The Art of Refraction in Photography

June 16, 2013 in Behind the Lens

They're Watching

Okay, so I’m sure you’ve seen these kinds of pictures before. When you first saw them you stared and stared thinking to yourself, how did the photographer do that? It had to be Photoshop! Although, you can do pretty much anything in Photoshop these days, this stunning little trick you don’t need Photoshop for. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to find it in nature, but other times you have to do a little prep work behind the scenes. Let me introduce you to the art of refraction.

What is refraction?

Well, according to science it has this big fancy shmancy technical definition, but for the sake of photography let’s just say it’s the inversion of something. (See, my Applied Science degree for photographic technology is going to come in handy because I’m teaching you guys how to apply science to your photography!) This means that when you have a cute little water droplet just chilling it can act as a prism that flips an upside down image right side up.

How do you create this effect?

Not everyone is lucky enough to have nature bless them with this Kodak moment, but there is a way to do it on your own. Flowers are a popular choice for refracting in water droplets, but there are a ton of creative possibilities out there to have fun experimenting with. You can go outside and compose your image with plants and flowers around and simply use a dropper to place water droplets around until you can see the image you want being refracted in the droplet or you can become Dr. Frankenstein like I did and set up your own little lab indoors if you don’t have enough foliage accessible to you.

I used a photograph of a daisy I had previously taken and flipped it upside down in the background. You can use any kind of picture you want for this. I would suggest something with a main, prominent focal point though. Then I simply draped the vine of a house plant in front of the photograph and began placing water droplets along the vine with the dropper. The most difficult part of this process is getting the water droplets to stay in place, but with a little persistence and patience you’ll get it to work. It’s really cool to see the image become right side up in the droplet. When you line everything up, you can start composing and snapping away!

Hope you enjoy and have fun with this little trick! I can’t wait to see what pictures you end up taking. Don’t forget to connect with me on Flickr!

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Networking with Photographers

June 6, 2013 in Behind the Lens

The only time you can see through another person’s eyes and have the opportunity to see exactly what they saw, when, and how they saw it is with photography. Even with Photoshop, photography is believable and shows you the inner workings of an artist/photographer’s mind. It’s something to savor and embrace openly. Your homework previously was to read your camera manual and take LOTS and LOTS of pictures. Practice makes perfect, right? Well, your next homework assignment is to get a free account on Flickr.

Why, you ask? This allows you to…

Share Your Photography

It’s really important for you to get your work out there and share it with people (including me). I want to see what you’ve been up to! You get to upload a terabyte of photos for free which will suit you for a very, very long time. You can trust them with your cherished images by choosing whether you want a Creative Commons License for your work or All Rights Reserved. You can check out their FAQ if you have particular questions and concerns.

Connect With Other Photographers

Viewing other people’s photography is the first way to improve your own! You see what you like and what you don’t like and then you learn how to adapt that style into your own work. There’s a good chance you’ll notice some particular techniques that I’ll be touching on in future posts. The other thing is your photography will be open to critique to help encourage you and improve your creative process. You might even make some new friends!

Besides just looking on Flickr, check out some famous photographers and see what kind of photography they became famous for. Leave me a comment letting me know who your favorite photographer is and a link to your new Flickr account so I can check it out. You can connect with me on mine here.

I know there are some photographers who hate Instagram, but I think that’s another great social media site for people because it gets them in the habit of taking pictures on a regular every day basis. I’d definitely recommend that App if you don’t already have it and I hope it gets you to think about pictures before you take them. Something to think about when uploading pictures to Flickr or even Instagram for that matter, consider what images you’re going to display and make those images your absolute best.

I can’t wait to see all everyone has been up to and taking pictures of!



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Candy Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

June 4, 2013 in DIYs

In honor of ‘Running the Race’ and becoming healthier both physically and spiritually, I thought I’d share with you my very own recipe for a salad I made my mom for mother’s day. Definitely one of my favorite concoctions! And I know what you’re thinking, it can’t possibly be healthy with candy in the title! Well, it’s a delicious salad if you have a sweet tooth, but don’t want to go over board – and technically there’s no candy in it. I figured it was only appropriate though because my mom’s name is Candy and this salad is just deliciously sweet! You gotta start somewhere, right?

