Weird how that happens right?

Man sometimes the hardest part of blogging is coming up with a post title. Anyone else feel me on that one? Especially when you have plans just to ramble about nothing in particular.

Ok. So here is a bunch of randomness in no particular order.

I officially started my photography website. HERE IT IS. Please go take a look and let me know what you think. If you find anything misspelled or think something could be worded differently, I would LOVE the feedback. Just shoot me an email.

My goal with the website is clean and simple, easy to navigate, a clear depiction of my work and conveying a sense of who I am. Let me know if I accomplished those goals.

There is also a blog on the website so I can show more pics from sessions with people without putting them all on FB or on here. I will share those posts from time to time. Here are the first couple.

Mothers Day BBQ
Swietzer Family 

I think I mentioned it a long time ago, but can’t remember and am too lazy to go back through posts to see if I actually DID mention it, but Paul and I are signed up for a 10k in September. IN DISNEYLAND. How fun is that? Only problem is, I haven’t gotten my butt in gear yet to start training. Well, its about 15 weeks out so its time to get serious. My friend Darby (who is doing it with us along with her hubby) and I are going to be keeping each other accountable for our workouts. I also created a spreadsheet and everything. Yeah, I know. That’s weird. But its what I do. So anyway, I will probably be talking more about my training and workouts here as well as another way to keep accountable.

Also on Cinnamon like the Spice I am planning on doing kind of a series of posts where I go through CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity a chapter at a time. I love that book and feel like I could read it over and over and get something new out of it every time I read it. I want to REMEMBER more about it so I feel like if I take notes and share my interpretations it will help me to remember some of his brilliant insights. Not sure when this will start, but I am milling it around in my head and wanted to share.

Wow I am really rambling here!

I want to do another month where I blog daily. I am feeling like June might be that month. Stay tuned.

Snap to It submissions are DUE tonight at midnight!! I really want to include as many photos as possible so send me your pics!

This weekend was pretty awesome. We saw two movies, had an impromptu date night and got to spend lots of time with friends. Paul and I also went on a little afternoon trip to a kind of near-ish town called Tehachapi and practiced taking photos. He is learning all the basics and doing quite well!

Movie #1

Movie #2

Tehachapi fun

We decided we like Tehachapi a lot because it has both a Sonic AND a Starbucks drive through. Oh AND Fro Yo!! This town is smaller than Ridgecrest but so much nicer. What gives? 

More pics from our Tehachapi day trip HERE.

Impromptu date night

Happy Monday and I can’t wait to reveal all your photos tomorrow. LOVING what I am seeing so far. Good job everyone!

I’ve been thinking about and working on this for so long now that I can’t believe its finally here! The FIRST post for Snap to It, my weekly photography tip/assignment.

If you need a reminder about what this is all about please click HERE and that will explain everything!

For this inaugural Snap to It post I want to keep it kind of simple and just talk about what I want to call “the basics.”

I don’t necessarily want to recreate the wheel by spending weeks and weeks going through tutorials on how to use your camera and how to understand some of the basic things that are important for all photographers to understand. I know for a fact that there are a TON of websites out there that cover all of the really important elements on how to understand your camera, making the jump out of auto to manual, understanding exposure etc…

How do I know this?

Because I have spent the last few months obsessively reading and studying these websites! Now I want to pass that info on to you so you have a starting point.

Here are links to my FAVORITE websites where I have basically taught myself everything I currently know about how to use my camera, how to adjust settings to achieve the desired look, exposure etc…Depending on what it is you are looking to learn, you will for sure find something here of interest.

After this week I will focus these tips more on specific things I have learned or am learning as well as continue to point you towards other helpful websites/resources.

Camera/Equipement

Understanding your DSLR

Digital Camera Modes

Manual Mode

How to Shoot in manual mode

A Beginners Guide to Photography 

Getting off Auto

The Exposure Triangle

Learning about Exposure

Aperture

How to Understand Aperture in 5 simple steps

Aperture- the basics

ISO

Understand ISO in 4 simple steps

Shutter Speed

4 Steps to understanding shutter speed

If you clicked on any of these links you should be able to determine my three favorite websites for all things photography. I seriously can NOT even tell you how GREAT I think these websites are for learning. I have come across numerous other websites but I always come back to these three. They just have a plethora of great information especially for beginners and it is so easy to just click from one article to the next and just soak it all in.

