Gratuitous Littlest Dude photos...

...and a couple pretty landscapes from the setting I was scoping, and a quickie photo tip. I was taking these photos at high noon - a no-no time for the best lighting for portraits. I was careful to turn Littlest Dude's face AWAY from the sun for these, thus avoiding harsh shadows on his sweet face (yeah, that sweet face that didn't want to be photographed. that sweet face that just wanted to leave and have candy. that face.).

Photoshop Technique

I'm pretty much a Photoshop ignoramus. I'm grateful for kind people like Amy Rose, who generously share their knowledge with newbies like me, taking time to explain the intricacies of PS in much detail. I really like the results I've been getting from following her "formula". Here's a photo I edited using her technique. The first photo is my SOOC (straight out of the camera) image. I should tell you that it looks "flatter" than it otherwise would, due to my in-camera settings. I deliberately have my camera set at no/low contrast, as it is possible to ADD contrast, but not possible to SUBTRACT contrast. So I choose to err on the side of too little contrast. But that does mean that I'm loathe to show my "naked", unedited images. So anyway, the first image is SOOC. The second image is my "Amy-Rose" edited image.





Here's another Before & After example:





You'll have to excuse my poor Little Dude's CLEAR exasperation with the whole being photographed thing. I had bribed him with candy corns to stand in a bunch of beautiful local settings that I was scoping out for possible portrait locations. The settings look AMAZING. But my son? He was not so thrilled as I was. But he surely enjoyed those candies at the end of our excursion.

ps. I'm pretty sure this technique works with PS Elements also.

BUGS.

Last year about this time, one of my first posts included a photo of a female praying mantis we found in our backyard who laid her egg sack while in our possession. After she died (mantises only live about 6 months or so, dying soon after laying their eggs), we placed her egg sack in a palm tree in our backyard. We're guessing that this one, also found in our backyard, might be one of the babies.

As for man, his days are like grass;

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities;
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The LORD performs righteous deeds,
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us;
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more;
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting
to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children,
To those who keep His covenant,
And who remember His precepts to do them.

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens;
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 103