Lights, Camera...

I recently bought some studio lighting.  All the way from China it came, assembly was easier than the Ikea furniture I purchased earlier in the year - what a relief.  I can't justify the backdrop and stand at the moment so off to Spotlight (fabric shop) I went to get some non-reflective black fabric.  I was happy to find it for $2 a metre & got them to roll it not fold it.  Actually I have plans to sew it up once I get a stand but until then it is just attached to the wall. 

Something about getting the new lights has made my eldest daughter Charli beg me to take photos of her which suits me as she is a natural in front of the camera and it gives me a chance to figure it all out trial and error style.  Plus she has this amazing creative streak at almost 5 years old (I can't imagine where life will take her).  All I hear is "Take a photo of me mummy!" all day long.  The only down side is the mess but it's worth it if she is loving it!  Perhaps she is my "enabler" for this photography obsession haha.

I once heard someone say when photographing kids have a "Dress up" or "prop box" and let them do their thing in front of the camera.  This works well for me so far and I can't wait to organize props into old suitcases to fit different themes.  I think this way kids can choose what they like and it will still go with the theme.

Wigging out

Silhouettes and my 50mm prime lens

Today I was playing with silhouettes (and my new 50mm lens) as the sun went down at the beach.  Quite a bit of fun and something a bit different I thought.  It was a bit more of a challenge than my lazy 18-200 zoom lens but it did me good to have to move around to frame up the images and I was pleased with the results.

I am VERY impressed with my 50mm prime lens, if you haven't got one and you have a DSLR get one as they are cheap and a must have!  Check www.amazon.com for some great prices.

70 free PS Actions

Ok it looks like something has happened to my last post but here is a link to some free photoshop actions.   Let me know if anyone wants me to write it up again otherwise I might just leave you with these :)

http://creativenerds.co.uk/freebies/70-of-the-best-photoshop-actions-for-enhancing-photos/