Monica's Photos

I Heart Faces Photography Contest | Silhouettes

2010-11-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Silhouettes are so much fun. Enter your Silhouette photo over at I Heart Faces this week! It is fun to see what everyone has come up with!

Week 30 • Purple Photo Challenge!

2010-07-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

I have been away from http://www.iheartfaces.com for a long time but I am back! First, it has been way too long. Second, I love purple and third, I love I heart faces. Anyway these lovely ladies are my friends little girls. They are fantastic models for me and I love, love taking their picture. Be sure to stop by i heart faces to see what everyone is up to. Thank you for stopping by and please leave a comment so I will know you were here.

FIx it Friday

2010-04-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am trying to stay active in Fix it Friday at I Heart Faces. I love the new thumb nail idea so I hope it works out. I used MCP sharpen action, Pioneer Woman's bring out those eyes action and Flora Bella's Vintage Lolly Pop action. I also used the clone stamp around the eyes.

Week 16 - “Collages” Photo Challenge

2010-04-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of my first collages and I really enjoyed playing around with it. I Heart Faces is always inspiring me to try new things. Can't thank you all enough. Thank you for stopping by and if you are not joining in the weekly challenges I hope that you will give it a try. Be sure to see what everyone else is has posted, you will be glad you took the time.

FIx it Friday

2010-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is my before and after. I used camera raw to adjust the brightness tweak the vibrance and also warm up (I thought it was a little blue. Than I used MCP actions to sharpen and Pioneer Woman's action bring out those eyes. She is a very pretty girl!

FIx it Friday

2010-04-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

After:
MCP Action Sharp People, MCP Action Eye Doctor, Florabella Texture Cosmopolitan.

Before

Week 13 - “Dramatic B&W” Photo Challenge!

2010-03-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is Megan and she is the sweetest little girl but you don't want to make her mad lol. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to see what everyone else is up to for the Dramatic Black and White Challenge at i heart faces. I am going to look at as many as I can. I love black and white photos! They bring your attention to the content rather than just color.

Week 12 - “Focusing on Angles” Photo Challenge!

2010-03-23T10:51:00.001-07:00

Over at I Heart Faces the challenge is focusing on Angles. I really like to try different angles and some work better than others. It never hurts to try. Of corse this little gal is beautiful from just about every angle. I am really glad I got myself a nice step ladder. It has really come in handy and I find I am using it a lot. Be sure to see what everyone else is up to at I Heart Faces. There are many of entries this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Week 11 - “Bundled Up” Photo Challeng

2010-03-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Over at I Heart Faces the challenge is: Bundled UP. We have lots of those days here in

Michigan so I knew I had a few to choose from! I enjoyed this session in the snow but I am looking forward to Spring! These sisters are so adorable and they loved playing in the snow. Be sure to see what everyone else has entered or join the fun yourself if you have not already.

I Heart Faces, Week 4 Texture

2010-01-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

Over at i heart faces the challenge is all about texture this week. I recently took this photo and I think it has some nice texture going on. I do enjoy adding texture in photoshop but this was one that came together in the moment. Be sure to stop by i heart faces to see what everyone else is up to and thanks for stopping by.

Lansing

2009-12-18T04:04:00.000-08:00

I walked around Lansing with my friend Jena. It was a beautiful day but very cold none the less.

Christmas Season

2009-12-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

This is a little look at what we have been up to this holiday Season.

Beautiful Baby

2009-12-08T03:52:00.000-08:00

A friend from my Mom's group had a baby girl. She is really adorable and very fun to photograph.

Photowalk

2009-12-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

Travis and Jean Smith were kind enough to host a Photowalk in Detroit. These are a few of the images I took. Thank you again to Travis and Jean and thanks to the wonderful models. I had so much fun!

I ♥ Faces, Tooshies

2009-11-30T06:36:00.001-08:00

Over at I Heart Faces it is all about Tooshies this week so I thought this would be a fun one to enter. Thank you so much for stopping by and be sure to stop over at I Heart Faces to se what everyone else is up to!

i ♥ Faces, Sun Flare

2009-11-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

This week at I Heart Faces the photo challenge is sun flare. Although I really wanted to get out and try a new one this is one I did over the end of the summer. I love sun flare so I would love to try some more with this. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to see what everyone at I Heart Faces is up to if you haven't already.

