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:: me! ::

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CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Family. Friends. Hounds. Books. The Beach. Autumn. Cameras. Computer. iPhone. The color orange. Caramel frappucino. The words "dude!" and "nice!". Oh...and world peace ;-)

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babies (16) family (32) kids (113) newborn (8) pets (5) Project Life 365 (165) promotions (22) Tips and Tricks (20)

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29 May 2013

:: taking a break ::

My family and I have experienced a lot of of ups and downs during the last two weeks -- including an unexpected, but scary trip to the hospital; a well-deserved family holiday to the beach; a trip to the vet in which we found out one of our beagles is most likely terminally ill.

Through it all, our families and friends have been incredibly supportive and helpful, letting us know that they are here for us no matter what. We've even made a new friend, Natalie, who has been an invaluable resource for us during our stay in the hospital.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. It will be an uphill adventure for a while, but we hope that with your love and support, we will come through it on top.

I will be taking a break from the biz for a little while, but I hope to come back stronger than ever. I will still post [nearly] daily photos for Project Life 365, and I hope to post more tips & tricks on how to take better iPhone photos, as well as tips on taking great pics of your children with that fancy DSLR camera of yours :-)

Stay well.

P.S. I still plan on holding a couple of iPhonography classes over the summer, so please email me if you are interested!


17 May 2013

:: Project Life 05.17.13 | {best} ::

Getting ready for our annual family beach holiday. Can't believe summer is finally here [Well...Mostly? Maybe? Pretty please?]

The children are looking forward to eating ice cream, saving horseshoe crabs, chasing  ghost crabs & exploring in the dark with glow sticks.

Ahhh...not a bad way to spend my 41st :-)

14 May 2013

:: Project Life 05.14.13 | {favorite} ::

My husband and I try to spend some alone time with each of our children once a month. It doesn't always work out, but we feel it is really important for them to have that one-on-one attention regularly. Of course, that sometimes also means a Happy Meal with some piece of cheap plastic toy that I'll find littered on the floor at home later the same day. But dang it, they're happy.

12 May 2013

:: to all mothers ::

"Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own."

~ By Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons ~

No one told me how hard it was going to be. No one told me how it would take over my identity so completely. No one told me how fellow mothers will be there to support me with compassion, while others (moms and those without children) will be there to tear me down with self-righteousness.

I learned. I learned through trial and error. I learned through the purest love that one could give and receive. I learned to trust my instincts and to trust that I know my children best. I learned that raising responsible children sometimes means being the least popular person in the room at a particular moment. I learned to withhold judgement on other mothers, for I have no understanding of their true circumstances or hardship.
Be kind to yourself on this Mother's Day. Be supportive to the mothers in your life. Be assured in your heart that you have the best intentions for your children. Be the confident and independent individual that you want your children to become.

Wishing all of my beautiful compadres the happiest, happy Mother's Day!




09 May 2013

:: iPHONOGRAPHY 101 | in the news...again! ::

Thank you, Jamie Davis Smith, for featuring the iPhonography 101 class in the Huffington Post! Read the article here.

Don't forget to call 202.436.2825 or email me now for priority registration!


08 May 2013

:: iPHONOGRAPHY 101: compose | edit | share ::


I am so pleased to announce the details of my iPhonography class, “iPHONOGRAPHY 101: Compose, Edit, Share”!

WHAT: Join me for a 2-hour photo walk around town, and I’ll show you tips and tricks on composing, editing and sharing images with your iPhone (or Android) camera. Post your new and improved iPhone images on a private Facebook group & get feedback from your peers and me.

WHO: Me and 5-10 other iPhone addicts! (Android addicts are welcome too, of course!)

WHEN: Saturdays (sans little ones); Weekdays (mommy/daddy + little one).

COST: $95.00 per person. Paid in full at the time of registration.

The inaugural class will meet Saturday, June 1st, 10:00 AM, at the National Gallery of Art. Rain or shine. Participants of this class will receive priority registration pricing of $75.00 per person. To register, please email (leslie@binkiesandnoseprints.com) or call (202.436.2825).

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE. Great gifts for Mother’s Day & Father’s Day! Perfect Parents’ Day Out for you and your friends!

