Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Organizing the Kitchen Pantry
One thing my friends always laughed at was how my cupboard shelves looked like a grocery store. Everything front and center, and always rotated. Well that was just a peeve of mine to have it a mess, but I didn't have it this way because I was good at organizing. Matter of fact, I felt everything was still a mess (am I ever happy?).
I would really love to give credit to the website that helped me organize my kitchen pantry so that I'm "more" happy with it, but it was years ago and I never copied the link.
However I'll just tell you how they did it, which inspires the way I do it.
Plain and simple - you need more boxes ::cheese grin::. I prefer the square plastic clear ones as posted below.
I designated a spot on the shelf for a type of food. Like breakfast, snacks, Oriental, Italian, Mexican, sides, baking, drinks, soups.
In the boxes, I have everything I need to prepare a meal. Take Italian for instant. I am not an authentic Italian chef, but I like my spaghetti. What I have in my Italian bin are all the ingredients (less refrigerated items) in this bin. Mushrooms, noodles, tomato paste, tomato sauce.
In my Mexican bin I have my taco shells, green chilies, refried beans, enchilada sauce.
Then when I want to have say Spaghetti - or I'm planing my weekly menu (ha-ha, does that really happen, we'll, not really, but I do shop to make sure I have what I need in each category for when I want that item) but I can easily see what is there and what I need at the store. No searching on the bottom shelf for canned goods, middle shelf for noodles, top right for mushroom, and down a ways for sauce. When I did it that way, I always ALWAYS forgot some important ingredient for my meal. You can even label what contents you want to always be in that box, but if you have something extra, just toss it in, and it won't get lost in the shuffle when you go to make your meal and forget about it, only to find it 2 years later behind the box of stove top stuffing.
Breakfast items include your cereals, pancake mix, syrups, oatmeal.
I'm not one to keep my sugar for oatmeal in the breakfast bin, and some sugar in the baking bin for when you want to make your favorite sugar cookies, but you may want too if it makes it easier for you.
It's your pantry, you way!
I would really love to give credit to the website that helped me organize my kitchen pantry so that I'm "more" happy with it, but it was years ago and I never copied the link.
However I'll just tell you how they did it, which inspires the way I do it.
Plain and simple - you need more boxes ::cheese grin::. I prefer the square plastic clear ones as posted below.
I designated a spot on the shelf for a type of food. Like breakfast, snacks, Oriental, Italian, Mexican, sides, baking, drinks, soups.
In the boxes, I have everything I need to prepare a meal. Take Italian for instant. I am not an authentic Italian chef, but I like my spaghetti. What I have in my Italian bin are all the ingredients (less refrigerated items) in this bin. Mushrooms, noodles, tomato paste, tomato sauce.
In my Mexican bin I have my taco shells, green chilies, refried beans, enchilada sauce.
Then when I want to have say Spaghetti - or I'm planing my weekly menu (ha-ha, does that really happen, we'll, not really, but I do shop to make sure I have what I need in each category for when I want that item) but I can easily see what is there and what I need at the store. No searching on the bottom shelf for canned goods, middle shelf for noodles, top right for mushroom, and down a ways for sauce. When I did it that way, I always ALWAYS forgot some important ingredient for my meal. You can even label what contents you want to always be in that box, but if you have something extra, just toss it in, and it won't get lost in the shuffle when you go to make your meal and forget about it, only to find it 2 years later behind the box of stove top stuffing.
Breakfast items include your cereals, pancake mix, syrups, oatmeal.
I'm not one to keep my sugar for oatmeal in the breakfast bin, and some sugar in the baking bin for when you want to make your favorite sugar cookies, but you may want too if it makes it easier for you.
It's your pantry, you way!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Organizing owner’s manuals, and other obnoxious important papers…
It seems with everything you buy, from kitchen appliances to computer equipment, TVs and sewing machines, there comes a neat little plastic bag filled with things like an owners manual, a warranty form, sometimes a quick guide, and list of important things to remember, not to mention, some items are worth keeping your sales receipt.
This is easy, and as easy as it is, I'm surprised I didn't think of this, let alone think of it much sooner. But this is something I saw a friend do, and to me (the one who just taped the manual and extras to the bottom of the item, which doesn't work so well on a toaster) Is just simply go out and buy either a file cabinet (if you have room and like the looks of them) or one of these handy dandy little file crates.
