What I Love: Kelby Training

So, you're all probably wondering, What in the world is Kelby Training?  Well, I'm going to tell you. :)  Kelby Training is an online school for photographers.  There are hundreds of videos on a wide variety of photography subjects that are taught by professional, best-in-their-field photographers.  Each class has a few short (never longer than 15 minutes...at least not that I know of) videos taught by a professional on how to compose, find the right light, shoot action sports/fashion photography.  You name it, it's probably on there.  Not only do you learn photography tips you also learn how to edit in Lightroom and Photoshop.  

Daddy came across Kelby Training a year or two ago and wanted me to try it out.  I finally did the 24-hour free trial a few weeks ago and loved it!  I learned so much from just a few hours of video!!  

Needless to say, I talked with Daddy and I got a full year's membership to watch as many photography videos as I want, whenever I want.  I try and watch an hour of video every day, and I love learning from the pros. 

I've always wanted to go to a Katelyn James workshop, or even second shoot with another photographer and Kelby Training is much more economical (it's cheap when you think about what you're getting!!) and such a convenient option (watch it whenever and wherever you want!).   

I just wanted to share this so that any more budding photographers out there could check it out.  (If you're younger, make sure it's okay with your parents.)  I'd definitely suggest trying the 24-hour free trial.  It never hurts to try and, if you do, I think you'll love it!  

Kimber :)

It's Good to be Alive

Have any of you ever had a day where your heart just wants to burst because you feel so blessed?  A day when every breeze, blue sky, and white puffy cloud speaks to your heart of Jesus' love for you?  Well, I've had a lot of those days recently.  I don't know if it's just because the weather has been so beautiful lately, or what.  All I know is that my heart overflows with love for my Lord and peace covers me like a warm blanket on a cold, winter day.  Part of the reason for this, I think, is that I'm happy with where I am in life right now.  Sure, I'm not doing as many photography sessions as "I" would like, I have stuff I wonder about constantly, etc. but I'm confident and happy where I am right now.  Every day is a gift to me from the Lord.  I'm constantly amazed how God, who controls the very breath I take, has blessed me so much.

As some of you know, my aunt died of cancer about a month ago.  Her death has really brought life into a bigger picture for me.  I've been trying to spend more time focusing on people and not stuff.  People are what matters (next to Jesus, of course!) and so often I get lost in "I need to do this" or "I need to do that" that I fail to stop and look around.  To look at all the people who have blessed my life, to stop doing what I want and to serve others, all the while attempting to bring glory to Christ.  

Every day really is a gift.  My aunt's death taught me that.

Whenever anyone in the family leaves the home, I always have that thought "I may never see them again."  Not that I'm a worry wart about it, but it just reminds me to spend as much time with them as I can.  No one knows when Jesus will call them up to Him and the last thing that I want to happen, is for me to wish I had spent more time with them.  So, I've started coloring with my little sister, playing card games with my little brother, and, overall, just attempted to get my eyes off of me and what I have to do, and onto others and what would bless them.  

Ever since I've started to see people's needs before I see myself, everything has just seemed more beautiful.  I walk around as if I'm floating because life is just that beautiful.  Living is beautiful.  Breathing is beautiful.  Because every breath, every life points to Jesus.

My favorite song right now is called Good to be Alive by Jason Gray.  It perfectly sums up all I said in this post, so please watch and enjoy!

So, I Have a Car...

 As of today, I have owned a car for 3 weeks!  I paid half of the selling price and Daddy covered the other.  I'm paying for the insurance and gas for it, so the car title is officially in my name! :)  It's kind of exciting having my own car now.  I've never owned one before (shock!), so figuring out insurance, gas $, and keeping it clean has been new for me.  One thing I have learned is that cars aren't cheap...especially once you add the gas and insurance!!  But, they're very nice to have!  I don't have to ask to take a vehicle anymore and if I back into something, it's my car so I have to deal with it (consequently, I'm a bit of a worry-wart backing up now!).   Oh, the other thing I dislike about getting a car is getting the license plates and tags.  Good gracious, you're telling me four sticky pieces of paper with the number "12" and letters "OCT" costs $50??!!! 

My car is a 1995 Dodge Intrepid.  Yes, it's extremely old (born the year I was!) but it's in great shape.  It has around 226,000 miles on it, so hopefully it'll be good for a few more years until I can save up to get something else.  We bought the car from a couple Daddy did some work for.  They were selling it because they wanted a vehicle with better gas mileage (30-40 mph instead of 25-30 mph), and not because anything was wrong with it.  We had the car checked out and the car mechanic said everything looks good!

The only thing disappointing about the car is the lack of an operable radio system. :-(  I'm riding in a completely quiet car now, but supposedly DMV says it's better for young drivers to have no distractions (i.e. the radio), so I'm not complaining too much.  (I am putting a radio on the Christmas wish list, though! ;)

So, meet my car!

 I took pictures of it this past Saturday after my Uncle Kevin detailed it for me.  When I saw my car after he was done, I had a hard time believing that shiny thing was mine! :)

Lydia (my little sister standing next to my car in the photo on the right) was riding with me, so she had to be in a picture!

