Sweet Shot Tuesday - Basketball

It's basketball season, and that means stinky socks, sweaty shirts, fast action, and yucky gym lights. How is a parent supposed to get a good shot of her son in these conditions? Thanks to my friends high ISO, fast shutter speed, and continuous shot mode, I grabbed this one of my 1st grader.

Here are the details for the curious:

• Nikon D7000
• Nikon 18-200mm 3.5/5.6 VR lens at 36mm
• f/4.2
• 1/500
• 6400 ISO
• Raw file processed in Adobe Camera Raw
• Converted to black and white in Photoshop with a few tweaks

If this is the only good shot I have of the season, then I am happy. I have one more game coming up, and I will be trying out my 50mm 1.4 lens since it is much faster.

Last week's test with the 50mm failed as far as focused photos goes. However, I did find out my camera was back focusing, an issue that I had been suspecting for a while. I have now fine tuned the auto focus, and I am expecting great things next game. Who knows, maybe they will actually win a game??? Probably not...but the boys still have fun!

Check out some other sweet shots on Sweet Shot Tuesday with Kent Weakley. Yes, right now. My post is finished. :)

Tyann Marcink
documenting life
www.marcinkdesigns.com

Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Grass/Green}

I chose the "green" aspect of the challenge this week...

My youngest, Jacob, finally started playing baseball this spring. He has only been watching his brothers play since he was born. And, daddy decided to manage his team. Here is daddy helping Jacob to stand exactly right to whack the baseball over the fence.

I love the concentration of the two of them - especially Jacob's tongue sticking out...

This photo is for the Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Grass/Green}.

Jacob and Daddy - first at bat - first t-ball game

Oh, and I just had to also share this of Jacob heading to second base...

...whilst the other team picks themselves up from a defensive dogpile (after playing in the dirt, of course).

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge {Hey Girl}

For her 15th birthday, our parents set up a surprise birthday party for my little sister. Well, she found out about the party the day before, but she stilled loved the surprise cake! Yes, that is a snapshot of Emily and her friends dressed for the premier of the Hunger Games movie...on the cake. You are never too old for a themed party.

Hey Girl, why don't you hand me your camera so I can get a shot of you and your sis together? {Ryan Gosling says in my dreams.}

my little sister Emily

Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Rain/Water}

It was raining last night - baseballs, that is! With three home runs by the St. Louis Cardinals, the game was full of energy.

When the home runs were hit, you could see the pops of flashes throughout the stadium. However, I think the best shot at the crack of the bat is of the crowd's reaction to the ball flying through the air. I stepped out into the aisle and turned toward the boys to capture their excitement of yet another home run hit by their favorite baseball team.

This photo is for the Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Rain/Water}.

Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Blossoms/Trees}

Last weekend we had mighty thunderstorms roll through the area. After the storms, move on, we could almost hear the rush of the water in the creek from our house, so the boys and I headed down to check it out.

We were not disappointed! The normally dry creek bed was rushing along, full of the rainwater draining from the high hills. The cold water tumbled down the steps of rocks, creating beautiful waterfalls that were the width of the creek.

Nearby, the wildflowers were happy to soak in the sun and the extra nourishment that came flowing by. I believe I also caught a little insect resting on the leaf of this bloom.

This photo is for the Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Blossoms/Trees}.

Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Easter/Eggs}

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for an 11x14 fine art print of the St. Louis Cardinals For the Love of the Game in celebration of opening weekend at Busch Stadium! See this post for the details.

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Our family tradition to decorate Easter eggs:

1. Use crayons to draw squiggles, swirls, pictures, and words.
2. Dip into the PAAS egg colors.
3. Dry off the eggs.

We are so complicated, aren't we? Here is one of the eggs that I decorated. I had first thought to draw just my hubby and I on the egg, but when I accidently drew my head in the wrong place, it became a family drawing...which I actually like better than my original idea. (See our real family photo here.)

The boys colored it orange for me (I had no say in the colors of the eggs since I was snapping pictures), and it went into our arsenal for the big family egg hunt that is then followed by the deviled egg feast.

This photo is for the Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Easter/Eggs}.

Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge {Sunshine/Light}

The sun was getting low in the sky, approaching the golden hour, and I was on my first walk with my very new 50mm f1.4 lens. I knew this little garden tucked away in our town's downtown area would be beautiful at this time of day and made my way over to it. The flowering trees and the streaming rays of sunshine did not disappoint me!

For the Leap Into Spring Photo Challange {Sunshine/Light}

I Heart Faces April Photo Challenge {Happiness}

Score!

Joey just made a soccer goal and was sprinting over to us on the sideline to make sure we saw it. Can you tell he was just a little happy?

My submission for the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge of Happiness.

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com