Also you will need the hanging folders and tabs. I label my tabs A-Z, it's much easier than giving every appliance and piece of equipment it's own folder, especially since I have way more than 26 manuals I need to store. So A-Z works for me, then I just put all the papers and booklets from one item (say my camera) in a zip lock storage bag, label what it is on the outside with a sharpie, then you can either throw it in C for camera, or C for Canon (hrmmm, either way, that one is going in C). But say you have a Toaster from Sunbeam, you can throw it in T for toaster, S for Sunbeam, or K for kitchen appliances, you decide, but really you just toss it in a file and forget about it, until your toaster catches fire and you need to take it back for a replacement (or money back).
Yep, small post and easy as pie.
Other things I recommend is buying a file cabinet to store things like paid bill receipts, check stubs, a bunch of newly purchased greeting cards for all occasions because if your like me, you always realize at the last minute that it's someones birthday, or someone had a baby, or someone is having a hard day, and it's too late to go to the grocery store and pick out a special card for that special person. So just hit this file in the file cabinet and Voila! You are thoughtful and on time! There is a .49 cent department in the card isle to purchase a whole multitude of greeting cards for those rushing around moments. I like to buy them for my kids just to tell them "Good Job" or give them an encouraging note when they're just having a bad day.
So there are some ideas for ya, hope you can find some inspiration and get good use out if it.
This is easy, and as easy as it is, I'm surprised I didn't think of this, let alone think of it much sooner. But this is something I saw a friend do, and to me (the one who just taped the manual and extras to the bottom of the item, which doesn't work so well on a toaster) Is just simply go out and buy either a file cabinet (if you have room and like the looks of them) or one of these handy dandy little file crates.
Yep, small post and easy as pie.
Other things I recommend is buying a file cabinet to store things like paid bill receipts, check stubs, a bunch of newly purchased greeting cards for all occasions because if your like me, you always realize at the last minute that it's someones birthday, or someone had a baby, or someone is having a hard day, and it's too late to go to the grocery store and pick out a special card for that special person. So just hit this file in the file cabinet and Voila! You are thoughtful and on time! There is a .49 cent department in the card isle to purchase a whole multitude of greeting cards for those rushing around moments. I like to buy them for my kids just to tell them "Good Job" or give them an encouraging note when they're just having a bad day.
So there are some ideas for ya, hope you can find some inspiration and get good use out if it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Organization - Part 1,
I've been wanting to blog about organization for a long time, however I have two problems, I have ADD, and I have OCD, which makes it very difficult to claim myself as an organized person when my mind is such a clutter, and my house is never good enough.
I have learned some pretty cool tips and tricks on organizing my nest that I'll pass along, just in case you can learn from it, build from it, or just want a good laugh at someone who is so upside down and tries to go right side up.
This is not going to be a post about how your should clean your house first, or throw a bunch of stuff away. This is a very keep-it-simple approach to organization. It's my way of painting myself out of a corner, when I'm already stuck in a mess. You wont walk away from this with nothing but a very clean kitchen sink. You wont walk away with a very clean anything. This is not a cleaning post, this is an organization post. Cleaning comes after the clutter is cleared. This is my dive in approach to getting the job done NOW.
One thing I should mention, and this drives my husband absolutely nuts, is I use baskets (or bins), Lots and Lots of baskets. I can not comprehend organization with out the aid of baskets. For without baskets, there is no organization, just as without vanilla coffee creamer, there is no coffee. I prefer square baskets, as I have no round corners to put round baskets and I think round baskets end up adding to the clutter, rather than tidying it up nice and neat. However I would use a round basket temporarily if I had too.
Another thing that is important to the success of my organization is layout. There is a place for everything and everything is in it's place. But where IS that place? Well look at how a grocery store works. They have isles with different types of products, and the stores are divided up into different sections based on what the item is. There is food, cosmetic, home, toys, clothes. And in each of these different sections they have isles that break down item locations even more. They have your electrical isle, they have your plumbing isle, they have your bread isle, they have your cereal and breakfast isle, they have your snack isle (are you counting how many baskets you’re going to need? Now is a good time to go cheap and start shopping All-A-Dollar, or the liquor store for boxes if you need to get started on a very small budget).
