Not Dead...Just Moved

The earth shook with trepidation.

Nah. I just moved my blog to my website. :) That's all.

First post is "Shooting at Busch Stadium." It's pretty awesome. Go read it. Thanks!

Winner of a Little Giveaway

Mike and I at the Cardinals game
this past weekend.

Just a quick note to announce the winner of a little giveaway I had last week. The winner selected by random.org is Suzanne Bigham Bundy. Congrats!

Suzanne, please claim your prize before 12 noon on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. To claim, just email me your address so I can mail you your prize package of goodies from me.

Thank you to everyone for playing and checking out my A to Z Workshop that is next weekend. I do have a couple spots still open, so it's not too late to sign up here!

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
tyann@marcinkdesigns.com

A to Z Beginner's Photography Workshop

overview

Hands on class that will begin with A, teaching all the basics of photography and post processing, all the way through to Z, saving and sharing your work.

"I knew enough to just get by, but now it was like opening a whole new world.

I think a lot of people who know very little about photography are hesitant to take a class in fear of being intimidated or not basic enough. However, I loved the approach you took. 

You presented complicated topics in a simple and easy to understand format, which accomplished two things at the same time: Built onto the knowledge some may have already had but at the same time educated others who are just learning."

- Kyle Quick, New Haven (Quick News Now)

Highlights of the class:

• aperture, shutter speeds, and ISO
• depth-of-field
• composition (i.e. family snapshots, kids sports, landscapes)
• camera settings
• post processing
• saving, storing, and sharing
• 2 photowalks
• constructive critiques
• lunch
• ONLY 12 SEATS AVAILABLE
• BONUS - Light and the Night {workshop}

PRIZES to be drawn just for my students!

• one copy of Photoshop Elements
• swag bags of lovely loot (details will be announced closer to the date, but I promise it will be good!)

"You are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, patient, and so easy to follow. You shared so many important tips/techniques that I hope I can remember all of them!!

You made all of us feel as if the photos we created were the absolute best you had ever seen. You gave us positive feedback as well as things to look for and try to do differently the next time - the best type of constructive criticism."

- Rekke Berges, Washington

What to bring:

• camera
• manual 
• notebook
• pen

Note: Don't forget to fully charge your battery and empty your memory card.

"If you want to learn about the basics of photography, it's a great class to take and well worth the time!"

- Susan Wilson, Washington

NEXT CLASS:

Saturday, September 21, 2013

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Downtown Washington Post Office

Washington, Missouri

Complete 8 hour class + BONUS Light and the Night {workshop}

$129 Early registration

$179 after September 6, 2013

24 Hour Difference

Really, it all comes down to patience.

Wait for the sun.
Wait for the clouds.
Wait for the wind.
Wait for the flags.
Wait for the cars.

And then climb onto the hood of my Tahoe.

Captured the sun kissing the front bricks of the main branch of the United Bank of Union as the wind whispered through our national and state flags.

This took all of 5 minutes. Really and truly so.

The main branch of United Bank of Union, located at Main and Jefferson, Union, Missouri.

But 24 hours earlier, the bank looked like this...

United Bank of Union approximately 24 hours before.

Photography is all about the light. Have patience, and you will be rewarded...eventually.

If you are interested in my commercial or marketing work, please call me at 636.584.3864 or email me at tyann@marcinkdesigns.com.

Tyann Marcink
documenting life

Cardinals Tickets Giveaway Winners

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway!

Without further delay, I present to you the winners:

• 2 Redbird Club tickets to the Cardinals game vs the Cubs on Saturday, August 10th - Nancy Murrie
• 11x14 For the Love of the Game print of your choice - Stephanie Kraz Douglas
• set of For the Love of the Game postcards - Justin Douglas
• And since there over 700 entries, an additional set of postcards - Shannon Stackle

All winners have been notified by email. Prizes must be claimed by 9:00 am on Thursday, August 1st, or new winners will be drawn.

If you haven't yet, be sure to sign up for my newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks and advance notice of goodies.

