Archives For OpenSky

Eco-Friendly Summer Entertainment (D291)

Tasra Dawson —  June 18, 2010 — 2 Comments

So I’m not a green freak or organic junkie, and I’ve never been accused of being a granola girl… but I do hail from the Pacific Northwest and think taking care of the world we’ve been given is pretty important.

Today I let my kids help preserve the planet by painting… well, maybe not by just painting, but by painting with eco-green acrylic paints instead of the non-earth-friendly kind. I didn’t even know they made real acrylic paints that weren’t highly toxic. One huge bonus was that I didn’t freak out when my son and daughter wanted to finger paint with them OR when they inevitably landed on my son’s cheek during aforementioned painting session.

tasra365 eco friendly acrylic paint Eco Friendly Summer Entertainment (D291)

Even better, they wiped off my kitchen table without leaving a stain or mark. That’s more than can be said for the fork points I have left in my table. But I digress.

Today’s painting was brought to you by Eco Green Crafts. It’s a new company I discovered through my shop on OpenSky. Eco Green Crafts sent me a great box of paints to sample and a fun art board book for the kids to fill up with summer treasures. Oh, the lazy days of summer. So fun to find ways to spend the time challenging the kids creatively.

tasra365 eco friendly acrylic paint 3 Eco Friendly Summer Entertainment (D291)tasra365 eco friendly acrylic paint 4 Eco Friendly Summer Entertainment (D291)

What are you doing to stretch your creative muscles this summer?

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OpenSky Think Tank: Training for Amazing Product Shots, Website and Blog Images

Tasra Dawson —  April 23, 2010 — 1 Comment

Today I’m leading a Think Tank call for The OpenSky Project to help educate suppliers and bloggers about how to take and present better images for products, websites, and blogs.

I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ll be covering and products I recommend to take your images to the next level… if you’ve got any specific questions, let me know and I’ll see what I can do to answer them!

It’s All About Light: Photography is all about light, whether direct or indirect, studio or natural. Pay attention to light that is available, where it’s coming from, the quality and source.

Simplify the Background: You always want to remove any distracting elements behind your subject, whether bright spots of light or objects that will distract your viewer. Look at all four corners of your viewfinder before pressing the shutter. Then adjust up, down or side to side to get the best angle.

Fill the Frame: It’s about the subject or product you’re featuring, not necessarily the environment so don’t be afraid to get up close and personal. Shoot details. Even consider shooting the packaging if it’s unique.

It’s the talent, not the tools that creates memorable images, so don’t underestimate what you can do if you learn some basics and have some basic equipment to meet your needs. Check below for a list of my recent photography articles.

Recommended Photography Articles

Simple Lighting Secrets for Less

Fix it in Post or Not

The Positive Effect of Negative Space in Photography & Life

Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy, and eBay Images

5 Reasons to Get a 50mm Lens for Your Camera

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Simple Lighting Secrets for Less (D233)

Tasra Dawson —  April 21, 2010 — 4 Comments

When I started my photography challenge 233 days ago, I knew I wanted to focus on unlocking the lighting secrets of master photographers. I’ve discovered that lighting doesn’t have to be a mystery… or break the bank. With the right knowledge and tools, anyone can master good (if not great) lighting.

Read on to find out about the lighting kit deal I was able to negotiate for YOU.

Here are some simple lighting secrets:

  1. Study the experts: Zack Arias, Joe McNally, Scott Kelby, Zack & Jody Gray
  2. Know your camera: read your manual and master what your camera can do
  3. Get the right equipment: lighting kits, reflectors, strobes, flashes

Study the Experts: you can do that with zero to minimal cost. Sure, if you want to attend a seminar or workshop there is an expense, but you can find an abundance of lighting technique and ideas online for free. Start with the experts above.

Know Your Camera: every camera comes with a manual… free. You just have to invest the time and energy to read it!

