You Capture - "Green"

This week for You Capture's photo challenge, we were able to pick between three different topics: green, hands, and chairs.  Being short on time this week, I decided to go with "green," as the great outdoors in my town are plenty green from all these thunderstorms and rain showers we've been having.  Green is one of my favorite colors, so that helped to persuade me, as well.

This year, I took notice to these beautiful trees with their branches full of funky pink fuzzy blossoms.  Not sure what they are called or why I didn't notice them the past 2 years we've lived here, but they are an incredible sight to behold!  I love this image for its rich, contrasting color and the overall composition.

Click on the image to enlarge (for a way better viewing experience, in my opinion), back arrow to return.

Shutter Love Tuesday - "Summer Fun"

My entry for this week's Shutter Love Tuesday photo contest is a photo of Little Miss I getting her toes wet on the beach. 

Miss I was not interested in having her photo taken on this particular day...and who could blame her?  I'd much rather be playing on the beach, too!  So that is exactly what we did.  After a lot of running around, I captured this quiet moment of Miss I feeling the water run over her little foot.  I added a little texture in there for good measure during post processing.  This is one of my most favorite shots I've ever taken.  Hope you enjoy it, too!

Pets

I cannot get enough of this photo of my four-legged baby girl, MacKenzie!  She is a rescued pit bull / rottweiler mix who was born at the Siskiyou Humane Society in Mt. Shasta, California and was the last of 8 pups to be adopted.  We are so glad she waited for us!  Hesitant at first to adopt a pit bull, she immediately put all the breed's bad rap to sleep.  She is an AMAZING dog - loyal, smart, athletic, strong, loves everyone and everything she meets, and is big on kissing and showing affection. (Sometimes it feels like she's bathing me.)

I love this picture of MacKenzie because it shows her happy personality with that huge smile!  All this image needed was a few simple edits...the rest is all MacKenzie.

Click on the image to enlarge (the better to see this beautiful face), back arrow to return.

Here are a few of my other favorite pet portraits I've taken this year...  My other pit bull mix, Dash.

A few shelter pets...Felix...

...and Angela

Got some free time?  Want to practice your photography skills?  I encourage you to volunteer your time photographing animals at your local shelter.  By photographing the animals and posting the images on the shelter's website next to each animals profile, you increase the animal's chance of adoption by a large percentage.  I've been doing this at a local high kill shelter nearly every Saturday for over 2 years, and it's one of the most rewarding ways I've ever spent my time.  Use your passion to make a difference...and save lives!

Fix-it Friday #60

I'm about ready to head to bed after a long day and an even longer week.  Hope you enjoy my edits!  Click on the photo to enlarge, back arrow to return.

Original

My edits

I'm taking a few days off from the internet...see you next week!

Paper Mama Photo Challenge - "Talented"

The challenge topic this week at The Paper Mama blog is "Talented," and the entries are to be images displaying your children's talents.  I don't have any two-legged children, but I do have two very talented four-leggeds!  MacKenzie and Dash are rescued pit bull mixes.  They are amazing creatures that are smart, loyal, play with abandon, and love unconditionally.

This image of Dash is my entry for this week's challenge.  It was taken a few weeks after we adopted him (and saved him from being euthanized).  He is VERY talented at landscaping.  You can't really tell how deep this hole is from the photo (probably a foot and a half) but you can definitely tell he is proud of his craftsmanship.  

And here is one extra photo for your amusement that captures the daily 5-minute rough housing in the backyard.  MacKenzie is displaying her superior roundhouse kick in this photo...and off of Dash's back!  After these short daily sessions, they usually kiss each other (as if to say "Good game!") and come in the house for a biscuit.

 

Looking forward to seeing images of your talented children, whether they have two or four legs.

You Capture - "Get Down Low"

It has been an interesting and difficult week.  I wanted to make time to really get some cool perspective photos this week...but that didn't happen.  So instead, I searched around my house for "low" objects and took this image of one of our old metal floor fans we have tucked away in a closet.  I don't know what it is about it, but I just love it and the vintage feel the post-processing gives it.

Click on the image to enlarge, back arrow to return.

