What's in the studio?

Today I am super excited to be working on a project for fellow Indie A-list member 

Krmbal

Not only do I LOVE the designs from owner Tessa - but I have purchased from her for birthdays several times over the past year and each time she has been SUPER wonderful to work with! 

It doesn't hurt my raving opoinin of her at all that she's an owner after my own heart! Krmbal is an indie clothing brand dedicated to eco-friendly and eco-conscious choices! Plus she partners with other small businesses in the indie and local community to help boost our economy and make a real difference. Oh, and one more thing! She also donate a portion of all sales to Kiva borrowers to help others build their small businesses and achieve a greater impact! 

Talk about doing it right!

Here are a few sneak peaks from me test shots this morning...

I can't wait to share her "real" images from today!

A Bow For Mama and MORE!

First, let me introduce Shirley, from A Bow for Mama. Shirley makes amazing decorations and bows that are used for all occasions. Baby showers, weddings, holidays, etc. ABFM provides your home, business, or event with the beautiful decor it deserves!

Each of her bows are handmade, they are packaged and shipped with LOVE and CARE, so that they arrive to you fluffed and beautiful! When Shirley contacted me and asked if I would take her product images for a new "super secret" product line! I almost died! I LOVE a good secret! I was fall out of my chair excited!!!!

 I received her boxes of goodies, and I could hardly wait to open them! I had an "idea" of what was inside, but to put my hands on these little gems - AMAZING!

As I unpacked the box, I was very impressed with the time Shirley had put in to separate the bows, and make sure they all floated so nothing got squished. While I did fluff a few as I was styling for her images, I didn't really "need" to! They arrived beautifully!  Now, these are not her regular bows... no this is something TOTALLY new for her! I am so excited that I finally get to share them with you! It was SO hard keeping this a secret!

These little prizes are her message board bows... or as I like to call them Little Bits from Heaven! They have 2 clips, one on the back and a smaller one on the front. I found SO many uses for them around the office as I was creating her "in use" images.

 On my pencil holder - perfect for holding reminder sticky notes or business cards I need to update in my client list...

Clipping recipe cards, or marking pages in my book.... 

As a housewarming, birthday or any celebration gift! It adds just the right bit of glam, who needs a bag! PLUS this is RE-USEABLE so the person receiving it can use it around their house again! I LOVE THAT!

I love the extra touch on top of gift boxes and bags... since they clip to message boards and can be ordered with magnets for magnet boards they make AWESOME additions to teacher gifts!

OH! Not to be outdone... but I found the BEST use for these babies! Clip them onto your napkin rings to hold a place card... TAKE THAT SANDRA LEE! Oh, and by the way.. you can stock up on the Eco-friendly napkin rings shown here... that's right with A Bow For Mama also! This makes the perfect gathering a little more special! Each guest can take the bow home with them, or you can use them yourself over and over!

Time to Click: Getting out of the box

Congratulations!

Your the proud owner of a new camera!

Now what? Let's take a moment and talk about what you "should" have received in your box and the first steps to getting you all set up!

http://www.olympusamerica.com

Regardless of manufacturer your box contents typically include:

1. Your Camera
2. A battery
3. A charger
4. Memory card / Internal Memory
5. US warranty paperwork. 
6. Manual
7. Digital Manual/ software/ other disks
8. Cables
9. Camera strap  

First things first. Check your warranty paperwork, complete anything you need to do and be sure to make a copy of it and your receipt. Be sure to check the serial number on the paperwork to match what is on your camera! I suggest keeping a digital record of all of this (by taking a photo or scanning) everything as well as the hard copies in your safe or file cabinet.

If you purchased any additional warranty be sure to include this in your files as well! If for any reason serial numbers DON'T match, go back to where you got it RIGHT then! If you don't you are just asking for trouble!