Get the Right Equipment: we all start somewhere, with our first point and shoot up to a complete lighting and background kit. Somewhere in between we add piece by piece to our arsenal of tools that increases our ability to produce better images.

Last week I introduced you to my lighting solution for compelling blog, etsy, and ebay images… the portable lighting studio. I also promised to negotiate a good deal for you… and now I have…

For ONE WEEK ONLY, you can get my favorite portable lighting studio for $20 OFF!

Coupon Code: 20OFFSTUDIO

This is an amazing deal and one you don’t want to miss. Give it a try… at my OpenSky shop HAPPINESS IS GUARANTEED. So you can try it out, make sure it works for you and that you’re completely happy. If not, return with no questions asked.

Here’s the catch: WE ONLY HAVE 20 AVAILABLE… once they’re gone, they’re really gone and they won’t get more in stock until after the deal is over, so hop over and pick yours up now!!

You’ll be glad you did and you’ll be helping me out too… if I get 40 sales in my shop this month (which is a stretch for me, but helps support this site), I’m donating $100 to Street Grace charity to help get young girls off the streets.

Below is the latest image I took using my portable lighting studio… two lights shining through white diffuser panels to give soft even lighting perfect for product shots. You can see the actual product shot images on yesterday’s article: Never Underestimate the Power of Words.

tasra365 portable lighting studio sample image Simple Lighting Secrets for Less (D233)

Technical Knowledge & Images: Watched two documentaries about Sally Mann, her technique and images.

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Limited Time Offer: $100 for Charity + FREE Book for YOU

Tasra Dawson —  April 20, 2010 — 15 Comments

You have a chance to win $100 toward Street Grace charity
and a FREE BOOK for yourself!

3d cover rws Limited Time Offer: $100 for Charity + FREE Book for YOU

We did it! Thanks for helping support Street Grace!

I love giving back to YOU, my readers, and giving to worthy causes. So I came up with a way for everyone to win, win win!

Here are the details…

YOU WIN: With any purchase at my OpenSky store (yes, any purchase, even the $5 Coffee Break Dazzles), I’ll send you a FREE AUTOGRAPHED copy of Real Women Scrap. That’s right… a $5 purchase gets you the amazing dazzles AND a signed copy of Real Women Scrap. You can keep it for yourself or give it to a friend, mother, wife, daughter, sister… this book has transformed thousands of women’s lives (their words, not mine icon smile Limited Time Offer: $100 for Charity + FREE Book for YOU . Not to mention it’s the perfect Mother’s Day Gift! Once you purchase, just leave a comment below letting me know and I’ll contact you to send you the free gift!

TEEN GIRLS WIN: If we get 40 orders (each item is an order, so you could order 5!), we’ll donate $100 to Street Grace, an organization committed to ending sex trafficking of young girls. We’re working together with Street Grace to do a photo series to get the word out and every donation helps get young girls off the street.

Limited Time Offer + Coupon Code
This is a LIMITED TIME OFFER… while supplies last, so hop over to my Shop and pick something up… from the $5 Coffee Break Dazzles to the 50 mm lens I’m always raving about. And just to sweeten the deal… use coupon code TASRA10 for 10% off any purchase. I’d love it if you’d tell your friends and spread the word with the TWEET button above!

As my son would say… LET’S DO THIS THING!

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Joining the Urban Home Farming Movement

Tasra Dawson —  April 16, 2010 — Leave a comment

Picture 23 Joining the Urban Home Farming MovementUrban farming is making a mark in homes across America thanks to seed packets in specially marked Triscuit boxes. It’s part of Triscuit’s goal of helping Americans everywhere create their own home garden by placing plantable herb seed cards in four million boxes of Triscuit crackers.

If you’ll recall, a month or so ago, we planted our own vegetable garden along with some flowers and strawberries. I say we, but I mean my mother and daughter. I personally have a black thumb. But I’ve heard that herbs are one of the easiest things to grow so I have high hopes for these little seeds.

I love that big companies are partnering with non-profit organizations like Urban Farming. Even if part of the intention is for marketing and increased sales, the fact that they are helping homes get back to green is a good thing. Kind of like Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Sure, it’s a show that needs ratings that are good for sales, but it also is a really good thing to revolutionize the way people eat.

I’ll keep you posted on our urban farm! In the meantime, you can learn more about gardening from my fellow shopkeepers at OpenSky. Now those are some green thumbs if I’ve ever seen one!

Special thanks to Mom Central for sending me the product so I could check it out!

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Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy and Ebay Images (D225)

Tasra Dawson —  April 13, 2010 — 5 Comments

Seems like everyone has a blog these days. Add to that, all the creative people with Etsy shops and sellers on eBay, we all need amazing images. Whether it’s for fun or profit, compelling pictures draw readers and shoppers in and encourage them to stay longer. Blurry, pixelated, overexposed, and just plain bad images can send people running for the hills (or at least clicking away from our site).

So how do you make your images stand out from the crowd? How do you capture photographs that enhance your writing and help tell the story of your blog, your creative projects, or your products?

MY LIGHTING SOLUTION FOR COMPELLING IMAGES

Certainly I don’t have all the answers and not too many secrets either, but I can tell you what has worked for me in creating product photography images that people remark about. And according to Seth Godin, that’s what we want, to create something remarkable that people will remark about.

I used to use a large white seamless backdrop with two Westcott softbox lights for almost all of my studio images. While I got the images I wanted, the set up and tear down were too much to manage for smaller, daily shots… and for bloggers and Etsy shop owners, you don’t really need all that. So I found something quicker, easier, and portable.

tasra365 portable lighting studio Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy and Ebay Images (D225)

I’m sure you’ve heard of portable lighting studios… before I found mine I had heard of them, even created a makeshift one, but nothing ever quite worked out. I’ve even read DIY tutorials for making your own lightbox, but most of the ones I’ve seen don’t travel well or stand up to daily wear and tear from frequent use.

So my “secret” for getting great images is my portable lighting studio complete with 2 high-output lights with retractable legs, 2 colored backgrounds for contrasting light or dark objects, a mini tripod & nylon diffuser screen for balanced lighting. I thought it’d be fun to take pictures of the pieces of the lighting studio with the lighting studio… so below you can see the lights and mini tripod.

tasra365 portable lighting studio 2 Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy and Ebay Images (D225)tasra365 portable lighting studio 3 Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy and Ebay Images (D225)tasra365 portable lighting studio 4 Photo Lighting Secrets for Better Blog, Etsy and Ebay Images (D225)This is something so simple to use and yet so few people have them. Regardless of your camera, DSLR or point and shoot, you’ll be able to see immediate improvement in the images you take… even if you’re not an expert in lighting. Since the lights are constant and not flash, you can use trial and error to see what you like best.

MY GIFT TO YOU
I believe EVERYONE should have one… in fact, I’m in talks with my OpenSky team to plan a webinar or live chat so I can show you exactly how I use it. The last thing I’d want is for you to buy it then not use it. We don’t need more stuff sitting on our shelves unused… we need things that will make our life easier.

So, stay tuned the next couple days as we work out the details on the live chat training. If you have any questions now about how to use a portable lighting kit, let me know and I’ll include them in my planning! If you already know you need this, go ahead and get it now… then send me a note. I’ll make sure you have a front row seat to the upcoming training.

For more sample images from my portable lighting studio, check out these previous articles:

  1. The Most Important Message From WPPI For Photographers Is…
  2. You Are Your Own Miracle Drug
  3. Custom Project Designs: All About Me

Manual: Page 11
Images: Gray Photography – lighting geniuses.

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5 Reasons to Get a 50mm Lens for Your Camera (D220)

Tasra Dawson —  April 8, 2010 — 16 Comments

Chances are that you’re a visual learner, since you have an interest in photography, so I’ll make this easy for you.

