Miss Match Week 4: Red

Left: Andrea Despot
Right: allieart (me)

To check out the other incredible pairs from the fPOE Diptych Project look here. Have a terrific weekend! ♥, allie

Miss Match Diptych Project - Week 2: Joy

Left: Carey Shaw
Right: me

I am thoroughly enjoying this project! To visit Carey's Etsy shop, click on her name above. The themes this week are tiny, joy and vibrant. To see the other incredible diptychs from week 2, visit the Miss Match blog!

Have a wonderful Sunday!
♥, allie

Miss Match - fPOE Diptych Project - Week 1 - Body

Left: me
Right: Meganzii


I am very excited about being a part of this fPOE (female photographers of Etsy) diptych project - Miss Match. Each week, those who are participating are paired and create a diptych together. I am really enjoying working with and getting to know the incredibly talented fPOE members. This project is also challenging me to stretch and step out of my photography comfort zone, which is also a good thing. Take a look at the other Week 1 images here.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend! ♥, allie

Thinking of you....

Today is my mom's birthday. She wold have been 69 today. I lost her 2 years ago, this April 22nd, and I think about her every day.



Springtime was her favorite season - her garden was amazing. I remember her going through seed and bulb catalogs every year. Seeing all the blooming things around me now makes me feel like she is near, which is comforting.



I know that she is alright now, no worrying, no pain, at peace, and for that I am very grateful.



I miss you mama. Happy Birthday. I love you always, me

i ♥ faces Week 13 - "Dramatic B & W" Photo Challenge

Even though it was very windy, we had to go to the beach and put our toes in the sand. I love this photo - simple and really emphasizes the peace and the beauty of that day. It also captures her determination - head down, pressing on toward her goal.

To see the amazing B&W entries, or to add a photo of your own, head over to the i ♥ faces blog, or click the button above.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
♥, allie

i ♥ faces Photo Challenge: Week 12 - "Focusing on Angles"

I love how his little hands are in motion - he was just beginning to wake up.

To see more interesting angles, visit the i ♥ faces blog, or click the button above.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
♥, allie

p.s. I had to smile when I saw this week's challenge title. My mom always misspelled "angels" as "angles," so all of her boxes said "Christmas Angles." I lost her almost two years ago, and remembering things that made us laugh together is good. Thanks ~ allie

I Heart Faces Constructive Feedback Friday

I have been really working on improving my portrait skills, so I am very excited to participate in this week's Constructive Feedback Friday from i ♥ faces. During this feature, photographers offer each other constructive criticism on a photo. The photo I have chosen is one of my favorite portraits I have taken, but I want to appeal to a larger audience. I'd love to hear your comments.


Straight out of the camera





edit one


edit two
I used the camera bag application to edit this photograph, and I used my P&S to shoot this. I do not currently have PS or a DSLR, but am working on it! Exif data (please excuse me if I have left out something or included too much. I am totally self-taught, and still learning.): f/3.2, exposure time 1/160 sec., ISO 80, focal length 16 mm, max aperture 3.4.

To see incredible portraits and the suggestions made, visit the i ♥ faces blog or click the button above.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
♥, allie

i ♥ faces weekly photo challenge: "hands on fun"

hot cross buns

I have been very excited about this week's challenge - "hands on fun." I LOVE taking photos of little hands! I took my entry photograph while we were baking for Easter - we were actually making hot cross buns. Seeing my children's hands together was one of those moments as a mom you never forget. They are all growing up so quickly. I am so grateful to have captured this moment of cooperation, family, comfort and love. This photograph hangs in our kitchen as a reminder of where our focus needs to be.

To see many more incredible entries, visit the i ♥ faces blog here, or click on the button above.

Have a great week! And thank you for stopping by!
allie

i ♥ faces week six photo challenge: "We Heart Kisses"

When she was just learning how to kiss.......

To see more sweet smooch photos, go to the i ♥ faces blog or click on the button above!

Thank you for stopping by!
xo♥, allie

i ♥ faces fix-it-friday

I have really enjoyed participating in the i ♥ faces weekly photo challenges. I am learning so much from their contributors and their resource pages, and am enjoying seeing all the other entries so much. This week I discovered the camera bag photo editing application, so I thought I would give fix-it-Friday a try.





This is a beautiful photo of a family facing a tremendous challenge - they recently learned that their father has terminal cancer. You may read more about this family's journey at Adrienne's Blog, or you may visit Jeff's Caring Bridge Page. You may see the i ♥ faces contributors' fixes here or click on the button above.

I used the camera bag application - the magazine action, and then adjusted the contrast, and cropped the photo a bit with picasa. Here is my version.



I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for stopping by,
♥, allie

i ♥ faces week 3 photo challenge "We are Family"

My entry is a photo from Mother's Day, 2006. My husband, our children and I were about to move across the country for an undetermined period of time. My mother's family met so we could visit our grandmother and see everyone before we left. It was a bittersweet day - good to see everyone, exciting to be beginning a new chapter in our lives, but sad to be leaving a place that had been home our whole lives, and leaving the people we loved most in the world.

This photo pictures my grandmother - a truly amazing woman - her strength, faith and ability to view life as a glass half full are inspiring to everyone lucky enough to know her, surrounded by her seven great-granddaughters. I love their expressions. This photo is also bittersweet for me - to see my grandmother aging is hard, but to see her influence on so many is remarkable.

To see more incredible photos, go to the i ♥ faces blog or click on the button above!

thanks for stopping by!
♥, allie

Happy New Year!

I hope that all of you have enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones! I am excited to start this new year and to show you some of my new work.

Looking ahead a bit to February - I've been working on some new images for my Valentine's Day cards.......Here are a few for you to enjoy. I would love to hear your thoughts!

What are some of your favorite Valentine's Day traditions?

Take care, and Happy New Year to you and yours!
♥, allie