Halloween

2009-10-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

O.K. it is the day before Halloween and the kids are really looking forward to it. The pumpkins grew and were made into jack-o-lanterns. Tomorrow we are have our friends over and we will go trick-or-treating. Last year Megan fell asleep so it is going to be a lot of fun with everyone awake.

I ♥ Faces, Excited Week 40

2009-10-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

This photo came to me right away for this weeks theme of excited. I took this photo recently of my good friend's husband when he returned from a 7 month long deployment. The daughter is so excited to be back in Dad's arms. I was so honored to be part of such a special moment. Welcome Home! Thank you for stopping by my blog and please leave a comment so I know you were here. I love to hear what you have to say. If you haven't already, be sure to stop by I Heart Faces to see what everyone else is up to.

i ♥ Faces, Blue

2009-09-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

This is Megan as happy as a clam at the beach. Her brother found a little toy horse for her in the sand. We were happy to see blue sky over Lake Michigan this past weekend! The theme over at I Heart Faces just happens to be blue. It will be fun to see all of the different blue photos. Be sure to stop over at I Heart Faces to see what everyone else is doing. Thank you for stopping by my blog I hope you enjoyed it.

I ♥ Faces-"Contemplative"

2009-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

We went to a parade on Friday and Ben was really interested in this lovely clown. Even with the sun glasses on you can tell he is wondering what she is all about. Thanks for stopping by today, I would love to hear your thoughts. Also be sure to stop by I ♥ Faces to see what everyone else is up to this week. It is always fun to see so many great photos.

I ♥ Faces-"Before and After"

2009-08-31T05:50:00.000-07:00

I have learned so much over the past year. This photo was taken less than one year ago in December. When I took the photo, I didn't know about light. I didn't consider what was going on in the background, I didn't know about composition, I knew nothing about Photoshop and I was using my kit lens.As a result, I took this picture with my on camera flash on auto, I chopped off her hands. Is she still cute? Yes, but now I know how to present her in a way that really captures who she is.

The below picture was taken with the same camera using natural light, my new 50mm 1.4, consideration of the background, composition, and some enhancement in photoshop. I love to add a little texture with a fun boarder now and then.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Be sure to leave a comment so I can know you where here. Also be sure to see what everyone else is up to over at I ♥ Faces.

Fix it Friday

2009-08-21T05:10:00.001-07:00

It is time for another Fix it Friday. This was an easy fix. It is a little underexposed. I took it into lightroom changed the exposure, white balance, saturation and crop.

Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think. Be sure to head over to I Heart Faces to see all the creative changes to this photo and much more.

i ♥ Faces-"Bubbles"

2009-08-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Another fun week at I Heart Faces! It's Bubbles this week. I had a lot of fun getting bubble photos and I had a hard time choosing my favorite. I am really glad you stopped by my blog. Please leave a comment so I will know you were here. Also, don't forget to see what everyone else is up to at I ♥ Faces. Thanks to Drew, I have my first large photo on my blog.

I ♥ Faces-"Silly, Funny, Crazy Faces"

2009-08-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Over at I Heart Faces the contest is: "Silly, Funny, Crazy Faces" It was so much fun trying to capture my kids doing silly faces this week! This is Ben and Megan and they both like to be silly. This was my favorite out of all the ones I took. The thing I like the most about it is they did this on their own. I did a few throughout the week where I said, "lets see your silly face." and although they were cute nothing is better than capturing that instant in time that you will now have with you forever! Thank you so much for stopping by and please leave a comment so I know you were here and so I can stop by your blog. If you haven't already, stop by I ♥ Faces and join the fun each week.

Remembering the Little Things

2009-08-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

If you follow I Heart Faces you may have seen the article by Corey from Living and Loving. She reminded us to notice the little things that often easy to overlook. These are a few pictures that were inspired by that article. I love the idea of incorporating things of value in our photos. I hope to continue this. My kids are young so it would be very nice to look back and remember how found they were of a certain toy or food. Thank you Corey!

