photo of the day [thursday]

Can't you just feel the warm breeze blowing the curtains? This photo, titled "my moment~tuesday 6pm" really caught my eye. So simple, yet so stirring. Taken by mainemomma2007, check out her photo stream, it is filled with explored and award winning photos.

....{and the winners are!!!!!}

kerry + aimee - you both one a copy of melissa ferrick's "goodbye youth" cd!!! yeah for you. congratulations and thank you to all who entered. just send me an email with your mailing address and i can get these right out to you. you will love it!!
meg@bluelimephoto.com

we are honored....

there is a fantastic website out there called prop insanity....and we, at maternal lens, are honored and excited that they have posted a little blurb about us. we are so thrilled to know that we have readers that truly love this blog as much as we do!! so, be sure to check out what they had to say!

...and it must be said that prop insanity is one fantastic site as well! as photographers (and moms), nothing is better than to find a cool new prop, a fun idea...or just a little inspiration! this site is packed full of props, ideas, reviews, cool finds, shops, forums, contests and so much more!!

prop insanity was created by tracy, from tracy joy bags (and, seriously, who doesn't LOVE a tracy joy product!), along with gina and susanne...and they have one heck of a site. so, hop on over there and take a look around!!

{and make sure you sign up for the cd/music giveaway. it ends tonight!}

photo of the day {Wednesday}

There are so many great shots in the maternal lens flickr pool, it took me a while to choose one for today's photo. In the end, this shot by annie {little fire photography} grabbed me. There's so much mood wrapped up in the lighting, conversion, movement and composition. An overall wonderful capture.

Don't forget to sign up for our awesome music GIVEAWAY!!

{melissa ferrick} cd giveaway!!

it's giveaway time!! yeah!! sound the horns, sound the trumpets, bang the drums....and speaking of sounds let's talk about this talented lady. melissa ferrick. a beautiful, poignant, singer/songwriter who's music has on more than one occassion brought me to tears. living in newburyport, massachusetts, i have been lucky enough to call this gal my friend. my daughter annie adores melissa and she is one of those people who knows how to talk to a 3 year old - she let's annie roam her music room and play her drums, her guitars, blow her trumpet (i mean that's just the beginning, melissa can play so many instruments it's amazing!) the other day she had annie out on her patio painting on the world's largest paper - but that's a whole other story for another day.
melissa has graciously given the maternal lens two (2) cd's to give away to our readers. goodbye youth, melissa's 15th album !- you are going to love what you hear. just melissa, her gorgeous poetry and her guitar. please make a point to visit her website and even if you aren't one of our winners go to itunes and check out this cd {and her entire catalog} - it is truly wonderful and a must have.



so.............you all know the drill. {contest ends wednesday @ midnight}
Here's how to win:

Leave us a "love note" (comment) with your e-mail or contact info (blog, etc.) That's it! It's that easy!

But wait!!
If you want to get an additional entry, leave us ANOTHER love note that says you have clicked to become a follower of the blog or if you already are a follower. (We will check!) This = 2 entries.

THEN, you can get another entry if you grab our button (at the bottom of our blog) and put it on your blog...you need to leave us another comment with the blog URL of where the button is... this = 3 entries.

{MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL SEPARATE LOVE NOTES/COMMENTS or else it will count as one entry}

POTD { Tuesday }

It was so hard choosing the photo of the day today! I could barely do it.




It was taken by the fabulous Kristy Lane. To me it just stands for what TML is all about. A big thanks to all of you who keep our Flickr Group chalked full of talent and beauty each day!

{photo of the day} monday

as a person who owns more than one pair of cowboy boots - what could be better than a pair of great boots and a baby!! i love this shot - it makes me happy!! look at that precious creature peeking at the camera.
please visit sylvia cook's flickr stream for more inspiration!

Hmmmm.

During lunch today, I looked up to find this boy, my four year old son, gazing over at me quite lovingly.



























I smiled at him. Then he murmured, "Mom, I just love your soft stuff."

He must have seen my look of surprise/confusion because then he gently patted his under arm. "It's what makes ya so good to snuggle." (Can I add here that I was eating a SALAD at the time?)

A bit wounded (and amused), I started thinking about his love for me as he went back to finishing his meal. It was without constraints, without limitations or conditions. In his eyes I am perfect--just right for snuggling. How precious a thing.