Next week, I am hoping my heart will be more into the challenge.  I look forward to seeing you then.

 

Shutter Love Tuesdays - "Father's Love"

6/29/10 Update:  My photo of Miss I and her dad took the #10 winning spot this week!  Thanks, Trendy Treehouse!

This week's photo topic of Trendy Treehouse's Shutter Love Tuesday challenge is "Father's Love."  Father's Day was Sunday, and although I didn't get to see my favorite father figures - my awesome Grandpa and my mom's amazing fiance, Bob - I did call them and spent the day thinking of them and what a lucky girl I am to have both of them in my life.

I don't have too many images of fathers and their children that can compete with the emotion I feel from my entry for this week's contest.  Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing Little Miss I. on her 3 month birthday.  It was obvious she is adored by everyone, but the way she is adored by her father is on a level all its own.  After her portrait session was over, Dad didn't waste any time - he immediately scooped her up into his arms and silently stared at her lovingly.  Can you see and feel how much he loves her?  Lucky, lucky little lady.

Click to enlarge, back arrow to return.

The {Totally Rad} Winner!

Congratulations are in order to Heather Brandt...lucky #9 and the winner of the Lightroom preset package from Totally Rad!  Heather, please email me to claim your prize.

And for you not-as-lucky ladies...  Totally Rad is offering 15% off their incredible Lightroom preset collection or any of their other fabulous products when you use the promo code SOARSISTERS during checkout!

Congrats, again, to Heather!  I'm looking forward to seeing your images edited with Totally Rad presets!

Stay tuned next month for another giveaway!

Jen @ Jennifer Leigh Photography

Website - Facebook

IHF - Celebrating Teens

This week's challenge topic at I Heart Faces is "Celebrating Teens".  I couldn't be more proud of the teen in this image.  My sister, Nicki, has been riding horses since age 6.  At age 19, she has already earned an Associates Degree in Equine Studies from the prestigious University of Findlay in Ohio.  This past weekend, she exceeded her own expectations with her new horse in their very first recognized horse trial together...and placed 3rd!!

Nicki, I am so very proud of you, and have enjoyed watching you grow into the confident and talented equestrian you've become!

Click on the image to enlarge, back arrow to return.

MacKenzie is a Shutter Love winner!

Just found out that the photo of MacKenzie I entered into this week's Shutter Love Tuesday contest at Trendy Treehouse won 3rd place!  This week's theme was "Smiles" and MacKenzie certainly does have a beautiful smile...okay, I may be a little biased.  This totally made my day!  Thank you, Trendy Treehouse!

IHF - Fix-it Friday 6.17.10

This week's photo was of a beautiful baby girl.  The photographer did a beautiful job with the clarity of the baby's face, but when editing the photo in Lightroom, the red tone in the background object annoyed me.  So...I thought I would practice my Photoshop cloning skills and get rid of it altogether!  What a sweet baby face this is...editing was a pleasure!

SOOC

My edit

Water!

This is my first week participating in the You Capture and In A Yellow House photo challenges!  I saw the upcoming week's theme was going to be "water," which so happens to be one of my favorite things!  My whole life, I have lived next to water...on Lake Erie in Ohio, down the street from Lake Shastina in California, and now next to the Atlantic Ocean in Georgia!  I'm not sure if it's because I was born on the cusp of Pisces (that means I'm Aquarius and Pisces) but I have to be living near water in order to be happy.  I love to drink it, play in it, walk on the beach, fish, watch thunderstorms...you name it!  So it just kills me to see this awful mess of an oil spill we've got going on in the Gulf.

On a happier note, here is my water capture for the week.  I love it so much, I thought I'd enter it in both challenges.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

My {Totally Rad} Lightroom Preset Giveaway!

I am STOKED to offer my first giveaway of the year!  And what an amazing year it has been!  I have been fortunate enough to become a Soar Sister this year and travel alongside some amazing women in our journeys to become passionate, successful photographers! 

During this year, I've discovered many things about myself, my camera, and the beautiful art of photography.  One discovery turned into my new favorite post-production tool: Adobe Lightroom!  I began using Lightroom when I scored an internship with a local publishing company as a photographer and photo editor.  There are so many awesome aspects about this software that have helped speed up my post-production process, but my favorite is definitely the PRESETS!  I absolutely cannot get enough of them, as they almost effortlessly assist me with taking my images to the next level.

