Playing with the ISO

I've already started this post below, but instead of trying to drag these pictures to the bottom I've decided to just "start" my post again. I don't understand why I can't copy and paste text onto my blog from my laptop. I can do it on a desktop and I can copy and paste from my laptop to anywhere else- just not my blog. Oh well! The next series of photos is where I was experimenting with the ISO on my camera. The kids and I got to go see Greg's play last night. We sat up in the balcony. I knew being in a dark theatre that far away that a flash would be useless and distracting. So I turned my flash off. I also knew that in the dark theatre my ISO would need to be pretty high to get decent pictures. But my purpose tonight wasn't to get good pictures. My purpose was to learn what the ISO could do. The only editing I did was to shrink them down for web. I don't know how well we can actually see them here, I feel like you probably need to make them larger to actually see from picture to picture. Anyway here they are:

ISO 80 (Didn't even know it went this low.) Very blurry and muddy.

ISO 100--- still blurry to me it looks worse than 80, but I think that is because of the movement.
ISO 200 still blurry, but starting to see a little more form

ISO 400- starting to get much better.

ISO 800-Last night I thought this was the ideal setting, but looking at the picture I'm not so sure. I thought it was best for the first Act where there wasn't as much movement.

ISO 1600- this was probably the best for this situation especially in Act 2 when there was a lot of movement.

Here are just a few shots during the play. These 3 pictures were slightly improved in Photoshop.

Act 1

ISO 800

Act 2

ISO 1600At the end of the play (obviously).

ISO 800

I had the close-up feature on, but I can't tell what that did- if it did anything at all.-------------------------------------------------------------------

So here is where I actually started my blog:

Oh my stars, I am so tired! The last 3 nights I have had leg cramps in the middle of the night. The night before last night was one of the worst I've ever had. Greg couldn't rub it out and had to help me get out of bed and try to walk on it. Last night I could feel it coming on so I tried not to move, because I knew if I moved it would hurt. But that of course made me awake practically all night long. I have heard bananas help, so today I am eating a banana right now as I type. I wonder if it needs to be closer to bedtime? I need to buy some more and I will make sure to eat one tonight.

So it was co-op day and that is the day when I can get some good school pictures. I shot all of these on ISO 100. I just love it when my kids wear clothes that go together. Yesterday morning, Mason said, "I know I look handsome because I have a special freckle under my eye." That made me giggle, but I too love the little freckle under his eye.Alright, this does it. Haircuts this weekend!I love this picture of Ashley!The backpacks are as big as they are.

Yesterday, I volunteered to help at co-op. Each parent has to help for an 8-week period. But someone wasn't able to do their shift yesterday. So the volunteer gets $20 for taking that person's shift. $20 was a real good incentive for me. For the first half of co-op I helped in the Pre-k/Kindergarten class. I enjoy that class, even though many of the kids have a hard time focusing. I don't enjoy being the main teacher, but I do like being the assistant. I can usually add some songs that go right along with the lesson.