One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing something printed out or displayed with terrible quality. It is so important to make sure that your photo quality is there. When I see pixels, I automatically look down on the photograph (even if it is a great photo). Photographers, take a look at this chart, and let’s get rid of those pixels!
(http://improvephotography.com)
Keyboard shortcuts can save you so much time! I have to admit, I have been studying up on this chart. I waste so much time by not using these shortcuts. If you are just learning Photoshop, try to learn the shortcuts along the way, it will save you so much time!
In some cases, people are so focused on what they should do. Have you ever thought about what you shouldn’t do or what you should avoid? This cheat sheet breaks down the basics of what you should avoid. Don’t you just hate when there is something strange in the background and that is all you can look at? Yeah, us too!
I prefer to shoot in manual mode ( I would get yelled at if my professor saw anything else!), but check out these descriptiosn for each shooting mode. Who knew Nikon had a child mode that makes backgrounds and clothing colorful but keeps skin tones soft and natural looking?
(http://imgur.com/gallery/17x3g)
Shooting outdoors with a flash can get very complicated. You have to figure out where the sun is hitting your subject and every other light sources that may be around. You don’t want to just use a flash for indoor portraits, but use it to add impact to outdoor shots too!
(http://dohoafx.com/)
]]>As photographers, we have long hours of sitting on computers, our eyes focused on the screen. When you finally take a break, it is important to take a look around, see what is going on in the world. I believe that one of the most important parts of your work-space is making it personal. Our workspace should be visually appealing to us, we spend about a third of our day at work! One of my favorite quotes is by tony Dorsett. It keeps me going everyday.
"To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you." – Tony Dorsett
I challenge you to take a moment to think about what your ideal work-space would look like. What would make your work-space comfortable and you?
Take a look at my dream work-space and what I need to get for my space.
For me, adding living plants, photos, fresh flowers, lights, and candles are a must!
(home-designing.com)
(afarinthedistance.wordpress.com)
My house is full of candles, I constantly need at least one going to concentrate! For me, I love to mix the scent of several burning candles or even play with the scent in each room of my apartment. I’ll mix a Lavender candle with a Stress Relief candle, and it is ultimately the best scent ever. Try it out, experiment, and don’t be afraid!
When it comes to one candle, I defiantly love the Voluspa Japonica Candle Tins. Voluspa has been around for over ten years and creates a renowned label with signature coconut wax blends and gorgeous packaging. I highly recommend Crane Flower. It is a ripened grapefruit with geranium, lavender and nectar inspired by the bird of paradise flower. The next one on my list is French Cade Lavender, a refreshing blend of French cadewood, lavender, verbena and moss.
(anthropologie.com)
I know they say dim lighting isn’t the best for your eyesight when looking at a computer all day long, but I love the mixture of natural light with a soft string of light or candle light. Check these out!
(urbanoutfitters.com)
(urbanoutfitters.com)
(anthropologie.com)
(urbanoutfitters.com)
Now get out there, do some shopping and get your work-space to feel and be like you!
"Create positive space around you, even if it’s in your mind. You must have an environment of good energy, in order to give that."–Unknown
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I have so many framed/unframed photographs, and I never know what to do with them, besides storing them in the basement and garage. I live in a smaller apartment, so cluttered walls could make my space looks smaller, or at least that is my fear. I finally took some time to get inspiration and come up with ways to hang photographs in your house. Why not show the awesome work we are making?
I’ve always loved the idea of having photographs going up stairs. Think about how often we go up and down our stairs in our home. Think about how much more you would like going up and down those stairs if you had photographs to look at? Here are some ideas!
Found on joyfulscribblings.com
I love the look of creating depth with the different frames, their sizes, and matting color. This creates more of a vintage vibe! Including a letter for your last name makes the wall collage even more personal!
Found on huntsudio.blogspot.com
A very simplistic way to hang photographs going up stairs. I love the look of the hooks with fabric tied to support the image.
