Hop over to my new home at www.blog.raisinglittlewomen.com

Later in the week I will be redirecting this url

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.

When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.

My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.

Okay, that’s not exactly true.

Some facts that are true include:

I’ve always been refined!

A. I got my camera confiscated by big boys with guns at the American Embassy in Europe this past summer. O la la!

B. I once worked in a seed mill office and cleaned out mice on a regular basis. Ew.

C. I’m a former drama teacher.

D. I didn’t pass my drivers test the first time. Or the second…

E. I attract stray animals like a magnet.

F. I used to assemble and test paint ball guns for a local factory…

Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:

-watching E!
-updating my status on Facebook
-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and
-writing my name in the dust on my furniture

I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.

ABOUT THE BOOK

You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.
When the funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair, former professional football star and heir of Sinclair Enterprises—the primary donor to Lucy’s Saving Grace organization. Alex Sinclair has it all . . . except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Both Lucy and Alex have something the other wants. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart – and her future – on the line.

Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams . . . and maybe even a date.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Save The Date, go HERE

I hope you enjoy this guest post by Chrissy! I first met Chrissy on twitter, and after my attempt to get up close in photos, she sent me the link to her Limes, Oranges & Seltzer post. And ohmygoodness! they are amazing! I asked if she’d mind doing a guest post over here, knowing that several of you were gonna buy the lens, for a little tutorial, and to share some other photography tips with us as well. Oh, and Chrissy makes camera straps. You will love them. Look for the link at the bottom of this post.

First I wanted to say thank you Michelle for asking me to guest post on your Raising Little Women blog. I’m a fairly new blogger myself and I have jumped in with not only one, but two blogs, Hoot Photography and Hoot Designs. So given the opportunity to guest post is exciting, thank you Michelle.

My name is Chrissy and I bought my first DSLR in April of 2010 as a Birthday present to myself. I live in Atlanta with my Husband and Daughter. I have always been a crafter trying everything from stained glass to throwing pottery on a pottery wheel and now photography, and everything that you can imagine in between! I hope the post below will provide you a few tips and tricks and some of my favorites that you might enjoy too.

Since Michelle found me through my Hoot Photography blog I’m going to stick with that and give a few tips and some of my favorites in the photography world!

First up is the greatest little lens ever the Optika 10x macro lens

They are sold via Amazon and you just have to get the one that fits your camera lens. As I wrote in my original blog post Limes Oranges and Seltzer – Bubbles all over 

I had to choose my kit lens to attach it to because it would only fit on that one, not my 50mm. It’s best on a zoom lens because all the way zoomed in and 10X macro you can get really close to the subject to photograph. Here is a photo of the set up for the bubbles.

And here are more photos using the same 10x Macro lens.

Another great inexpensive must have in your camera bag is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens 

for those with a Nikon you would get this Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

At Amazon.com both lens’ are currently $120.00/Canon and $129/Nikor

I’ll be honest I bought this lens because I really wanted a “new lens” and MonicaB who I was taking a Digital 101 class with said this is the lens to get, and for the money you will be thrilled with it.  And you know what, she was 110% right. So right, that I put it on my camera the day I got it and I have not used any other lens since, it’s that good. All the photos on my blog are with the Canon 50 mm other than the bubble photos.  All three sets of Families I photographed are with the 50mm lens.  It’s fantastic!!The lens adds a fantastic sought after Bokeh background and it softens skin tone, which is perfect for portraits. Here are two photos I took showing the Bokeh.  In photography, Bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image, or “the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light.”

Last but not least, my new Tip me Tuesday is focused on the focus points within the viewfinder of your camera. When I look through my camera (I never use the digital screen to view the subject when taking photos) there are many dots in somewhat of a clock circle. For my Canon they are at 12, 1:30, 3, 4:30, 6, 7:30, 9, 10:30 and back to 12 noon. Each of these are focus points that can be manually set for each and every photo you take ~ I use this tool all the time. Right out of the box your camera most likely was set on auto and what that means is your camera is making the best guess as to what “it” thinks you are trying to focus on in the picture. You are able to set this focus point manually. For my Camera a little red blinking light will light up as I gently push the shudder button showing where the main focus point is set. Using the buttons on the back of the camera I can move the red dot to any of those points and click set and that’s where the camera will focus, leaving the rest perhaps out of focus and maybe creating the bokeh effect, depending on the photo being taken.

Below is what my screen or through the viewfinder looks like.

Here is a photo of the points of focus changing as I changed the focus point. Everything is blurry because the objects are not on the same plane. So if your subjects are not in a straight line across you will have some people in focus and some people out of focus, as shown below! And if the person you want to photograph is in the left position and your camera chooses right, or somewhere else, your person may be out of focus and you will be unhappy with your photo(s).

Here is a photo of all animals in a straight line and everyone is in focus weather I choose left center or right focus!

Well that’s it. Thank you, Michelle, for inviting me to guest post on your Raising Little Women blog. If your readers are happy with the post I’d love to this again. I hope you visit me at Hoot Photography and subscribe to follow my blogging and photo fun adventures!

As a thank you I’m offering 20% off and free shipping on my Camera Straps.  All are made to order, take a peek on the Camera Straps photos/ordering details link.

~Chrissy

Audrey is asking for wonder hangers (she does not get her organizational skills from me) &

Pillsbury Brownie Bites (her OWN package that NO one else is allowed to eat from. A couple weeks ago, I bought 2 bags of this yummy goodness, once they were gone, she wanted more, told her no, we have to wait until I have a coupon, and they go on sale ——-> which is why she has them on her list.)

Emily, bless her heart, is asking for French’s Fried Onions. Seriously.

Shopping for them is gonna be a piece of cake this year.

Sarah, on the other hand, wants a computer, itouch and a Barbie Jeep.  She’s getting a Barbie size V.W. Bug instead.

For months the only thing I wanted was the new itouch. The one that takes pictures & records video. That was the only thing I wanted. The only thing I talked about. Like I tend to do, I changed my mind. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on something that basically would be a handheld boggle game.

David and the girls have been asking so, I made out my list. It’s longer than the girls. Maybe even all of them put together.

Most of my list is made up of practical things, stuff that I will use almost daily. I have 18 items on my list, I have two items marked with a * because I really, really want those.

Something homemade from the girls & a plastic whisk. If I get those two things, I will be happy.  

So, what’s on your Christmas list? Are your kids asking for anything unusual?