props and things...

The photo above is an example of a lazy photographer but it can be just what you need to get that pic done and uploaded,you can get good pics with the very basics but this can be time consuming and frustrating,you will need patience, so if you don't have all the bells and whistles don't fret,you can do quite well with out them until you can up grade.

Ive been doing some photo work with my latest dolls,and what I would like to share today is the need for a space just for photography,you definitely need a space just for doing your photo shoots and props if at all possible,you will find that if you have your space made so that it can be left unpacked then you will work more often,also a space provided just for your props is a very handy thing,it takes a lot of messing about out of the equation.
I am making a designated space for my photo cube,back drops,lights and tripod in my studio,and a space for stop motion animation as well as for props,I find that if I dont do this then I will get lazy and not work as often as I should and not work as well as I should,so organization is a must..well for me anyway,I will show a photo of my space once it is all set up next week end.

About props...you can use any thing for props..from paper to wood,over the next few months I will be showing how to make props for different photo shoots,so stayed tuned for that.

The following vids will give you an idea of how to set up a home based photo studio...

Keep clicking and Ill add more next week.

This is a portrait I took of my nephew having his hair cut,I tweaked it in photoshop of course,I am pretty happy with this image.

Play around with your camera,take lots of shots of people doing every day things,you can end up with some great photos and memories,just keep clicking..


For some good tips on taking portrait photos check out this video...

This image is done using a silk flower,some old jewelery and scrapping paper,it was edited in photoshop and is now a beautiful image ready to be sold.

For some tips on table top photography check out the video below.

If you wander around your home town long enough you will soon find things to shoot,I took these one summer afternoon a couple of streets away from my home,I then took it to photoshop for an edit and added a very very brief tale of the shoes and ended up with a story image.
For this image I used some layers,brushes and gradients,it was simple and easy,I will do some tutorials in the near future to give you an idea of what you can so with a basic boring image.
Click pic to enlarge.

This was taken using the kitchen table and some pretty props,then edited in photoshop..

This photo was taken in my studio,I simply took a shot of the window sill and edited it in photoshop,there is an endless amount of things that you can do using photoshop,I cant recommend it enough.

Photographs And Memories

Taking photographs is a passion that I have had since I was a teenage girl,I spent many happy hours in the dark room at school and then I studied photography for a couple of years at tafe.

A camera is a recorder of life and is an important extension of myself,it is a means of creative expression for a lot of artists and a wonderful tool for exploring your creativity and self expression.

I believe that all artists should have a decent camera if only to record their art work and to capture inspiration,and as an extra extension of that I recommend photoshop as it is a huge aid in presenting your art work in a portfolio.

In this blog I will be recording my explorations with photography and photoshop cs,introducing some great digital artists and photgraphers,as well as sharing various techniques using a camera and photoshop.

I hope to inspire all of your to take a camera and record your creative journeys for generations to follow and be inspired by.

Things that are handy to have other than a camera...computer,printer,photoshop,oil paints,paint brushes,drying line or rack,photo cube,pretty fabrics,props,lamps,sheet of glass,the book photo shop for dummies and a good book on digital photography basics,oh yes and a space to do a photo shoot in,I use the kitchen table a lot and my studio.

Books that I recommend are...Digital Photography by John Ellis....
The Complete Idiots Guide To Adobe Photoshop...
Mixed Emulsions altered art techniques for photographic imagery by Angela Cartwright...
Photo crafts source book by Laurie Klien and Livia McRee......