So imagine this, in one corner of your store, you have your "Hardware" department. Imagine it like Home Depot, or Lowes Hardware, everything that is not food, or clothing that you could buy at these stores, goes here, (like the basement on all those shelves that have just a little bit of everything from crafting items, to light bulbs, to left over tiles, to old camping gear, to a bunch of you don’t know what because it's too overwhelming to even look at it to go through it to see what else is up there besides a bunch of cob webs and dust bunnies).
First you will need a minimum of 500 (okay start with at least 6-10) bins, and label them, (oh, did I mention you will need some sort of label maker? Whether it be scotch tape and a marker, or actual labels and a printer with cute little clip art designs).
Labeling and filling boxes:
1. Hardware - You know all those annoying little pieces of whatever you see floating around the house, and when you go to put them away, you don’t have a clue where there even supposed to go, because maybe you don’t even know what the heck it is, but you don’t what to throw it away because once you discover what it is, it will be when you realize you can’t live w/o it. Those go in here, along with locks, door knobs, hinges, a million screws, bolts, washers, nails, and other random pieces of wall hanging thingies that you might use some day. Just toss them in the basket, it's that easy.
2. Plumbing - Everyone has one of those gooey ring things that seal a toilet to the floor, go ahead and toss it in right next to that new faucet your husband is going to install in the bathroom sink "someday". Some copper tubing, weird looking plumbing tape, brackets, Drain-O, hair traps, drain plugs, plunger, things of that nature.
3. Electrical - Light bulbs (even those tiny ones for your fridge, stove) Electrical cords and power strips, outlets, light switches. If you can buy it in the electrical isle, it goes here. Heck, you can even throw old phone cords in here Just-In-Case you EVER buy another landline phone again.
4. Paint - Remember all those cans of spray paint you bought because you were into painting baskets and picture frames? This is the place for them, along with spackle, primer, wall paint, (not acrylic craft paint, that is in the crafting isle, silly), tarp, blue wall tape, brushes, rollers, (Did I mention, these baskets or bins need to be BIG?)
5. Lawn and garden - You don’t have to have a lawn or even a garden to realize that you will still have items to fill this basket.
6. IT Equipment - All the million billion extra computer cables that actually only fit in the old style monitors that you may need someday, the thousands of extra red, yellow and white end cable connectors that you’re not sure goes to what gaming system. All the chargers that you’re not sure if it goes to a remote control car, that piano in the kids room, an old ghetto-blaster that requires that 5lb ceramic bunny to be placed onto of the CD player in order for it to work, or some mysterious piece of electronic equipment that you have forgotten about and don’t dare throw it away. Old cell phones that you swear to God you’re going to get all those numbers off of them someday, if only you can find the charger for it. (I promise, after you’re done organizing, that charger will end up in this basket).
7. Auto - Air fresheners, ArmorAll, sponges, wax, your 1984 super cool -foot print- gas pedal. (This basket may be more useful stored in the garage - if you dare tackle that area of the house. However that project may be for graduates).
8. Beauty (Part 1 - Hair) - Extra shampoo that you will use someday when your desperate and have ran out of your favorite product. Extra boxes of hair color, bleach, mixing bowls and brushes, foils and perm rods, old flat irons, electric shavers, combs, brushes, gel and other styling products. (Yes I do hair too, so I need a box for all this stuff, you may not).
9. Beauty (Part 2 - Hands and Feet) - Files, lotions, foot wax, pedicure kits, nail polish, etc).
10. Beauty (Part 3 - Skin and the rest of it) - Make up, body butter, body glitter, eye shadow you still have from high school, 30 tubes of Wet-N-Wild lipstick. These are all the items you DON'T use on a regular basis, but swear you will use someday, or maybe your kids will when they grow up, or maybe they will make great Halloween costume makeup.
Notice how you’re not throwing anything away yet.... Not saying you can't, because you certainly can. However one thing that can stall someone from organizing their home is the overwhelming thoughts that you’re going to have to throw some beloved items away, and you'll find you're spending too much time stairing at an item, bouncing back and forth thoughts in your head that say "I haven’t used it in years - yeah but I forgot I had it, it's still good - but you haven’t missed it so why keep it - but it would be fun to use if I can remember to use it, I do get board - but it's taking up space - but it's still a good item, what if I throw it away and the day after garbage day, I realize I NEED this item, then I'll have to pay for it again, and there is no savings in that!) Just keep the darn thing! Right now we are working on organizing your home and finding that "Place for everything". We'll purge later, (like when your angry is best. There is no detachment like anger detachment. You'll be amazed at how much you realize you just don’t need when you’re pissed).