Click it up a Notch

This is probably my favorite. I have spent hours upon hours on this site. Courtney makes things very easy to understand, she mixes things up so the material is always something interesting and new and her videos are great as well. If you have an interest in learning your camera and want an easy to understand approach from a mom who loves photography and taking pics of her kids…this is the place for you to spend your time.

THIS POST is the mother of all posts. It will get you to pretty much anything you want to learn. Block off like four hours before you click on it.

Expert Photography

Josh has such a great way of explaining complicated photography topics in an easy to understand way. I found his site off of Pinterest and that day was essentially gone after I stumbled upon it. His posts are straightforward, well written and they just MAKE SENSE.

Digital Photography School 

TONS of awesome resources. This site is a little more corporate and less personal like Josh and Courtney’s site, but you can’t deny the wealth of easy to understand info that is on this site. I subscribe by email and every week when the email comes through there are at least 3-5 posts that I click on to read. Another fabulous learning resource.

______________________________________

Ok on to this weeks assignment!

For our very first assignment I want you to send me a picture of something basic. BASIC but NOT boring!! A pillow, a peice of fruit, a chair. Any basic thing captured in a creative way. Try not to make the photo too busy…I want to “feel” basic when I see it, but I still want it to be creative.

I am SO EXCITED to see what you send me.

Please click HERE for instructions on HOW to submit your photos! REMEMBER you don’t have to be using a DSLR to participate! 

ALL PHOTOS that are submitted prior to midnight on Monday will be included in a post next Tuesday (withy my favorite photo called out) and then next Wednesday will be the next Snap to It tip/assignment.

Here is my “basic” photo. I will have a couple more to share with you next week when I reveal all of YOUR photos!

OK- SNAP TO IT!

My parents have been in town visiting since Thursday, thus my extended absence from all things blogging. My aunt and uncle also came up from Riverside and visited on Saturday. So its been an all family kind of weekend. We’ve seen the sights (took about 20 min or so) did some shopping (again about another 20 min) and have been meeting friends and hanging out. All together good times.

We took like 10 pics and Kyles eyes were closed in every single one. Yeah, I’m pretty sure he was doing it on purpose. #teenager

Tomorrow is the first Snap to It post and I could NOT be more excited but before then I have an awesome recipe to share with you. I think I am slightly behind on my CinnaList goal on recipes, but before I left for Seattle I was a little ahead so hopefully I’m not to far off. I will get caught up next week (hopefully.)

I got this recipe from who else? Kristen! I am pretty sure I have made every single last one of her recipes by now. Ok maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but seriously her food just clicks with me. And everyone who eats it loves it and thinks I am a genius in the kitchen so that doesn’t hurt either!

Here it is! CRAZY easy chicken. Seriously, its crazy easy.

I made this the first night my parents were in town and asked everyone to guess what the sauce was made out of. No one even came close. When I first read it, I did think, “hmmmm that is an odd combination” but let me tell you, it works. I didn’t have any of these things in my house, but I probably will from now on because this is getting made.

A lot.

I followed the recipe EXACTLY as it reads on Kristens post. CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE. It took about 10 minutes to get it all ready and then in the oven it went. I mean how much easier can it get?

Alrighty, hope everyone is doing well and see you tomorrow for the first Snap to it post!! Hope you are ready for your homework!

I’m SOOO EXCITED about the positive response I received yesterday regarding Snap to it! I can HARDLY wait until next Wednesday when we have our FIRST tip/assignment.  Only six more sleeps until its here!

Ok, on to the tulips. The beautiful, beautiful tulips. These are some of my snaps from when I was in Seattle visiting the fields with some very very good friends of mine.

Enjoy!

This one is different for me. I was trying to capture the reflection. Thoughts?

Selfie. Kind of. Actually, ok no, not at all, but you know what I mean.

