Great Photography Part 2

This week I devoted much attention and time to reading my new book "How to Create Stunning Digital Photography" by Tony Northrup.  I LOVE this book.  Just a few chapters into the book and my photos have improved tremendously.

Tony Northrup is a great instructor and writer.  The book includes several video clips that expound on the chapter information.  These videos of Tony Northrup are very helpful with example photos, demonstrations, and other tips and tidbits.

Here are some photos I've taken this past week.  A few of these photos were taken while practicing aperture (Chapter 4).  Others were photographed after reading Chapters 1-3 on controlling the background.

This week practice will include aperture, ISO, shutter speeds, and exposure compensation.  Wish me luck!!

 Going on a photo walk downtown was so much fun.  This photo was taken early in the morning before many of the tourists and business were up and going.  This is a very old building on our downtown square.  I adore the foreground focus with the blurred background (aperture!!).  

I think this part of the process will require more time and patience.  Fortunately, the book provides great "homework" and practice projects.  Yea!

This photo is of my daughter and her best friend.  They are standing on a cement wall dated August 5, 1911 looking into the overflow from our lake.

Here I practiced flower close-ups (aka simplifying the photo).  I think concentrating on the flower rather than the background really captures the beauty of the center and petals.

Next up, for me is to starting taking photos of new products.  I am so excited to use my new skills to take amazing product photos.

An added benefit is I am addicted to photography outside the shop.

This is a fun photo.  I never expected to "freeze" the water from the fountain.  The water drop and splashes really make this photo.

Take your camera and walk around the neighborhood.  Snap a few photos of blooming trees, flowers, your kids in the sprinklers.   You'll find photography is social (everyone wants to talk to you when you're taking photos), relaxing, and rewarding.

I ADORE my new hobby.  Looking forward to seeing your new photos.

Cheers!

Learning Awesome Photography

Of late I have been yearning to learn how to use my new camera properly.  I received a Nikon D3100 DSLR camera last year for my birthday.  It is the first DSLR I've owned and seemed like a great camera to start learning.

 

Nikon D3100 

 

To date I have relied on the auto settings only because I don't know how to use the manual settings.  It is a completely foreign language!  Aperture, IOS, depth of field, and f-stops. 


But I am determined.  I love photography!  I love art and beautiful, interesting images.  And I want to capture some of those images myself.


Since receiving my camera (which I LOVE!) I have been fortunate to receive two more great lenses and a great tripod. 


Searching the Internet for "DSLR photography for beginners" brings up a slew of options.  But I really want something more than what I found.  I really wanted a at-my-own-pace course -- with assignments.  And I was looking for something that is easy to understand and teaches -- not tells - me how to take fantastic photos.


I really liked reading this course but wanted something with more practice and interactive options -  Digital Photography School


I am feeling pressure and a time crunch, however.  My niece is getting married in a few months and the bridal shower in right around the corner.  My goal is to learn and practice indoor shots to capture the shower while honing my outdoor shots for the wedding.  Tall order!


To help with the learning process, and after a visit to my local library, I found a highly recommended book with video on Amazon. 


So, to start my learning process I downloaded "How to Create Stunning Digital Photography" by Tony Northrup. 


Starting Chapter 1 I already love this book.  In the download copy I can click on videos to get more information.


Fabulous!!


Today, I am out in the field with my husband with the intention to practice what I'm learning.  This should be a lot of fun and I can't wait to share with you.


This learning process will be terrific for my Etsy shop and photographing jewelry pieces to show their best attributes.

French Robin Designs on Etsy

Cheers!

Chalkboard DIY - French Country Style

Chalkboard is a very hot trend.  No wonder!  It is stylish, functional, and versatile.  Did I mention fun?  Yes, it's really fun. 


Tap your creativity to place chalkboard details in your house.  I am very excited about this project.  I think you will love it too.

I found this great mirror and frame at my local thrift shop.  The shape and details on the frame fit the French Country theme of my kitchen.  And it was 40% off an already incredibly great price!  Score!

First, I took the back and mirror out of the frame.  I'll store the mirror until I decide where to use it in the house.

Then I sanded and painted the frame.  I used the same silver / gray color I painted my kitchen cabinets.  It is a great color because it is not white but not dark gray either.  A perfect neutral.

French Robin Designs

While that dried I cut a piece of backer board ($8 for a 48" x 48" sheet) the shape of the mirror to fit the frame.  It was very easy to cut with a jigsaw (yea! power tools!!!!).

The backer board was primed with a color blocking primer I had from my cabinet redo.  

Time for the chalkboard paint!  I used a foam roller for cabinets because I didn't want brush strokes.  But a brush will work just as well if you don't mind the texture.  The roller left a texture that I really wanted -- like old school chalkboards.  Spray chalk board paint is available too.