So we have gotten started on one corner of your home. Go ahead - get inspired, get motivated, and get started! You will soon realize how easy it is to just get a few boxes, label them, and just start throwing items in the boxes. No dusting, no front and center, just toss and you’re done! Put the boxes on a shelf, and the next time you realize you need a light bulb, or extension cord, or file for your feet, you can just go to that basket and grab what you need. After all, now that you know where it is, you actually might use it!
Next...Owner’s manuals. And other obnoxious important papers…
WTH do people seriously do with these? Where are yours? Do you really need to keep them? And if so, where?
Then…
Sample Storage Bin
Clear is nice so you can see what it in it,
This can be found at Wal-Mart in a set of 8 for only $43.00!
This is not going to be a post about how your should clean your house first, or throw a bunch of stuff away. This is a very keep-it-simple approach to organization. It's my way of painting myself out of a corner, when I'm already stuck in a mess. You wont walk away from this with nothing but a very clean kitchen sink. You wont walk away with a very clean anything. This is not a cleaning post, this is an organization post. Cleaning comes after the clutter is cleared. This is my dive in approach to getting the job done NOW.
One thing I should mention, and this drives my husband absolutely nuts, is I use baskets (or bins), Lots and Lots of baskets. I can not comprehend organization with out the aid of baskets. For without baskets, there is no organization, just as without vanilla coffee creamer, there is no coffee. I prefer square baskets, as I have no round corners to put round baskets and I think round baskets end up adding to the clutter, rather than tidying it up nice and neat. However I would use a round basket temporarily if I had too.
So imagine this, in one corner of your store, you have your "Hardware" department. Imagine it like Home Depot, or Lowes Hardware, everything that is not food, or clothing that you could buy at these stores, goes here, (like the basement on all those shelves that have just a little bit of everything from crafting items, to light bulbs, to left over tiles, to old camping gear, to a bunch of you don’t know what because it's too overwhelming to even look at it to go through it to see what else is up there besides a bunch of cob webs and dust bunnies).
First you will need a minimum of 500 (okay start with at least 6-10) bins, and label them, (oh, did I mention you will need some sort of label maker? Whether it be scotch tape and a marker, or actual labels and a printer with cute little clip art designs).
Labeling and filling boxes:
1. Hardware - You know all those annoying little pieces of whatever you see floating around the house, and when you go to put them away, you don’t have a clue where there even supposed to go, because maybe you don’t even know what the heck it is, but you don’t what to throw it away because once you discover what it is, it will be when you realize you can’t live w/o it. Those go in here, along with locks, door knobs, hinges, a million screws, bolts, washers, nails, and other random pieces of wall hanging thingies that you might use some day. Just toss them in the basket, it's that easy.
2. Plumbing - Everyone has one of those gooey ring things that seal a toilet to the floor, go ahead and toss it in right next to that new faucet your husband is going to install in the bathroom sink "someday". Some copper tubing, weird looking plumbing tape, brackets, Drain-O, hair traps, drain plugs, plunger, things of that nature.
3. Electrical - Light bulbs (even those tiny ones for your fridge, stove) Electrical cords and power strips, outlets, light switches. If you can buy it in the electrical isle, it goes here. Heck, you can even throw old phone cords in here Just-In-Case you EVER buy another landline phone again.
4. Paint - Remember all those cans of spray paint you bought because you were into painting baskets and picture frames? This is the place for them, along with spackle, primer, wall paint, (not acrylic craft paint, that is in the crafting isle, silly), tarp, blue wall tape, brushes, rollers, (Did I mention, these baskets or bins need to be BIG?)
5. Lawn and garden - You don’t have to have a lawn or even a garden to realize that you will still have items to fill this basket.
6. IT Equipment - All the million billion extra computer cables that actually only fit in the old style monitors that you may need someday, the thousands of extra red, yellow and white end cable connectors that you’re not sure goes to what gaming system. All the chargers that you’re not sure if it goes to a remote control car, that piano in the kids room, an old ghetto-blaster that requires that 5lb ceramic bunny to be placed onto of the CD player in order for it to work, or some mysterious piece of electronic equipment that you have forgotten about and don’t dare throw it away. Old cell phones that you swear to God you’re going to get all those numbers off of them someday, if only you can find the charger for it. (I promise, after you’re done organizing, that charger will end up in this basket).