And how GORGEOUS is my friend Monique…frolicking in the fields of tulips. Can’t get enough of this one.

• Do you like taking pictures?
• Do you feel like you are good at taking pictures?
• Do you want to know how to take better pictures?
• Do you have a “fancy” camera and have no idea how to use it out of Auto mode?
• Are you inspired by looking at/studying/enjoying other peoples photography?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then hopefully Snap to It will be something that you really enjoy!

What is it?

Snap to It is a weekly photography tip/assignment program.

How does it work? 

The “tip” 

On Wednesday of every week I will be discussing various things regarding photography.   Manual mode, lighting, composition, equipment, blogging etc… I will be sharing things I have learned as well as point you to valuable resources that I have am discovering in my journey to morph myself into what I consider to be a legit photographer. (<—not sure it will ever happen, but I am hopeful!)

The “assignment” 

In addition to the weekly “tip” I will be providing an assignment.

This is where YOU get involved.

I want you to take that assignment and get creative. Pick up that camera and start capturing. You don’t have to have a DSLR*. Any point and shoot or camera phone will do. The only requirement is to get creative.

Once you have captured your image for the week, send it to me** by way of email, facebook, or twitter. You can tell me some info about the photo if you want, or you can just send it over. Either way works for me.

I will compile the submissions and feature them on a blog post the following Tuesday. In that post, I will highlight my FAVORITE photo submission.

Then I want you to talk about your favorite submission in the comments. Or just comment in general. Or ask questions. Whatever really…lets just all learn from each other! Study what other people have done during the week and use it to get your creative juices flowing for the next weekly assignment.

And thats it!

*****MOST IMPORTANT****

You do NOT have to be a blogger to participate! This is for anyone who is interested in taking pictures or taking better pictures.

*Some assignments will be specific to DSLR cameras…i.e…..capture an image at a fast shutter speed or wide aperature etc… In these cases, an additional assignment will be provided for those without DSLR cameras.

**For those submitting a photo take with a DSLR please include the following ON the picture:

• f-stop
• shutter speed
• ISO
• focal length
• time of day (morning, afternoon, evening, indoors etc…)

How to submit your photos:

• Email me your photo at: eatpraytri@gmail.com
• Post the picture on my eatpraytri facebook page
• Tweet me the photo and include the following: Here is my submission for #snaptoit @eatpraytri (photos that do not include both #snaptoit and @eatpraytri will not be considered)
• If you have a blog and would like to blog about your photo, just send me the link after you post it and I will link to it in my post!

Schedule:

Wednesday of every week: Snap to It tip/assignment post
Tuesday of every week: Assignment wrap up post of submitted photos from the previous Wednesday’s assignment

ps…how awesome is my Snap to It button? THANK YOU to Calee Himes over at life+running for her design. I hope to make it into a button that you can slap on your blog soon!

Who in the world would have thought it would be DIFFICULT to fit in 20 hours of work into a currently ZERO hours of work schedule? Not me….but alas here I am feeling stupid that I am struggling to fit everything in.

In reality its not all that bad, I just like to exaggerate and make things more difficult than they really are. I just have so many things I want to DOOOOOO. And the time is just never there.

Who’s with me?

So I’m mad at myself for not blogging more often.

I’m mad at myself for feeling stumped at how to fit in bible study, working out, dishes, laundry, work, photography, blogging, dogs, husband, kid, reading, cooking, cleaning, fellowship, sleeping, thinking…all into one day. (btw…those are not in order of importance, that is just how they came to me. I’m pretty sure dishes do NOT come before photography. )

Wah Wah, call the waaaambulance I know. But its where I’m at right now, so I just wanted to share. It’s not going to last long, I will figure things out and get a flow, cut things that need to be cut, and focus on things that are most important, but for right now I’m overall just feeling overwhelmed for really no good reason.

Ok enough complaining and on to something more exciting! TOMORROW. Tomorrow is exciting. Well it will actually be more like late night, mid morning because thats when a new fun blog post from me will be published. Its photography related, interactive and hopefully will be something I can continue here in this venue for a really long time.

So please don’t listen to all my ridiculous rambling and nonsense about feeling sorry for myself, and just come back tomorrow for the fun?! Pretty Please with a cherry on top?

A little bit of whats going on around here….

I’ve been waking up to this in the mornings.

We found this in the garage.

Poor lil guy had been trapped in the garage for a few days. Paul found droppings all over where he was trying to get out and couldn’t. I literally cried when the boys showed him to me. Little bunny cottontail no more.

And this happened today.

That is for sure one awesome thing about living here. When we do get awesome clouds, they truly are AWEsome.

See you tomorrow!

Time for another fan favorite…..random blabbing about nothing in particular! YAY!

I started work yesterday. I’m handling HR needs for my church (which is actually a church, a school and a child development center) so a decent amount of employees. Its part-time so I’m not officially a full time working women again, but it was kinda fun to leave the house wearing REAL CLOTHES (YAY and BOO) at the SAME TIME as Paul. It was like old times! HA!

Favorite thing about working HR in a church? Finding this in the desk drawer. Love it.

I’ve been an editing fool lately. I did like four photo shoots while I was in Seattle (plus went to the Tulip festival…a photographers DREAM) and I am going through the process of getting them all finalized. I love it so much I spend way more time on it than I really should. Can’t wait to show you some of the snaps I got. I really feel like my skillz are getting better every day.

I have finished quite a few books lately that I haven’t had time or energy to review on the blog. I HAVE however been reviewing them on GoodReads. I have the links on my CinnaList book page. Check them out if you are interested in what I have to say!

Its officially summer in Ridgecrest. I know it should be spring but that seemed to happen back in February. What this means is that it is blazing hot outside and freezing cold inside because of the A/C. This means I am wearing a tank top, sweater, shorts and slippers pretty much all the time. Oh Seattle, how I miss you even more!

This little guy isn’t feeling good. He’s been needy and moping around all day. His tummy is making weird noises too. Poor little thing!

If you need a smile or a pick me up, just watch this video. My mom sent it to me and I can’t get enough. Guinness falls asleep standing up all the time, I should try to get that on video.

Thanks for putting up with my randomness.

I’m baaaaaaaack! Did you miss me? I missed you all terribly, well…..if anyone is still out there! If you are, I miss you. My goal was to keep up some update blogs during the rest of my trip, but my time just got away from me. I found myself getting back to the house I was staying at at like 11pm or later! No complaints, I was having so much fun with all my friends!

While it is really good to be back to see the hubs and the pups, I am already missing Seattle. I don’t know what it is about that city, but my heart just seems to live there. I felt totally like “myself” again and was loving the cooler weather and all of the awesome scenery.

I have spent all day catching up and doing laundry and just reconnecting with pretty much every area of my life that got put on hold while I was out of town. I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed and tired and tomorrow I start my new job!! Aaaahhh! Despite all of that though, I am feeling happy and just excited about the next few months. So much going on!

OK, here is a wrap up of the end of my trip. I might blog more about certain aspects, but as for now I really just want to highlight all of the awesome things I was up to while I was way up north in the emerald city!

#perfectday

#Imisstrees

#perfectthaifood

#eatbythewater

#notabadview

#happyhour

#goodfriendsgoodsweets

#lunchwithfriends

#favoriterollofalltime

#dinneroutsidewithbestie #yesplease

#evenbetter

#thankgoodnessfortechnology

#cantgetenoughofthisbeautifulenvironment

#issaquahmarket

#pretty

#heythatsme!

#newhatthatIwontneedinRidgecrest

#DELISH

#doubleDELISH

#fancymoviewithbestie #yesthatisareclinerandblanket

#lovethesepeople #churchfamily

#pastorJerry

#itsnotfroyobutstillgood

#family

#andimback

#cutie

#puppytime!

#pho

#nails

#fave

#tulips!

#church #home

#yum

#love

I have arrived!

#happy

#boysinstructionstosurvive

#sadpuppies

#goodfriendswhogiveridestoairport

#airport

#lunch

#aisleseat #easybathroomaccess

#beauty

#green

#refreshing

#friends

#ofcourse