Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Military Life

How To Read More Than One Book At A Time

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How To Read More Than One Book At A Time

How To Read More Than One Book At A Time

There are differnet ways to read a book. You have the people who can only read one book at a time. You also have the people who are always reading more than one book. Which one are you?

I am one who can read more than one book at a time. I have always been that way. Before Kindles I had a book by my nightstand, a book in the car, one in my purse, one in my backpack, one in the bathroom, etc. When I got my Kindle I thought it was perfect because I could now carry most of my books with me. I still read regular books too and still have books everywhere. You never know when you will get 5 minutes to read.

I have found that if I want to read more than one book at a time they have to be different. I can’t read Discovery of Witches and Twilight at the same time. They both include vampires and I would get really confused. It really only works for different genres. I read almost every type of book. I read fiction and non-fiction so for me, this is pretty easy to do. I can read Outlander and a Chicklit book because they are so different.

Usually what happens is that I will have a few books I am reading and waiting for one to grab me. One will, then I just focus on that book. And these days I have really been looking for books I just won’t want to put down. I also get a lot of books from the library so some of them I have to “give back” and wait in order to check them out again. This usually happens with non fiction books. Like The Fringe Hours. I am in the middle of reading that one but it is on pause until I get it again from the library.

People who only read one book at a time can’t understand this process but it is just how I roll. I feel like there are just so many books out there that I want to read that I have a hard time picking. I have tried to just read one book at a time and I can’t do it. I might spend 2-3 days reading one book because it is amazing but then I go back to all my other books until another one catches me like that.

I do feel like the older I get, the less jumping around I do. It could be that I have been picking more popular books to begin with or that I just don’t have as much patience for books that don’t draw me in right away anymore.

If you only read one book at a time, I think you are fine. There is no reason to change the way you read. It is probably less overwhelming for you anyways.

If you read more than one book at a time, join the club.

How do you like to read? Have things changed for you over time?

This post does contain affiliate links! 

What To Do When Your Spouse Wants To Join The Military

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What To Do When Your Spouse Wants To Join The Military

Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you think it might and before you know it your spouse is talking to you about wanting to join the military. If you are like me, this wasn’t apart of the plan when you married your husband. Joining the military wasn’t something in your five-year plan.

However, life is funny sometimes and you can end up doing things you never thought you would. You can end up doing things you never even dreamed of doing. You can end up in places you could never have imagined going to.

My husband and I had been married for three years when he joined the Army at age 30. He had been in before when he was a lot younger before I met him. When we got married, I didn’t think that the Army would be in our future.

The Army was in his past, and that is where the military was going to stay.

We made a few decisions, and after a few years, we found ourselves questioning if he should go back in. At first, we thought about the Army Reserves. We met with a recruiter and found out that for his MOS, he would have to travel about three hours to get to drill each month. That was in May of 2005, and I came home from that feeling like joining the Reserves wasn’t the right thing to do.

Then my husband started getting health benefits from his current job, and they were horrible. It just wasn’t working. By August we had decided to look into what goes into Active Duty would mean.

We met with a different recruiter, and everything just felt right. I wanted him to wait until November of that year since a friend was getting married and I wanted to go to the wedding. We should have waited until AFTER the holiday season.

If you are thinking of joining the Military in the fall, wait until after New Years’. That way, you at least have that last holiday together and can start the new year with a new journey. Instead of them possibly missing the holidays right after they join.

The Military will make being together for holidays hard enough, give yourself one more holiday season before that can happen. I wish we would have known that going in.

My husband didn’t have to go through Basic again which we didn’t know at first. I dropped him off one day in November, and he was in Germany two weeks later. It took us almost five months to join him which was a big wake up call about how the Military can work sometimes.

If you are married and your spouse expresses interest in joining the Military, there are a few things you should do:

Make sure you are on the same page

My husband didn’t join until I was ready. If he had joined before I was ready, our marriage would have suffered. Talk the decision over.