Next, if you haven't already take out the charger and batteries. Unless your camera is working off of AA batteries you should have both.  If you have a AA style... then check the batteries, they typically wont be rechargeable and you typically wont have a charger of any style. So be sure to solve that if your salesperson was slacking by not telling you you will need it! (check out my Batteries post if you have questions)

To get a GOOD charge on new Lithium Ion batteries I always recommend charging overnight. But you can read your manual for the manufacturers recommendation it's typically on the first couple of pages. Your battery wont come fully charged so if your giving it as a gift this is nice to have done prior for your loved one! Just don't forget to pack it all back up in the box... (I like to recommend a note inside so they know they are ready to shoot)

Memory Cards: *sigh*
Seriously, manufactures typically give you SOMETHING... just so you can take a few images and get hooked. Sometimes this means internal memory... which is a joke really... making you copy it to a card or use slow cables to hook up your camera to your computer to download... and deal with software and blah blah blah... and the cards they do give you... well are typically not much better... holding only a few small images. This however is more then you can expect if your getting a DSLR... they don't bother with giving you anything with these... knowing that you will need to buy a card (or several) or that you already have cards if your getting this level of camera. (be sure to read up on the differences from my post if you need to add a card, and here is a reminder about your sizes!)

If you have a card, be sure to load it in your camera. Some camera's will shoot without a card in them and the images don't get saved anywhere, this can be a huge disappointment so be sure to find out if your camera can do that, or if there is a way to command it not to shoot without a card in it. Which most DSLR's will have a function in the menu for.
Note: You can find this information in your camera manual!

Manual: Tuck this into your camera bag (no you didn't get a bag with the box (typically)... YES you need one!)
Manuals are not good light reading material, but they do make a solid reference guide. So if you want to know what this button does, or how to find what menu option... its a good tool to be able to find. It does not typically tell you WHY you want to use it!

Disks: There are several disks that can come with your camera. All depending on manufacture and retailer. Just read over them and see if its anything you "want". Some might be camera software that you don't need if you plan on using a card reader - some may be digital manuals.. I have even seen Photoshop software on occasion!

I would recommend using your computers card reader (I would be shocked to learn you didn't have one for your memory card) but if you don't have one built into your computer you can buy one to read the memory card... a card reader that is... it hooks right up to your USB slot. Then downloading your images is fairly quick and easy without extra software or steps - typically a copy paste system directly into your image files is an easy and organized solution. No extra software, drivers or anything needed. However... keeping any digital manual handy is nice... and sometimes I have seen mini versions of photoshop, and other editing software that is very much worth it to have.... so just check over them before you lose them in the stack of misc that we all have! Be sure to file them away so you can find them again in needed.



Cables: This gets a bit tricky depending on the camera you have. If your like me you have a lot of cables floating around that you don't know what they belong to! I have taken to putting a label on each as I take it out of the box now... just a small return address label with the product it belongs to and what it does folded over itself.... around the cable.

To know what each of your cables are meant for check your manual - it will list each out and show an image usually. Typically you will have 2:


USB: A cable from your camera to your computer to download images (this is crap if you never use internal memory, or use the card reader like you should be doing.) I feel this falls under camera safety...
1. don't use your camera batteries unless you have to... ie don't have your camera on if your not shooting
2. Don't set yourself up for accidents. Having your camera on your computer desk, with a cable running to your computer box is just asking for you to spill coffee on it... or for a kid to come pulling it off your desk... or whatever... just use the card reader... its faster and easier anyway!

Video: A cable to hook your camera up to the TV this is fun for big groups to see images or even video that you have taken... but I have noticed many TV's out that have card readers built in... so check yours first! There are also other devices you can get that hook up via HDMI or video cable so you don't have to use your camera... and again hope not to have an accident with it. If it's something you see yourself using, then please check into those other options rather then using this cable and your camera!

Which brings us to the last... the camera strap.
Now... for the most part I think the "box" contents that manufactures give you are a joke... and while they are functional... I think you can do better with almost every item, by waiting to pick up a replacement option like the better memory card or a card reader. However.... a camera strap, well if you didn't pick up a nice one when you purchased your camera... then BEFORE YOU TAKE A SINGLE IMAGE... put on the manufacture strap. In this case even the sad little hand strap or uncomfortable shoulder strap the manufacturer gives you is going to be better then NOTHING!

IT'S all about SAFETY and protecting your investment! Yes, it might be $100 investment... but if you wanted to spend $200 on a camera you would have done that right? So instead of dropping it today and going out and buying another one tomorrow... let's just use the strap ok!?

