All Work No Play

What a busy day.  This morning I drove to Holmdel, NJ to take maternity portraits.  This was my first maternity picture taking experience so I was a bit nervous.  

I couldn't have met a nicer couple.  We really had a lot fun with the photo shoot and I love love love the pictures.  It makes me want to get maternity photos taken of me . . . . Oh wait - but then I remember, I pushed 200 lbs. with my last pregnancy - so I think my photos would just end up in National Geographic.  

Charlie went to a sitter during the shoot - the first time since we had to pull him out of daycare.  He did great and got a fabulous report card!  

I posted a few of my favorite shots from today on my Now and Forever Photography Blog - so check it out if you are interested.  I actually had so many favorite shots it was hard to choose.  I might have to post a few more tomorrow. 

Trip to the Park X's 2

Today I was intent on taking a few photos of Charlie and practicing my editing techniques in Photoshop.  Despite the fact that Charlie and I actually took two trips to the park, I will consider my day a success since I learned to round my photo edges and I was able to download some new actions.   Our first trip to the park was at 8 am and it was still a bit cold.  Like the bad mommy I am - I did not dress my little darling warm enough, so we had a meltdown about 5 minutes after we arrived.  Just to pay me back for my negligence, he screamed bloody murder the whole way home in the car.  

We just returned home from our second trip to the park which was 

much more enjoyable.  Charlie even got to pet a bunny (a teenager had her bunny on a leash and was taking it for a walk/hop).  Only in New Jersey. . .???   We also took a little walk around the path and played on the jungle gym.  

Here are a few photos edited using new actions from MiraBella.

Sitting on a bench next to the baseball field.  

I used Mirabella Golden Oldies Action - Love it!

Pay it Forward - Rounded Corners in Photoshop

I love love love photographs with rounded corners.  I looked into this a few months ago and learned that you can not do this is Elements.  So - now that I have Photoshop CS4, I was ready.   The instructions seem a little tedious at first - but I promise you - after you do it a few times, it only takes a few seconds.  Here's how you do it!!  Have fun!

Before Picture - Boring Square Corners. . .

Step 1.  Within Photoshop, take a look at the Layers palette.  The photo should be on it's own layer.  You will create another layer right on top of that.

Step 2.  Within the new layer, use the rounded rectangle tool to draw a "rounded rectangle" around the perimeter of the picture.  Pay attention to how you are centering the main focus of the image.

Step 3.  Go back to the layers palette and double click on the layer you just drew in.  Double click on that layer.  The Layer Style Palette should come up.  In the Advanced Blending Area slide the Fill Opacity down to 0%.  Click Ok and exit out.

Step 4.  Within the layers palette click on the Paths tab and then click on the little arrow to the right.  From the drop down menu select "Make Selection".  In the Make Selection box make sure the Feather Radius is set to 0 pixels and Anti Aliased is checked.  Then click "ok".

Step 5.  Now with the selection still pending - got to Edit - Copy Merged.  

Step 6.  Click File - New to create a new document

Step 7.  In the new document - click Edit -Paste

That's it!  Your new picture should have rounded corners.  You can also do this to make oval pictures and other shapes.  

New Blog Design

I am so excited that the design for the Now and Forever Photography Client Blog is up and running!  Thanks so much to Heather at Smitten Blog Designs.  She was so great to work with and I just love their work.  Check out the new design when you have a chance at http://kristendvorscak.blogspot.com

Comments Enabled!

Thanks to some of my friends - I found out that my blog was not allowing comments. I am pleased to announce that I have fixed this and the comments feature now works! Comment away folks! I love to hear from you and will respond to any questions you have.

As always, thanks for reading!

Winter Weekend At The Cabin

My family owns some land and a small cabin in Wellsboro Pennsylvania, (home of the PA Grand Canyon). I just love it and always wish I spent more time there. This weekend my family spent a long weekend there to celebrate the birthdays of my father and grandmother. We had snow every day and even had a mini blizzard like storm on Friday afternoon. I spent a lot of time snowmobiling (I love snowmobiling at night - it's so exhilarating), sledding and taking hikes in the snow with the dogs (there were 5 of them there this weekend). Charlie loved snowmobiling and riding with his Pop Pop on the 4-Wheeler.

Our cabin. I love sitting on the porch drinking coffee in my PJs.

Charlie and Pop Pop plowing the snow.

Charlie's cousin Cara. I love this picture of her.
Charlie's older cousin Ayden.

The 5 dogs. . .Grammy Sue is holding cookies to try to get them to behave.