Even if your first thought is “No way!” Talk it over and see what you both think. There are also a lot of options when it comes to joining the military. They can go active duty, National Guard, or Reserves.

Ask questions

There is a lot of information out there about Military life these days. There is no reason why you can’t get online and get a sense of what this life will be like. We Milspouse bloggers like to talk about it 🙂

Feel free to ask us or any friends who are military spouses questions. There is a lot to be worried about before joining the military and hearing about what others do to get through the difficulties of military life is a good idea.

Know it will be difficult

You can’t have your spouse join the military thinking you will somehow get a smooth Military ride. Plan for how hard this life is going to be. Realize you will be without them sometimes.

Solo parenting will become apart of your life. Understand that many spouses do this and you can too if the Military is something your spouse wants to do.

Know it doesn’t have to be forever

You only sign up for 3-4 years of Active duty at a time. They can get out after that. If military life doesn’t work out, go and do something else. Especially if you are young.

There is a lot you can do with your life. Take it one enlistment at a time if you have to. Signing up for 20 years at a time isn’t apart of the requirements to join the military.

Know there is support

Us spouses have to stick together because Military life is hard. You will not be alone. There are resources out there for you and your family.

You can connect with others. You won’t be the only one going through whatever it is Military life will bring you through.

Not everyone will agree with the decision

You might have people who care about you who don’t agree. You have to understand that joining the Military can be a scary choice for them. Give them time and explain why you two are making this decision. Most people will get that and if they don’t, you might have to keep your distance for a while.

The decision on if your spouse should join the Military or not is a complicated one. Don’t take this decision lightly and think about what joining means before anyone signs any papers.

Make sure you are on the same page about the decision and look for resources to help Military spouses. They are out there. Try not to be afraid. Ask questions.

If your spouse does decide to join the military, know that your life will change. This can be a scary thought but the change can be a good one. You will be able to meet people you would never have, you will be able to do things you never thought you would, and through everything, you will become a stronger person as you stand by and support your spouse on their next adventure.

Did your spouse join the Military after you were married?

Don’t forget to check out The Newbie’s Guide to Military Life: Surviving a PCS and More by Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life and Mrs Navy Mama. Your guide for learning about military life.

On Being Stationed At Fort Carson, Colorado

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On Being Stationed At Fort Carson
Happy to have this guest post by Janna on Ft. Carson, Colorado. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed. 

Hello everyone! I’m Janna from Perception Is Everything where you will find my attempt at finding some normalcy while living the military life. Mostly I talk about everyday things, my soldier, our newborn, and a little bit about my interest in health and nutrition every now and then, so basically…it’s your typical ‘lifestyle’ blog. I’m actually from a military town {Pensacola, FL}, moved to South Florida because I swore that I would never marry a military guy,  and yet now I wouldn’t trade it for anything. If you have any questions about NAS, Whiting Field, Eglin AFB, Fort Gordon, or Fort Rucker, I can help with those as well, and if you have any information on Fort Bragg, please pass it my way (jannabogert@yahoo.com),because that is where we are headed this Fall!

For today, I’m happy to share my experience from Fort Carson, Colorado with you. We knew how lucky we were when we received orders for Fort Carson as our first duty station, but it was still more incredible than we could have ever imagined. We were there for a little over three years and I cherish every moment! I could go on and on for days, but considering this is a guest post, I’ll try to hit the important topics.

