While browsing a local antique store with my Mom a couple of months ago, I passed by a booth with a really neat old camera – the folding style from the 40s. While killing time in Madison today, I popped back in to see if it was still there. To my surprise, it was! I asked the owners if the booth owner was offering any discounts (only 10%), when the owner of the store pointed out another booth with all items at 30% off. This booth had a Polaroid Land Camera Model 95 for only $20 after discounts. Apparently it was manufactured starting in 1948 and retailed for $90 (with inflation would have been $800 today).

I’m really fixated on black and white photographs. It’s amazing at how just the perfect conversion to black and white can really make a good photograph GREAT! I’ve polled a couple of photographers to see what BW actions in Photoshop they love.

Rebecca Cooper – Little Moments BW Actions

I decided after my first newborn photo shoot today that I still have a lot to learn. Someone had recommended that I take Vickie Byerley’s Partial Program through Foundations so I finally decided to sign up today. I’m really looking forward to the 8 tutorials and the 8 assignments. You can work at your own pace (a concern of mine with my lack of time these days) and have full access to the forums for feedback and critique (very important). So, I’ll be posting on here as well from my assignments. Below is one of my favorite photos from the newborn shoot today. She’s such a cutie in her “big girl panties”!

Many thanks to all of those at the Sweet Spot forum who responded to some of my postings regarding do-it-yourself backgrounds. It’s a great online community for learning from working photogs. Thanks to Cindy for pointing me to this photography forum!

I stopped by our local Hobby Lobby to pick up a bolt of black fleece for my black background. I’ve got two photo shoots coming up this week and really needed to get a black background, which meant no time for ordering online. For fabric choices, everyone recommended vellux, velour, felt, velvet, and fleece. In the spring, it is impossible to find a black fleece or vellux blanket. So, I chose the readily available fleece (with a Hobby Lobby 40% coupon).

The next stop in my prop exploration was at TJ Max to pick up a really cute wicker basket. I can’t wait to try it out with the fleece blankets that I picked up yesterday at Ross. The apple green colored blanket is my favorite, in fact, apple green is my favorite colour right now!

I’ve been challenged this week trying to think of a pricing scheme for photographs. I have two new clients that will need me to give them a price sheet for the upcoming photo session. After much thought and deliberation, I’ve finally decided what I’ll use to start off with. Just email me if you would like to know.

A fellow local photog pointed me to a recently started photography forum, the Sweet Spot Forum, which I’ve been trying to follow on a fairly regular basis. One posting was a link to an article that explains why professional photographers charge the seemingly high prices (unless you’re one of them buying all of the equipment and software, not to mention spending hours learning how to take photos and perform touch-up in the complicated software). I thought I’d share this link since this post is being made on the day that I decided on MY price sheet. Hope you enjoy reading this and walk away with a better appreciation of photographers. I know I did after reading it (and taking up this wonderful, yet expensive, hobby).

Caught on Fire Film Photography

“Why are Professional Photographers so Expensive”