Big ol' Belly: 36 Weeks! http://www.mommica.com/blogweb/index.php?/archives/340-36-Weeks.html

38 Weeks! http://www.mommica.com/blogweb/index.php

39 Weeks! http://www.mommica.com/blogweb/index.php

Baby is here! http://mommica.com/blogweb/index.php?/archives/357-Photo-Friday-Introducing....html

My baby girls!

How to take amazing travel photos By Ashley Strickland, Special to CNN (CNN) -- Capture the photo not taken on your next vacation, and you're guaranteed to make a memory. Like a bottle of "Dandelion Wine," it is an image that encapsulates your escape in a single frame. It can become a point of pride on the wall, or an image you look to when a case of the Mondays threatens to overwhelm. So often, the camera becomes an afterthought in the suitcase. Think of it as a traveling companion, one to share every second of your adventure with. From the most exotic location to your favorite escape in the next town over, the world is full of photographic potential. And I promise you, "every, every inch" of it has not been photographed. Don't take pictures; make pictures The most common mistake people make with travel photography is going for the obvious catch. Monuments and identifying landmarks are celebrities in the travel photography world. If you want to take a photo of them, make it unique. Take pleasure in knowing you crafted the image. This may feel like stepping outside of the bounds of your point-and- shoot camera, but no matter what kind you're using, you can make memorable images. Shoot outside the lines Amateur travel photography doesn't have to be predictable. Rather than taking a head-on shot of that fascinating skyscraper, challenge yourself a bit. Never place your subject in the center of the frame, and avoid having the horizon line slice through the middle of the image. Placing the subject just to the left or right, much like having your horizon line ride low or high in the frame, makes for a more pleasing and less static image. To achieve this Zen in the art of photography, you'll need to move around, but it pays off. Change your perspective Have you ever just stopped and looked up to see what's above you? You might be surprised. Why not try this trick with your eye to the viewfinder? Looking up or shooting down with your camera can compose an entirely new image of an otherwise postcard-esque shot, and it will make the photo your own creation. Amid your moving around, don't forget another equally important rule: Fill your frame. Avoid unnecessary space or, in a complete twist, give your subject space to breathe. Wide-open skies and landscapes can provide a nice contrast to a colorful landmark or personality. Compose captivating images Sometimes, the most unique features of a new location are just that: features and facets you wouldn't find anywhere else. These serve to identify where you are -- just like a tourist trap, but infinitely more engaging to shoot. Look for themes and shoot around them. Lines, shapes, forms, textures, patterns and colors make up the list of compelling photo ingredients. You can also frame images within another frame, whether it be a natural formation or shooting through a fence to provide a unique border around what you want to show. A good example of this is the rule of thirds, like an image of the sun setting over the beach as the tide rolls in. The sun is your subject, but the tide and horizon line provide details that make for an engaging, active image. Looking for these components can also create a series or focus for your travel photography. Aim to capture your entire experience in a photo sequence. Do you like shooting different letters of the alphabet on old signs, or hunting down native flowers? Make the experience a treasure hunt for yourself. What to watch out for You're moving around to experience new perspectives and looking for intriguing details, and it's easy to skip the photo basics on your quest to see creatively. Although it plays second fiddle to the subject, minding your background is still an important step. Whether it blurs nicely or stands out in stark contrast, keep an eye on what's appearing in the backdrop. A loud, brightly colored sign or a garbage truck passing by may seem obvious, but you don't always notice them right away. They may not appear until you're home, going through your photos. And while it's important to place your horizon anywhere but the center of the frame (with a few exceptions), keep an eye on making that line a straight one. Nothing upsets the balance of a beautiful travel photo more than a crooked horizon. Keep a weather eye open For practical and aesthetic reasons, it doesn't hurt to check the weather and time of day before you plan a photo odyssey. Dark clouds rolling in above the church you wanted to photograph may make for a nice, moody image, instead of a sunny one taken on a brighter day. Also, keep in mind that photographers wait for light. Early morning produces a beautiful, soft light before the harsh sun takes over for most of the day. Later, the day relinquishes itself to the golden light of dusk. This is the time of day many photographers call "magic light." Depending on where you are, this 10-minute window is the best time to make an extraordinary image of an otherwise average location. Silhouettes form, unseen details shine, and colors pop and glow. Patience pays off Perhaps the most important rule to respect when pursuing travel photography is patience. It may be difficult if you've planned a trip that adheres to a strict itinerary, but if I've learned anything from my experiences with travel (and sports) photography, it's waiting for moments. You can quickly snap that image now, but if you waited five more minutes, would the seagull that sweeps over the ocean at sunset make for a soul-stirring silhouette that you'll always be proud of? It's possible, and a chance you'll have to take. Allow the sun to set another inch or two, wait for a group of people to walk by the slatted fence you're shooting, or return to that landmark at dusk, during magic light. I guarantee it will be worth it. You don't have to travel to an exotic location; just make a memorable image by capturing what matters most to you. See the story: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/09/16/take.amazing.travel.photos/index.html?hpt=hp_bn12