I can tell you right now, impact damage was the number 1 thing I saw go wrong with cameras in all of my years in retail camera stores. And inside every box is a way to make sure that doesn't happen right there in your box! In fact, I made a point to always put my clients straps on for them... they can be taken off easily if you want to upgrade at any time... but not to put one on... well thats just silly! I personally think they should come with one of those cards like the WII... that shows you how bad a drop without a strap can be!


So now... with labeled cables, and filed warranties/disks, charged and installed batteries and memory cards you should ready to get going!!!! Get a head start and get some clicks in... start playing with it... and were going to have some fun in the next several posts learning more about what the buttons are, and some other basic digital knowlage!

A year ahead.

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.
Helen Keller

I always liked Helen Keller. 

I do agree with this quote and as I look towards my goals and begin to flush out my calendar for the new year I am encouraged and reminded of this. Success and happiness. Not always the same, but always a part of the plan. Happiness and joy, to shield and comfort against trials and difficulties. 

While I don't make new year resolutions. I do try to refresh my goals, set a new calendar and plan my business year out each January. I find that if you don't set goals, and make a plan you tend to always be fumbling around missing deadlines, and forever behind. 

So to that end I thought I would share with you some of my goals for this blog. What you can expect to see and some things I am currently working on! Perhaps this will help you keep me all "on track" and hold me accountable for creating some more successful posts!

January: Time to Click series. This will bring you several posts with tips and suggestions for new camera owners, there will be plenty for the experienced or every day user as well. But we will be starting this year with some basics to build upon over the next year! Depending on feedback and subject content once it is all finished this series might continue into Feb or March.<in progress, please let me know now if you have suggestions for topics!>

February: To go along with the romance of the season, I plan on bringing some great tips for finding, interviewing and hiring a wedding photographer. I will also touch on some guidelines, contacts, expectations and general etiquette. <in progress, please let me know now if you have suggestions for topics!>

March and April: I am not sure it will be any sort of series, but this is a good time to cover some outdoor photography topics, macro, and possibly some family ideas. I will probably take this time to push forward and build on skills such as aperture and lens options since it goes so well with outdoor and macro topics.

 

May: I want to do a Mothers Day "something" perhaps this will be a good time for a guest giveaway, and end of the school year photography sessions and tips. Maybe, Road Tripping series?

June/ July: Will be tips for finding a family photographer, high school senior images, and more on posing and such for those shooting themselves.

August: Back to school

September/ October: Family portraits and sports photography. More advanced lens, shutter speed and manual trainings... perhaps additional flash if it hasn't yet been done.

November/ December: Holiday, Food, and seasonal photography.

You can also count on more Tuesday Tips, which will not always go with the topics of the month, and will remain a chance for me to get technical in response to your questions. As well as more product photography tips for everyone, and hopefully more crafts and food posts. As always, there will be plenty of current topics when PMA happens, and as new camera's and products are released!

I am also looking forward to bringing in some guest posters, not all photography related, and getting back to offering more reviews of photography outings and events. If your interested in doing some guest posting with me this year - please let me know! 

Well there you have it... a year ahead.. some plans made and I have updated my calendar with these goals so I can work on them ahead of time! I hope to, like in my business, stay ahead by a season (or a topic, here) so you are never without new content. This will make it easier also for me to simply add in current events and thoughts as they strike me rather then spending all my scheduled blogging time on the lengthy technical posts. 

Cheers!

The Teacher Gift.

I am not particular crafty.. I mean I LOVE the idea of crafts, I love doing crafts... but there is a lot of cleaning up to do before when setting things up, and after... and heaven help me if it's something that needs "prepped" so my kid can help as well!

However, this year our teachers have been extra special for us. So, doing some research and talking to some other teachers... I found a craft made by a child was usually something that meant more to them then the $5 coffee gift card. Seeing as how I spend so much quality time on Pinterest, I set out to find just the right "bright idea".

I actually saw it on the ABC show "The Chew" making ornaments out of melted peppermint candies. Now I had seen the platters before - but an ornament that seemed like something that was practical and could make a cute gift! The could eat it , break it up and put it in coffee, or hang it on the tree to enjoy! Perfect! We could make them for all the teachers, and admin staff as well! Wonderful! Simple, easy... fairly inexpensive right?

thecatholicbeat.sacredheartradio.com

Turns out, not that easy. I went to 3 stores to find the peppermints - first - WHY would stores not have big bags of these around for the holidays? I swear I see them ALL the time! I ended up having to get several smaller bags... to keep from having to go to yet another store... in the holiday season.

