A Day with Hannah and Kate

"Okay, Hannah.  The ____ address."  "A wedding dress!"

"Big blue lady in New York!" "Statue of Liberty!" "I thought she was green!"

"It's a control freak boat!"

"Let's gang up on her!"

Those are just a few of the funny quotes that resulted from spending a day with my dear friends, Hannah and Kate.  They were in town for a little over a week, and we "got" them for an entire day, which was so much fun!  It was so great to see them and have time to hang out with them.  We went to a neat old-town area to take pictures.

Here's Hannah, Kate, and my sister, Emily.  We hadn't seen Hannah and Kate since Christmas, so it's so nice to be able to take a picture of the three of them together.

We had a great time taking pictures on the train tracks at the station in town.  It was pretty impressive that all three girls were able to balance on the rail at the same time!

Of course, we had to take a classic walking off into the distance shot.

After we left the train tracks, we found some other spots at the station to take pictures, like this cool red door.  I love this picture of Hannah!

Then it was Kate's turn!  Both these girls are so pretty.

Okay, so let me tell you a little bit about Hannah.

She's really fun to be around, and she's very kind and caring.  She's a good friend.

She's also very patient, and it's cool to see how she puts her trust in God through lots of different circumstances.

Kate is so sweet.  I'm really glad she's my friend, too.

She's very gentle and thoughtful, and she's good at asking people questions and making them feel included.

She's also super fun to be around.  Seriously, I laugh so hard with both Kate and Hannah.  They're really joyful, which is such a great thing.

And then there's my sister, Emily.  I love her so much.  She's the best sister in the whole wide world, and my best friend, too.  I love how she makes me laugh and always cares for me by asking me questions and spending time with me.

It was so great to spend time with all three of these really fun girls the other day.  We made so many memories, from finding purple glasses and an old curling iron, to building world-class Lego creations (if I do say so myself), to playing several lively rounds of Catch Phrase, to eating lots of ice cream and brownies.  It was a wonderful day, and I hope we get to do it again soon - maybe next time with Hannah and Kate's other two sisters, as well!

Survey Time

I created a survey to help me get a feel for why you all read my blog, and also get your input on how I can improve it! I made a seperate survey page, so please check it out and take a couple minutes to complete the survey. I'd so appreciate it! You can check out the survey right here, or you can click the image.

Ellie

My good friend Ellie, who you've seen before on my blog, had the brilliant idea that we interview each other about our business and other personal information, and post the answers to the questions on our blogs.  So we did it.  And we uncovered fascinating information.

But first, let me tell you a couple things about Ellie.  She's a photographer and she really, really loves it.  A lot.  She's good at it, too.

She is the oldest of six siblings - five girls and an adorable baby boy.  She's an amazing servant, and loves her family so deeply.  It's really cool to see her love on her younger siblings.  She also has a real passion for God, and seeks Him with her whole heart.

Besides all of that, Ellie is good at answering questions. :)  So I'll let the her answers speak for themselves.

Q: What is your favorite flavor of jelly beans?
A: Sour jelly beans and bubblegum ones.
Q: What is your favorite type of photo shoot?
A: Family shoots, because I love to capture the connections between family members.
Q: Who are your favorite photographers?
A: I'm Kristen and Megan Russell.  I also like to look at children's clothing photography for inspiration.

Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Yellow, because it's bright, cheerful, and I painted my closet with it.
Q: What are some of your other pastimes, besides photography?
A: Running, interior design, emailing, and collecting vintage items.
Q: What are your favorite places to shop?
A: Target and any book store.  Also, I like looking at Etsy.

Q: What people, besides your parents, have influenced you the most?
A: Jonathan Edwards, Randy Alcorn, Elyse Fitzpatrick, and my grandmother.
Q: If you could have any camera and lenses you wanted (money is no object), what would you pick?
A: Canon 5D, 50mm f/1.2, and a really good zoom lens.
Q: What is your favorite Bible verse?
A: Revelation 5:11-13.  It's a great example of how we are to worship God.

Q: What do you love about having a photography business?
A. It doesn't feel like a business, and it doesn't really seem like work because it's so creative and fun.
Q: What is your dream for photography?
A. Being the main photographer for a wedding, and doing extended family photo shoots.  Seriously, I so want to photograph extended families!  If you book a session with me for an extended family shoot (meaning: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.), I will give you a free 8x10 print and a free 5x7 print.

Ellie, thanks for being such a faithful friend to me!  Love you, girl!

