Photo Fun With Light Boxes

Well, one good thing I can say about how unpredictable the sun has been this summer is that it's pushing me to try some new things with photography.  I love shooting landscapes but have always wanted to try doing some studio photography too--especially interesting product type photography.  But, studio equipment is freakin' expensive so I kind of dismissed ever being able to afford to do it.  Until I ran across a book at Barnes and Noble and a few websites online that talk about really cheap ways to make studio equipment.  Man, I love the internet!!!

Because I don't have studio space (and storage space) right now, I decided I should start with something fairly small.  So, I decided to try making a light box or light tent.  Basically it's a box or tent made with white fabric that is used to photograph close ups of small objects--think etsy and ebay photos.  I found some instructions online to make one out of a cardboard box.  Here's a link if you're interested in finding out more.   http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent 

Anyway, I went to Lowes and bought a cardboard box, a few clamp-on work lights and scrounged around till I found some vellum and some masking tape and voila, I had a light box.

Here is the basic set up I used today.

I took all the camera photos in my last post using this set up and then tried some pictures of glass.  

 

I still have a ton to learn and I need to try a few different techniques in order to get the kind of photos of glass that I really want but all in all, it was a fun day of experimentation.  :)

Vintage Camera Find

...or Sometimes it's Really Nice That Your DH Loves Auctions.

Projectman went to the auction Saturday to check out a cement mixer and ended up bringing home 8 vintage cameras for me.  He called me mid-auction to tell me they had a few old Kodaks and asked if I'd like him to bid on one.  When he went over to get more info for me, he discovered a treasure--a Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex camera.  I've been wanting one since I first got into this new hobby of mine and so I was suitably
excited (read panting and drooling and crossing every finger and toe I have), hoping there wouldn't be anyone at the auction who knew their real value.  Anyway, being the wonderful man he is, he and DD stayed for a few extra hours at the auction, sitting through innumerable ugly crystal knick knacks, in order to bid on the Rolleiflex for me.  Instead, they auctioned all the cameras off as one lot and I ended up with quite an addition to my tiny vintage camera collection.  And I think I got some real beauties too.  :)

This blog post is obscenely bloated with photos because I have tried 3 times to make a collage in Picassa but the menu for that option seems to be disabled for some reason.  I guess that means y'all will just have to look at all of my lovely cameras individually.  Heh, heh, heh...

Kokak 3A Autographic Camera Model C circa 1913-1919

Kodak 1A Pocket Camera Series ii  circa 1926-1932

Even though it doesn't look like it from the photos, this camera is about half as big as the 3A

Brownie Hawkeye No. 2 Model C a British model circa 1907-1914

Brownie Reflex Synchro Model circa 1949-1952

Kodak Duaflex IV circa 1947-1960

Brownie 8mm Movie Camera circa 1951-1956

Kuribayashi Petri 2.8 Color Corrected Super 35mm Rangefinder circa 1958-1962

And the whole reason I have a bunch of new-to me vintage cameras.

Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex camera 2.8C Model K7C circa 1951-1953

I took the photos using the new DIY light box that I made yesterday out of a cardboard box, vellum, masking tape and poster board.  I just love it when I can make stuff for cheap!  :)  Next post will have a bit more about the light box and some of the things I've tried to shoot with it.

For Rent: Plein Air Studio

Beautiful light filled space in the middle of the woods.  Hear the sound of the birds and watch the squirrels frolic as you work.   Comes complete with partial basement and plumbing.  Don't miss out on a great opportunity to create in this unique space.

Sounds great doesn't it?  Too bad the reality doesn't match the fantasy.  :)  My studio is officially gone now.  There's nothing left.  I'm way past due for some photos showing the destruction progress so far.  Enjoy!

All the walls and roof disappeared by about the 4th of July--it makes a nice patio doesn't it?

When I came home from Mom's on the 9th, I had a new hole in the ground.

By the end of the weekend, DH should have the forms for the footings all finished and we can call for our first inspection.  Since I'm starting to suffer withdrawls already (if only for a place to put all my "stuff"), every little bit of progress is a good thing.   

Miniature Garden Birthday Fun

Yesterday was one of my bff's birthday and her gift theme this year was garden stuff.  She's become intrigued with miniature gardens, so I decided that I would make her one for her gift.  I'm not sure what "mentally challenged" part of my brain was involved in that decision because life has been just a bit busy lately but regardless, I bought plants at a nursery in Chehalis and found some cool stuff at the thrift shop in town and set to work Thursday night creating. 

I have to say that it was one of the funnest things I've done in a long time and I'm gonna have a really hard time not making a lot more of them.  They're seriously addicting.  

Making these reminds me of when I was a kid.  We spent a lot of weekends in the summer camping at Fish Creek Campground in Glacier Park and I would always find a tree at the edge of our campsite, hollow out a spot between two tree roots and collect rocks and twigs and bark and make tiny gardens with bark huts and twig fences.  Until I made this garden the other night, I'd forgotten how much I loved making those gardens.

I see at least a few more of these creations in my future.  :)