Baby Kylee

This was my real first BABY shoot last night. I'm not as pleased as I would have liked for a number of reason. My biggest problem is CONTROL or maybe I should say the lack of. I tend to lose control and then I have a hard time telling people what to do. This is something that I've got to over come. I've got to understand I'm NOT TELLING someone what to do, but more of directing and this is something they really want. I understand this, but understanding and being able to do it is two entirely different things. I am working on this and I'm getting a little bit better.

Looking back over last night I see so many things I should have done differently. I'll take last night as a learning experience. Deep done I feel like I can do it.. I did it here at the house all day.

I think being comfortable with your location has a lot to do with the shoot. Well, to tell the truth I don't feel comfortable doing loctation shoots like last night. I have to run in set everything up and work in a space that's somethings way to small or maybe cramped is a better word. I'm just going to have to get my house fixed up so I can have people over here for the shoots. That way I can have the lights set up and have all the exposures set without feeling rushed.

The little couple I was working with... I just think they are the best and I want them to have the best possible pictures. I think there were some good shots, but I feel like I could have done better... I can do better... I will do better.

Like I said, I'll take last night as a learning experience and move forward.

I CAN DO THIS....

Falling Leaves

Have you ever watched leaves falling and then try to single one out for a picture? It's not easy.... I guess the neighbors thought I had lost my mind if they were watching me trying to take this picture. This was taken a week or so ago while I was just sitting here watching the birds at the feeder. I got to watching the leaves turning and tossing about as they fell to the ground. If one would just sit and watch, there's all kinds of things to be seen, but most days we are so busy and tied up in our own little world that we can't see the big picture. This is such a shame.

This past weekend I got to vist with two of my cousins. It was so funny the things we remembered as children and spending time with Granny and Grandpaw Roberts. Everything we remembered and talked about was very simple little things that made such an impression on us. We were talking about an old store that Grandpaw would take us to, Jean said she remembered the old drink box and how cold the drinks were. Me, I remembered the smell of the place. I really can't describe the smell, but it was one of those that just made me feel good.

Of course the old place is now gone. Like so many of the childhood places that I remember. They, like the leaves I was watching, have fallen to the ground and are no more. Yet sitting and talking with Jean and Angie Sunday brought the old places back to life once again. What fun it would have been to be to take my children and grandchildren to these old places. Let them see first hand the little stores ...the little Mom and Pop stores that was that was America... where the store was up front and the living quarters were in back. The old wood floors at creaked as one walked about the old screen doors that were there to keep the flies out and nothing more. When you walked in it wasn't the 'Welcome to Wal-Mart' kind of greeting... it was "Hi Eugene how's Alberta and Ida doing today???" .... What a time.. If I had just known how special that time was then maybe I would have appreciated more then.

Falling leaves... Look at the trees as they are full of leaves and enjoy them... for it want be long until the leaves fall and the tree will be bear.

Up Early

I just knew there were so many people out there that wanted to see a shot of the moon from Pascagoula, MS at 4:30am ... so I got up and got a picture for ya. hahaha.. yes this is really the moon at 4:30am today.

For some reason 3am is the magic time for me. I wake up and can't get back to sleep so I just get up about 4 and get online to read the news and to read the Canon Forum to see what new pictures and comments others have made.

I went up to see Mom and Dad Saturday. As always they were so happy to see me. Mom had ask me to print some pictures for the Columbia-Marion County Library and we took them down there. So now I've got 6 prints hanging in 2 libraries. I've got 3 haning in the Prenitss Library. Five of the pitures depict life here on the Pascagoula Coast. If nothing more ever comes of it, it made Mom so happy to see some of my work hanging were others could see it. I could never ask for nothing more.

I' m going to be off all this week... my God what was I thinking... hahaha... I'm afraid I may go CRAZY. Today I've got to get online and look at pitures others has done for babies. I'm doing my first big baby shoot tomorrow and I want everything right. I'm thinking about buying another light maybe 2 before long and a couple more softboxes. Maybe someday my grandkids will want to get into the business and this would be a big step forward for them. Right now Gage likes to draw and color, and some of the pictures he shot in Disney World had a lot of thought put into them. It wasn't just a point and shoot .... he saw something in a way that others had not seem and he captured it... just like he told his Mom.. 'I'm just like PawPaw'.. who knows what he may do with photography.. and again it may only be a hobby... eather way I want matter to me.