I tried it first on the slipmat... epic fail, as my slipmat gets used for too many crafts, I guess. It ended up making the white look burnt... so back to the store for wax paper.. which was suggested.... only to have it stick to the peppermints, and nearly smoke me out of the kitchen. One MORE trip to the store for parchment. *sigh*  I know, why do I not already have these basic things... I am going to blame my lack of desire to bake anything. So again... layout everything... and... miserable results. I couldn't cut them with our cookie cutters, even when warm, they cooled too fast, and would break as I was trying to use varies knives, and pizza cutters... btw, were on day 3 of this "simple" project, now.

So after this last fail, I simply gave up! I mean, this is sad enough I didn't even photograph it for you!!! EPIC FAIL!

Would my kid go for a gift card? Please... no. No amount of begging on my part would get her over the disappointment of NOT making something special for them. Great.

So off to the far reaches of Pinterest I went again yesterday, searching for something I might be able to do with things from around the house! When I found... Frosty Hot-Cocoa! Well, the name was different, but its a make your own cocoa mix, in a recycled jar that is dressed up to look like a snowman. Bonus. I had two jars with lids that I had been holding onto, and luckily the ingredients for the mix as well!

So I dug out a recipe I liked better then the one on that blog, I used this from Alton Brown.

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Only I used a pinch of cinnamon, so it wouldn't be quite as spicy but still add a bit of "hmmm what is that" to it. Split it up between the jars and proceeded to think "whew!" done!

Well, not quite, I then proceeded to spend WAY too much of my last day without a child before Christmas on trying to create a top hat out of construction paper, pom poms.. and other craft items I am too embarrassed to admit to. I finally went to Hobby Lobby and was SUPER lucky in finding a couple craft hats made of felt that would fit when glued to the lid! (and spend WAY too much on them) While I was there I picked up some ribbon for the scarf. 
By the time I picked up the little one from school I had google eyes and a pack of foam beads in different shapes set up with the scarfs tied and hats glued, so she could just decorate.
Here is one of her creations.

So all in, not counting gas it took me the better part of 3 full days, around $20-$30 in supplies depending on if you want to count the things I bought but didn't use, and the gift bags we purchased for the unmade candies, and such... and I have learned a very valuable lesson.

Next time, just get a $15 gift card for each of them. No, not really... but I did learn that I need to work better at my time management, and schedule our crafts and gifts better and be a little less "ooohh" over Pinterests version of "easy". This year has been one big time suck after another. I could have used an extra 2 days this week!

So lesson learned, I am going to order these for our next round of gifts, ahead of time like I should have done for Christmas!

To keep your lips kissable for Valentines!

And smellies with a beach theme, along with some flip flops or a fun beach book for End of Year gifts!

Btw - if you don't shop with the  Streeter's You should! She is awesome! Be sure to check out her blog, and shop here - and find your own "easy" present for your kids next holiday party too!


P.S. I am starting to work towards doing more "Pin"spiration  posts... and this week I am happy to join the link party from

Ornament Exchange 2012

Well I admit, I am a little behind! However, I am super excited to share the ornaments I received!

This exchange was hosted and put together by Tutus and Tea Parties, a super cute blog btw! I highly recommend you get to know Robin!

I was SUPER lucky and got to double dip my ornaments... meaning I got to have 2 partners! My first, was Colletta from Colletta's Kitchen sink. She does a great job reviewing books and recipes! PLUS she has a super cute shop attached to it!

In fact! I had a great surprise when I opened my package, she had enclosed a newborn hat from her shop, to add to my prop box for babies! SUPER awesome!!!! I LOVE IT!

 For my Ornament she made me this sweetie.... which is now prominently displayed with all my other treasures on our family tree! Yes... I included the hat in this image so you could see how adorably small it is!

