christi

My name is Christi Nelson. I am wife to the most amazing, supportive, and patient man ever born, of which I am most grateful and undeserving. We have two wonderful boys (so far). I own and operate Rawsii, a photographic art studio based in Northern Indiana. I have an amazing assistant, Bridget, who keeps things running around here and preserves my sanity!

I started taking pictures professionally about 10 years ago and shooting weddings 8 years ago. I currently shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II. My lens arsenal includes the 24-70 2.8L, the 70-200 2.8L, the 15mm fisheye, and the 50mm 1.4. I post process using Lightroom and Photoshop exclusively. You can keep up with my latest projects at http://www.rawsiiportfolio.blogspot.com/.

In addition to my studio, I am also Vice President of a local photographer's association called The X/Stop Project. We provide local photographers with the opportunity to network, learn, and serve their community together. If you're a photographer in the Michiana area, you can connect and get involved for free for a limited time at www.xstopproject.com/forum.

denise

I am a grateful, blessed mother of 5 and am proud to call my wonderful hubby my best friend! I have been a stay at home mom for 16 years now and love my job. I love to take pictures of my family and do so with my Sony A100. I have a 3.5-5.6/18-70, 4.5-5.6/75-300 and my newest lens is the 1.4/50. I do not do much editing, but hope to learn Photoshop and Lightroom in the near future. For now I am proud that I am shooting in manual much of the time! I am a true novice who is a bit intimidated to be here with this group, but I love to learn and appreciate the encouragement I experience here.

Our family blog is Love Keeps Growing More Love. I recently began a photography blog called Moments in Time, where I hope to continue to share my love of photography with others.

diana

I am a Midwestern girl who will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this year with my awesome husband Jeff! God has blessed us with two beautiful little girls, 7 and 2. I retired from a busy and rewarding sales career in 2006 while we were waiting for our referral from China for our youngest daughter.

Motivated by a dear friend of mine, who has a gift for photography, I purchased my first DSLR, the Nikon D-40 in 06'. It opened a new world for me behind the lens! I have been inspired by the amazing and talented women I have met through the adoption and blogging community. I recently upgraded my camera to the Nikon D90. I currently use a Nikon Lens 18-200mm. I have a 50mm portrait lens on my wish list. I use an external flash when necessary for indoor shots. But, thanks to the inspiring contributors here I am pushing myself to use manual settings. Like most, natural light is my preference. I do not do a lot of post processing yet... Becoming an expert at Photoshop and Lightroom are personal goals of mine along with participating in an on-line photography class with Christi in the near future!

Our family blog is: First a Pearl & Then A Ruby. I recently started a photography blog, What This Mom Sees..., where I can track my progress and push myself outside the green box! I am thrilled to be a part of this great group!

donna

I'm Donna T: Former court-reporter, Army pilot, counselor and cop and now a blissfully married stay-at-home mom Livin' the Dream in the San Francisco Bay area. We have three children. Our oldest will be 21 this summer and is in college majoring in Graphic Design. Our two youngest (turning 5 this summer) were adopted from China in 2005 and 2006. They're virtual twins -- just 36 days apart in age!

My interest in photography blossomed when we adopted our first daughter from China in 2005. We purchased a Canon Rebel XT shortly before referral and probably took 30,000 photos before upgrading to the Canon 5D last year. We also have a Canon Power-shot G9 that we love for its quality, size (portability) and video capabilities. I use Paint Shop Pro to edit my photos and it's probably the most important bit of software on my computer. I use it for everything!

Our blog is Double Happiness. Our Flickr sets are here: Donna and Andrew.

jen

I am have been married for over a decade to my husband Craig and we have one beautiful daughter, Carrington, who was adopted from Hubei, China in 2005, at 15 months. She is almost five and will be starting school this fall. I am an attorney who is employed as a general counsel for a government agency, which keeps me busy when my family is not. I have been intrigued with photography since I was a little girl, when I use to set up my Barbies and pose them for pictures with my old 110 camera. Now my favorite subject is my daughter and my camera is a Nikon D300 with various lens. My favorite most recently is my Nikkor 55mm f1.8 which I just received for Christmas. I have recently also started shooting totally in RAW and won't ever go back. I process in Lightroom and use Photoshop Elements 6.0 when needed. We have a family blog, Carrington Chat, and two photography blogs, Jefferson City Daily and Through the Lens. Sometimes, I am really bad about updating them but am always making resolutions about being better.

jessica

I have have 5 kiddos, 4 biological and one adopted from China in 2007. My husband Jared and I have been married for nine years. We own a restaurant, which we operated together until own youngest son was born.

My passion for photography didn't spark until just before we adopted our son in 2007. I purchased my DSLR for our trip to China and have been in love with photography ever since. I am currently using the Canon Rebel XT and it has been a great learning camera for me but I am very happy to announce that I have a Canon 5D on the way! I use my 55mm f/1.8 lens most of the time but I am spreading my wings with the addition of the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. I post process using Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4.