7. Auto - Air fresheners, ArmorAll, sponges, wax, your 1984 super cool -foot print- gas pedal. (This basket may be more useful stored in the garage - if you dare tackle that area of the house. However that project may be for graduates).
8. Beauty (Part 1 - Hair) - Extra shampoo that you will use someday when your desperate and have ran out of your favorite product. Extra boxes of hair color, bleach, mixing bowls and brushes, foils and perm rods, old flat irons, electric shavers, combs, brushes, gel and other styling products. (Yes I do hair too, so I need a box for all this stuff, you may not).
9. Beauty (Part 2 - Hands and Feet) - Files, lotions, foot wax, pedicure kits, nail polish, etc).
10. Beauty (Part 3 - Skin and the rest of it) - Make up, body butter, body glitter, eye shadow you still have from high school, 30 tubes of Wet-N-Wild lipstick. These are all the items you DON'T use on a regular basis, but swear you will use someday, or maybe your kids will when they grow up, or maybe they will make great Halloween costume makeup.
Notice how you’re not throwing anything away yet.... Not saying you can't, because you certainly can. However one thing that can stall someone from organizing their home is the overwhelming thoughts that you’re going to have to throw some beloved items away, and you'll find you're spending too much time stairing at an item, bouncing back and forth thoughts in your head that say "I haven’t used it in years - yeah but I forgot I had it, it's still good - but you haven’t missed it so why keep it - but it would be fun to use if I can remember to use it, I do get board - but it's taking up space - but it's still a good item, what if I throw it away and the day after garbage day, I realize I NEED this item, then I'll have to pay for it again, and there is no savings in that!) Just keep the darn thing! Right now we are working on organizing your home and finding that "Place for everything". We'll purge later, (like when your angry is best. There is no detachment like anger detachment. You'll be amazed at how much you realize you just don’t need when you’re pissed).
So we have gotten started on one corner of your home. Go ahead - get inspired, get motivated, and get started! You will soon realize how easy it is to just get a few boxes, label them, and just start throwing items in the boxes. No dusting, no front and center, just toss and you’re done! Put the boxes on a shelf, and the next time you realize you need a light bulb, or extension cord, or file for your feet, you can just go to that basket and grab what you need. After all, now that you know where it is, you actually might use it!
Next...Owner’s manuals. And other obnoxious important papers…
WTH do people seriously do with these? Where are yours? Do you really need to keep them? And if so, where?
Then…
- The kitchen (This one will be so much fun!)
- The linen closet.
- Under the bathroom sink
- Hobbies – how many do you have? Should it all gone in one pile? (No, but they come from the same store)
- And even more to come...
Sample Storage Bin
Clear is nice so you can see what it in it,
This can be found at Wal-Mart in a set of 8 for only $43.00!
but I prefer a fabric or solid color bin so that it acts as a pretty wall hiding the organized clutter that lies behind it (something like this).
Got ideas, or better ideas on organization? Bring it on! I'd love to hear it! Leave a comment, for I'm all about fixing things that aren't broke!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Back to Cloth Diapers - 16 months later
It's been over a year now, and I'm still using cloth diapers. Just thought I'd give a quick note on how things are going.
So far, the Gro-baby* diapers are my first choice daytime diapers. I do use g-Diapers here and there, mainly when my now 21 month old is trying to rip off his diaper, and succeeds with the Gro-baby. He has a much harder time with the g-Diapers. But what I am not a huge fan of when it comes to the g-Diapers is how the cloth just doesn't seem to stay in place, not when I'm putting it on (I'm always questionable on if it's popping out of the liner) or when he wets, it bunches up and the weight makes it sag down toward the bottom. It's still a great diaper, but just a bit of a pain.
The gro-baby diapers snap in place, there a little short on the upper end, so as long as my son stays skinny and a little small for his age (he's now about 24lb) then they work just fine, but they barely cover his boy parts. I do wished they made the top of the liner just a little longer. I could leave it un-snapped and just pull it up, but so far, with his weight and height, it still works fine with the liner snapped in place.
And hands down, we still love the bum genius for our night time diapers. Once in a great while, we will run out, and I'll chose to use two g-diaper liners in a g-diaper for bed time. That works better than the Grow-baby, (note: I don't have a heavy wetter). But I have just never ever had a problem with leakage with the bum-genius for night time.