My Story In Photos: The Summer Edition

2009-08-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful summer. It has been cool here in Michigan but we have also had lots of nice sunny days to enjoy the beach, zoo, fair, and parks.

Megan loves to follow her big brother around and do what ever he is doing.

There is nothing better than enjoying an open window.

We enjoyed looking at the fair animals with our friends.

MSU has a beautiful Garden. This is Ben with his Uncle Stacey.

Megan and Dad enjoying a ride.

Ben looking cool as he rides the rhino at the zoo.

Megan loves to swing!

Thanks for stopping by to see a few pieces of my summer. Remember to see what everyone else is up to at I Heart Faces and don't forget a quick comment. We love to hear from you.

I ♥ Faces, Fix-It Friday Week 22

2009-07-31T10:42:00.001-07:00

This is my second try at another Fix It Friday at I Heart Faces. The one thing I thought this picture could use was a crop. There is a little to much going on in the background for my taste. I did a small curves adjustment, used Pioneer Woman Action: Colorized, then I put a motion blur with a layer mask for fun.

Be sure to stop by I ♥ Faces to see what everyone else has been up to I see so many amazing new things each week. If you haven't already join the fun! Thanks for stopping by my blog and please leave a comment.

I HEART FACES: At The Beach Photo Challenge

2009-07-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

Megan really loves playing in the sand. In fact I have been meaning to by her a sand box. She loves to feel the sand flow through her fingers. I wanted to share this because you never have to remind a small child to stop and enjoy the simple things. If you haven't already, stop by I Heart Faces to join the fun and share your beach picture. If your here, I would love to hear your comment.

Fix it Friday

2009-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's Friday which means it's time for another Fix-It Friday photo at I ♥ Faces. A photo is provided each week so I thought would finally try to see what I could come up with. Here is my Before and After:

Steps:

Mulletgod's Action A Plenty Colour & Contrast Corrector.

MCP Action Magic Skin

Artistic Filter w/layer mask

Hue Saturation change on green.

I ♥ Faces: Sports in Action (week 27)

2009-07-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few sports photos I have. I look forward to getting a lot more once the kids are old enough to play. This is my husband hitting the ball out of the ball park. At least that is how I remember it.

As for pets, we don't have any but my son loves animals. Our friend has been nice enough to let us come over to their farm so he can see their animals. For now we will stick to animal visits and plastic animals.

Be sure to stop by I ♥ Faces to join in on the fun!

Dyke Family Party

2009-07-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Summer Fun

2009-07-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

My Sister and her Husband came to visit from Washington. They just celebrated 14 years together. We had a really nice visit and I am glad they were able to come visit us.
Megan loves to swing but she isn't a fan of the water so you won't see any pictures of her in the pool. We had a lot of fun playing at the pool with our cousins!

My Story In Photos: The Patriotic Edition

2009-07-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Be sure to stop by I Heart Faces to view other people's stories in photos or better yet, join the fun and post your own photo's. These are a few pieces of my life this week.

This is a picture of my dear friend who's husband is on his 3rd deployment in 5 years. I want to thank them both for their courage!

This is one of the newest editions to the United States Coast Guard. It was a pleasure to meet her and I am sure she will go on to do great things.

This Clown really caught my eye at a 4th of July Parade. She is showing her Patriotism in her own special way. I love it.

I took Ben to see fireworks for the first time. We had a lot of fun watching the show and taking pictures. I am looking forward to next year when Megan will be able to go too.

My Son with his new Friends

2009-07-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

My son was lucky enough to spend the morning with these two beautiful girls.

Some how he was able to get them both to go for a walk with him.

The older sister is happy but the younger one is a little unsure. One thing for sure, they are all really cute!

I heart faces “Just For Fun” Category

2009-06-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

This will be my first entry for the I Heart Faces Contest. The great thing about it is it will not be judged so there is no pressure. After all it's just for fun. I picked this photo since it really fit the "Just For Fun" Category. We love to have fun and play at our house! Join in the fun at I ♥ Faces! It’s the perfect “no pressure” week to join.