Photography: Trial and Error and Error....

I LOVE photography.

I love to look at it, I love to practice it, and I love following blogs with good photographers. 

But I have yet to take a class, and I feel my skills are lacking. I really want to get good at it!

You see, I love to practice on my dog (because he is so cute), but whenever we take him out to good photography spots, he gets a little too excited, and most my pictures end up like this:

or like this

(he loved chasing the birds)

Every now and then I catch an okay one

Or a goofy one

By they are few and far between

Now I have read hundreds of tips online and such, but I want to know what really works for you!
What quick and successful tips do you have for taking pictures?
(It doesn't have to be just action/dog shots, I like taking still shots too)

We did have a lot of fun at the park though :D

Also.......

I celebrated my birthday not too long ago, and look at my amazing cake!

Yes, its a Mrs. Pac Man

And yes, that is an upside down stuffed Mario mushroom in the background.

It was a great 22nd birthday!

Anyhoo, have a great week and leave me your photography secrets!
 ( please ;D )

P.S. These are a couple of my favorite photography bloggers. Their blogs are not focused around photography, but they always include multiple excellent photos in each blog post all taken by them!

http://manditremayne.blogspot.com/

http://tracys-trinkets-treasures.blogspot.com/

http://russandselena.blogspot.com/

You.Are.Awesome

Are you ever like.....
           "Damn, I'm awesome!"


if so....
   What are you doing that makes you say that?

I wanna know what brings you to that high point. That thing that gives you adrenaline that makes you feel on top of the world.


For me its usually right after I successfully jam out to a good song....
.... or after I beat an Expert level Sudoku puzzle.

I'm pretty sure this little guy thinks that phrase every day....

Or at least he should think it....because he is!!

This is one of Snoop's favorite places in the house, with one of his beat up toys that he left there.

Have a great week!

The Best Of....

No, not the best of The High Tide, but the best of Kassie Amber Stewart(Kleifgen)'s life.

(me)

No, i'm not jumping off the edge of the earth, or dying or anything, 

But there were a lot of great times that were had before this blog was born, and I believe some credit is due.

 These memories have shaped me

(warning, there are a lot of pictures)

I challenge you to listen to this amazing song while reading...

go ahead and skip to 0:17

Some of my fondest memories....

My first dog, Buffy

My first dance recital, with a woman who ended up being like my 2nd mom, RIP Bev

Back when I played sports (Jr high-ish, fourth in from the left)

The most epic Disneyland trip of all time (high school choir trip)- 3 days of complete freedom and fun

My adorable niece and nephew

Great times with good friends

Meeting/dating the love of my life

My amazing dance company, Encore

Getting Engaged

Graduation

Our little baby

ANDDD the happiest day of my life

Looking through these photos was like a timeline of my most treasured moments in life. There are many more moments that I think of frequently, and always bring a smile to my face, like these ones, that I left out. 

Consider this an electronic photo album of my life up until now. 

I will never forget these memories.

And I can't wait to see the memories that are in store for the future!

<3

What are your happiest times?

I'm better than a real world quest.

First off, I'd like to introduce you to me with no braces.....

Yes, after the double re-constructive jaw surgery that I have been wanting since I was ten and finally got about a year ago, AND lots and lots of work before and after it, it has finally paid off. 

Not only do I not have headaches every.single.day, and no longer does my jaw click or ache in pain constantly, but my confidence level has risen from about a 30% to a 75%.  Wild eh?

On another good note, the Snoop has been MUCH much better with the potty training.

Not to mention he's huge now!

and oh so very cute (yes I am slightly obsessed with my dog)

:D

NOW

....for something I have never ever done before...

I am going to post a little snippet of something I am writing that will be used for something someday....or not.

Probably not, but anyway....

After about 20 minutes of sitting in class and taking the exam, (the kid with the red and black converse with green shoelaces had an extra score sheet, no surprise there) I remember the missed calls and voicemails.  I immediately get so distracted I have no chance of getting anything more than a 61% on the test.  I’m sorry different types of crystallizing minerals in Arizona.  Your sweet knowledge will have to wait. I wiggle my phone out of my pocket and open it half inside my pocket, and half out like a ninja.  I’m so used to this now I hardly remember what my full key pad looks like.

.......(stuff in between here)........

 “Miss Ross I see your phone is out so you must be finished with your test, bring me your scan score sheet please.”

Shit.  Not ninja enough.

so anyway back to whats new in real life.

The 21st bday is in about a month....VEGAS!

 and the wedding is about in a month.....LOTS TO DO!

I can't stop thinking about the last episode of Breaking Bad that I watched

and random...but about ever two to three weeks or so I get re-obsessed with this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urNyg1ftMIU

I kinda wish this video was my life, substituting the people for my own friends/family of course

She's hotter than reality by far....

teh tennis ball

If i learned anything this past weekend folks, its don't trust hotels with your credit card, and the game of tennis is like a whole other world. seriously.  a land where grass is always fresh and trimmed, skirts have built in shorts to put balls in.......tennis balls that is, and old leathery women kick ass.
Now it is knows that Tennis Ball is a 'rich people's' sport.  I understand why now. how on earth anyone can afford shirts and skirts that are 50 dollars a piece at least, rackets in the hunddy's and epic shoes, I have no idea. It blows my mind, but yet the items are so niceeee! Never do I ever want to sweat in any other material. tennis clothes material rapes any other material. by far.
Amy and I had our first tournament this weekend and it was quite wild. Considering we are technically 2.5 players, signed up for 3.0 knowing there would be no 2.5 section, and got put in 4.0!!! we knew we would get our hiney's handed to us, but we learned a lot and got to play a long, sweaty, sun burned match against each other. We are sore and tired and so excited to get even better at tennis to receive revenge.....Not really, but just to get better :D Well that was tennis ball time for today.
Snoop was also in the tennis ball mood.

and so our story begins.........

In order to get myself "re-vamped" about the wedding im gonna put some of my wedding inspiring pictures up.  And now i have time to plan it because school is done (having mini silent celebration)!!! -crowd goes wild-
 so anyhoo I have some pictures here that may help me get excited! let me know what you think!!
beautiful LITTLE ranch, for a nice SMALL wedding ;)

Pretty pretty wedding cakes

   
mason jar lights!!!

My amazingly creative MOH who is going to be my help me make a beautiful wedding

the ultimate outdoor wedding

and of course the person who is going to make me forget about all these small and large details the whole time anyways ;)

i love jason

anyhoo. oh so very excited about being done with school. the tennis tournament next weekend, Jason getting a job at demand studios, us both having interviews for our dream job (:D) more time at home, casa grande time nearing, and of course, the snoop dogg getting a little better with the potty training *sigh*

           cutest puppy in the world