Everyone knows how to make a salad so there’s no real brain power there – you just toss it, however walnuts, which are one of the ingredients for this salad, actually contributes to brain power! Bonus!

Okay, so you’re going to need…

♥ Parmesan Cheese

♥ Apple Slices – depending on how fancy you want to get you can de-core it using a spiral cutter

♥ Candied Walnuts (Find out how to make candied walnuts here)

♥ Spring Mix lettuce

… and for the real topper

♥ home made honey vinaigrette dressing – yummy!

How do you make honey vinaigrette dressing? I’m thrilled you asked!

It’s super simple. All you have to do is blend these ingredients and pour:

♥ 3/4 cup olive oil (good quality)

♥ 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

♥ 2 tablespoons water

♥ 2 tablespoons honey

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

♥ 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Happy eating!

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Running the Race

May 23, 2013 in From the Heart

A life changing note of encouragement and motivation…

We are comprised of two components: body and soul. We have our physical health and our spiritual health. Everyone seems to be aware of their physical health be it from allergies to the amount of energy one has, however it seems we are less aware of our spiritual health which is even more important. If we didn’t have a need for our spiritual health or if our spiritual health didn’t exist, there would be no point or need for death in the first place because we would be invincible living immortal lives. Think about it.

There are people in the world who are very health conscious. They know and pay attention to everything they put in their body and exercise regularly because they want to look good, feel good, and ultimately stay in good health. There are people in the world who aren’t as health conscious which is reflected in their lifestyle. Maybe they feel how they’re living their life is good enough or maybe they feel it takes too much effort to change anything. That doesn’t mean that they don’t think eating healthy foods and exercising is good for you, they just use a laundry list of excuses that it’s “too hard”, they “don’t have time”, they are “content”, or that the cake just “tastes too good”. And they’re right. The cake tastes delicious! In fact, they may not have time and it is hard, but content shouldn’t be a high enough standard to set for one’s life. The truth of the matter is if you’re seeking a change and desire a richer life than the one you’re living, you have to make time. No one said it was easy. After all, anything worth having takes hard work, effort, and it doesn’t happen in one night. Everyone’s goal in life should be to better themselves in whichever area they’re struggling in. If your struggle is with your physical health, take the step to reverse directions whether you need to shed some extra pounds and feel comfortable in your clothes, gain newfound energy for the day, run around with your grandchildren and not become out of breath, or prevent yourself from having a variety of health issues. It’s up to you make the decision that will change your life.

More importantly, though, is how we view our spiritual health. There are people in the world who are very conscious of their spiritual health and then there are others who purposely deny there’s any need for it. This seems even more foolish than someone with serious physical health issues denying they have them and refusing to do anything about it. Truth of the matter is we all have been infected with a cancer called sin and we will surely die without a cure. No matter how physically healthy you are, physical death is inevitable, but along with that if you haven’t cured this spiritual cancer you will also die a spiritual death. How can anyone afford to be in denial of their spiritual health? I know it’s fun and “tastes so good” to engage in sinful action and behaviors. I know making time for the God of the universe by praying and reading the Bible can be a daunting task because I have to make time out of “time I don’t have”. I know how “hard” it is to be constantly tested and tempted by Satan and persecuted for my beliefs. I know what it’s like to feel “content” living a lifestyle where I think it’s simply good enough because I control my life and I don’t need God. I know what it’s like because I’ve been there and I’ve seen people who have been there who blow off their spiritual health for all those reasons. They’ve chosen an empty lifestyle that is leading them and or others to a spiritual death with an eternity of darkness and agonizing pain with raw, skin-lashing flames that will never subside. They’re missing out on a beautiful, everlasting, spiritual immortality that goes beyond the grave, the most perfect relationship that one could ever ask for with our Lord and Savior, a life designed and perfected by God himself, a Prince of Peace who will lovingly take the weight of worry off your shoulders, and give you the breath of life that will cure and redeem you from your sin.

If your physical health is in order, but your spiritual health isn’t, you’re simply prolonging an inevitable death. Why not open your heart to Christ, who defeated and conquered death itself, by giving Him every part of you so he can shape you into the beautiful, new creature you were meant to be in Him? If you’re spiritual health is in order, but your physical health isn’t, you’re potentially cutting your time to serve the Lord here on earth short. Why not make the decision to take that step forward? If you can’t do it for yourself or anyone else then do it for the One who died on the cross to save you and the God who has blessed you beyond expectations and considers to do so. Your body is His temple. How can you serve Him to the best of your ability if you’re not taking care of yourself?

If you’re struggling with both your physical and spiritual health, I have every faith in you that you will make the decision to go against the current and turn your life around so that you may begin living life to the fullest. There’s no way of knowing when your last day may be or what the future may hold. Don’t you want to be certain you’re going to heaven when you die? Don’t you want to live a full life of service for Christ by bringing others to know His love and mercy through your actions, faith, and testimony? Don’t you want to feel good and look good so your health doesn’t discourage or prohibit you from doing the Lord’s work? What you eat and how you take care of yourself is a direct representation of how much you value yourself. God values you immeasurably so you should put a higher value on yourself as well.

No matter what area of your life you’re seeking to change and improve, the Lord is your strength. Seek Him and you will be able to endure. The majority of the time our hearts have to change before we can begin to see change in other areas. It’s a constant battle and a consistent journey. I’m walking down the same path as you. Let’s walk down it together.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

- 1 Corinthians 9:22-27

xo Amanda

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Flirty Heart Nails

May 16, 2013 in Beauty

What You’ll Need

One

Paint a base coat with the mint nail polish

Two

Add a french tip with the white nail polish. For better results, slowly rotate your nail as you draw the line.

Three

Add a heart by dipping your nail stick into the peach polish and placing two parallel dots in the corner of each nail and carefully joining them together at the bottom in a point.

 

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An Imperfect Fit

May 10, 2013 in From the Heart

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

- Romans 8:28

Sometimes we have this picture for our life of what we want it to be: graduate from college majoring in such and such, doing what we love and bringing in good money, getting married by 25 and settling down with a family in a classic American home with a white picket fence- all wonderful ambitions. Sometimes we have a specific school, job, or man in mind that we desire to pursue. Our desires and dreams become our plans and inevitably our future. We have burning hopes for this or that to come to pass, we sometimes get lost in our own denial.

What happens when you’re the puzzle piece that fits into the wrong puzzle? 

It’s a question I keep asking myself. When something fits so perfectly, who cares if it fits into the wrong puzzle? There’s a chance that job which seems so perfect for you or maybe even that boy you get along so well with perhaps could be a part of your very own puzzle, but what if that’s not the case? Does it make much of a difference? What’s wrong with being different and having some variety? 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it. However, if you were painting a lovely portrait of someone and they stood up in the middle of it, judged it before it was even finished and then splashed some random colors that didn’t go with the painting at all because they thought it might look better, how would that make you feel? They just ruined your creation, something you had worked so carefully on to make something beautiful from. You’ve been doing this a long time and have a far superior eye not only artistically, but also because you can see everything that’s taking place in order to convey it that the subject couldn’t possibly see from their position.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

- Jeremiah 29:11

 God is piecing together a beautiful picture of your life for you in His timing with puzzle pieces. The more puzzle pieces that aren’t your own that you add to your life or give away freely to someone else means you think you know what’s better for yourself than He, the artist, does. 

 By the time your puzzle is finished, your life won’t display the picture God had always intended for it to be. It will be one big, discombobulated mess that makes no sense.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

- Proverbs 19:21

As hard as it is to come to terms with the fact that your fair weather desires may not align with God’s plan, you’ll soon come to realize that by trusting Him with every aspect, your life will become a beautiful masterpiece for His glory and the picture He paints will reflect your inner most dreams.  

Why not let Him be in control of putting the pieces together?

“Be still and know that I am God…”

- Psalm 46:10a

xo Amanda

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Ways to Pray for Your Future Spouse

April 18, 2013 in From the Heart

“How do you pray for someone you’ve never met?”

I’ve been wondering about this a lot lately. Every morning on my commute to school or in my quiet time I pray for the man that will one day become my husband. Other than praying for purity and spiritual growth which seem pretty basic, how do you know what’s going on in that person’s life if you’re not in it? Unless God reveals something to you, you can’t possibly know. However as much of a figment of my imagination as he may seem right now, my future husband is just as real and as human as I am. He’s dealing with a lot of the same things I might be. He’s patiently waiting for me just like I am for him, the God of the universe is not only our creator, but also our Savior, we look up at the same sky and moon every night, and we both have times where we feel happy and sad. This made me realize that some of the ways I pray for myself are also ways in which I can pray for him. It’s made me feel like I can really connect with him on a more personal level even though he’s not physically here with me. Maybe this list can help bridge the gap between you and your future spouse some as well. (And since I’m a lady, I’ll be choosing to use masculine pronouns, but this list is adaptable for men praying for their future wives as well.)

Pray…

♥ for his salvation

The Bible says we should not be unequally yoked with one another. As I have previously mentioned, there’s no way of knowing exactly where your future husband is at in his life – or walk with God for that matter – let alone when you will meet him. Perhaps, He has not come to know Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior yet. Pray that the Lord brings people into His life, if He hasn’t already, that can show him God’s love and truth.

{1 Peter 2:1-25}

 

♥ for growth in his relationship with Jesus Christ

Think of marriage like a triangle with God being at the top and husband and wife being at each of the bottom corners. The closer you both get to God, the closer both of you are to each other. If only one of you is moving closer to God than the more distant you and your spouse are from each other. It just makes sense, but more importantly the closer your spouse grows in his relationship with God the more Christ will pour out from every aspect of his life putting him in the perfect will of God and therefore he will be living a life of happiness and value for the kingdom of heaven. What Christian wife doesn’t want that?

{Colossians 2:6-7}

 

♥ for strength in the fight for emotional, physical, and spiritual purity

In the world we live in, it seems pretty unrealistic to expect someone to remain emotionally, physically, and spiritually pure, but God does expect that which makes living a life of purity all the more difficult. We are constantly battling sin in our spiritual walk. It’s an illness all of humanity has inherited. We are called to live pure lives where we are not giving ourselves to anything or anyone other than our future spouse. That’s why we need to ask God to give our future spouse strength in this fight. You can’t give someone something you’ve already given someone else and you were meant to give yourself entirely to only one person.

{Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 3:5}

 

♥ he is faithful in studying and living by the word of God

The more we read God’s love letter to us the more we grow and can share with others to bring them knowledge and also defend our faith.

{Titus 2:11-14; Psalm 119:105}

 

♥ his relationship with the Lord would overflow from every aspect of his life

The first thing that draws you to him should be the light of Christ in his life overflowing from every area. You’ll look at him and know right away that he is different because he’s not living in the conventional ways of the world. I know that’s what I want him to be drawn to and see in me. Any other driving factor more important than that is superficial and can lead down a potentially dangerous path.

{Romans 1:16-17}

 

♥ by making Christ the Lord of his life, He would not succumb to materialism and worshipping other idols

Anything around us that becomes more important than spending time with God is an idol. Media, work, school, relationships with friends and family are all things that are a part of our every day life that aren’t necessarily bad, but when we truly evaluate what we are prioritizing, a good majority of the time we realize how caught up we become with living our life that we forget or don’t think to include God in much of it by letting him sit in the passenger seat let alone giving Him the wheel completely as He calls for.

{Exodus 20:3-6}

 

♥ he would have a desire for knowledge and in return be blessed with wisdom and understanding

There will be circumstances and situations that will call for his decision and without knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, his judgement won’t be right and that decision could end up negatively effecting you and your family. Plus, it’s always a good thing to be sharpening your mind with new things by picking up a book, talking to different kinds of people, and doing research. It’s a way to prepare and build a new sense of perspective that will impact your life.

{Colossians 1:9-10}

 

♥ he would be able to recognize and live by truth

Not only is honesty the best policy in our own lives, but it’s also something we should learn and identify. No one wants to be lied to and in the world we live in there are many lies making the truth harder and harder to recognize. We’ve gotta put on the belt of truth daily – it’s the most important part of the spiritual armor!

{John 8:32}

 

♥ he would be planning for the future in the decisions he’s making today

I don’t think we realize exactly how much of the decisions we make today stay with us for the rest of our lives and impact people years down the road. How much of your baggage will your husband and children eventually have to share in? I’m sure you’d prefer not to have to carry his let alone yours.

{Proverbs 6:6-8}

 

♥ he would be practicing making wise financial decisions

As the two of you will become one in marriage, those finances come along with you. (Remember what I just said about planning for the future and making decisions?) This means that you want to pray that he will see the importance in tithing, living debt-free, and most importantly that no matter what, as a child of God, our Father will provide and meet our needs.

{Philippians 4:19; Malachi 3:10; Proverbs 22:7}

 

♥ he would find joy in times of turmoil

The Lord is the derivation of our happiness and joy. Even in sadness and tragedy, we can find joy in Him because He can use it for His glory and purpose. He is our salvation and in the end all is well because this too shall pass.

{Psalm 34:1-22}

 

♥ he would be matured beyond his years

There are times for fun, but there are also times to be serious. There has to be a balance. Women mature at a faster rate than men so, ladies, we either need to pray or marry someone older. For some, you will do both!

{James 3:17}

 

♥ he would be blessed with strong, spiritual mentors and influences in his life

Not only is it good for him to have strong, spiritual mentors that he can come to in order to discuss and ask questions in regards to his spiritual growth and faith, but also parental figures that will be positive role models for him to learn from when it comes to marriage and in raising him up as a man of God who will love and cherish you.

{Titus 2:3-5; Proverbs 22:6; 2 Timothy 2:2}

 

♥ he would have an understanding of love

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around God’s love for me – that He would send His only Son to die on the cross for ME so that I can live forever with Him in heaven just blows me away. To some degree, that’s part of how you understand love – you see how self-sacrificing it is and wonder why someone values you enough to sacrifice themselves for you. Pray he has an understanding of God’s love so that he may reflect it in his own life with the people around him.

{1 Corinthians 13}

 

♥ he would have a selfless heart to serve

When we are self-sacrificing it reveals Christ’s love for us and moves in the hearts of those whom we are serving by painting a picture of what Christ has done for us. The Beatles said, “All you need is love,” but Christ proved it long before when He sacrificed himself on the cross for US. Love can truly change the world.

{Ephesians 6:6-8}

 

♥ he would be instilled with leadership abilities

The man is supposed to be the leader of the household. In the end, his decision is meant to be the final one. In order to lead his family in righteousness God will need to be at the center providing him with leadership abilities. If it be his calling, these leadership abilities can also translate into the ministry for serving the Lord and bringing glory to His kingdom.

{1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Peter 5:2}

 

♥ he would have compassion for the lost and a desire to share the word of God

Our only purpose on this earth is to bring glory to God and share His love with the world. It should be something we pray for all believers that they may be a light into the darkness that draws the lost to God by allowing us share to with them our testimony of how God saved them with His love.

{Matthew 28:18-20}

and finally …

♥ for yourself

You are after all his future wife. You love him enough to want to try and be your absolute possible best for him, right? Go back through this list and pray similarly for yourself. Ladies, you should be on the path to living a set apart lifestyle not only for your husband, but for your Prince (Jesus Christ) as well. The Bible says a virtuous woman is worth more than rubies. Proverbs 31 is a great passage to look to for this as you prepare for being that kind of woman – one of grace, faith, and a reflection of the self-sacrificing love of our Heavenly King. Gentlemen, the same goes for you. Your future wife deserves a warrior poet – a man who has a heart like David who will defend what he believes in and fight for what he loves as he draws closer to the Lord and walking in his Father’s footsteps. Your future wife is a beautiful creature God was kind enough to bless you with in His plan for your life. Cherish her! She is a rare treasure that there is only one of and you only have her for the short while you are here on earth for.