Found on Kristendukephotography.com
I also love the look of unframed, smaller images hanging. This is a fast decorating solution that will help make your room feel alive! Check these out!
This is called a tangle photo frame, but it’s not really a frame. Consisting ofa bar and clip cables of varying lengths, it is a stylish and creative way to display your favorite photographs. For all you DIY’ers, this would be a very easy project!
Found on Urbanoutfitters.com
Imagine filling your whole wall with images using these clips?!
Found on hannahunn.blogspot.com.au
It doesn’t get any simpler than this. Find some hangers that you don’t need, spray paint them, and clip away!
Before you start hanging your photographs and putting holes into you wall, make sure you have the proper measurements and space! Here’s a good way to do that.
Hold pieces of paper on the back of frame and mark with a Sharpie where to put the nail. You will then tape the back on wall and nail right through the paper!
Found on lilyrose.hubpages.com
Happy hanging! Show us some of your hanging ideas!
]]>You’re getting ready to photograph a wedding, but you don’t know what to wear! This happens to me all of the time. You don’t want to be too dressed up, but you don’t want to be too casual. You don’t wan to be too hot while you are running around, but you want to look professional. These are my thoughts on a daily basis, and to be honest, sometimes I feel like it takes me longer to figure out what to wear to the wedding then get ideas of what I want to shoot, as well as getting my gear together. I have been pondering this idea for a while… And I finally decided, I can’t be the only one with this problem. Girls, please tell me I’m not the only one! I’m here to save the world… Well, I guess I’m here to help with your outfits for those long, hot, wedding days.
Let's get started!
A-line dresses are my absolute favorite! They are cute, but casual, and so comfortable. When shooting a wedding, I am always bending down, sitting on the floor, doing the craziest poses to get the best image. With A-line dresses, I don't have to worry about my "stomach" hanging out. Have some fun with color, and jazz your outfit up with some fun accessories! Check these out, you might want to go shop!
Tahari Seamed A-Line Dress $128.00 item #694889 l Norstrom.com
Fluttered Poplin Tunic Dress $148 by Maeve l Find at anthropology.com
Silence + Noise Ares Midi Tee Shirt Dress $59 l urbanoutfitters.com
So you're not a dress person... That's okay! Dressing denim up is so easy, and again, have fun with colored denim! Make sure you accessorize when wearing denim. You don't want to look under dressed!
Women's Mid Rise Rockstar Sateen Pants $32 l oldnavy.com
Destroyed Boyfriend Jeans $110 l bananarepublic.com
We have the dress down, we have the pants down, what about tops? I have you covered! Be careful with fabrics that will snag, wrinkle, stain, or make you extra hot!
Crepe Shell Blouse $23 l target.com
Dressy Top $64.99 l anntaylor.com
Vintage Havana Tank-Crochet Trim $29.40 l bloomingdales.com
We all know how important it is to make a good impression for the bride on her wedding day. It is also important to make a good impression on the guest! Who knows who else will need a wedding photographer! Dress fun, have fun, photograph fun! You'll be rocking a cute #CheekyLime camera bag, so dress to impress!
]]>Happy Spring!
Have you ever looked at someone’s background on a photo and thought it was the coolest thing ever? It happens to me all the time! I always wonder, “How did they get the background that texture?” to “How is that even possible!?” I’ve been doing some research on Pinterest and all over the Internet, and I came up with some simple DIY backdrops! To get started, I wanted to show everyone some cool storage systems that are perfect for your backdrops in an in home photo studio!
(http://www.amandapuskarphotography.com)
Are you going for a vintage inspired photo? Take a look at this backdrop! You can use any book including pages that are in color for your backdrop.
Are you looking to add a little more color to your photograph? Use colored streamers for a 3 dimensional feel!
(lovelyindeed.com)
Geometric patterns can be very fun to work with as a backdrop. Have you ever thought of using envelopes as a backdrop? You could even write things on the envelopes or have letters sticking out!