My other swap partner is from Eugene, Or. Where I spent a wonderful Christmas with family YEARS ago... I have really warm memories, even though it was bitterly cold when I visited.  Chrissy from Muse in the Mornings describes herself as ". I'm a mama, an artist and a kisser of owies, giver of snuggles and nurturer of art. I live in the heart of Oregon hippie country with The Hubs and my 2 adorable children" She has a great sense of humor and I have really enjoyed reading up on her life, craft projects and ooing and ahhing over her sewing patterns.

While I feel she got the short end of the stick on this exchange... I LOVED what she sent me - It is vibrant and colorful just like her!

I am super excited that I was connected with these ladies! Both offer such great shops and blogs I am certain that I will continue to follow them and I really hope you take some time to visit as well!

On a personal note... Yes.. the background is new,  it's a background mini - small and made just for these little objects! These are the first test shots with this color combo, let me know your thoughts!
You will see more of the mini's for sale in my shop come January, but if your looking to add to your photos, picking up a pre-made mini, or custom ordering one to match your shop colors is a great option!

5 days of Thankful: Day 1

So many people have committed to doing a full month on Facebook of things they are thankful for. It's really nice to see some real content, thoughtful and memorable posts... which we all know isn't the norm. I thought a nice way to follow up my 10 days of thoughtful photos (great holiday tips) would be 5 days of why I am thankful... very specifically  thankful for my business.

This week is so busy, for everyone.. I am sure. It always has been it always will be. School activities, extra cooking, cleaning, guests coming into town.. Today I am thankful that my business lets ME set the schedule. I can close the studio for a week, and life goes on. I no longer have to work nights and weekends to accommodate family portraits, unless I REALLY want to!

So universe thanks for letting me take time to shop while everyone else is at work, spend time at the "big feast" at school, and not have to stress over when I am going to get to go ice skating with the kiddo and enjoy the season! Thank you, Thank you!

PhotoTrek: Butterfly Pavillion Denver

Not so long ago we took out annual extended vacation to Denver to visit friends and family. While we did several wonderful adventures there, one of my favorites was a quick afternoon trip with my mom and daughter to the Butterfly Pavilion.

Located in Westminster, if your from Denver you know this place, if your not and looking for a quick afternoon activity it's a great place to hang out!  Now, I went here maybe 10 years ago or so, and I left saying "really, thats all?" since then they have beefed up some exhibits, added in a kid play room complete with a learning maze.. cute idea! They also now have a large creepy crawly room host to loads of spiders, bugs and these bazaar things that look like sticks... I'm not big on this room - but my daughter loved it... of course. There was also a new small room which displays some fish, stingrays, and starfish which you can touch... now I know "whhhat?" - but this ties to a partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion and the Denver Aquarium - plus its a nice feature to get kids hand on with nature.In fact, I have to say the best part was the interaction with the kids. While I enjoyed it from a photographers perspective, watching my daughter interact was by far the best part!

The butterfly room is small and you sometimes have to work around other photographers and viewers in order not to have someone in your shot. But patience pays off. If you know me you know I am not a nature photographer, I DON'T have the patience for that, waiting for something to land or for the light to be right just is not my thing, much less working around other people all trying to do the same thing. However, even with my limited investment of time I found some great stock images, along with some very cute memories.

PhotoTrek Review: 7 out of 10 Camera

We went on a Tuesday afternoon expecting it not to be super busy, and while there were only about 40 people, the tight spaces made it hard to maneuver or camp out a spot. Just when the butterfly would land, someone would turn the corner causing it to fly off.

Equipment Suggested:  Macro lens, with a large aperture. No flash. I would HIGHLY recommend a camera bag as they have misters and high humidity which could cause camera damage if your not prepared.

All images are ©Verte Photography. 

If you would like to own them or use them as stock photography please contact me for options.

Going Green

In today's world you can research everything... and I mean everything!
You can choose the company that you do business with based on more then cost, quality, usability and function You can research  what company is more earth friendly and who is doing right by the environment! There is SO much information out there about recycling, and it seems each company has an "eco-plan" if you look for it. Over the past several years I have started doing more and more to research and develop relationships with the brands, retailers and small businesses who share my views on responsible living.  Keeping with the intentions of my previous post "History Lesson" here are some of the resources and products I use in the studio, and office and what makes Verte... well green!

