Hollywood Photography

My Boys

2010-01-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures of my boys. I didn't add them to Moving Forward because I have so many other pictures posting there, I hate to add to the stream. I didn't add them to Flickr because I don't care to hear anyone's reviews of them. They make me smile and that's good enough for me.

Trey, who doesn't often give us a good gummy smile (he's embarrassed of his teeth), sure gave me one here.

Nate watches Daniel play his Nintendo DS. Sweet moment to catch.

Boys = Mischief

2010-01-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

New Purpose for This Blog

2010-01-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

I am posting most of my pictures at my personal blog, Moving Forward, and I think I am going to make this blog one that gets pictures that I like but maybe others won't. Make sense? So, if you're looking at this blog and thinking why the heck is she sharing these? Well, because they appeal to me on some level and I'm not quite sure what to do with them.

For example, the picture below just tickles me. I took it with a new-to-me camera, a Nikon D200.

It was a cloudy, dreary day and I had no idea what I was doing with this camera. I stepped out of my van, having just bought the camera 40 minutes before and snapped a few of the cows behind my house. This one calf was like "what are you doing?"

I used my favorite lens, the Nikkor 55-200mm VR telephoto. I worked hard to focus on the calf and not let the focus be either of the trees or the barb-wire fense. Honestly, I'm not displeased with how it turned out.

You Capture - Friends

2009-07-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

This week's You Capture theme is friends. I am not often in front of my camera, but luckily I have a picture from just a couple of weeks ago of myself and a friend.

My friend Brigitte and me at the Usborne Books National Convention, July 18th. We met for the first time two years ago and have been friends ever since, although we only ever see each other once year, at convention.

My son Daniel (on right) with a cousin/friend. They had their first sleep-overs ever this year - both with each other.

You Capture - Black and White

2009-07-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

I have been too busy to post pictures for a while, but luckily I was able to do this week's You Capture by I Should Be Folding Laundry. Her theme this week is black and white. A couple of weeks ago I changed my settings to b&w and snapped a few pictures. This one of my daughter Georgia was the only one I was pleased with enough to share.

Flower Fixed - What Do You Think?

2009-06-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I took several pictures of this flower this weekend, but each time I took it, it came out too vibrant, with the leaves all blending in with each other. So, I tried various things in PSE 7, trying to see what worked and what didn't.

With this picture, I darkened the highlights a bit, lowered the contrast and brightness, messed with the hue and saturation of red in the photo, cropped it and finally added a bit of sharpening with Unsharp Mask.

So, does the flower still look real? Did I edit too much?

Here is the before picture:

Summer Fun

2009-06-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

These aren't anything to jump up and down about, but I thought they were pretty good photos, and during the summer they are what I will take pictures of the most.

You may have noticed that I share more pictures of my daughter and that is only because she is my most cooperative subject. My least cooperative is my 3.5 year old son (no surprise).

Very little editing, if any, was done to these photos.

Let's Hear It For The Boys!

2009-06-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry for I Heart Faces and I hope I don't humiliate myself. The theme this week is "Let's Hear It For The Boys!" in honor of Father's Day.

My husband, David Jr., and his father, David Sr., pose for a shot after trimming a plum tree with a chain saw. This photo was taken in April, about a week after I purchased my Nikon d60, and was taken at dusk with no flash. I was pleased with the result, consider the lack of experience and knowledge I had (and still have).

I used PSE 7 to edit and the editing included lightening it up a bit, reducing the noise (it was so dark I had the ISO up to 400), sharpening a bit and cropping it to center them more.

Would you like to see more pictures of boys and fathers? Have a great shot to share? Head over to I Heart Faces and join in the fun!

Amazing Flower Picture

2009-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law is an amazing gardener and has such beautiful flowers. I am NOT a gardener, and while I love this flower, I cannot even tell you the name of it. This photo was cropped only, no editing.

I included this picture in the meme Give Me Your Best Shot. If you would like to participate, go to Better in Bulk and follow her instructions.

First Butterfly Photo

2009-06-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

I took some other photos of butterflies, but their wings were jagged or they were moving too much for the light I had available. This one was cropped but not edited.

Candid Portrait

2009-06-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

My niece Lindsay, age 11, while we were on a trip in Michigan. The sun was setting and we were by a lake, which made for a lovely candid photo. The picture was cropped and has some editing.

Washington D.C. Pictures

2009-05-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

The first picture I am going to share at this brand-spanking new blog is of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. We were there for my father's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery on May 12th.

The picture was taken atop a caution cone because I forgot to bring my tripod on the trip. The photo is unedited.

Welcome to Hollywood Photography

2009-05-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping by Hollywood Photography! Here is a little about me and what you can expect from this blog.

My Equipment
I am have enjoyed taking pictures with simple point-and-shoot cameras for years, and two months ago I decided I wanted my pictures to "grow up," so I invested in my first dSLR camera, a Nikon d60. The lenses I shoot with are Nikon 18-55 mm (kit lens), 55-200 mm (telephoto) and 50 mm (portrait lens). I recently bought a speed flash, but seldom use it yet. My photos are edited with PhotoShop Elements 7, but I am still a newbie at it also.

Why "Hollywood Photography"
I tried many different blog names, all which were taken. I wanted something more than Amanda Padgett Photography, so I decided to go with a local name. No, I do not live anywhere near Hollywood in California, nor do I live in Hollywood, SC. But, the rural community where I live, outside of a rural small town is called Hollywood, so I chose that. If I ever get experienced enough to do any professional jobs, the name with transfer over here (in real life) well.

My Subjects
Most of my pictures will be of kids, farm life, flowers, and travels. I am the mom of four children, ages 11 to 3.5, so they provide me with lots of photo opportunities, as do the cows in my back yard (kidding, but not really).

Where Else You Can Find Me
I have already been sharing some picture at my personal blog, Moving Forward. Also, you can find me at my blog about blog designs, Beautiful Blog Designs. And, lastly you can find me at my online catalog for Usborne Books, for which I am a consultant and supervisor.