Volcanic Eruption

'Earlier today, we received stunning reports of a volcanic eruption at the Lake Monticello main park.

The eruption occurred at approximately 12:15 pm, while innocent children and families were enjoying an active morning at the playground. Speaking of the tragedy, one witness stated "It was shocking- never have I seen anything like this! I thought my children and I were safe from such horrific things here at the park- I am truly terrified!" Fortunately, as it was near lunchtime, many of the families had vacated the premises and were safe from the tragedy. Although the eruption lasted less than 15 minutes, authorities say it has left many feeling frightened, frustrated and hopeless. It is certain that many families will think twice before visiting the park again.'

- Art Van Delay, Lake Monticello Sun Times

Yes, I know he looks cute up there in his stylish clothes, but this account by Art is a true story! Today we were at the park with Amy and Addison, and Jace threw a tantrum like I have never seen before! Seriously, it was a NIGHTMARE (Amy will attest!). I really was shocked- Jace has thrown tantrums before, but never completely lost it like this. I am not even sure what caused it- I am sure more likely it was that he was tired (or maybe the DumDum I gave him shortly before- perhaps I should start bribing him with sugar-free treats?) Anyways, Addison and Jace were heading over to the swings, and apparently Jace wanted the swing on the right, but Addison got there first, so Jace started SCREAMING- seriously SCREAMING like I have never heard! He was flailing his arms, punching his fists into the ground, occasionally flopping on the ground while he screamed "That swing is MINE!!!!!! I want THAT swing! Addison is NOT my friend anymore!" I was seriously in shock- I didn't know hot to handle it. Part of me was terrified- another part of me just wanting to SPANK his little bum as hard as I could! And I am sure if Amy wasn't there I would've completely lost it! Thankfully, it was pretty much only Amy and I there or I would've been even more horrified. It worries me though- I have thought this whole year "Gosh, 3 is hard! I hope 4 is better" but now I am not so sure! Jace just seems to get more defiant and independent everyday. Then my mind fast forwards to Ethan in another few years and I seriously start sweating and trembling in my shoes! I hope I survive these kids!

I always think it is so amazing how much love we have for our kids, but I am sure that this is exactly why! We need to love them this much so we can survive the moments like this! And thankfully, although he is hard to handle sometimes, he also has moments where he can be truly so so sweet and so fun! It was funny, after he threw his fit, he was having a hard time calming down, so he said "I can't stop crying! I ate too many Shmo's!" He was referring to last Friday night- we made a fire outside and made Smores, then he had a hard time falling asleep (too much sugar too late!). He kept saying he couldn't keep his eyes closed. So I thought it was funny he made that connection today- silly kid!

Tim and I recently read a parenting book called "Screamfree Parenting'' by Hal Edward Runkel. I highly recommend it- it is all about how to keep your cool with your kids, which in turn teaches them how to deal with conflict and helps you build better relationships with them. The main idea of the book is to focus more on yourself and how you choose to react to tough situations (like my situation today at the park, which I am sure you can all relate to in some way (or will be able to soon!)). I know it is a simple concept, but it is SO HARD to not react in situations like this or even much smaller situations! The author refers to this as 'picking up the gauntlets' our kids throw at us. If Gauntlet Picking-Up was an Olympic sport, I would have a million gold medals! I feel like I am so uptight and react to things Jace does (or does not do) without even thinking about it much of the time. Gosh, parenting is hard work! Anyways, read the book! I was a little hesitant to read it at first (worried it would just point out how much I am FAILING as a parent) but the author goes about it all in a very gentle and humorous way.

And with that, I will leave you with some pics. I took these of Jace yesterday- don't you love the outfit I put together (thanks April for 90% of that outfit!)? So stylin'! I want to get some layer outfit pics up on my business blog to point my clients in this direction- especially for older kids (which I don't get a lot of yet!) But I love this look- very commercial looking. And I am in LOVE with that first shot of Jace- such a handsome boy!

I took some more in that same outfit this morning, so if you see some more pics of Jace in that outfit, I apologize! Thanks for looking!

Ethan

So here are a few I snapped of Ethan the other day. Not an easy task, let me tell you! He is so quick- but I managed to take about 10 pics of him in about 2 minutes, then he was done! I thought they were kinda cute though! Don't mind the funky color casts- I was battling some super strong yellow light from the suns reflection off of our honey wood floor in front of our front door.