I refilled my car for the first time today.  I got a little over 300 miles from a full tank of gas.  Not too bad!

There you have my vehicle!

The most embarrassing thing I've done with my car so far, has been forgetting to turn off the lights.  And you know what happens when the lights are on for 3 hours....yep, I killed the battery.  Great.  Thankfully I was at a friend's house and they were very kind, got one of their vehicles and jumped it for me.  I haven't done it again, so I think I've learned my lesson!

Okay, off I must go!

Have a wonderful day/night...wherever this post finds you!

Kimber :)

Sun Down in the OBX

Just a quick picture to break up my usual routine. :)

Shooting for Me

There is one downside to photographing people and events more often...I find myself being less apt to take my camera out to just capture life.  I used to always go out and take pictures of sunsets, flowers, and siblings.  But now, I see a gorgeous sunset and then think "Oh, that would be a great picture" but then I get too lazy to go grab my camera, adjust the settings, and take the time to capture the display of the night.  All I can think is that it will be another picture to upload, another picture to edit, another picture to post, another few minutes spent on the computer.  I've been so blessed with many more frequent photography sessions but the routine of uploading, editing, uploading, and burning has become rather dull.  So much so that I don't want to take pictures of some things anymore because I know the minutes (hours?) of work that will have to follow.  And I just want to enjoy the moment.  I don't always want to have to do it through my lens...I just want to sit back, relax, and not worry about if the picture is too bright or dark, if the white balance is correct, and so forth. 

I'm telling you all this because I realized the other day that I needed to go out and take pictures.  I was letting my creativity and love for the beautiful things outdoors stagnate because I was tired of the routine. 

So, I pulled out my camera and went outside to capture the beauty I have missed so often.  No one asked me to take the pictures, no one expected me to take the pictures...I went out to photograph just because I wanted to.  There was so much beauty I was missing, simply because I didn't want to do all the work.

After photographing everything from my brother to some pretty weeds, I felt so much better and happier!  I was shooting because I loved it...I could let my creativity flow and try shooting on "M" (I've always used "A") or try different angles because if it didn't come out right...who cares?  No one was expecting the pictures to come out great.

Below are some of the pictures I captured from that day.  I walked on the brave side and shot in Manual mode for all these photos.  I've read so many photographers talk about it, but never had the courage to try until that day.  I had so many blown out and DARK pictures as a result but I also figured out a little more of the way ISO, shutter, and aperture work together.  Overall, I'm definitely not ready to shot in Manual for a photography session but I might start trying to work for it!

Enjoy!

I was "watching" my little brother and he made for a great subject sometimes!

 

 LOVE my roses!!

 Probably my favorite photo from the whole day! :)

Take a minute today and smell the roses!!

Kimber :)

The Jackson Family 2012

Where do I start with the Jackson family?!!   You've already met their littlest one, Boaz, because I've had the privilege of taking his 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month pictures.  Today you will get to see him again..and get to meet the rest of his beautiful family!  I've talked a little bit about the Jacksons, here, so I don't feel like I need to go into too much detail.   Let's just say that the Jackson family is one of the best families...ever...and that they are some of my family's closest friends.  Mr. Jackson is hilarious, so he gets along well with Daddy.  Mrs. Kendra is into lots of exercise and making sure her family is fed healthy food, which is right up Mama's alley.  All 11 Jackson kids are full of fun and energy.  Whenever we get together I have at least 2 people talking to me at the same time. :)  I love getting together with them!!  They have kids from 17 years to 1 so everyone in our family has someone to play/talk to.    Some of my favorite memories with the Jacksons are going to have P.E. days at a park nearby.  

 

But, that's enough of that.  Just know that they're a great family and you'd be immensely blessed if you could meet them one day. :)

 

This past Saturday I got to take their family pictures!  I was excited because anything you do with the Jacksons is fun...but also nervous because I've never really had to deal with this big of a group.  Thankfully, the Jacksons made my job super easy (of course!) and I had a great time roaming a gorgeous location in Lancaster, VA as I took their photos.

I'll start off with the patriarch and matriarch of the family:

 Aren't they cute?!!

Now that you've met the wonderful couple that is Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, here are the kids (posted in age order):

Levi

Jude

 Kyra

 Ciara

 Gabrielle

 Isaiah

Elijah

Zane

 Asher...the master of many faces. :)

 Tobias

 Last but not least, Boaz!  I have lots of pictures of him because we combined his 1 year old session with the family session.

 Boaz likes to crawl a lot better than standing up! :)

 The location of these pictures had an old barn, stocks, a whipping post, old clerk's office, and jail from the old days.   In these pictures, Boaz was put in a cell window.  :)

This picture was Elijah's idea. ;)

 Daddy with all his boys.

 

 Mrs. Jackson with her girls. :)

The girls and their "buddies". :)

Boaz in the stocks. :)

 Just the girls...

All the men! :)

 

 

 Favorite!!

The end!

Kimber :)