Hey everyone! Tonight, Kodak is hosting a Facebook chat with Bonnie Marcus all about Holiday Cards! And with the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to think about creating the perfect holiday greeting card! If you’re planning to design your own this year, this Facebook chat is the place to be! It's called "Holiday Cards 101 - How to design the best family cards." Amazing creative mind and card designer Bonnie Marcus will be joining us to answer any and all questions you might have about how to make gorgeous family holiday cards. As a bonus, Bonnie will be telling us all about the cool new Kodak Picture Kiosks in Target and CVS stores, which use RSS technology to connect you directly to your Facebook albums – allowing you to retrieve your favorite pictures to use in your own photo creations! The chat is sponsored by Kodak, moderated by Jenny Cisney, chief blogger at Kodak, and features talented card designer Bonnie Marcus. So join us TONIGHT at 8pm ET on Kodak's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Kodak The chat will last 1 hour and the ideas will be flying!

Spectacular photos of monster Saturn storm snapped by NASA spacecraft Yahoo.com - A NASA spacecraft has chronicled the birth, evolution and death of the biggest storm to hit Saturn in two decades. The monster storm on Saturn emerged in the ringed planet's northern hemisphere on Dec. 5, 2010. It started out as a tiny spot but grew rapidly, completely encircling the planet by late January 2011. It eventually extended about 9,000 miles (15,000 kilometers) from north to south before sputtering out in late June. The storm's 200-day active period makes it the longest-lived planet-encircling tempest ever observed on Saturn, researchers said. And NASA's unmanned Cassini probe watched everything unfold, snapping pictures all the while. Saturn's Great White Spots Such monster storms, known as Great White Spots, tend to pop up every two to three decades on the ringed planet, for reasons that remain mysterious. "The Saturn storm is more like a volcano than a terrestrial weather system," said Andrew Ingersoll, a Cassini imaging team member at Caltech in Pasadena, in a statement. "The pressure builds up for many years before the storm erupts. The mystery is that there's no rock to resist the pressure — to delay the eruption for so many years." Continue: http://news.yahoo.com/spectacular-photos-monster-saturn-storm-snapped-nasa-spacecraft-165401481.html

Depth of Field in a nutshell!!!! http://www.buffalozphotographytraining.com/2011/05/depth-of-field-in-nutshell.html Depth of field in a nutshell..... So, have you ever wondered how to get blurred backgrounds when taking photos of a person. Have you ever wondered how professional landscape photographers get their shots so sharp? Well, You are about to learn how to control what is in focus and what is not when you are taking a photo. You will also learn when it is appropriate to used small aperture versus large aperture. To start out you need to know what an aperture is. Basically, an aperture is a hole in your lens that controls how much light hits your camera's sensor. An aperture works like the pupil of your eye. To test this theory, go into your bathroom( I know, I could tell a joke here, but I won't) and look in the mirror. Look at the size of your pupil. Now turn off the light and wait a few seconds. Quickly turn on the light and your pupil will be larger. As your eye's adjust, your pupil will become smaller. The aperture in your camera works the same way. When you are in a low light situation, the aperture needs to be larger to let in the correct amount of light( your shutter speed also controls this, but that is a different lesson). When you are shooting on a bright day, you aperture needs to me smaller. Got it? If not leave a comment so I can clarify more. Click the link to read more!

CNN.com - American photography icon Eastman Kodak has seen more than a 90% drop in shares over the past year, which has lead to speculation about a possible bankruptcy. The 131-year-old camera company, whose main focus was film, has suffered financially since the digital revolution. Over the years, the saying “Kodak Moment” has become a popular synonym for a priceless memory captured by a photo. Did you use or do you still use Kodak film? If so, share your most memorable analog Kodak Moment with iReport and tell us what made that moment so special. Your photo could be featured on CNN. http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/726798?hpt=hp_bn1