(iheartfaces.com)
What about a backdrop that you can eat!? Not only will you enjoy the backdrop, but so will your subject! This backdrop will make it fun to play with depth of field!
This backdrop has an Anthropologie vibe to it. With the yarn, you are able to play with how long you want the strings to be. You can also play around with the shapes that the yarn makes. Mix colors up, or stick to one color. Have fun with it!
These are only some of the backdrops that I have found! Follow us on Pinterest to get inspired and learn about other easy ways to create DIY backdrops! Don’t forget to tag us in your photos so we can see what you are creating!
]]>It’s cold, windy and business can get a little slow around this time of year. All you really want to do is stay cuddled up in front of the fire with your dog. At least that’s what I want to do, but you have to tell yourself to keep going. I want to slack off so bad, but I have to get ready for wedding season which is fast approaching and the summer photo shoots.
Today I decided to do some research on business cards. Having a brand for oneself is one of the most important things. Do you have an awesome business card that stands out from everyone else’s? Does your business card represent the photography you produce? Maybe your business card is simple, but does it tell enough of a story? Your business card is the first impression of who you are and what you represent. You want your business card to be so good that no one wants to throw it away. You might ask yourself, how am I going to do this? Well, let’s get down to the basics.
Size: One of the most common thoughts is that business cards have to fit into your wallet. Why would you want to do that? People always throw things away that are in their wallet after things build up. Cleaning out your wallet is one of the best feelings ever. Don’t let people throw out your business card! You want someone to have your business card sit on their desk for a year. You want them to show 20 of their closest friends your business card because they can’t get over how creative it is. Below are some fun sized business cards that are a perfect inspiration.
(http://webneel.com/creative-branding-design-inspiration)
(http://www.designmadeingermany.de/2011/37970/)
Design: The design of your business card is the direct relation of how people see your photography. If your card is boring, you’re boring. If your card is too loud and hard to read, you can’t communicate. Everything is important about your business card from the spacing to the font that you use.
One of the first steps I always do is decide if I want to use a serif or sans serif font. Serif fonts are typically used for the text body, while sans serif fonts are usually used for headers. You always want to stay with the same type of font. If you mix it up, it can look messy.
After the font is picked out, I work on spacing. Spacing between words, letters and even lines is extremely important. When the appropriate spacing is read, it is easier for the reader to process the information. A helpful tip when it comes to spacing: check that the line height is larger than the font size.
(http://www.etsy.com/listing/150683912/custom-letterpress-business-card-and?ref=shop_home_active)
(http://www.behance.net/gallery/SLEEP-IN-HOSTEL-Branding/8309507)
Color: Colors are an important aspect when designing your business card because they can make a card pop. Colors can also communicate a subtle or an emotional message. Make sure you are putting thought into the colors that you pick. When working with colors, I always look at my most recent work and see if there are color themes that work together. If that is the case, I tend to lean towards those colors and make a brand for myself.
(http://www.behance.net/gallery/Fruit-Bageechas-Branding-identity/7202803)
(http://www.behance.net/gallery/Techlion-Corporate-Branding-Project/8032209)
It's time to show us some of your favorite designs and colored business cards, along with your own cards! We want to see how creative you got!
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Who knew your business card would have multiple uses? If you create two slits in your business card and place it right in front of your internal flash, the light will bounce up to create a nice overall illumination. Some of the light will go directly through the card, while the other will disperse and light the subject from the front. When using your internal flash, most images will be dark and shadowy. When using the flash bouncer, your image will become light, bright, and airy! Try it out!
Ever wanted to purchase a beauty dish, but then saw the price? Have no fear! This DIY Beauty Dish will cost you little to nothing and your photographs will have a soft and shadowless finish.
Steps:
-Grab your external flash and make an impression into the rear of the dish. Cut around the impression with a cutting knife and make sure the external flash fits nicely.
