A Year of Beauty- Photography Challenge- Year 2

[Samtian]

September/October is here so break time is over!

Time to start with some fundamentals. Photography has it's own set of "rules". Which of course are meant to be broken, but it's really helpful to know some basics. Starting with the rule of 3rds in composition. What you do is place your subject on one of the "imaginary" lines that cut a photo into thirds ( 9 sections). I do this rule often, but sometimes parents don't like it in their pictures and want the subjects centered. Included is images with the lines showing. Just basic set up so you can see it. One of the easiest ways to get something on one of the lines is to crop it down. When you crop an image you usually get the lines that show up, using those lines tells you where the "thirds" are, and just line your subject up with one of them. 

If you want to get really technical I encourage you to look up the Golden Ratio and learn about it. It has many names and it is way too mathematical for my brain to comprehend. To my knowledge I don't think I have ever taken a golden ratio image. I have golden triangle but not ratio. Check it out! photoworkout dot com/golden-ratio-photography/  

Hopefully you can see the lines...I should have thought it out and used a dark background. 

What a great first year we had!! Even if I dropped the ball sometimes! I decided to change things up this year with the themes. They will be a little more challenging this year.

2023-

April- DOF 2 images.

May- Flash/Artificial Light.

June- What you see vs. What I see

July- Break

August- Break

September/October- Rule of 3rds.

2022 challenges-

April- Lipstick

May- Eye Shadow

June- Primer/Foundation/Concealer/CC/BB

July- Highlighters

August- Brushes

September- Sheet Masks

October- Hair Care

November- Fragrance

December- Nail Polish

January- Blush/Bronzer

February- Candles/Wax Melts/ Diffusers

The challenge and "rules"-

1. Flat lays and staged photos only. I'll post examples below. But no faces or people allowed in your photos. (Though you can include photographs).

2. All photos you take must be your own. 

3. Post as many images as you want, you have a whole month to get creative with each theme. Post one, post everyday, doesn't matter.

4. Let's talk gear and products! Tell us about your image. List the products and colors, talk to us about your concept and how it came to be, taken with your phone or DSLR? 

Here are some helpful reads- digital-photography-school dot com/flat-lay-photography/  and digital-photography-school dot com/tips-for-getting-started-with-still-life-photography/

Here are some of my example images I've taken in the past-

Gucci Bloom Eau De Toilette 1 oz/ 30 mL 

Floral Street Sunflower Pop Eau De Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz/ 10 mL 

[Samtian]

@fatimamummy Awe thank you!!! 

[blackkitty2014]

This is just sooo good @Samtian . The red background and red lipstick… who would think they work together beautifully 🌹👍❤️🥰

[Samtian]

@blackkitty2014 Thank you!

[lmaster]

Love this!! @Samtian 

[Samtian]

@lmaster Thank you!!

[AznAngelLiz]

@Samtian You did such a good job with this, truly a powerful pic! 

[Samtian]

@AznAngelLiz Thank you!!

[eshoe]

Well, nothing like setting the bar high right out of the gate, @Samtian! I personally love how this technique accentuates textures. Gorgeous.

[Samtian]

@eshoe Haha thank you! I think I set the bar pretty low. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

[itsfi]

@Samtian, this is a beautiful photo. I look at it and think it could be an ad for the product. 😍 

Is there anything in particular you would do with it or do next time to make it more to your liking?

[Samtian]

@itsfi Thank you! Next time I should just find a textured background. I used plain poster board and had to edit from there. 

[itsfi]

@Samtian, I thought the background you used was a nice touch, and was a good match for the lipstick without it getting lost in the color but it would be interesting to see how it would look with a textured background. You’re giving me all these things to think about! Thank you! 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Thank you! Can't wait to see!

[Skunk12puzzola]

Omg.....it looks perfect for a computer wallpaper haha @itsfi @Samtian 🤣👌

[Samtian]

@Skunk12puzzola @itsfi 😄 thank you both!

[itsfi]

@Skunk12puzzola, I wouldn't mind seeing it in a roll of pics on my computer screen; it would make me smile. I was thinking ad in a fashion or beauty magazine. I could definitely see @Samtian's photo there. 😍

[Skunk12puzzola]

This is cute to me 💄💕👌 @Samtian 

[Samtian]

@Skunk12puzzola Thank you!!

[Saradestin]

You may not be happy with it @Samtian but I find it spectacular! I love that monochromatic setting/result! ❤️❤️❤️ 

[Samtian]

@Saradestin Thank you so much!!

[Titian06]

@Samtian - I'd love to hang that over my fireplace! 😍❤💋