We love Holmdel Park! So yesterday we set out to go for a family hike. I love the picture above because it was taken in my dark garage just before we left using the off-camera light triggered by a radio connected to my camera’s hot shoe. The light was held behind me, pointing up to bounce off my reflector, which Mike was holding above the car door. The picture is straight out of camera, no photoshop tweaking. My goal was to try something new, always a great way to learn new stuff about your camera. Camera settings: Aperture: f9. Shutter speed: 1/80 sec. ISO: 320. Focal length: 70 mm.
Again, bouncing the off-camera light off the reflector. I like the little catch-light in Mike’s sunglasses and the shine on the bottle.
When we left the parking lot for our hike, I left all the lighting equipment in the car. Didn’t want to haul it around the High Point Trail.
This spider web was interesting. Grex hates spiders!
Grex will not walk in front on a hiking trip. Someone must go before him to catch all the spider webs between the trees. (I was catching the webs in this shot.)
Brad’s trail map was well-worn by the time we got home.
See what I mean?
I wasn’t carrying any long lenses around with me either, so this deer let me get REALLY close before he bounded away.
The boys have the same look on their faces as the deer. LOL!
Speaking of spiders! This particular beech tree was literally COVERED with little spiders!
Every leaf, every branch. Did I mention I didn’t have a long lens? I STILL feel like I have things crawling on me.
A little hug from the Grex. (By the way, that’s pronounced “G-rex,” as in T-rex the big dinosaur, as in G-rex the Destroyer, the nickname Greg acquired when he was a typical 2-year-old destroying Brad’s Lego setups. We shortened the nickname by taking out the hyphen.)
And there are Lego setups just about EVERYwhere in my house, garage, yard, car…
This looks like an awful scene of car woes, but it’s not really. Mike was teaching the boys about engines. I probably should have been paying attention.
The upper playground at Holmdel Park has been closed all summer to make room for new playground equipment. Here’s a sneak peak at what’s coming latter this month! A giant Knex-like climbing thingie! Cool!
And I had to post my awesome Star Wars Lego setup picture. Brad set it up, and posted it on his Flickr stream. Title: “Order 66 vig” Caption: “‘Yes, my lord,’ was all Cody had to say when the emperor called him to inform him of order 66’s execution.”
This one little setup, along with Brad’s caption, really made me think about how the Lego work he does engages his imagination. He creates scenes, complete with backdrops where every detail has been thought-through, then he photographs the vignette (or has me photograph it, as in this case), and writes a caption. I didn’t realize until today how involved and detailed the process is. I’d much rather see him spending time making vignettes, planning every detail, painting, drawing, building things out of twigs (see wigwam thingie in background), thinking through the caption-writing, and learning how to present all this information to others than simply being a couch potato in front of the TV all summer. Proud of you, Brad!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 12:05 pm
Click the picture, or click here, for a sweet slide show from Jennifer’s foggy day at the beach. Her sister was in from California with her kids, Jennifer’s nephews, so rescheduling was out of the question.
Ready for another fun contest? Win Jennifer an 8×10! Scroll to the bottom for some blog contest fun!
It was *so foggy* …
How foggy was it?
It was so foggy that you could barely see the ocean from the boardwalk!
Good thing about a rainy/foggy day at the beach is that there isn’t going to be a crowd, that’s for sure.
I call this the Baywatch shot.
I call this one a keeper!
I love how all three kids are watching that lone seagull with their arms slightly raised, as if wishing to fly too.
The boys’ mom is due in October! Best wishes for a healthy baby!
See? Foggy.
But the boardwalk stores were open so we washed up for a treat.
“Who loves ice cream?”
I know I’ve said it here in this blog a hundred times, but I wish I had pictures of my family when I was growing up doing stuff like this together. We used to hang out with our cousins at the beach all the time in South Carolina and I have no pictures of that.
Don’t have any pictures of my grandparents either.
There’s the kids’ grandmom and granddad!
