Product Photography

Hello from a seriously soggy North Yorkshire - perfect weather for making headway on To Do lists!

Taking priority on the list for me, was setting up a place where I can do my product photography, without having to take down all the equipment after every session.

my new product photography set up is as near to the roof window as possible

We recently had most of our loft boarded out for storage - oh my word, how much do I love that loft?!?! Complete tangent here - but knowing that we now have somewhere to store...Winter clothes and coats in Summer & vice versa; Ditsy Bird materials and supplies that I don't use regularly; bags; spare bedding; all the stuff that is currently under all the beds due lack of storage; sentimental keepsakes - what a difference this is going to make!

Okay, back to it - I decided that, as there won't be a lot of traffic up there (it will basically just be me, moving things from house to loft and back again), it is the perfect place to set up my lighting, tripod and backdrops.

With this setup, as and when I finish a product, I can whizz up the ladder and take the pics I need, and get straight on to editing and listing - rather than continuing with my current method, of waiting until I've got loads to photo, in order to justify the time spent setting up all the equipment.

Lots of trips up the ladder, lugging gear upstairs; lots of crawling on knees to get things into place (W trusses..ugh!); lots of getting hot and bothered (so warm up there!) later, and it's all set up. Hurrah!

I feel hugely satisfied for having actually got off my bum and done it - plus the exercise I've had climbing those ladders, and lifting kit up there - and for trimming down my current 'to photograph' pile.

Oh yes, very satisfying indeed.

Have you tackled something that's been nattering away at the back of your head for a while, or is there something that you could do, right now, to get a big fat tick on your to do list?

Right then, what's next on that there list...

Sarah

x

UPDATE:
Just in case anyone is interested, THIS is the lighting set I bought in 2014, after taking THIS course by Alisa Burke. I can highly recommend both the lights, and the course! Best of all, there is currently $10 off the course, in Alisa's Summer sale. 

Tuesday

it's been a funny old day here in the nest...it started off with a head massage* followed by a long natter with Mum -who had an appointment straight after me - and another stonking headache (result of the massage).

*due to years of abuse of my neck and shoulders...bad posture people, bad posture...I'm in a painful, stiff and creaky way at the moment. A month long headache (and muchly interupted sleep) led me to book a neck & shoulder massage with my friend Sue, which I then spoke about to another friend, Anna, who happens to a truly excellent osteopath. Cue appointment with Anna, an assessment and some 'deep tissue' manipulation and I have much improved movement...I can probably turn out of a junction in my motor now, without moving bodily to see in both directions. Today's massage was to keep on top of the situation and not let my muscles stiffen up too much...I will get this sorted!

Basically, I'm (you too perhaps?) terrible at looking after myself in that way. I'll happily fork out for good, healthy food, with happy chickens and organic produce here and there...I'll make sure my walk to school and back is a good old stomp to get my heart going...I'll have regular hair appointments etc but when it comes to something as simple as bad posture...tut tut tut. I sit at a keyboard and screen two days a week when in Management Accountant mode, and at a desk hunched over a drawing/some sewing etc when in Ditsy Bird mode, a slob on the sofa at the end of the night, or lounge against pillows when reading in bed = I rarely sit up straight = sooooo not good for me. I mean, Anna had to massage my front neck muscles - I didn't even know that was possible! I thought I'd got sore glands but no, sore (oh so sore) neck muscles. I know. Or rather, I didn't know.

For years I've been joking about how I could do with a full body MOT but had never actually thought about how I could go about that. You see, I've always seen massages as a bit of a luxury...more of a treat than a treatment. I now know better of course and will be having regular, preventative, ones going forward.

Hmm this wasn't intended to be a 'look after yourselves people, sit up straight, stretch and give those muscles a rub once in a while' post. But hey diddly ho ;)

Anyhoo...headache under control and finances addressed, I realised that the funds I'd hoped I'd be able to buy myself a beautiful, shiny, brand new DSLR no longer existed. Hmph.

But last night, whilst twitting on Twitter, I remembered some amazing photos a pal had posted using a special lense for his iPhone, no less! A quick chat later, and a bit of web browsing this aft on Photojojo's store, and I have ordered these and this in the hope, that they + the camera on my iPhone 4s will suffice for some fairly decent product shots...

I was sorely tempted by this but will have to see how the lenses go and perhaps invest at a later date. There are so many very cool things on the site, but I had to resist my 'by them all!!!!' urge - I will report back on how I fair with my lenses and tripod attacher doobery wotsit. Hurry post people...hurry!

That's it then really, we're right up to date and now I have to go get my delicious wee chap from Dodge Ball club.

here's a piccie of a card I made for a friends birthday...the Indian Leaf is a magnet :)

TTFN
x

revamp

I've been working on my stock photos in Photoshop, trying to get to grips with the whole white out look.
What do you think?

I got better at it as I went along so a couple may need relooking at (after a good night's kip) but, all in all, I'm well chuffed!

Sx