I wanted to get out and shoot some pictures while I was at home, but the weather yesterday was just so ugly out I didn't even try. There's some old building up there I really need to shoot before something happens to them and the image is lost forever. I've just got to stop putting things off and start doing and not just talking.. Easier said than done for me...

Well I'm going to see if I can find any baby shots on the web I like.... I just need some good fresh ideas... I want something that really stands out... I'll be sure to post some pictures of the shoot...

New Day - New Light

Yes, it's the moon as it's nights journey was almost done. I like to post pictures of something I've seem the day of the post or at least something I saw the prior day. This was shot this morning at 5:30am..

You'll just don't know how zany I can be. hahaha .... I enjoy seeing the world around me through the lens of my Canon cameras and even more, I enjoy sharing my vision of my little part of the world with others.

Yesterday was one of those days one wishes had never happened. I just felt as thro the whole world was just falling down on me. Today is a new day and my walls have been re-built... stronger and taller. I will not be defeated.

This time next week I'll be up cooking part of a Thanksgiving dinner and I've got so much to be thankful for this year. Noah has been well for most of this year.. last year (his first months of life) I was so worried about him. In and out of the hospital so much. He's growing so much and one of the best things is that he loves his PawPaw and PawPaw loves him. Gage is doing well, he likes to color and when he and I sit down to color together I'm reminded of the times when I was very young and my Granny Lee and I would sit by the fireplace and color. Very simple things that ment so much to me back then ... now I get to carry the legacy forward to my grandkids. How much better can it get?

FedEx dropped off a gift from Santa last night.. I just hope Mary still believes in the Old Fellow... I sure would hate to keep if for myself... I don't know that I could even use if given the color she asked Stanta for.. hahahha (hot pink)..

Well I've got to get a move on ... I've got a desk load of work to do today, because after today I want be back until Dec 1..... what on Earth am I going to do being off a week like that...

Grandkids -- A Funny

Before I forget and this little funny and it is lost forever I wanted to write it down.

Friday night, at Jonathan's birthday party, Jonathan was telling me about Gage getting into trouble and having to stand in the corner.

Jonathan told me it upset Noah and that Noah went back there where Gage was and patted him on the back, then went and stood in the other corner.

What ever Gage does Noah does... and they pretty much never let each other out of sight. These little boys are just something... I hope they will always be as close as there are now for every.

This picture of Melissa, Gage, and Noah was taken by Jonathan while they were at Disney World. I can't believe I don't have a picture of both boys together. I've got to do something about that...

Well, it's not as cold as it was yesterday at this time... the morning sky is clear and there's a big half moon looking down over us this morning... and I've got to get a move on so I can get to work...

Santa has been Shipped

It's pretty cool outside this afternoon so I've posted a picture I shot back during the summer to try to make me feel warmer. Well I had to try anyway.

Wow.. I just let Lucy out and the sky has such a pretty, different color to it this afternoon. It has a blue / pink hue. I've never really seen it look like this. I tried to get a picture and we'll see how it turns out.

Had the kids for lunch yeserday... well all of them but Lauren and Lane. His Mom wanted them to come over and eat with them. While we were eating Lauren called and told me that someone had cut the locks on Lanes lawn equipment and taken all but the real big stuff. I have nothing for people that does something like that... I can think of nothing to bad for them.

Today I got to eat with Lauren and Melissa... Little things like that just makes my day. The girls are something that's for sure.

When I got home I had an e-mail letting me know that Mary's Christmas had been shipped and it should be here by the end of the week.. I hope she will like it.. Ole Santa tries...

Well I'm going to get moving here .. this picture doesn't do justice to what I saw about 15 minutes ago, but you get some idea of what I was talking about.

RENAISSANCE FAIR

7TH ANNUAL
MOBILE RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Went to the Renaissance fair yesterday and I'm afraid I was somewhat disappointed. It wasn't as big as I was expecting and there weren't as many actors as I was hoping. Guess I was expecting something like the old Fall Muster at Beauvoir where Confederate Soldiers had camps set up everywhere and ladies in period dress and Confederate soldiers walked the grounds. There were a few of this yesterday, but nothing like what I was looking for.

I enjoyed the jousting because it was done at speed. The fencing was done very slow so people could see the moves and this was very boring. It would have been much better if they had done this once or may twice and then have them fencing at speed. I'm afraid I didn't like this part of the show.

There were a lot of people there yesterday and I'm glad I went. Not sure I'll go back again. After going I don't think it's my period of time. The Civil War period is more the time period I enjoy or maybe it was the friends I made when I was a part of the reenactments.

