16 March 2013

Can We Talk (Photography)?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
 
Hope the sun is shining where you're at, and if it isn't, hope you're warm and cozy.
 



Yesterday I stopped at our local Goodwill store and bought three bags of crocheted doilies. Some were older, some had stains, and a couple had 'issues.' They were stuffed into three gallon size storage bags and were priced at .99 cents each. How could I not buy them? Or as our daughter says, "I couldn't afford NOT to buy them."

Anyway, how many women do you know who get in the mood (at least for taking pics) after spending three bucks? Guess I'm a cheap date.




But what I really want to talk about is how you stage your photo shoots.

I have a few places in my house where the light is good at certain times of the day. The brightest room hands down is the living area. Unfortunately, it isn't a room that I can easily set up and leave as a 'studio-like' space.

So, when I take pictures there, either for this blog or for Etsy or eBay, I have to stage an area.

I'm almost embarrassed to show you this; our dumpy, little farmhouse isn't much, but it sits on a gorgeous piece of property. That's a whole nother post.

OK, what the heck....if I can't be myself and learn something from this blog, then what's the point of blogging?

So here goes.....




Welcome to the mess behind the scenes!

You can see some of the newly washed doilies drying on towels on the back of the sofa and my makeshift backdrop (a piece of vintage wallpaper) taped onto the open door. If you look real close you'll see the table leg is propped up on an old cellphone battery to level it. I picked up that shabby little octagon, wicker table at the Salvation Army for $7.99 and use it all the time.










Why am I telling you all this? Because I'm curious to know how you set up for your photos, and also to clear up any misconceptions you might have about mine, such as that somewhere in my house I have a pretty, vintage wallpapered bedroom. :-)




So tell me, do you have a studio or dedicated space or do you shoot on the fly? What kind of camera do you use? Are you shooting on manual or automatic? Do you usually use a tripod? Do you have a favorite lens? That sort of thing....




I am so hoping to learn some of the tricks of the trade. Who better to ask than my real live blogger friends?

Still thinking Spring!

~Diane

23 comments:

  1. I think you take great pics for doing them "on-the-fly". I have a Canon Rebel EOS you can buy most anywhere. I have two places for light that work well in my home too. My kitchen countertop and my dining room table. I shoot manual and use only the sunlight. I do some adjusting with my photo browser but not much. I do stage photos sometimes because usually my house is a mess ;) Other times I shoot at night because I have no option and I edit my light. One day I will have that Cozy CLEAN Cottage totally done ;) If you have never taken any photog. classes I think you indeed do quite a lovely job, I think you have a bit of an "eye" and a natural talent!

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    1. Thanks, Pam.

      Actually I did take several semesters of photography courses in the seventies, but that was long before digital cameras and home computers.

      My favorite camera was a Pentax Spotmatic with a broken meter. It had three adjustments, aperature, shutter, and ISO. I found it less confusing than all the options on my digital camera (Nikon D80).

      I use Photoshop for editing and also have Lightroom (I just started using it and have quit until I get a better handle on organizing my images). I have a year-old Dell laptop and am kicking myself for not buying a Mac with a large monitor.

      Yes, I am envious of bloggers who will show their entire rooms....my house will never be that, what's the word I want to use....stylish?

      Thanks for sharing.

      Diane

      P.S. Your Bliss dollhouse is adorable.

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  2. You can always tell by my photos I have zero talent for it....Large goose egg zeros..but many blogs have tutorials out there http://moredoors.blogspot.com/ this friend does some good ones I think even if i do not use lol

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    1. Suzan,
      Thanks for the link....what I've seen so far looks interesting.

      You are truly mistaken about having zero talent. Your photos are lovely, as is the content. You have a wonderful collection of primitives and interesting finds, and your images reflect that.

      Isn't that what a good photo does?

      Thanks for sharing.
      Diane

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  3. I like your photos too, I think you do a wonderful job. I have a small fujifilm s1000 digital with only a 12x zoom. Will shortly have a better canon camera. Anyway, my home is small and I also have a hard time finding a sunny spot. Mine are usually laid out on the floor or a bed or small table depending. I'm not always happy with them either. Keep doing what you are doing, it works.

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    1. Thanks, Terry.

      Your bird photos are too cool. It's obvious you're into what you're shooting (I don't like the way that sounds since we're talking about birds) ;-).

      Do you know what camera you'll be getting? I would think some sort of telephoto lens would really let you get close up shots.

      My daughter has had good luck picking up quality lenses on eBay for a fraction of retail cost.

      I'm really hoping your weather starts to get nice down there in Houghton Lake. We're just a few weeks behind you.

      Diane

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  4. I am so glad that I'm not the only one out there with poor photography talents. Been so gloomy here in Wisconsin that I have hard time with some photos. I use picasa for editing my photos but sometimes that just isnt enough to help me get the right crisp clear light.. I have a Nikkon D70, big , heavy, clunky with lots of bells and whisles that I dont know if I will ever get the hang of. But I do enjoy reading and seeing your wonderful photos.

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    1. Theresa,

      I sure know what you mean about all the bells and whistles. I can't even make it through my Nikon's manual to figure out what they're supposed to do.

      I think my D80 is about the same size of your D70. It feels more like my older 35mm Pentax so I kind of like that. In fact, it's hard for me to shoot with my iPhone because it doesn't even feel like a camera.

      I agree, the dark days can be such an obstacle, especially if you're limited to shooting indoors. Hopefully, winter will be winding down soon (though it's snowing here now).

      Thanks for sharing....

