Inspiration meets Action.....and I Need some Help

OpenOurEyes Photography is about to start doing some great things.  I am very excited!  I have already had people interested in having photo's taken and donating!  And I am in need of a couple key tools.

Laptop - Would be used specifically for photography. Need to be able to support Photoshop Lightroom 3.  The laptop we currently have for general home use is extremely slow when it comes to pictures, editing, and supporting this.
Photoshop Lightroom 3 ($299)

Both things are "big items" at least to me :)  lol....But I know for God they "ain't no thang" Please join me and keep these needs in your prayers.  That God would supernaturally provide.

If anyone would like to donate please email me at: desiree@keypointchurch.com

I have to say, I was SO inspired by today's message by Pastor Platt from South Africa.  When he was talking about the mustard seed, and how BIG things many times start small, it was very encouraging.  I many times tend to think I'm supposed to have it all together and start with this big perfected project.  When really, it's about trusting God with my mustard seed, and that HE will grow it into that tree.  It's a lot like tithing/giving...if we are faithful with the little things, He will bless us in the big things. Being a river, not a reservoir. Just typing this takes the stress off.  Because this was never a Desiree thing.  This vision was all a God thing.  Not about me.  But about the people that will be impacted.  So why on earth would I be stressing over what I don't have or can't do....on and on.  I know that God will provide in all areas...time, skills, laptop, PS Lightroom 3, lol....So what do I have to be concerned about?  Nothing.  What do I have to be compassionate about?  People. The lives that will be touched.

What the present/near future looks like:
Doing photography (as my schedule allows)  taking donations for people going on mission trips and also for those who have started the adoption process.
For a minimum donation of $100 you can have a 30-45min photo session. If you feel so inclined to give more, that will be completely up to you.  You will receive a CD of all your edited photos to do with as you please!  **please note that by participating in this you will also be allowing me to post edited pics on Facebook page to "advertise" so to speak**  You will see my copyright (watermark) on Facebook, but the one's you receive on the CD will not have watermark.
The entire donation will be given towards the mission trip participant or towards the adoption fees for that specific family.

I am in the process of acquiring a complete list of families in our church that are currently in the adoption process.  SO, if you would like to give towards adoption but do not know who to give to, I can help with that!

For those of you who are trying to raise money for mission trips or adoption....Get the Word Out!  Tell whoever you know who likes/needs pictures....family, kids, babies, maternity....whatever.  They can email me and we will hook up a time/date.

I am doing this because I love people and I love photography.  God laid on my heart several months back that I would not be doing photography for a fee that would benefit me financially.  He has better plans.  And since His plans are always better and cooler than mine, I'm going with His idea.  I have never worked in a professional studio.  I just love photography and am praying I can help some people and impact some lives for HIS Kingdom. 

New Paint

It's about time we did something to this house! baha

These are the two main shades we will be using...

 

Chris will be starting next weekend I think.  I will be helping of course :)

The Gold color was purchased on Tuesday night.  And we cannot wait to get started!

The "Bungalow Gold" on the right will be the color of the entry-way and hallway and the playroom...for sure.  The brown color (Pine Bark) on the left will be for the livingroom.  We haven't decided which to put in the bedroom or the kiddos room yet.

Other things we are looking to do this Spring.....paint every room, replace our broken cabinet drawers in the kitchen, replace our vanity in the spare bath, put in faux hardwood floors in the living-room and maybe our bedroom, crown molding in entryway and livingroom

Lots to do!

A bit of future and now

If you can't tell, I'm having fun with this camera! lol
I was able to download a TRIAL version of Photoshop Lightroom 3.  It's awesome.  Like crazy. Awesome.  I hope to get the full version....one day so I can keep the watermark!  Otherwise, no more watermarking.

The name OpenOurEyes Photography that you see watermarked is really for future use, but like seeing how it looks on here.  and no matter what I photograph I will use the same name.

While praying about the name, God kept giving me the phrase Open My Eyes.  And that is really what He has done in my life over this past year with many different things. 

The verses that God gave me: Isaiah 42:6-7, 16

"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darknes"....... "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."  

Anyways....I will discuss more on that later.  You can read as to why I am not divulging all of that now HERE the fist paragraph talks a little on it....

And in the mean time, I am doing photography for no charge for people.  It's just what I have felt God tell me over the past 6mos or so.   I have had people already asking about photography, and YES as my schedule allows I will be doing photo's for people.


I am also (as schedule allows) wanting to help out people who are raising money for Mission Trips, Adoption, etc....I know our church has two Mission Trips coming up....one in Uganda (June) and one in Haiti (Sept - I think).  So how that will work is if you are going on a mission trip or are in the process of adopting and would like to use my services, contact me to set this up.....I would do 30-45min photo sessions for a donation of $100 to go toward your mission trip/adoption fund.  I do not have this all perfectly planned out yet.....but something like one day I will have sessions at Downtown Rogers, another day at Bogle Park....etc  People will pick the location and date they prefer.  After photo's are edited they will get a CD of all edited photos to keep, put on fb or blogs or get printed.  For mission trip checks will be payable to the church with your name/mission in the memo.  For adoption checks will be made out to adoption agency with your name and info in memo (if that's how that can work...not real sure on the adoption one yet as far as specs)....


And here are a few more fun kid pics!  I took these this AM with the 18-105mm DX VR lens.
Dang, my kids are cute.  thanks Jesus

Few more pics

These are all shot in RAW, then slightly edited with program that came with camera.  I put these on FB, but apparently FB has super bad quality....and I just never noticed b/c I never had pics this high quality and clear b4.  Hoping they look better here, b/c they look amazing just looking at the file....the quality/clarity.  Just comparing pics with my D100 to this one, D7000 is unreal. like night and day....the dude I spoke to at Bedford a couple months ago was right! I am def. pleased with this camera...and the lenses!

First Pics w/D7000

I cannot wait for some sunshine!  This cloudy, bad lighting, weather needs to go a away for a couple days. lol

So here are a few of my very 1st pics taken with the camera.

These 1st one's taken with the 50mm f1.8

 

 

These next couple were taken with the 18-105mm...and in a moving vehicle :)

 

 and this one was taken with the 55-300mm