First things first, Where To Live:

This can be daunting since not only is Fort Carson huge, the town of Colorado Springs is EVEN bigger. The housing on post varies from old townhomes (nice on the inside, but leaves something to be desired on the outside) up to very nice new homes. I believe the old townhomes are reserved for those without dependents other than S/O, though, and from what I understand the schools are pretty great. However, as with living off post, you have to consider where your spouse is working. My husband worked at the Wilderness Complex on the South end of Colorado. We lived in Fountain, CO, so it only took him fifteen minutes to get to work through the back gate, whereas his buddy lived on the North end of post and it took him up to thirty minutes to get to work driving through post, and even worse, a friend that lived off Powers North had almost an hour commute each way. So basically, you can live anywhere you want in Colorado Springs as long as you avoid Academy Blvd and parts of downtown, but make sure you know where the soldier will be working to estimate the commute before committing. Also, it’s a little known fact that you can live on Peterson AFB, so keep that in mind as well! Oh, and one more important note…some of the older houses around town do not have air conditioning. We chose a house based on ridiculously low rent and SURPRISE…no AC. However, it was a blessing in disguise, because we had ridiculously low utilities and a small window unit was enough to get us through the Colorado summers.

About The Area:
There are FIVE Military Installations in Colorado Springs, so it is a very transient town.  The good news is that this also lends to a lot of support from the community.  There are always “Welcome Home Soldiers” signs everywhere, the news is flooded with support of our soldiers, and we also get some pretty good discounts 😉 Summer is FULL of festivals and Farmer’s Markets. We attended Territory Days, Wild West Festival, and every Farmer’s Market I could find.  There are also many music festivals, a Renaissance Festival, and there’s a little town at the foot of Pike’s Peak called Manitou Springs that has shenanigans going on all the time. You could hike every weekend and still not cover the trails, and in winter you can sled, tube, snowshoe, ski and snowboard to continue the outdoor life. Fort Carson MWR even makes all of the activities affordable by offering discounts, trips, and adventures year around.
Favorite Activities:

Pike’s Peak Drive or ride the Cog Railway up to the top for amazing views and specialty donuts that can only be made at 14,000 feet!

Visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which happens to be the only zoo located on a Mountain in the world! The views are incredible and the experience is awesome!
Breckenridge, Colorado was our favorite ski town. It was fun, laid back, family friendly but always a party, and budget friendly compared to others.
It’s hard to find water sources around the Springs, but head down to the Pueblo Reservoir to cool off. You can hang out on the beach, rent boats, ski/wakeboard, camp, and take in a desert paradise. It’s totally worth the 45 minute drive.

Favorite Restaurants:

 Obviously, I could talk about this state for DAYS, but I can’t hijack Julie’s blog. I just hope that this can help anyone with the fortune of getting stationed here, and I hope it eases anyone’s mind that might be apprehensive of the cold or being landlocked. Other than having to get used to the altitude (Colorado Springs is at 6,000 feet), possibly living without AC, driving in snow, and inevitably having to drive through the mountains (still scares me), it is a mountain paradise. Enjoy all the seasons, and even on the days when a blizzard comes, remember that it will probably melt in a day or two because Colorado has over 300 days of sun a year. Thanks for reading!

On Living in Wiesbaden, Germany

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On Living in Wiesbaden, Germany

Happy to have this guest post by Rebecca on Wiesbaden, Germany. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed. 

I had the privilege of living in Wiesbaden, Germany from January 2008 through December 2010. This was my first experience living overseas and it was an adventure! Back in those days, military and their family flew on commercial flights, which landed us in Frankfurt. We were then bussed to an inprocessing center and then finally bussed to Wiesbaden Army Airfield. At that point we were escorted to a downtown hotel and I could, finally, sleep.

On Living in Wiesbaden, Germany

Now, families fly into Ramstein Air Force Base, about 90 minutes from Wiesbaden and they are housed in a nice, new hotel, conveniently located close to the commissary, PX, and housing. While it is nice that families with school-aged kids are close enough for their children to walk to school immediately upon arrival, we really enjoyed the hotel that was downtown. It gave us an opportunity to explore, walk around our new city, and, upon our departure, visit the Christmas Market each evening.

Housing in Wiesbaden was 90% stairwell apartments. We lived in a new two-bedroom, one bathroom third floor walk-up. Contrary to the stories my mother-in-law shared about her Berlin apartment building, we had government provided washers and dryers in each apartment, so I did not have to descend to the basement to do laundry.

