Pure Actions for Photographers Giveaway!

I saw on FB that Pure Actions for Photographers is doing a giveaway, and if I share it I can get another point, I think...  The giveaway is an ExpoDisc.  It is for achieving a custom white balance in your camera, so you don't have to do so much in editing!

Here is a link to their blog post where they explain how the ExpoDisc works and how to enter if you want...and they have two pictures for examples!  It Looks cool!

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpurephotoshopactions.com%2F%3Fp%3D1437&h=8AQGwgPnNAQF3hvWh9ogDbAufCBhoTf2insLmOfG0fAhayA&enc=AZNm1NdEF_LW2VdqNZzaID08Ew-Ff8w1o3rSJJiLkpxJhRr4yN7FhMOuAvqhhmyKOT05oBAYGBdDXk0KS9w5ygSH

Ok...I do have two blog post too that I need to get done!  Maybe by the end of the week!

~ Sarah

I'm 19!

Wow, 19 seems pretty grown up!  Yesterday was my Birthday...it was a good day!  In the morning we watched some little houses...I actually got up earlier than normal...but still not that early! : )  It made the morning last longer than I am used to. ; )   Sometime during the morning, I was holding Wesley, and Mom asked Wesley if he know how old Sarah was.  He shook his head or something so Mom said, 19.  He said, "Wow!!!  Now you can hold me!"  And I said, "I have been holding you since you were born!"  : )  So cute!  Then Rachel said she wanted a Birthday card, but I was like but it isn't your birthday, it's mine.  She decided to make me a card, and Mom helped her.  Here is what it said:


Mom made me a double layer cake on the pedestal cake plate that was a family members...it was Wacky Cake, with homemade vanilla frosting and baby blue Happy Birthday Sarah, and edging.

Uncle Tim came this weekend to help Grandpa work on a trailer, and so he and G&G came over for dinner of Papa Murphy's.  I had a small bowl of mint cookie ice cream, then another bowl of cake and cookie dough ice cream.  I was pretty well STUFFED!

Ok, well I started writing this "the day after by birthday" but I have not finished it so I am going to finish it, although it won't be as good as if it was still the day after my birthday. : )

I got some really cool presents...a wrist watch & pretty navy blue shirt from Mom and Dad, Grandma crocheted a blanket along with a zip up "tiger" sweater, slippers, and a couple bracelets, and the OU bracelet she bought it Oklahoma, that I though she was buying for herself!  

Turnign 19, I thought back to last year more than I did when the new came...

I wonder what the next year may hold...it very well could hold the biggest things in my life!  Interesting to think about, scary and fun!  : )  It seems that life is moving so slow, but God's plan is perfect...if only it were as easily to say as to follow it!

Here is some pictures of my family from the biginning of this year...I'll post some pictures too soon that I have gotten this spring!!!

B&W

Color

I love this picture...yeah no make-up, but I love how her arm is around my shoulder!

: )  At the Park!

I wonder what the next year may hold...it very well could hold the biggest things in my life!  Kinda scary and fun to think about!  : )  It seems that life is moving so slow, but God's plan is perfect...if only it were as easily to say as to follow it!

I copied this from another girl's blog that I follow:

"Everyone asks me how to find the man or woman of their dreams. The best way I heard on how to pick a mate was this. You run as fast as you can for Jesus Christ, commit your life to Him, love Him, sell out to Him, and stay devoted to Him. Then you start looking to your right and left and see who is running at the same speed. And you wave at them. And if they stay up with you, after a while, say, 'Come on over!' And you're running together. That's how you find your mate."

-Unknown

Pretty good advice! : )

~ Sarah

Digital Photography School

I have joined this forum, on a website called, "Digital Photography School."  I think the best parts of joining is hopefully getting some feedback on some pictures that I take, and getting some picture taking tips!

I was really just needing to post this picture that I am going to put on there for people to, "critique."  So I can get the URL! : )  Hopefully this will be fun!

P.S. I took this picture on the 14 of December.

Great News...

Recently, I ordered some business cards, and my Dad took a bunch to work.  One day, he said, "well, I think I got a job for you Sarah."  It was our old neighbors, and I got an email 2 days ago from the wife of the man that Dad works with.  They are wanting me to take some family pictures, of them and their daughter!   I, was like kinda freaking out...someone, I don't know very well want's me to take their pictures!...I'm just kinda that way. ; )   It is kind of scary when you don't have very much experience! ; )  BUT, I am very excited!  I thank the Lord!  I was beginning to worry when I didn't hear back from her right away!!!!!  So, oh, and I got all the recording done for my Christmas present! So...here is a picture of my precious piano!

Winter Sunsets...Isn't God Amazing?!

This year, as well as last year, I noticed what beautiful sunsets there are in the winter!  Check out this picture from last night!  There are such pretty pinks and light blues, it almost doesn't seem possible!

Our friend Evy, posted on her blog about the very same sunset!  http://evyssong.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-evening.html

In her words, "Only God...could possibly paint a picture like this...His Glory...His love, His beautiful creation...Only God...." 

Beautiful...Thanks God for an awesome sky...and picture opportunities! ; )

Fall 2011 Stuff

There was a special at Vistprint on their "premium" business cards, and so I ordered them.  I could have gotten free ones, but I couldn't have gotten my picture on it.  Anyway, I waited impatiently for them...the first like week after I had ordered seemed like it had been longer, but they still didn't ship for almost two weeks! They shipped on Monday, and did't get here till Sat...we picked them up on Sunday because we went to Liberal to see our Uncle and cousin.  That was fun...