A reminder of why I don't use them during the day? Because they are a pocket diaper. That means once he "goes", the diaper is done. I need a whole new diaper, vs. the Gro-baby or g-Diaper, where they are a lot more forgiving (and smaller when on). If he just wets the pad, then I can switch out the pad but keep the shell.
If I had it to do all over again and was on a tighter budget and couldn't splurge in 3 different sets of diapers, I would just go for the Gro-baby (green, All green, no yellow or white) for my son's daytime diaper and 5 or 6 bum-genius just for night time (you only need 4 because you do dirty diaper laundry every 2-3 days, but if they do a poopie soil in them, it's nice to have a back up), and I would just skip the g-Diapers.
However for cute factor, IMO, g-Diaper wins, so I use them for "most" diaper photoshoots, grow-baby comes in second, and for extreme fluffy bums, Bum-Genius takes the cake.
So there you have it 16months of cloth diapering in a quick review.
*It looks as though Gro-Baby is not Gro-Via, but for the sake of not wanting to retype my post to say say Gro-Via, I will be continuing to say Gro-baby for the remainder of the post
So far, the Gro-baby* diapers are my first choice daytime diapers. I do use g-Diapers here and there, mainly when my now 21 month old is trying to rip off his diaper, and succeeds with the Gro-baby. He has a much harder time with the g-Diapers. But what I am not a huge fan of when it comes to the g-Diapers is how the cloth just doesn't seem to stay in place, not when I'm putting it on (I'm always questionable on if it's popping out of the liner) or when he wets, it bunches up and the weight makes it sag down toward the bottom. It's still a great diaper, but just a bit of a pain.
The gro-baby diapers snap in place, there a little short on the upper end, so as long as my son stays skinny and a little small for his age (he's now about 24lb) then they work just fine, but they barely cover his boy parts. I do wished they made the top of the liner just a little longer. I could leave it un-snapped and just pull it up, but so far, with his weight and height, it still works fine with the liner snapped in place.
And hands down, we still love the bum genius for our night time diapers. Once in a great while, we will run out, and I'll chose to use two g-diaper liners in a g-diaper for bed time. That works better than the Grow-baby, (note: I don't have a heavy wetter). But I have just never ever had a problem with leakage with the bum-genius for night time.
A reminder of why I don't use them during the day? Because they are a pocket diaper. That means once he "goes", the diaper is done. I need a whole new diaper, vs. the Gro-baby or g-Diaper, where they are a lot more forgiving (and smaller when on). If he just wets the pad, then I can switch out the pad but keep the shell.
If I had it to do all over again and was on a tighter budget and couldn't splurge in 3 different sets of diapers, I would just go for the Gro-baby (green, All green, no yellow or white) for my son's daytime diaper and 5 or 6 bum-genius just for night time (you only need 4 because you do dirty diaper laundry every 2-3 days, but if they do a poopie soil in them, it's nice to have a back up), and I would just skip the g-Diapers.
However for cute factor, IMO, g-Diaper wins, so I use them for "most" diaper photoshoots, grow-baby comes in second, and for extreme fluffy bums, Bum-Genius takes the cake.
So there you have it 16months of cloth diapering in a quick review.
*It looks as though Gro-Baby is not Gro-Via, but for the sake of not wanting to retype my post to say say Gro-Via, I will be continuing to say Gro-baby for the remainder of the post
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Lighting - and other projects
Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry I've neglected this blog so bad (because I know your dying to read it) but I've just been super busy.
I was told a while back to go back to square one and learn about lighting. While I'm still not sure if it was intended to be rude or helpful (since you cant tell a persons tone on a computer screen), so I chose to use it as a helpful tip. So I did just that. I've bought a couple books on lighting and bought me a nice new shiny Canon 580ex ii.
I prefer to be a natural light photographer, however there is one problem, I like to shoot all times of the day and in all kinds of places. Indoor, outdoor, day, night, rain, sunny. And all of this has an incredible effect on your photography. Well... my photography anyway, maybe you have found that magic camera that takes good pictures, but for me, it's just me, my Canon 50D, and my *self taught education trying to create those good pictures.
Books that I highly recommend is Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure".
