Fall Gallery Sneak Peak! ... :) ...

Christmas came early for me a few days ago as I waited patiently for the mail to arrive! ...  at least it seemed like Christmas to me!! ... You see I had placed a rather large order, from my print company, for a variety of prints in several sizes, that will be going into my my Photography Gallery this Fall at Calhoun.  This Gallery is part of my Graduation requirement as a Photography Student at Calhoun.  I have been working diligently all summer with the help of my Mom.  We have been collecting frames and mats (all from Hobby Lobby, catching them at 50% off of course!!) and I have been ordering prints.  I will also include prints from my different classes that I have been taking during my 2 years at Calhoun, everything from my Darkroom Work in Photo I & II to my Studio I & II Classes.  Stay tuned in my blog as well as FaceBook for more details and more "Sneak Peak" Info... but for today here is my "Just like Christmas Surprise" ... So much fun for me!! ...    

These are a few portrait type pictures and the gentleman in the squatting position is a Mongol Man.  I am using several prints that I took in China 2007 that I am SO excited about!  The beautiful big eyed baby girl is Breana's niece from her 1st B'day party.

Yep, these are our 4 babies... Buckli when he sat in the windowsill and the four of them from the "Portrait Session" that I did out front by the mailbox last year...

These pictures are from our Destin trip back in October last year... Morning Glories growing on the Beach!  They were BEAUTIFUL!  and my favorite place to take pictures of the ocean waves hitting the Jettys... when I saw that print and the way it turned out, it literally brought tears to my eyes... call me a sap ... :) ...

Ahhh... yes... my God Story and the 1st Base Seats at last year's Atlanta Braves Game!! These are for my Sports Illustrated portfolio!! :) ... I am so proud of these shots!! ...

and these... I am also very proud of!  God was so good to me once again to allow me to get these shots!!  and when I saw them in 8x10's and I can picture them framed in 11x14 frames double matted!  I can't wait!

My Gallery is scheduled for September 13-23rd at Calhoun Community College ~ Decatur, AL in the Fine Arts Building.  You will be hearing more about it, because you will all be invited to come & see!  I hope you will make plans to be there!  I would love for you to come & see the final images framed & matted!

Capturing Memories & Stopping Moments in time...

Tina :)

http://www.tinawrightphotography.com/

"It's in the Cards..."

Today I change gears slightly as I took time to capture a different memory, in quite a different way and I tried to be diligent in journaling my venture through some photos... I have a deep love and passion for my photography and I also have a strong love and passion for quilting.  It seems like such a long time since I have watched a creative quilting idea blossom from start to finish, and my quilters guild challenge was just the ticket that took me there.  In January of this year the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville  announced the challenge for 2010 and it was entitled "It's in the Cards...". 

I had recently been given a large box of very old photos that included a scrapbook that belonged to my very Precious Grandmother who passed away in 2003.  One of the categories included "Vintage" cards and my hopes were to use one of the "Vintage" cards in the mix and my wheels had already begun to turn.  I began going through the box again and found a handmade card that was made by my Mom in "1945", she was only 7 years old at the time.  My idea sprang forth and this is what I came up with...

I appliqued the Santa and the "1945" calendar after I had them enlarged.  That, I must say was a bit trickier than I anticipated.  The pieces were still a bit smaller than I realized I would be dealing with.  I also had to figure out how to apply the "opening card" to my completed quilt top.  I managed, totally "shooting from the hip" my entire way through this project! :) ... 

Below... the completed project!  Whoo Hoo!  I probably had the most fun with the fabrics that I used.  My Grandmother, sang in a Barbershop "quartet" group called The Sweet Adelines, I used some of the fabric from her former costumes mixed in with new fabrics in the quilt top. The bottom picture is of the back of the quilt.  This is made from a Santa Apron that my Grandmother wore nearly every Christmas! My family wanted me to have it because they knew I would wear it at Christmastime.  I wanted to share it, and now we will always know exactly where it is every Christmas!... You see... I entitled this Quilt, To: Mother  ... I did this for two reasons.  The inscription my Mom wrote inside the card reads (in several places) To Mother but this will also be my Mom's Surprise Birthday gift on August 29th this year!  To my knowledge she doesn't even realize that scrapbook was in that box of old photos! ... You can bet I will let you all know about her reaction in August! :) ... 

As an added bonus... at last night's HQH Meeting the quilts were displayed and voted on in numerous categories.  My quilt won 2nd Place! (now... now... there were only 2 in the "Vintage Category" ... :) ... but truly I felt very blessed to have the honor!  It was for my Grandmother! ... and my Sweet, Sweet Mom ... (I got such a Wonderful bag full of goodies and a RIBBON!) What an honor and so much fun! ... You can read more about the meeting on my sweet friend Denise's blog! We have amazing quilters in the area, as I walked around the room all I could say was WOW! (It was very intimidating to know that mine was hanging there with all of the other, more than amazing pieces of true art!) ... But, I was proud that I did it, I finished a project, and trust me, it was all done with love...

Thanks for allowing me to share these memories, stitched up in about 24x18 inches!  Actually... because of a card made by my 7 year old Mother (at the time) who will celebrate her 72nd birthday on August 29th this year!  Personally, I think that's kind of neat! (who knew that such a card would inspire me so) Can I just say I love a sweet story, and a quilt and a picture wrapped up full of them ...

Capturing Memories and Stopping Moments in Time,

Tina :)

http://www.tinawrightphotography.com/

Freedom Celebration in Panorama...

This picture was taken at 3:30 just when everyone was beginning to arrive...

(This view is from the base of the stage) 

I wanted to set up the same shot when most of the people were in their places... (This one was taken around 6:30 and my view was from on the stage) ... 

I was so excited this year I had an escort onto the roof of our church for this shot!!

This was taken from the opposite side on the roof!  I felt so privileged!! :) ...

These are my first attempts at "Panorama" and Stitching together in Photoshop!  I may be hooked!... except that the files are so large that I couldn't post them as Face Book Albums (I have to work on downsizing the files...)  In the meantime I thought that this was the best way to share them for now... Even though you need a magnifying glass to see them!!  At least you have an idea of the THOUSANDS (estimated around 20,000) folks who were wandering around the campus of Flint River Baptist Church on Sunday Afternoon!  Yes... I do believe there is "Life At The River" ... :) ...  and many of them we prayerfully touched on Sunday afternoon/evening! 

Capturing Memories... & Stopping (& Stitching) Moments in Time,
Tina :) ...
http://www.tinawrightphotography.com/