Remember a few days ago, I told you about my camera settings being messed up and me being too lazy to notice until we got home?

Oh, you don’t? Well read this! http://mommyknows.com/damncameradamnkid/ – The bottom bit is even kinda funny.

If you went back and read that, you are now aware that I had to cancel the ‘Guess that Canyon’ contest due to the worlds crappiest holiday photos.

In an effort to salvage a few I spent sometime this evening with Photoshop (& Lightroom) editing photos. Not so I can hold the contest (which I might), but because I want some holiday photos dagnabbit. The chances of me driving through ‘Where in the hell are we?, USA’, (honest, I think that it what it was called) again soon are slim.

I call this one ‘Road to Nowhere’ – Before Photoshop (& Lightroom)

This is such a dismal place Mr. MK, why would you drive me way out into the middle of ‘Where in the hell are we? ... why?

I call this one ‘Road to Somewhere’ – After Photoshop (& Lightroom)

‘Where in the hell are we? is kind of a pretty spot, eh? Just where I wanted to be thank you honey!

Psst … it really was orange and gorgeous like this … even the road.

Tonight, I am thankful for Photoshop. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? (Say me … go on say it).

To all my American readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

All comments and back-links for this post will be entered to win one of two Power Ranger action figures (includes shipping and handling) in my ‘Power Ranger Giveaway’. If you comment and blog about the Giveaway you’ll receive two entries (too easy). I’ll randomly choose two winners on December 1st, 2008 @ 9 p.m.—> make sure to come by and enter often.

MK xo
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You probably think that I like taking photos, right? If you said right, you’d be wrong. I quite dislike it. I hate getting out the camera, adjusting the settings, trying to figure out the best angle, where the light is. Are there shadows? The more I learn, the more critical I become, the more mistakes I see, the worse the photos get.

Mr. MK is a really swell kind of guy. If there is anyone reading this, that knows Mr. MK, this is when you’d comment and agree with me. Because he is so darn swell, he carried the heavy camera for me pretty much the entire holiday. Being lazy, I set the camera on the ‘P’ setting (about as Auto as my camera gets) and just snapped pictures. They all looked really dark on the camera’s display, but the display is hard to see in the bright sun, so I just let it be. I did comment a few times that, “my pictures SUCK”, and then forget about them. Whenever, I said that Mr. MK had to look and fiddle, which bugs me because he has no clue how my camera works!

It was one of those holidays where you drag your ass back to your hotel room about 10 pm with 3 tired kids, legs worked to death thanks to your new MBT shoes and then you thank God you snapped a couple of photos on your iPhone, so you don’t have to download/upload/edit your camera photos for that days blog post. In short, I didn’t bother looking at the photos on my computer until I got home.

BIG freakin’ mistake … they’re all DARK, under-exposed, upon further inspection of my camera, a setting had been adjusted (about 2 days into the vacation) to making all my photo’s 6 stops darker than ‘auto’ and they so, so, so suck. Hmmm … could some swell guy be responsible for this? Hmmm? Could he?

I have managed to salvage a few, however, the beautiful landscapes of Utah aren’t in the salvaged few. I think I may have to scrap the “Guess that Canyon” contest. SIGH Don’t cry, really, it will be OK. It was just a contest and the prize probably would have sucked. REALLY! Who wants a trip to the Grand Canyon anyway. NOT ME. HA.

Even worse than the camera settings, were the subjects! The holiday was filled with, “OH Moooooms!” and “the suns in my eeeeyeees!” and “I feel stupid”. Good grief! They better not dare complain when they’re older and there’s not a single great picture of this trip.

Here we are in the wilds of Utah …

Me: Georgia, smile at mommy

I should have quit, while I was ahead.

Me: NO, look at me and smile.

Me: That’s not looking at me. GEORGIA. SMILE. LOOK. AT. ME. AND. SMILE. Be a good girl and I’ll Give you a gumball.

Me: A gumball … a yummy pink gumball.

Me: Georgia … do you want Mummy to eat your gumball? Do YA? HUH? ‘Cause I will you little shi …

That’s when I noticed the elderly couple watching us! They were lovely (from St. Paul, MN … loved her blonde hair, just like their 5 year old granddaughters), they wondered if she were 5. Nope just three …. AHHH … they said all knowing. Just about then, Georgia escaped.

Three really does explain so much, maybe even my camera settings, right Mr. MK?

All comments and back-links for this post will be entered to win one of two Power Ranger action figures (includes shipping and handling) in my ‘Power Ranger Giveaway’. If you comment and blog about the Giveaway you’ll receive two entries (too easy). I’ll randomly choose two winners on December 1st, 2008 @ 9 p.m.—> make sure to come by and enter often.

MK xo
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Winner is: Dawn H. —> email me @ kim (@) mommyknows (dot) com.

In order to make the Nablopomo deadline, I am posting from my iPhone … so forgive my mistakes. The road is bumpy, the keyboard is minute, I am tired. We’ll be calling it quits in Idaho Falls. It’s not too far. We are about 6 hours behind schedule (what else is new right?). We decided to visit a couple of out of the way National Parks. Gorgeous—> pictures to follow later in the week. I’ll be hosting a ‘Guess that Park’ photo contest.

What is your favorite National Park (Canadian or American)?

I’ll be doing my NaBloPoMo thingy all during the holiday. I’ll also be twittering the road trip away—> follow me on twitter @ http://twitter.com/mommyknows.

All comments and back-links for this post will be entered to win a $10 Starbucks Gift Card (includes shipping and handling) in my ‘Have a Coffee on Me’ Contest. If you comment and blog about the contest you’ll receive two entries (too easy). I have a whole ‘schwack’ of Gift Cards to give away, so make sure and come back often for a chance to ‘have a coffee on me’.

MK Exhausted somewhere on I15 xo
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