I've probably mentioned it before, but it's worth mentioning again, since it's appropriate for the post. And since I only checked it out from the library last time, read it once and was off and running. Now I can go back to it and refresh what I've forgotten (about 90% of the book).
Another book that I'm reading is for my speedlite is On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography . I'm not sure how I feel about that one. I'll let you know after I read it. I'm just not a fan of lighting (maybe because it's more work and learning, and learning and work), but I have found a need for lighting (especially when my ISO is jacked up to H2 [beyond 3200 ISO] Just to get exposure. Heck even 1600 is way too high, but I am an ISO junkie).
Other things I'm working on is a business plan. "Does this mean you are going into business, Birdee?" Well... good question, but one I can not officially answer if I don't come up with a plan. Sure you can go buy yourself a camera and start taking nice pictures, and even have people ooh and aah over your pictures and encourage you to believe that "You Could Do This!". But there is so much more involved than just taking pictures in exchange for some cash. SO much more that it's worth it's own post to talk about. So... when I have another minute, I will post about that.
*what is the definition of self taught anyway, does that mean you reject any info on the Internet and books and help of say a family member who is/was a photographer, so you can basically re-invent the wheel? Learn everything yourself? Or does it just simply mean that you didn't go to school for it. Because I sure use a lot of resources out there to teach myself.
I was told a while back to go back to square one and learn about lighting. While I'm still not sure if it was intended to be rude or helpful (since you cant tell a persons tone on a computer screen), so I chose to use it as a helpful tip. So I did just that. I've bought a couple books on lighting and bought me a nice new shiny Canon 580ex ii.
I prefer to be a natural light photographer, however there is one problem, I like to shoot all times of the day and in all kinds of places. Indoor, outdoor, day, night, rain, sunny. And all of this has an incredible effect on your photography. Well... my photography anyway, maybe you have found that magic camera that takes good pictures, but for me, it's just me, my Canon 50D, and my *self taught education trying to create those good pictures.
Books that I highly recommend is Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure".
I've probably mentioned it before, but it's worth mentioning again, since it's appropriate for the post. And since I only checked it out from the library last time, read it once and was off and running. Now I can go back to it and refresh what I've forgotten (about 90% of the book).
Another book that I'm reading is for my speedlite is On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography . I'm not sure how I feel about that one. I'll let you know after I read it. I'm just not a fan of lighting (maybe because it's more work and learning, and learning and work), but I have found a need for lighting (especially when my ISO is jacked up to H2 [beyond 3200 ISO] Just to get exposure. Heck even 1600 is way too high, but I am an ISO junkie).
Other things I'm working on is a business plan. "Does this mean you are going into business, Birdee?" Well... good question, but one I can not officially answer if I don't come up with a plan. Sure you can go buy yourself a camera and start taking nice pictures, and even have people ooh and aah over your pictures and encourage you to believe that "You Could Do This!". But there is so much more involved than just taking pictures in exchange for some cash. SO much more that it's worth it's own post to talk about. So... when I have another minute, I will post about that.
*what is the definition of self taught anyway, does that mean you reject any info on the Internet and books and help of say a family member who is/was a photographer, so you can basically re-invent the wheel? Learn everything yourself? Or does it just simply mean that you didn't go to school for it. Because I sure use a lot of resources out there to teach myself.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Deciding on a new lens
I have been in turmoil the last few months trying to decide on which new lens I want.
I've been lusting over the 24-70 2.8 for a very long time. But as I saved my pennies, and the time got closer that the reality of this new purchase grew nearer and nearer, I began to second guess myself. Why do I want the 24-70?
Well, a number of reasons.
#1 - some of my favorite photographers use and love this lens
#2 - It's versatile, it zooms in close, and zooms out far, and can maintain a fabulous 2.8 aperture at any focal length
BUT....
I put on the brakes when I started to feel frustrated with the quality of the pictures.
Don't get me wrong. The 24-70 ROCKS in it's class. But where I felt frustrated was with the eyes and the Bokeh. 2.8 is nice, but it's no 1.4 (not that I can nail focus all that well on a 1.4, but you get the point.
I started to search, Amazon is a great place to look at photos taken with a particular lens. So is Flicker. But I searched and searched, and when I came across a photo that moved me, it was a prime. And when I came across a kick ass photo that bugged me in the eyes, it was the 24-70.
Is it a big bug? No, it's not. I'm still so tempted to get that lens for it's versatility.
