures and Computer Issues

2008-07-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Once again, I've been spending my week working on wedding pictures. Ugh.
I enjoy doing them...it's just that they are soooooo time consuming and I don't usually get to see the light of day because I'm stuck staring at the computer screen.
On a good note, the proof books for Jodi and Billy's wedding came in and I am really pleased with the results! The UPS truck also came today and Mandy and Brandon's Coffee Table book/album arrived. I LOVE IT!!! I really hope they all enjoy their images.

I took a little break and processed some personal pictures for myself and for the contests over at dpchallenge.com. I am really enjoying the new actions and use them every chance I get.

It's also nice to get wonderful results with very little processing.And I'm throwing an extra in because it's of one of my favorite barns.Now to the troubling part.....My stupid Dell computer is misbehaving and is sitting in the repair shop once again . I've commandeered my husbands little Toshiba am giving it a work out. I doubt I will be able to work on any wedding pictures because the screen quality just isn't very good at all. Hopefully the repair is minor and I will be up and going again by next week. This just puts me further and further behind again.

Blahhhhh.

Kiddos, Weddings and Actions/Filters

2008-06-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

I spent a few days with my dearest friend and her kids at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It has been a while since we've been able to get together and spend some quality time together an I enjoyed every minute of it. Her little ones are growing up so fast!!

This week I've been spending all my spare time trying to get some wedding pictures processed. They are way over due and the family has been very patient. I am excited by the results and hope the bride thinks they have been worth the wait.

On Saturday I shot another wedding! Now I have a whole new batch to work on. I have made a promise to get these to them next week, so I will be spending another week staring at the computer.

I got a bunch of new actions/filters for photoshop this week and man are they cool. I've been using them on some of the wedding pictures and am loving them. They are, however, slowing me down because I just can't stop playing around and experimenting with them!

I'm Back!!!

2008-06-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

I've created many images over the last six months that could be posted, but I'm going to do a bit of bragging and display a recent award winning shot. This photo took 1st place in the June Cash Contest over at betterphoto.com.

Just gloating a teeny bit....'cause it also came with a teeny $500.00 cash prize. I'm very pleased to say the least. It's simply a couple of feathers thrown on a piece of paper and spritzed with water. I used a 50mm macro lens to get up nice and close.

Since this was taken back in May, I try will post another shot I took last week a bit later.

Week 52 - Old Barn (Dec 30)

2007-12-20T09:42:00.002-06:00

What a shocker - another barn! I had to end this with a shot of my favorite subject matter.

Finally, this thing is finished and I don't plan on continuing with it in 2008...it was a little more difficult to keep up with than I originally thought.

So.....
All's well that ends well. Happy New Year and have a great 2008.

Week 51- Old Mailbox (Dec 23)

2007-12-20T09:42:00.001-06:00

I drive by this mailbox on my way into town. It's not at a very good location - a curve and blind road - so I've never actually stopped to take a picture even though I've thought of it a billion times. The other day I finally got brave and stopped to take a picture of it - granted it was really early and I knew the road would be practically deserted.

Week 50 - Old ish (Dec 16)

2007-12-20T09:41:00.002-06:00

Ok - not actually an old photo, but a modern one made to look old. These two were cheesing it up in a photo booth we made in my classroom. They are working on a project for the yearbook and I just took it one step further by adding a tad bit of age.

I had to play too!

Week 49 - Old Transportation (Dec 9)

2007-12-20T09:41:00.001-06:00

The idea is old, this particular engine - probably not so much. Amazing to think that trains used to be the major form of transportation for stuff and people. I love trains.

Week 48 - Old Shoes (Dec 2)

2007-12-20T09:40:00.000-06:00

These shoes have just about hit retirement age. They are part of my small theatre costume collection for our high school plays and musicals. I believe they have been used in about seven shows over the years. They have served us well, but are really starting to show their age. I think think the time has come for them to be put on a shelf in my classroom and serve only as subject matter for drawings/paintings and pictures.