I look forward to sharing my iPhonographic journey with you!




07 May 2013

:: Project Life 04.07.13 | {mysterious} ::

Who is that mysterious superhero listening intently to a bedtime story?

:: iPHONOGRAPHY | tips and tricks ::


As I promised in my previous post, here are some of my iPhonography tips and tricks that you may find helpful.

COMPOSE

As with any point-and-shoot camera, the tendency for most people is quickly whip out the camera and shoot from where you’re standing. To tell a better visual story, one really need to slow down and think about the overall composition and point of view from which you are shooting. Of course this will take more time to get a shot, but I can guarantee the results will be eons more meaningful and interesting. Try off-centering the subject (rule-of-thirds). Try shooting in perspective (foreground, middle ground, background). Try getting down to the level of the subject instead of shooting from your normal vantage point. Try shooting the same subject from different angles.



EDIT

Part of the fun of iPhonography is editing your images with the various apps now available for download. I primarily use the Camera+ app to edit my images. The app is full of options but not complex enough to make it tedious. Also, no one says you have to use just one app to edit the same image. For instance, you could use Snapseed to fix the white balance, brightness, contrast and other basic adjustments. You could then import the adjusted image into Camera+ or Hipstamatic to get the “look” that you desire. From an overexposed vintage-y look to a high-contrast urban look, the range of possibilities is endless.  Ultimately, you want a look that highlights and complements the visual story you are telling. Another way to give your image a deeper meaning is captioning your image with words. Like a piece of art, sometimes a title or captioning not only gives more meaning to the image by asking the viewer to think more about the image and look at it from your point of view. Some apps will also allow you to put different borders on your images to further customize the look and feel.


SHARE

What good is an awesome image if you don’t share it, right? No worries, there are apps that will help us do that too. Obviously, the easiest way to share is to upload an edited image directly onto Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or a blog. But if you prefer physical prints of your beautiful images, there are also apps, such as Postalpix, Printi, Postagram and Instaprints, that will print out your iPhone images (which you upload directly from your phone) and send it directly to your home. You could even create an album/book of your mobile images – great for long-term projects such as the Project Life 365 or an “a-day-in-the-life-of” project.


Want more tips and tricks? Or would like more hands-on tutorial on how to use your iPhone camera to its fullest potential? No problem! Starting in June, I WILL BE OFFERING IPHONOGRAPHY CLASSES!!! The classes will be small, so as to encourage interaction between participants and give me a chance to give participants more personalized attention. After the class, you will also have a chance to join an FB group in which you could ask questions, post your images and ask for critiques from me and your fellow participants. It will not only be a lot of fun, it will be a great way for you to meet other folks with similar interests. Whether you are a parent looking to capture some genuine moments of childhood, or someone who is interested in capturing the beautiful built and natural environments around us, this class will hopefully help you see the world through your iPhone in a completely different way.

CHECK IN HERE TOMORROW for “when-where-what” details on the upcoming iPhonography classes and early-registration perks!



06 May 2013

:: iPHONOGRAPHY | how I love thee ::

If you've been following my Project Life 365 journey on this blog and my Facebook page, you've probably guessed my love for the iPhone camera. While I couldn't live without my DSLR, it is simply too big to tote with me everywhere. That's why the iPhone has become my everyday camera that I use to document my daily life and unusual adventures.

captured using the iPhone & Hipstamatic app

In essence, the iPhone is a point-and-shoot camera of sorts. However, the major difference is that once you've captured an image, you could edit it using an in-camera app, and share it with family and friends almost instantaneously. To boot, there are even apps out there that will allow you to upload the iPhone images and they will send prints or photo book to your home directly.

captured using the iPhone & Camera+ app

More importantly, you don't have to know anything about photography to start using the iPhone to document your life. All you need is some quick and dirty tricks on how to compose, edit and share. TUNE IN TOMORROW for some of my iPHONOGRAPHY TIPS AND TRICKS and AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

03 May 2013

02 May 2013

:: Project Life 05.02.13 | {nature} ::

This is a decaying tree in the park behind our house that reminds me of an ancient temple column that's been brought down by earthquakes and weathered by time...