And, of course, don't forget to follow me on your fave social media!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Google +

Tyann Marcink
documenting life

Cardinals Tickets Giveaway

Who wants a pair of tickets to see the St. Louis Cardinals play the Chicago Cubs???

Witness the long standing rivalry from some awesome seats in the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium on Saturday, August 10, 2013.

How do you enter to win? Simply enter through the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners will be announced on the blog and notified by email within 24 hours of the end of the giveaway. The winners must contact me by 9:00 am on Thursday, August 1st, to claim their prize or the prize will be forfeited and another will be drawn. All prizes will be mailed unless other arrangements are made.

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
www.marcinkdesigns.com

Summer Fun {I Heart Faces Photo Challenge}

There's this guy, and he is soooo hot, and he was staring right at you!

Sweet Shot Tuesday - My Favorites from the G+ 2 Year Anniversary Photowalk in New Haven, Missouri

Tuesday is in just a few minutes. :) Sharing for Kent Weakley's Sweet Shot Tuesday.

There are particular aspects I like about each of these photos, but the fourth one, Shades of Blue just may be my favorite of the favorites.

I looked for Big Bird and Oscar,
but they were nowhere to be found.
Front Street, New Haven, MO

The measuring stick for the Missouri River
in New Haven. Yes, the river has been this high
in my lifetime (July 31, 1993).

The golden light descended upon the river,
but the ominous storm clouds were faster
and chased us out of town. Missouri River
at the New Haven boat ramp.

Shades of Blue - the Missouri River as dusk descends.

Storm clouds scudded away as the blue hour
encroached upon us.
The Missouri River at Washington.

My Adventure in Las Vegas

Yes, I am finally blogging my adventure. What happened in Vegas is not staying there. And, you, my dear friend, have the opportunity to see my little adventure.

Day 1
We had a 6 am flight out of St. Louis, so we arrived in Las Vegas around 10 am after the time changes. Our room was in the Venetian...telling you that it is huge is an understatement.

We had to have a map to get from the front desk to the room, as it was quite the maze of hallways. By the end of our stay, I think I may have been able to cut off 20 seconds of the 5 minute walk.

After dropping our bags, my husband Mike and I headed out to explore the shops at Caesar's Palace. The architecture and decor was astounding. But what really got me was the stores...every high end store you could think of was in one building. But wait, not just once, but two or three times.

Yes, that's right...3 Rolex shops all in one area. And 3 Louis Vuitton shops, 3 Gucci shops...you get my drift. It was definitely fun to window shop!

Mike is a big fan of Hell's Kitchen, so for lunch, we found Gordon's Pub and Grill. The Best. Burger. Ever. Period.

Ramsay's Pub and Grill - best burger ever.
With gigantic french fries.

By this time I was running on 6 hours of sleep over the past 3 days, so we grabbed a nap for the afternoon. We had a little soire to attend that night - the Skullapalooza.

Mike and I ready for the Skullapalooza.

The Skullapalooza was a private dinner with entertainment at a fancy restaurant in Vegas, hosted by a vendor that Mike works with (we were in Vegas for his business trip, by the way).

We were in a private room of the Dal Toro...the room that held 10 to 12 exotic cars. You know, those cars that they price with the word "million" behind the number.

After an absolutely delicious dinner, a street illusionist came in. You've seen the You Tube videos of these guys - making things float, cards appearing on the ceiling (the specific one with your initials on it)...yeah, one of those guys.

Well, this guy went to each of the tables (there were 4 of them) and performed 3 illusions for each table. He was A-S-T-O-U-N-D-I-N-G. I still have the dollar bill that I wrote my initials on, and he moved the seal on the back from one side to the other side of the bill. 

Day 2

I was on my own today.

I am rarely on my own. I always have someone with me - husband, son, mom, sister, friend - at least one of them is with me. So this was new for me - to be totally out on my own, to go in the direction I wanted to go in, and stop where I wanted to stop.

I spent the morning walking down the Strip, observing people and looking at the architecture. I had my camera in hand, so I was creating photos as well.

