Some Urban Exploration

  Yesterday I decided I needed some quality time with my camera, so I asked my mom if she could come to the shop and watch Dorian while I went out and took some photos. I honestly didn't really know where I was going to go or had any idea what I was going to shoot, but then I remember an abandoned home that was falling apart out on the west side of Evansville so I headed there first. When I got there, it was a jungle just to get to the house after climbing over a barbed wire fence. Then to my dismay I realized I would not be going into this house as it was so dilapidated and falling apart, I would have been endangering myself which is a risk I just cannot take when my little boy depends on me. Maybe in 10 years or so I will be more willing to risk my life, but not right now. I didn't get to go inside, but I got some pretty good shots on the outside that I was able to play around with in Lightroom and Corel Paintshop so it wasn't a total loss. Here are a couple of photos from that house.

  I have to admit that I am now a bit disappointed that I didn't try to get in there, I think I might go back and check out this door... maybe take someone with me to keep watch in case there is a no trespassing sign somewhere on that property (though I didn't see one).

  The other house I went to had caught on fire, and was in really bad shape but I did go in there and take some photos. Again I am a little upset that I didn't get up the nerve to go upstairs and more around the house BUT the fire had happened mainly upstairs and part of the upstairs floor was falling through. Here are a couple of photos from that house.

You can see the ceiling falling in

Overall, it really wasn't a bad day as these were my first abandoned houses and I was alone and nervous. Hopefully I'll get braver or talk someone into coming with me, to at least keep watch, maybe take some walkie talkies and have the other person sit in the Tahoe watching for people and keeping track of my whereabouts. 

While On Walks

   The weather has been really nice for the past couple of weeks, so I've been able to take Dorian for walks. Now I don't normally take my CanonT2i with me during walks, but I will take my point and shoot along for those just in cases. I've got some good photos today, and Tuesday as well. 

These first few are from the Evansville river front when I went walking today.

These are from the Recreational trail up between USI and Burdette Park, a very nice trail away from traffic.

Saw a Potential Model....

   While dropping my husband off at the bus station to head to Kansas, I spotted two young ladies walking by, not sure about how old they were but the second one was beautiful in a sweet, girly kind of way. I need to start carrying my cards with me for these kinds of situations though I don't know how she would have taken it, especially after tripping and falling in front of us. I need to figure out how to get myself out there and market for portraits with seniors and hopeful models, or even the exhibitionist types. I kind of wish I had more lady friends around that would be willing to do some modeling for me, it would make it a lot easier than trying to find one that I don't know. Jared's girlfriend might have a few, I am not sure but I do know that I don't really want to be doing a bunch of photo sessions for free, or let people start thinking that I am free or cheap.
    I really enjoy using my little man, he is so photogenic it isn't funny <3 <3 <3

I got Scammed

   The good news is, I have a few new toys including the lens I was looking for, a flash bracket to hold my flash unit on a stand and a very good quality stand, and the wireless flash triggers. The bad news is, due to my greediness I got screwed over on the other lens. Instead of returning it and getting my $375 back, I tried to sell it on craigslist for $390 hoping to get a couple extra bucks from it. Monday a guy text me wanting it for $285, I turned him down. Tuesday morning someone text me wanting for the amount it was, but wanting to go through paypal and asked me to send the invoice. I did and instead of going through the invoice the guy sends me $495 that I cannot see until I ship the item. Like an idiot, I follow instructions from emails that were supposedly from paypal and shipped the item to Nigeria and then emailed the tracking information and copy of the receipt to the paypal email. This morning I am told that my account cannot take that large of an amount, and to tell the buyer to send another $250 to my account which would then immediately open it up. After he supposedly did that, they emailed me saying that I had to go to a Western Union Money Transfer outlet and send him the $250 that he supposedly sent me. That is when I said enough, even talking to my mom I knew I had made a huge mistake all because I was hoping to get more money than what I had paid for the lens. I also researched the number that was texting me and apparently that same number has scammed people before. 
   So the bad news is I am out a lens that I could have returned and gotten my money back, I am out the $56.28 that was for shipping it as well but I didn't lose that extra $250 that he was hoping to get out of me. Lesson learned, research phone numbers, do not agree to shipping items like this overseas unless I have the money in my account.

Just got my RF-602!!!

   I finally received my Wireless Flash Trigger, the model RF-602 and I am so excited to use it. I am still waiting on my studio lighting equipment but that is mainly because I need on of the stands for my flash, and I am also waiting on a Flash Shoe holder which will hold my flash on the stand and could also hold an umbrella (for reflecting the light). I am also excitedly waiting on my new lens, which should be on my doorstep by Wednesday. I am pretty excited with all my upgrades, I just hope I can sell the old things to make up for the money.

New Purchases

   In just the last couple of days I have made a few purchases, I talked Cameron into buying 3 studio light set ups which they can also use when shooting music videos, I also bought a wireless remote flash trigger, the RF-602.4 GHz set up for Canon which has good reviews and I cannot wait to get it. I also purchased a Vello 3' TTL off-camera cord f/canon which I most likely will resell on ebay as I have purchased the wireless remote triggers. My biggest purchase though was made yesterday on Amazon.com. I am finally giving in and purchasing a Tamron 18-270mm lens though I am already having issues, I had purchased one on Amazon only to find out today that it is for a Nikon when I was searching for a Canon mount, so even though I've emailed the seller today it was already being prepared to ship so it might end up on my doorstep anyways, hopefully I can send it back because that costed me $380.00 and I quickly went to ebay and purchased the correct one for $469.00 and if Cameron finds out either way I am dead. I am already trying to sell my other two lenses and my old flash.

Experimenting with Low Key Lighting

  I have always been intrigued by this type of photography, but never quite sure on how or where to begin. After a bit of research yesterday, I finally decided that I would dip my lens into this interesting view of the world. Yesterday using the sunset as my only source of light and doing my best to make much of the photo dark and lighting the subject every so much, I am not too disappointed in the outcomes. Here are just a couple photos from the attempts.

 I don't really have any photos of me and my little angel so I was happy to use him with me. It was difficult with nobody behind the camera so he didn't pay a whole lot of attention. These aren't the greatest photos, but I don't plan on stopping there and hopefully I will improve on this technique and use it more.