3 Things : playing with printing + a giveaway

I want to work on using light better. Also, less blur...i think these are related...
also, thank you for your comment about NOT over processing...im a fan of printing straight out of the camera!

I really like the velum idea. I have printed onto an iron on transfer paper before, and transferred my picture onto things such as dishtowels, etc. It was fun, but took some time/effort.

i am working on taking more photos- i usually forget to , but i am getting better at keeping the camera out and with me- and snapping any time the urge strikes- and i am having much of the fun.
thanks for all the inspiration,
jen

Wow Ali too bad about the "printable" fabric. I know Close to my Heart makes something like that, Donna Downey also uses printable canvas quite often. I love the idea of printing a photo on vellum. I would like to try printing a photo on vellum and the same one on a transparency and then overlaying the two, wonder what that would look like?
As for photos around Christmas time we went to Mexico and I was warned that the extreme humidity might mess-up my digital camera so I brought my old 35mm Canon REBEL xt. The digital camera lasted for one photo on the first day and then the humidity got to it. Having a 35mm only to use sure made me think about the shoots I was going to take, lighting, camera settings etc. I learned so much about my picture taking ability when I received my prints back. I pay alot more attention to the digital shots I take now.
Thanks for "Words + Photos Week" I appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks and most importantly insights.

I'd like to try some digital scrapbooking - especially printing words directly onto my photos. I really like that effect when you do it.
Peace. Susan

i love your blog and enjoy all your tips and inspirations.
things i want to work on with my photography:
1) take it with me everywhere (my dslr). i recently bought a small point & shoot (canon digital elph 850is for a trip back in january to thailand), the photos were ok but i should have lugged my dslr.....btw, do you carry your dslr everywhere? in what? i have the lowepro 200 slingshot, but is there a more 'attractive' bag out there that's easy to get a camera out of in a split second?
2) reading your blog i realize i take tons of photos but i keep them all - i am going to work on being ruthless ;) -- really look for the 5-6 photos that tell the story of that one event (unless it's a party/celebration that includes many people) - thanks again for your tip.
3) and, like a previous post mentioned - i need to get into my own photos. i will have to relinquish 'control' to my husband .... i don't know if i can.... ha ha, just kidding!
Keep up the great blogging - I love your work, your words, & your funny flights of fancy.
Gloria

My favorite photo tip is the "Rule of Thirds".
You divide your frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The four points where those lines intersect is where your main focus of interest should be.
It creates a nice balace without having the same boring photo with something in the very center. It will challenge you and help you frame your images differently.
That being said, it doesn't mean that it's the perfect fix all for every photo.
Thanks for the candy!

I'm still learning a lot about photography. What I like to do is take close-up of things - little hands, feet, shoes, flowers, etc. Thanks for the great post!

favorite photo tip? I love the accidental photo. Taking a shot that you just don't quite think is going to come out right but WOW. just go for it. esp with the digital camera (I took a long time to make the switch), you can just delete if it doesn't work, but if it does? you have that moment captured...

I'm in the process of learning how to get a better photo, so reading through these tips is awesome. Thanks.
I've been reading my manual, blogs, and some websites, and when it comes time to take pictures I go blank, so this weekend I bought a small notebook to write tips and settings in. I'm going to keep it in my camera bag, that way I have a quick reference when I'm in a certain situation and I can't remember that tip for the perfect shot.
Karen C

I love your blog and admire all the photos you take, I am really thinking of taking a class and learn how to take better pictures!!

hi Ali!
I really love your ideas about not messing with the photos so much... i usually get exhausted while figuring out the contrast, color, etc. that i don't get around to telling the story as often. also, i really do need to start deleting some pictures - i can take a little too much at one moment but lose the ones that capture the story amidst all the dupes and extras. thanks so much for your inspiration and tips!
sus.

Hi Ali
I have never had much luck in getting the fabric prints to work (although I know we need to upgrade our printer) Many times I find it easier to take to the print shop in our area, no hassel - no frustration and quick - and not expensive. I do this alot as I just prints on fabric in my quilts many times.
That would be my photo tip, use the fabric copies of your prints and add to quilts, bags, etc. Love that my favorite things - photos and fabric can be combined - since quilting and scrapbooking are my most favorite things.
Question for you Ali, where do you get your round links when you create your own books from left over stock etc. I have had no luck in our local stores to come up with the rings - and want to get started on using up some of my stuff and loved that idea.
Thanks so much
Nicky

My photo tip is to bring your camera with you everywhere. and take more pictures than you think you need. lots more than you think you need! :)

thanks for the awesome ideas ali! don't have any photo tips other than don't take pics while facing a window LOL unless you like the "glare" look. i would also love it if someone would teach me how to get my kids to stop making the "OMG-my-mom's-taking-another-picture-look" whenever i take their pic!

Ali, super blog entries this week! I am really enjoying them. I bought the book you suggested this morning on creative composition. That's what I would like to work on. I still am trying to get the hang of aperture, and shutter speed and stuff too, but my compositions are pretty crummy. Hopefully it will help. Love your honest opinions on the products, hopefully the winner will have better luck. :)

oohh...have been curious about the adhesive fabric paper! thanks for sharing your experiences! my favorite photo tip is to "get down" when photographing youngsters. i can't tell you how many "looking down" or "standing above" pics i have of my 2-year-old...now i get much better "in the moment" types of shots because i get down on his level. thanks ali!

Thank you for the inspiration, Ali. I tend to take tons of photos (and my husband takes even more than me!) and then become paralyzed by the sheer quantity of them. My biggest frustration is in printing, I never seem to get the colors right which could be either my HP photo printer or the MS Digital Image Suite that I use. I generally end up printing several copies of the photo I want, which is wasteful and unnecessary. I need to be reminded every now and again just to let it be and move forward, that imperfect is perfect and that life does not wait for perfect.

I'd love to experiment with vellum.
My main photo tip is to ALWAYS have the camera at hand!!

Love what you've tried! The vellum photo looks great.
As for what I am working on in photography -- right now I would say it's being consistent with taking pictures. Sometimes I will go a week without picking up my camera and then I'll take 40 picturs at one event. I'd like to document more of my life. :]
Thanks for sharing! and giving away! :D

never use a flash!!!
photoshop photoshop photoshop
and enhancing eyes is really fun!

What fun ideas! -LauraLee, Westerville, Ohio

Well, of course I want to win so I can play around with a great picture. The vellum over KI Lace Cardstock in orange really adds a depth to the original picture (which was great already).

I have a Nikon D300 and use it mainly for photographing wild life, mostly birds, so I leave the camera set on shutter priority and set the shutter speed for the event........if I'm shooting birds in flight and shutter has to be much faster then a nest filled with babies. Shutter priority is also good for small children that are constantly moving, that may be the sports setting on a point and shoot..........
Love all your ideas and appreciate the time you take to pass them on to us.

I learned a cool photo printing trick. Print your pic on Copier Transparancies and then rub the wet image onto heavy cardstock (or anything for that matter). It needs to be inkjet printer and you have to work quick while the ink is wet but it's a groovy look.
Thanks!
anne sheridan