26th day of 365 (Better known as the Polaroid Project)

dip⋅tych [dip-tik]: a pair of pictures or carvings on two panels, usually hinged together


Diptychs are a way to display two photos side by side to produce one. Usually they compliment eachother, same theme.

This is the first time I've jumped on the bandwagon and decided to do a 365. If you don't know what that is, you pick a theme, or not, and commit to uploading one photo a day on Flickr. I started 7 days into January and so far have kept up. My theme is a Polaroid frame that I plop each photo into, and add one word to somewhat describe the photo. There are lots of themes, for instance: hearts, children, feet, shoes, hair, the color red....the possibilities are endless. For now I just shoot whatever, though I may change my mind and decide to do a monthly theme.

It's a wonderful way to see what others are doing and meet new people. As I've said before, Flickr is fantastic for inspiration and ideas and THE best free learning place!

Lighting Class

Wow, I haven't been on here in quite a while! I'm in the process of designing an office to meet with clients, possibly a studio and currently taking a college studio lighting course. I will be listing photography resources like actions, textures, other photography blogs, tips, tricks and more! This is my very own "searching, scouring, bookmark saving, and investigating with my beady eyes late at night" list of websites and information that I know helped, will help and did help with my own journey into photography.



Currently, as I stated, I'm taking a studio course. One thing I've learned from the teacher, some work to save and some work to spend, and this guy definitely works for his hobby, photography of course. I'm learning quite a bit from him, including how to order new items LOL.....he likes to pull out the B&H Photo catalog and in no time at all I have a list of my own on thing I MUST get! :o) It's a fun class, very relaxed and is in his actual studio. Who in their right mind would teach a class from their studio? Evidentally him, and I love it! I do know this is going to be expensive if I decide to open a studio, and according to him, the expenses never end. Take note of our "ooh lala" model. It never needs a makeup break, has no hair out of place and can pass for a boy or a girl! :o)

Business Packaging

This was a tedious process for me. I did not like anything I tried to find and didn't want my packaging looking like everyone elses so I came to a conclusion to just design my own. I am a scrapbooker also so I created my own business packaging. If you decide to do this, remember gluing is very important because you do not want sides popping open! The large envelope are both the same width, but the back paper is longer on the top to allow for folding down a flap. The paper is cardstock, cut to size, 10.5" width, with a paper cutter. The height is however long you want your flap, mine was roughly 2". The pocket was glued also with a flap folded down. Just be sure wherever you're gluing that you allow enough time to dry and don't use too much glue, or you won't be able to fit your cd in there. I used a scoring tool to make a decorative edge which also releases some pressure from the glued edge and looks nice. Also, be sure your printed text looks good because you want "the whole package", you and your materials to look good! Hope this tip helps for creating your own business packaging!

Wooooooooooo! "Back Up" there cowboy!

Actually I'm talking about "backing up" your files! For months I've told myself to buy another external harddrive or save what's on it. Well, last night, my suspicions caught up with me....couldn't open my drive for 'nothin! Yah, what an emotional, worrysome and tiring evening. I don't know when the last time it was that I spent so much time doing research, reinstalling, restoring or restarting! My last resort, opening it up, um no!, or taking it in. THAT was not my choice of a last resort, all my mind kept hearing was "chu-ching". So, I made the dreaded phonecall this morning, the computer company said to bring it in. He called me a few hours later and estimated 2-4 hours at $55.00/hr whether he could get the files off or not, with a 50-60% chance (of rain? felt like it)...talked to him again and he was getting the files off he said and it would cost around $110.00. It has been a long time since I couldn't fix something and to pay someone else meant there WAS a way to fix, but I just couldn't figure out how too. So, I'm appreciative and so very grateful, not for the cost, but for getting my important photography photos back! But, I do have to wonder, I might be in the wrong business, $55.00 an hour? LOL

P.S. Now I know why my Flickr friends make such a point to drill into others to "BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP" in more than one area online, externally, cd's, etc.!....

Scenic Drive

My husband swept the kids and I away this past Sunday for a beautiful drive on the Aufderheide Scenic Biway. It's a beautiful drive that lasts for about 4 hours. I'm not much for riding in a car, and I mean that, I'm the one asking "Are we there yet?", but this is well worth it every year, especially during Fall. There are so many opportunities for photos, though you won't see me deep in the trails, Black Bears you know?, eeeeeeeeek.

Even though I live in the city, I am a country-girl. My heart belongs to gardens, creeks, farm animals, crickets singing and land. I live in a huge 5 bedroom home on close to a half an acre in town, and would love to pick it up and move it onto property. (It's tempting when I see the show on HGTV where they haul homes, but expensive!) So when my husband takes me on these drives, it doesn't make me want land any less! :o)

Because we took the drive before "the second Spring" of Fall colors, I wasn't able to catch the leaves much but I did snag this photo of a beautiful creek that I practiced my speed on. Shooting in manual mode I lowered the shutter to catch the soft flow of water.

Focus and Lock

Cooking in my household is just second-nature. All my children were taught at a young age how to cook, which is why they're so good now on "Make your own dinner nights"! Not only did I show them how to make easy dishes for their own young independence, but really for my own selfish reasons, we'll have delicious foods at family gatherings when they move out! :o) My oldest daughter likes to bake like I do. The other night I caught a shot of her on her cellphone (is she EVER without it?), with my youngest trying to force feed her the cookie dough, which ended up in this shot.

Photography Tip: Use your focus points on your camera to lock in on one particular area so it stands out, as in this photo, than learn to lock that focus as stated below.

Locking the focus
Lock the focus any time your composition does not place the viewfinder's focus point on the most important part of the scene you're shooting. Locking the focus means that you deliberately make your camera focus on some object in the scene — a person, or something interesting in the foreground — and keep the focus locked at that exact distance until you take the picture. Here's how you lock the focus:

1. Look through the viewfinder and position its focus point on the most important part of the scene — your main subject.

In effect, you center that subject.

2. Press the shutter button halfway down, until the green focus-OK lamp in the viewfinder eyepiece glows steadily.

See the next section, "Making sure your focus is locked," for more on the focus-OK lamp.

3. Holding the shutter button halfway down, reorient the camera so that your desired composition appears in the viewfinder.

4. Press the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." ~Albert Schweitzer

I am a cat lover and if I had anything to say about it, I'd have ten, but am only allowed one! LOL Our neighborhood cat came to visit me today. We swear she's a reincarnation of our last cat George, same personality, same laziness (wait, that's all cats) and same way she dangles her feet over our shoulders when we hold her. She used to be Franklin, but now we call her Mrs. Franklin. We found out later, he was a she! :o)