Brand Spankin' New Year!

This year, from a photography perspective, I will delve into more classes, tutorials, and learn the ropes of photography---ON a budget! I've been blessed with lots of good tips from knowledgable folks, as well as some awesome gifts and advice for enhancing (and beginning) my indoor studio photography! Very excited to see what I can learn this year. 


Goals (with plans already set forth) for this year, all done with my frugal, money-conscious mindset:
1) get the 50mm 1.4 lens!
2) get editing software!
3) grey vinyl and white "muslin" for indoor photography
4) pick up the structure for hanging backdrops 
5) buy clamp for my light reflector
6) umbrella for lighting
7) external hard drive so not to overload computer :)
8) classes, tutorials, shadowing the "experts"
9) book some shoots! get the shoots we've discussed under way!
10) develop my personal style and produce photos that I enjoy and you enjoy, also!


Aside from that, I wanted to start out the new year by displaying a few of my favorite 2010 pictures, including a few that garnered recognition at the fair (the very first photography competition I'd ever entered)!


Happy New Year to all. I wish you the best this year, I wish that you work toward achieving any goals of interest, and especially that you enjoy each moment of time.  Cheers!

This was my first family shoot, so it holds a dear place for me. It's simple, fairly generic, but also rustic and outdoors! Not to mention, a picture is always more memorable when you adore the little one as much as you adore this sweet, sweet boy. 

This boy is one of the sweetest, funniest, wittiest, tender-hearted, loving little guys I've ever known. It warms my heart to see him happy. He's had a tough path. 

This was a learning experience. I garnered a lot of respect for photographers for being able to get all members of a family to be able to keep their eyes open and facing one direction for a single shot (all the rest is personality--I like Ben's face for that very reason)

When I first learned that I prefer not to use a flash (which is why it's vital to work on getting better lenses)

Before I had a DSLR, I enjoyed this country shoot with Hannie. Thanks to neighbors for "allowing" us use of their hay bales.

The typical "event" shot that is sometimes requested. :) Congratulations to my lovely sister, Heather. I am very proud of you and your journey in life. I love you.

My father's calf, Mocha. She simply has the prettiest shade of fur! 

Country Gothic. This picture was pre-DSLR, but my father and I came up with the idea. I included it because of it's complexity and it encapsulates our family's quirky sense of humor. (Dad's goat has since passed.) It also seems to me the quintessential picture of Kory and Heather's relationship.

I love this picture because of the colors, vibrancy, and my little mini-me, Ariana. I also love her genuine laughter.

This was my first photo shoot with a class. It was at the Haskell Wetlands, which is quite beautiful. It was a struggle for me, as I usually enjoy capturing people in my shots because I think people tend to offer complexity in their natural state on their own. So, I had to learn to see and capture nature itself. I also like the dilapidated bee hive. It helps that I am very intrigued by beekeeping!

This little bird (I have since forgotten the species) fell out of it's nest and was crying for help.

This picture was chosen for it's simplistic background. The horse also has an admirable poise.

This picture reminds me that with quicker lenses, I could capture some pretty cool shots :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Exquisite Deals: Living Well Frugally!

I've come to learn that I can live quite well quite cheaply with the right resources...which is exciting! I find it disheartening to ever pay full price for anything...I don’t yet value my time (opportunity cost, what??) as much as I value my minimal finances as a college student supporting myself. I will research the HECK out of whatever I want until I find a good deal. I’ll look for promo codes, sale dates, active ingredients in products I want, trades, second-hand buys, refurbishing furniture, etc. I find ways to work in exchange for pleasure: working a couple of days at the daycare at an all women’s gym with the perk of unlimited gym/sauna/steam bath access and free classes. Working a few shifts at Bonnaroo for unlimited, delightful music! Working travel. It’s just my style... live well, pay minimal.

That’s good news for you, because I can’t wait to share some of my findings with you. You may know of a few, but you may be terribly excited to discover what I show you... feel free to reciprocate with deals! We’re in this together :) 

• Perfect Eyelashes for $10+shipping (vs. $120+shipping):

If you like the idea of using Latisse for eyelashes but, like me, don’t have $120 expendable cash to drop for those gorgeous lashes, I’ve found a solution. Latisse’s active ingredient, bimatoprost, started as a drug for glaucoma patients. Upon it’s use, it was discovered that it led to the growth of eyelashes. Latisse is widely marketed by it’s FDA approval, but it’s not the best deal around...just the marketed best. Lumigan came out since Latisse, but Careprost (a widely unknown version with the same active ingredient, bimatroprost) takes the cake for an astonishing $10 from the Canadian pharmacy. For your convenience, I’m leaving the websites and reviews for products and websites. Also, shipping is kind of steep because it’s international. It’s $25 flat fee. To maximize the deal, I would find a couple friends to jump on the bandwagon with you to split shipping and buy multiple bottles in one order for yourself.