Here's a couple more pictures from yesterday...

Grandkids --- what a joy

Taken at Disney World Oct 2008, by Melissa

I think one of greatest joys, other than rasing my own 3 daughters, is watching my grandchildren grow up. I enjoy seeing and watching their eyes as they do something new for the first time. Everything being new to them and so excting.

Yesterday was Jonathan's birthday, so we had a little party last night. When I walked through the door little Noah came running to me and put his little arms around my neck and gave me a big hug. That's what it's all about. This is something that must be earned.... the love and trust of this little boy. It's something no one can force him to do. This is love it it's most purest form.

I'm very luckly to know how it is to have parents and grandparents that loved you. I got to spend all my childhood around my grandparents. I truly miss them as much today as the day they left this world. I wish they could see the legacy they left and the impact they had on my life. I'm doing all I can to keep their memory by telling my girls and grandkids about them. I just hope some day that my grandchildren will look back and smile when they think of me.

Time has such a way of just slipping away. Here it is almost Thanksgiving and Christmas is just a few weeks more away. I'm afraid I don't make the best use of my time and every day I regret something I didn't do the day before. What's really makes me feel bad is the fact that I've reached my peak and now I've made the turn and it want be long I'll be in the home stretch.

All my life I've always wanted to be a photographer. I don't know what the problem is. I feel like my work is good and that I know the tech part of it, but for some reason I just can't get the business. At lest 2 or 3 people as asked Lauren about me shooting their wedding, but I never hear anything back. I was so hoping to maybe retire from the hospital at 35 years and open a small business. Now I think it's just one of those dreams I have..

While I'm talking about photography.... Gage is beginning to enjoy it. I've got to get some of the pictures he made at Disney World and post them. What really got me was what he told his Mom, Melissa.... Melissa told me that Gage wanted to take some pictures and she gave him the camera and he looked at her and said, "I'm just like PawPaw".... These few words just made my heart light up... Never think they aren't watching you... their little eyes see everything and hear every word.. Guess what Santa is going to bring him.... you guess it.. He's going to get a real camera so he and I can go shoot pictures together....

Well I'm going to go for this morning... the wind is blowing hard outside and the temp is falling. Looks a lot like rain... oh well didn't have much planned anyway.

The Dreams Again

I knida felt like this picture was me last night. The dark edges and light center. I truly hate nights like last night.

The dreams were back last night. It felt like every time I would go to sleep I was being transferred to another place and time.

I was around people I had not thought or since I was in high school and in some of the dreams I did not even know where I was or who the people were.

In most of the dreams I felt like I was in some kind of danger, that something bad was about to happen to me or the people I was suppose to know in the dream. I remember one part where I received a phone call and the caller told me something like... 'I told you not to let him go in there' .... I remember it was my cousin who I haven't seem or talked to for years the caller was telling me not to leave him alone. I had this feeling of dread... that something was going to happen. It all felt so real.

The other dreams I can't remember as clearly, mainly because there wasn't anyone in them that I was suppose to know I guess.

Maybe it's stress... maybe it's the fact that the holidays are almost here. The fact is I don't like the holidays. Guess there's all kind of reasons for this, but I just can't stand them. It's the most depressing time of the year.

Well it's off to my real nightmare (work) ....hahaha

Monday Again -

Shot this picture yesterday while out with Jonathan and the grandkids, Gage and Noah. Jonathan said he thinks it's whats left of an old tugboat. As one can see Fall is coming to South Mississippi. The leaves are beginning to fall off the hardwood trees in places. This place was so pretty and I only carried my long lens so I couldn't really get the shot I was wanting.

I'm not looking forward to today at work. I've been gone for a week and I know the e-mails are there waiting on me. Well there're just going to have to wait.

I think I wrote that I had been out to Texas for a Pharmacy Reoprt writing class. The class was good and I enjoyed it. Guess what I liked best about it was just getting away for a few days.

Yesterday Melissa, Jonathan, Gage, Noah, and Mary all ate lunch with me. This was the first time I've cooked lunch since before Lauren got married. I had forgotten had hard it was to get everything done and on the table by the time church was out.

After lunch the chruch was giving Lauren a shower so Melissa and Mary went back up there and Jonathan and I took the boys riding. Jonathan likes to take me on the back roads and show me things like this old boat. To say the least it was fun having the kids over and spending time with them yesterday.