Exploring Creative Photography

Photographing products can be a tough task.  Too basic of a color, too busy of a background, poor lighting conditions and shaky hands can produce less then stellar product photographs.  Most designers put careful time in creating a piece and are excited to share its completion. Your photographs of it need to be just as creative as the piece and showcase your design style.

A clever way to showcase your jewelry designs and brand message.
Here I created a heart from my jewelry designs and filled it with
photos that paint my story. Explore, Create, and Live Free Spirited. 

Choosing the right colors and themes can be overwhelming.  If you create fun and flirty jewelry, your backgrounds need to reflect that mood in order to compliment your piece.  With the rise of social media, designers of every degree are utilizing the benefits of social platforms to promote their product and create a brand awareness.

Instagram is a great visual platform for capturing everything we do in the current minute. Clogging your IG feed with more then 3 or 4 pictures of the same thing at the same time can be shunned upon by fellow Instagramers, who crave varied inspiration to retain their commit to follow.  Its very important to choose "the perfect picture" to capture your message to your audience.

Blogging, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, You Tube, Vine, Flickr, and Websites are some of the larger social media platforms designers are using to get their brand across.  Smart phones are replacing the everyday camera at a fast pace. Why, you might ask? Because you can instantly download to one of these sites and share that current moment.

Pay attention to the details you want to showcase. This dress
screamed vintage prom and the focal point was the fabric and
the center details. One photo was enough to portray that point.

Thinking out of the box is essential. Having great photo enhancing apps is key. Mix these two together and any photograph can be creative and eye catching.  I have been an Apple Iphone lover since the beginning.  I currently use it to take most of my pictures for social media.  After I select the set I want to share, I load them to my fave social media sites and tweak. Then I caption and upload to social media.

I play with colors, textures, props and lighting to get the look I want.  Frames, chalkboard prints, scrapbook paper, and signs play big roles in my product photography sessions.  If the lighting seems dull, I load the photos into editing apps and correct them.

Details, I love up-close details, they are in themselves a work of art when photographed. Details almost always get pinned to my inspiration board in the studio.  Scraps of fabric, trims, and broken jewelry.  Snippets of ephemera, tags and event badges.  Photographs of vintage things, and magazine cutouts line my inspiration boards.  I layer them with the things that inspire me.  I think inspiration boards and detail photos are always a must.

The Selfie! I've been doing the selfie for decades.
Here's a selfie I recently took at my best friends
bridesmaid dress gala. This headband is so me.

Some of my recommendations:

• -Chalkboard or rustic black backgrounds for leather, distressed, metal, and industrial vintage pieces. Try chalkboards, chalkboard paper or spray paint foam board with chalkboard paint. (I will post my homemade chalkboard paint recipe next week). 

  

  A chalkboard rustic background to showcase my authentic
  baseball necklaces

• -Try paper bags, parchment paper, old sheet music, wicker baskets, maps, metal signs, books, globes and wood for additional rustic backgrounds. 

  

  Earrings I made for a friend, layered onto a
  piece of scrapbook paper from My Minds Eye.

• -Kitschy wrapping paper, wall paper, scrapbook paper, or fabric for sweet, sugary products, baked goods and dolls.
• -Furniture, trunks, dress forms and candle bases work wonders for height and dimension.
• -Take photos from the bottom up, angled or upside down for some creative fun. 
• -Look for eye catching reflections in glass windows or elements.
• Don't forget the selfie, sometimes its all about the selfie.
• -Outside props work fabulous. Think rustic barns, house siding, trees, benches, pools, lakes.
• -The beach. Gotta love the photographic properties that the beach has to offer. Sun, sand, shells and  water. 
• Inspiration boards! Make an inspiration board of the things that inspire you and inspire your brand. Add to it or take away from it the further along you go on your journey. 
• Never steal someone's background or imagery for your own work.  Remember copyright is essential. Always respect other designers works. 

  

  Layering a piece onto a photo greeting card.  I used a greeting
  card and necklace I received for Valentine's day, photographed
  them together. Worked like a charm. Card from Taylor Swift,
  Necklace-Francesca's Boutique.