Memory cards, are such a huge improvement to the reusable world over film to start with! Lets not discount the fact that its a huge step up from film, and the chemistry to develop it. When you combine that with a purchase from companies like San Disk that have a eco-plan that describes what and how they are being green or more earth friendly, including what type of power sources they use on their manufacturing sites and types of packaging materials, you can feel that much better about where your money is going. It's also important to think about how long they are going to last, I heard that Panasonic is coming out with a more durable card... so it might be worth my time to research them out next time I go to buy. By spending a few moments with my friendly search engine finding out whats hot and whats green is a breeze!


Nikon now uses green glass in the majority of their product line... They have not just one blurb online about how they are "going green" but several where you can research their Social contributions, Environmental activities and management, along with Product Development, recycling and packaging measures. They are really looking at it from all angles... and the website really lists it out very clearly for you. Bravo! I am not a huge "must have new" fan either. I have enough experience and connections that when I go to upgrade my camera I can pick up last years model even used, and feel completely comfortable knowing that it is getting a second life with me and that it has all the bells and whistles I need.

Even camera bag manufacturers are stepping up with lines like Lowepro's Terraclime Series,  over 95% of Terraclime is made from recycled materials. Now Lowepro I am just going to kick out there started in a garage in Colorado about 40 years ago. They get bonus points in my book for having a great product, reasonable prices, and being a Colorado based business! I LOVE these guys! Now, that being said... I have seen some GREAT remake bags on Etsy and other sites, taking a purse or other luggage and revamping it to a custom camera bag. It really pays to dig around those sites or create your own! Plus, just because they have a line of bags, doesn't make it a green company... just saying "do your research" on everything!

Custom Painted with ECO paints - Backdrop

At Verte you will very rarely hear me bragging about my newly purchased backdrop...  since I make my own typically using Eco-friendly  and natural dyes, and recycled or reclaimed materials. I scour Craigslist, thrift stores, and antique shops so I always have something new on its way. I even make custom backdrops for some clients who are looking for a designer look for their online shop. Those custom backdrops are shopped for, and designed just for them.. and they are the only ones I use it for! In fact, I am making a new one this week... here is a sneak look!

While I don't often shoot products with props... several of my Etsy and other online retailers really love the "staged" product images... so I have a SLEW of recycled, reclaimed and hand made props... again using my powers to create beauty from something donated away or broken.

A recycled prop is the perfect thing to show off this great scarf from Melli's Yarn Works

I have recently found a store called Eco2 that provides Eco signage, packaging and shipping materials that I am very excited to learn more about! Shipping in a earth-friendly way and supporting another Green business is high on my list!

My business cards are from recycled papers, a green certified stamp, which I also use for my packaging and return address on packages. The stamp is made from recycled materials to minimize the impact on the environment. Plus it uses a water based ink as compared to petroleum based inks found in many other rubber stamps. I can't wait to show you the image of this along with my new packaging for prints... I am waiting on a few things - but I'll be sure to post!

OH and the prints... remember how I was talking about the toxic chemicals and waste.. well now we have options! Here is a great guide in PDF about printing now, and things to ask your lab! There are several great options for printing green. Some that I have found describe themselves as "Earth friendly prints" and are printed on post-consumer reclaimed paper and enhanced with a fade resistant, acid-free gloss. Be sure to look for: Non-toxic dry inks and that they are packaged in recyclable containers. I am currently testing the quality and service of a few labs, and I will be sure to let you know my thoughts on them!

A Great Green lab, located in Colorado is Fine Print Imaging this is very much for the professional photographer, and could be cost prohibitive to the average person - but they have great products and a dedication to green living! They even offer professional photographers a $5000 grant available to those who is using photography to help preserve the planet.

I hope by sharing some of my resources and thoughts about my business, I have inspired you to spend some time on your favorite brands website..  use a search engine and see what companies you use are doing to help the environment! Be a little more aware, and responsible with your choices (and your money) not only in your home, but with purchases and products you don't often associate with being earth-friendly!

History Lesson

Photography by its own history is not the most "earth friendly" business to be in. I thought, I would give a history of where it has come from... so you can understand my passion about my role in where it is going.

When I first started in the "biz" I worked at a popular "mom and pop" studio/ lab as a lab tech. This was in the day of film, and hand mixing each batch of chemistry to develop and print each image... that's right... before the days of the digital screen I could look at a negative and make real color corrections adding yellow, taking out density... to make the perfect image... oh my how the world of 1-hour has changed!