I chose Rust-Oleum simply because it was there.  I didn't really spend a lot of time deciding on the paint.  Rust-Oleum is a great, reliable brand so I thought it would be a good choice for my project. 

Two coats of chalkboard paint, overnight drying time, and it was ready to mount in the frame.

This is the end result.  I LOVE this chalkboard.  It only cost me about $45 in materials.  A great buy when they are selling for over $100 for something much smaller.  It is placed in my kitchen -- the central part of the house!  The kids are sure to see my notes.  I'm looking forward to writing menus on the board (eliminate the "what's for dinner" question) and little notes for the kids.

Finished chalkboard.  Letter Y purchased from Woodland Manufacturing.

The green-blue letter Y (for my last name) was purchased some time ago from Woodland Manufacturing.  It is a great company... many letters styles to chose from, colors, hanging methods, etc.  

Use your creativity, experiment, and have fun with chalkboard paint.  Can't wait to see what you create!

Cheers -- Tammi

Organization Tips for the Home Office - Part Two

So last week I wrote about this big project I decided to undertake.  My home office is a multi-use room -- laundry room, pantry, office (for me and my husband), pass through, storage -- could a room have more functions??!!

I could not live with the chaos in this room any longer.  It was so distracting I wasn't getting any real work done.  A purge, clean, and organization fest was in order.  However, I failed to recognize the magnitude of this project until it was too late.

We have lived in this house for 13 years.  Thirteen years of collecting and hording screws, knick knacks, CD's, cables, and junk.  That's a lot of stuff to sort through.  Oh boy.

I say all of this to explain (excuse) why the room isn't done -- like I foolishly convinced myself it would be.

I did move some of the furniture as planned but I had to make adjustments for all of the technological equipment (I forgot the network equipment -- oops).  I did get some of the organization items (calendars) hung up.  And I did remove that really ugly shelving unit.

But some items remain, like the ugly faux wood cabinet.  I haven't had the time to shop for a new bookcase to replace it.  Hopefully I can tackle that part of the project this week.

I did get my work area organized!  Yea!  I moved my desk and shelving unit, bought organization gear, and rearrange everything.  I love the results!

I bought this 4 drawer cube unit  at a local craft store to organize completed, ready-to-sell jewelry.  Each drawer is dedicated and labeled earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and bridal.  Inside the drawers the jewelry is organized by invoice number.  Above is a photo storage box for work-in-progress.  The box easily transfer to a work table.

The pretty "French" style photo boxes were found at a craft store on clearance.  They hold crystal beads for beading projects.  The beads are organized by color between dividers. 

I LOVE the glass jar on top of the boxes.  I found this at my local grocery store on clearance!!  I don't know what I will use it for but it was too pretty to pass up.

Custom labels were made using a great French border from Graphics Fairy.  These are so pretty and feminine.  Each box and drawer has a label -- no more guessing what is in the box!

The bookcase is organized with bead trays and wire (found at a discount store -- they are meant for jewelry); stringing materials in photo boxes (gotta love them); tool tray -- very easy to move to a table; 5-drawer unit for seed / tila beads; shipping supplies; and tools sorted by type.

The tools are sorted into photo boxes in categories of hammers, small tools, adhesives, and soldering supplies.

This is a great little 5-drawer inexpensive unit.  The seed beads (left in tubes) are sorted by color family

 

 

A shipping area is very important.  If I had more room a table would be dedicated to boxing and shipping.  Because I don't have that much space I organized boxes, tissue paper, and ribbon in photo boxes on one shelf.

 



I found these great bowls at a discount store.  They are perfect for business cards, earring / necklace cards, and box labels.  They are easy to reach, see when restocking is needed, and pretty.

The bookcase looks great.  Everything has a specific place, is easy to find, and looks clean (the best part)!  The bag on the left is a great example of using an object for an unintended purpose.  This is a hanging jewelry organizer (presumably for the closet).  I use this to organize chain, jump rings, earring findings, and other small objects.  It is one of my favorite organization tools.

The desk has a dedicated space for each business (I have two) and the kids.  No longer do I fumble around looking for that specific paper or note.  Work flows faster now that everything is easy to access.


The progress on the office is great.  I am so happy with the results so far.  This type of project requires flexibility (the furniture did not arrange the way anticipated), focusing on one area at a time, time, and creativity. 

I'd love to hear about some of your organization tips. 

 

Cheers -- Tammi

 

P.S. if you  have a moment visit my latest blog A Wrestler's Mom. It chronicles my first-time adventures into the world of high school wrestling.  It includes tips, recipes, and anecdotes.