Lesson #2 - Aperture

Hey ya'll! This Lesson post is a bit late as we're now on Lesson #3 this week... But for those of you who've only been recently 'invited', I've started an online photography class.... and am *loving it!* (by canice stringham at jessicasprague.com)

So we learned all about apertures and which ones for which effects, but I don't think I'll go into much detail here, except to say that on my Canon it's the setting that's indicated as 'AV', and if I select a low/open aperture, like f/3.5 (or something), then the background of my photos will be all blurred, with the subject being in focus... And if I use a high/more closed aperture, like f/22 (or so), then the background will be much more in focus, along with the subject, adding more 'noise' to the whole effect of the photo.

So that's basically it, in a nutshell. (Sorry that it's just a 'nutshell', but... that's what ya get tonight.)

Anyways...wanna see what I submitted as my assignment? Okay, but first let me check to see if Candice has had a chance to view/comment on it yet, so I can add her comments as well...good or bad. K? Hold on.

Okay~ no comments yet, but here's my photos:

Open Aperture
Shutter Speed 1/30 sec
Aperture f/5
ISO 1600
Focal Length 39 mm
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
18-55mm Lens

Closed Aperture
Shutter Speed .3 sec
Aperture f/9
ISO 800
Focal Length 21 mm
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
18-55mm Lens

I know... I know... And you ask "And you're a Digital Scrapbooker?" LOL! Well, I *had* to start somewhere, right? I have a *ton* of traditional scrapping supplies, but had to condense there for a while when we lived in a very *snug* home in the *very populated* UK, which was like a dream, it came and went so fast. Time well cherished there... Anyways. Yeah. There ya go!

Over the Hill...Almost

Wow. Yeah. It's the Big 30 for me this year. You know...it wasn't so bad actually, since I dealt with all that "getting old" stuff about a month ago, when at that time I realized that it was just around the corner. So, having that all dealt with and out of the way~ my birthday was really great.

So I have to tell you all about how my day started out. This is good. First off, my husband had to leave out of town. On my Birthday. Yeah~ real good, right? (not) But I guess it was okay since he'd planned to be back by 4ish, which he was. :) And since he was gone there'd be no one to be at home with the kids whilst I go with my walking girls in the pre-dawn moments of the day. (hey girls!) So, as I layed there, I could hear some voices pass by my house, and I just *knew* it was them. That's when I knew it was time to not just wake up, but actually get my fat keester out of the bed as well!

I walked to the closet, pulled on a shirt and my pants (trousers), then took a quick glimpse out my window to do a weather check.

And what did I see???!!!

THIS.

At first I thought it was my husband's idea of a good laugh. Then I realized that my dh knew how to spell my name correctly. :D

That's when it hit me... "NO!!!! THEY DIDN'T!!!" ...was the first thing out of my mouth. Then I noticed more color on my driveway (a little better than actually on the street), but I couldn't make it out as my van was in the way. So I got the kids dressed and we all went out to investigate. And THIS is what else we found.



And my suspisions were confirmed... My Walking Girls!

How could they?!

And yet it was actually quite creative and inventive of them, wouldn't you say?

Only...did they have to have done it to me?

I STILL can't believe they DID that! Okay, yes I can. :D

Well, after the kids and I had a good laugh after all (and a good photo shoot), we headed inside to hurry and start getting ready for school. I took the kids to school, came home and showered, went to the school to pick up Kindergartener, came home from the school, to then...

Head to the Park for a Bday Luncheon with **The Culprits**:




It was a great day after all. And my dh made up for his absence in the end with a total surprise weekend getaway! It was much needed, and very much so appreciated, even if was just here in town. As long as it was just him and me, and no kids...we were good.

Oh! And I almost forgot! Just as we were leaving our hotel, he stopped into a shop that I'd never been to before. It was a photo shop! And when we walked out we ended up leaving with one of these:
Yeah~ I'm pretty happy. Surprised and happy. It's a Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 EF S IS Lens. yeah! Then we went up into the mountains to take some fun pics with it. I'll post some once I get them off my camera and onto my computer. 'THANKS HONEY!'

Okay. Now I've got to learn how to use it exactly...

The Store is Officially Open!

GingerScraps.net is now the Official Store/Community for Ginger! (gingerscraps.blogspot.com) She's up and running, and there's a LOT going on over there. There's fun games to participate in on the forums as well as Challenges, and Speed Scraps.

But what we ALL like to hear is that *magic* word: FREEBIES

Am I right?

She's offering two of her personal kits and this word kit for FREE downloading here.

And...she's set up a thread on the forums here where anyone can post links to their own blogs/sites where they offer FREEBIES as well!

Now. She's also offering $5 Gift Cert's for the 20th, 40th, 60th, 80th & 100th Registered Users on the Forums. So be sure to just register (which is also free) under the Forums link for your chance to win.

Want another fun FREEBIE?

Okay...She's got one more offer that's pretty fun~

From last night at midnight til Sunday night (I think until midnight as well), whoever has the highest number of posts on the forums gets her *Entire Store* for FREE!

Now, lets face it, she only has 9 kits/products for SALE, but you have to remember that she only just opened too. And when you win, you have a week to download everything. Plenty of time! But hopefully long enough for her put up new products, yeah?!

One last thing.
If you still haven't done so, click here (for Macs) to download a free 30-day trial version of Photoshop Elements 6.

And for PC Windows Users?
Keep an eye on the Adobe Site for the release of PSE 7, along with it's Free Trial (not out yet!!!)

All so you can use all your fun freebies that you've been downloading!

Have fun, until next time!