And to all you folks, please go take a look at Ellie's website, and maybe even book a session today!  Especially if you want her to photograph your extended family, please pretty please talk to her about it.  As noted above, she will give you free stuff.

ellie b photography

www.elliebphotos.com

Elise Photography Watermarks

Elise of Elise Photography asked me to design a logo for her that she could use as a watermark for her photos.  I thought this would be a great project, and I was so happy to accept it!  It was fun to try out different designs and experiment in Adobe Illustrator as I designed.  We went through a pretty big variety of designs during the process, from things like this with Elise's initials...

...to designs featuring the full name of Elise's business.

In the end, though, Elise picked this design, which features just her name.  I'm glad she picked this one, because I really liked it too.

Elise, thank you so very much for letting me design your photography watermark!  It was a great project for me, and I'm so glad that we're both happy with the end result.

Friday Finds

I've decided to start a new tradition on my blog: Friday Finds.  On some Fridays, I'm going to post a picture and a link to something I've found recently, something that I thought was cool.  I'm not sure if I'll do this every Friday or not, or if it will be in place of or in addition to another post - I'm going to leave it kind of flexible.  Eventually, though, I'll have a little collection on my blog of things that I like.  Hopefully I'll come across some things that you like too.

I was inspired to do this project as I was looking at the Write. Click. Scrapbook Tumblr site.  That little extension of the normal Write. Click. Scrapbook blog is named a "bulletin board," and the posts are just fun things that the bloggers have come across.  I thought it might be fun to do a similar thing on my own blog.  In fact, two of the Friday Finds posts I have coming up are for things that I found on the Write. Click. Scrapbook Tumblr!

I surely hope you enjoy this series as much as I expect to myself.  Also, if you have anything you've found that you think I should include in a Friday Finds posts, please comment, contact me, or email me at carrie[at]carrieannedesign[dot]com.  I'd love to incorporate some of your finds, too.

Safely Home and Satisfaction

I recently read a book called Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.  It's a very good book.  It's well-written, enthralling, and encouraging.  I would recommend it.

The story centers around two men, one who is a Chinese man being persecuted for his Christian faith, and the other who is an American entrepeneur who doesn't have a strong Christian faith.  These two are former college roomates, and during the story, they meet up again in China.  The book provides what I believe to be a very realistic picture of what persecution in China is really like.  And it also contrasts that with the luxury of modern day America.

One section in Safely Home that really stood out to me was a part about where we should find our true satisfaction.  It takes place near the very end of the book, as one of the characters is talking with Jesus in Heaven, called Charis in the story.  I thought this quote was especially insightful.

"When you longed for a great house in that world," the King said, "you were longing for my house.  You just didn't know it.  My children there never dream too big, you know.  They dream too small.  Like Ben Fielding once did, they set their sights far too low.  They choose to play in the mud on a cold rainy day when I offer them open green meadows in the sun, clear flowing streams, majestic mountains, and endless beaches and blue skies that stretch to the stars themselves, starts that are gateways into innumerable words beyond.  The sons of Adam try so hard to be satisfied with so little--which keeps them from ever being satisfied at all."

I thought it was very interesting that this quote says that we as humans set our sights too low on earthly things, instead of on the good things God has for us and on Heaven.  I've always thought about this concept in the reverse: we need very little on earth, so we need to be content with less.  I think that's a true and helpful statement, even after reading Safely Home.  But this quote in particular helped me to see that we actually need to want more than we want now.  We need to desire and find our satisfaction in what God has for us, not even the best earthly goods.  We need to aim higher, not lower.

Isn't that an interesting way of looking at things?

My Design Gear

So, since I've told you all about what I use for photography, my hobby, I thought I'd let you in on what I use for design, my job. 

Hands down, Adobe rules the graphic design software industry.  In my limited knowledge of software, nothing comes close to Adobe Creative Suite.  However, when I first started getting into design, I didn't have any Adobe programs.  So I used Microsoft Word.  Now, I think Word is a great program for, well...words.  If you're going to write a paper or an outline or a list, it's the obvious choice.  But for design, it leaves a little to be desired.  Or a lot. :) 

So after my Word era, and until a month or two ago, I used Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.  Elements is, in my experience, a great starter program for photographers and designers.  It's not the "real" Photoshop, but it has strong photo editing tools as well as a user-friendly interface, and tools enough to do some nice design.

However, there are things that it doesn't do well, like drawing.  You can draw in PSE, but the tools are nothing compared to the sophisticated ones you would find in the Adobe Creative Suite.  Really, Elements is designed more for photographers than designers, and while it's a great program and I still love it, I wanted something a little more design-oriented as I began starting my business.  So I got Adobe CS5 Design Standard.

