Photography - A Pumpkin And A Princess

Photography Backdrops {Very Jane Giveaway}

March 30, 2013 29 Comments

A common question I get is what do I use as a photography backdrop. For over a year now I’ve used different colors of scrapbook paper that look like wood. They’ve been great to photograph small crafts on, but sometimes my projects require a larger surface. This is where my new photography backdrop from Very Jane comes in (stay tune because you’ll have a chance to win a backdrop of your choice too).

Very Jane

Very Jane is a daily deal site that offers a large variety of trendy items for incredibly low prices. They offer boutique items like adorable hair bows for little girls, maxi dress, trendy necklaces inspired by Anthropologie, and so much more!

Photography Backdrops

My new 48″x48″ dark cherry wood backdrop from Very Jane & Bubblegum Backdrops is perfect for taking pictures of large craft projects and of my children. In the picture above I laid the backdrop on my kitchen table and used it to photograph a project I’m working on.

The backdrops are made from durable vinyl material and can be hung or used on the floor. They’re perfect for bloggers, etsy owners, and photographers looking for a large backdrop to photograph with. Or if you’re a mom who loves taking pictures of their kids (and who doesn’t?) in need of a cute backdrop.

Very Jane is currently selling Bubblegum Backdrops in pretty Spring colors and patterns. But you’ll have to hurry because the offer is only available through the weekend!

photography backdrop

How cute is that grey chevron backdrop?

Psstt they also currently have these beautiful hand textured necklaces for only $9.99. Seriously that’s a steal!

hand stamped necklace

So how would you like to win a backdrop from Bubblegum Backdrops? Today Very Jane is offering 3 readers a backdrop of their choice! To enter use the rafflecopter widget below.

Be sure to like Very Jane on facebook where they share daily sneak peeks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Very Jane. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Photography, Reviews Tagged With: photography backdrop, Very Jane

Say NO to Auto & Get Focused Giveaway

January 31, 2013 7 Comments

Learning photography basics is something I’ve been working on over the last 6 months. I’m going to be honest…I’ve had my Nikon DSLR for 3 years and didn’t start using it in manual mode until last Summer. Trying to figure out what all the letters on my camera meant was overwhelming. I’m a visual learner, I like to see an example of how something works rather than sit down and read a manual. With the help of the photography e-books Say No To Auto and Get Focused written by Kristen Duke I’ve been able to fully understand basic photography for my blog photos and everyday life.

Photography Basics

If you have a fancy camera and are still trying to figure out how to work it then these books will save you time and energy by teaching you everything you need to know about beginner level photography.

Say NO to Auto is a great place to start, I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to learn their camera settings. The book thoroughly explains what each photography term means and shows your clear, concise examples of what you are looking for on your camera and how it works. Kristen provides pictures and written examples on what aperture, an f-stop, digital noise, iso, shutter speed, white balance is and how to use each one in different settings. The best part is she gives you the details of each picture in her book to help you understand the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed she used to achieve the desired photograph.

Get Focused is about finding the right lens for your specific needs and how to photograph creative shots. I wasn’t familiar with camera lenses and what exactly each one does so I found this book very helpful in helping me determine what the right lens is for me as a blogger. In Get Focused Kristen shares 12 creative tips & techniques to bring your photography to a higher level. Some new things I learned from it were how to toggle your focal points, AF-S, focal planes, and panning (my favorite).

You can purchase the e-books and send to print as 4×6 pictures or have a hard copy shipped to your door. You can get the Say NO to Auto e-book for $10 and Get Focused for $12. A total steal if you ask me! For more information or to purchase the books go HERE.

Kristen is generously offering both of her e-books to one lucky reader. If you purchase the books now and you win Kristen will refund you the money! Yay! To enter use the rafflecopter widget below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Giveaways, Photography Tagged With: photography

Sony Food Photography Course Update

June 10, 2012 8 Comments

I recently completed the Sony Food Photography course I’ve been enrolled in and I’d like to share with you my favorite photographs. In case you’re new to A Pumpkin & A Princess you can read about the course here and also read the food photography tips I shared a few weeks ago. In 6 short weeks I learned more about my camera than I have in the past 3 years that I’ve owned it! I am so incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity. The Food Photography course provided me with an overview on camera settings, food styling, lighting, photo editing, and different angles.

My last assignment for this course was to compile a portfolio of my best work. These are the pictures I selected:

I like how the strawberry lemonade really stands out and becomes the focus against the turquoise paper in this picture. The styling was simple, allowing the lemonade to take center stage.

Styling was among my favorite topic in the course. It’s fun to get creative and use props to make a picture complete. I emphasized on the props and styling in the photo of muffins above and chocolate chip cookies below. One of my fellow classmates suggested that the picture of cookies would have been better if it wasn’t so close up. I really appreciated the feedback that I received throughout the course, it allowed me to learn from my mistakes and do better the following week.

Another topic we learned about was using different angles. I really like how the picture below gives the viewer a different perspective. I don’t normally photograph directly above my food but I think I’ll start incorporating this angle a lot more in the future.

This photo of chicken parmesan is something I normally shared on my blog. I like how the chicken is focused but the vegetables aren’t. I also like the contrast of the colors.

My all time favorite picture that I don’t think I could have completed without this course is of my chocolate chip cheesecakes. I took everything I learned in the course and used it to create this photograph. I used styling techniques, light reflectors, the proper camera settings, and basic edits using pixlr. This is exactly what the Sony Food Photography course taught me and I am thankful for that.

I would like to say THANK YOU to Social Fabric and Sony for offering this online course and helping me become a better photographer. Thank you to everyone who provided me with feedback on my pictures. This online course was a great learning experience and I’m eager to continue learning and working on my photography skills. Again, thank you Sony, Social Fabric, and professor Stewart for providing this course to me.

Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions please feel free to email me.

Disclosure: I was NOT compensated to write this post. This course was provided to me for free and I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity.

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: Food Photo

Food Photography Tips

May 27, 2012 18 Comments

I am halfway through my photography course and excited to share what I’ve learned so far. In case you’re new here I signed up for a 6 week online food photography course through Social Fabric. The first week we introduced ourselves and discussed who inspires us. I talked a little bit about the in my first post but I would say Dine and Dish, Whipperberry, and The Pioneer Woman are the top three people I aspire to photograph like. I think their photographs are absolutely stunning with the dark background and vibrant colors.

In the second week we learned about lighting, which is probably the most crucial aspect of a photograph. A poorly lit photograph can be very unappealing. I’ve found it’s best to photograph next to a window with the light hitting the subject’s side. A white piece of paper or foam board is great at reflecting the light back onto the object, erasing any dark shadows. My assignment for week two was to photograph a simple item on a plan white piece of paper. The picture below was taking at almost 8pm. It’s not entirely bright but I did photograph it next to a window and used a white board to reflect the light onto the sprinkles.

Week three was all about the photo editing software Pixlr and photo styling. Some of the tools we learned about were sharpening, dodging, burning, and levels. Another important lesson is to have a well balanced photograph. Balance in a photo is achieved when colors, lines, and shapes are combined correctly. Learning how to style photos has been my favorite part about the course. I have always used scrapbook paper for the majority of my projects. I think the options are endless! If you look back at my pictures from this year you’ll see a “wood” background in a lot of them. I found these wood-like scrapbook pages at Hobby Lobby a couple months ago and really like how they look against food.But I’m starting to venture off and becoming comfortable using random objects around the house. Another favorite background of mine is kraft paper (you can find it at the dollar store).

Right now we’re learning about the rule of thirds and the technical terms in photography. I have to admit learning ISO, aperture, and shutter speed have always been difficult for me. I found that once I actually took the time to play around with my camera and adjust the settings, it’s pretty easy to understand.

Next we’re going to work on combining everything we have learned in the course. I’m excited to put it all together and improve my food photography skills. I will update you again at the end of the course and tell you everything I’ve learned.

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: food photography