Practice and Promotion

I have been UP and DOWN about my new lens. The first day I got it most of my pictures were a bit soft and I was expecting razor sharp images. It didn't happen, and it was so frustrating.
The second day was much better. I love how the lens feels in my hands but I don't feel very comfortable with the focal length - 85mm. I always have to be too far away or I am too close to capture what I have in mind. I guess it is a thing I will get used to. This was my experience with my family when I have to stay close to my kids. 50mm - focal length would be a perfect walk around lens.

Today we were in the beautiful Irvine SPECTRUM shopping center to do some Promo with KING KRUK so here are a few pictures from the day and a new experience with the 85L.

I got it !

I got it ! I am so so happy ! It has been about 2 weeks since I started researching a new lens. The time came. I sold my lenses and set my mind on a 85mm f/1.2 L. The lens came today and as much as my kids let me I had some fun with it. It is so exciting I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Everything about it is new to me : aperature, that it is a prime lens, weight ( now it feels just right )

AF as they say is a little slow but I chose excellent image quality over speed. My new baby is home :)

! CANON LENSES FOR SALE !

If anybody is interested I am selling two of my CANON lenses.
They come with original boxes, lens' hoods and one of them has a canon case ( the L one ) Both of them come with two kinds of HOYA filters - UV and POLARIZING.

PLEASE E MAIL ME FOR DETAILS AT alex.kruk@live.com


CANON EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
950$ ---- SOLD ----




CANON EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
450$ ---- SOLD ----

This is how I do it No.1

Inspired by other photographers I have decided to sometimes share how I edit my pictures,and what I know,to perhaps help others just a little bit. I have never taken any courses in how to do these things everything that I have learned has been by trial and error. I don't apply the same method every time as I like to approach each photo uniquely. It is more like when I feel the picture looks right then I stop processing. I don't have Photoshop, or Photoshop Light Room - I use Photoshop Elements. It was the best option I could afford. I am still learning.

This first picture is straight from the camera using my Canon 50 mm F/1.8

f/1.8 1/100sec ISO 100
No flash

I am still testing this lens ( it was 60$ ) I am pretty happy with what I get but the lens is very slow and it is focusing way too slow ! What I love is the aperture-1.8 !!!

BEFORE



The second picture is after processing and this is what I did
I pulled the picture to Photoshop Elements
1. I adjusted the sharpness amount 150% radius 4.0 %
2. I did saturation +5
3. I brushed the chin with brush tool, opacity 30% - there were some red spots

AFTER




Not much but small details make this picture perfect. I love it. I love it because of the colors, all blues and browns that go so well together and that cute face of my baby just made it !
Goodnight !

--- Fresh New look ---

There is always a time that comes when I get bored with what I wear, with my hair, with my furniture, with the colors around me, etc , so I know it is time for changes!! Sometimes the small move of a sofa or table makes a big difference. This time though the time came for my website ! I got so bored of its old black look I decided to change it. I went white ! Something completely opposite what I had before - soft, delicate,a fresh look. I am still working on it in between taking care of my two sick children. I am posting this now because.... I am impatient.
Please go and check out what I did and let me know what you think. I will appreciate every comment.


GO TO www.alexkruk.com TO SEE MORE !


And of course, I can do all of that just thanks to showit
Now I DO HAVE control on my website !!

My new two favourite things

First place is going to my new MOP -The Bissell STEAM MOP I just got from my mom. It is actually the best thing I have ever had to clean floors. I am telling you, I have three kids and a garden. The floor needs to be cleaned every single day BUT it is just impossible, with buckets, and soaps and kids. First we got a Swiffer - way to expensive and what I think it is just spreading soap over dirty floors. You need to buy pads all the time ! OUR new mop is just awesome, you just poor water, no chemicals and it cleans EVERYTHING like nothing else. It is fresh, clean and so easy to use. I love it ! I love it ! I love it !

-- So good for our environment as you never have to use any chemicals !! --

The second thing is my new i phone. I just got it. The story is that my Max got rid of my old phone by putting it to the toilet. I was looking for it for days, and after maybe a week we found it... in the toilet. Destroyed. The next choice was i phone, I love it and I got it just for 30 bucks - as refurbished - - great deal to me :) Now it is a time to learn what my i phone can do for me.

Test the lens

When I got my camera one year ago it was such a shot in the dark ! I did not know anything about taking pictures with professional equipment, I did not know anything about cameras , lenses, I just knew I liked CANON. So here is how I got my camera....


I thought that full frame meant something cool and there was only 5D on the market so I got it ...on the Internet. It came with my 24-105 F/4 L lens. I was shocked when the zoom wasn't like it was on my compact camera ( 12 times ) ...I was kinda disappointed at first and that made me start learning about lenses. As I was impatient about buying my equipment I very quickly bought a crappy zoom lens and very cheap 50mm F1.8 lens ( it was 60$ )


Now I know a lot but I do not have money for all the best lenses I would love to have. I am still not sure if my next buy should be a 50mm f/1.2 L or 24-70 f/2.8 L Actually I would love to have both with an extra body 5D mark II :D ... but I don't have money





So today I took my cheap 50mm to try it out since now I know more about taking pictures. I don't have to say much. I was very surprised, I mean IT WAS 60 BUCKS ! Just look at the pictures STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMERA !! NO PROCESSING !! not bad for the $$!

Come back with Happy Halloween post !

Ooooooo wow! Time goes by so fast. I haven't been here for such a long long time. So many weeks went by and my camera was in her bag too.... too long ! After shopping, disigning, putting our house together, parenting, cleaning, I just put my blog, my camera, my passion away. How much I missed it! There were pictures here or there but finally I have a night to write something, put pictures together ... maybe even more than one post.



So.... HALLOWEEN. I love it ! Even though it is not my thing to do because in Europe there is no such thing as Halloween. We have the day of the dead but it is the first of November and it is a day of sadness and memories of your dead relatives. We light candles on their graves , we put some flowers we spend a very quiet time with our families.



Here, it is all about party, candy and costiumes. We spent many hours with our kids getting ready decorations like a huge spider's web, ghosts, monsters around our doorway. We all had costumes as it is so much more fun for the kids when we do fun things with them. I was a witch, my oldest son was a scary jester, Lilly as a cute butterfly fairy - Barbie Mariposa, and Max ...he just wore a bone suit. Actually he was done just afer he got his first lolypop :)



Here some pictures of the day













booooo SCARY ! ;)