I've been searching around for the latest and greatest in presets and found a {Totally Rad} new site!  Totally Rad offers Photoshop Actions, Textures and now Lightroom Presets!  The folks at Totally Rad are a little bit edgy, just like their products, and they've worked hard to bring you a little something different in the digital post-production world.  Check out some of these already amazing photos before and after a {Totally Rad} makeover - can you say gorgeous?!

And now for the best part... I've teamed up with Totally Rad to promote their newest product - their Lightroom preset collection!.  I am so very excited to announce that one lucky lady is going to get a full set of {Totally Rad} presets of her very own, a $99 value!

Each Soar Sister can have up to 4 chances to win...

1) Visit Totally Rad's Lightroom Presets page and test out some presets.  Come back here and leave a comment telling the world which preset is your favorite and why.

2) Become a friend of Totally Rad on Facebook and comment below that you have done so.  (You have to add them as a friend instead of choosing to "like" them...apparently, Kristen at Totally Rad is a little Facebook challenged...self proclaimed!)

3) While you're on Facebook, become a fan of Jennifer Leigh Photography...comment below that you do, indeed, "like" me.

4) Become a follower of Jennifer Leigh Photography, the blog!  Comment below that you are following me in my journey to SOAR toward my dreams!  (I'd love to follow you, too...give me your info!)

The contest will end this Monday, June 21 at 7pm.  The winner will be chosen at random and announced shortly thereafter on this blog.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to give this opportunity to one of my fellow Soar Sisters and share a fun, new post-production product with all of you!

Have a {Totally Rad} week, and I'll see you back here on Friday!

Jen @ Jennifer Leigh Photography


P.S. If you are a Photoshop CS2 thru 5 user, click HERE to score 8 {Totally Rad} Photoshop actions...FREE!

Shutter Love Tuesdays - "Smiles"

The theme for this week's Shutter Love Tuesday on the Trendy Treehouse blog is one of my favorites...SMILES!

My entry is of one of my all-time favorite smilers - my beautiful pit bull mix, MacKenzie!  MacKenzie's always got a smile and a sloppy kiss for me when I come home from work.  What a nice way to end the work day with my happy girl!  But be warned: her smiles are contagious.  Bet you're smiling now, too!

IHF - "All About Babies"

This is my very first I Heart Faces challenge!

Meet Little Miss I.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity of photographing this adorable little one on her 3 month birthday.  She already has her Daddy wrapped around her tiny little finger!  This was a candid photo right after the formal shoot, when her Daddy snatched her up because he couldn't wait any longer to hold her again.  I love this photo for many reasons - the contrast between Dad's large hand holding his itty bitty daughter, the wedding ring symbolism, and, of course, Miss I's priceless expression.  Don't you just want to eat her up?

I definitely heart this face!

Fix-It Friday - Susan & Son

I'm trying something new in addition to Follow Me Fridays @ Trendy Treehouse...  I Heart Faces has come up in several conversations with friends, and although I'm usually super busy on Fridays working at the publishing company, I made some time for it this evening.

Each Friday, talented photogs from around the globe download the image of the week, edit it to their liking, and share it with the other photogs.  Not only is it inspirational to view others' work, but I get to make new friends in the process!  Talk about a win-win situation!

This week's photo is a self portrait of Susan and her son.  I hope you enjoy my edit!

SOOC

Edited to my liking

See you next week...if time permits!

Follow Me Friday 6/11/10

Welcome to Jennifer Leigh Photography: The Blog!  Thanks for stopping in and checking me out.  You can visit my website HERE for more photos and info about me.

My Friday highlight consist of working at Great Southern Publishers and a sushi lunch with my very handsome fiance.  Hope your Friday is just as good!

Indigo

I very recently obtained my very own copy of Lightroom...and now I cannot imagine life without it!  The first images I couldn't wait to edit with my new program were the ones I took of my beautiful friend, Indigo, back in February of this year - check 'em out!

For more, check me out on Facebook!