Cheryl Navalinsky Photography: The Blog

Wordless Wednesday: Clyde's Turn

2012-03-14T14:52:00.003-04:00

Don't forget to check out MORE Wordless Wednesday by clicking on the post title.

Creative Mondays

2012-03-11T16:56:00.003-04:00

I am participating in Creative Mondays for the first time this week... Yes, I know it's Sunday... You should pop over and check out some of the 'Creative' blogging that's been done this past week.
Don't forget to comment and if you have a creative blog post from the past week please link it up!

Images For Sale

2012-03-09T08:16:00.003-05:00

These are a few images that I have available for sale. Currently I have
wallet size magnets available for $4 each
Greeting Cards with envelopes ALSO $4 each or 6 cards for $20
If you are interested in prints:
5x7- $10
8x12- $15
All done on lustre finish paper. Unmounted. If you would like a larger quantity of any image just let me know and we will see what we can do.

Would love to know what you think about these images.
Do you ever buy items from marketplaces such as Etsy? Once I get on the ball I will have more of these on my etsy site. You can find that HERE. I would be remiss if I didn't also ask you to check out my friends at etsy817. They are some amazing artists from the Arlington, TX area. Click HERE or just search for etsy817.

Diary of a Fat Chick

2012-03-08T10:14:00.003-05:00

That is a current picture of me. I don't do a lot of full body self-portraits. I mostly manipulate my camera to a high angle to hide the 'extras'. I decided it was time to make some changes. I joined Weight Watchers this week.
I'm a little nervous and afraid I will cheat therefore I am going public! I really need to know that I have to be held accountable.
I have never been small. I think I was in about 2nd grade when I can remember my aunt teasing me about double chins. My grandmother actually said to me 'Well, you know what they say, pretty baby, ugly lady'. I think it was a joke but I was not amused in my early teens. I was teased for being larger than the other girls. The more fat I felt the more I ate. The funny thing is that if I were that size now I would be well within my ideal weight. I just developed faster. As my body developed my self-esteem did not.
I became a heavy drinker in my early 20s while away at school. I was out and drunk most nights of the week... Hmmm... Curious how I don't have my 4-year degree. Drinking is not the best way to develop healthy eating habits. Whatever food that is available is what's good. I remember an extremely delicious plain cake doughnut I once shared with my friend Betsy at a party. Not only did I drink but I was known to, uh, let's say, partake in other recreational activities.
I left school. Still drank a lot. Not so much of the other stuff. I would work out for a bit. Tone up, lose some weight and then 'celebrate' the weight loss by eating.
I did Jazzercise while living in Tucson and LOVED it. I wasn't good at it. I'm not very coordinated, but it was fun. they didn't expect you to be perfect. They just wanted you to move. I started to get what my husband referred to as 'Jock girl' legs. I felt good.
Life went on. I found my excuses to eat what I wanted. I slowly put weight on. I was in a lot of denial about it. It was embarrassing. If I could ignore it it wouldn't be true. Food was (and is) a comfort for me. It's a control thing. I can eat what I want and no one can do anything about it. Not even me.
I have a problem. Pretty sure I'm a food addict. The more stressed I get the more I eat. I eat when I'm not even hungry. I eat when I'm bored. I eat when I'm mad. I eat when I'm depressed. I eat when I'm happy.
With Weight Watchers it seems I will still be able to eat, I just need to change up WHAT I eat. Of course I wasn't indulging myself with fruits and veggies. It was chocolate or fried foods. You know, the 'good' stuff.
All of this needs to change. I have stocked up on fruits and veggies. No, it's cool. I can eat as many of most those as I want. I can still have chocolate and fried food. I just have to figure it in to my Points Plus system and see if it's worth it. My guess is that the fried foods won't be but the chocolate probably WILL be every now and again.
I will be updating you periodically on my progress. I will do more self-portraits. If you are curious about how I am doing, please feel free to ask.
Let me know about your weight-loss journeys if you have one.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: My little Raggamuffin

2012-03-07T09:02:00.003-05:00

So very sorry that I've been MIA as of late. My husband has been in out of town, a dear friend passed away and I've just been lazy. Those are my excuses! I will try to be better, promise.

Here is my Wordless Wednesday post for this week.

For more Wordless Wednesday click HERE

Now Tweeting

2012-03-01T13:51:00.002-05:00

OK. SO I am now on Twitter. I have NO idea what to say. I have never really followed anyone's 'Tweets'. It's a whole new world for me. I feel the pressure to be brilliant and witty in 140 characters or less. I hope I can live up to all those expectations.
I'm not even 100% sure what YOU need in order to follow me. You can search for Cheryl Navalinsky or Cnavphoto. Look me up. Say hi!
If you have ANY insight into Twitter let me know. Hints, tips, secret codes... All are welcome!