Week 47 - Old Flower (Nov 25)

2007-12-20T09:39:00.000-06:00

A simple dried flower still in the field. I was out shooting an engagement session a little while back, when I stumbled upon this little gem. We were out in the middle of a sunflower field on one of the hottest day of the summer and I just had to take a few minutes to capture some of the beauty around us. I have numerous lovely sunflower images, but this little wild flower stands out among the others. I also used it in a challenge on DPC (Rolling Stones Lyrics).

Week 46 - Old Camera (Nov 18)

2007-12-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

Another image use for a contest on DPChallenge (Old). I found this jewel at an antique shop in a nearby town. I went looking for something 'old' for the challenge and was head over heals when the camera leaped out at me.....literally.....I knocked the it off the counter and just barley caught it before it hit the ground. Perfect find!

Week 45 - Old Typewriter Keys (Nov 11)

2007-12-20T09:37:00.000-06:00

I use this in a DPChallenge contest (Half) back in September. I called it "The Middle Half". I specifically looked for something different for the challenge and wanted to shoot from a unique perspective. I was pleased with the result - I like this image.

Week 44 - Old Funny Car Details (Nov 4)

2007-12-20T09:36:00.000-06:00

Close up detail of the Old Funny Car. I put a great deal of processing into this shot to help bring out the wonderful detail and character in the old girl.

Week 43 - Old Chicago River (Oct 28)

2007-12-20T09:35:00.001-06:00

Lots of 'Old' in Chicago. Lots of new as well. It has the perfect mix. This was taken off of the bridge on Michigan Avenue. It is such a Beautiful city!

Week 42 - Old Farming Traditions (Oct 21)

2007-10-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

I just love the gum bichromate action and rural scenes are the perfect subject matter. Put the two together and bam - a real beauty.

Week 41 - Old Backyard Barn (Oct 14)

2007-10-28T15:52:00.001-05:00

This old barn sits right outside my classroom window. Sometimes you can see the barn cat sitting on the roof near the big hole towards the front - she had three little kittens up there with her one time. She must be a psychic kitty - every time I see her and go get the camera, she crawls back in the barn. One of these days the moons will align and I will get a wonderful photograph of her perched on that roof!

Week 40 - Old Farm (Oct 7)

2007-10-28T15:51:00.001-05:00

Another beautiful barn. I pass this one when I travel the back roads to my parents house. I've discovered a new action in photoshop that will helps give character to an image. I love it! It will probably be used very often.

Week 39 - Old Tractor Emblem (Sept 30)

2007-10-28T15:50:00.002-05:00

I don't know what it stands for, but it makes for a good picture. Lots of old beauties still sitting around on the Yantis family farm. I thought some details might be a good change of pace. The black/white really gives the hood a little more character.

Week 38 - Old Funny Car (Sept 23)

2007-10-28T15:50:00.001-05:00

Week 37 - Old Creepy Doll (Sept 16)

2007-09-13T14:40:00.003-05:00

I picked up this little doll at an antique store in Sullivan, IL. I really don't know why? She was kind of pretty and a little creepy at the same time. She photographs well.....sorta.

Week 36 - Old Train Engine (Sept 9)

2007-09-13T14:40:00.001-05:00

Another old train. I took these images at the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, IL. They have numerous beautiful old engines and rail cars. It was well worth the visit. Once again, the goal was to make the photo look a bit aged.

Week 35 - Old Caboose (Sept 2)

2007-09-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

I love old trains. They have sooo much history and character. My goal on this image was to make it look like an old photograph. I think I pulled it off.

Week 34 - Old Traditions (Aug 26)

2007-09-02T07:50:00.001-05:00

I have two for this week.
We visited a couple of Buddhist temples while on our visit to China and I came away with a new appreciation of an old faith (and some wonderful pictures). I was very interested in learning a few of the traditions and practices of the Buddhist faith. Very interesting and different from the Christian faith I was brought up believing. A wonderfully educational experience.