Find it here:  https://www.alldaychemist.com/search.php?search_query=Careprost

Review for product:  http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=129458/Careprost~Generic_Brand_Latisse/0/Eyes 

Review for online pharmacy: http://www.bestpharmguide.com/reviews/alldaychemist_com.html

• Shiny, healthy hair for $7.50 plus shipping (vs $40+shipping):

People area all over the Moroccan Oil fad, but unfortunately, it’s steep price is not reasonable for me right now. Which is why I always check the active ingredient in products! Moroccan Oil’s active ingredient? Argan oil, an oil native to Morocco, derived from the seed of the argan tree and used by women there for centuries. The awesome news: You can find leave-in treatments and deep conditioners with a higher concentration of argan oil at a fraction of the price! I found a 4 oz. bottle of DermOrganic Argan Oil leave-in treatment for $7.50 on Amazon, but as I’m searching now, $14 is the cheapest I see (still about a fourth of Moroccan Oil with a higher concentration of Argan oil!). Keep looking back for the price I found, I’m sure it’ll be back in stock soon.

Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Dermorganic-Leave-Treatment-Organic-Argan/product-reviews/B001U4Z6RM/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

• Smooth, supple skin for $10+shipping (vs. a range from $50-$100):

People seek products with shea butter because of the its remarkable properties. It is known to heal wounds, prevent with wrinkles, eczema, scarring, and stretch marks. Not only that, it is one of the best moisturizers in the world. It leaves beautiful, glowing skin. Unfortunately, most products marketed have such a small concentration of shea butter that the skyrocket price is almost laughable. Upon searching, I have found sellers of shea butter that sell 2.3 to 3 lbs of shea butter  from Ghana for an astonishing $10 plus shipping. (now, I also review the heck out of things I’m interested in buying, and have found a plethora of shea butter research, a lot of it conflicting, so it has left me still a novice. I can say that what I have purchased I LOVE so far. My skin looks terrific.)

Find by searching “raw, unrefined shea butter” on Amazon. Grade A is what you’ll want. Check reviews and you’re golden!

• Restaurants at a dramatic discount:

Use www.restaurant.com for gift certificates. The deal with restaurant.com is that you buy a gift certificate for $5 and it’s worth $10 to select restaurants. You can buy a $25 gift certificate for $10, as well. To FURTHER maximize these savings, restaurant.com often offers promo codes. I recently paid $3 for a $25 dollar gift certificate. You heard right. :) Often the promo codes are 70 to 80 percent off. They even have two of my favorite restaurants: Jazz Louisiana Kitchen and Giordano's pizza (out of Chicago). CHECK IT OUT. 

• Spending Deals:

Use UPromise.com to make your money work for you! You’re already spending money, allow a portion to go back to you (or parents--to your child's college fund). Certain businesses are affiliated with UPromise and as soon as you use your credit/debit card that you registered on the UPromise website, a portion will be put back into an account for you. 

• Miscellaneous Deals: 

Use www.groupon.com. Groupon is a website that features awesome business deals in large cities throughout the United States. They hope that by giving a great deal (each deal lasts 24 hours only and the next day a new business will be featured with a new deal), more people will be enticed into buying it so that both sides of the transaction come out on top. I gotta say, I found a laser hair removal package for $99 that would be $2000 in NY or a bigger city. You heard right, $99. I’m halfway done with treatments already. :)

• Everyday Discounts:

ALWAYS, ALWAYS search for promo codes! Fellow consumers post promotional codes they’ve found for your convenience. Take advantage of it. Do the same for others when you get the chance. You wanna buy some Toms kicks? Google “Toms Promo Codes” ... search through until you find the best deal. Do this with any and everything you even think of buying. It’ll save you a bundle! And it’s simple :)

...Lastly, as a reminder, know when staple seasonal items are on sale. You'll need a cashmere sweater both this year and next, it's timeless, so go ahead and buy it as soon as winter clothes go on sale. Do this with any similar items. Also, know when stores have sales. Hobby Lobby, for instance, rotates all of their items on 50% clearance quite regularly. NEVER BUY FULL PRICE. :) GOOD LUCK!!

volunteering for firefighters...

