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Well, it's been a few days and I have been busy! Since Daniel has been home my entire routine has been interrupted! Not that it's a bad thing, but I'm ready to have my routine back and start feeling normal again. We'll see how that goes...

Photography- A few weeks after Daniel left for deployment, I bought a superzoom camera that I really loved. Over time (about 5 months) I realized that it didn't do all the things I wanted it to do. So I started looking for an SLR. I entered the Canon or Nikon debate and decided on Nikon. Then Daniel's boat pulled into a port and I talked to him about buying a better camera. He had also been thinking of a new camera- a Nikon D90! That's a big camera and a big price tag! I decided that I would purchase a Nikon D40. A small, affordable, strong camera. I told Daniel we could share. Turns out, I fell in LOVE with my camera and I can't let people touch it! We have a bond- a relationship! So Daniel is left feeling like he really wants to join my world of photography and wants his own camera. But I think it's crazy to have two because I'm Mrs. Practical.


Well, we went away for a couple days at Bellows. I let him play with my camera- against every thought in my head! So we're in a cabin on the ocean- beautiful! And we decide let's do it! Let's just go buy Daniel a camera! So now, I have my little D40- that once looked like big and powerful camera, and Daniel has his D90 that I have said will soon be MINE! I don't know why I can't just share! That would have been cheaper!

To push another step further... I woke up yesterday with the idea in my head that I wanted a homemade studio in my garage! Daniel, figure it out- make it happen. So, we went to Home Depot and bought lights and clamps. We went to Wal Mart and got sheets for a background - among many other places and many other items. We now have a little makeshift studio and I'm really liking it! Not that we are professionals, but we did make huge progress last night taking pictures of the kids. Mason loves to be in front of the camera and so we shot away!

Items used:

Lightstand

1. 1 floor lamp (Floodlight) from Home Depot $31.97
2. 1 floor lamp (Spotlight) from Home Depot $31.97
3. 2 2 packs of 26/100 Day Lightbulbs @ $6.88 $ 13.76

These lamps came with 3 moveable lamps on each pole - we are only using 2 on each for a total of 4.

Diffuser

1. White tissue paper taped to the lamps $ .99

We originally wanted to use screens coated with acitate paper but we can't find the acitate paper anywhere! So for now, this is the best we could do.

Refector

1. 1 adjustable Screen for your window $7.41
2. Emergency Blanket (Shiny and reflecive) $3.31
3. Tape $3.98

***We lined the screen with the Emergency blanket, but it didn't work so well. You could see all the lines in the reflection on the backdrop. So we're going to buy one of those silver pop open dash protectors for a car- priced at about $10 I suspect. We think that will work better!

Background/Backdrop

1. 2 King Flat Sheets @ $13.81 $27.02
2. 50 Ft Clothes line $ 3.31
3. Clothes Pins $ 1.74

We used the line to make a line across the garage and draped the sheet (we had one black and one white) over the line and pinned it with the clothes pins.

DIY Portrait Studio Total $126.06 + Tax

I think we will have to make some minor changes along the way, but all in all it was a fun project that we all enjoyed!

Mason came up with all of these poses himself! He was not prompted by me AT ALL! hahahah!

I can defininately see our progress through these pics. Hope you enjoy!