Wordless Wednesday: The Many Faces of Claudia

2012-02-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

For More Wordless Wednesday Click HERE

I love comments. Let me know what you think!

In Case You Couldn't Tell, I LOOooVE Park Pictures

2012-02-27T14:37:00.006-05:00

I absolutely love taking pictures of kiddos at the park. When doing portraits you get a much more true sense of who the kids are by just following them around while they play.

Some of the best moments come when they don't even realize that you are paying attention.

Then there are the ones where they start to feel comfortable and are willing to monkey around in front of the camera for you.

There are also the happy accidents. I didn't care for this shot at first. It wasn't what I had hoped to capture but after playing with it I like it a lot.

What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday: Good Ol' Fashioned Fun!

2012-02-22T08:26:00.007-05:00

Wordless Wednesday! Good Ol' Fashioned Fun.

For MORE Wordless Wednesday fun check out their site HERE

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Weird Conversation

2012-02-15T17:20:00.005-05:00

I had a strange conversation with a coworker last night. We were discussing suicide. It surprised this guy that more people DIDN'T kill themselves. Why not just do it he asked. It wasn't a veiled cry for help from him more of a philosophical kind of thing.
You know what... I couldn't come up with anything off the top of my head. That's pretty sad. I got thinking... I have loads of reasons why. I just couldn't verbalize them at the time. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so here ya go:

Love, Beauty, Innocence, Family, Friendship, Joy, Babies, Hugs, Smiles, BFFs, Change...

I could have said so much more. I guess I'm thankfully I have so much to live for.
Hopefully this collage will remind everyone else of things YOU have to live for.

Book An Appointment For Head Shots

2012-02-12T16:14:00.004-05:00

If you live in or near Durham, NC and I need head shots let me know.
My current rates for this service are as follows:

$75 for up to an hour of my time. This should give you time for a couple of wardrobe changes. You will also receive an invitation to on-line files of your images. These will be small files and will be watermarked but you can use them on-line.
Once you decide which file or files you like you can purchase the larger, non-watermarked files for $10 each. For every FIVE you purchase you get an additional file for free.

For students with a current ID your sitting fee of $75 would include access to the larger, nonwatermarked files at no additional charge.

I am a natural light photographer and almost always shoot outdoors. I will go to the spot of your choice as long as it is not too far. I am willing to travel but additional charges may apply.

If you are interested feel free to email me at cnavphoto@yahoo.com

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Wordless Wednesday: Pals, Buddies, Friends

2012-02-08T12:37:00.005-05:00

PALS, BUDDIES, FRIENDS

For more Wordless Wednesday click HERE.

If you like my photos PLEASE click 'Follow'.

Look Folks! I Do Head Shots too.

2012-02-07T17:47:00.012-05:00

I had a great time on my most recent shoot this past weekend. I had been a bit apprehensive due to the fact that the weather was threatening to not cooperate. Fortunately the rain held off and we were able to get some great head shots for a young actress preparing to head to NYC.

Ladies and Gentlemen:
Miss Kathryn Leuci!

This is one of my favorites.

I think this is one of HER favorites.

The Law & Order shot.

I will admit... It's kind of hard to go wrong when you have such a good looking model. :)
Thanks so much for the opportunity Kat!

If you are in the Durham/ Chapel Hill area and need head shots or senior photos (or anything else) please contact me: cnavphoto@yahoo.com

Wordless Wednesday: Ocean Bliss

2012-01-25T19:24:00.002-05:00

Kids Will Be Kids

2012-01-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's easy to forget that when we want pictures of our kids we want them so we can remember what they looked like at a certain time in their life. Too many times we dress them up like little adults in outfits that have been purchased FOR the photos. Do they look cute? Definitely. Are we capturing THEM? Not always.
I love taking park pictures. Running around after kiddos being kiddos.
The following are photos that I took on a regular old trip to the park with the family. We had a great time and I captured some images that I can hold onto to remember how they REALLY are... Most of the time.

Opportunity

2011-12-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

There are times when photo opportunities just open themselves up to you. That's what happened the other day when I was at the park with my daughter and some of our friends.

The thing is that I have been spending a lot of time lately reading and testing and trying to figure out the best way to get the best images. I think I've learned to just let my eye and my heart guide me and do what I do best.

SMILE! You're on Candid Camera.

2011-11-18T19:28:00.001-05:00

No one who has known me for more than an hour would be surprised by my love of candid photography. I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you.

They aren't necessarily pictures that say anything to you but they are photos that are special to me. They are of special people and special times. If you let yourself get out of the mindset of wondering what everyone else is going to think of your pictures and just shoot them for fun. Shoot them for YOU! You will thank yourself for the memories years down the line.

What do you think? Are you the one who carries the camera or do you rely on others for your pictures?