Next week I will post some creative backgrounds and paint recipes for you to use and create.

xo
Lisa

Relic Photography Project, Plaques of New Orleans

I used to always have my camera with me wherever I go, now I only bring my Iphone 5 which has a better camera then my digital cannon or Olympus camera, the colors are more detailed and vivid, then the cameras I used to bring with me everywhere. Now I point and click with the Iphone 5. I recently was on a trip to New Orleans for 10 days and became so inspired by every thing down to the smallest of details which made up the whole city. I took so many pictures that I started to run out of GB on phone camera memory, there was just so mcuh to consume and take photos of. I found bringing the city to life would be task, overall views couldn't really bring it to life, but the details could, the relics and found architecture hidden in the city would really help you to see the magic that I could see while I was there. Since I am in love with so many themes and color palettes, filtering these photos was a tough job, fun, but tough, as I loved the black and white look, the sepia, soft focus pastel and vibrant detailed color, each one was beautiful and gave a different effect to the photos. For this project I decided on black and white coloring, since it was for Dave's birthday, the black and white coloring gave a more masculine and professional feel. I choose specific photos which symbolized how we felt about New Orleans and the magic we found there, the result these photos: 

•   -Carousel details from the Carousel Bar 
• -Mardi Gras parade float icon from Mardi Gras World
•  -Typical French Quarter Architecture 
•  -Court of the Three Sisters, Bourbon Street -Nola Trolley Service
•  -Catholic Church, St.Louis Cathedral  

Each of these photos were taken from my Iphone 5 and enhanced with filters using Snapseed on the Iphone, the final resolution for each was over 5 megapixels, which were perfect for printing in 8 by 10 inch size with complete clarity. I used a medium weight paper to print them on from my HP ink jet printer, black plaques, foam brush and modge podge. Below is the exact supply list and directions to make your own.

•  Supplies: 
• -Ink jet or laser jet photo (a photo from your most memorable place) 
• -8 inch by 10 inch black plaque (Michael's Craft Store)
•  -Mod Podge,By Plaid 
• -Foam brush 
• -Rolling pin 

-Heavy books
 Directions:

1.  1. Print your photo or have printed at your local print store to an 8 by 10 size, cut out, set aside.
2.  2. Spread Mod Podge onto a 8 by 10 plaque using foam brush. 
3.  3. Lay cut photo onto the plaque making sure its lined up with the edges, and the hanging portion on the back of the plaque is at the top, not bottom, so that you can hang it on the wall. Then press down, use a rolling pin to roll out any bubbles, lay a stack of books onto it until dried flat.  
4.  Tips/Tricks:
5.  -For an even faster, less mess version, use spray adhesive in place of the Mod Podge, roll flat, let dry. 
6. -Paint your plaques in various colors, mix and match with colorful imagery from your travels or most memorable experiences.
7. -Follow this technique and apply small instagram sized photos to wood blocks and scraps.

Its Summer, Try Something Different: a new art form, food and more!Its Officially Summer, Is there something you wanted to try last summer or in general, perhaps a new art form or technique, a new recipe or food. Did you want to color your hair or try a new clothing style, then try it now, you have a whole summer to embark on a new adventure of ideas and inspiration.

Some idea's to ponder:
1. Try a nice refreshing old fashioned Rootbeer Float, a cherry soda float straight from the soda fountain w/cherry syrup and soda fizz.

2. Do you always wear darker colors, try on some brighter and cheerful summer colors, or add some sparkle and glam with a bevy of rhinestone jewelry or some of your own handmade artful jewelry and make a cool statement.
3. How about learning to knit, crochet or tatt, perhaps take that course you have been wanting to take on the art form of your choice.

4. What about reading a new novel while at the beach drinking a pina colada and soaking in the warm summer sun.

5. Maybe you always wanted to try fishing or camping, now is the time to do it, bring a seafood recipe and camping cookbook with you or turn your camping excursion into an exploration, bring a tent, a safari hat, some linens, moroccan anterns, a carpet and have a whole new experience of the outdoors.6. Try a new food or prepare a recipe you always wanted to make. What about lemon lavender cupcakes, an edible flower salad, baked figs w/cheese, Tandoori Chicken, Thai Green Curry Chicken or Peanut Butter and Garlic Spareribs, these are something cool to try.

7. Ever go searching for sea shells after a storm or renting a metal detector and combing the beach, Geo Tracking Devices can start you on a treasure hunting experience!

8. Is there a historic place you always wanted to visit or a museum you have been wanting to explore, then do it.

9. Perhaps for a few years you have been wanting to re-vamp your garden, add a trellis, roses and a garden ornament, maybe re-configure your yard, wait for some sun and start that project.

10. Been wanting to try your hand at attending a garage or yard sale, don't wait for someone to go with you, just go and find those vintage finds, but grab a cup of coffee and some single dollars before you go.

11. What about taking the leap of faith and painting a spare room a bold color, branching out of your color comfort zone, bringing to life those ideas whirling around in your head.

12. Volunteer somewhere for the day, and feel good about helping others, help out at a funraiser or take a walk to help in the fight against the many diseases out there, or just show support for a friend, loved one or stranger who might need your help.

