Father's Day is Just Around the Corner...

Well, sorta... 

It's always best to be prepared anyway ;)

Looking for a great Father's Day gift? 

Or anytime you need an awesome gift for that special man in your life, 

whether he be your Dad, Grandpa or Husband, 

these keychains are just perfect! 

Handmade glass tile keychains are sure to make him smile =)   

     

Arrives to you, beautifully gift wrapped.

Ready to give!!!

© 2011 amysbodydecor

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

From AmysBodyDecor / Impressions

© 2011 amysbodydecor

New Business.. New Business Card!

With the opening of my new business..

Impressions 

Fine Art Photography ..from the heart.

Check it out!!!

Impressions on ArtFire

Impressions on Zibbet

 I thought it'd be a great idea 

to have my current business cards back printed for the new shop.  

Like two cards in one!!  

Double spam :P

So in the process I decided to re-design my current card.  

I'm new, 

like.... 

brand spankin' new to photoshop.  

Have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing!! 

It's fun though.. 

except the occasional headache :P

So here's what I came up with!

I'm really happy with it :)

My new business card:

 Back Print:

© 2011 amysbodydecor

How To Make A Wish

You can wish upon a falling star

And even though it’s very far,

Wishing on a star, they say.

Will help your wish come true some day

You can toss a coin in a wishing well

Then say your wish to cast a spell

(Some folks believe their wish is granted

Since wishing wells can be enchanted.)

You can wish on a dandelion gone to seed

A white, puffy dandelion’s the kind you’ll need

You think of your wish as you blow off the fluff

Just one big breath is usually enough

To send your wish sailing off on the breeze

( I do hope that dandelions don’t make you sneeze.)

Of course, you know when your birthday arrives

That is a wonderful wish-making time

You think of your wish in the candles’ warm glow

Then take a deep breath, and 1, 2, 3, blow

As the candles go out, and the smoke twirls and twists

It’s holding and lifting and carrying your wish

Off to that place where desires are grown

Off to wish central, and the wish-raising zone

Where wishes are cared for, once they’ve been planted

Awaiting the time when they’re due to be granted.

Thanksgiving’s another good wish-making time.

Because turkeys have wishbones, which, after they’ve dried

You can use in a contest with someone like you

Who also is hoping a wish will come true

You just hold onto one end of the wishbone real tight

Your friend grabs the other for a tug-of-war fight.

Then you both pull real hard till the bone splits in two

The one with the biggest piece wins. That’s the rule.

But what do you do when November is past.

And your birthday was celebrated the month before last.

What can you do if no wishing well’s near

And it’s not yet the dandelion time of the year

You can still make a wish. It’s quite simple to do.

Just close your eyes tight for a second or two.

Pretend it’s the future, imagine you’re seeing

The wish that you longed for has come into being.

Hold onto that thought, don’t let it depart

Then carefully put it away in your heart

The experts on wishing things haven’t a doubt

That’s the best way for having a wish come about

And you’ll see before long that while wishbones are fun

And blowing out candles might get the job done

And though dandelions, wishing wells and stars are fine too

To have a wish thrive, well, that’s up to you

Cause the wish that is given a chance to succeed

The wish that is given just what it needs

The wish that is likely great joy to impart

Is the wish that’s been given a place in your heart.

~Lynn M. Duriga

© 2011 amysbodydecor

Improving Product Photography

I'm not a professional photographer..  Just getting that fact out of the way!

Which also brings up the point, "If I can do this, ANYBODY can"!!!

I have by no means mastered photography, 

but I believe each day my photos get just a little better.  

I'm always working towards improving, trying my best, which is all I can do :)

However I am often inquired of for product photography tips.

So here is what works for me...

First off, you'll need a table top studio, or light box of some sorts.
You can easily make a light box using any DIY tutorial.
Like this one: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio.
Or you can purchase a table top studio, complete with lights and tripod.
Like this one: Deluxe Table Top Photo Studio.
This is what I have recently purchased after using a DIY light box for about a year. Both work equally great!

Next you will need a nice background.  I really like using paper.. like scrap booking paper.  It creates a nice smooth surface and the options of color, texture, designs are endless!! One of my Fav's is glitter paper!
Here is an example using black textured paper:

If you are looking for a nice clean white "disappearing" type background, white poster board is the best!
As seen here:

I tend to stay away from the use of props for my product photos.  While they can look nice and artistic, to me they are a distraction from the product.  I like to keep it clean and simple. :)

Next you'll need to set your camera settings for taking close up, macro, photos.
Your camera should have a macro (little flower) setting.  Using that setting, along with NO FLASH will give you the best results.

Here's the fun part! Getting creative using different camera angles and trying out different product positions.

Lastly, some minor photo editing may be necessary.  If you aren't familiar with photo editing, it's really easy.  I used to do all mine in iphoto but have recently moved on to photoshop.  There's also free software out there you can use, such as picasa, GIMP, and picnik.  If you already have a Flickr account, you can edit in picnik right there!!  I do that a lot as well ;)

Don't be afraid to try out all the settings, testing everything.  Seeing what works, and what doesn't.  That's how I figured out what works for me, and remember.. you can always revert back to original!!

Oh, and of course, Have Fun!!!

❤Amy

©2011 amysbodydecor