I love the round shape of his eyes- they are so big and blue! It is so fun to have two kids that look so very different, but are both so dang cute! It's so great to be in a houseful of handsome fellas (you too, Tim!)

More pics and some crazy stories coming right up...

'Yo, yo...

I am Ma-cho!'

So after my last post, I got a little grief from Tim saying that Jace is going to hate me for those pictures when he grows up. Apparently they were a little on the fruity side (for heavens sake, I even titled that storyboard 'citrus'). No, seriously, Tim is not being critical of my picture taking, in fact he really loves that I do this! But, well, let's face it- I do tend to go overboard with the props- if I get that green umbrella out one more time I am afraid Jace will turn into Mary Poppins! So the other day, I decided to turn him into GI Joe instead!

Can I just say how much I love Gap Kids? Seriously, my all time favorite store- I could buy everything in that store! There is nothing I love more than a baby or little boy dressed up like a trendy little man! So cute! So last week, we were in Gap Kids and I found this awesome Jacket for $3.97! Another thing I love about that store- once and a while you find clearance 'treasures'. And I am such a bargain shopper- I can't resist telling people when I find a great deal. It gives me such a rush- I bet I get it from my mom (and all my sisters no doubt!) So the next day I had to test out the jacket! I had to laugh- he really looked like a little ARMY man! But I love the shots I got. When I opened some of these up and started editing them, they made my heart skip a beat. I love that I caught so many classic Jace expressions! BTW, the black and white will soon grace my mantel, I think. I just love that shot- I know the head/ear chop is not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it!

Jace is seriously such a character! He drives me CRAZY much of the time, but gosh he is funny! When I was taking these, I had Jace sit under a tree where the light was good and he was totally bored and not into taking pictures. And I am running out of tricks (the 'booger-monster-on-my-camera' bit doesn't work anymore). So I started making faces at Jace to get him to look at me, and what does he do? He makes faces back! I was dieing over some of the faces he was giving me- click on the storyboard to see them closer! Check out his cross eyes- cracks me up! And gotta love the Goldfish stuck in his teeth! Then we went over to another tree, and I got that shot of his one eye peeking up under his hat. I knew I loved it when I took it and wanted to get him to look at me like that again, so I said "Hey Jace, peek up at me from under your hat with one eye". And that is exactly what he did- only differently than I envisioned! Made me laugh though, because he was concentrating so hard to do what I said.

There is one of Ethan for you too- check out those eyes! It is amazing how blue they can get in certain light! I swear I didn't do anything to them other than my standard photoshoping. They almost look freaky though. Maybe I should desaturate them? I have really been neglecting Ethan lately when it comes to pictures! He is just too fast for me now- as soon as he sees my camera, he tries to grab my lens. The last time I tried to take him outside for pictures, I had him on a blanket out on our lovely mulch and as soon as I set him down, he lunged forward and ate a bunch of bark! Maybe tomorrow I will try taking some of him on our driveway (after I sweep the acorns off so he won't eat those).

Also, how does the color on these look? I bought Jinky's Itty Bitty Actions a few weeks ago, and I am really learning to love them. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked them, but I am starting to learn how to use them and I love the pop they give. I am trying to really step out of my comfort zone and try different editing styles. I am really loving the Jinky-type style lately- BTW, anyone who hasn't seen her website, you must see it! It is THE CUTEST website I have ever seen- seriously worth the time to check it out. Copy paste jinkyart.com and go see it. It's funny though because when I was editing these pics in PS, I was thinking the colors were so bright and wild, but looking at them now, they seem kind of dull. I hate how that happens, when you think something looks great then you come back to it and it is just blah. I do that all the time!

Anyways, I will spare you all and stop talking! I really need to give a 'family' update soon- all I ever seem to talk about is pictures (gosh, I'm OBSESSED!)! But I will do that next time!

Take care everyone!

~Mandy

Color...

Just a few from playing with my new lens today. I am having way too much fun with this lens- I should really be editing client pictures right now! But I want to be sure I have this lens down before I use it on clients (learned from my mistake of using my 35 lens on a client before practicing with it- Yikes!)

Anyways, yesterday I showed Tim some pictures I had taken of Jace and he said "Can't you take some pictures with their shirts ON?" So, this is for you Tim! And I love the color in these- so citrus-y- makes me thirsty! It is my farewell to summer, as fall approaches!

And check out his eyes in the first shot- just to show you how sharp this lens is. You can see the pretty blue sky and our neighbors house (and maybe me) in them! It was such a beautiful day here!

Thanks for lookin'- I have lots more to come!

Wearing the pants...

I found these as I was sorting through the photos on my hard drive trying to get organized. I took these a little over a month ago. One day Jace came into me one day while I was at the computer and said, "Look, Mom, I am wearing your pants!" I laughed so hard when I saw him, taking little bitty steps holding the waist of my pants high up under his armpits, trying not to trip on them! I had to grab my camera (and of course take him over to my window so I had enough light!)

Did a little experimenting with some texture-vintage treatment on the first. I am no master at this technique, and I am sure it is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it anyways. First I messed with the Color balance to make it slightly green, then desaturated it a bit. Then I overlayed it with three different textures (pictures of my mulch, my sidewalk, and tree bark) then set them at about 10% opacity, and erased the face back in a bit. Then did a little more messing with saturation, and color balance. Voila!

Speaking of texture, you must check out one of my favorite new photographers that I discovered a few months ago (apparently he is totally famous and has been for a while- won lots and lots of awards at WPPI a year ago or so) Anyways, he is a wedding photog and his name is Jesh DeRox (copy and past jeshderox.com into your browser to see his awesome website and awesome music!) I just love his stuff- he takes his wedding photography to a totally new level- pure ART! Awesome stuff!

Anyways, lots more to come- I got my new lens yesterday and I am IN LOVE!! How on earth did I live without this lens! It is SUPER sharp and so far produces AMAZING color and bokeh- I can't wait to show you some great shots of Jace! So check back soon!

Take care everyone!

Silhouette

I took these of Jace and Ethan a few weeks ago, but just got around to editing them and thought they were sweet, even though they didn't turn out completely how I envisioned. I love the lighting that comes in from our sliding glass door and how it just shines off of our wood floor.

Well, ever since I have gotten into photography, I am seriously UNABLE to just snap a shot without setting it up meticulously first. It is a bit ridiculous, actually, and sometimes it even drives me crazy (not to mention Tim and my poor, picked on kids!). So let me just tell you how my mind worked in creating this shot so you can see how crazy I am...

First, I saw the light there and the image of Jace and Ethan in a fond embrace silhouetted against the window popped into my head. So, with a rush of excitement, I completely moved our dining room table and chairs to a different room so I could get way back to the edge of the floor and capture their reflection in our shiny floor. Then I saw the dried up macaroni and cheese from yesterdays lunch along with some other unknown crumbs all over under the table, so of course I then had to sweep and spot mop. Then I noticed the floor vent up against the window and for heaven sake, I couldn't have that ruin the shot, so I got our bathroom rug and placed it over the vent (taking care to center it, of course). Then I had to arrange the curtains so they parted gently (and symmetrically) with that nice curved slope, which was hard because they didn't want to stay. Then got the camera and metered the shot. Phew!

Now the hard part- the kids. I don't know what it is with me, but I almost ALWAYS prefer to have Jace and Ethan shirtless in pictures. So, I stripped Ethan down to a diaper and sat him on the rug. Took Jace's shirt off and asked him to sit down by Ethan because "we are going to take the coolest picture and it will be SO fun and when we are all done you can have a cookie!" (works every time!) Then went back to my spot, and shot away (while occasionally saying "don't touch the curtain, Jace... Jace, give Ethan a kiss... no not like that, on the top of his head... Here, let me show you... Jace, PLEASE don't touch the curtain!... Ethan, don't such on your toes[stupid, i know, as he can't understand me]...Jace, kiss him again... again, a little slower... Careful, you are hurting him...")

Exhausting, I know! And all for just a few shots! But before you all think I abuse my children with my relentless picture taking tactics, just look at that first shot- isn't it cute? Of course it isn't quite what I envisioned and there are some imperfections (the bar running down the center, the curtains aren't 'perfectly' symmetrical, and Ethan is a little too hunched over), but I love it anyway! Definitely wouldn't have turned out as well without all that work! I just hope Jace and Ethan don't start having nightmares of me coming after them with my camera!

