It’s the title. I know. Just read. It’s interesting.
I know I keep saying this, but I love creating these What I’m Doing Now posts! They give me a space to share what’s been happening over the past few weeks of life (the motive for starting this blog on March 26, 2014).
So, let’s jump right into it.
It’s been storming a lot, especially this past week. It cut our visit to the County Fair short and we didn’t make it to swim lessons and water aerobics this morning.
And, on Friday, I had to reschedule my appointment to the chiropractor because the one I’m heading to for my initial consultation is located a few hours out. I’ll share the details in a later post.
But, for now, let’s chat about this newspaper photo studio.
With all the rain, it’s been a challenge trying to get out and do the things I typically do on the weekends such as shooting any photos I want to capture for any collaborations, our summer scrapbook albums, etc.
So, I did a quick search on Pinterest and came across a young lady who created a newspaper background as an at home studio option.
Here’s a link to her YouTube video. She’s a lot of fun to watch.
I decided to try it because it was quick, cheap, easy, and creative. To create the newspaper photo background, it took me about four newspapers and a roll of tape. That’s it.
Since it was pretty dark out due to the storm, I increased the amount of light that I used.
Instead of only using my ring light, I used two video barn lights, as well – all in the corner of my bedroom.
Below are the lights that I use.
All of them are from Amazon and the links are affiliate links which means if you shop, I will receive small commissions. Psst. They’re very small so don’t worry.
- KEAYEO 18″ LED Ring Light Circle Light with Tripod Stand and Phone Holder
- Neewer 2-Pack Dimmable Bi-Color 660 LED Video Light with Barndoor
Anywho, when I first got started, my idea was to create a series of looks in the color pink for a future blog post. But, what I realized was that the background was not a good look for dressy apparel. So, I decided against that and just started trying some different outfits and props.
When everything was all over with, we got a lot of pretty cool shots – just to have. I realized that black was a great color to work with, as well as having a pop of gold.
The idea was fun and I’m sure you could do something pretty digitally cool with the photos. I’m not a digital tech expert, so the most I did was change out some of the colors – which still resulted in some fun photos. I’m really excited for the photos that will be in the boys’ summer albums.
Jumpsuits from Fashion Nova
Both of the outfits that worked out are jumpsuits from Fashion Nova. I haven’t ever partnered with them, so I don’t have links to share for any discounts. Maybe in the future though. At least, I hope so!
Belly Crush Cookies Unboxing While Shooting
While we were shooting the photos, the mail ran, delivering my Ginger Flax Belly Crush cookies. Simply put, they are for weight management and created with yellow pea fiber offering you up to 30% of your daily fiber in each cookie.
So, it only made sense to try them out while shooting. It was pretty much like a cool unboxing that wasn’t asked for. I don’t want to flood this post with all of those photos, so I’m going to make a fun Instagram reel them this week.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed them and plan on taking them to work with me so that I have a more nutritious snack option towards the end of the day instead of going crazy with vending machine no-no’s.
If you’re curious about the cookies, you can save 10% using my code (JUSTBRENNONBLOG) on Dealspotr using the link below.
https://dealspotr.com/getcode/kmqOx
You can also check out BellyCrush’s page on Dealspotr (https://dealspotr.com/promo-codes/bellycrush.com) so that you can locate the most updated list of deals.
My Photographer is 10!
Anywho, while I was searching for other indoor photo shoot ideas, I came across another creative who used a slinky to produce some pretty cool images. We tried it and loved it!
By the way y’all. My 10 year old took these photos for me! He came to me the night before and asked if he could have a job that paid $20. I said, yes. At that time, I didn’t have an exact job in mind, but knew that I could use his services doing something that he doesn’t typically do.
So, on that morning when I started experimenting with the newspaper background, I knew just what his job would be…my photographer and assistant for this shoot. It was so much better than using my remote and timer.
He rocked it! I appreciate him and will probably “hire” him more often.
To create the look with the slinky, I simply taped the slinky to the outside of the lens. While my son took the photos, I did some cool, out of the box type poses. I was seriously thinking about superheroes and those are the shots I got! Haha! Can’t you tell?
Superhero Shots and NewsBreak
Speaking of superheroes, I wrote a post on NewsBreak a while back called, 3 Super Hero Attractions for the Kids. I’ve been writing for NewsBreak since November and was featured yesterday on their NewsBreak Instagram. I’m so grateful – and also almost at 100 posts!
On that day, I will be celebrating on the blog and my Instagram, so stay tuned and celebrate with me by dropping some fun balloons in the comments.
Final Thoughts
Well, this post is extremely long, so I am going to end here. But, this is a glimpse into what life has been like over the past few weeks. I hope you picked up a few tips throughout the post, such as how to create a cheap and easy Newspaper background studio, creative ways to hire your children, and how to maintain your weight while heading back into the office.
What stood out to you most? I’d love to hear!
This post contains affiliate links.