Bye Jersey shore!
After the beach, we headed to a park in Spring Lake. This is one of my standard favorites — kids riding in car seats occupying themselves in the car.
If I had a picture of my days riding in a car when I was around 4, let’s see… I wouldn’t have been wearing a seatbelt. I’d probably have been in the front between my mom and dad (bench seats in the old Buick) or I might have been in the back, lying down taking a nap. I like it much better now. Easier to keep Billy from swatting Stevie if Billy and Stevie are strapped in!
This young man was one of my best photo shoot subjects ever. He was so interested in my camera and he often asked me very specific questions like, “Why did you change the settings on that shot?” and “What can I do to help?” It makes me smile just thinking about what a wonderful experience it was working with this person. So if you’re out in California reading this, my young friend, thank you! Just for you, a few photo tips and tricks are highlighted below.
Regular blog readers might remember this young lady. She’s the girl behind the red door in that famous red door shot in my gallery.
What an adorable smile!
Hanging out with their mom. Can’t wait to hear about the new baby!
Nice jump shot, dude!
You know I love those mother/daughter moments. Mark this one as a fave for sure!
HERE’S THE BLOG CONTEST
There are a lot of pictures in this blog post that aren’t in the slide show. Be the first commenter to provide the correct number of images shown here that aren’t in the show, and you’ll win boo koos of blog praise for yourself, and an 8×10 credit for Jennifer. Have fun counting! Here’s a hint: try guessing! It’s more than 2.
Here’s an example of a shot that my young friend helped me with. I was setting up the off-camera light around this playroom, and my little buddy would move the light around for me until we found just the right spot. Thanks again for your help, dude!
There he is carrying my light up the stairs for me. Thanks, dude. That’s a cool shot!
Check out those adorable sunflowers in the little girl’s room! We’ve seen that stencil artist’s work before! Here and here. She’s great, so if you’re looking for some custom stenciling for your child’s room, let me know and I’ll hook you up!
I absolutely love this shot for several reasons.
One, I love that beautiful kitchen and view.
Two, all three children sitting at the table having a meal together may not be a special moment, but it’s a moment that certainly won’t last forever. It defines my speciality of lifestyle photography perfectly!
Three, this is a great quality shot you can’t get with a point and shoot camera. The off-camera light, combined with my amazing pro SLR camera, are what makes it special. It looks so natural, and it’s lovely to be able to see out the windows with no light reflection (like from an on-camera flash) and with no blown-out outdoor light (like you’d get if you tried this shot with no additional lighting inside the house).
For this one, I wanted the windows to blow out behind the kids, so I turned the light down a little to just give some highlights on their cheeks. (There is no natural light source to their left. The light on their left sides is coming from my off-camera flash set on the counter.)
LOVE this one!
Scroll back up a little for that blog contest! And thanks again, everybody, for that fun day at the foggy beach. By the way, here’s a little photo tip I learned from the fog: best to shoot with a short lens instead of a long one on foggy days! Hope you guys enjoy your slide show!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 10:51 pm
Chrissy stopped by this morning for a quick walk to the park and some pictures of her and her sweet little girls.
She specifically wanted some pictures of her and the girls, but since her son was here too, we couldn’t just leave him out!
Worked out pretty good though to send him on his way to play in the park while we focused on mom and her daughters.
But the best part was when I asked her son to help me get the girls to laugh by making silly faces at them! I love it! He was definitely the littlest photo assistant I’ve ever had!
Time for a swing break. “Blast off!”
We had such pretty light.
One more swing break.
And one more of everybody. I love the colors!
This one is my fave.
Thanks for the m&m’s, Chrissy! I hope you love these shots as much as I do!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 4:02 pm
Click the picture, or click here, for Jennifer and Mike’s engagement slide show. I love that picture!
Ready for another fun contest? Win Jennifer and Mike an 8×10! Scroll to the bottom for some caption fun!
Seconds after I took this shot, I got stung by a wasp or something! Ouch!
But I was hanging out with a hunk of a volunteer fireman, so there was no way I was going to scream like a little girl. I kept on shooting. Just call me photo trooper.
Jennifer is SO pretty! I love love love her smile and can’t WAIT to see her on her wedding day!
I don’t suppose I’ll be seeing much of their sweet doggie on the wedding day, so I am grateful for the opportunity to get this adorable family unportrait.
Jennifer just has the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.
I think Jennifer was happy because she knew I could get Mike to do a jump shot. This is my favorite jump shot ever because of the sweet puppy just standing there in the middle as if saying, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Love this one.
Would you share an ice cream with your dog?
Love the sunglasses!
There’s that beautiful smile again.
That dog won’t leave their side for nothing!
Sweet.
That old shack caught my eye instantly as a potential shot for an old tintype look. Love it!
Caption contest: If this were a postcard, write me a note! First commenter to make me laugh will win Jenn and Mike an 8×10 print. Have fun!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 2:07 pm
Click the picture, or click here, a slide show from Bob’s birthday party.
Took me forever to get this one edited because I did it in little bits and pieces here and there until the perfect song came to mind. Sometimes it happens that way. Enjoy!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 8:29 am
Dan and his son, Wally, were growing beards this summer before Wally heads off to college. But Dan is planning to shave his soon. We figured that it could be useful if he had a headshot with the beard, just in case it might come in handy someday.
These two are my faves for showcasing a certain “look” with the beard.
We were thinking of this shoot as sort of a practice session, since Dan doesn’t usually wear a beard. (Note to Julie: next time, move so the sidewalk isn’t a distracting element in the background of this otherwise awesome shot!)
Professor Dan
He doesn’t think so, but he’s really good at posing for still photographs. (Dan is a great actor!)
See what I mean?
Love it!
Dan has such a nice smile.
He was talking to Grex, my “VAL” (voice activated lightstand).
He’s a natural in front of the camera.
Before Dan shaves, we thought it would be fun to get some father/son shots of the competing beards…
Here’s Wally. (I think we woke him up too early.)
So, who do you think won the beard contest?
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 11:42 am
Click the picture, or click here, for Chrissy and Todd’s slide show.
There’s a riddle in this blog post. Post a comment with the correct answer, and you’ll win print credits for Chrissy and Todd and lots of blog praise for you!
I love the picture above. She has the classic “Mary Ann” look in this shot. Think: Gilligan’s Island.
“Skipper!”
She is so cute, but not quite ready for a “Ginger” nickname. Check back in, oh, say, 15 or 20 years.
Love this mother/daughter moment.
Hey Skipper, I’m over here.
I think it’s so cool to show the relative size of parent/child hands.
Twirling. One of my favorite childhood memories with my own dad.
My wide angle lens came out for some fun close-ups!
Super fun!
Suh-WEET!
I got some nice pictures of the sisters too.
The girls have such pretty hair.
See? Love it!
Here’s the riddle. READY?
What’s the reason for the world?
The answer I’m looking for is one word. The correct answer (the one word I’m thinking of) posted as a comment will win Chrissy and Todd an 8×10 print. The person who posts that correct answer will win LOTS of blog praise!
This classic shot needed an antique look. Love it! Hope you enjoy your slide show, Chrissy and Todd. Say hi to the kids for me!
What’s next? Follow me on Twitter to find out!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 7:09 am
I love all the fun things this family planned for their session! Strawberry picking, walking around Princeton, ice cream, kayaking, playing in their very shady backyard. It was so much fun! (Even though it was a hundred degrees that day.) If you know this family, send them an e-mail to see their slide show.
In the image above, I wanted to evoke a sense of nostalgia in the beginning of their slide show. I used to work in Princeton, and the sense of history when I’m there is always on my mind. The image of mother and son comparing height against a painted corn stalk is timeless and classic!
Learning how to get the nectar out of honeysuckle. Timeless and classic.
