Project 52, Week 24

WARNING: Long story ahead and some photography jargon. So if you're not interested, just scroll down to the first picture (the last 2 are not good!)!!

We celebrated Trevor's 30th (gasp) birthday last week. We had a wonderful time with family celebrating this momentous occasion. And drumroll please.....his gift was an iPad!! He has been wanting one for a while, and I decided to get him one (along with my parents and his parents) for his birthday. I wanted it to be a surprise and thought I was doing well. But of course, the UPS man (who has never ever come before 2 pm) came to deliver the iPad on a Tuesday morning (Trev's only weekday morning at home). And I had to sign for it. I told him it was his birthday present but he never saw the box. He didn't bring it up again all morning until calling me when he was almost to work. And his opening line of the convo was "So did you get me a white one or black one?" I could have hurt him. Trev always guesses surprises and I was working so hard to make this one a surprise. I also have a slight problem actually waiting until the day to give him his gift. We are notorious for Christmas gifts exchanged December 15 or so :). Anyway, I digress. I tried to convince him it wasn't an iPad, but instead some small gift (like the weeder he asked for). I worried about the surprise all week, trying to decide how to throw him off the trail.

So long story short, here's how it went down. I planted a seed that maybe my parents were getting him an iPad. I did this because I didn't think I could keep the secret anymore. This was a way for me to get excited too! Mom wrapped her gift ($$) and weighted it down. Present #1 opened and no iPad. His parents got him candy and a shirt, saying they would be him more on our lake trip later this summer. Presents #2 &3. He got wonderful gifts from his sisters, but he wasn't expecting iPads from them :). Then he gets to mine. I wrapped the first present (the weeder) in the iPad shipping box. And can I say he was quite happy to have the weeder. Finally we get to the last present. He opens the large box (weighted with bricks) and finds towels and a smaller package. Buy now he is starting to wonder but isn't really sure. He opens the second package and proceeds to dance around the room!! So it turns out he really had no idea that he was getting an iPad. And all of my worrying and fretting was for nothing. Oh well, at least he was surprised.

Well, Carter also loves the iPad, hence the picture of the week.

This picture was taken with my external flash. Note the wonderful even warm lighting, no harsh skin tones. And this is even SOOC (straight out of the camera).

Now this was taken a few seconds later, but with the pop up flash on the camera

Note the whited out skin tones with the background totally dark. Yuck!!

And the final was taken without flash at all. I bumped my ISO up to 800 (pretty high for a Canon rebel), had my shutter speed way down to 1/60 and aperture opened way up at 1.8. And it's still dark.

Here's a side by side comparison of the 2 flash pictures:

I was worried when I bought the flash that I wouldn't use it. That was a useless worry. I use it quite frequently, but still have lots to learn! Sorry to bore you with a long story and photography jargon. Hopefully you just skipped to the first picture if that's what your here for!

Have a wonderful week!!