13. Love amusement parks? Want to feel like a kid again, head out to one, eat kettle corn, cotton candy, funnel cakes or ice cream, ride the carousel, roller coaster and ferris wheel, feel the excitement
14. Hate bathing suits, but love the beach? Just grab that long sarang or maxi dress, pack a bag with a towel, a book, sun block, snacks and just do it, grab a friend go to the beach early during the week and relax reading a book, searching for shells, followed by a trip to the boardwalk for some fun, you don't need a bathing suit to do that.
15. Go to the library and walk to your favorite section, close your eyes and let your heart pick a book, open your eyes up and choose that book, read it and enjoy, try something new.

By trying something new you are fueling your craving for adventure, an exhilarating feeling, a surge of energy, an awakening, a challenge to get out of your comfort zone, trying something new will open your mind to new things, leading to new ideas, a belief in yourself, to conquer your goals and over come your fears.


These are just a few ideas to get you going on your new journey! I hope you enjoy the photographs I took from my travels which I added some more color and magic too, they are altered a bit from the originals to show the variation and different interpretations, I hope you enjoy them and get energized to try something new this summer.

A Yearbook of Halloween 2007-2008

Many of you know, and if you don't you will now, Halloween is one of my fave time of year, next to my Birthday (LOL) and Christmas. But the reason Halloween is extra special to me is that its also the day my Grandmom was born, her birthday, two fave things in one. She was my other best friend next to my mom, when my Grandma Yolanda passed away in 1998 it was a devastation for me, til this day I have still not fully got over that, she was a second mother to me, both my Grandmom and Grandpa lived with us, when she died we all felt the loss. I eventually bought a plaque at her favorite shrine: St.Joseph's in Stirling, NJ to remember her by, she loved that place, and so do I. My Grandfather and Mother, along with myself take rides over there to see the plaque and connect with her, we just were all there a month ago, it was a happy time.

Today I wish her a Happy Birthday and call upon her to bring me love, luck and Happiness today and always! Another thing about my Grandmother and my Uncle Jimmy, they were the 2 other artists in the family, I believe they passed that on to me. They are my artful idols and like me loved this time of year.

In the next few pictures are an adventure: Tiffany, Ed, Glenny and I made to a local farm in Chester a few weeks back to go apple and pumpkin picking. Isn't this farm beautiful? Just acres and acres of land waiting for you to discover, after all NJ is the Garden State, believe it or not!


Tiffany and I with our massive apples, Tiffany is the best we met years ago at my fave place: The Book Store and have been friends ever since. Here I am in the pumpkin patch, thanks Ed for taking the picture.



Glenny and me in one of the apple tree rows, Glenny is used to the camera now, I take loads of pictures, poor guy, now he just grins and bares it! LOL! Notice this apple tree, don't they look like giant cherries, and that sky was a perefect blue, such a serene picture, I had to take it.

This picture is one I took at Donaldson's Farm in Hackettstown, near my home, such a cute farm and loads of pumpkins and a hayride.

Some more pictures at Donaldson's, of me sitting down in the pumpkin display and my mom behind one of the pumpkin cutouts! We had a blast. These pictures were taken last Halloween time, right on Halloween too!


The next set of picturesque scenery is taken behind Our(Glenny and Me)House, we took a nice Autumn drive along the back road of our house to nab some pictures of the Autumn scenery!


In these pictures, Glenny and I went Pumpkin picking down the road from our house to Tranquillity Farms to hand out at the petting zoo with our new animal friends and the little Goat who wanted to actually leave with us. Isn't this little goat too cute?



Then we went on our pumpkin mission, scooping out the best pumpkins we could find, I detoured over to these cool white pumpkins, they just looked so vintage chic as if painted that color by a vintage artist.

Some primitive looking sunflowers, almost resembled a sunflower grave yard, kinda of eerie but pretty at the same time.
In the next pictures, I dropped down into the autumn flower patch for a fairy style picture, I just should add some wings and a crown, minus the cap.
Talk about the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, this says it all!










I had to photoshop some of the Donaldson's pictures, I couldn't resist, could you?




These pumpkins were the ones Glenny and I finally bought and carved on Hallows Eve, His is the tree pumpkin and mine is the Sally from Nightmare Before Xmas Pumpkin, took us over an hour to do our pumpkins. The next is a picture of Chris, Jess (my future niece and nephew) in there too cute for words costumes, I glitzed up a bit with a tiny crown, I've had it since I was 7years old. This year Chris is a Sumo Wrestler and Jess a Bee Fairy, Here is my Halloween Costume last year, my altered Queen Costume, The fabric crown is embellished with my vintage buckle necklace and the costume itself loads of pearls and jewels..This year Im dressing as a gothic Marie Antoinette!



Happy Halloween!
Hugs!
Lisa!