Week 33 - Old Chinese Villiage (Aug 19)

2007-09-02T07:49:00.002-05:00

Another from my trip to China. We visited this old village that had a river running through the town. We boarded boats and took a river tour.
I felt like we had gone back in time - It was sooo different from any place I've ever been. Women were washing their cloths in the river water while others cleaned their mops and dishes at the next stairwell - in the river.
I felt out of place.....almost like I was intruding on these peoples lives. They, however, were use to tourists. It's how they survive. Us being there meant they would have some money.
An amazing and humbling experience.

Week 32 - Old Fellow (Aug12)

2007-09-02T07:49:00.001-05:00

I went to visit the animals at our small local zoo before school started and was intrigued by the massiveness of this guy. His shell is amazing - it has wonderful texture and details.
We had a great time - he was the perfect model!

Week 31 - Old Skates (Aug 5)

2007-08-31T23:44:00.001-05:00

Ok. So they aren't that old. 70's maybe???
I remember skating when I was young. We actually took skating lessons!! Our church had a few all night skating parties as well. I remember skating with my dad, eating tones of stuff from the concession stand and playing air hockey. We also use to do the hokey poky in the middle of the rink and had backward skates.

Good times!!

Week 30 - More Old Terracotta Warriors (July 29)

2007-08-31T23:43:00.000-05:00

This guy was just hanging out behind a museum we visited while in China. He looked like he needed some company so we got spent a bit of time together. Nice guy.

Week 29 - Old Terracotta Warrior Statue (July 22)

2007-07-22T16:37:00.001-05:00

Another picture from my trip to China. One of our stops was in Xi'an at the Terracotta Warrior Museum. An amazing site and well worth the visit. The site houses some 8,100 life-size Chinese warriors in various states of repair and at several different locations on the grounds. These warriors were created around 247 BC - 210 BC and remained undiscovered until 1974 when a local farmer found pieces of terracotta while trying to dig a well.

You can see how they once stood guard of their Emperor's burial tomb and also how many were destroyed by fire when the tomb was raided a few years after his death. It is believed the army was created to help Emperor Qun rule another empire in the afterlife. This particular guy was found totally unscathed and is currently displayed in a glass case next to several other cases displaying the different ranking soldiers.

Week 28 - Old Chinese Architecture (July 15)

2007-07-18T08:54:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken back in June at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Beautiful Place!!

I love the architecture of the some of the old historical buildings in China. The old style really stands out against the modern buildings and gives you a good look at what the old China may have looked like at one time. Most places have been restored or are in the process of being repaired (for the 2008 Olympics) and don't quite look as old as they should.

Week 27 - Old Boat Dock Tie (July 8)

2007-07-17T23:51:00.001-05:00

This image was taken on a wonderful weekend trip to Chicago. My family and I went up to visit my brother and his girlfriend last Saturday and ended up taking an architectural boat tour along the river on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for a leisurely ride on the river as well as a perfect day for pictures. Chicago is a beautiful city with an amazing history and gorgeous buildings. Tones of old stuff just waiting to be captured by a camera.

Week 26 - Old Storage Barn (July 1)

2007-07-01T18:23:00.006-05:00

Another barn again. This one is used to store equipment in the summer. It sits empty most winters and looks very lonely sitting out in there alone in the cold and snow. I love when the spring comes and it becomes useful once again.

Week 25 - Old Teal Farm Truck (June 24)

2007-07-01T18:23:00.005-05:00

Yet another farm truck.

Most of the vehicles on the Yantis family farm still run. They are no longer used to work the fields or roads, but they were very well kept by the family and still have life in them. They serve as markers in time and represent different stages in the families history. They represent the struggles and hardships as well as the good times and celebrations. I can't imaging going to the farm and not seeing these magnificent machines.

Week 24 - Old Chinese Roofing Tiles (June 17)

2007-07-01T18:23:00.003-05:00

Many of the old buildings in China have beautiful tiles that serve as their roofing shingles. I found them to be very intriguing and just simply beautiful. A great deal of them are very ornate and add to the magnificence of the buildings they cover. I once again used the Lucis Art filter - it help ed bring out the details on the tiles.

