Good to Wow SOOC and Edit: Ornament Tradition 12.21.11

I am completely out of sync when it comes to my shooting and posting schedule. I am determined not to let that deter me and plan to make every effort to get back on track before the new year. Luckily, school is out for winter break so I just may have a few moments to accomplish my goal. Unfortunately with all of the last minute things I had to get done before the break started I missed the link up for the SOOC shots for the Good to Wow Challenge: Holiday Traditions. I guess I will just have to post them here, along with the edits :o).

I love traditions! I love the history, the meaning and how they bring my family together. Sometimes I think I love them a little too much, but I am learning to be more flexible :o). This week's prompt at the Good to Wow Challenge was traditions and I had to think about which one I wanted to feature with my photos. We as a family have a many that I enjoy - picking out a Christmas tree together, getting an ornament every year, making candy and cookies and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve (I just started this one last year). I decided to go with getting an ornament every year as it has gone on the longest and holds the most meaning. Since my first Christmas I have received an ornament each year. Something that represents who I am or commemorates the year. It started with a lamb from my grandmother and each Christmas Eve I get a new one. As I put them on the tree I am flooded with memories of people and places and events. I love that even more than the ornaments.

For my photos, I took one of the first ornament given to me and a more recent one that reflects my love of children's books being that I am a teacher. I used a high aperture number to get the starburst effect. In processing I did basic setting edits and added rounded corners in Lightroom. For the first photo I also used Gimp to add the green color block. In the second photo I cropped to allow the ornament to fill up more of the frame. What do you think and what are your traditions? Thank you for stopping by!

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 400, 43mm, ss10 secs, f/29 (full manual, tungsten wb, tripod)

Edited with Lightroom and Gimp

SOOC Shot

Settings: ISO 400, 50mm, ss8 secs, f/29 (full manual, tungsten wb, tripod)

Edited with Lightroom

"Christmas- that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance- a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." - Augusta E. Rundel

Linking up with Good to Wow: Edit. Check out the the Holiday Tradition photo edits!