Antique #5

The definition of "antique" has to do with a collectible item that has value.  Well, I'm sure this item has no monetary value, however, this simple handkerchief that I used on my wedding day holds a great amount of sentimental value to me.  The reason why I qualify this handkerchief as my type of antique is because of the embellishment in the middle of it.  This piece of embroidery was on the bodice of my mother's wedding gown.  My parents have been married for almost 40 years, and I felt like having a piece of my mother's wedding dress with me might bring my marriage good luck, as well. (I got married on their wedding day, too!) 

(This photo was taken by me on my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Antique #4

These are some different sized jars (vases, maybe?) that my mother gave me a long time ago.  She meant to give them to her sister (my aunt), but my aunt dies unexpectedly so my mom wanted to give the jars to someone else who could appreciate their beauty.  

(These photos were taken by me with my Nikon D40 DSLR)

Antique #3

Another item I picked up at my antique shopping spree was a bud vase that was made in Sweden.  Not only was this vase handmade in Sweden, but it was made entirely from sea glass.  This picture, unfortunately, does not do it justice.

(This photo was taken by me with my Nikon D40 DSLR)

Antique #2

This is another item I picked up at an antique store.  This is an old medicine bottle from Dr. W. B. Caldwell.  These bottles were most famous for containing Caldwell's special laxative from around 1890-1940.

(These photos were taken by me with my Nikon D40 DSLR)

Antique #1

One of my favorite things to do is to shop around at an antique store.  Here is one of the antique trinkets I've collected over time.  This is an ashtray from an old passenger train, called the Turquoise Room.  This was a Super Chief (later bought out by Amtrak) passenger train company that started around 1936.

 (These photos were taken by me with my Nikon D40 DSLR)

Architecture #5

I had to take a picture of this old tutor house in Kirtland.  I think the structure of this home speaks for itself.  I love the bay window on the second story and the shingles that are, not only on the roof, but on the brick borders of the home (look to the left).

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Architecture #4

This is the church where my wedding pictures were taken.  I love this church because of its architecture, so I went back today and took a picture of it.  I love the large, round, red door, and the rounded archway.

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Architecture #3

I hate my parent's china cabinet; absolutely hate it!  But on Monday I actually took a good look at it as my father was moving it and I really liked the detailed wood work of the cabinet door.  I went into photoshop and upped the contrast so the wooden details really stood out.

(This photo was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Architecture #2

This is a picture of an old, rusty door in the shed.  Even though this does not have to do with the architecture of the shed, I loved the shapes that the peeling paint was making, and the actual shape of the door.

(this photo was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Architecture #1

I went into an old, abandoned barn this weekend and took some pictures of the shapes/architecture that I liked.  This picture was taken in the upstairs part of the stable.  I love the shape of the windows!

(This picture was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Things I love #5

One of the other things I love are creative picture frames.  I feel like the picture frame is as much of a work of art as the picture inside of it.  My favorite picture frames are the antique ones that I find at my grandma's house, or even at antique shops.  I love unique frames with embellishments, odd shapes, rustic feel, or just random frames that appeal to me.  Here are some of my favorite picture frames that I have collected over time...

(These pictures were taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

 

Things I Love #4

I absolutely love Coach handbags! I remember owning my first one when I was a teenager and I haven't stopped buying them since!  I love that these handbags are of such good quality and craftsmanship, yet they are still somewhat - affordable (compared to other couture handbags, anyway). Here's a picture of my collection...so far...

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Special Effects Photo

I used a photo that my wedding photographer took of my wedding shoes...

...and I turned them into stained glass...

This was done in Photoshop by going into Filter-> Filter Gallery->Texture-> Stained Glass.  I made the Cell Size:11, the Border Thickness:4, and the Light Intensity:1.

Duotone Photo

I found a picture of icicles online, and I turned the photo black & white...

Then I took the photo and colorized it blue...

I prefer the blue duotone photograph better, because it almost makes me "feel" colder. The duotone seems to add a little something more to the picture that the black and white photo just isn't able to.

Black & White Photo

Here is a photo that our snorkeling instructor took...

Here is what happened when I turned the photo black & white...

Without a doubt I LOVE the color photo much more than the black and white photo.  Black and white photography works in some situations, but when the subject of the picture is filled with glorious, vibrant colors, turning it black and white only ruins the image.  The colors in the original photograph are absolutely gorgeous and should not be altered.

Things I Love #3

Another thing I love is a fresh bouquet of flowers.  I always try and have some fresh flowers in my home.  This is a bouquet of purple-ish roses I bought from the grocery store yesterday. 

(this photo was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Creative Crop

Here is a picture I took of penguins at the zoo...

After cropping the image (below) you can focus more on the penguin exhibit, and less on the noisy background.

Bad Composition Photo

This is probably the best example I can find for a photo with bad composition.  At first glance, this photograph makes it look like the girl to the right has an extremely hairy arm.  After a while, though, you notice that it is not a hairy arm but someone else's lower leg that got into the picture.  This problem is easily fixable.  All the photographer would have to do is ask the person to move their leg.  Or the photographer could take the picture at a different angle, or move over a few inches, so the male's leg does not blend in with the female's neck.

Things I love #2

I also love to cook!  I try to make homemade meals every other night.  Tonight I made Cornish hens with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and steamed broccoli.

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Things I Love #1

I did not want to repeat myself with this project, so I made a little collage using the pictures of my pets that I took today.  The white, orange, and black cat is also my parent's pet.  Her name is Punkin because my sister and I got her on Halloween.  Again, Lucy (the dog) is also my parent's...but I always say she's mine. My cats are the pure white one, and the grey one.  :-) 

(All of these pictures were taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Face #5

For my last picture of this theme I am posting a photo of my cat, Day's, face.  She loves to bask in the sun.  I loved how this photo created such a large contrast between the black background against her white coat.

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Face #4

This is the face of my husband, Anthony.  Although we have been together for almost a decade (we just got married 4 months ago) I still find myself deeply in love with his gorgeous hazel eyes and long eyelashes (okay, secretly I'm just jealous that my eyelashes are much shorter than his!).

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)

Face #3

Here is the face of my nephew, Hayden!  I love this little man!

(This photo was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Face #2

Here is the face of my dog, Lucy.  She's technically my parent's dog, but I lover her like my own.  

(This photo was taken by me with my Nikon D60 DSLR)

Face #1

Here is my cat, Beefy's, face.  He's a huge fan of snuggling, so this is typically the view I wake up to every morning.  

(This photo was taken by me with my Samsung Galaxy S3)