I am so honored to be a part of we picture {this}. I am completely inspired by the amazing photography skills of all the other mamarrazi's, contributors and those joining the theme, who participate in this site.

I recently created a photoblog called The Lost Lens Cap http://www.thelostlenscap.blogspot.com/.

kate

I am a sentimental person by nature. I have always enjoyed keeping scrapbooks...and in fact, after two years of dating and eight years of marriage continue to carry, in my wallet, my husband's business card that he gave me at the end of our first (blind!) date with his home phone number on the back. Remembering a moment in time means everything to me.

Surprisingly (given my sentimental urges), while I have always had an appreciation for photography, it was not an interest I pursued until about two years ago. When I started to blog following the adoption of our daughter, I was immediately drawn to those blogs with pretty pictures...and I decided I wanted to learn how to take pretty pictures too. When our point and shoot met an untimely demise in a collision with a leaking sippy cup of apple juice, I convinced my husband to upgrade to a dSLR...and thus began the obsession!

I still consider myself a novice...with a lot to learn...but my enthusiasm continues to grow as my knowledge of photography increases. I am thrilled to be involved with this group...and am constantly learning from them...but mostly, I take a lot of satisfaction that my daughter and our family will one day be able to look back at this moment in time...and "remember when." That truly does mean everything.

kelly

I have been married to my husband, Justin, for 5 years. We have two beautiful daughters, both adopted from Vietnam. Lucy is 2.5 and Annie about to turn 1!! They keep me very busy.

I really had no interest in photography before our first daughter came home. And really it was about 9 months after that when I got my first dSLR that I realized I loved taking pictures. Since then, I have become quite obsessed with it, really, and last month, I launched my own photography business.

I shoot with a Nikon d700. I have a 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, 18-200mm, 24-70mm 2.8, and a 105mm macro. My favorite lens by far is the 24-70mm 2.8. It just takes the most amazing pictures. Love it. I process in Lightroom 2.0 and Photoshop CS3.

kristi

I am the mom of identical twin, five-year old girls who were born in China and came home in July 2005. I have been married to my husband, who I met on a blind date, for 20 years. (And yes, I did get married at 12 in case you're trying to do the math!)

I am fairly artsy and have always dabbled in one creative pursuit or another. I took photographs with a traditional SLR camera and film for several years before I purchased my first DSLR shortly before we traveled to China to meet our girls. I actually moved to digital photography somewhat reluctantly but I can't imagine taking photos any other way now.

I currently shoot with a Canon 40D and most often use a 50mm 1.4 lens. I shoot almost exclusively in natural light but do use a flash every once in awhile. I do very little post processing and don't even own Photoshop but I have recently started playing a little in Light Room.

I really believe I have the best job on earth, and never forget how fortunate I am to spend my days with the two little girls who call me mom -- and who will almost always stop what they're doing so I can take their picture.

You're welcome to visit our family blog at http://www.andbabiesmakefour.com/

laura

Hey, I'm Laura. I adore my husband and kids! As a mom of five children, my photography journey began with capturing memories of my growing family. At one point, I realized I didn't want to grow old always wishing I would have taken it serious. So I jumped in--ALL in! I found myself with an insatiable hunger to learn. My inspiration for photography comes from the beauty of the Lord that surrounds me with each and every breath I take. From an old weathered barn to a laughing child, I take it all in and it makes my eyes dance. I shoot with a Nikon D300 and D80 and a variety of lenses. And don't tell anyone but...I might drink too much coffee!

I can be also found on my website, Laura Lu Photography.

M3

Hey there! I'm M3, and I just love chocolate, my family, and photography (not necessarily in that order). The perfect day is one that combines all three. I'm the lucky mama to two beautiful, zany twin girls from China who are nicknamed Ro and Ree. They are the lights of my life and the reason that I nearly kill myself leaping over obstacles and getting to the nearest camera every day. You can see what we've all been up to lately on our family blog Do They Have Salsa in China?
 
I am the complete opposite of a professional photographer, much to my chagrin. I actually have a little cheat sheet in my camera bag that says things like: "for shallow depth of field, meaning a blurry background, use the widest aperture possible, which means the smallest F-number your lens will allow." Yep, it's true. Still, (thank goodness) it's hard to take a bad picture with the cutest girls in the world in front of your lens, and I have endless hours of fun with the camera, which, by the way, is a Nikon D300. The camera, along with all of my photography equipment, was a gift from my ever-patient husband, who likes to buy me the latest and greatest photography stuff instead of jewelry on special occasions.

michelle

I am the proud mother to three beautiful girls - all blessings through international adoption. We recently adopted out of birth order and brought our oldest daughter, age 11, home from China in July 2009.

I fell in love with photography in the third grade when I took a photography 4-H project. Thankfully, I have three girls who encourage me by saying, "Mommy, go get your camera" frequently. I shoot with a Canon 50D and use a Canon 24-105mm f4/L as my everyday lens; I also use a Canon 18-200mm and a Canon 50mm 1.8. I use a Canon 430EX II Speedlight when there isn't enough natural light to get the shot I want. I edit in Lightroom and love to digital scrapbook when I find the time.

Our family blog is Born In Our Hearts. I feel very honored to participate on this blog among so many talented photographers.

michelle f.

My name is Michelle F, and I am a Canadian girl. I was born in Newfoundland, but currently live on the "mainland". I am married to my high-school sweetheart, and he remains the love of my life. We have two beautiful daughters born in China. I have been a stay at home mom for 4 years, but have decided to return to teaching this coming fall - half-time.

I currently shoot with a Canon 20D, and I usually use my Canon 70-200mm lens. I have been in love with photography for a few years, but still consider myself very much a novice. I am currently taking a beginner on-line course, and hope to continue to improve my skills over the next few years.

Our family blog is http://lifewithuscontinues.blogspot.com/ .

I also have a photography website http://gotchamemories.typepad.com/ . I am currently using this blog to document a year full of pictures and photography growth.

patricia

I am Patricia of Patricia LuAnn Photography. Being a mother of 3 sons and 3 daughters, I always have plenty of subjects to shoot! As a homeschooling family living in the Appalachian mountains of NC there is always a large supply of stunning scenics and nature to shoot. I especially enjoy black and white, and also record music and audio books for a living. Right now I am working on a Barn Quilt photo essay. Barn Quilts are hand designed and painted quilt designs placed on old barns in the mountains.

I have been shooting for over 25 years and owned a Studio many moons ago, shooting with a Hasselblad 500CM (medium format), Pentax 645 (med. format) and Nikons F and F2 (35mm) which I still own but do not use. Antique cameras are something I enjoy collecting. ;)

I now work part time shooting stock photos for publication, and enjoy capturing children, scenics and life with a Nikon D300, various lenses, and editing in Photoshop and Lightroom 2 (keeping photos as raw and pure as possible... so the viewer can feel the photo). Digital is wonderful and I love learning!

rebecca

I am a mommy to 4 children, and my husband Andy and I have been married for almost 12 years. We live in a quiet midwestern town, restoring our 1916 bungalow and enjoying a simple life nowhere near the fast lane!

Photography is a recent interest - I bought my first DSLR in September of '08 and have hardly put my camera down since. Along for the ride on my learning curve are my Canon 5D and 4 lenses: Canon's 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 24-70mm 2.8, and 75-300mm telephoto. I am currently only photographing using natural lighting, and use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS4 for post processing.

I have enjoyed watching we picture {this} grow and develop over the last few months. It has been a wonderful way for me to network with other mamarazzi moms who share my interest, to learn from others, to keep me thinking creatively, and to motivate me to continue to sharpen my skills.

My photoblog is Rebecca Lily - or you can find me on Flickr here.

shana

I'm Shana Rae, happily married and proud mommy of Sophie Lu (age 4), Oliver (age 2), and Sasha Lili (6 months). I also have four wonderful, grown step-children. I became interested in photography after the adoption of my beautiful Sophie Lu from China. My children are my inspiration, but I have also recently become interested in still life and florals.

I am currently shooting with a Nikon D700 and a Nikon D300. My lenses include a 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 17-55mm 2.8, and 105mm 2.8 (all Nikkor). I mainly shoot in manual and use Photoshop CS2 and Lightroom 2 for post processing.

More of my work can be seen at my Flickr Page, and my family blogs are Waiting for Sophie, Oliver Michael, and Sasha Lili.

shannon

I've been happily married to Rhea for 18 years. We have 4 children and are in the process of adopting a child from China. We pray God blesses us with even more children!

I used the auto settings on my Canon XTi until a few weeks ago. Now, I am in full manual only! Thanks to Christi at Rawsii and her class, I am finally, for the first time, learning to really use my camera! I am so excited to learn even more and have learned so much just from this group alone. I own a Canon XTi (wishing it had spot metering) and mostly use my 50mm f1.8 lens. I tried photoshop elements and didn't like it. I am currently using Lightroom.

Our blog is http://www.roomformorekiddos.com/

stefanie

I am the wife of a military pilot and mother to eight, soon-to-be nine, children. Our youngest children are adopted from China through the special needs program.

I am a total novice photographer, just learning to shoot in manual with my Nikon d90. I only have a 50mm 1.4 lens so far, but I've got my eye on a few others and hope to get a new lens soon!

I can be found at
Ni Hao Y'all
Wild Olive Tees and
No Hands But Ours.