-Take your second bowl and cut out the entire flat bottom of the dish
-Line the bottom of the “was a dish” piece with double sided tape and place a piece of foil on the tape, press firmly for adhesion. (trim the edges of the foil)
-Turn the piece over and insert two cocktail sticks- one at 12 o’clock and one at 6 o’clock.
-Place the bottom of the bowl with the toothpicks over the head of the external flash and place into bowl, leaving 2cm of room.
-Shoot away!
DIY Flash Diffuser
Tired of having unflattering, harsh photographs from your flash? Use an old film canister to make it better!
Steps:
-Measure your flash- measure the width of your flash so you’ll know how wide to make the cut in the film container.
-Using your X-acto knife cut a notch in the side of the film container. Make the notch slightly wider than the depth of the flash.
-Slide it on- slide the film container onto your flash, and put the lid on to hold it into place.
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We had Amy from Amy Sprunger Photography show us what she can fit in her Cheeky Lime bags. From running around on set, to traveling with her gear, Amy feels safe using her water resistant bags. All of our DSLR camera bags are padded and secure and are equipped with customizable dividers to adapt to your equipment. Let's see all the stuff Amy can fit in her Cheeky bag!
Let's focus in on the Red classic bag first, because it seems like there's a lot!
Mixing Notes:
-It is important to use water well above the temperature you want to use to develop your film. This will allow for shorter warm-up time.
-Stir continuously while mixing.
-Make sure to keep everything clean. Drops of blix, soap, or other contaminates can destroy the developers.
-Use tape to mark containers, you don’t want to get them confused!
-Use safety glasses and rubber gloves while working with chemicals. Do not allow children to use this kit without adult supervision.
Mixing Chemicals:
Developer
Place 800 ml of water at 110 degrees into a clean glass or plastic container. While stirring, add the contents of the packer marked developer. Stir well. Add water to make 1000 ml. Temperature may be adjusted +/- on this volume of water to make working solution come out at or as near to your processing temperature as possible.
Blix
Place 800 ml of water at 100 degrees into a clean glass or plastic container. While stirring add the contents of the packet marked BlixA and follow with Blix B. Stir well. Add water to make 1000 ml. Adding blix powder to water creates an endothermic reaction as it goes into solution.
Stabilizer
Add contents of bag marked Stablizer to 1000 ml of water in a clean container. Mix thoroughly.
Take a look at some photographs that were developed with C-41 Powder Mix, and don't forget to show us your outcome!
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One thing I love about summer is the unique photography that seems to come out. Muted colors, cross processing, Bokeh... It's light hearted and happy. People are getting married, spending time outside, popsicles, picnics, BBQs. concerts...you get the idea.
We hope this summer is filled with lots of warmth and fun. We've got some exciting things in the works at Cheeky Lime and we sincerely appreciate all the support our customers have shown us. If you're not following us on facebook, you should because that's where all of the communication with our fans happens. Stay tuned for special announcements that many, many of you have been waiting for! ;)
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Print found here
Found Here
Found Here
Found Here
Found Here
Hopefully Spring is here to stay (you never know in April though...) and hopefully your schedules get filled with lots of outdoor shoots and great natural lighting and lots of color!
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Today, we've got 19 year old Lena Mirisola sharing with us how she got interested in photography and what inspires her. She's a Massachusetts based photographer who has had her own business since she was 15! She's also landed several big name commercial gigs and draws people to her work because of her fresh, young perspective. Her photography is great and we're sure she'll go far, especially since she's already accomplished so much. Check out her Facebook, website and Instagram.
Thanks, Lena for taking the time to answer a few questions for us!
What's it like being such a young photographer in a competitive field?
Being a young photographer in this field is invigorating. I’m constantly striving to be better. For the portraits business side of things, it’s odd sometimes. People know you as a high schooler, why would they trust a sixteen year old to shoot their wedding? I found that some had little respect for my work and refused to see past my age. It’s just a number, people. I stopped posting my age and all that really stopped. They judged me by my work and my work only, and I was getting hired like crazy. For the commercial side of things, being young rocks. I signed with Getty Images & SheStock at eighteen, and art buyers and ad agencies are always looking for the new hip, young photographer out there. I connect naturally with my peers to shoot that my lifestyle shoots never look fake or forced, because they truly aren’t. Being young gives me hope – I’m already evolving to survive in this competitive field. I honestly believe that age is not a factor in this industry; skill & talent are what matters. Success in this industry is possible for those with true talent who are willing to work.