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Fun

2011-11-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

I just love it here in the fall. On a recent shoot we went out and played in the leaves. Kudos to those photographers who manage to get that perfect falling leaves shot. For now I will keep practicing.

For more Wordless Wednesday please visit http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

As always let me know what you think... I'd also appreciate any tips on how to get that 'perfect' falling leaves shot!

I Heart Faces: Autumn Splpendor

2011-11-14T13:26:00.001-05:00

This is my entry for this weeks I Heart Faces challenge. The theme is Autumn Splendor. If you want to see more from this challenge click HERE.

I would love to hear what you think.

Fickle

2011-11-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever not liked a photo one day and then, weeks later, you find you like it quite a bit? This is one of those. Maybe it's my mood.

What do you think?

Don't forget to stop by and like me on Facebook. I'd appreciate it. http://www.facebook.com/cnavphoto

Wordless Wednesday: Eyes on the Prize

2011-11-08T23:34:00.000-05:00

Eyes on the Prize... Or the Cartoons... Whatever.

We went to a Sports themed restaurant called the Carolina Ale House for my son's birthday. They have TVs everywhere for sporting events. The waitress put cartoons on one of the televisions for the kiddos. I've never seen them so focused!

Definitely check out more Wordless Wednesday Here

Pinterest.com

2011-11-03T14:22:00.000-04:00

How many of you have ventured into the world of PINTEREST.COM? It is really cool. It's sort of like having your own on-line memo board. You find things you like on-line or even through what others have posted on Pinterest and pin them to one of your boards. I have a board dedicated to my photography. I was really pleased to notice that a couple of my pictures are actually getting repinned onto other people's boards. And it's not even just my friends and family doing it.

As I type, this picture has gotten 64 repins!

And this one 13!

That doesn't sound like huge numbers but I'm hoping that at least half those people also took the time to check out my blog and website. It's kind of exciting to think that people I've never met are digging my stuff.

Have used Pinterest for fun or marketing? What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday: UNC Chapel Hill

2011-11-02T13:43:00.000-04:00

See more Wordless Wednesday HERE
If you stopped by please comment and let me know you were here. I LOVE comments.

Wordless Wednesday: Claudia

2011-10-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

Photos may be the ONLY way to make this kiddo 'Wordless'.

Hope you will check out more Wordless Wednesday HERE!

I HEART Faces: Let them be Little

2011-10-24T13:16:00.000-04:00

I have often heard of the I HEART Faces Blog but this is my first time creating an entry. This week's theme is 'Let Them Be Little'. It can mean photos of Maternity, Newborns, Babies, Toddlers or other little ones.
I figured this was the perfect place for one of my favorite maternity pictures I took recently...

Can't wait to start visiting the other bloggers who participate. I hope you will stop by and see who else has entered as well. Just click HERE.

One of those days

2011-10-24T09:03:00.001-04:00

I had a shoot this past weekend with a great family. The day was beautiful... Maybe a bit sunny from the photography standpoint but the temperatures were great. The area the family picked was great. It's a nice area on the American Tobacco Campus in the historic district. It wasn't crowded. We pretty much had the day to ourselves.
I got some nice shots of the kids.

Then something happened.
I'm not sure what but I got put off my game.

My focus wasn't there (pretty literally).

I didn't compensate for unexpected movements.

I didn't realize how bad the sun glare was.

And we had a melt-down.

I'm waiting to hear what mom thinks of what we did get but I have offered a re-shoot. The last thing I want is for some one to be unhappy with the pictures I have taken. I want to create GOOD memories.
I suppose this is all part of the relearning process. It is time to re-focus myself. Learn from my mistakes and go from there.

Have you ever had one of those days with what you do? I'd love to hear about it. May make me feel better to know I'm not the only one!

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Of My Favorite Pictures

2011-10-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

I hope you enjoy the randomness of my Thursday 13 Post this week. These are all images I have shot in the last year that are favorites of mine. Hope you enjoy!

Also hope you will check out more Thursday 13 entries HERE

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday: Onward to Parenthood

2011-10-18T23:49:00.000-04:00

If you would like to see more from this shoot check out Monday's post.

Check out other Wordless Wednesday entries HERE

Ghosts! Or old school photo fun with a new fangled camera

2011-10-18T13:52:00.001-04:00

It was a bright, sunny day and I was hiking along the trails that are near the UNC campus. Luckily I had my camera. I heard a noise, turned, took a quick shot (with my camera), nothing there. This happened several more times before I gave up and headed home. Once home I uploaded my images to the computer. It was only then that I realized what I had captured with my camera...

Are those not the cutest ghosts you have ever seen? Want to take some pictures of your own little ghosties? It's good fun for Halloween.
My background is a little shaky but you can make yours more clear by using a tripod... I had not planned on doing this. It was just a whim.
Once your tripod is set up... Preferably in a shady area or dimly lit room... set your camera to the Aperture Priority Mode. It's AV on my Canon Rebel.
Then set your F-stop to the highest number available. This will give you the smallest opening letting in the least light. Trust me on this one.
Make sure your ISO is set to a low speed. You can start with 100 and then, if the picture is taking to long to expose move it up to 200. It will depend on how dark it is where you are.
Pop up your flash.
Tell your kids, or friends, or random people you meet on the street to move after they see the flash.
Just keep fine tuning your technique until you get the look you want. Have fun!

Baby Bump Shoot

2011-10-17T11:10:00.000-04:00

I have recently seen a jump in the amount of maternity photographers that are out there. I really wanted to try my hand at it. Enter John and Erin. They were kind enough to play along with my whim. I had a great time and these two were so much fun.

My goal is to capture people's personality in my shots. I want the pictures to be visually interesting and fun but most importantly I want them to reflect the people I'm taking the pictures of in more than just a 'Yeah, that looks like them' sort of way. I am aiming for more of a 'That is totally them' sort of thing.
What do you think?

As always, look for me on Facebook and don't forget to check out my website by clicking HERE

Don't forget to become a follower of my blog!

My Apologies

2011-10-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

I work in a bookstore so I get to see all sorts of photography books on the shelves. One series caught my eye. Not because I thought they looked good or helpful but because they looked incredibly corny. Well I found myself at the library staring at the small collection of digital photography books on the shelf, my three-year-old tugging at me because she wanted to go play in the kids section and I just started tossing the books I could find in the library bag. One of those just happened to be Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book 2. One of the books in the corny series.
I will now publicly apologize to Scott Kelby for misjudging his books... Sort of. They are corny but VERY helpful. I even went and picked up book one. Unlike some of the books I've read, this one cuts right to the chase. He presents an issue or a topic and then tells you how to handle it. The books are short but well worth your time. I really do think that just about anyone can pull something new out of these books. Go out. Pick one up. Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday: My Kiddos

2011-10-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

For More Wordless Wednesday Click HERE

I LOVE your comments! Please let me know what you think!

Don't forget to check out my website HERE

The Broome Family

2011-10-11T12:17:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite new friends here in NC is Spencer... His mom is pretty cool too. I was lucky enough to do a shoot with one of my favorite 2-year-olds and his entourage. Here are a few that I like best.

Don't forget to check out my website HERE
You can also find me on Facebook by searching Cheryl Navalinsky Photography.
Mention my blog when scheduling your shoot for $50 off your session.

The Aylin Family

2011-10-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

I have been fortunate enough to meet a kindred spirit here in Durham, NC. She allowed me to photograph her family on a beautiful Sunday morning. We had a great time and I got some wonderful shots for my portfolio. Here are just a few.

This was such a fun shoot. Thanks Anne & Family!
If you are in the area and interested in hiring me please check out my website HERE
Or search for me on Facebook.

Cheryl Navalinsky Photography

2011-10-08T16:28:00.000-04:00

My name is Cheryl and I am a photographer. There. It's been said. I can get on with my life. I have spent years trying to figure out what I should be when I grew up. I knew all along but ignored it. Not sure why but I did.
I received my first camera for Christmas when I was 7 years old. It was from my grandparents. I suspect it was more from my Grampy than from Grammy. I am pretty sure people thought he was crazy for giving a young kid a camera.
That turned out to be THAT gift you get as a kid that really sticks with you. Not sure if I've been without a camera since. I used to cut out pictures from magazines and put them up in my room and pretend that I had taken them. I wanted to be a photographer for Life or Time or Thrasher.
I went to Ohio State to study photography. Unfortunately I had not truly explored my wild side before going away to school and well...
So after leaving school, I got a job in a pro photo lab. I printed photos. I processed film. I learned color theory. I even worked in the studio.
I learned a lot from other photographers during my time working in labs. I saw some wonderful stuff and met some amazing photographers. It was an important part of who I am today.
My poor kids may be better documented than the Jolie-Pitt kids. I have pictures from Girl Scout Day Camp, high school plays, college parties, and now, play dates and birthday parties. I've always loved it but doubted my ability to make money at it.
Instead I turned to the world of 'INDIE CRAFTING'. I love this world. I've met some wonderful people. I have had a ton of fun but I couldn't find one true focus that made me go, 'Yes, this is IT'.
I have taken the opportunity of a cross country move (from Arlington, TX to Durham, NC) to change my focus. I started telling people I wanted to take pictures. I started to get a positive reaction. I got an 'It's about time' from my mom. I have done a couple shoots. I have more lined up. I will be sharing what I do with you here.
I hope you will enjoy what you see and, if you are in the area, give me a call and allow me to help preserve some of your 'Moments' for you.
You can find my website by clicking HERE
You can also search CHERYL NAVALINSKY PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook.