Just Because You Grow Old it Doesn't Mean You Have to Grow Up! by Weezilou

Just Because You Grow Old it Doesn't Mean You Have to Grow Up!

Happy Birthday Helen!

Here we are, Ken and his "Cats" again, Louise, Helen & Judee. We wavered from our usual Monday night Scrabble to have a birthday celebration, and perhaps a last good visit before we leave for the summer. Can you tell we know how to have a good time when we get together?!

I'm looking for some advice if anyone can help me. When the camera is set to take 5 consecutive photos, the flash doesn't go off. I'd set the ISO at 400 to help compensate for the light, but the picture isn't very bright. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I have some additional photos from the evening on http://365daysintheyear.shutterfly.com/295 It was too much fun not to share!
What a great photo. I can feel the happiness, fun, and love in that group!
April 27th, 2010  
Good times with friends, can't beat them
April 27th, 2010  
can't offer much help in the way of your camera/flash thing but I can say I love to see how much fun you have with your friends.
April 27th, 2010  
Awwwwwwww great pic!!!! The cake looks yummy
April 27th, 2010  
Can't agree more....growing older happens.... growing up doesn't have to happen! I'm having a ball even though the number of candles on the cake are now a serious fire hazard! Your party looks like great fun.
April 27th, 2010  
Looks like so much fun! Good friends and chocolate cake, the perfect combination!
April 27th, 2010  
Well, I can't decide what I love more...the happy smiling faces...or the cake.
I mean, that's some cake!
Hee! ;-)

It's a really beautiful fun shot of all of you!
What a lovely way to say Happy Birthday, and to send you off in style!
April 27th, 2010  
Friends are the jewels of life!
April 27th, 2010  
What a great fun photo :)
April 27th, 2010  
You are queen of happy, warm photo I think. I love this!
April 27th, 2010  
Very happy picture!

In regards to the lighting issue - do you have an exposure compensation setting? If you do, bump it up to about +.3 or +.7 and see if that helps lighten up your shots. The flash won't go off because it can't recharge fast enough and ISO 400 probably isn't high enough. If you have a DSLR you might be able to go as high as ISO 800 and still get a good shot, but with a point and shoot, ISO 400 would be my max, the exposure compensation might be your best option.
April 27th, 2010  
Looks like fun - and what a beautiful cake!
April 27th, 2010  
What a wonderful photo.
You all look so radiant and happy.
That cake looks fabulous!!!! I bet it tasted as good as it looked :D
April 27th, 2010  
bunny ears. love it!
April 27th, 2010  
that is some cake!! i'm still trying to figure out what i will do when i grow up.
April 27th, 2010  
hahahahah..silly lovely times. reminds me of that one time all of us in the family had to have our passport photos taken...we were trying to make each other laugh that the photographer kicked us out and allowed only the person who's turn it is to be inside. and my mom and my dad were the first ones to be sent out, too. guess they're examples that they can grow old and not grow up =)

where are you going for your vacation?
April 27th, 2010  
Oh, look at those radiant smiles! It looks like a fun way to spend a birthday. Helen is lucky to have friends like you.
April 27th, 2010  
Morning Louise ... another day, another cup of coffee with you!

Your title reminded me of the Jimmy Buffett song, "Growing Older But Not Up." Are you familiar with it? Here are the lyrics to the refrain:

I'm growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
Let those winds of time blow over my head
I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead

Now, I'll probably have this song stuck in my head all day ...

I was thinking about you playing Scrabble last night ... is this a NS routine as well, or do I have a whole new schedule to learn? LOL! That cake is beautiful and ENORMOUS! Looks like you could have used a few more people at your gathering. Course, then Ken would have to share his "cats."
April 27th, 2010  
This is too wonderful and that cake looks amazing!! I just had breakfast and you've got me craving cake.... such a fun shot!!
Wish I could help you with the technical issues, but alas... I'm still learning the ins and outs of my camera...

Have a beautiful day!!
April 27th, 2010  
What a happy birthday party, Louise!!!! ;-)) And the cake looks delicious!! ;-)) Love all your smiles!!! ;-))
April 27th, 2010  
"Ken and the Cats" or "The Cats of Ken" That could be a Rock Band! LOL Great photo...looks like you all are having some fun!
April 27th, 2010  
absolutely not!! :)) i think i will always be young in my heart, just like you! :)) kerri and I were just talking about "plan B" and "onion" reference, how funny that we even have our own "language" on this site now! i think we will have lots of "plan B" when you are in town, hehe. btw, the cake looks to die for! i'm counting the days now...
April 27th, 2010  
A) Red is a great color on you. B) You all look so happy, it's impossible not to smile when I look at this picture. C) I am excited for you for your summer travel.s
April 27th, 2010  
What a great photo, Louise. One of the things I love about my editing programs is that it's fairly easy to fix exposure and lighting issues. So if a picture comes out too dark from the camera, I can normally correct it. I think it's wonderful that you are able to have such a fun time together and to truly CELEBRATE the birth of someone who has been very dear to you for a long time. And I agree about that cake! Wow!!! Death by chocolate!
April 27th, 2010  
Love that rabbit ears are still appearing in photos. You guys look like a fun bunch. And I'll take a slice of that, oh, so yummy cake to-go! LOL!
April 27th, 2010  
your statement is completely true--- this picture reminds me of my family when we get together....we will have 100 photos where someone is goofing around, and one 'normal' one! We are only as old as we let ourselves be--- your photos always bring a smile to my face!
April 27th, 2010  
I can "feel" the love radiating from this photo-------Ken is a lucky guy :o)
April 27th, 2010  
That. Is. Some. Cake! Was your sweet tooth satisfied? Looks like great fun was had by all.
April 27th, 2010  
what a fun time!!! :) great picture!! :)
April 27th, 2010  
I LOVE this! I can't wait to meet you! February seems so far away but I know that it really isn't. It looks like you guys had a great time last night. =)

By the way, we have a new member: http://365project.org/judifff/365/2010-04-27
April 27th, 2010  
Lovely group shot looks like you had a really fun time! Another thing you could do to brighten shots is to add some additional lighting out of shot, like the professionals do!
April 27th, 2010  
What a fun looking group!
April 27th, 2010  
Great picture. Perfect execution of the bunny ears! :)
April 27th, 2010  
Thanks for the kind comments...it sure WAS fun...and I was oblivious to Judee making "Bunny Ears" but you see it was my favorite! I like the idea of changing the exposure compensation, Colleen, as I'm unlikely to ever bring in the big guns of additional light stands! Would I love the results...Yes! Practical...Not so much...
April 27th, 2010  
Good fun. I like that what you lack in quantity of candles, you make up for in height.
April 27th, 2010  
awww cute photo! that must have been a lot of fun!! and that cake looks really really good!!
April 27th, 2010  
Perfect ! Lovely everything.
April 27th, 2010  
Nice shot.

P.S. Growing up is over-rated .....
April 27th, 2010  
Great to get your comments on Shutterfly!! Part of my refusal to grow up and be sensible!
April 27th, 2010  
I agree with Ruprecht and Elizabeth. I haven't grown up yet and I don't see the point in starting now. =)
April 27th, 2010  
Give me a call when you have a sec. =)
April 27th, 2010  
I love to see happy and smily people. And the cake.....mmmmm....I'd love a piece:)
Happy Birthday Helen!
April 27th, 2010  
oh my gosh sooo truee!! I promise to forever keep that motto :) I will always be a kid inside :) hehe...well...with a certain level of maturity of course. This is a great shot Louise. It is pure proof that you are still having fun in your older years!! and Happy Birthday to Helen!! Her expression in this...is priceless =D
April 27th, 2010  
a lovely picture of all four of you like the way Ken is always with you when you have girl company. after all you say Ken and his "cats".
i have a little saying i like to quote.
"Good friends are like stars
you don't always see them
but you know they are always there
remember yesterday, dream today about tomorrow
but live for today."
-author unknow-

i tried it again Louise but since i havn't heard from you i guess the video must have been too long too.
April 27th, 2010  
Nice photo again Louise, and I hope you enjoyed the mint tea :-)
April 27th, 2010  
Looks as if you had a fun evening, Happy Birthday Helen.
Did you make the cake (looks tasty) if so you obviously didn't forget the baking powder this time!!
April 27th, 2010  
DID I BAKE THAT CAKE?!! Besides Ken, I have another right-hand man by the name of SAM's...(for those of you overseas, think WalMart...) For the right price, no mistakes on my part and a clean kitchen, I can come out the hero when I light the candles :-)
April 27th, 2010  
How fun...Looks like everyone had a wonderful time. As for the flash issue...as said above, it can't charge up fast enough to do consecutive shots. I think I would turn up the lights some more, maybe open the apature to full as well. Still, it's a wonderful photo.
April 27th, 2010  
hello im back and missed u ...
Yummmmm look at the size of that cake !!!! love the laughter and smiles in this photo and the cheeky bunny ears behind the bday girls head lol

to answer ur question about seeing kangaroos it would be YES , where we went they seemed to be like pets sitting on ppls front lawns each day .. very cute !!
April 27th, 2010  
RE: Your question: It was after! =) You still have one more coming from me! It is not the 28th yet in our little part of the world so... =)
April 27th, 2010  
If there's anyone left out there to come to the end of this comment list, I'm in a state of shock this afternoon. I threw a party last night and had NO idea there was a *Surprise Party* waiting for me today! a humble and heartfelt **thank you** ...my goodness...
April 27th, 2010  
That is some delicious-looking chocolate cake...so nice to be able to get together with your best friends anytime but esp for birthdays!
April 27th, 2010  
there's plenty of cake left, m'friends...please, drop in and celebrate this very unexpected "surprise party" with me!
April 27th, 2010  
And this looks like a fun group to hang out with! The cake looks yummy, too! :)
April 27th, 2010  
What fun! You can certainly tell that you are a fun group!

And - as long as you are now in on the secret, the gopher was posted before we picked the 28th. I am still trying to figure out the right photo for tomorrow! I am wondering though, how you spotted my gopher post so fast if you didn't notice the tag? You commented less than 5 minutes after I posted it! You are amazing!
April 28th, 2010  
Wonderful shot! You guys are just oozing joy! How much fun is this. Thanks Louise for sharing such lovely moments with us all.
April 28th, 2010  
Yooz guys sure do live he life! I think we all admire you deeply. I know I do!
April 28th, 2010  
You are TOO funny! Thanks for the Hallelujah chorus!
April 28th, 2010  
Louise, I rarely have trouble sleeping either (thank goodness)...but getting up for work can be tough when the alarm goes off at 5:45...I sometimes use my "crystal ball sound machine" for the pretty sounds..my FAV is the ocean sounds...maybe you are close enough to the ocean to just open your windows...?
April 28th, 2010  
Louise, I realized yesterday how much I look forward to your photos (kept checking for it). Thanks for sharing your life with us! What a beautiful friendship you all have! Happy Birthday Helen!
April 28th, 2010  
P.S. - I didn't read all of your comments (you have so many admirers!), but in glancing I haven't seen an answer to your question. I asked Todd, and he thinks you may be out of luck. It did flash on the first photo, right? He thinks it couldn't do it on all 5 firings because it takes too long to regenerate the flash. Let me know if you do find out. I'd like to know!
April 28th, 2010  
PPS - oh my goodness! I think we commented on each other's photos at the same time! Almost like an instant message! Boy, we'd probably be in trouble if 365 had instant message. :)
April 28th, 2010  
Hehe, that's a great photo! You all look very happy. And happy birthday Helen!
April 28th, 2010  
Great photo! It looks like a fun gathering. And growing up is definitely overrated!
April 28th, 2010  
Thanks for the tip, Louise. I'll ask Todd later about that exposure compensation setting. I have tried higher ISO settings - particularly for one of my students - a little toddler with albinism. The flash just sooo washes her out, so her mom and I both use the ISO adaptation, but we end up with very grainy photos - sometimes a nice "arty" effect, but I'm still seeking advice for photographing kids with albinism. maybe that exposure compensation setting...Now ABOUT THAT CAKE...maybe it was made by the same bakery, but have you tried the 7-pound chocolate cake from Costco? Oh. My. Goodness. I don't even like chocolate cake, and I am in love with that cake. Todd reqests it every year on his birthday (Dec. 11)! :)
April 28th, 2010  
Someone is soooo happy. I love the joy in this!
April 28th, 2010  
If you get Lightroom 3 (still in Beta, and free until they release it) and you can bump up the ISO higher, it has some great grain removing features that don't destroy the photo. Of course there are limits to it, you'll want to play around with it.

A warm, friendly, picture by the way.
April 28th, 2010  
Jeremy, thank you so much for the suggestion. I have SO much to learn!

Denise left me the words to this song and I hadn't heard it before. Definitely want to leave the link to it with this picture...so filled with happy joy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPtaXHVtVI4
April 28th, 2010  
well said Louise !!!
April 28th, 2010  
A fun shot. It is making me look forward to my meet up in Melbourne in July with a couple of girlfriends.
April 28th, 2010  
haha, this real made me laugh! Such happiness, no pretense - yup, love it.
April 28th, 2010  
What a fun fun fun picture! I only saw it now. Hilarious!!!! :) Hope the cake was good!
April 30th, 2010  
It must be quite the fantastic friendship if it can beat a chocolate cake that looks like it would melt in your mouth upon touching your tongue. It looks HUGE, too! :)
April 30th, 2010  
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.