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Last week, I noticed silver in my husband’s beard and was taken aback.  When did it happen? How long had it been there? And then the dreaded and heavy…why didn’t I notice?  My heart sank. We are busy, so busy.  He works long days and mows the grass while I make supper and read stories.  We run around, often on fumes, sometimes days in-between seeing each other, and we start to miss things.  A haircut, a new shirt…and silver in the beard. Then, I did the only thing that I knew would slow us down and allow us to reconnect,...

Recently a participant in my Lightroom workshop (at Pretty Forum) mentioned how her Lightroom CC did not look exactly like mine, that it was missing some tools or abilities that were showing on mine. Thankfully she figured out that her Lightroom wasn't updated, and she had to do some searching to find out how to update. This made me realize that there may be many others who don't realize their Lightroom program may not be showing the new "bells and whistles" that they add to Lightroom now and then. To see if your Lightroom needs updating, go to the Help...

This little tool has changed my photos! It is so simple, yet makes such a big impact on my final images. So, what is this magic button that will make everything brighter? It is the “Enable Profile Corrections” button under the Lens correction sections of the Develop module. The ONLY difference between the two photos above is the button I promise! See how much brighter the second image is? The main reason for that is that Lightroom stores information about our lenses and cameras, and automatically recognizes the vignetting your lens create, and it gives you a clean look like...

I love things that provide variety and flexibility, like my necklaces from a certain jewelry company. I can wear them long by themselves, or layered together, or doubled for a shorter look. With a few tweaks, one necklace can look like three different necklaces. That is how I feel about the Toolkit that comes with the Film Bohemian and Film Pastels collections for Lightroom. The Toolkit is installed just as regular presets, and is accessed in the Presets panel on the left side of the Develop panel. Once you run a preset from Bohemian, Pastels, or another preset collection, you...

I’m going to tell you now, I’m not the type of photographer that subscribes to the school of fancy photography gear with all the bells and whistles.  I definitely believe the old line, the best camera is the one you have, and it rings true with my personal work….especially in summer. As much as I love photography and get a thrill from perfectly exposing a photo or manipulating the shutter speed to create movement in a scene, I am lazy.  Like, really freakin’ lazy, y’all.  And I’m forced to be active and move by my two small children for most...

Let me tell you a scary story.  About a month ago, I was held hostage.  By my father-in-law. In his garage.  With a 300-photograph album from the teenage years of his kids. With him explaining every. single. one. Now, you might be thinking, “OMGEEE! Ashley! I LOVE LOOKING THROUGH OLD PHOTOS!” Me too, but let me tell you about these.  You open the page and there are 6 photos in the spread.  In some of the pages, there would be 6 photos of my then teenage husband standing in front of a Christmas tree holding a t-shirt.  I’m pretty sure...

Ahhh…another post about the importance of self-portraits.  If you are reluctant to read this it probably means you aren’t in enough photos and I’m going to need you to listen up. It’s summer, you are loving life, getting a little more time with your kids, going on summer adventures, soaking up the sun, and documenting the heck out of all of the fun.  You are an important part of the story.  If you are anything like me, you might be the director of it all.  Packing bags, making lists, confirming reservations, double checking the sunscreen, prepping meals.  When I say...

Summer is here! Kids are out of school, calendars are filled with fun activities, and along with all that you have going on, your camera is probably going to get a lot of use in the next couple of months.  Isn’t this the most exhausting yet amazing time of year?! We are a bunch that thrives on adventure and experience as much of the outdoor world as we possibly can, but one thing that is SO important to me is that I live in these moments as much as I document them.  It’s so easy to get lost behind the...

Several years ago I sat in a conference room and listened to Joy Prouty speak about her photography journey.  It was a great talk and I was jotting down notes…then she showed a personal home video and I was mesmerized.  There were her children and their sweet little voices and chubby little fingers playing outside, set to this magical music on this huge screen before my eyes.  I had to do this…immediately.  I almost got up and left just so I could conquer this plan but I just sat and watched and got teary, imagining these were my kids and...

There’s a lot to be said about the natural beauty of backlighting. This technique can add a certain something to images that is striking and unique. The drama of backlit images can add an extra level of drama to depth to images that make the shot interesting and capture the attention of the viewer. So, how can you create the perfect conditions within your home or indoors space for capturing the perfect natural backlit photograph? Here are a few ideas to help you on your way backlit heaven: 1. Focus on your camera settings Aperture is king when it comes...

What Is Bokeh? Bokeh is the soft, creamy, out-of-focus blur in an image. Generally, bokeh is best seen in the background of a photograph. Want More Bokeh In Your Photographs? Creamy blur and even out-of-focus circles in the background of your images are generally seen as desirable—especially in portraits and macro shots. To get more bokeh in your photos, follow these simple tips. Aperture Focal Length Distance Choose an open aperture or low f-stop number between f/1.8 and f/5.6. The lower the f-stop number, the less depth of field there will be (or how much of your photo is in...

A very common mistake new Lightroom users make is to create multiple Lightroom catalogs. I've even helped users who have created a new catalog every time they imported, with one of them having over 200 catalogs! Yikes! Most Lightroom users only need to have one catalog. Even if you are a photographer, it's highly advised to keep just one catalog, and use collections to keep your personal and professional images separated. What if you already have made multiple catalogs? Don't worry, there is a fairly simple fix. All you do is "Import from Another Catalog," for each alternate catalog you...