Then, as I was crossing an overpass, I saw the light on the mountains. From the street, you couldn't see it, so I had to get up high. Right across from me was the Eiffel Tower.

So I headed up. Granted, I had to wait 30 minutes for it to reopen due to high winds...but I was first in line!

I made it to the observation deck in the Eiffel Tower!

It was windy up there - and cold! Most people stayed maybe 10 minutes. No way! I was staying as long as I could stand it. I think I last a little over a half an hour before I headed back down.

The mountains were lit with a gorgeous light you could only fully see from a high vantage point.

After my climb, I was ready for lunch and a margarita...

Table for one at Margaritaville.

By afternoon, more tourists were hitting the streets.

Do you see what I see? A Storm Trooper - really!

There were a few "standard" things you would see on the streets besides all the people, including costumed characters. I saw Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Hello Kitty, Power Rangers, Smurfs, Elvis, Sponge Bob, Mickey and Minnie, Angry Birds, Scooby Doo, and more.

What were they doing?

For a couple bucks, you could take their picture.

Seriously.

As soon as you hold your camera up for a photo, they will turn away unless you have dropped some money into their bucket or hat.

The Storm Trooper and Darth Vader taking a break.

For dinner we met up with some hometown friends who were in Vegas for the business trip as well. They talked us into going to Sushi Samba, telling us that they have other food to order besides sushi.

Mike and I had no desire whatsoever to try sushi.

We sat down, the waiter came...and there was no menu.

I knew we were in trouble.

We ordered our drinks, and the waiter brought us our first course. Pretty good.

And so was the second course.

Then the third course was thin strips of meat that you dipped in spices and sauce and then laid on a 700 degree stone for a few seconds. Oh, yeah...it was delicious!

So the meal rocked. We had to have dessert as well. The chocolate mousse thing was "to-die-for" so good.

Some of the food at Sushi Samba.
I actually ate sushi - and liked it.

Day 3

I was on my own again. And I was feeling adventurous. <grin>

Let's see...the Grand Canyon is just a short flight away...why not???

After a few phone calls, I was waiting for the shuttle to pick me up. And I was thrilled. Not just regularly thrilled, but so excited that I could have peed in my pants.

The helicopter had giant windows, and I was next to one them - an answer to a prayer. My fellow riders were 3 folks from Canada and 3 from Ireland. The pilot was born in the States, but his parents were Canadians.

After a brief safety lecture, we were off, flying into the beautiful blue sky. I was quite giddy and couldn't stop smiling. :)

We flew over the Hoover Dam, along the North Rim of the Canyon, and then landed next to the Colorado River for a picnic lunch. Those 30 minutes on the Canyon floor felt like a mere 5 minutes. One day I will go back...

Handed my camera off to get proof that I was in the Grand Canyon.

When I arrived back at the hotel, Mike was a little jealous. Oh well, guess I'll just have to go again!

That evening, we walked the boulevard, holding hands. Between kids, work, and activities, we just don't get that opportunity too often, so we strolled along, just enjoying the time together.

After awhile, we happened upon a spray paint artist. We then realized that we had seen a You Tube video of this guy. Without hesitation, I requested the New York skyline. Just 10 minutes later, he presented us with the artwork:

Original painting just for us!

Day 4
I slept in.

We had to leave today. I spent the morning packing up and just relaxing in the room. Really, I would have been happy to just sit and stare at the view from our room, watching the light as it changed on the mountains in the distance.

Smartphone panorama of the view from our room at the Venetian.

 It was a spectacular trip. I knew I couldn't fit in everything I wanted to do, so I just kept in mind that I would have to come back again.

To purchase my work, please visit my website at www.marcinkdesigns.com.

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
marcinkdesigns.com

5 Tips for a Family Snapshot at Easter or any other Holiday

It doesn't have to be perfect - make it a memory.

There may or may not have been a couple bribes bargained to get there, but you finally have the kids, yourself, your significant other, and maybe even a few extra family members all spit shined in your newest spring duds.