There are still countless things I don't know about the three programs that came with it, and I have so very, very much to learn.  I really don't know my way around all that well yet, but from what I have learned, these programs are absolutely great.  There doesn't seem to be much, if anything, you can't do in these programs.  I'll take a look at each program one by one. 

First off, Photoshop CS5.  It's basically Elements on steroids.  In addition to all the great tools Elements has, the full version of Photoshop can run actions, do a greater variety of image adjustments, and has better text control tools for design.  I tend to use Photoshop for all my photo editing, as well as some design projects that include photos, like blog headers.

Photoshop is really a great program that I love using.  It's also been an easier transition from Elements, since it's pretty similar in the way the controls and interface work.

I also got Adobe Illustrator CS5.  This program is basically for what it sounds - illustrating things and creating images.  I like to use this for most of my design work these days.  It's drawing tools are excellent, and I'm beginning to get a bit more comfortable with it as I use it more.

I've liked using Illustrator so far, but I know there is still so much more to uncover about it!  I'm looking foward to continuing to explore it in the days to come.

The third and final program I use for design is Adobe InDesign CS5.  Even though I haven't used it too much yet, I can already see the benefits of InDesign.  It's made for layout purposes, and is really good at maneuvering text and arranging things like brochures, newsletters, and magazine layouts.

So those are the programs I use for design!  I absolutely love Adobe, and if you're interested in exploring graphic design, there's no other programs I could recommend more.  Photoshop Elements is a great place to start, or even before that, start experimenting with graphics in Word!  It does leave more than a little to be desired in the way of design software, but it can do a lot more than you'd think.

I did not take any of the pictures in this post. They are from Google.

My Photography Gear

I thought it might be fun to do a post about my photography gear.  It's nothing too fancy.  I don't have lots of huge lenses or flashes or strobes or anything like that.  I take pictures with what I have because I think it's fun and I enjoy it as a hobby.

I shoot with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS.  It's a great camera.  Even though it's a bottom-of-the-line Canon dSLR, it's really all that I need in a camera, and I've been so pleased with it in during the five months I've had it.

So far as lenses go, I have an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens that came with the camera.  It's fine for a starter lens, but it struggles in low light because the shutter really can't go fast enough with this lens to avoid blur...unless you want to turn the flash on, that is.

My second lens is the 50mm f/1.8 lens.  This is a prime lens, which means it doesn't zoom, but I love it all the same, and the lack of zooming hasn't been too big a factor.  Sure, there are times when I want a wider view than this lens can offer.  Those are the times I pull out the 18-55mm from my bag.  And there are also times where I'd love to zoom in super close, like 100 or 200mm.  Those are the times I momentarily hope for a telephoto and then settle for the shots I can get with the 50mm.  The amazingly great thing about the "nifty fifty," though, is the fact that it can get a huge depth of field with low f-stops like f/1.8.  You can focus on such a small part of the subject and come up with some cool shots.

But overall, the 50mm is by far my favorite lens, and it stays on my camera most of the time.

So those three things are my main pieces of gear.  I also use Tiffen protection filters, just for peace of mind's sake.  If I were ever to drop a lens on the ground, I'd so much rather have a fairly cheap filter break than the lens itself.

My camera bag is just a plain old tech travel bag - not Canon brand or anything, but it does the job.  Honestly, though, I sometimes just throw my camera (not literally of course!) into a big purse and take it along that way.  Add in a couple fuzzy washcloths for good measure, and you have padding for the camera and an emergency method for removing melted chocolate and other such substances from your fingers, should the need arise.

Now, as you can see, I'm a Canon girl, but that doesn't mean I'm a Nikon hater. :)  Some of my good friends use Nikons, and I really don't think one is necessarily better than the other.  I just like Canon, personally.

So, for all you photographers out there, what is your gear?  What do you use and why do or don't you like it?

I did not take any of the pictures in this post.  They are from Google.

Back Home

I'm back from the retreat I went to this weekend!  It was exhausting but so good - the messages and worship were both wonderful!  God definitely showed me more of Himself.

I have lots of things coming up on the blog, but for now, I want to leave you with the lyrics to a song we sang at the retreat that I just love.  It's called "Lead Me to the Cross," by Hillsong United, and it reminds me that the cross of Christ is the most important thing, and what I need more awareness of each day.

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss

Chorus:
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and tried
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss

Bridge:
To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

If you want to listen to the song, you can do so by clicking here.

Going Out of Town

I'm taking a little hiatus from the blog for the next several days while I'm away at a retreat for my church.  The theme is increasing our zeal and passion for God.  I can't wait to see what God will teach me this year!

I'll be back soon!  I've got some stuff planned for the blog, so keep your eyes out!

Ikea Inspiration

I went to Ikea yesterday with some of my very good friends.  It was so fun--as always--to spend time with them, and also to look at all the neat things at Ikea.  Oh, lunch was good too.  Swedish meatballs and french fries are hard to forget.  I took a bunch of pictures yesterday, but I ended up deleting a large percentage of them because, as much as I love Ikea, it's not exactly the prime photoshoot location lighting-wise.  But I thought I'd share a few of my photographs as a way of letting you know what things I really liked.  I got some neat design ideas, too, so it was an inspirational trip as well as a fun one.

To start off with, they have a little recycling center near the return and customer service section.  The signs were pretty neat.

I like the thick lines and the fact that the recycling symbol is an outline as opposed to just a boring shape.

On the outside of the store, there is lots of signage and words - all in a uniform sans serif font.  I noticed the way this same font keeps appearing all over Ikea, on the inside and on the outside.  It even made its way onto the string containers.

And the exit sign...

The brilliantly designed help wanted posters also use the same font.

I like the simplicity of the poster design, the repitition of three posters, and of course, the creative slogan.  Ikea has really thought through their marketing.

I saw this amazingly cool couch inside with a knitted pattern on it.  And yet... it was just printed, not knitted!  I want to try something like this myself soon.

There were lots of cool art pieces in the showrooms and in the art and framing section of the marketplace.

I really like this alphabet art.  The color combination is great (I'm a big fan of red), and the scattered red letters add impact.  In fact, I just now noticed that it's the vowels that have been turned red, and the consonants are black.  I love the ingenuity!

This black and white flower photography also caught my attention.  The conversion is unique and different from most I've seen.  I want to try it.

I also thought these pieces of scribbly paint stroke art were interesting.

And this number poster was just too fun.  This is something I'd love to try sometime as well.

Ikea also has some very well done packaging for their products, like these battery packages, for example.  Watch out, Duracell...because I don't think I've ever seen a more creative box of batteries.

Even the batteries themselves are bright yellow!  How cool is that?

I also really loved this poster that I saw more than once in Ikea.

I love the way the font stays consistent, but there is variation in type size as well as between capitals and lowercase letters.  This is a concept I'll definitely keep in my arsenal.

And finally, last but not least, the lamp.  Oh wow.  Ikea has come up with some amazing lighting ideas.

All those flowers are made of paper!  Isn't that so neat?  There are many more great lamps, too.  This is just one.  I'll leave you with one last, closer up picture of the lamp.

It was a great day at Ikea, and I loved all the neat inspiration I got!

College Letter Design: Part Three

This is the last post in my college letter design series.  The first of the last college letters we're going to take a peek at today is from...

Skidmore College
I just love the outside of this college's letter.  It's simple, it grabs your attention, and it's cool.

The use of white space is excellent, the color variation in the text provides need visual interest, and the question format, like I've talked about before, is a great way to get the viewer to open up the flap and see what the rest of the note has to say.  Another upside to this cover is that it still looks good even when there have been smudges and smears due to being mailed and being stored.

However, I was rather disappointed with the rest of the design for this letter.  In contrast to the nearly genius cover, the inside is...well, rather ordinary.

There's nothing exactly bad about the design (except maybe the black cartoons at the top and on the unseen side), but it's just very average.  The photo is mediocre, with a lack of crisp focus and a wildly blown out sky.  The font choice, even though it's the same as the font on the cover, seems less stunning in this context.  Also, the balance of color in the multi-colored text is horrible.  There's much more lime green than any other color, and even the other three colors don't liven up the same amount of letters.  While the overall design of Skidmore's brochure is far superior to many others, I think it would have been so much better if they had retained some of the design of the front when making the inside.

Now, for the final college letter, we will take a look at...

Northwestern University

The envelope for this letter rocks.  Here it is.

This is one of the most interesting envelopes I've seen.  I love the variety of colors, but also the way the colors don't seem overpowering.  And a good envelope, for me at least, makes me want to see what's inside.  And what's inside this envelope is a little booklet with a cover like this.

I honestly think the cover of the booklet is very boring.  It also can't seem to decide if it wants to be like the envelope or different from the envelope.  If the designer had chosen one or the other, I think it would've been stronger.  But the inside pages completely make up for it.

The use of white space is excellent, and I really like the fun yet slightly muted colors.  The contrast between font styles and colors is also well done.  I like the way the fonts complement each other, even though one is serif and one is sans serif.  The continuity throughout the whole book is also great.  The other pages compliment, but don't exactly copy each other.

The photographs on the inside pages are also good ones, which is very important since they're standing alone on a full page.  I really like the design of this booklet - Northwestern did a good job.

And that concludes the series.  Thanks for reading!