Great photos are meant to be shared. Other than uploading them on Facebook and blogs, they should be shared in its’ most traditional form- in print. For me, I find that I am more likely to turn the pages of a ready physical photo album than to access the soft copies from my computer.
In light of that, I would like to show you a quick way to make a simple photo album. They are great as little gifts for your loved ones or simply for keeps. For this simple tutorial, I will be making a pocket-sized photo album, featuring some of my favourite Instagram photos.
Oh, by the way, did you know that Instagram is now available on Android phones as well? :)
You will need:
- A4 sized craft paper. Any colour you might like!
*Tip: If you are going to use cardboard, please note that it is slightly more challenging to fold as they are thick.
- 6 of your favourite photos.
- A blade, cutting board and a ruler.
- Double-sided tape for the insides. (optional)
Who would have thought, that 4 very different photographers with unique personalities and style could sit together and organize something as unlikely as a female photography workshop? It took us 5 months to brainstorm ideas, get together a sponsor list, and plan for the event, but our inaugural Bloom Workshops was a hit! The event was held on the 10th & 11th of March 2012 at the Terrace of Hock Choon and attended by 30 eager female photographers. The trainer list consisted of Anna-Rina, Asther Lau, Fiona Lim and myself.
We would like to thank our main sponsor, Canon and all our other sponsors Schmidt Marketing, Wall Canvas Arts, Simplr, Laura Mercier and Kelly Moore bags for adding lots of spice to the workshop.
I had a session on lighting, which is a huge topic to cover in 3 hours! I taught the participants how to look at available light and also did an introduction on off camera flash techniques. I was really excited to read some of these comments on my session:
“Something new and challenging but very beneficial as before this lighting was something that I didn’t take seriously. Understand that it’s all about the light and not all only about the location and pretty subjects.”
“Clear & Precise. Enjoyed applying the techniques during the practical session. Hot models haha.”
“I came away with so much more tips that I’m excited to put into use!”
For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are some photos from the workshop! When the participants arrived, they were greeted by Diane’s friendly smile.
And they received a Canon paper bag filled with lots of yummy goodies from all our sponsors! They even received a personalized print of their photo, created by Simplr.
We all love our pets, don’t we? We treat them like a member of the family and because we love them so much, we want to take pictures of them. My cat, Cashmere had kittens during Chinese New Year and the kittens have brought a lot of joy to my family. So last Saturday, I decided to have my take on pet photography- not something that I normally do. It turned out to be quite a fun, yet challenging task!
I am not a pro at this, but here’s some tips for pet photography, which I’ve gathered from this experience.
#1. Sedate your pets before the shoot so they will stay still.
I’m kidding! :D
#1. Photograph your pets in their comfort zone.
I am sure your pets have their regular “hang out” spots. In my case, my kittens love to play around in my living room, which is where I photographed them. I tried bringing them out to my car porch, thinking there would be more light and space for them to play around but they were just awkward out there. We stayed indoors, but I opened the windows to allow lots of natural light in so I get equally good lighting.
Don’t miss this photography workshop! You will definitely get personal attention from all 4 of us girls and we aim to make this a really fun session for everyone!
As for the topics, we have everything from lighting to posing (babies, families & couples!) to learning about Lightroom & Photoshop, and even about the business side of photography! For our fun filler sessions, we have a make up & fitness session too. Do read the synopsis in detail here.
A description about what I’ll be covering:
Show me the Light! by Grace
Interested to know how to make your bride look slimmer?
Find it difficult to shoot once the sun goes down?
How about lighting a group of 50 people in a dark church?Mastering lighting is one of the keys to making your photography better. Grace will share her experiences and techniques on available and artificial lighting while making the session practical and easy to understand. You will see things in a different light after this session!
Due to a number of requests, we are now offering a FREE 2 hour basic photography class to confirmed participants on a separate date prior to the workshop. Beginners are encouraged to attend this class. Date to be announced soon. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Register for the workshop here.
It’s the season again where your family members are back from afar, and gatherings and dinners are scheduled to guarantee a good time. Good times like these need to be documented, and there you are armed with your camera but you’re just not too sure how to get a good shot of your family. Worry no more! In conjunction with the Chinese New Year season, we at Stories would like to offer you a few tips on how to photograph good group photos!
You will need:
- A camera. (Any kind of camera will work, really! Doesn’t have to be an expensive and bulky DSLR. Your point-and-shoot will work well!)
- Your group of happy relatives.
Tip #1:
Leave no gaps, unless it’s intentional.
As you can see the picture above, the gap has created a kind of awkwardness. As if Weiming (right) does not want to have anything to do with the group. So remember to ask your subjects to go closer.