I also have found a printing Lab that I really like...It makes it really easy to place orders, the shipping is  really good, AND you can ship to your customers!  I placed an order on Wed. I think and they came that very Sat!  And that was the free shipping!  The prints turned out awesome, the quality is great and their prices are not to much more than some cheap place.  BUT, this led to me finding out that me laptop computer screen was not showing the coloring the same as it printed, and our desktop computer.  We couldn't find that there was any place to change the screen settings, besides the brightness, and the Gamma.  One night I was hooking up my laptop to our tv(to watch some Sig Sound) and in trying to find where to get the screen to show up on the tv, I accidentally found a place to adjust a ton of setting for my laptop screen!  So it was good that I ran across this by accident!  So..I think it is pretty close to the way it printed, and it might just be the closes I will get. : )

I went out side to take a picture of my ~Sarah Graham Photography business cards, and of course, ended up taking pictures of other things...and Rachel. ; )   

The above picture is my laptop background

Love this one!

Like this one too!

I used the pop up flash on this one...it is fun experimenting!  I love how it turned out...I have a cute "model."  : )


I read an interesting...article not sure I would agree with everything but interesting and something to think about.  It is so hard to know how to handle a photography small business, especially just starting out! : p

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2009/10/12/how-should-i-price-my-photography-words-of-advice-from-jodie-otte/

This morning I read Bethany's Blog post with more details on her pregnancy!  It was sweet...http://bloggingbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/blessings-of-lord.html
Here is how she announced it first on her blog...http://bloggingbeth.blogspot.com/2011/11/coming-soon.html

A side note: Grandpa G. got us a ping pong table, which they brought when they came on Saturday to leave for Liberal.  We they just put it in the garage, and then when we got home Sunday, Dad and Robert got it into the basement.  Dad wasn't to trilled for sure, because it would take up so much room in the basement.  It is really big...but it is also Big fun!  It is kinda more like playing tennis.  We have had lots of fun with it so far....we played Dad last night and found out how bad we are. : )
  

Some Pictures!

Tomorrow Grandma is coming to visit!  We'll get to spend time with her and show her the old house that they might be moving into late next summer!  I hope we'll have a good time..I think we will!

September 19, I went out and tried some "night photography!"  I was doing shutter speeds of like 15 seconds!  I got some cool pictures...

No flash, just using long shutter speeds!

It was amazing that it captured stars I couldn't see!  I think it is because the shutter is open so long, that it lets enough light in to see those stars the human eyes can't!

Kinda funny out of focus : )

The neighbor's puppy!  Photo chance! 

Fall colors...they are saying that the colors won't be very good this year because they are just drying out and dying.  It was a really hot summer with not very much rain!

...I haven't keep up with the "every day posting"...that's ok though....

I had the idea to get some prints...just for me(and showing others too).  I started with the very first day I had my new camera, and picked out pictures that I liked and wanted to get a print of.  In the picture below, it shows the first page in the album I put the pictures in. The first picture of the manual, is the very first picture I took with my camera. It came in a box with a smaller album too. (Christmas present from G&G S.)  I have my senior pictures(4x6) in the small one...the big one didn't have anything in it so I though this would work!  I love it...and as I take more pictures...ones I like or "just want to pint" I'll add to this "50" I ordered!  I was able to pay for them though, with a gift card!

Two days ago, Saturday I took some pictures of my little sister...

<3

 Wrapping this up, this is a stove that my parents got for...our old house.  We did rent it, (the first renters were terrible, but the last Lady and her son were great!!!  Well, Mom's parents are getting sooo close to being sure that they are coming out to Kansas to live and retire!  Lot's of things will be different!  But it will be good!  Mom said, "can I start to get excited now?!"  Anyway, there was an auction in town Sat. morning and Dad went to look at the appliances for sale.  He was interested, and since Dad was planning to go to the church to work on something, he called Grandpa G. and he came over to the auction for Dad.  He got this stove for $80...Grandpa then offered to load it into his pickup and go ahead and take it to the house.(it was on a trailer from Dad's work)  Sooo, I went too! I rode with Grandpa and Daddy drove the van with the next 3 oldest kids.  It is now in the house, needing to be cleaned and then it can be slid back into the hole. : )   <-----accident, cool!

Now, I am going to email G&G S. and tell them about the stove and send the picture!

Wesley and Horse Painting!

The other day I had fun looking at a big map bookwith Wesley(his idea).  We tried to find pictures of different things like, cows, TRACTORS, wheat, corn, and cotton.  I wanted to capture this, so here is a cool picture.  

: )

Two nights ago, I had this idea of a really orange background, and a silo-wet  I had seen some pictures that my friend Courtney had taken on facbook, and I think that is where the idea came from.  It was late at night when I though of this painting and I thought it would be fun to stay up till midnight and have a painting session. : ) I decided to use Courtney's picture to copy in the painting.   I didn't stay up till midnight though: )...I did it the next day (yesterday)!  It turned out awesome and I like it!    

 Here is the original picture, this is Courtney and her horse.  Courtney is a photographer(Zao Photography) and here is her blog....http://www.zaophotographyblog.com/....you can go to her website and visit her on facebook by clicking on the buttons on the top bar.

~Sarah