Week 23 - Old Factory Machine (June 10)

2007-07-01T18:23:00.001-05:00

Another picture taken while on my visit to China. We toured a silk factory and this was part of the temperature gauge on one of the machines that separated the silk strands from the little cocoons. I use the Lucis Art filter to help take away some of the ugliness of the machine.

Week 22 - Old Rusty Lock (June 3)

2007-07-01T18:22:00.002-05:00

The lock probably isn't that old, but rust has given it that aged look. I took this shot while I was visiting China in June. We toured many historical sites and I found some wonderful hardware in the most unusual places. This was one was just hanging on a post in the middle of a very wide walk way with a small little concrete pillar next to it. The closest actual building was about 100 feet away??? I'm not quite sure what the pole and lock (or the small pillar) were used for? It sure made for a interesting picture though!

Week 21- Old Tractor Parts (May 27)

2007-07-01T18:22:00.001-05:00

Ok - honestly - I'm not really sure what this is used for on the tractor. I am guessing air converter or smoke stack? Just shows my ignorance..... sorry. It still made for a fun picture. Once again, it is from some equipment on the Yantis family farm.

Week 20 - Old Rusty Chain (May 20)

2007-07-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

This rusty chain is from an old farm truck on the Yantis family farm. It was taken a while back, I just never got around to processing and posting it. I'm not sure what it was actually used for on the vehicle??? but it created for an interesting image.

Week 19 - .....And Yet Another Old Barn (May 13)

2007-05-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Wow - I got very far behind and am now going to try and play catch up. I have been taking pictures, but just haven't had the time to really sit down and process them. The last weeks of school were so very busy and my two week trip to China came right after school let out. Now with about a month of nothingness (well, almost nothing) I can go through my pictures and get them processed and posted.

Back to All Things OLD.

Another old barn near my hometown. This one is very well kept by the owners and is in pretty good condition. They use it to house old farm equipment and odd tools.

Week 18 - Another Old Barn (May 6)

2007-05-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

I guess I should have made my theme Old Barns and Old Trucks. This is one of my favorite barns (a.... yeah, I have several). It sits next to the school and I can see it out of my windows in both of my classrooms. I love how it looks when the snow is falling - it's just beautiful.

This was done for the triptych challenge on DPC. It scored above a 6, which is always good - but better than a 6+ score was the number of comments. They are always a boost. I just love the ones that really give good, constructive criticism. They can open your eyes to things you overlooked.

I debated between color and black/white. The b/w just gave it a much more dramatic feel and really jumped out in the triptych frame.

I like this shot. And really like it in the frame. I almost posted it here without the divisions, but it didn't just look right. It felt like something was missing.

So here you go.......another contest entry and another barn.

Week 17 - And Yet Another Old Truck (April 29)

2007-04-30T21:46:00.000-05:00

I know....another old truck, but I really do enjoy them. Old vehicles have so much character. I always wonder who drove them and where they have been. I just don't think cars and trucks are as beautiful today as they were 30+ years ago.

I like taking the pictures - but I think I like processing them more. Something about the rust and faded color really gets to me.
It's almost like I'm giving them life again.

Week 16 - Old Rusted Fuel Tank Lock (April 22)

2007-04-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

This is a fuel tank lock from a concrete truck on the Yantis family farm. They have a lot of great old farm equipment and trucks just sitting around. On Saturday spent a good deal of time getting up close and personal with some of those wonderful beasts.

Week 15 - Old Rusted Bike (April 15)

2007-04-15T07:57:00.000-05:00

My Week 15 image is currently in the voting stages on DPC. It is doing fairly well - Yipeeee!! I will post after the voting has ended. _____________________________________________________________________ April 18

Voting done - 7th place. Not bad. I haven't been in the 6's for a while and it feels good to be in the top ten!

