straps or STRAPS!

I know we are all familiar with the standard Canon neck straps.

(Or even Nikon straps for that matter.)

You know, the ones that look like these. 

Yes, I know we are all familiar with these. 

They are stiff, uncomfortable and so plain.

Granted they are very durable. Trust me, I know.

(My Canon strap has taken quite the beating

during my futile attempts to soften the material.)

But still stiff, uncomfortable and plain.

Ugh.

So I embarked on a journey to find a softer, more comfortable and most definitely

funner alternative.

(I know, funner is not a word but I felt in this instance, it would be ok to make an exception.)

Behold the amazing neck straps from MyFunkyCamera.com.

(click on the image to see more styles)

Yes these straps are most certainly not plain.

I do not own one yet, but thus far the reviews have been great.

The inner linning is fleece (I think) for softness and comfort.

The outer lining is something decorative and fun.

In between is a light layer of padding for added support and comfort.

They have so many different styles and colors that I am having a hard time deciding which one I want to order.

I'm thinking this blue/brown scrolls one.

Be advised they are not on the cheap side. At $32 a piece, they make that Canon (or Nikon) strap sound pretty darn good. 

But if you're using your camera for extended periods of time, you may want to consider trying these out.

Or if you just really like them, adding them to your birthday/holiday wishlist.

Or for those of you fortunate enough to afford it no problem, just picking out your favorite and enjoying.

Let me know what your thoughts are whether or not you own one of these already.

{LPS}

p.s.

i totally found my signature to sign off with.

yay.

Photo Quote of the Week

If you buy a flute, you own a flute. So why is it that when you buy a camera, you're a photographer? - Anonymous


So normally I don't post anything after the quote ( I know, I know this is only the third quote, still you know what I mean) mostly because I find myself at a loss for words, however, today I have something to say.


As a developing photographer, I often feel so under-appreciated. When my family tries to refer me to friends and acquaintances, they often get a response similar this:

"Oh yeah, my (insert relative here) has a new camera and (insert same relative here) 

takes great pictures!"

Ugh, so what you're saying is anyone with a camera is a photographer?!

I only partially agree. 

Everyone with a camera has the potential to be a photographer. Now that I've immersed myself in photography, I see the differences between a person holding a camera and a photographer holding a camera.

(Trust me, I know it. I often find myself as the person and not the photographer, at least it feels that way, very frustrating.)

Hopefully, someday we can make people understand that owning a camera does not make you a photographer, just like owning a flute does not make you a flutist.

(Is that even right, flutist?)

{LPS}

An important lesson learned

So I have spent the past weekend working away on editing and "perfecting" images I was "hired" to do (I say "perfecting" because nothing is really ever perfect and "hired" because I'm still not getting paid).

And what have I learned through these countless hours?

I have learned that you should never book more another job if you haven't finished the first one. 

Well maybe not never, but you shouldn't do it if you aren't absolutely, positutely sure that you will be able to get them all done. . . within a reasonable timeframe. . . and a reasonable amount of stress.

Yes, so there you have it, and while I'm sure this may seem obvious, I think it falls under the "don't bite more than you can chew" category that we all like to conveniently ignore when we tell ourselves we can do anything.

(Even though we can do anything, as long as we pace ourselves and time manage well.)

{LPS}

Photo Quote of the Week

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts. 

-Sir Joshua Reynolds

Musicians!

Ok so I checked my posts and realized I did not tell you about the first time I photographed people as "clients" (I say that in quotes because even though they really were clients and are using my images, I did not get paid). 

One of my assignments was to photograph musicians with their instruments. We needed one group shot, head shot, and one of what ever we please. I asked friends if anyone would be willing to do this and one of my friends said yes and he invited another friend. 

So what did I learn at this shoot?

ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN RAW MODE.

Yes I did not check to make sure I was shooting raw.This was bad because I also did not bring my reflectors (or fill cards). By the time we arrived to their campus to shoot, the sun was high and I had to deal with shadows. 

Now I have quite a bit of post work to do. 

So always carry your reflectors and quadruple check your camera settings.

Here's a snippet of the shoot.

**Remember these are unedited**

{La Petite Sirène}

Prom Pictures!

Yesterday I photographed a friend and her girlfriend for prom. We did the shoot by the museum in downtown and even though there was little sun left because they were over an hour late, they still turned out pretty well. 

Things I learned at this shoot are [1] I need to be checking my images more often, [2] I need to play with the aperture more (I tend to stick to shallow depths of field) and [3] I'm getting better at interacting with the people I'm photographing. I was able to relax and make them relax a heck of a lot faster than at my first photo shoot (the musicians one, did I tell you guys about that one? I'll have to check)

Yes it was fun and a good learning experience, most of all I have more work to add to my portfolio. Below is a sneak peak at some photos I took. I'm in the process of editing them now. Toodles.

{La Petite Sirène}

No success there...

Today I found out I am still afraid of large crowds.

Yes, I went to our local Farmer's Market tonight and I found myself unable to just take the photographs I wanted to take. I have always been shy and over the last few I have improved considerably but when it comes to large crowds, I still hold back (so no success there).

So instead of doing what I love to do (photograph), I wandered off and chose subjects in a lesser populated area (yes, success!).

So my advice to you if you are fearful of crowds is start small. Find areas where there are less  people or there is less traffic. Progressively move to areas with more people until you can finally go into a crowded area. For those of you that willing to take your fears head on, find something or someone to motivate you to jump right into the crowd. Or take someone with you to help you feel more relaxed.

But whatever you do, don't let it stop you.

{ La Petite Sirène }
P.S. 
I think I may have found my logo.   :]

Photo Quote of the Week

Looking and seeing are two different things. What matters is the relationship with the subject. - Christophe Agou 

Quote provided by PhotoQuote.com 

Taking a breather to blog...

So this week has been a very busy week. I have three projects due back to back, two of them group projects and one my photo final.

In the midst of all the chaos, though, two amazing opportunities have come my way. This Saturday I will be photographing for my friend's girlfriend's prom. I am so looking forward to it since it is her first prom.

Second, I will be photographing a coworker's baby bump as sort of a test shoot. If she likes my work, she will hire me for her "true" baby bump pictures (she's only 4 months right now so her bump is small). This will of course be my first maternity shoot so I'm busy doing my research for it in between homework.

Any recommendations?

-La Petite Sirène