I Heart Faces Photo Entry for Week 41: I HEART BEEF

This is officially my very first I HEART FACES entry and Im super excited. Im hoping to participate more often. 

Just a little background about my photo entry; I was given an opportunity to practice my photography skills at our signature restaurant Pelagia Trattoria. They just rolled out their new Seasonal Menu and the Filet of Beef Entree is to die for!!! I love it! I photographed about eight new entrees and the beef was my favorite one.

EVERYONE who enters a photo into this week’s challenge and uses the button below in their post is entered to win a $250 gift certificate for Nolan Ryan’s beef!!

A random winner will be selected and announced on Saturday with the judge’s top 10 choices! Winner will be able to use the gift certificate online or at their local grocery store. You must have the following button in your post to be eligible to win.



Week 2 | Introduce Yourself to the Peeps

Week 2 | 52 Weeks of Awesomeness Photo Journey


Since I'm trying to catch up I'm doing a double post today to have an entry for Week 2.


This photo was taken after a Zumbathon I participated in at Shapes in Wesley Chapel. A 3 hour full of fun fun fun Zumba session for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

52 Weeks of Awesomeness! | Heidelberg Germany Photographer

52 Weeks of Awesomeness! | Heidelberg Germany Photographer

Got this from Kim Kravitz Photography and I'm so excited to participate. Thanks Kim for sharing this, I look forward to this Photography journey : )

Here's my Week 1 photo taken yesterday at Al Lopez Park in Tampa, FL. This cutie pie is my god daughter Amarelyss, enjoying the day out at the park during a friend's little girl's birthday celebration. 

It was a beautiful day out and I made sure I brought my camera with me everywhere I went.

( f5.6 / Shutter 1/80 sec. / ISO 200 / No Flash / Aperture Priority / Minor Editing using Lightroom 2)

Renaissance Tampa Hotel

Click here to view these pictures larger

Love Your Shot! Link-Up Entry

I have been wanting to participate on I Heart Faces Photo Contests but never had the time and worst of all the confidence to make an entry. Now, I think I built up enough courage and Love That Shot! (www.lovethatshot.com) is doing a Favorite Face Photo contest, which I found through I Heart Faces.

I have been following I HEART FACES and witnessed how many people out there have such great talent on photography and most refuse to be called professionals but base on their work they might as well be. Some entries are from hobbyist (non-professional) like me who never in a million years thought of becoming a Photography enthusiast, until my husband bought me my very first DSLR for my birthday two years ago. Point and shoot and that's about it, now I often delay posting my pictures to share because I have to scan through them first and make sure the ones I'm sharing are worth looking at lol, when I go on automatic mode I feel like I'm cheating lol. I do minor editing since I really don't want to manipulate the photo too much.

You know what they say once you go DSLR you never go back : ) I still have lots to learn, and I HEART FACES (www.iheartfaces.com) contribute a lot to my knowledge in photography.

Here's my "Love Your Shot" Favorite Face: This is a photo of my baby niece that I took when she turned 11 months old two days ago. This photo was taken using my Canon Rebel xs with a lens kit (18-55mm) with Image Stabilizer. She's super cute and moves so fast that I just kept my camera on Shutter Priority (TV) so I can keep up with her. ( f/5 with flash on at 1/200 ISO 400) I processed it on Lightroom 2 for some minor editing and to add a boarder.

Aren's 1st Birthday !!!

It is definitely fun to be one!

Aren with his Mom & Dad blowing the candle

At first when we walked in the clubhouse I thought to myself "is this a photographer's convention?" lol but its Aren's birthday party. His dad, Kryston,  is a photographer so thats a given aside from diaper bags he has camera bags with him to capture his little man's birthday. Aren's uncle and aunts are hobbyist (a blog term for DSLR owners who are  not professionals but are interested in photography) like me so there's about six DSLR cameras there just flashing away. If I was Aren I would be like "wow! this is what being a celebrity feels like." I was not able to take tons of pics but I was able to capture a few good ones. Kryston gave me the chance to try out his external flash and it is AWESOME!!! and I want one like NOW! But I still need to save up for it. The lighting is so much better and I was shooting on MANUAL mode which I always get so nervous to use. The photos came out great in my opinion, check it out for yourself:

The Birthday Boy!!!

Look at those long eyelashes

Balloons are always fun

Party Favors!

My husband TJ posing for the camera

I love this shot! Aren showing Carlo, my brother in law something.

"Aren, wanna come with me?" Carlo, "uuummm should I?" Aren

Ruth's pretty daughter Jade

Fondue Party!

The Dang's offered to bring some soup and meat for the fondue party. We love to eat and we took the opportunity to make it a party.

Fun time with friends and family!

Day Care?

What are they looking at?

My handsome Daddy Romeo

Whats a party without awesome food?

With my Mother in law and Ontoy

Pennie looking cute

She's ready to be a grandma

Professional Mom

My pretty mother dear

Neil, oh yeah he loves the camera

Sleepy Baby May