LADDventure

The Photo Challenge Next Door - July

Camera settings: aperture f5.6, shutter speed 1/60, ISO 800, focal length 55 mm

This photogenic guy! Buddy is one of my favorite subjects. Took this on a warm, poolside evening when the sun was almost down. I love how his ears stand out in this picture, and that I now know generally how to take photos in lower light that aren't completely blurry or black.

My next door neighbor, Kelsey, and I are determined to conquer DSLR photography once and for all, so we've created a monthly photo challenge for ourselves.  We’re dusting off our trusty DSLR’s, switching them to manual mode, and not looking back. The only rules are to shoot only in manual mode, and to share the results no matter what. You can check out all my photos so far here, and Kelsey's here.

Also check out our latest episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast. Kelsey makes a big announcement and we talk about all the ways life is about to change for the better.

The Photo Challenge Next Door - June

Camera settings: aperture f8, shutter speed 1/40, ISO 400, focal length 55 mm

You guys! How hot is Mr. Ladd? I mean, seriously. I generally take a whole lot of pictures of landscapes, and nature (beast pets included) and not many of people, so I'm wanting to work on my portrait skills. Since Mr. Ladd is the only other human in the house at the moment, he is my reluctant model more often than not. I think in this very picture he's saying,"What?" cause I just called his name and snapped. I have to catch him off guard otherwise I get a lot of this...

Probably a good rule in general for photos of people. Nobody wants forced weird smiles, or awkward poses. I'm finding if I try to catch people in candid moments, I'm much more likely to capture their best features in a natural way.

I also notice that getting in closer than I might think necessary at first, and shooting from above the subject, are both so important for good people pictures.

For this photo I was very focused on those mischievous eyes, so I thought it might be a good chance to play around with making them pop a bit in Photoshop Elements. I used this simple tutorial to enhance the eyes very naturally and just make the individual colors stand out a bit. It was surprisingly easy, and I'm starting to feel so much better about my dysfunctional relationship with PSE. Things actually work the first time I try them. It's a miracle!

 

Don't forget to check out Kelsey's post today from our monthly Photo Challenge Next Door where we are switching our cameras to manual mode and forcing ourselves to learn how it all works

Also, our new episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast is live today! We're talking about fitness routines and goals, what motivates us, and admitting to some personal quirks. As usual, we're also sharing a tasty cocktail recipe, our current obsessions, and some pretty hilarious Neighborhood News. If you haven't checked out the podcast yet, I'd love for you to give it a listen, and if you're already a loyal listener, consider heading over to iTunes to subscribe and leave a quick review. It really helps us get the word out, and we'd so appreciate it!

The Photo Challenge Next Door-May

Camera settings: aperture-f5.6, shutter speed 1/60, ISO 800, focal length 55 mm

This photo was taken during an evening happy hour in the backyard with my boys. This is Mico. I was intentionally trying to take more pictures of him, as Buddy tends to be the more photogenic of the two. It turned out a little dark, but I love that it captures his intense stare and perfect little spade-shaped ears. I'm starting to understand more about using available light. The sun had pretty much set at this point, and I was still able to capture this, (something I never could have done a few months ago). I also love how colors are so much more vivid and true to life when shooting in manual mode.

My next door neighbor, Kelsey, and I are determined to conquer DSLR photography once and for all, so we've created a monthly photo challenge for ourselves.  We’re dusting off our trusty DSLR’s, switching them to manual mode, and not looking back. The only rules are to shoot only in manual mode, and to share the results no matter what. You can check out all my photos so far here, and Kelsey's here.

Also check out our latest episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast. We're sipping on the tasty rhubarb margaritas I wrote about yesterday, while lamenting the early onset of swimsuit season and discussing social media! You can also find us on iTunes. We're fun commute companions, I promise!

The Photo Challenge Next Door - April

Camera settings: aperture-f32, shutter speed 1/40, ISO 100, focal length 44 mm

I took this month's photo on a quick off-road ride in the Jeep. We were on the Montana Mountain Trail in the southeast part of the valley, and it was gorgeous. I just love this time of year in the desert, with the ocotillo and cacti blooming.

My goal with this one was to capture the whole mountain scene in focus, so I opted for a higher f-stop to give me a deeper depth of field. (Look at me, knowing I needed to do that. Progress!) I didn't do any color adjusting, and just love how the colors turned out.

My next door neighbor, Kelsey, and I have a photo challenge going. We're determined to improve our photography skills, so we've set our cameras to manual to see what we can capture and learn along the way. You can view the rest of my challenge photos here, and Kelsey's here. Also check out The Girl Next Door Podcast, where Kelsey and I mix up a cocktail and chat about creativity, marriage, and life in general. A new episode is live today!