I’m not so sure “timeless” applies to this one, but children (and students and adults alike) have been climbing on this Princeton University sculpture for decades. It’s called “Oval With Points” by Henry Moore. It was inspired by an elephant skull. Now that you know that, you’ll have more to think about next time you climb on it!
This one of a child being swung by his parents as they walk is timeless and classic too but I wanted to keep the color because his eyes and rosy cheeks are ADORABLE!
It was SO hot in that field. But at least there’s no other people to clutter up our pictures! (I like the old farm truck driving down the road in the background.)
Walking down Nassau Street in Princeton, I noticed this classic image of a guy sitting on a bench reading a newspaper. You probably can’t see in this little blog-size picture, but the ad on the back of the paper says, “The places you will go, for almost no dough.” That’s one of the great things about hanging out around Princeton. There’s lots to do that doesn’t cost very much!
Riding atop dad’s shoulders, you can see far!
The Continental Congress met here, at Nassau Hall, in 1783. This is where members of Congress received news of the peace treaty that gave independence to the United States. (See what I mean? I can’t stop thinking about history when I’m in Princeton.)
I wonder how many children have sat on those big bronze cats guarding the entrance?
We also went kayaking on the Delaware and Raritan Canal.
The canal is really cool because you can also bike or hike along the edge of it. Great way to take pictures of people in boats! (Here, the family is checking out the train bridge that takes the little Princeton train shuttle down to the Northeast Corridor line.)
I’m sure the water was cool but man, I was SO hot walking along that trail!
Here’s detail of that awesome capture of the water trail made by the paddle. I love it!
After kayaking, since no one else was there that day, we spent some time learning to skip rocks in the water. And I kept my eyes glued on his feet, which seemed dangerously close to the edge of the dock! Yikes!
Isn’t skipping rocks one of the best summer activities? I love skipping rocks.
You know me! I love to capture those true “day in the life” scenes! Here’s a little photo tip for all you mamarazzi’s who read my blog. You GOTTA figure out your camera so you can get some really cool shots of the kids in their car seats. We all spend SO much time in cars and one day we won’t be able to remember what all that was like.
Love it! The fun mirror at Thomas Sweet!
That very day, my own family had been relaxing at home watching “Coneheads.” No kidding!
After our Princeton excursion, we hung out in their backyard playing with their adorable doggie.
Love the look on dad’s face in this one. LOOKOUT!
If you’ve not yet had the experience of a day of shooting with me, here’s a warning: when our time together is over, you’ll be exhausted!
Here’s something new! You can check out what I’m working on each day by following me on Twitter. Now that SWC’s shoot is edited, who’s next? You can find out there!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 11:34 am
CHECK IT OUT!!! Is there a more perfect way to end VBS week than with a beautiful “thank you”?! Thank you again to our MANY volunteers! It was a great week!
Is this the coolest thank you card ever, or WHAT? That’s me on the right! It was presented to me after church today with the mat signed by some of the kids who were at Sunday School. I love that it documents one of my favorite parts of our Vacation Bible School — each day’s closing assembly — in which we played games with members of the youth group to turn over letters that revealed the message of the day. Since we didn’t play the game on Firetruck Friday — our “choose to be thankful” day — that makes this card that much more special to me!
Thank you all SO much for coming to church today! We had a great turnout and I am so touched that so many of you came to sing a few of our songs and see Prince William and Micah perform one last skit for the congregation. It was so great to see you all again, and to share our great VBS week with our church family! Thank you again to Nancy for all your hard work organizing the week!
I feel so blessed to be part of something so special. I love that First Presbyterian Church gives me the opportunity to share my faith and love for Jesus with so many people. And it’s AWESOME that so many of you forward the slide shows to grandparents and other friends and relatives. It means a lot to me that we can share our gifts with people far and wide!
The adorable illustration was created by animator and character designer, Alfred Pangkerego. I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude, Alfred! You are one talented and thoughtful man! Thank you thank you thank you! I will treasure this card always!