And you have a brilliant idea - why not take a picture?



I mean, you are all dressed up, faces are somewhat clean, and you are pretty sure you can coax a few smiles with promises of chocolate bunnies after lunch. So why wouldn't you do it?

Absolutely do it!

Grab whatever recording device you can find and snap those photos. Don't bemoan that the batteries are dead in your camera, just open the Instagram app and capture this moment.

Trust me, seize the moment.

That was our Easter morning every year when I was growing up. Minus Instagram, of course! My brothers and I would line up on the porch for a quick photo before getting into the car to head to church.

Here are a few tips to help with your own family photos:

1. Make time for the photos. Get everyone ready 15 minutes earlier so that you have the time to take a photo. Whether you decide to do it before church or when you get to Grandma's house, make the time for pictures.

2. Get in the photo yourself. Most cameras have a timer that you can press to give yourself 10 seconds to get in the picture before the photo is taken. Use this feature! Set the camera on a chair or another solid surface and then hug your kids and smile.

3. Create a tradition with the location you shoot your photo at. Maybe it's on your porch, standing by the railing like we did when I was a kid. Or it could be everyone squeezed together on the couch.

All the kids at Grandma's house.

4. Don't worry about smiles. Tell a joke, do a group hug, tickle some toes, or make some silly noises. The natural smiles and laughter that follow will be much better than "cheesy" grins.

5. Have fun. The "perfect" shot may not be the one with all eyes open and staring at the camera. Your favorite moment might be the one where your son is looking up at dad making mooing sounds while your daughter is tangling her fingers in your hair.

You are making memories and freezing those moments in time.

If you haven't done a family photo lately, it's not too late. Do it today.

My boys and I last year. We have chosen the couch as our traditional spot for a photo.

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
marcinkdesigns.com

Spring Snowstorm of 2013

It started like any other approaching winter weather - an advisory and then a watch from the National Weather Service.

But this storm would be different...

It's not winter here - it's officially SPRING!

Last week we enjoyed warmer temperatures, and I put away all of our winter coats, hats, and gloves. And then, I had to get them back out for some snow...

The view from my window half way through the day.
Instagram with Inkwell filter.

Not just any snow...but nearly 12 inches of snow!

It sure was pretty, though, watching it fall all day Sunday...piling up into a heavy, pristine white blanket...

Until 4:57 p.m.

That's when the power went out.

And where we live, that means there is no water either.

I can handle the cold house. No problem - layer on the sweatshirts and pile on the blankets. Let's get some McD's for dinner and play UNO by candlelight.

Noah reads to his brothers by flashlight.
Instagram with Inkwell filter.

But only so many toilet flushes remained...

We are new to the well water scene, so it did not even occur to me to fill the bathtubs with water so we can flush the toilets. That would have been pretty smart, huh?

In the morning, the power was still out.

Our house the morning after the snow had fallen.
Instagram with Inkwell filter.

So, we emptied the fridge and buried our milk and cheese. Yep, I had just gone grocery shopping the day before.

Noah buries the frozen food next to the driveway.
Instagram with Inkwell filter.

Thankfully, we live just a mile outside of town, so we hopped into the Tahoe to go visiting.

The Ameren trucks pulled up our road while we were preparing to leave for the day, so I prayed they would have power restored soon. The cause listed on the company website was wire damage.

To the rescue!
Instagram with Inkwell filter.

It took them all day. Literally. Power came back on around 5:30 pm last night, making it just over 24 hours without electricity.

It was one last little sledding hurrah for the winter...I mean, spring...

Did I mention we are on Spring Break this week?

The trees in the first photo? Here they are last year, same weekend:

Last year - March 23, 2012 - spring is here!

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
www.marcinkdesigns.com

Chicago Road Trip and Guessing Game Winner

It was an ambitious itinerary for a mere two days, but I did it. I arrived at each location that I had planned and even stayed pretty close to my anticipated time frame.

Since I did do so very much in those two days, I am going to just tell you about one of the days, Chicago, and leave Notre Dame to another post.