There really are more than 5 compelling reasons to get a 50 mm lens for your camera, but I thought I’d keep it simple for today’s illustration.

tasra365 shootsac fabric texture 626x1024 5 Reasons to Get a 50mm Lens for Your Camera (D220)

Reason 1 – 5
That’s right… reasons 1 – 5 are right there showing the amazing texture and detail that a 50 mm lens can capture. I didn’t know what I was missing before I got this lens and now I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Funny thing is that it’s the least expensive of all my lenses!

I was thrilled to hear that the incredibly talented music photographer Zack Arias even recommends the 50 mm lens as a staple in every photographer’s camera bag.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to try something new… and it won’t break the bank. You can get a 50 mm Canon lens for just over $100. That’s a far cry from the 85 mm f/1.2 at $1825! I even added the 50mm lens to my OpenSky shop just for you and I’ve got a 10% off coupon which will actually make it less than $100… just enter coupon code: TASRA10. Enjoy and happy shooting!

Today’s images: Love the texture on my new Shootsac! Couldn’t resist capturing it for today’s Theme Thursday of TEXTURE. Shot with 50 mm lens, processed with Kubota actions Popsickle and Daily Multi Vitamin. Created collage in Photoshop.
Manual: Page 85
Images: Wedding Photography from the Heart by Joe Buissink and Skip Cohen (check back later this week because I’ll be giving away a free copy of this inspiring photo book!)

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Custom Album: All About Me (D196)

Tasra Dawson —  March 15, 2010 — 5 Comments

Some days I’ve got so many photo shoot ideas, I can’t keep track of them all. Other days (like today) I struggle to come up with something interesting and start to get nervous as the clock ticks down toward midnight.

I did what I frequently do when I’m stuck for ideas and I went searching for help, first in Ron’s office. As I was asking him what I should shoot for today, I saw one of my custom scrapbook albums from the very first book signing I did at a scrapbook store in Santa Rosa, California. It was perfect and another chance for me to use my new portable lighting studio.

tasra365 custom scrapbook 1 Custom Album: All About Me (D196)This album was a custom project we created for the people who came out to my book signing for Real Women Scrap. What a moment of pure joy. I’m sure I was grinning ear to ear the entire time.

tasra365 custom scrapbook Custom Album: All About Me (D196)Seeing this album and these images makes me a bit nostalgic for the days when I spent more time hands on with my scrapbook paper and supplies. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love everything I’m learning with photography and the hands on aspects of improving my craft. I just think it’d be good for me to find more time to bring the two together. I’m thinking it’s probably time for another Real Women Scrap TV episode too! What do you think?

Manual: Page 104
Images: David Beckstead, an amazing photographer in his own right, decided that he is going to start doing more intentional study of photographers from the past. He posted his first review of Avedon’s work on his Facebook page today. I can’t wait to hear about his journey and discovery of “old” photographers!

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And the Winner of the Dual Notebook for Creatives is… YOU!

Tasra Dawson —  March 3, 2010 — 12 Comments

I’m serious! tasra365 revolver journal 4 And the Winner of the Dual Notebook for Creatives is... YOU!Remember a few weeks ago when I introduced you to the latest revolution in notebooks, the RevolveR? We replaced our moleskins and fell in love with the duality of this amazing journal.