The insides of the first mini lab printer I worked on... this one was much cleaner then mine

If we go back farther the history of film is long, and widespread Eastman Kodak was always at the forefront, along with big names such as Agfa, Fuji and Ilford... but here is something you might not have known. What was film made of? Kodak's book of Film Care puts it as "Film is animal, vegetable and mineral" my friend Dr. Joe used to say "Film is made out of the parts of the hoof that was too good, to go into jello" EWWW there is a visual for all you clean eaters! But true enough the medium used to bind the emulsion to the film is made of gelatin, a natural polymer made from animal bones and hides. Not to be left out of the race in technology film had its own race and changes to its make up going with more man made substances like cellulose acetate, or polyester. Film was not the only part of progression the chemicals that made film into negatives and paper into prints... now that has always been toxic....  but when the big swap from black and white to color came into play... it began the One hour lab craze. Chemicals then were widely dumped down open drains... it wasn't until OSHA stepped in and some new regulations started being implemented that labs were required to handle them in a certain way. Including having a silver recovery machine, silver being a byproduct of the chemicals used to print with. Hence the term "silver halide prints"

I remember gearing up to chip the silver... what fun! I looked like Robin Williams in One Hour Photo... which was a thriller to most.. but a comedy to me! 

The chemicals used were nasty! They smelled, I had no hair on my arms for years from digging around in them... and my mother-in-law was convinced she would have green grand-babies! There were not a lot of rules still in the 90's when I began working.. the chemicals came in plastic bottles that had to be rinsed and a hole cut in the bottom before being tossed, and old chemicals were still washed down the regular drain (except the silver producing one) but we did turn on water to "dilute it" in a way I'm glad I didn't ask to many questions at the time.. looking back I never would have been able to waste and damage so much. I mean... down the drain... really?

Which is a big part of why I look for changes I can make now that are reasonable, sustainable and practical. My view on green is not super overboard... I don't compost, I don't garden... largely because of my fear of bugs! However, I do recycle, reuse, reclaim, shop local, and support businesses who have an earth friendly attitude.  This change to our household has been amazing! It was really important to me to encompass this in my new business, in part to repent in a way for my crimes of the past.

Now that you know a little bit more about where I have been... stay tuned for the next bit about what makes Verte, well Verte! How we strive to be more green and some of the research we have done, along with products and companies we support!

A Chance to Win!

It's nice just to sit down and relax for a few minutes! I have been working in the studio, and office fairly non-stop for the past 2 weeks! In the office I have accomplished many of my "back office" tasks, such as creating this blog, and setting up the social media sites such as Facebook and twitter accounts! Linking everyone, and setting up my action plan for the next month! Whew! I'm exhausted! It seems I can work chasing kids, and adjusting lights all day... but sitting in front of the computer... boy that's hard work!

My next month wont be a quiet one, school starts, and we have a big shoot in Denver coming up! However, I am wanting to start doing some promotions and get the word out that I offer great prices on product photography with an Eco-friendly twist. In order to do that, and celebrate my past weeks accomplishments - I thought I would offer a fun contest!

How does $100 in Product Photography Services sound?

This means you can enter to win product photography for your small business, blog, or crafting site! 

with images like... 

Increase your sells! 

Showcase new items!

How do you win? You ask....

Start by liking our Facebook Page, Follow our blog, and Find us on Twitter!

For every one you like/find/follow you will be entered into our drawing at the end of the month.

PLUS

Share this contest on Twitter and create some BUZZ! You can do this daily and really increase your chances!  Simply post the following

"@VertePhoto is awesome! Verte is giving away $100 in small product photography services and I want to WIN"

Extra rules:

Services include multiple images taken in studio of items provided, online secure preview, and small image direct download. Additional services like full resolution disk or thumb-drive, and/or custom shop watermarking on images may be provided or purchased at additional cost. This prize may be transferred if winner can not utilize for their product. 

Offer valid for small product photography only, such as hair clips, bows, jewelry, candles, clothing etc. This contest is good for any where in the US - as long as you have product small enough to ship safely. Shipping costs may not be covered. Contact me at vertephoto@gmail.com for any questions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway