1. This party’s about to get started! #psw12, 2. So fun having lunch with @thegypsymama @Moes_HQ while I’m in DC for #psw12, 3. Crazy cool model setup from @WestcottCo at #psw12, 4. Molten Chocolate Cake – oh my! #psw12, 5. Cool art & good chance to use my degree in Russian. Just don’t remember what it means #psw12, 6. I want to be one of these couples someday, 7. @aj_wood & family getting book signed by @scottkelby @ajwood, 8. You’re never too young to learn Photoshop (or maybe watch Wall-E) #psw12 @aj_wood’s daughter), 9. Totally cool Nikon 50mm lens bracelet from @lensbracelet #psw12

Camera Phone Friday is nothing if not unpredictable: a slow week might have four photos, a busy one twenty-four. This week’s total is seventeen. All but the last three flesh out my trip last weekend to Washington, DC, for Photoshop World. I think my phone captured more than my camera.

I’ve worn my new 50mm Lens Bracelet (bottom right in collage above) all week—geek chic at its finest!

1. Photoshop World Midnight Madness #psw12, 2. Painting from DC Cherry Blossom Festival 100th anniversary #psw12, 3. Expo Hall #psw12, 4. L’Enfant Metro Station #psw12

I may have been in DC during the 100th anniversary of their Cherry Blossom Festival, but I really didn’t see many cherry blossoms. I took the metro from the convention center to the airport on the last day, and really wish I’d figured it out a little sooner and done some sightseeing.

The photo bottom right in the collage above was taken in the L’Enfant Metro Station. Last week I emailed my students in the Classical Conversations Challenge II class that I teach a link to this story about Joshua Bell playing anonymously in L’Enfant, so being there felt meaningful (I got to visit twice, since I should have gotten off and changed trains the first time through).

1. Bumpy ride from DC to Philadelphia. Glad to be on the ground., 2. That includes my 10 cent Kroger gas discount :-(, 3. Robin’s egg found on the ground in our backyard (there’s a nest and more in our porch light), 4. Dogwood

I think the last four images are just lovely, except for that awful gas pump. $111.40! What’s the most you’ve payed for gas lately?

What did your camera phone capture this week? Link it below!

Camera Phone Friday: Photoshop World Recap Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but how do you edit a photo to tell a story? You might need to crop out elements that detract; lighten or darken areas to draw the eye towards where you want it and/or away from where you don’t; or maybe enhance or desaturate color.

This photo from the Real World Concert Photography workshop at Photoshop World last Friday is a good example of the kind of editing I’m talking about.

This is Scott Kelby and his wife, Kalebra. The photo was taken with my 50mm lens when they were at the back of the stage, so they’re only a small part of the original image. As soon as I saw this shot, however, I knew that unless another one truly wowed me, it was the one.

I started in Lightroom, went into Photoshop, and then returned to Lightroom. The first thing I did was crop it. A lot. I decided I wanted to get everything else out of the frame, so I removed the edge of the mic stand on the right using the fabulous Content Aware Fill feature in Photoshop CS5 (I typed Command + E on my Mac to send the image from Lightroom into Photoshop – that’s probably Control + E on a PC). I saved the image in Photoshop (not “save as,” just save) and closed it. This sent an edited second copy back into Lightroom, which is where I resumed my edits.

Next, I decided to go black and white. The tint of the stage lights detracted from rather than enhanced the image. I used one of my very favorite Lightroom presets, Noir film – MakeLightReal.com, which I must have downloaded once upon a time from here. I tweaked the exposure and added a post crop vignette in the Effects panel to darken the edges and frame the middle. It looks like the Noir film preset added some Luminance Noise Reduction (in the Details panel), which I would have done anyway. This was shot in low light with ISO 1000.

Here’s our final edit:

Scott Kelby is a very public figure. He’s just been named the top-selling U.S. photography book author for the second year in a row. His books regularly wind up on bestseller lists because he’s equally adept at teaching the everyday hobbyist or the seasoned professional how to get the shot or better use the software to edit it.

If you read the dedication page of any of his books, however, you’ll also discover that Scott’s a devoted husband and father, with a strong Christian faith. His wife, Kalebra, goes to Photoshop World with him and they enjoy playing and singing together in his band; that smokin’ red guitar was her Valentine’s gift to him.

When I had the chance to tell a story about Scott Kelby with a photo, that was the story I want to tell, and I’d do it again—knowing it’s only a second place shot for a concert photography contest—because it’s a story I believe in.

Edit to Tell Your Story is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

I‘ll remember this as the first full day of my first ever visit to Washington, DC; the longest distance I’ve walked in a single day in an awfully long time; and the day I finally grasped what I should be doing with the collections and catalogs in Lightroom; but mostly I’ll remember it as The Day My Photo Made the Photoshop World Opening Keynote.

Remember yesterday when I told you about attending the Real World Concert Photography pre-conference workshop? Well, the photo I submitted to the contest was one of the top three posted on the screen this morning for audience vote. Mine popped up first and I whispered— very loudly, since people two rows ahead of me turned around—”That’s my picture!” The folks around me clapped and hollered like I was their hometown girl, which was so sweet.

I didn’t walk away with the camera and lens from Nikon, but I certainly walked away with a big smile.

What was the most unexpectedly fabulous thing that’s happened to you recently?

[photo of Scott Kelby and his wife Kalebra]

My First Full Day of Photoshop World in DC, 2012 is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. Cutest house shoes ever (dearfoams @ BJ’s), 2. Love my little bobbies from @allorahandmade, 3. Create, 4. Tiles, 5. The scent of carnations still reminds me of high school, 6. Cherry blossoms in DC

This week’s Camera Phone Friday is coming to you live from Photoshop World in Washington, DC. Photoshop World is a semiannual Photoshop lovefest organized by NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. I’ve been an Evangelist for NAPP for my demographic—mom bloggers, homeschoolers, designers, SAHMs, and digiscrappers—for nearly three years.

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you might fit into one of more of those categories. You can always learn more about NAPP and my current referral special by clicking the ad at top of my blog or the NAPP link in the row at the top of the page. See it up there? It starts with Home.

Currently, joining with promo code DAWN gets you a $10 discount and Corey Barker’s Down and Dirty Tricks for Designers for FREE. I’m going to Corey’s Down and Dirty Tricks for Designers class this weekend!

Classes start tomorrow, but pre-conference workshops were today. I attended Real World Concert Photography taught by Alan Hess and Scott Diussa. The class lasts for four hours, with a break in the middle to shoot a real concert. Before Scott Kelby became a world-renowned author, photographer, and instructor, he was a singer and musician. Still is.

Scott’s wife, Kalebra, is also in his band, Big Electric Cat. I submitted a picture of the two of them together on stage as my entry in the photo contest that’s open to workshop attendees. There were forty of us, each of whom was allowed to submit one photograph by 10:30 p.m. tonight.

It’s been an exhausting couple of days, so I actually went back my room and collapsed, even missing the big TweetUp tonight (the conference hashtags are #PSW12 and #PSW). However, I did get my photo in on time.

I hope the other thirty-nine attendees went out on the town for a fabulous evening instead of heading back to their room and editing photos, because the winner gets a new Nikon D7000 and a lens (forgot which one). Who needs to go sit in your room and edit when you can be out mixing, mingling, and tweeting? I just want them to be happy. Really I do.

What did your camera phone capture this week? Link it here!

Special thanks to Red River Paper, who’s helped sponsor all four of my trips to Photoshop World!

Camera Phone Friday: LIVE from Photoshop World Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

1. Sunday morning services 2. First day. Kicked my butt. 3. Guitar statue 4. The hubs, @labeldude, on @ScottKelby’s worldwide photo walk with me #wwpw 5. Superhero row #wwpw 6. Amen. #wwpw 7. True dat. #wwpw 8. Dahlonega square #wwpw 9. Main Street U.S.A. #wwpw 10. Awesome hubs @labeldude toting my bag & instagramming #wwpw 11. Teaching biology @classicalconversations 12. Earl Grey, take me away!

Welcome! For those of you who’ve found your way here while cruising the 700+ blogs participating in the 31 Days series (I’m #528, thankyouverymuch), let me tell you about Camera Phone Friday. Currently in its 32nd week, Camera Phone Friday pays tribute to the gloriously mundane details of my everyday life as captured by my iPhone 4 and documented via the Instagram app.

At the bottom of the post you’ll find a button to grab and even a cool photo linky where you can submit your own camera phone images each week. You don’t have to write a blog post, just link to an image on Flickr or Instagram if you like. Check this page for more info on how I create collages out of my Instagram photos, like the one at the top of this post, or how to get a link for an individual Instagram image. (This page can be accessed at any time via the “Camera Phonography” tab at the top of my blog. I need to update it to include the assortment of photography apps I use on my phone.)

If you’re on Instagram, my username is dawncamp. (FYI: Instagram is currently available only for iPhone or iPad, but I’ve heard that PicPlz is the closest alternative for droid users.) See How to Create Your Own Instagallery for how I display these photos in our home.

Most of this week’s shots are from Scott Kelby’s 4th Worldwide Photo Walk last weekend (I attended the Dahlonega, GA, walk), but one of my favorites is this one of my 16-year-old son helping teach his 6-year-old sister to read. He saw me double-tasking—teaching her phonics while dictating sentences for a grammar lesson to her 11-year-old sister—and jumped right in to help.

Moments like this sweeten the rough days.