Hope you enjoyed! Look for some more soon as my lens arrives today- WOOHOOOOO!

Building an arsenal...

*disclaimer- this post may bore the heck out of anyone not interested in photography equipment!

With that out of the way, I am excited to introduce the soon-to-be newest member of Mandy Carroll Photography- the AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D Autofocus Lens! Wooohooo- I am excited about this one!

As many of you know, I have been agonizing over getting a new camera. I originally wanted to upgrade and get a backup camera before our trip to the beach and thought I had decided on sticking with Nikon and getting a D200. But thanks to some last minute advice (thank you Jaron Bushman!) to HOLD off on getting my new camera (and thanks to B&H for not having the d200 in stock!), I waited. And I am so glad that I did! I got back from vacation to hear that Nikon announced their new D3 and D300! I am so flipping excited! Check out this link to see the new D3 in action (just listen to the first few seconds, as it is in spanish or italian or something):

http://www.nikonistas.com/digital/viewer-videos.php?IDN=879

Sounds like a friggin shotgun- I seriously started drooling when I saw that! It gives me the shivers and makes me choke up- seriously! I am so excited- though I doubt the $5000+ D3 will be in my budget (maybe next year?). But I am counting on the D300 being the camera for me this fall- it is set to come out in November so I have to wait a bit longer (hold on, little D70, hold on for me a little longer!)

But since I have been dying to burn some of this money I have saved up for equipment upgrade, I figured I would add another Prime lens to my line up. I can see myself turning into a total gear junkie- I seriously have been carying my B&H catalog(which I refer to as my Photography Bible) around everywhere I go. I am actually growing attached to it- I look at it just for fun (does that strike anyone else as being a little sad?)! Tim has to put his foot down when I try to bring it to bed with me (okay, I am totally kidding on that one!). Anyways, I like to think that once I have the new camera, the 60mm 2.8 Macro, and the 17-55 f2.8 lens, I will be satisfied. But somehow I doubt it (because there is also the 135 f2, the 24-70...)! Good thing I have a hard time spending money or I would be in real trouble!

I just ordered the 85 from b&h so I will have my eyes glued out the window for Mr. UPS all week next week! Look for some awesome, creamy-bokeh shots to come! I can't wait!

*If you made it that far, congratulations! I am sure it was torture for you!

The House

This is our house, inside and out. Check out Tim, lounging in front of the TV, iceing his boogie-boarding injury!

And now I am done! Thanks for looking!

More OBX

Just a few more to come...

Outer Banks, NC

I posted a few of these on my business blog, but wanted to post some more here. We had so much fun on our trip- it was SOOOO nice to not have to worry about emails and phone calls and my to-do list for a whole week! The only thing we thought or worried about was "Should we go to the beach in the morning, or afternoon? Or both?" Sounds stressful, I know. We loved our house too, it was in the perfect location. We stayed in Rodanthe- our house was maybe a quarter mile from the beach; just two houses away from being beachfront (see pictures above). You could litereally see or hear the beach from any of the three (no, four!) porches. It was a dream!

The kids did great, too! They didn't quite understand the concept of sleeping in on vacation, but knowing their regular sleeping habits, I wasn't suprised! And I didn't mind at all- I got to see several beautiful early morning sunrises! One morning in particular, Jace, who had been sleeping in our room, came up to me and said in his bright, annoyingly-too-cheery-for-so-early-in-the-morning-voice "Mom, it's 4-5-6 o'clock!" I rolled over to check the time on the alarm clock and, sure enough, it was 4:56. Very good, Jace! Now go back to bed (crazy kid!)! But once I am up in the morning, I usually can't fall back asleep. So at about 6, I took Jace down to the beach and we saw the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen! There were lots of puffy storm clouds and it made for some amazing colors! The sunrise picture on my businessblog was taken that morning, and the ones in my next post.

I think Tim or I will make a slideshow of all the pictures we took (using James Taylor's "Carolina On My Mind" because it would be oh so perfectly cheesy, and I just love cheese!) so let me know if you would like to see it and I will email it to you!

More pictures to follow...