So here is my little adventure...

Friday evening my husband and I drove into town, traveling on I-80/I-90, a toll road that looked and felt like the toll money must be lining someone's pockets instead of filling the potholes. We made it, though, coming in right when everyone else was leaving.

And, the sun was setting. Oh...the light...the sun. I was wishing we had arrived just an hour earlier so I could photograph a bit of the city in the golden sunlight, as I knew what the forecast was for the next day. But, the time was what it was. I had to content myself with glances around as we made our way to the hotel.

We stayed at Chicago's Essex Inn, directly on South Michigan Avenue. I had hoped for a room at a decent height, with a decent view, but didn't hope too high since I had reserved the room through Groupon. So, I was delighted when were given a room on the top floor, the 15th.

We didn't stay in the room too long, just enough time to drop our bags, peek out the window to check our view (we could see Lake Michigan!), and read through the list of nearby eating establishments.

View from our room on the 15th floor.
50mm 1.4 lens, ISO-1250, f/2, 1/80

Our plan when we left the hotel was to pick up our transit cards and some water from the nearby Walgreens and then get some supper. Three hours and 5 miles later...we finally accomplished our goal.

During our walk, we noticed that there was a Starbucks every other block on South Michigan. Literally. And in between the Starbucks, there were other little coffee shops as well, including Dunkin' Donuts and artist cafes. Lots of opportunities to always keep a hot drink in hand!

We finally decided to eat under the Bean, at Park Grill, while watching the ice skaters out front. Of course, I wouldn't leave the area without a few shots of the infamous mirror.

"Winter Night at the Bean"
18mm, ISO-200, f/16, 13 seconds

I didn't have my tripod with me, so I used my Jo Totes camera bag to prop my camera up at the right angle while holding it steady. Good thing about Chicago in the winter - not too many tourists. Bad thing about Chicago in the winter - it's cold!

---

Saturday morning I set my alarm early so I can see the sunrise. Hey, when your hotel directly faces a large lake in the east, it's just a given!

Thankfully, the rooftop (well, 4th floor on that side of the building) garden was open just a few minutes before the sun was to rise. The sun was a beautiful red, but the clouds were fairly heavy and choked out any light trying to reach the area. After watching the color fade, hoping there would be a cloud break and sunlight would stream through, I went back to the room to wake up Mike.

When we headed outside, it was starting to sprinkle a bit.

Outside Yolk, the restaurant we chose for breakfast, Mike was heralded as a gallant knight and I as his beautiful princess. It was nice to start the day off with a laugh. We filled up on plenty of protein and potatoes for a day of walking and navigating the public transit system.

Then, we set off for the day. It was spitting rain. Sigh. Well, the plan must go on, so I got my plastic camera rain cover out, and we continued on.

First, we walked past the Field Museum and to Soldier's Field. After circling the stadium, we caught a bus to the Roosevelt transit hub and hopped the green line to Cominsky Park (aka US Cellular Field) where the White Sox play.

Waiting for the green line to arrive.
Processed with Instagram filter "Earlybird."

 At Cominsky Park, we began to circle around the stadium and were stopped by a pair a gate attendants. They asked if we were there for some conference. When I told them I was just there to take photos, they suggested I head over to gate 4 and ask to go onto the field.

We were both a little skeptical, but we followed instructions...and ended up on the field. Really nice guys in the front office. I do believe they will receive a little thank you print in the mail in a few weeks. Shhh...don't tell them about the surprise!

After Cominsky, we hopped the train and then a bus to the United Center. The area was pretty empty this morning as we viewed the statue of Michael Jordan. As I contemplated my compositions, Mike overheard a guy mention that Jordan was not one of the top 10 basketball players of all time.

Yikes! What was this guy thinking! Mike immediately chimed in that Jordan was more like the number 1 player of all time. As the conversation proceeded, we learned that the folks were from the St. Louis area as well, and we were then invited to go inside the United Center, and possibly onto the court.

We were floored!