On Living in Wiesbaden, Germany

I loved our apartment. I loved that we were on the 3rd floor and heard no one above us. I loved that there were only 3 families in the stairwell and no one ever walked past our door or came up to the 3rd floor unless they were coming to visit us. I loved our neighbors. This was the apartment where our house because a home. Where we bought our bedroom set, first couch, and more importantly, where we brought our children home for the first time.

I was pregnant when we arrived in Germany, and when we left, I had two kids. In Wiesbaden, all prenatal care is handled by off-post, civilian providers. I had excellent care and delivered both of my children at St. Joseph’s Hospital, just a mile or so from housing. For everything else we saw providers on post and had no problems with any of the medical care. My children used the CDCs on post, both for full time care and hourly care and we were always impressed with the quality of the providers there.

As seems to be our luck, there was a lot of construction going on during our time. Improvements were made to housing, the commissary, the PX and that resulted in some frustrating times. However, those improvements have been well received. Wiesbaden has grown tremendously in the past few years, and with all those people, these changes were necessary. I just wish we’d been able to enjoy them.

On Living in Wiesbaden, Germany

We were, incorrectly, told we would not need a car in Germany. Wrong! We ended up purchasing one there, that we shipped back with us. And we bought a second car, for my husband to use to get back and forth to work. Most people buy and sell the second car around PCS season, so it is easy to find something affordable and quick. You absolutely need at least one car, as most housing is not on the airfield.

We travelled as much as we could. With four deployments, one long TDY, and a high op-tempo, my husband didn’t have the time to travel. With two pregnancies resulting in two kids under 2, I didn’t have the energy. And with the exchange rate not in our favor, we had to budget accordingly. I was strongly encouraged by friends to save the COLA for travels and to not get used to living off of it. This was, and continues to be, good advice.

I did a lot of day trips with the Spouses’ Club, and we became very familiar with both Wiesbaden and Mainz, the university town across the river. We weren’t afraid to get out and explore. I got my license quickly after arriving and drove around a lot. It’s not as intimidating as some think. We really enjoyed the local scene and felt at home in the town.

We took a few bigger trips; Koln, Berlin, Portugal, Italy, and Munich. Berlin we did by train, which was so much fun. That trip was arranged for us by the travel agency on post. We drove to Koln for an overnight. We flew to Portugal for a four-day weekend and explored as much as possible. We took a longer trip to Nuremburg and Munich when family came to town. There were tons of USO trips, both day and weekend available, but with two little ones, we just couldn’t imagine those long days being fun. We did venture to Garmisch for a marriage retreat and I was so grateful to see Bavaria that summer.

Europe, like any duty station, is what you make of it. We did the most we could with the time and finances and kids. We made some of the best friends we could ever have. We grew into a fantastic family there. And we’d love to go back. We know it would be different, but we also know what fun we will have. I hope, that if Europe is ever an option for you, you embrace it head on.

 

mountainsRebecca Alwine has been a military spouse for over 8 years, traveling the world and learning about herself. She’s discovered she enjoys running, loves lifting weights, is a voracious reader, and actually enjoys most of the menial tasks of motherhood. She is an avid volunteer, most recently as President of the Fort Huachuca Community Spouses’ Club and has worked as a career counselor for transitioning service members. She has a Masters in Emergency Management from American Military University and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Mary Washington. Her writing has been published both in AUSA’s ARMY Magazine, Military Spouse Magazine, on Many Kind Regards, and multiple digital magazines and blogs. You can follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Celebrating Anniversaries

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Celebrating Anniversaries

Today is our 13th anniversary. 13 years with my husband. 7 homes, 3 kids, 1 dog and lots of memories made along the way. We try to do something special for every anniversary but when you have little kids, it can be a little difficult, especially when you don’t always have a good babysitter. Some years we have been able to go on a trip. Others we have only been able to go out to dinner. And some we have celebrated at home. It really just depends on what is going on, our budget and all of that. No matter what, it is a special day.

