Shooting wide open is always a favorite, but it can be tricky. Missing your desired focus is easy to do when you shoot wide open but when you nail it, nothing is more bokelicious!  I shot this with my 35mm 1.4 opened as wide as it can go! The creamy, out of focus background is exactly what I was going for.  I love to shoot with a large aperture and get that shallow depth of field, it really makes the subject pop, but I usually stick around 2.8-4 when taking pics.  Shooting at 1.4 is a bit harder with my littles that are always on the move but it can be done....just need a steady hand and if they are moving I need to anticipate where they are going. 

I am sure Eileen has a lot to share about shooting Wide Open so be sure to head over to her blog by clicking here!

1500 Miles, 1 Image ~ Flowers

I love photographing flowers! The colors, shapes and textures always make creativity flow.  Now that spring is here, bright flowers are popping up everywhere and I couldn't be happier.  When I take pictures of flowers I really like playing with my creative lenses.  It gives the image an extra pop!  I took a lot of pictures for this weeks theme because the flowers looked SO pretty in the light! I used my Velvet 85 and Helios.  I plan on doing a post with more of the tulip pics because I really had a hard time deciding on just one picture! So stay tuned!!  

Please click here, to go to Eileen's page to see her image for the week!! I love how similar they are!!!

1500 Miles, 1 Image ~ The Kids Were Here

I have many things around the house that prove my kids are around. I am constantly cleaning up after them.  They love to leave me teeny tiny little scraps of paper from their newest art project on the counter and floor.  There are shoes, backpacks, toys that I trip over on a regular basis. My personal favorite is the huge globs of toothpaste left in the sink after they brushed their teeth.  Then there are all the sweet notes I find on post-its, beautiful hand drawn pictures and loving finds like this on the window after a shower.  

Please be sure to head over to Eileen's page to see her Kids Were Here image by clicking here

1500 Miles, 1 Image ~ Spring

I have been playing the song "Long December" on repeat in my head.  Though we aren't in December anymore it sure feels like it.  I will be the first to say I love cooler weather, I don't do well in the heat.  I enjoy snow and rain, but at this point I am really ready for spring.  I had a hard time with the theme Spring, as a matter of fact Eileen and I have put it off a couple weeks because here on the East Coast there have been no signs of the season! So when I saw the bulbs in our garden popping up I sure was excited! It gave me hope of what is to come...then I read more snow is to come! Well spring will be here soon enough and I can't wait for all the flowers and color.  I added an extra image of colorful flowers because I wanted to keep the promise of spring in reach!   

Please be sure to head over to Eileen's page and see her Spring image by clicking here