Long LONG time no post!!! 2 for CC & a mini update on me :o)

Hey gals long time no post! So much to update! I am no longer employed as of a few months ago and am home with my DD now. It was a blessing in disguis since it has given me the opportunity to get so much closer to my DD. She was in preschool 10-12 hours a day and we were becoming strangers to her :(. It is amazing how everything happens for a reason! DH and I are so much closer as well... so close that we are expecting our second LO in February! We are so excited and feel so blessed to have "our family" back. Anyway, we had some friends over and I snapped a few adorable photos of their son and my chocolate Lab. They were so adorable together in this photo that I thought I would make use of some of these crazy first trimester sleep patterns (EXHAUSTED during the day and awake at night) and clean the photo up a bit LOL. I would have cloned out my Labradors collar but could NOT bring myself to remove the American Flag (that and I LOVE plaid) LOL. Looking forward to getting back on here and getting to know all the new and talented photogs on here and reuniting with the "old" ones too!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-nJkf...-nJkffMd-M.jpg


I am LOVING this black and white conversion (makes the different colored plaid less distracting too LOL)

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-5bs7...-5bs7Wrt-M.jpg


And here is the shot SOOC - ISO100, f/2, SS:1/200, 50mm

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-9KGH...-9KGH8Fq-M.jpg


And one quick pic (no need for CC) of my DD snapping some pics along with me at a pier... She LOVES to shoot!

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._9309922_n.jpg

Welcome back, so glad that even though you are no longer working you can see it as a blessing.

For me it's absolutely wonderful to raise a child and not have to work full time. I've done both. With DD1 I worked and went to college then started working full time when I was done school. DD2 I took 18 months off after her birth then I started back at work part-time (3 days a week), for me this is the perfect balance, gets me out of the house and around adults and brings in money but I still get to raise my kid, to some degree. The benefit to her is that I have her in Montessori school when I work so she is learning way more then I could teach.

Congrats on the pregnancy, hope its a happy and healthy one.

I love the processing you've done on the picture with the boy and the dog, love seeing the interactions between kids and pets.
Not a fan of your picture on the pier, little too soft. Glad your daughter shares your passion for photography.

Good to see you! I'm glad things worked out so well for you, and you found good in the bad.

As far as CC goes, I think the boy and dog picture is so sweet! The edit is nice, but I'd clean up where you did the cloning. There's some soft edges where it should be a little harder.

That's so cute that your daughter love to take pictures too! My oldest likes to as well. I agree with Amanda that it's a bit of a soft edit, but such a sweet moment :)

Welcome back!