The Photo Challenge Next Door - March

Camera settings:  shutter speed 1/40, aperture f/14, ISO 400

I know it's April, but we're still technically in the first week, so it's still acceptable to share March's photo challenge, yes? Truth be told, I haven't really used my camera since last month's challenge, mostly because I had misplaced my charger and extra battery, and the juice was running low until I found it finally.

I'm also just finding myself in a frustrated place with photography.  I'm still not capturing what I want to capture, and when I am, I don't know how I did it or why it worked.  I know if I keep doing it, it will get better, and I'll get better at it, but I don't want to.  I don't want to lug my big camera around and take crappy pictures because I'm forcing myself to learn it, when I could be taking pretty decent pictures with my iPhone 5S camera.  I also struggle between being in the moment with guests or special events and capturing that moment, so I end up only taking pictures of things that have nothing to do with a moment, and are just scenery or still life. 

Maybe that's ok.  Maybe as I get better at taking photos, I can simultaneously capture and be in the moment, because I won't be busy cursing while figuring out the settings on my camera.  When things become more automatic, I won't have to think so hard about it, and can just enjoy the experience and the memory making. 

In the meantime, this picture captures how I feel about two hobbies I am trying desperately to improve in; photography and gardening.  I am finally starting to figure out gardening in the desert, but it is very different than the fertile soil and plant variety of the Midwest.  It looks a lot more like containers and irrigation and heat tolerance.  I'm learning, slowly but surely, and it parallels my photography skills at the moment. 

I realized looking at this picture though, that sometimes things are no less beautiful because of their imperfection, and in fact they hold a special charm of their own sometimes as a result.  I was about to pluck this tattered petunia bloom off of the plant, when I noticed the perfect little bead of water poised on its delicate petal and decided to not only leave it, but to embrace it in a photo. 

You can view all my challenge photos here, and be sure to head over to check out Kelsey's progress next door at Rising*Shining.

The Photo Challenge Next Door - February

The goal of this photo was just to capture an ordinary sunset in our neighborhood.  I was playing around with the lighting and wanted to focus on the sky with the houses and trees silhouetted.  I did this just by adjusting the ISO, and basically achieved the effect I was going for, so that's something.

I was in San Diego for the Storyline Conference and forgot to schedule my post ahead of time, so my Februrary photo is a few days late.  Kelsey from Rising*Shining and I have been busy working on The Girl Next Door Podcast and are having a blast with it!  But, we also wanted to revive our monthly photo challenge where we're turning our cameras to manual mode and not looking back.  My camera has been rather neglected the last couple months, but I'm excited to get back to experimenting and learning with it.  Spring in the desert is just beautiful, so it's the perfect time to snap some pics.

Check out the rest of my monthly photos so far here, and Kelsey's photos right here.

Wordless Wednesday - The Face

Wordless Wednesday - Wildfire

Wordless Wednesday - Nap

Jeep Journal - Crown King Camping

We decided rather on a whim a few weeks ago, to head to the mountains and try our hand at some camping again.  We have gone a few times, and have all the gear, but this was the first time we'd be heading up our own trip and the first time we were brave enough to bring the dogs.

The last time we were camping, I was sniffed by a bear.  But that was in a different state, with many more bears. So we decided to give it another shot, loaded up the beasts, and invited Mr. Ladd's brother and fellow Jeeper, to come with us.

We just made it a one-nighter this time since we weren't sure how the dogs would do, and if we'd forget some essential piece of equipment.  But, we could have easily done two nights and the dogs were so good, I think we will next time.

We found a spot just down the road from Crown King, an old mining town that you can only get to on a dirt trail up the mountain.  The town itself is literally a saloon, one gas pump, and a general store for the most part.  We headed past the town a bit, set up camp and proceeded to chill...

all of us...

all day...

It was lovely.

There was exploring, lizard hunting, and dirty paws.

There was cast iron over an open fire, s'mores, and a chilly evening under a crisp night sky.

At this point in the summer there are burn restrictions, because it's so dry, which means you have to camp in a designated campground with a metal fire ring.  But, at the time we went, there were no restrictions yet, and one of the really cool things about Arizona is you can just camp pretty much anywhere.  So there are these great little secluded spots that have obviously been used by others because rocks are formed into a fire ring, but otherwise it truly is being one with nature.  I never thought I'd want to be quite so familiar with nature, but the nature here is oh so worth it.  There is nothing like escaping up into the cooler mountains when the summer heat starts to creep into the valley.