Memories revisitied {and edited a bit}

I recently decided to invest a little more time into being able to use our 'big kid' camera correctly.
I mean if you have the tools, you may as well know how to use them the right way, right?

And while our camera takes good pictures in the 'auto' mode...
they don't always turn out as I envision in my mind.
I needed to learn to be more confident in the 'manual' mode of our camera...
and be able to tell the camera what to do...
not take a picture, say a few 'Hail Mary's' and hope for the best.
Conveniently, about the time that I decided to start looking for a workshop to attend,
I received an email from the one and only,
Angie Penrose of Angie Penrose Photography,
inviting me to attend her upcoming workshop.
AAAHHHHHH!!!!
Divine intervention.
I couldn't wait to attend!!

Giddy like school girl!

I had a great time...
...even learned a thing or two
{Thanks Angie for all of your patience with me}.
You'll have to wait for some of my new and improved 'manual' photos,
but I can show you some of the things that I learned in editing.

***I will include the disclaimer here that I am not a fan of overly edited photos, but a few small touch-ups here and there, to make a great picture even better, isn't necessarily a bad thing.***

The following pictures are the untouched version first...
followed by the edited version.
I love each of these pictures in their original version,
but the edited just tweaks them enough and changes the 'feel' of them.
What do you think?

This was actually taken by my father in law, Oobie Doobie, at Jas' cousin's wedding last summer. I love the silhouette effect.

This is my cousin Carrie, and her little man, L, throwing rocks in the river last summer during one of our 'cousin playdates.'

I took this one of A last fall when we went to the ocean to visit my momma's side of the family.
I really like the {vintage} feel that the edits add to it.

Of course I liked this one from the 'get-go'... it has my favorite man in it!

...and my two favorite girls.

We went from playing in the ocean on an overcast, slightly chilly afternoon...
to what can be perceived as maybe a little more warmer day
{minus my sweatshirt}.

I am really excited to take some more pictures now that I understand our camera a little more and the abilities that it as {and now that I have}.
Hopefully, the two of us can reach an equal understanding and cooperate with each other to capture/create amazing memories.