{Ephesians 5:22-23}

xo Amanda

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I Am A New Creature

April 2, 2013 in From the Heart

My friend presented me with a question the other day,

“How have your beliefs and morals impacted your life?”

I thought  I’d share with you my answer, especially since yesterday was Easter.
We are all born into sin – this nature of doing wrong where our humanity selfishly overcomes what is ‘right’ and ‘good’. There are always going to be those sins we know are bad and those things that have a negatively tainted reputation: murder, stealing, alcoholism, swearing. Perhaps, we aren’t all going around killing people, but why do we tell our kids not to swear when they are going to grow up to do it just like we have? What’s the point? Our culture is going in a direction where everything that once was considered evil or wrong is now somehow becoming appropriate at least in context if not becoming justified all the way around to meet our own growing desires. If you don’t believe me, watch the show Dexter. You fall in love with and begin to root for this serial killer. Not only do you not want to see him get caught, but you look forward to seeing his next kill.  We begin to justify murder as a justified punishment for someone who has done something wrong in our eyes.
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is fact. Believing He is the Son of God is faith. The purpose of Him dying on that cross was to save us from our own destruction – penalty of death and eternal damnation for the sin we’ve committed. After believing all of that to be true (which isn’t very hard in a world where children are awaiting their acceptance letter to Hogwarts and think a man with a large white beard and jolly belly is going to slide down their chimney and bring them presents every 25th of December) and realizing how even though my list of sins seems very short and insignificant to some, I’m just as guilty as someone like Jeffery Dahmer because all sin is equal in God’s eyes. When I accepted Christ’s gift of salvation and made Him Lord of my life He paid the price for my sins and His shed blood covered my sin. I became pure again. That’s been the biggest change. I now live confidently knowing that when I die I’m going to get to spend eternity with Him in heaven. I have peace.

Christianity is the only belief system in which Jesus came to abolish religion instead of create it. It’s not a religion to me. It’s a relationship – one in which I wake up in the morning, pray and read my Bible not because I have to or should, but because I want to. I want to talk to and share my hopes, fears, and dreams with the one who gave His life for me because He loved me so much and I want to hear Him speak wisdom and direction into my life.
So much of our lives are spent trying to please ourselves and make us happy when there is an entire world out there that is suffering emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I don’t live for myself anymore. I live for God and others. I am indebted to Him and have in turn dedicated my life to serving Him wherever He may choose to guide me. I want others to experience His love and mercy and come to know His saving grace. How can I shine His light into a dark world? I have to live a life that’s different than everyone else’s. I’ve never touched alcohol, drugs, or smoked. I don’t party, sleep around, or swear and I’m a nineteen year old freshman in college. I’ve chosen to live my life this way because I hope when people see me they see Jesus by the way I live my life. And that’s exactly why living for yourself and sinning then turning around and asking God for forgiveness shouldn’t be done. Yes, God forgives you, but you look no different from the rest of the world and if you turn around and call yourself a ‘Christian’ after that it looks like you are condoning those wrongful actions making it okay for everyone else as well.  That’s not what it means to live for Christ and make Him Lord of your life. Everything changes when you say that prayer and commit your life to Him. It’s hard not living in the way of the world, but nothing worthwhile was ever easy.

