Brrr, so cold! Has anyone still got snow…ours has all but gone now, thank goodness.
I’ve been down the studio today and needed to blow colour off of quite a few pieces. This needs to be done outside for health and safety reasons but i couldn’t stand it for more than 15 minutes, so I had to give up and hopefully, it will be a bit warmer tomorrow and I’ll try again…need to get that kiln on!
I spent the rest of the afternoon painting an ACEO…haven’t done any of these (or any painting) since 2012! It’s a bit basic but not too bad! I’ll pop a photo on in a minute…I may list it in my shop tomorrow, or I may not…lol!
I’ll try and get a better photograph of it today @ChrisStoneArtist…well done on selling your painting today too x
What’s everyone up to today?
I think I’ve got to go food shopping but may try to put it off until tomorrow if I can find something in the freezer for dinner!
I need to go and finish that pottery to get the kiln on but it’s still too cold to be standing outside blowing the colour off!
Sarah, you have inspired me to be more creative with my photos. I am not too good at lifestyle shots. But I like how you have ‘made’ a little corner, full of texture, note to self, more thinking outside the box required xx
Aww thank you! I don’t have a lot of space to play with, and the space I do have is filled with children’s toys, so having a simple set up that I can take down and put up quickly is important, hehe.
Lovely painting Sarah @thedotterypotter, as Chris says, post it in your shop, I bet it sells! @SarahDesignsUK, you’ve inspired me too with your photo, I have a lot of space indoors, but all in very poor light, so I try to photograph outside as I like the natural look, but you’ve really got me thinking about perhaps the greenhouse on cold days! Maybe, might be worth a try…
I used to have a little spot on the windowsill in the lounge that had just the right amount of diffused light coming in but when I started adding props, I couldn’t fit it all on anymore. Now I have a big roll of paper that hangs over my big throwing wheel and I take all the photographs there. The light comes in behind me though, so I have to be careful not to cast my own shadow over everything. A greenhouse or conservatory sound perfect as you have light coming in overhead too.
I think that’s the key, unlocking little spaces, that perhaps you wouldn’t have thought of before. Like @thedotterypotter I did use a windowsill but it became a little restrictive, so moved on to the dresser. I pop everything away in the wicker boxes I use as a background the base was a piece of wall paper I stole from hubby when he was deciding how to decorate the lounge
Good Morning…brrr…still so chilly isn’t it? I’ve been trying not to put my heating on until late afternoon and even then, the electricity bill is going to be huge!
Bad night’s sleep again last night but I’ve got some glazing to finish, so I had better get on with it! Wish I could just perk up a bit!
Good evening Sarah, hope you have kept warm!!!
I have a glass roofed conservatory, and still struggle with my photos as you know!!
I don’t have a fabulous camera like @SarahDesignsUK it is an old little handbag camera and my phone doesn’t have white balance, it is too old now, a 5s…any tips would be wonderful!!!
I have a light box with velcroable sides. I use it inside as a background but leave the front and top flipped open. It sits on my kitchen table with the back to the window. I use a tripod so that I can take much slower pics, as my camera is also not that great (realistically have to use ISO 100). Not so bad results, but I need to think of adventurous backgrounds! The things I make are so small though, that they can get easily lost.
Aww, I love your product shots. In all fairness though, my camera really helps. Having small things means I use the macro mode a lot, and I do adjust the setting depending on the light conditions and cloud cover.
@thedotterypotter I’ve been freezing all day. Oona has been wearing two pairs of leggings all week and I’ve put a hot water bottle in her pushchair for trips to the post office!
Interesting reading about product shots, it’s always difficult especially this time of year. I have a daylight lamp which makes a big difference on dark days but you can’t beat a nice bright day. I now take pictures in my conservatory but have to take them before 2pm when the sun comes around the house giving too much direct sunshine.
Not looking forward to our heating bill, I’ve had the heating most of the time at the moment.
Heating, where do I start! We have economy 7, so everything has to be night storage heaters, which on the whole do a fantastic job, except when we have really cold snaps. We have a log burner which tops up the warmth, which is so lovely and cosy BUT we have just had to order more logs, and my eyes are still watering at their cost!! So hubby says if I knit quicker…! Personally I think we should get an extra cat, because apparently they give off 9Wof heat, one each xx
Thank you Sarah, that is very kind of you!!! My camera has all the light settings and macro mode but even that does not focus that well if I get in too close!!! I use to put up the light balance but then the whites could go too blue!!
I don’t know whether iPhone 6’s onwards have better settings? I only realised how bad my original photos were when posting on Instagram, as I usually edit them after on the laptop!
Tina @DaisyWings I have tried a small day light lamp (my big one is plugged in a place I cannot reach unplug to move it) if we get sun in the conservatory it can be all day as it is south facing. I had read somewhere that somebody advised using late morning for the best light.
My OH has lighting the log burner by lunch time every day as he is around now, getting though a lot of wood!!
An extra cat, just think about the extra costs, food, vet bills etc, just put another log on the fire, it’s so important to keep warm. I used to have my heating set to come on and go off twice a day, then hubby said it was more efficient to leave it on all day, as we wouldn’t be heating the rooms up again. He was right, we haven’t used any more gas by keeping the heating on all day, in fact we were able to turn it down a bit, and we have been lovely and warm.
@bramleycards thank you I’m lucky that my camera has a 1cm macro function but I’d still like to go in nearer. It has two levels of zoom, but I only use the top level. Can’t recommend a tripod enough! If you have an iPhone you’re using though, you can get clip on lenses to help; eg
the base was a piece of wall paper I stole from hubby when he was deciding how to decorate the lounge 
xx
I’m lucky that my camera has a 1cm macro function but I’d still like to go in nearer. It has two levels of zoom, but I only use the top level. Can’t recommend a tripod enough! If you have an iPhone you’re using though, you can get clip on lenses to help; eg