Dig this angel. Each time I shoot her she looks different and I love that. This time, I brought off-camera flash and moved that sucker all over the place and looky what I shot.
I love this photograph and I can't wait to go back and shoot her again.
Pretty flippin' cool.
It's new banner time. These are berries shot inside the new shooting area. The new space has some issues, more on that another day, for today, dig this BTS (behind the scene), photo.
See that board?
It's made with a homemade stain of cooked beets. No formula/recipe because I make it up as I go. Same with the darker wood from the last post. That said, an upcoming tutorial coming to a blog feed near you.
In other news, I scored excellent deals at Label Shopper. Just under 100 smackers for a pile of groovy new clothes. I LOVE that store. Even got a cute new bag. Which weren't part of the 100, just a fun add.
Love that store. The deals, ROCK.
In other, other news, yesterday I wrote a new pumpkin spice bake with soaked organic raisins and baked in the pressure cooker. This method is quickly becoming my new fave for bakes.
No heat. Set it. Forget it. Come back when done. Bing, bam, boom. One bake going in our bellies. Yes please and thank you.
And ... in other, other, OTHER news, I woke with idea for an upside down raspberry lemon honey kissed bake. Haven't written the formula yet. Right now it's just in my brain, knocking about.
And that's about all for now. Wishing you all a Berry Merry Week.
Dig this DIY photography board I made with cheap wood and homemade stain. The stain is a combination of wet coffee, tea and chocolate powder. Brush it on and let it dry. I repeated those steps a bunch of times until I liked where I ended. Once fully dried, I applied a clear matte topcoat.
Including tax, the timber was 9 bucks.
9 bucks.
Crazy good deal.
For those interested, at the end of this post, I've included details on shadow, light, fill and bounce.
In other news, this week I went over the food budget for the first time in a long time. I'm okay with it. Funny thing is, last week I was under. In the end, it all washes out. I'm not fussed about it because it's the overall progress and improvement that matters.
One week or two over, no big thang.
In other, other news, tomorrow is Friday and me and a friend are going on a photo walk. Not sure where yet. Maybe a graveyard, those are always fun. Maybe along the water, that's cool too. Either way, I'll bring my pancake lens and have a good time.
Also, I love saying pancake lens.
Pancake lens.
For those wondering if it's as fun to type pancake lens as it is to say ... why yes, yes it is.
And that my Boogerbutts, is all that's fit to print.
Talk again soon.
Huggs and Bugs, Me.
Dig this little dude that I snagged at HomeGoods/HomeSense. Got him tonight. His eyes light up AND there's MORE books under him. This is a phone picture. I'll snag a bigger picture of him later to show you all of him. Twenty bucks happily spent.
Happy Summerween and Boogie Boogie.
It's Saturday and right now I don't wanna go ANYWHERE. Just wanna be home. However, I'll probably go out later for a photo walk and maybe get some timber for a little DIY photography board making fun. Right now though, home, home, home.
Home.
In other news, Silk brought back my FAVE non-dairy creamer. It's a half and half. I don't have a photo ready but if anyone's interested, I'll snap a shot and post it next time. Really good. Even Tim likes it. Not sweet, which I love. Just simple non-dairy creamer. Enjoying a cuppa now.
Delightful.
In other, other news, the ingredient budget goes well at 60 smackers per week with a 15 flex. Haven't used the flex yet. I like having it there though.
Doing dish as I go is going mostly well. Sometimes I catch myself slipping and the kitchen table as of this minute is loaded with bake dishes in need of a better home. Something I hope to solve with a new under the work bench build. Something to hold the newer and newish bake dishes longways and then have it on wheels to tuck away.
If I do make it, I'll share it. Right now it's an idea floating in my brain.
Lasty, in other, other, other news, new goodies landed on the porch yesterday. I love that these soft boxes are light (no pun intended), enough to easily carry out back. So that's what I did. Here's a few of the shots along with the Summerween banner.
Happy Summerween to those who celebrate!
Hello Boogerbutts.
Check out my GIANT photography soft box. It's HUGE. A light goes inside and shoots out. The fabric diffuses the light, creating a larger spread over the subject. Soft boxes work with continuous light (the lightbulb that stays on), or a flash, that fires when the shutter button is hit. Both methods have pros and cons. Then there's natural light. My all time fave.
However, over the last two months it's all about the flash.
And I love it.
A lot.
Like a lot, a lot, a lot.
Know what else I love? DIY.
Dig this V-Fold I made or V-Flat if you fancy. This one is black and it absorbs light. Helps create dark and moody vibes. The goal here was to make it with ONLY dollar tree items. Total cost: $7.50 (pre-tax). Not too shabby. And, later if I wanna add white to the back, that's an easy fix, for not a lot of money. Best part, it folds away, which for small spaces, works.
And that's the goal. Using stuff that fits for the space and the photos I'll take AND not over-spend on things that can be easily made. That said, last night I ordered two more smaller soft boxes plus a tool that may allow me to make my own foldable soft box as well.
Pretty cool.
In other news, think I'll toss a new banner up as well. Really, it's Summerween time only I don't have a cartoon done for that. So fun. Summerween. Ha! Love it. For now, here's a follow-up photo from the last flower to her new stage. That's what's fun about photo walks, seeing nature in stages.
Speaking of photo walks, dig these guys. Found the turtle under the stairs and the bug inside, though took her outside for a beauty shot.
Up next, get outta my jammies, find grub, hit the post and then two stores for a few more DIY photography goodies! Got a gift card to Starbucks so I'll probably get a drink too. Oh yeah, life is fun.
Chat again soon.
Huggs & Bugs, Me.
Delightful.
Today's drink is strawberry lemon with coconut milk, over ice.
Also delightful.
In other news, I'm happy to report that I'm in my third week of cleaning the kitchen as I go. Which I've never maintained for this long.
Ever.
And, and, AND, we're also smack dab in the middle of week three of budget ingredient shopping. Years ago we had a food budget and then it fell off. I like having a budget again.
A lot.
We spend 60 per week with a flexible 15 extra if needed. It's about having fun, creating new meals/snacks/bakes AND making ingredients stretch. It's not about squeezing a nickel so tight that the buffalo poops.
In other news, I'm locked and loaded with DIY photography craft-like goodies, from today's Dollar Tree run. Sticky-back marble, foam boards, a sturdy box that I thought was groovy and then I decided to take a punt on the purple sparkly paper. Will this DIY work for photography boards and backdrops?
Dunno.
That's the fun part.
And in other, other, OTHER news, the adventures in non-dairy yoghurt making at home, continues. I freakin' love it. As I write, there's a batch fermenting at home, in jars, in the pressure cooker. The budget didn't allow for cashews this week so today's batch is oat-based, only.
Excited to taste it. It'll sit for eleven hours or so. Oh my gosh, I had to look up how to spell eleven. Nothing I wrote looked right. Still doesn't look right.
Eleven.
Looks funny.
And that my Boogerbutts is all that's fit to print. This is Ivy, reporting live from the coffee house, outdoor cafe. Headed home to take pictures of what I bought and post this blog.
Write again soon.
Huggs & Bugs, Me.
Last week Bug died. She's the little one to the right. Nose covered in dirt. Then the next image was taken on a wee early morning as I passed the screen doors in the kitchen.
Little Bug.
Just looking out at the world. With those teeny tiny shoulders and little head. Too cute.
We miss her.
Yesterday I finished the mini studio space. Now there's plenty of room for light stands, a C-Stand, saw horses, a folding table and soon, one BIG HONKIN' Godox AND a whole lotta play.
That makes me, a Happy Whisk.
Thanks for the kind words about the photos. They are fun to shoot. Rained most of the day today. Only ran out for second between rain drops to play with the new ultra macro lens. Very different than my other macro. Gonna enjoy learning this new bit of kit.
And that my Boogerbutts wraps up four posts in one week. Whhhaaatttt? I never do that anymore. This is why I enjoy unscheduled posts. Just write 'em and shoot 'em out.
Huggs and Bugs, Me.
And... it's also new banner day because after I drew the cartoon, I figured I'd work on a banner. Once I get the new lens, I imagine the banners changing often.
So fun!
PS: Next week I get back to writing bakes.
Also so fun!