That doesn't mean that I'm not hitting the elliptical hard this month....


{ to see the picture info, see HERE }

Seeing Double

I am lucky enough to live in the same town as Sarah, have a daughter close in age as Sarah's, love photography as Sarah, and hey, wait a minute, frequent the same red spiral staircase as Sarah! When I saw her latest photos at the staircase I knew I had to make a diptych of our two cuties. These photos were taken about six months apart.

photo of the day {friday}

today's gorgeous photo was taken by emily. make sure you take a couple minutes today and browse through her photostream...just amazing photos!! thanks emily for putting your photo in the maternal lens flickr group! and to our readers, if you haven't done so already....head on over to the flickr group and submit your photos! you could be the next photo of the day!!

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." ~Cicero

.....and don't forget to check out the post right below this!! our very own meg is featured in blog world today!!!

{bluelime chosen as featured artist}

I seldom toot my own horn but I was asked to be the featured artist on the Newburyport Today blog, and I am so excited! - Click here to see my interview and feel free to leave any comments. We love to hear from you.

{how to make a baby}

i think i went about this the wrong way!!

drumroll please.....

and the winner of the photographers hand stamped necklace is......... MILLERSCR!!
congrats!! email me at thousandwords@bresnan.net and i will get you all the details!

and for the rest of you...head on over to see carolyn and order your very own. this is a must have for all photographers!!

photo of the day [thursday]

Still in the spirit of Easter and April, this photo really stood out to me. It's titled "waiting for the easter bunny", and was taken by the talented pinkorchid_too's I try to pick photos that stir up some emotion in me or that speak to me. I can just "feel" this photo.

photo of the day {Wednesday}

Because it's Earth Day, I thought this was the perfect photo for today! For the love of the earth is by tab.itha - stop by and check out her stream!

Keep posting your great shots to our fabulous flickr pool.

Don't forget, today is the last day to sign up for our awesome photographer necklace GIVEAWAY!!!

photographers necklace {giveaway!!}

what an awesome giveaway we have today!! these hand stamped, sterling silver necklaces are fantastic!! they can be customized in so many different ways. they can have your kid's names with or without birthstones, your favorite saying....the sky is the limit!!

carolyn has graciously offered to give her 'photographers' necklace to one of our readers for free!! it is hand stamped with words "love. laugh. snap"
make sure you check out her stuff and all she has to offer!! they make great gifts, so be sure and pick up a couple!

Here's how to win:

Leave us a "love note" (comment) with your e-mail or contact info (blog, etc.) That's it! It's that easy!

But wait!!
If you want to get an additional entry, leave us ANOTHER love note that says you have clicked to become a follower of the blog or if you already are a follower. (We will check!) This = 2 entries.

THEN, you can get another entry if you grab our button (at the bottom of our blog) and put it on your blog...you need to leave us another comment with the blog URL of where the button is... this = 3 entries.

{MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL SEPARATE LOVE NOTES/COMMENTS or else it will count as one entry}

contest will end april 22nd, midnight central. winner will be chosen randomly by random.org

{monday} photo of the day

oh how i love the slice of life shot - how fabulous is this one. there is so much going on and each adorable child tells a story. it's just a perfect capture and even more empowering in black & white.
this great shot is from dani of follick photography - make sure you check out her flickr stream and then hop over to her website.
keep posting your great shots at the maternal lens group on flickr - you could be the next photo du jour!!

Cinnamon Rolls { a legacy }

When I was taking these pictures, I knew in that instant that I was documenting something so special.

This is my mother and my two year old daughter.

My mother is quite ill. She has been over the last year, and soon will travel to the Mayo Clinic to get a long awaited diagnosis. (hopefully.) She lives with chronic pain, but one would never know it. Her vivacious spirit is such an inspiration to me. Being sick keeps her home quite a bit these days, so she has taken to baking to help pass the time. She is quite talented with this--and hopefully she can pass it along to my daughter. (goodness knows I won't!)

I love the way they love each other. They were making cinnamon rolls. I couldn't decide who was having more fun, can you?

(For those of you that want to know--it was very low light. I believe my settings were ap--1.8-2.5, shutter 250, iso 640-1000 varying)

::zombie chicken award::

the wonderful and talented, Leaca of Simply Blogged awarded the maternal lens
the Zombie Chicken Award.
Here is the story behind the zombie:

“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…”

thank you so much, leaca, we are truly honored!! so, it is now our turn to pick our 5 favorites! in no particular order.....