I mean, WOW! I have my very own anime drawing of ME! I LOVE IT! Love the hat, the orange belt, the blue block of letters on my shirt — everything! It’s just PERFECT! I’ve been a huge anime fan ever since a dear friend of mine brought the anime movie, “My Neighbor Totoro,” into my house when Bradley was about 3 years old. Alfred, this really is the coolest thing EVER! I am humbled by your generosity and talent. Suh-WEET!
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 11:39 am
Whaaaa-hoooooo! The firetruck came and the FRIDAY slide show is live! Check it out on the vbs web page!
Our theme for the final day of Vacation Bible School was “Choose to be thankful” and today’s Bible verse is from Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” That’s one of my all-time favorite verses, and I was jumping for joy when I heard that song on the radio last Sunday because I KNEW it had to be the song for our firetruck day! YAY!
Be sure to come to church Sunday morning! William and Micah will make a repeat performance during Children’s Time and we will sing a few of our favorite vbs songs. Since I didn’t learn the song words or hand motions, I need you all there to help!
Keep your eye on the blog for information about how to order prints. I’m going to take my time organizing that, since I need to get back to my day job now (and my night job too). All proceeds from print sales will be donated to the Mission Fund of my church, specifically to benefit Habitat for Humanity. We’ll send out an email about it, but I’ll also post something about it here.
I hope to see you all soon! Space fills up fast for vbs at our church, so be sure to register early next year! See you at church!
Whaaaaaaa-hoooooooooo!
Your ride operator,
Abigail
(aka jules)
And now, a few words for my friends on the assembly team…
Special thanks to our Propman, Gabe, for being an amazing assistant photographer. I set my camera on “shutter priority,” gave it a reasonable shutter speed to capture the action in the Sanctuary, set the white balance, turned off the flash, and handed the camera to him. He did a really fabulous job while I was leading the assemblies. He captured the moments like a true pro, never once missing something important, and often capturing things I never expected. He also did a great job composing shots and focusing on things from interesting angles. Thanks Gabe!
Check out this Gabe shot. As part of one of our skits, we spilled popcorn all over the floor, and during the skit the “choose forgiveness” sign fell off the stage among the popcorn. Spilled popcorn: choose forgiveness. Isn’t that a great message? I just love pictures that tell a story.
Here’s one that Gabe took during the famed popcorn assembly. All the actors did a great job with their lines and on all the props too. It was a pleasure working with all of you! The adorable actress who played “Miriam” was my covenant partner this year. Love you, girl! You’re the BEST! Her sister played the part of the puppet we called, “Micah.” She delivered her lines like a pro, and all the kids loved the puppets! You guys ROCK!
My son, Bradley, also took pictures for me. He took this one of me arranging a clown shot. Nice way to document a moment, Brad!
Here’s my resulting clown shot. Robin made the clown. Nice job, Robin! The kids LOVED it!
Here’s another shot Bradley took. I love the composition, dude! And of course, he’d pick the camo Crocs to photograph, but I love how he thought to document a fashion trend for our time at this church.
Bradley played the part of Prince William (the frog and the prince), doing an excellent job! Brad, it is pure pleasure to be your mom! (Most of the time.)
Also, a huge thanks to Brenda for heading up the music. I always love the pictures of kids singing, but the best part is that they can learn all those fun songs in a week, and then perform some really difficult stuff for the parents during the closing program. Amazing! And of course, a very special thanks to Nancy for organizing our fabulous vbs. Without her, there would be no pictures to share! Love you, Nancy!
No firetruck party would be complete without a firetruck! Major thanks to the Metuchen Fire Department for coming out and ROCKING our big party! You guys are AWESOME!
Ok, really signing off now…jules
OOPS! One more thing: If you forgot the username and password for the VBS slide show site, no problem! If you’re a member of my church or a family who participated in VBS, send me an email or call the church office for information on how to get to the show.
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 6:38 pm
