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 with Jasmine, Tuberose, and Neroli 1 oz/ 30 mL 

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

[eshoe]

Aww thanks, @danielledanielle ☺️

[itsfi]

@eshoe, Benefit puts out some whimsical packaging. The lip balm does look like a little like candy.

[eshoe]

It does, @itsfi. It reminds me of a piece of glass candy I was given years ago. I think I need to hunt that down next for future props! 

[fatimamummy]

@eshoe  This candy dish is making such a nice prop!

[eshoe]

Thank you, @fatimamummy. It is fun to explore around the house, and to make use of something I already have on hand. 

[Titian06]

Oooo nice pic, @eshoe ! 📸  I like the candy dish too! 🍬

[eshoe]

Thank you, @Titian06! I bought it a few years ago for spring-time display, and remembered I had it in the cupboard. I hadn’t forgotten about the caramels, though 😉  

[Mellmars1185]

@eshoe Such a pretty dish! What kind of candies are those? I dont beleive I recognize what they are. 

[eshoe]

@Mellmars1185 I do not even know! I transfer everything to a glass candy jar when I get it home. My daughter liked caramel for a brief (a day? Lol) moment so I picked these up. I just liked that they say, “caramel” on them and not any particular brand for the photo.

[Ispend2much6]

@eshoe  One of the best candies of all time. 🙂  Pretty!

[eshoe]

1000% agreed, @Ispend2much6. With milk, white, dark chocolate, or alone…so good!

[Saradestin]

Beautiful @eshoe ! I love it! One “candy” in between others! Makeup is my candy so I find your picture very representative! 😍

[eshoe]

Makeup is a near-perfect candy, @Saradestin! Lasts longer, too, ha ha. 

[Ispend2much6]

The same lipstick as @Saradestin 's, combining two things I love- holiday traditions and lipstick.  Nothing artistic about this, just fun.

[Samtian]

@Ispend2much6 Art is subjective, I think it looks artistic and fun!

[Ispend2much6]

@Samtian. Thanks!

[faeriegirl]

Nice photo @Ispend2much6! 

[Ispend2much6]

@faeriegirl  Thanks!

[lmaster]

Delicious photo @Ispend2much6 🤩

[Ispend2much6]

@lmaster  Thank you- I'm trying to avoid eating them right now...

[SportyGirly125]

@Ispend2much6 So sweet and pretty.