#1 greeblemonkey
I enjoy her point of view, and her contests are fun! I like her style of photography, too. She is fantastic! {sarah}

#2 jessica claire
Jessica Claire is a fantastic photographer! Her blog has been a favorite of mine since the first time I found it. Her photography is so creative and amazing and her blogging really brings you into the the moments she shares with you through her photos. She is fun and refreshing and her images are nothing short of phenomenal! {jen}

#3 i♥faces
I chose I ♥ Faces because I think it is a wonderful place for amateurs and pros to come together and share in their love for photography. Besides the weekly contests, I enjoy their freebies, giveaways and tips. It's just a laid back place where people on all levels of photographic interest can meet and learn from each other.. Plus it's run by a couple of nifty gals too! {megan}

#4 squeeze the lime
i love this blog for so many reasons. it's packed full of information, inspiration, videos, how to's, and amazing photography. lime stands for learn, inspire, motivate and experience.....and it delivers! there information on this site is fantastic! a definite fave of mine! {shannon}

#5 sheye rosemeyer
Sheye's story is a tragic one. After losing her beloved daughter, Ava, she so eloquently shares her emotional journey on her blog. Her outlook on life is incredible and her ability to put one foot in front of the other on a daily basis never ceases to amaze me. And the fact that when she falls, she is so open about it, so raw with her thoughts and feelings. If I could be any photographer in the world, it would be Sheye Rosemeyer. Her photography is so pure and full of emotion that i am sometimes moved to tears. Her style is like no one else's. I never tire looking at her portfolio. Her new action set is one that everyone should invest in. I consider Sheye to be a friend, a peer, a Maternal Lens sister. She is a wonderful mother and an incredible asset to the photography community of the world. {meg}

photo of the day {friday}

i am so in love with this shot!! the colors, the sun, the feel! it's just beautiful!!
this fantastic shot was taken by mainemomma2007. check out her stream when you get a chance...her photos are so inspirational!



HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

and be sure to add your photo to the maternal lens flickr group and you may be the next photo of the day!

{hasselblad award}

the 2009 hasselblad award was announced on 14 april 2009. the recipient, robert adams, has photographed mostly the american west. his photography has captured the impact of "human activity on the land".
i personally love how pure and honest his photographs are. if anyone happens to be in sweden in november - mr. adams photographs will be on display at the hasselblad center.

check out robert adams photographs here and for more information on the amazing victor hasselblad.

photo of the day [thursday]

What can I say? Or need I say nothing? A picture is worth a thousand words. Total cuteness, and I'm loving the leg warmer half way pulled up on one leg, this photo screams Toddlerhood in every way! Taken by keli_h.

photo of the day {Wednesday}

I just love this photo! So much joy and expression captured! I love the conversion and the off center composition. It's just an overall wonderful capture by Jayme - JAR Designs.

Keep posting those wonderful pics to our flickr group!

making friends with {dappled light}

One of the first things you learn as a new photog is to avoid dappled light/shade. When it comes to portraits, this rule generally holds true, but we should learn to play with this contrasty lighting condition to get dramatic results.


If you can find a good pocket of light within your dappled lighting, you can spotlight your subject with it. You can use the shaded part of the dappling to create a shadowed effect or even just a simple dark background. If your subject is highlighted and you expose it properly, the more shadowy areas will be underexposed, creating the dark backdrop.


Here's a good example of how dappled light can create drama. These two photos had the same setup - the background was a creamy wall. In the first photo, the lighting is pretty even and there's not a whole lot of contrast created by it. In the second photo, I moved the tulips into a pocket of light that was coming from a window. You can see the drama that's created by exposing for the subject and letting the background become underexposed.

The key to this technique is to find a "spotlight" big enough to really illuminate your subject within the dappling. Give it a try! Be sure to post your dappled light images to the materal lens flickr group!