For the bicycle challenge, I felt I needed an in-your-face shot. I figured most of the entries would be of 3/4 to full bike shots and I wanted mine to stand out.The bike really isn't that old, but it had been left outside for a few years. The constant exposer to the elements aged it rather quickly. I flipped the bike upside down and turned the pedals to get a little motion blur in areas.

This was for an open challenge, so there really isn't much post processing. I did run it through neat image a few times and bumped up the saturation on the reds & yellows. I also played with the hue/saturation and used unsharp mask.

I have to admit that I am really proud of this image. It is what I had envisioned from the beginning. That rarely happens.

Week 14 - Old Junk (April 8)

2007-04-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

Old Junk.
I love it.
I love taking pictures of old things - especially rusty ones.
They have an amazing hidden beauty I love to photograph.

Week 13 - Another Old Truck (April 1)

2007-04-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

I used this shot for the March Free Study Challenge on DPC. It didn't score as well as I thought it might, but I really like the image. The trucks were a wonderful find and I hope to get many more opportunities to photograph them.

Week 12 - Old Truck Close Up (March 25)

2007-04-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've gotten behind again, so I am going to post a shot I took to use in the Circle II Challenge on DPC a few weeks ago. It is a close up shot of one of the old trucks on my sister's farm (see week 10). I've processed the heck out of it, but really like the end result. The headlight actually looks new.

Week 11 - Old Barn (March 18)

2007-03-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

I already posted this image on DPC, but took it with the intention of using it as part of my PAW.

I pass this beautiful old barn going into town and have never stopped to take pictures. The sky was just right one afternoon and couldn't resist. This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken lately.

Week 10 - Old Trucks (March 11)

2007-03-13T17:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I went shopping for a few items for my sister Amy's wedding and spent a little bit of time at her house. Her fiancée has a collection of old trucks sitting around their enormous yard. His grandfather collected them to rebuild, but time has taken it's toll on the old things and Nic sells them for their hard to find parts. I was overjoyed at the sight of the truck graveyard and just happened to have my handy dandy camera ready! I took numerous shots of parts, pieces and whole trucks. Not only did I have a wonderful time hanging out with my sisters, but I had a wonderful time capturing some images of several beautiful old trucks.

Week 9 - Old Bike Seat Spring (March 4)

2007-03-08T16:40:00.000-06:00

I think I'm finally caught up.

I've had this bike seat forever. I picked it up at a flee market back in college and spray painted it red. Not sure why??
Now, it sits on my desk at school and my students use it as still life subject matter. It does have quite a bit of processing, but I think that's what helped make it more interesting.

Week 8 - Old Fan (Feb 25)

2007-03-04T22:46:00.000-06:00

I bought this fan at the old auction place. It came with the dust.
There isn't much post processing on this (shocker) - sharpening and just a little color enhancing to bring out the rusty red.

Week 7 - Old Military Uniform (Feb 18)

2007-02-18T17:20:00.000-06:00

Ok..... so I'm cheating a little bit. This photograph was actually taken last year at the Illinois State Fair Opening Parade. I was sorting through the images from that day and came across several from the parade that stood out. I started processing them in Photoshop and just fell in love with the results on this one. I've already posted in on DPC, but thought it fit my theme here and couldn't resist.

Week 6 - Old Cash Register Keys (Feb 11)

2007-02-09T18:35:00.000-06:00

My husband and I use to go to an auction place in a small town not far from where we live. We loved it - tones of old junk (and interesting old people). If you went on the right Sunday, you could get some really cool old stuff at great prices. We would come home with the most useless junk and usually had no place to put any of it. Many of the items found their way to my classroom and have served as still life subject matter for my drawing and painting students. For some reason, my husband thought we really needed this old cash register - no one was bidding on it - and it needed a good home. Well, for only $2.00 I added yet another item to my still life collection. It actually is a neat piece and my students love to mess around with it. The place shut down not too long ago and we just haven't had been able to find another regular auction site we like as much as the Bement Auction House.