What did your phone capture this week?

***

All 31 Days of Real Life posts can be found here.

{31 Days of Real Life} Camera Phone Friday: Worldwide Photo Walk Edition is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

As an evangelist for NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, I get to offer you an awesome sign-up bonus with your membership: a $10 discount and Scott Kelby’s new Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes, Part 2: Lighting Techniques DVD/book combo.

When the first book came out, Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes: Your Guide to Today’s Most Popular Lighting Techniques, I asked for it as my sign-on bonus. I’m happy to be able to offer you the new volume now.

Here’s the scoop:

Scott Kelby, author of the best-selling The Digital Photography Book, once again brings to life his “Photo Recipes” chapter—not just from this book, but from his smash best-selling follow-ups, volumes 2 and 3. In this two-hour video and companion booklet, Scott shows you exactly how it’s all done, from scratch, without holding anything back.

If you’ve ever wondered how the pros use natural light, studio light, and even direct daylight to get those amazing shots, you’ll see it all here, live, as it happens. For this follow-up to the incredibly popular first volume of Photo Recipes Live, Scott heads to Miami—both on location and in the studio—to re-create the looks he describes in the book, along with some bonus lighting set-ups that aren’t in the book.

Everything is put together from scratch (from studio shots to location shots), all while the cameras are rolling— you see it all from the very beginning so you’ll be able to re-create those same looks without spending thousands on expensive high-end equipment.

Best of all, Scott explains everything in simple, plain English, just like he’d tell a friend, using the same casual, conversational style that made his series of books a worldwide sensation. If you’ve ever wondered “how they do it,” you’re about to find out in this amazing DVD/book combo that shows how easy this all can be—once you know the secrets.

What a great time to join NAPP—just enter DAWN as your promo code.

[I wrote recently about attending Photoshop World in Orlando this week. I've made the decision to reschedule and attend the conference in Las Vegas in September instead. I'll miss my NAPP buddies this week!]

I’ve Got a New NAPP Referral Bonus! is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

My pass for Photoshop World arrived in the mail yesterday for March 30-April 1 in Orlando. Today—Friday, February 25—is the last day to register and receive the $100 Early Bird Discount. I would love to see you there.

Photoshop World is a creative high. I always walk away motivated, inspired, and with fresh editing and workflow tips that revolutionize my whole photography process.

The classes are varied and relevant, and taught by industry leaders. During the course of the conference you can learn lighting tips from Joe McNally; Lightroom from Matt Kloskowski or Julianne Kost; portrait retouching from Scott Kelby; how to make an online portfolio from RC Concepcion; concert photography from Alan Hess.

For a photography junkie, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

It’s my personal wish to see more camera-toting blogging mamas like myself there. If you can’t make it this time, Photoshop World happens twice per year, once on the east coast and once on the west coast. The west coast locations is usually Las Vegas.

If you join NAPP (see the NAPP tab in my navigation bar for reasons why you should), be sure and enter my promo code—DAWN—for a $10 discount and a free bonus offer, which is currently Scott Kelby’s Photo Recipes Live DVD/book combo. Once you’re a member, you can start racking up benefits when others join through your referral link. Refer eleven new members and earn your Photoshop World pass for free.

Are you going to Photoshop World? Do you want to go?

It’s Almost Photoshop World Time! is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Joe McNally’s KelbyTraining LIVE Location Lighting Tour

I wanted to share a couple of awesome but totally unrelated happenings here in Atlanta: Joe McNally’s Location Lighting Tour through KelbyTraining LIVE will be at the Cobb Galleria Centre this Monday, November 1. These tours tend to sell out, so I’d nab that ticket ASAP if you’re interested.

Tickets are $99 for a full day of instruction, $79 for NAPP members. If you use my promo code—DAWN—when joining NAPP, you’ll get a $10 discount and Scott Kelby’s Photo Recipes Live DVD/book FREE. If you qualify for an education discount (teacher, student, homeschooler), that’s another $10 off. Join for two years—which is what I did when I joined—and the savings multiply.

Middle School the Musical at the Alliance Theatre

Three of the kids and I were invited to attend opening night of Middle School the Musical Monday at the Alliance Theatre. I admit that I held a couple of pre-conceived notions: (1) that it would be a direct take-off of High School Musical or (2) that it would be full of inappropriate humor, designed to appeal to kids, but not adults.

Thankfully, it was none of the above.

What we saw was a cute and engaging play—written by the actors themselves—with likable characters and good use of crowd participation. This production successfully managed to appeal to adults, teens, and tweens; my 15-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, 10-year-old daughter and I all enjoyed it.

{Oops! I just realized that this play only had a one week run and the last shows are today! Here is the full 2010-2011 schedule for the Alliance. }

Related Posts:

• Photoshop World Most Embarrassing Moment: The Joe Pic
• Photoshop World Orlando: Joe McNally’s Big Light from Small Flashes

{Disclosure: Middle School the Musical tickets provided for review.}

Last-Minute Atlanta Happenings: Joe McNally’s Location Lighting Tour and Middle School the Musical at the Alliance Theatre is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Photoshop World was Tuesday-Friday this week in Las Vegas, and while I would have loved to have been there, I had a great week at home.

Wednesday I took head shots for a lovely young actress.

Thursday night two of my kids and I went to a Latin party. If you’ve ever thought I’m a little nerdy, this might confirm it. We hung out and watched videos about the Latin language. I took six pages of notes and a screen shot.

Friday was my seventh child’s seventh birthday! On each child’s birthday, if at all possible, I take them out for lunch. Chili’s is always a favorite and that’s where we went.

Are they just born knowing that tilt of the head?

We’ll call this, “Wait, it’s my sister’s birthday and she’s getting all the attention!”

I cut everyone else in my household’s hair, so I’ve never felt too bad about paying to get mine done until this year. In an effort to save, I haven’t gone to get my hair cut since last December. A good friend, another stay-at-home mom, has done it for me a couple of times, whenever we’ve had the opportunity.

After Google image searching “haircuts,” I saved this to my phone before we left for the birthday lunch.

Although well aware that no mere mortal could make me look like that, I thought the style was realistically possible for my hair.

On a whim, I called a salon that I hadn’t visited in over a year and a half and where I knew my former stylist no longer worked. Could they work me in? Yes, if I could be there in 30 minutes!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that while the salon had been a little snooty, it’s now a more relaxed and enjoyable place to be. I really liked the girl who cut my hair and will probably go there again.

I don’t know about you, but after a haircut I like to get a picture to remind me how it was styled at the salon, although it’s usually difficult to replicate by yourself. My husband snapped some pictures for me while I gave lots of instruction on where to stand, focus, etc. After that Jasmine Star wedding photography course at Creative Live last weekend, I harbor a secret agenda of transforming him into my own personal JD (Jasmine’s husband and second shooter). I’ll let you know when you can book us to shoot your wedding. ;-)

The good news is, I got a new headshot! Woo hoo!

It’s cropped in the sidebar enough to disguise the fact that my roots needed a touch up, which I took care of this morning. ;-)

My daughter snapped some pictures of my husband and me; we’ll celebrate our 25th anniversary next month. I am beyond thrilled to have them and to have been blessed with such a man to call my own. I’m convinced there’s not another anywhere who would put up with me.

What have you done this week?

I’m crossing my fingers to be at Photoshop World in Orlando next spring!

What I Did this Week While I Wasn’t at Photoshop World is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Lightroom 3 for Digital Photographers

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers plus BONUS

If you use Lightroom 3, you’re going to want Scott Kelby’s new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers. It retails for $39.99, but NAPP members can get it for $29.99. I ordered it early because Kelby Training was offering a pre-order bonus: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Killer Presets CD with Matt Kloskowski ($39.99 value) for FREE.

Even though the book has been released, the pre-order bonus is still available on the Kelby Training website. I don’t know how long this will last, but if you’re interested in the book I’d recommend ordering it now while the bonus offer is there.

Matt’s presets ROCK.

Luna Blue Healing Balm

Luna Blue Healing Balm

Rachel Luna of Luna Blue sent me samples of some of her healing balms. I’m completely addicted to the Lavender and Peach roll up tubes (pictured); they are perfect lip balms and the scents are wonderful.

Here’s some info from the website:

LUNA BLUE products are all natural, safe and 100% free from artificial preservatives, fragrances or dyes. We pride ourselves in using only the highest quality organic herbs, essential oils and natural ingredients. We never test on animals, use any nut oils and we are 100% toxin free.

LUNA BLUE healing balm is an all natural salve for many different ailments.
Wonderful for dry, chapped lips, hands and cuticles. Healing moisture for dry, cracked heels, peeling feet and other areas of dry skin such as elbows and knees. Moisturizes, softens and heals naturally and effectively. Made with pure essential oils, natural beeswax, sunflower oil, vitamin E, and healing herbs.

The Voskamp Family Schoolroom

Best Ways to Organize a Homeschool

If you’re gearing up for a new year of homeschooling, be sure to check out Ann Voskamp’s post Best Ways to Organize a Homeschool. Ann inspires me on so many levels. I wish we could homeschool with her family in that room.

Be sure to check out the bottom of her post for all details on where everything was purchased or its source of inspiration.

Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk

Visual Inspiration

(yes, I’m aware of my overuse of the word inspiration; it’s a hot topic in photography, which gets you three bonus links)

Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk Winners

More Worldwide Photo Walk Winners Honored

A Little Link Love is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved