New Camera

This month I finally said goodbye to my little old point-and-shoot Canon from 2009. My new camera is bigger and more intimidating, but I've taken it as my chance to finally learn some of the nuts and bolts of photography. I've even gone so far as to take the settings off Automatic mode and play around with Manual mode. It's been scary but I'm learning!

I'm re-photographing all items in my inventory and using this project to slowly gain confidence with the camera. I'm learning that "lifestyle" shots, where you show a product within the context of how it can be used, are lots of fun. I've been using props like cups of tea and snacks from my cupboard to sort of "tell the story" of the item. A note pad, for example, can be used to write a letter to a dear friend. So my photo has a pen, envelope, and cup of tea nearby to communicate that cozy feeling.

I find that I really enjoy staging the area with the props and getting the right angle. Here are a few of my favorite shots so far.