I was saved when I was five years old. I was baptized a year later. I was raised in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday, and went to a private Christian school most of my life. I never got involved in things I shouldn’t have. My beliefs and faith never wavered, but it wasn’t until a year ago that I truly committed my entire life to Christ. This meant giving Him the pen and letting Him write my story – not just a chapter on one aspect of my life but the entire book. It means giving up my wants and my dreams for His will because I don’t want to be anywhere or doing anything that isn’t glorifying to Him. The life He has planned for me is better than any I could imagine for myself and living any of those lives I have imagined would be settling for less than the best.
My ‘religion’ has changed and impacted every aspect of my life. My outlook has been transformed and I’m worry-free. I have the best Comforter and Counselor that fills me with peace. The best part about it is I don’t even have to pay because He paid for it all with His blood.
Right now, God is leading me to start a young women’s Bible study. This Thursday will be our very first meeting and I’m so excited to see how God will use it for His glory! Eric and Leslie Ludy’s book, When God Writes Your Love Story, changed my life so it only seemed fitting that I would teach from Leslie Ludy’s book, Authentic Beauty, as God leads me to reach out to the girls in my generation and guide them in a set apart girl and Proverbs 31 lifestyle. I’ve created a Greater Than > Rubies Facebook group for all you ladies seeking fellowship, answers, and prayer. You can find more information here. I’d also love to hear your testimony and how God is working in your lives!
Hope you all had a lovely Easter!
xo Amanda

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Before You Snap

March 21, 2013 in Behind the Lens

WANTED:

people who call themselves photographers every time they post a picture to Instagram with their iPhone

Every photographer has reached a point where they snap a little. Well, besides snapping a picture, I mean – which they of course do a lot of. We snap because of how easy our job looks. Which I suppose is pretty understandable because the concept of simply pushing a button is what brings our art into existence, but that’s just it … we are bringing art into existence. And that’s exactly what makes our job not so easy peezy. There are two main attributes to photography: the camera and the photographer. You clearly can’t have one without the other. You can have the best camera and high tech equipment in the world, but if you lack the knowledge of how to use it and the vision to create something with it then it’s all for nothing. I’d venture to say nearly every single person owns or has access to a camera of some sort – especially since you can’t buy a phone without one these days. Not to mention, everyone has moments they want to capture for them to hold onto forever and everyone knows how to push a button, but there’s a lot more to it then that and this information is what separates the photographer from the amateur.

Some people are born with an eye for photography, like myself. Everything came naturally to me and I was doing these things and understood them before I even knew what they were called. I don’t claim to be an expert seeing as how photography is a vast ocean of information I’ve only just begun dipping my toes into, but numerous awards and accolades for my work do mean I know enough about what I’m doing to, if nothing else, fool people into thinking I’m talented. Not everyone can be a photographer and as hard as you try things just may not click … and that’s okay. Not everyone is meant to be an artist just like Simon Cowell will tell you not everyone is meant to be a singer. However, I’m going to reveal to you the secrets of how to get a better image so that if that’s the case you can maybe fool someone into thinking you know what you’re doing. By at least trying these techniques, I can guarantee you’ll see an improvement and you’ll have the best family photos that even your relative who’s a photographer might start feeling jealous of.

And just like that my little photography series commences: Behind the Lens. This series isn’t necessarily for the photographer although you may learn some new things along the way, but it’s for those who aren’t artists, yet want to capture the beauty of life God has so richly blessed them with. I’m not going into extensive detail about how to be a photographer because if I revealed all of my secrets to you I’d be out of a job, but at least now you’ll be thinking about the picture you’re going to take before you snap and I’ll live peacefully knowing there are less blurry pictures of food in my Instagram feed.

I’ll leave you with my very first tip which is actually painfully simple and obvious, but is sadly always either forgotten about or ignored. Read your camera manual and learn the settings and features of your camera inside out. Your cammy wants to be your best friend … so get to know it and spend time with it which means shoot, shoot, shoot! Practice makes perfect.

What are you still doing here? Don’t you know how fast new camera models come out? You don’t have all the time in the world to get to know your bestie!

xo Amanda

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Vanilla Honey Bubble Bath

March 13, 2013 in Beauty, DIYs

Ingredients:

olive oil, honey, vanilla extract, baking soda, sea salt, and liquid soap

Mix:

1/2 cup of honey

1 table spoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of oil – I used olive oil for mine

1/2 cup of liquid soap

This makes enough for 8 bubble baths using 1/4 cup at a time per bath.

Optionally, you can add 1 cup of sea salt to help with sore muscles. Only remain in the bath for 20 minutes if you add salt. You can also add a 1/2 cup of baking soda for extra bubbles.

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