Even though he has been in the Military for a while, we have only really missed two anniversaries together. I know how lucky that it. I know others have missed almost all of them. During those years I tried to do something special for me. 5 years he was in Iraq.

I put the kids to bed early. Ordered a steak. We might have chatted online. That is a Military anniversary for you.

Celebrating Anniversaries

I say we have been lucky with anniversaries because for a few years we should have missed them but for whatever reason he was home on August 3rd. For our 6th anniversary, he was in the field most of the summer but they just happen to have a break for a few days over our anniversary. For our 7th, he was deployed again and had R&R scheduled for early July. That got pushed back and we ended up spending our anniversary together in Catalina, where we went for our honeymoon.

This year is kind of a crazy year with Guard and his job but luckily he has the day off. I am so happy to be able to spend it with him again. No trips this year but it will be nice to spend all day together.

Celebrating Anniversaries

I hope that in the future we can travel more for our anniversary. I would love to go back to Catalina, go on a cruise or even a short getaway somewhere close by to where we live.

Anniversaries are special. It is the day you look back on your years together and think about all you have been through.

You think about the good times, the bad times, the easy times and the hard times. You think about who you were as a person when you got married and who you are now. You think about the future and where you want to be in five or ten years. You think about all of this. The anniversary reminds you. How could it not?

It doesn’t matter if you spend the day together, it is still special. It doesn’t matter if you make a home cooked meal and eat it after the kids are in bed or if you spend 10 days in Italy together. It doesn’t matter if you get each other amazing gifts or maybe just pick flowers from the garden to put on the table. The reason it is so special is the same reason your birthday is so special. It is the celebration of the two of you, for however long you have been together. It is a celebration of what you have together and the love you still have for one another.

In this world, where so many couples are not making it. It is something to smile at. To get excited about. To love someone for so many years is a special thing. To watch yourselves literally grow old together. It’s an amazing feeling. So here is to celebrating anniversaries and making the most of your time together, however you spend it.

Do you always celebrate your anniversaries? What do you like to do together? What do you do if you have to be apart?

The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe

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The Girls from Corona del Mar

 

~The Book~

I first heard about the book the Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe on a podcast. It caught my attention because Corona del Mar is pretty close to where I grew up in Southern California and I have been there many times. Then my best friend read it and said it was amazing and she couldn’t put it down. I put it on my library list right away and then had to wait about a week or two to get it and start reading it. I finished it in three days, staying up way past my bedtime for two nights in a row. That is a sign of a good book even though I find myself a little tired in the morning.

~The Story~

The story is about two friends Mia and Lorrie Ann. It starts when they are in high school and goes through many years of friendship together. Mia is the more rough, hard-hearted one and Lorrie Ann is the kind one. Mia struggles with her mom, getting pregnant and dealing with her choices. Lorrie Ann has a close-knit family and seems to be living a pretty good life. Then, tragedy struck and everything seems to fall apart for Lorrie Ann. The rest of the book is about how Mia views what is going on with her friend, how she relates to her and what is really going on with the two girls who are now in their late 20s.

~My Thoughts~

I liked this book for a few different reasons. Of course I liked that it started near where I am from, a lot of the book didn’t center around there. It wasn’t a book about Southern California like I thought it would be but that was okay. I liked that the characters were complex and not so black and white. I also enjoyed reading about their relationship and how it changed over the years. That felt very real to me because I have experienced something similar with certain people who I used to be really close to.

This book was dark in a lot of ways and not a light read. But the way the author put the words together draws you in so you really start to care about what is going to happen to the characters. There were a few side storylines I got a little bored with but nothing too distracting where it ruined the book.

I think it would be interesting to read a sequel but where we get to hear this story from Lorrie Ann’s point of view. I think that would be very interesting and give us a lot more insight into who the characters really are.

You can purchase the book on Amazon 🙂

* This post contains affiliate links! 

 

Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment

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Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment!

Deployment! I know I talk about deployment quite a bit on this blog. Deployments have been such a part of my life for so long, I have a lot to share. As time goes by, I get further away from my deployments but they still will always stick with me.

I have been thinking about what I would need if I was a new Military spouse getting ready for her first deployment. I know I would need encouragement, I would need to know it was going to be okay, and I think some sort of guide would help.

Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment

I remember reading in a magazine years ago that the first 30 days of a breakup are the hardest. This followed with an article about what to do each day to move ahead. A deployment is like a breakup in some ways. Although it is one that doesn’t last forever. You go through a lot of similar feelings of loss and sadness. Of wondering if there was a way your spouse didn’t have to get deployed and then eventually coming to some type of acceptance.

So here we go…

Your guide to the first 30 days of deployment.

Day 1 will be the day they leave, usually, it has been the morning for us so I did have a full day to get through before bedtime. If your spouse deploys at night, you can call the next day Day 1.

Day 1- Breathe. Relax. Get your kids together and tell them that you are all going to get through this. That you are there for them and you will make it through.

Day 2- Come up with a plan. A list of things you will do when your spouse is gone. Work on your hobbies? Redo the kitchen? Come up with at least 10 different projects you can focus on.

Day 3- Make a list of 5 friends you can call. When you want to get together with someone. Or if you really need something. Don’t be afraid to ask for help during the deployment.

Day 4- Buy some pretty stationary to write love letters on. You will be glad you did.

Day 5- Call your mom and cry your eyes out. If you don’t have a good relationship with her, call your Mother-In-Law, your sister or someone you can cry to. It’s okay to cry about this.

Day 6- Go get some ice cream or a yummy treat. You need it. You have made it almost a week.

Day 7- Find a new book to read. Go to the library and pick out a few. Ask your friends for suggestions.

Day 8– Start your first care package. Make it a themed one. Put all his favorite items in there.

Day 9- Start on your project list if you haven’t already. Complete at least one of them. Want to paint something? Pick a day you will do that, buy the paint and get started.

Day 10- Plan to have people over. Don’t know anyone in town? See if you can attend an event to meet people.

Day 11- Take your kids somewhere you have never been before. Maybe it is a new park. Maybe it is a new mall. Do something you haven’t done in the past. And take pictures.

Day 12– Write in your journal. Get it all out. Don’t have one? Go buy something pretty and start using it. You will be glad you did.

Day 13- Make a nice dinner. No cereal tonight. You are almost two weeks in. You got this.

Day 14- Plan a trip during the deployment. Make plans to visit home. If you can’t afford to travel, try a day trip. Put something on the calendar to look forward to.

Day 15- Try to attend an FRG meeting. Find out when the next one is and put it on the calendar. They might get a bad rap sometimes but they also can be a good way to connect.

Day 16- Start another one of your projects. Make plans to get it done.

Day 17- Binge watch a show. It’s okay. If you can’t binge watch, find time to watch a few episodes. Take your mind off the stresses of the last few weeks.

Day 18- Buy some bubble bath and enjoy. Grab your book and soak for a bit. You might have to wait until the kids are in bed but it will be worth it.

Day 19- Send another love letter. Make it silly. Spray some of your perfume. Why not?

Day 20- Talk to your spouse about an after deployment trip. Just throw out some ideas. You will want to go somewhere if only for a day or two.

Day 21- Invite a friend out for coffee even if you don’t feel like it. Talking with others will be good for you. It will be nice to get out and enjoy some girl time.

Day 22- Buy a new piece of clothing. On a tight budget? Hit the thrift stores. Just find something new for you.

Day 23- Join a new group. Heard of a book club you always wanted to try? Send an email and find out more details. Connecting with others will really help the time go by faster.

Day 24- Plan a potluck to celebrate one month down. Invite other spouses going through a deployment. It might seem like a little thing but making it through that first month is a big deal.

Day 25- Call his mom. She might be worried. She might be lonely. It will be good to hear from you. You are the two people in the world that miss that man more than anyone else.

Day 26- Start exercising every day if you don’t already do this. It is a great stress reliever.

Day 27- Plan another package. Ask your spouse what they need.

Day 28- Start a blog. Blogging during a deployment can be a great way to get things out. Don’t forget about OPSEC.

Day 29- Take your camera out for a photo walk. Doesn’t matter what kind of camera. It will do your heart good to get out there and take some new pictures.

Day 30- Celebrate the fact that you are now 30 days in. You are on your way. You got this deployment! You are making it, even if it is just a day at a time.

Going through a deployment right now? I hope this helps a bit!

Just know that you are not alone and a lot of us Military spouses have been through it before.

Want a Guide for the First 30 Days of a Deployment???

Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos and Changing Your Depth of Field

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Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos

Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos and Changing Your Depth of Field

One of my most favorite type of photos to take is a bokeh shot.  I love the light, the bokeh circles and how much fun you can have with those types of photos. How the urge to take these photos get me to look for light and find new subjects to take pictures of.

If you don’t know what bokeh is, it is a Japanese word that means, “the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens.” Or in other words, it’s a photo where you have a subject in focus and a background out of focus with good light in the back ground.

Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos and Changing Your Depth of Field

As you can see in this photo, the strawberry flower and leaf is in focus while the background and even the foreground is out of focus. You can see “bokeh” circles in the areas that are not in focus. This is a very popular thing to do to photos. Even Instagram has a feature where you can make part of your photo in focus while the rest is not. You can also add bokeh circles when you are editing your photos.

The great thing about using a DSLR camera is that you can easily do this just by changing your settings.

You will be playing around with the aperture settings. You will want to change your f-stop based on the type of photo you want to make. Larger apertures mean a smaller f-stop number. The smaller the f-stop, the less of your photo will be in focus. If you are planning on taking a photo of a group of people, you would want to use a smaller aperture. You wouldn’t only want one or two people to be in focus. The same goes for a landscape. When I am taking a landscape photos my f-stop is at least at 5.6 or even higher depending what the photo is of.

The larger the aperture, the more light you are letting in, the shallower the depth of field. The smaller the aperture, the less light you are letting in and the wider the depth of field.

I decided to take some photos of my growing strawberry plants to show you the difference. I used my Canon 50D with my Canon 85mm 1.8 lens. It is one of my favorite lenses.

I put my ISO at 100 because it was pretty sunny out. My lens was on 65mm for each of these shots too.

Simple Guide to Bokeh Photos and Changing Your Depth of Field

This first shot has the shallowest depth of field. I shot this with f/2.8 and shutter speed 1/1000. As you can see most of everything is out of focus except for the strawberry in the front. I also made sure the light was in the right spot so that I could get bokeh circles.

Bokeh CirclesThis photo was done at f/4.0 and shutter speed 1/500.

Bokeh photosThis one was taken at f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/250.

 

IMG_0066This one was at f/8.0 and SS 1/125.

bokeh depth of field

And this one is f/11 and 1/60 which is a little slow but it worked because of the light. As you can see there is more in focus in this photo then in any of the others.

When you are trying to decide what to shoot your photo at, you can play around with the settings. You might not like what the photo looks like when you use the largest aperture. This is why practice is so important.

The best thing to do is take your camera out everyday and take pictures of everything. This can be your children’s toys, your children, your plants, your home, etc. You can go on a photo walk or stay around your house. By taking photos every single day you will start to understand how your camera works and what it means to use different settings.

Photography

Bokeh photos

 

If you still haven’t taken your camera off manual, I encourage you to do so. You can do so much more with it and get pictures looking the way that you want. There are a lot of photography books out there to help get you started. One thing you can do is go to the library or a book store and look through what they have. See if anything jumps out at you.  I would recommend starting with Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. He really breaks everything down in a great way!

So now it is time to get out there and start using your camera. It is way too easy to just stay with your phone cameras but there is a whole world out there that is digital photography that you want to explore.

 

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