Captured by Sarah Photography

Well believe it or not my garden has been forked (and knifed actually).  No it wasn’t a youth group prank or any other form of mischief rather an attempt to be resourceful.  A few days ago, it stopped raining long enough and I was ready to put in phase one of my garden.  After searching the house and garage for some garden markers I was sure I had, I couldn’t find a thing.  So, bring on the creative thinking and the labeling of 30-40 plastic utensils.  Here is what I started with and the results thus far…

As I was photographing the beginnings of my 2009 garden, I found myself using the Aperture (Av) priority mode.  Now this is absolutely my favorite mode when shooting portraits so I thought I would use a few pics from the garden to explain.  Without getting all technical, aperature is the function of the lens that works like the iris of your eye as it controls how wide or narrow the opening is based on the amount of light entering.  But what you really need to know is it controls the depth of field of your photographs or what distance your photograph will be sharp and in focus from the foreground to the background. 

Whether you have a DSLR camera with multiple lenses or a pocket size digital camera, your camera most likely has a setting related to Aperature.  See if your camera has any of the following symbols on the dial: Av (you choose aperature), human profile symbol (photograph will be sharp only near foreground), or the mountain landscape symbol (photograph will be sharp from foreground to background).  Aperature is measured in F-stops and a small number means only the foreground will be in focus and a larger number means it will be sharp to the background.  Take a look at this series of photographs in which I progressively changed the aperature.

Notice at an aperature of F 1.8, it difficult to distinguish what is in the background and by F 22.0 you can read the labelings of the vegetable markers.  F 1.8 would be closer to using the portrait mode and F 22.0 would be similar to using the landscape mode.

The reason I love aperature mode and why I hope you’ll give it a try is because it really draws attention to what is in the forefront of the photograph.  When the distracting background is slightly blurred, the viewer’s eye is drawn to the child in the front of the photograph.  I also enjoy using it to draw attention to certain features such a gorgeous eyes or tiny feet on a newborn.  However, it is not the best choice if your photographing a large group as not everyone will be in focus.  Give it a try and see what you think.

Recently we traveled to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi where my younger brother was stationed to train in the T-44 airplanes, seen above.  He successfully completed his training and at the graduation ceremony he received his Air Force pilot wings.  Jake and his wife, Linsey are both in the Air Force.  It was great to be able to spend some time exploring the planes that he flies, visiting the air traffic control tower, and we even got an explanation of flight techniques in a simulator. 

Jake is currently in the processing of moving to the location of his new assignment at Little Rock Air Force Base.  We’re all really excited that Linsey will also soon be reassigned to Little Rock so they can be stationed together for the first time since their marriage.  Jake will be training on the BIG planes for the next few months before he will be eligible for deployment.

The C-130 pilots frequently make runs from Little Rock to Springfield, so we are looking forward hearing to hearing Jake buzz our home sometime soon

Congratulations, Jake!

On March 7, my brother, Josh and Sandra wed at Tarp Chapel in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  However, it was not only the joining of their own lives but of their families.  Their blended family includes 5 children, 3 of the same age.  I gratefully declined the opportunity to play the role of the wedding photographer and it turned out for the best.  Roy Krisanto and his beautiful wife, Annie of Roy Image Photography captured the day beautifully.  Roy’s wedding and portrait business operates out of Houston, Texas.  I love their ability to capture emotion and their use of light.  A special thanks to Roy for allowing me to share some photos of the day.

Introducing the lovely Mr. and Mrs.

One of my favorite photo’s of my brother.  I love the use of black and white in wedding photography.

Sandra looked absolutely stunning.  Her dress was perfect for her and she was complimented by the natural light pouring into the glass chapel.

I cherish many of the photographs from the wedding because they remind me of wonderful moments.  However, this photograph of Ronson, Sandra’s oldest son, and Lisa wins my kuddos for style.  Love it!

And as you can imagine the next bunch offered plenty of entertainment for the day: Joshie, Ella, and twins Nathan and Ian.  Everyone had a part in the union, as each child made vows to the family and light a wick on the unity candle.

I found the exchange of vows very moving.  Josh and Sandra both did a wonderful job writing their own heartfelt vows.

And finally our family all together including Hal and I, my Mom and Dad, my three siblings and their spouses, and our nieces and nephews. (We missed you Martin&David)

Congratulations Josh, Sandra, and kids!  May you continue to grow in love as a family.

Stayed tuned for more.  Although, I didn’t play the role of the photographer, I did play the role of the florist…