If you know me, you know I'm a pretty charitable person, be it my time or minimal finances or otherwise. I've always thought that if we see a need in society, it is negligent to ignore it. So, because Kyrstan and my heartstrings have been tugged for quite a while now by a specific issue, we have brainstormed ways to help out.

You see, we've just been so worried about the attractive, hard-working, risk-taking firefighters in the community. They live (on edge, I'm sure) at the firehouse for series of a couple of days at a time. They run into burning buildings when our instincts tell us to run out (okay, so I stole that from a firefighter website). I can't help but think that they live on ramen noodles and carryout, sleep on cots amongst squalor, and more than likely forget to brush their teeth, etc. They need a domestic touch, is what I've come to realize. So:

I'm going to volunteer at the firehouse. No, not be a volunteer firefighter, but rather, a volunteer for the firefighters. Maybe you could manage to live with yourself, but I can't be negligent to the needs of society, it would be an utter kick to my dignity and sense of self-worth. They need me, I will help. Just as they help serve the community, I will serve them.  I can do laundry, bake, cook, teach them my organizational skills to keep their spaces clean when I'm away. Kyrstan can decorate, remind them to brush their teeth, and help me with the aforementioned tasks.

As we were researching firefighters (to make sure they were attractive enough for our efforts to be worthwhile), I thought about how we should also gauge whether their intelligence was worthwhile. That's when the perfect question struck me. A sure way to gauge the reliability and intelligence of those I aim to serve. I knew my question was a question for google:

Though a few have, I still feel that for the most part our firefighters are competent and deserving of my volunteer services. So, as a sort of public service announcement, I would like to encourage you to do your part in your community (but don't dare steal my firehouse).

Just look at this face, how can you turn your cheek? Just donate 30 minutes a day. They need us. 

 source of firefighter

In the spirit of volunteer work and giving, I wish you well in your own similar endeavors. 

--Cheers & Blessings,

Claudia

pretty things.

I'm changing blog sites (no offense wordpress, you were just more difficult to edit my settings). So, to consolidate, I am posting my first (and last) post from wordpress and beginning there.

Cheers!!

PRETTY THINGS.

May 27, 2010, 5:22 am | Edit this
Filed under: Uncategorized

My appreciation for domestic things has grown substantially during my college years. Before that, I had a general interest, but I’d prefer to devote my time to watching, reading, and/or partaking in aggressive, primitive sports (UFC, football, basketball).
One particular domestic touch my taste has acquired is flowers. I’ve never particularly cared for “the dozen roses”. They are too overpriced and generic for my humble taste. I’ve always favored freshly picked flowers from the garden (sometimes from Chancellor Bernadette Grey-Little’s garden, thanks Mrs. Grey-Little!). They are sustainable, resourceful, very whimsical and undeniably comforting. I enjoy local, homegrown touches. Fresh flowers are always reminiscent of picking peonies, tulips, lilacs and magnolias from grandma’s lush gardens and making my own arrangements as a child (and sometimes now, too!). Right now, the aroma of the honeysuckle in the air at my grandparents house is quite bittersweet. I remember my grandpa and father showing me how to pull away the center of the honeysuckle flower to taste. Maybe, I also enjoy them because they remind me of my first young boyfriend in elementary who would bring me fresh flowers from his mother’s garden. 
Recently,  when my flowers from grammy’s were no longer fresh, I was forced to scavenge the city for flowers. I recruited Kyrstan once the sun set and set some ground rules. 1. Don’t pick from people’s yards. 2. Don’t pick a flower that will not replenish itself (such as the tulips on campus) 3. Don’t get caught. 4. Suppress the thought that you are a flower-stealing villain by rationalizing that sometimes it’s good to prune the bushes and trees. 5. Oh yes, only take from bushes and trees. 6. Revel in the flowers and the thrill of the catch!
We set off to search through parks and through the beautiful campus much to our roommate’s concern for our safety, but with minimal discretion of our own. We found a plethora of beautiful flowering bushes and trees and enjoyed the thrill of sneaking through the night in search of our treasure. We came home and filled every last vase in the house and a couple of wine bottles for decor. Great success.
Have a beautiful day.
-Claudie

one of a few flowering trees i photographed in grammy's garden

one day i'll remember more plant names...but for now, no luck.

by my bedside; the fruits of our scavenger hunt.

I'm back to the blogging world after years away. It's nice be able to compartmentalize and order what you're learning, wish to remember, experience, and want to show. I am also excited to practice writing via blogging again. Probably it will be of no interest to anyone on this world's land, but I will blog away, anyhow. 

Cheers and blessings! 

 

Claudia