YOUR INSPIRED IDEAS
I had some of the best comments and ideas about how people would use this notebook to make their lives better. Here are some of my favorites…

  1. That is brilliant! I’m forever carrying around several books…one for work, one for general life! Having two books in one is genius. I love great design. ~Kim
  2. If I had one of these I would share it with my sweetheart. I would write love notes to him in one side and leave it on his nightstand, then he could write love notes to me and put it back on my nightstand. Two beginnings with one happy ending! ~ Alisa
  3. This would be perfect for my double life: I could use the green one for everything about photography (new ideas and projects) and the black one for my sw engineering profession. icon smile And the Winner of the Dual Notebook for Creatives is... YOU! ~Caramella
  4. These look perfect for writing. I would use the blank side to do mind maps–character development, plot development, brainstorming; and the lined side to write. ~Susan
  5. I would use one side as my photography inspiration journal-ideas to try, locations, etc. and on the flip side would be my Mommy Journal. I always think to myself….I should write that down, the girls might find that funny one day. But none the less…I never do. ~Melissa

Sounds like it’s perfect for writers, photographers, engineers, business people, parents, anyone in a relationship, people who work… just about anyone! So how could I read all those inspiring ideas and not find a way to get these amazing notebooks in your hands? I couldn’t, which is why  EVERYONE IS A WINNER! Here’s how…

AN UNBELIEVABLE DEAL
We sweet-talked our way into getting the price of the Large Rioja Revolver down from $21 to $11! Just $11 for the large RevolveR that will organize your dual life!

It’s a GroupShop! If 10 or more of you purchase the Large Rioja Revolver, everyone will get the discount of nearly HALF OFF! You know what else is great? You won’t be charged unless we meet our goal! The deal goes live tomorrow, March 4 at 9 am EST.

I think we can do it.

Are you in?

THE NO RISK — HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
If you need one more reason to pull the trigger and give it a try, here it is… your happiness is guaranteed. Not your satisfaction, but your happiness. I want you to be happy with this journal, for it to be something you love, talk about, carry around with you, and become more inspired and creative… that’s what OpenSky wants to. So if you’re not happy, you can return it, no problem. Give it a shot! Remember, we’ll go live at 9 am EST tomorrow… the early bird gets the worm!

You’ll want to shop early to make sure you get in on the deal. We have a limited number at this amazing price, so make sure to get in on the deal of the day! You can see more images, watch a video and read more about this amazing journal that replaced my moleskin on the first post I wrote a few weeks ago.

P.S. Congrats to Deb from Meinke Toy Fiber Art, the winner of the giveaway small green Revolver notebook! She said: Ooooo, I love it! I’d use it for my photography & art notes, and for my fiber art business. Hmmm, red or green……red or green…….ummmm…….green!

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Modernizing the Age Old Tradition of… Flirting

Tasra Dawson —  February 12, 2010 — 6 Comments

valentine flirty love kisses organic cookies Modernizing the Age Old Tradition of... FlirtingYou read that right, flirting. Like almost everything else I do, I think we should turn flirting on its head. For those who are married, it’s time to pull it out of your bag of tricks, dust it off, and put it to good use.

Today’s Husband Project challenge is to send a flirty text or email to your husband. You could also send an ecard, ichat, or any other modern form of communication. Or you could get revolutionary and send something on paper. The method is not important, the message is.

If you’ve forgotten altogether what that looks like, here are some definitions… playful, alluring, amorous, tease.

MY CHALLENGE
For the challenge today, I think I’ll hit my husband with some messages from a variety of sources. Why not go above and beyond the required? I’ve thought of even scheduling a few in advance, maybe one a week so that even if I forget later to keep the momentum going, I’ve already got it covered.

flirty aprons Modernizing the Age Old Tradition of... FlirtingBONUS POINTS
Want to go even further, why not order him some LOVE & KISSES like the ones I saw in my online friends (Lynn & Corie) shop… so incredibly cute and definitely fits the flirty requirement! You can even get them in vanilla or chocolate AND they’re organic!

Or don a flirty apron from Sarah Mae’s shop… my favorite is the chic pink one complete with ruffle and bow. This cute little apron might actually get me in the kitchen more often! And I’ve haven’t mentioned the BONUS assignments for the husband project, but can you guess what they are? This might work for that too. Enough said.

So, get out there and flirt!

(I seriously never thought I’d be writing about flirting on my blog!)

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