Thursday, May 19, 2011

How I Take Blog Pictures

I have seen many posts on the Cricut message board asking how to take nice pictures of projects to post on the board or to blogs and thought for today I would post how I take pictures instead of posting pictures of a project.

I use to be a photography major in college and I was the assistant editor of my school newspaper and knew all kinds of stuff about how to take awesome pictures, but let's face it folks...that was over 25 years ago and all that knowledge has gotten lost in my brain cells some where along the way. Oh I know it's still floating around in there but there is new information going around that my brain seems to find more important in my life at this point. Like how to assess for suicide, if anger is masking depression, if red and purple can make a great combo on a layout, if a Cricut can cut very thick chipboard, if Lucy likes rawhide treats or Alpo treats better, if....well as you can see my brain has been taken over by important matters that are current in my life at this time.

Now what was I talking about *okie closes her eyes and tries to think what she was posting about and suddenly the most recent episode of Modern Family pops into her head and she cracks up laughing about Cam falling into the little pool and popping it*. OH YEAH!! How to take decent pictures!!

We all know the best lighting is natural sun light, correct? But guess what...we can't always have natural sunlight for our projects! Sometimes it is raining, sometimes it is cloudy, and sometimes if you live in Oklahoma your project might get blown 3 blocks down the street by a high wind. I came up with a solution for me that didn't involve buying any special equipment, making any other purchases, or cost a single extra dime!

I got three wire squares left over from the wire cubes I had and use to use for storing my paper. They now store other things and this is why I had some squares left over. I thought this would make a good base for a background. I used a few zip ties to bind them together and left them a little loose so I could fold the three squares together when not in use. This saves room.

You could easily use cardboard or something else, but I am just showing you what I use and trying to point out that we don't have to go out and buy something.




I knew I needed a white background so colors would show well and something about balance *okie tries to dig off into her brain cells about photography but gives up because she doesn't want to get a headache*. I didn't want to go buy a sheet or material so I thought about what I had around the house. Sure enough in my stash of sewing supplies I found some quilting batting. And yes, I can quilt, I can sew and I can do many many other things, but we will save all that info for another post.





Now about the lamp. I got this fabulous Sunlight Lamps of America lamp from Walmart a few years back and it is A to the W to the E SOME! *okie wonders if everyone understands that she was trying to really emphasize the awesomeness of the lamp*. It is able to bend, swivel and tilt so it makes it wonderful to be able to move around and get the lighting on your projects how you want.




I do use different items to prop up layouts, most often my Big Bite. I use cart boxes or Stampin Up clamshells to put cards or altered items on to lift them off the table, just sliding them under the batting. I sometimes stack items to get the different heights. I take picture with the normal setting and when I want a close up I use the macro setting on my camera. I don't use an expensive camera either. I just have a little Canon PowerShot A470 that I got about two years ago.

So ya see folks, ya don't have to be a professional photographer to get decent pictures of your projects, ya just have to use a little ingenuity and a little digging around the house to find the right set up.

28 comments:

  1. Thanks Okie going to try this idea. I have been using a trifold poster board but it sometimes glares. Then other times I am in a hurry and throw a piece of paper on my desk and take the pic. Thanks for the great pics.

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  2. Love this Okie!!! Thanks for posting!

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  3. Really, really great photography tips!!!! Will be trying these ideas! TFS!

    jackie

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  4. OMG, Okie! I have that same lamp, and I had NO IDEA that the top swivels! I always have a hard time using it for taking pictures because I did not know that. Too funny!

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  5. I look forward to your posts everyday and everyday I learn something new. Thank you so much for sharing your creativity and talent. I have an award for you on my blog and love for you to accept it.
    http://lenascreations.blogspot.com/

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  6. You should be on the stage lol and thanks for the tips.

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  7. Good info! I forget about moving my OTT light when I snap photos. Next time I'll try moving it out to the front of what I'm taking the picture of and see if that will help.

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  8. thanks for sharing...... Going to look for stuff around the house and lucky enough I was enabled by you on the cricut board and bought the lamp. =)

    Sandy

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  9. WOW! Great photo tips. Thanks so much.

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  10. Thank you for this GREAT information ! Now I know what I need to look for ! Thanks !
    A.N.

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  11. Thank you for this GREAT information ! Now I know what I need to look for ! Thanks !
    A.N.

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  12. Love your idea, I'll have to give a try. Any idea where to get those wire squares without having to buy a whole cube set? I've been looking for 6 of these wire panels for something non scrapbook related for quite awhile but haven't been able to describe what I'm talking about. I'm so glad you posted this, now I at least have a picture of what I'm looking for.

    Lara
    anniebugsmom@yahoo.com

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  13. Great idea, Okie. I'm always trying to put a sheet of 12x12 paper behind my projects when I take a picture. I don't have those frames, but sure I can come up with a tri-fold something! I do have that sun lamp from Walmart. I got the best deal on mine for only $10!!!!

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  14. This is great info, thanks for sharing. I think I have most of that stuff, even better!!

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  15. Thank you, thank you!! I've been wondering how you and others get those awesome pictures of your work to post. I can take outdoor pictures pretty well...but inside? I have florescent lighting throughout my house...nothing shoots well in that light. Thanks for the tips!

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  16. Thanks so much for the info! I'm new to blogging and I have been trying different things, but my cards still don't look as good in my pics. Now I think that lamp is exactly what I need!

    Tiffany
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS

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  17. Great great idea!!! I made myself a lightbox from foam board. The white really makes the difference.

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  18. Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave in the Cutting category today [20 May 02:15am GMT]. Thanks, Maria

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  19. Thanks for the helpful tips. I don't have a blog but like to take pictures of the cards/creations that I make for reference. This helps alot...thanks!

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  20. Okie! Thank you for this wonderful little Idea! I love it!

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  21. Great ideas! I'm always finishing something up at 2am & there's no natural light then. (Not that there's much more than clouds in NE Ohio anyway!)

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  22. Thank Okie again you had me laughing my a-- off. I spent a bunch of money, well I guess my hubby did. It was a gift (I should have taken back) on a light box. The thing you set it object in is fine but the lights are weak. My son got me trouble lights and 300w bulbs and it works much better.

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  23. Thanks Okie, nice set up I am always looking for ways to improve my picture taking. Sometimes the colors just don't come out right. I a "sunlight" or day light lamp but I think after seeing your tips, I have the light source on the wrong side.

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  24. Hey Okie

    Yeah, I have TWO of those Sunlight Lamps. One of them finally burned out so I went to buy a replacement bulb- now the darn thing only works 1/4 of the time and you really have to coax it to work by plugging and unplugging it several times before the light will actually stay on! :(

    My other one - works like a charm - for now! :) My local walmart doesn't carry them anymore. So if they both give it up, I don't know what I will do.

    Great tips on how to use what you have in order to shoot a pic!!

    Do some more videos Okie - you are great!

    Marilyn C.

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  25. Thank you so much for the tip. I have been a heck of a time with flash out on my cards...this is a great idea.

    Deanne
    http://deannescreativejuice.blogspot.com/

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  26. oh....and p.s.....you're funny! I just went back and read all the words on your post....normally I just scan and look at pics! LOL

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