The Editing Process >> For Photographers >> In which I get outside my comfort zone

I decided to leap outside of my comfort zone and show ya'll these unedited, partially edited and then finally, fully edited pictures. Before I show you the pictures though, I want you to understand something.

My goal with editing pictures is to make each image look as close to real life as possible, a camera, no matter how good, cannot capture exactly what it looked like, so my goal is to recreate the real setting, and make it look real again. 

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm going to start with this picture. It's a favorite from a recent engagement session. 

To start out with the composition... I love the rule of thirds, but I also believe that it should be broken. 

I also love using depth of field, which is why I left the tree in the foreground. I could have easily taken a step to the right and taken it out of the image, but it adds a certain amount of interest, and it breaks up the picture a little bit.

Okay, so the original. 

Then I added my favorite homemade preset, which basically just pops the exposure, clarity and contrast. This is almost always the first preset I go to when editing. It's my fav. :) 

Okay, now you'll notice that in her flannel and in the trees, there's a little bit of purple, that's actually not there in real life and the purplish color clashes with his red flannel, so I removed the slight chromatic aberration and that fixed it right away!

Okay, now that those steps are taken care of, I simply do a little bit of dodging and burning, and brush on a little bit of graininess into his beard, so it stands out and I'm done!

Even though I love this tree, I think it's a little bit distracting, so I stuck it in black and white and that took care of it right away!

And that's it! Super easy, simple and doesn't take much time at all!

Have fun editing!

xoxo,

Anna Rose

>> Even if not...God is still good >> Thanksgiving 2014

"to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. 

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever." 

PSALM 30:12

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This thanksgiving has been very different than my other Thanksgivings. 

Last year, I was in Pennsylvania...and this year I'm deep in northern Minnesota. 

I would share some fall pictures with you all, but I took a little walk today and took these and since it IS Minnesota and it's *basically* winter, there is snow. 

It's also cold. 

On my walk I looked at the thermometer and it said it was somewhere below zero, and in my book, if it's below zero in my book it no longer matters HOW MUCH below zero it is....it's just cold.

BUT, all that being said, I am so thankful for a warm house. I'm thankful for the wood that is heating this house and I'm thankful for the family that is filling this house. Although I'm not *home* I am home because I am with family.

At college, sometimes it is challenging to be thankful, not going to lie. 

There are many early mornings and late nights when I wish that I was sleeping, but God is good and He has been teaching me much through these little challenges.

He has been teaching me that whatever happens, He is still good.

One of my favorite quotes this semester has been "And if not...He is still good." It's easy to focus on MY dreams and MY plans and I sometimes forget that maybe God's plans for me are different. 

Something a friend has reminded me of is that God's plans for my life are so far superior to my own that I can't even begin to dream of them. 

And so to sum that all up, I am thankful for God's goodness. I try and struggle to be thankful when God sends us hard times, because He loves us, even though it can be hard.

But whatever happens, God is good.

That is just a little glimpse of what God has been teaching me to be thankful for.

What has God been teaching you to be thankful for?

-Anna Rose

>> A list of little blessing from A to Z

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I'm thankful for

 

Apple Pie, being an Auntie and airplane rides .

My Bible, my bedroom, brothers and the black keys on a piano.

 Chocolate, cards in the mail, caramel Mochas and coffee.

Dangly earrings, daffodils and my Daddy.

Eleven (by the time I publish this twelve) family members that God has blessed me with.

My family, My friends and funny memories. My favorite flannel shirt

 I'm thankful for

God's daily sufficient grace and green grass in-between my toes

My Daddy's Hand holding mine.

My Indescribable, Infallible, Awesome God.

My favorite pair of jeans

Goodnight kisses

Little boy and little girl snuggles with Auntie.

I'm thankful for

My Mama and the memories we have.

For God's new every morning mercy.

The ocean, October and old letters.

For photography, pockets, pianos and possibilities.

Quaint little cabins with little front porches.

Road trips and rainy days spent inside.

I'm thankful for suitcases full of clothes, because that mean's I'm going on an adventure.

Yesterday, Today, Forever Jesus is the same.

For days when something unusually special happens.

Family Vacations and valentines.

Waterfalls and white keys on a piano.

EXtra good days.

For Yellow tulips, yellow leaves, and the happiest color, Yellow.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake, because that's the bestest way to eat Zucchini.

Now I challenge you. Go grab a piece of paper and write out 26 things that you are thankful for. The first one beginning with 'A' and continuing until you finish with 'Z'

Have fun!

xoxo,

Anna Rose