At photography club on Wednesday, we were given a presentation on how to make a do-it-yourself Macro light tent.  It was an excellent presentation and really interesting to learn how these can help you in your macro photography!  There are tons of tutorials online to show you how to make one of these yourself.  We just basically went and got what we thought we needed and it worked out great!  Here are the supplies we used:

White poster board (x2) - $1.65
Roll of white duct tape - $5.00
Dowels to frame it - $6.00
Pkg of tissue paper - $1.00

We cut the poster board into 3 pieces - all of them 15 inches x 15 inches.  We made a cube out of the dowels and they were glued together with carpenters glue.  The poster board was then taped to the frame on the top, bottom and back, leaving the front open.  Finally the tissue paper was taped to both sides (this allows light to be directed through).

Here is a photo of my daughter using the macro light tent to take photos of her littlest pet shops!

My daughter and I went out for a drive last week to capture "On the Water" for our photography club.  Here are a few of the photos that we got:

I've been watching Michael the Maven for a couple of years (boy that sounds creepy!).  He puts on some great contests and has always got awesome prizes to give away.  Here is the latest contest:



Good luck to you!!

Until the next post...

This is the camera that I use - Canon Rebel 600d or t3i:



I upgraded to this from the 400d or Canon Rebel xti.  Although both cameras are wonderful, the upgrade was amazing!  There aren't a whole lot of differences in the body of the camera itself, but there are a few:

The LCD screen flips out on the 600d, allowing you to hold your camera in awkward positions and still be able to get your photo.  You can have the LCD covered, so it's flipped in on the inside.  This protects it, where the 400d didn't have this option.  The screen is larger on the 600d and it is also great for movies.

Another great thing for movies is the new HD feature!  You can shoot movies in full HD as well as still pictures.

I haven't used the video function a whole lot as I'm still trying to master all the settings on the camera for photos.  I usually shoot in RAW, so you do get that extra file and will take up more space on your memory card (but worth it!).  I find that it shoots a lot faster than my old one and my photos are sharper than they used to be.  Of course Photoshop can help push that along as well ;)

Would I recommend the Canon Rebel t3i?  Absolutely!

Until the next post...

I have just uploaded the newly designed blog and have taken down all the past postings.  I wasn't happy with the previous design and felt that starting over would be the best way to do this.

It's now fall where I live (Alberta, Canada).  All the leaves are changing colours and it's absolutely beautiful!  Fall is my favourite time of year - winter is too cold, summer is too hot and spring is too messy!  I'm trying to get out there to capture some of the gorgeous colours and will post them on here when I do.



Recently, I've joined a local photography club.  We get together once a month and discuss a certain topic - settings on your camera, how to make a slideshow, etc.  They hold monthly assignments, contests and have banquets a couple of times during the year.  I am finding it really interesting!  Maybe see if there is a photography club in your area - you might enjoy it!