However, Pink was setting up for her concert that evening, and no one was allowed to take photos in the arena. Any other day, and we would have been escorted on a little private tour by our new friend's daughter who works there.

Lots to do yet, so we said thank you and went around the corner to catch the blue line. After swiping our cards, we started walking down a long tunnel. It didn't seem too long...until the train we wanted to catch pulled up.

Then we started running...and kept running...when would this tunnel end??? I am pretty sure the driver saw us, as that was the longest I had seen a train sit with its doors open. As soon as we stepped inside, the doors slid shut, and we were on our way to Wrigley Field.

Wrigley was the same routine I had established by now - circle the stadium white taking photos and looking for people to talk to, maybe getting inside. No luck on getting inside, but we were hungry for lunch and decided to find some pizza in Wrigleyville.

Near the pizza place, there was a group of people in an empty parking lot. As we drew closer, they formed a ring around two men in the center...and the men began to fistfight! Two other people were filming this...and another person was walking toward us with a shallow box in his hands. The box looked like it had the word "tips" written on the front.

We quickly crossed the street.

Stopped in at Yak-Zies for their parsley infused pizza. Pretty good stuff. Ordered too much, and the soda sure hit the spot.

Next stop was the Navy Pier.

Chicago skyline from the Navy Pier.
18mm, ISO-400, f/16, 1/1000

We were cold. After trekking to the end of the pier, we found the Starbucks inside and grabbed some coffee and hot chocolate. If I could shoot photos and hold a coffee in my hand at the same time, I would have had at least 6 cups that day.

The sun was still a no show, so I was considering going back to the hotel for a couple hours and skipping a bit on my itinerary. But while I was getting some shots of the ferris wheel, the sun came out! So the plan was back on. 

We hopped a bus back to Cloud Gate (aka the Bean).

Had to do a standard "tourist shot" with my phone.
Processed with the Instagram "Rise" filter.

From the Bean, it was time to walk again...all the way up South Michigan on the Magnificent Mile until we got to the last stop of the day. 

An alley off South Michigan Avenue.
18mm, ISO-400, f/8, 1/100

The end of the walk was the John Hancock Observatory. We arrived a full 30 minutes earlier than I had budgeted in my plan. Not too bad! Usually I am behind in my time estimates.

View from the observatory.
Processed with the Instagram "Inkwell" filter.

At the observatory, We had a seat and chilled. I kept my eye on the sky, hoping the clouds would break for the sunset, but it didn't happen. So instead, I set up for shots during the blue hour.

According to the rules posted on the observatory website, no tripods are allowed due to the safety of visitors. However, I guess I was the only one who read the rules. Oh, well.

I set up my camera on the ventilation grate at the bottom of the windows and folded my camera strap underneath my camera body to create a downward angle. {Wish I would have snapped a pull back shot with my phone!}

I then proceeded to capture some long exposure shots and eventually made my way around all four sides.

One of the shots from the observatory, looking north.
18mm, ISO-200, f/16, 47 seconds

We were at the top for about 2 hours by the time I felt I got enough shots. We were tired. After exiting the tower, we crossed the street to catch bus 3 straight back to the hotel.

We ended up getting freaky fast Jimmy John's delivered to our room so we wouldn't need to go anywhere else that night.

***

So how many clicks were there in the whole weekend? I took 820 with my camera and 17 with my phone, for a total of 837 shots.

The closest guess was tgrammer with a guess of 843. Way to go! Email me at tyann@marcinkdesigns.com with your address to claim your prize - choose any of my prints, including the new Chicago ones above or even a new "For the Love of the Game" print that will be released shortly. Size will be an 11x14.

Thank you for reading about my adventure! Note that all the above images are available as a gorgeous matte print, an amazing metal wall hanging, or even an awesome canvas. Contact me to order one for your wall today.

And if you want to learn how to create photos like these, I will be teaching more workshops in the near future. Sign up here for my newsletter so you will be the first to know when I get the fun scheduled!

Tyann Marcink

documenting life

www.marcinkdesigns.com