Tuesday { POTD }

The Photo of the Day today is from Teresa Murphy. I loved the subject matter and the color palette just makes me happy. (Not to mention the bokeh--wow!) Join our Flickr Group if you haven't already and browse all the wonderful photos and talent. Happy Tuesday everyone!

some TML photoshop tips!

we thought we would share a few of our favorite photoshop tips. these are just random ones that some of us use, love and couldn't live without! leave us a "love note" and let us know what your favorite photoshop tips/ticks are OR if you would like more detail or tutorials about any/all of these tricks, let us know!
--the curves adjustment!! this I do a slight -S- curve on almost all of my images.
--the smudge tool is another fave
--for a natural vignette, loosely lasso around the main part of your photo (feather the lasso to about 200px.) Select the inverse, which would be the outer part of the image, and using levels, move the shadow slider to the right to intensify them. This is my favorite technique b/c it doesn't dull the color, just intensifies the darker tones, making for a very natural look.
--under FILTERS, there is a great tool - LIQUIFY!! use it with a large brush on the "forward warp tool" push double chins in or smooth out little lumps and bumps to help your subject look her best!
--i've found that bumping up the contrast, in most every photo, really helps it pop all that more.
--actions! actions! presets! presets! my favorite photoshop/lightroom secret, and the secret is adjusting all of the layers to fit to your specific photo's needs after running the action on it.
--dodging and burning. if used the right way, a little light added or a little shadow added is just the right thing to make a good image a great image!
--vibrance (for cs4 users). a little adjustment of vibrance goes a long way!!

{photo of the day} monday edition

i think i could keep the maternal lens flickr pool on constant slideshow all day long - that's how much i love looking at all the talent. my choice for today is in keeping with the holiday spirit! i love the composition of this photo - the turned foot, the knee, the bunny - everything about this shot makes me happy and captures the innocence of a child. this photo is titled "waiting on the egghunt" by kelli harris - please make sure to check out her stream.
keep adding those photos - you may be the next photo of the day!! happy monday
everyone.

Happy Easter!

Hope your day was filled with all the joys that Easter can bring!

photo of the day {friday}--oops!

well, i'm a day late and a dollar short....it must be all the sunshine!! so, here is friday's edition for you on saturday! it was a tough choice, but i must be in baby mode b/c i am in love with all these baby shots!!!
i LOVE this photo. i love the colors, that amazingly adorable baby...so darn cute!! this was taken by K.Lane . go check out her photostream....it is FULL of beautiful photography!


and be sure to hop, skip and jump on over to our flickr group and enter your photos. you may be the next photo of the day!!!

And the winner is................................................

The random number generator at random.org chose #79..................................

Angela Smith Photography

Congrats Angela! Email me at jlpinkerton@yahoo.com to claim your prize!!

Thanks to all who entered! Don't forget to stop by my etsy shop The Pink Pooka to pick up a strap cover for yourself!!! They also make great gifts!

....blog makeover....

from all of us at TML, we want to give a huge thank you to maggie at boutique graphics!! she redesigned our blog so that it would match our new and fabulous logo/header. we absolutely love it beyond words!
maggie was wonderful to work with. very friendly, easy going and a pleasure to deal with!! what more could you ask for!

please go check out her site HERE! she does web design, graphic design, marketing...you name it! and right now she is offering 50% off her custom web design price, so hurry up before the sale is over!
tell her TML sent you!!

thanks again, maggie!


AND DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE CAMERA STRAP GIVEAWAY! IT ENDS TODAY! CLICK HERE!

photo of the day [thursday]

Taken by Jessica Fressica, I found this photo so intriguing. A glimpse into childhood, a moment captured when he thought no one was watching (photographing.) Very well done.

Wordle!

Ummm, how cool is this?





go check it out and make one of your very own: http://www.wordle.net/

{GIVEAWAY!!!} spring into style with a new camera strap cover!

I've been working hard to get all my photog friends outfitted with these super fun camera strap covers, and now it's your turn to try one on! We are giving away a camera strap cover and if you win, you get to pick which one! They are approx 2x23" and fit a standard dslr camera strap. All of the covers are lined with fleece for added comfort.

Here's how to win:

Leave us a "love note" (comment) with your e-mail or contact info (blog, etc.) That's it! It's that easy!

But wait!!
If you want to get an additional entry, leave us ANOTHER love note that says you have clicked to become a follower of the blog or if you already are a follower. (We will check!) This = 2 entries.

THEN, you can get another entry if you grab our button (at the bottom of our blog) and put it on your blog...you need to leave us another comment with the blog URL of where the button is... this = 3 entries.

{MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL SEPARATE LOVE NOTES/COMMENTS or else it will count as one entry}

Contest will end Thursday at midnight, central time. Good luck!!!

You can check out my new etsy shop to see all my current straps!