But did I mention it's heavy too? (compared to my little nifty fifty)
So what do I do.
I've had photog friends take pictures of their kids for me with their 24-70 at all focal lenghts, and then take on with their prime.
I've asked opinions of many other photographers.
Some LOVE the 24-70, Some are disappointed, and some HATE it. The ones who hat it are the prime girls.
So here I sit, just sent of ANOTHER email to another friend asking her opinion, awaiting her answer.
And it hits me.
"It's your hobby Birdee, get what you want!"
And I want prime lenses.
I just do.
I've lived this long with a 50mm on my camera and done many amazing things with it. I put on my kit lens and I am a retard with the zoom. I still find I hit that sweet spot and move my body in and out. I like angles, I like to get right where I want to be. I like to do the work, not have the camera do it for me. (Not judging, just saying). Yes, the 24-70 would still be nice. I wished I was a bazillionaire and could get one to try and let it collect dust until I needed it on those special occasions. But I have a budget, and I think my heart just wants to spend that budget on what I love most. Prime - Baby!
I've been lusting over the 24-70 2.8 for a very long time. But as I saved my pennies, and the time got closer that the reality of this new purchase grew nearer and nearer, I began to second guess myself. Why do I want the 24-70?
Well, a number of reasons.
#1 - some of my favorite photographers use and love this lens
#2 - It's versatile, it zooms in close, and zooms out far, and can maintain a fabulous 2.8 aperture at any focal length
BUT....
I put on the brakes when I started to feel frustrated with the quality of the pictures.
Don't get me wrong. The 24-70 ROCKS in it's class. But where I felt frustrated was with the eyes and the Bokeh. 2.8 is nice, but it's no 1.4 (not that I can nail focus all that well on a 1.4, but you get the point.
I started to search, Amazon is a great place to look at photos taken with a particular lens. So is Flicker. But I searched and searched, and when I came across a photo that moved me, it was a prime. And when I came across a kick ass photo that bugged me in the eyes, it was the 24-70.
Is it a big bug? No, it's not. I'm still so tempted to get that lens for it's versatility.
But did I mention it's heavy too? (compared to my little nifty fifty)
So what do I do.
I've had photog friends take pictures of their kids for me with their 24-70 at all focal lenghts, and then take on with their prime.
I've asked opinions of many other photographers.
Some LOVE the 24-70, Some are disappointed, and some HATE it. The ones who hat it are the prime girls.
So here I sit, just sent of ANOTHER email to another friend asking her opinion, awaiting her answer.
And it hits me.
"It's your hobby Birdee, get what you want!"
And I want prime lenses.
I just do.
I've lived this long with a 50mm on my camera and done many amazing things with it. I put on my kit lens and I am a retard with the zoom. I still find I hit that sweet spot and move my body in and out. I like angles, I like to get right where I want to be. I like to do the work, not have the camera do it for me. (Not judging, just saying). Yes, the 24-70 would still be nice. I wished I was a bazillionaire and could get one to try and let it collect dust until I needed it on those special occasions. But I have a budget, and I think my heart just wants to spend that budget on what I love most. Prime - Baby!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Project 52
I started a project 52 at the beginning of this year and forgot to share the link.
If you'd like to follow me, taking one picture a week for 52 weeks, click HERE
If you'd like to follow me, taking one picture a week for 52 weeks, click HERE
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
How to Crop an 8x10 from a Full-Frame Image
Have you ever wanted to crop an image, but when you do, you find your cutting off a limb, cutting too close to the head to frame, or just losing the overall quality of your image?
Thanks to Melissa for pointing this out, because I was totally dreading learning this based on written instructions so I've been avoiding this lesson, we can now expand our background to fit a frame, and it is so super simple it makes me wonder what took me so long to give it a try.
Thanks Melissa!
How to Crop an 8x10 from a Full-Frame Image
Thanks to Melissa for pointing this out, because I was totally dreading learning this based on written instructions so I've been avoiding this lesson, we can now expand our background to fit a frame, and it is so super simple it makes me wonder what took me so long to give it a try.
Thanks Melissa!
How to Crop an 8x10 from a Full-Frame Image
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Project 52
Come joine me in my journey of taking 52 photos in 52 weeks.
http://birdeeproject52.blogspot.com/
http://birdeeproject52.blogspot.com/
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