INTRIGUING

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Today I thought it would be fun to share the most captivating movies I've seen so far this summer.  You know, the kind that stay with you for a while, and know you'll enjoy watching again and again.....I find it comforting to relax in bed on a warm summer evening and enjoy a good movie.  So from top to bottom, here they are:

• The Illusionist (2010) - new to DVD, this movie is so charming there is no need for dialog.....plus it's beautifully illustrated
• Midnight in Paris (2011) - still in some theaters, Woody Allen's most recent movie is intoxicating.....the characters, the dialog.....I didn't want it to end
• The King's Speech (2010) - I'm a bit late watching this gem seeing as how almost everyone else I know has seen it by now, but I love it just the same.....beautiful to look at, it is only enhanced by how interesting the story and characters are.....the humanity in it is uplifting : )

 What movies are you enjoying this summer?  <3 Carrie

Summer Muse

I hope you are having a wonderful summertime!

Love, Carrie

HAPPY JULY!

There is a special photo prompt up over at Bubblegum Life to add to your fun holiday weekend. Have a wonderful 4th of July!  Lots of love, Carrie

Your Appointment with Friday

Happy 4th of July weekend to you!  For this week's photo prompt I though it would be festive to try a little experiment with.....

Light bokeh shapes.

Bokeh is the pretty light that is out of focus in the background of your photo.  You can make this light turn into a shape by creating your own lens hood.  Cool, huh?!?  This is my first try, so my shapes aren't perfect.....but it shure was fun taking my pictures.  They are from the fair.  There were so many pretty lights on all the rides : )

Also, I have to say that I first learned about bokeh photos last summer while taking Kara Haupt's awesome "Summer of Love" class (if you haven't bought the class pdf yet, you should).....ever since then I'm always amazed with how much beauty they add to a photo!!!  Thank you Kara for introducing me to this lovely effect!  I learned a lot from your class while having a blast <3

And now back to our photo prompt.  For my bokeh heart shape I used this tutorial to make my lens hood.  I hadn't figured out the exact ratio of the size that my shape should be before taking these photos, so I improvised.  However, later I did find these instructions so when I try again it will be easier to be more accurate.  One thing I would like to mention though, is that I found it is really important to keep your aperture as low as it will go, and then looking at your light meter to just under expose a little.  It will help keep your shape crisp.  And just as a reminder, don't forget to turn your lens to manual focus so you can blur your background.

If you have an extra 5 minutes to make your own lens hood, you won't regret it.....it will make your holiday photos extra special.  Have a fantastic holiday weekend!!!

Love, Carrie