      Diane



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  5. Good topic. I have three spots in the kitchen where the light is ok most of the time. Use backdrops too. Love yours, it looks so vintage and sweet with your photos today. Canon EOS Rebel, mostly use my 50 mm lens. Manual 800 mostly, need to explore more of what the camera offers. Use a tripod as well as hand held (yes I like the tripod best). Minor editing in iPhoto and PicMonkey. Learning from bloggers who share their behind the picture scenes. Pinning this post too. Thank you, great sharing, appreciated.
    Joy

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    1. Hi Joy,

      What kinds of backdrops do you use? Did you make them from fabric or wood?

      I'm considering mounting my wallpaper on posterboard so that it's a little sturdier and will last longer. I also have other wallpaper patterns which would give me more color options.

      I'm mostly shooting on ISO 100 or 200, so I pretty much always use a tripod if I'm inside.

      Thanks a lot for posting.

      Diane

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  6. First let me say that I think you take excellent photos. Love your new header too. I don't do much product selling so maybe I'm not be the one to give advise. Lately I have been using my iphone much more then my Nikon dslr. My nikon has focusing issues at times and it annoys me to no end. Anyways noticed you use PS. I find that using levels helps me a lot in getting better light adjustments.
    Photographing outside with a great backdrop is also useful. Lots of bokeh!!!! people eat that s*** up. lol

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    1. Carole,

      I wish I could get into using my iPhone but I'm so old school and need a viewfinder. ;-) I can't tell you how much I miss the focus ring. I never had auto lenses with my 35mm Pentax. Everything was manual.

      During nicer weather I take almost all my eBay product shots outdoors if I can. I think the natural light keeps the colors truer.

      Unfortunately, it's too cold to shoot outside, and probably will be for a couple more months.

      The greenhouse looks great. Your images always look so good because everything in your pictures looks beautiful.

      Diane

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  7. Ha! I'm a cheap date too! Stopped at the Goodwill today to find a couple of things! Ok...your photos are always so lovely! And thanks for being real and showing us your behind the scenes! Currently I have a Canon point and shoot but would like the Canon Rebel one day or a Nikon. I have been setting up in my kitchen for my thrift finds lately and setting my finds on a roll of paper that I tape to the counter and up the wall. Similar to how you do it as well! I love your finds and here is to hoping that spring will come knocking soon!!!!

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    1. Hi Nicole,
      You're too modest. I've seen your photos of your home's interior and it rocks!

      My daughter has a Canon Rebel T1 and she has taken beautiful pictures with it. I think I bought her a prime lens on Amazon for less than $100. I'm going to get one for myself.

      Happy Goodwill Hunting!

      Diane

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  8. Well now, I guess the only staging I do is when I put things on the trunk that I usually prop my legs up on when I am blogging. :) Other than that, I guess I shoot on the fly. I like keeping it real. Your photos are very pretty and no one would have ever guessed you didn't have a special space. It really doesn't matter. And I seriously doubt your farmhouse is dumpy. It doesn't matter what you live in, it's how you live that matters. Right?!! :) Today we have dust -- the sky is just rather blah and dreary. Hope you have a good day. Tammy

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Tammy.

      Uh, about the farmhouse....the problem is the person who built it in the forties never used a level if he even had one. We haven't done much to the house, other than painting and a new bathroom, since we moved in. I'm reluctant to stick a bunch of money in the house. We have built new outbuildings though. I feel another post coming on....

      Watch out for the dust....it can be nasty.
      Diane

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  9. So clever to show your tricks! You get great results! I have a good point and shoot. My good light is in my dining room so i do a TON of blog posts from there. I'm sure it gets boring! What can you do?

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  10. Jacqueline,
    No, it does not get boring....I wouldn't have even known if you hadn't mentioned it. Yours is one of the blogs that I make a point to visit whenever you add a new post.
    Diane

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  11. Your photographs are just GORGEOUS!

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  12. I'm in love with that sweet pink teacup and that china it is sitting on. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it is pretty. Also you did good on the bags of doilies, I couldn't have passed them up either.

    I would like to know what kind of camera you use, etc because your photos are so soft and pretty! I love your idea of the wallpaper behind the photos, who would have thought? It gives me great ideas. Love your sofa cover too!

    btw, I'm the kind of person that loves old houses, better than new anytime!

    and I just shoot on the fly I guess. the light in my house is awful.

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    1. Sandy,
      I think the little pink square with the flower was to set jewelry on. It was tucked in the bottom of a gift box.

      I use a Nikon D80 with a 55-85mm lens (I thinkk, it came with the camera). I am going to purchase a 50mm Nikon prime lens this week.

      Funny you should mention the sofa cover. I bought the sofa years ago at the Salvation Army in Pontiac, Michigan. It is really long and has down cushions and pillows and was from a very expensive furniture store in Birmingham. It is upholstered in a cotton, orange and lime green floral, very nice for a Florida home, not so good in my living room. I found the slipcover at our Goodwill store for $12.99. I really need a new sofa but the sun is so bright in this room it fades furniture and I really don't want to have drapes.

      Thanks for your comment.

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  13. Hello, Diane! Great find on those doilies! I would have bought them too! Love how you put wrapping paper as the background for your staging area in the photos. Sometimes I use a silk fabric background. I'm going to dig through my wrapping paper, though!

    Here's a link to a post on photography tips that i have marked on my favorites (so I can find it again!) http://www.handmadeology.com/studio-quality-product-photography-with-a-12-set-up/ I haven't tried this yet, but it looks really easy, and the photos are lovely.

    Happy creating! Catherine (new follower)

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