In the beginning, the portrait business kind of threw itself onto me. I had been shooting for myself for a year and half, trying out all kinds of photography, but ultimately realizing I wanted to focus on people. As it starts for many, people just started asking me to do portraits for them. I began focusing on what it really meant to run a legitimate business inside & out and produce quality work for clients.
What initially got you interested in photography?
I was always artistic – painting, drawing, a little artist. So, messing around with my friends and my point and shoot was just a natural transition.
Do you have formal training? Self taught? Mixture of both?
I’d say 80% is self-taught. I had to learn on my own at 14 how to produce the depth of field I craved, what lenses to use for what kind of shooting I did, how to shoot successfully, how to style a shoot, and the biggest thing – editing. There’s a full year of just terrible Photoshop editing experiments…luckily that was a long time ago, and by the time I was 15 I got my act together workflow wise. I’m currently a freshman in college, so once I get in my major I’ll spend much more time working with photo professors and getting a “formal” education. I attend workshops, and I’m constantly reading articles, my favorite photography blogs, and learning from other photographers.
What gear do you have in your camera bag? What equipment do you favor most?
Canon 5D Mark II, 50mm f/1.2, and the 24-70mm f/2.8. I’m a prime girl all the way…my 50 almost never leaves my camera. I only use the zoom for weddings and travel. And of course I favor CANON!
What are your favorite sessions/subjects to shoot?
Kids and teens. Kids under 7 are SO funny – they say the greatest things and ask the most interesting questions, and I LOVE chasing them around and having tickle fights. They know I’m young (and silly) too, so they usually ask their moms if I can babysit them by the end of the session. I also love shooting teens my age for stock because I can connect instantly with them. We just go out and have a great time, shooting, laughing, and being real.
Describe your style in 3 words. How has your style evolved over your time as a photographer?
Full of energy, beauty & light.
My style went from experimental/all over the place (not for clients thankfully), to bright and vintage and finally (for about 2-3 years now), clean, crisp, matte, and full of beauty.
What’s your most memorable or funniest on the job moment?
I have so many, oh gosh. I swear, something unexpected happens every shoot I do. On one shoot in my favorite orchard, in walks a police officer. I’m shooting a family with nine-month-old twins and a four year old. I explain that we’re not picking/stealing peaches, we’re just taking photos, and he looks at the baby boy slowly and says “…He looks pretty guilty” and we all laughed. That’s Westford for you.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Amazing contemporary photographers such as Basil Vargas, Barbara Peacock, Jordan Voth, My Four Hens, Sam Hurd, Brandi Smyth, and Justin & Mary Marantz (to name a few). I’m also inspired by adorable vintage goodies at flea markets and the styles of Anthropologie & Free People.
Best editing tip?
Reduce noise in Photoshop to finish off an image (from Itty Bitty’s Wonderland actions) – even if the image isn’t noisy, it smoothens out the skin so nicely if you don’t want/need to manually retouch the face. Also, Jordan Voth’s “Foggy Tones” action - it’s my favorite matte action.
How has photography helped shape how you see the world?
There is beauty and opportunity in everything. As a photographer, I don’t just travel, or walk down the street, or do anything like a normal person really – I’m always looking at the way light hits a subject, or how colors look together, or how a scene could be framed. There is so much beauty and so much to see around this Earth, and I want to travel most of it and photograph the magnificence of it all. Photography gives me a purpose in this world.
Give us your best photography related tip!
Shoot an hour before sunset with your lens wide open!
Thanks again, Lena! We admire your work and know you've got a great future in photography!
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Today, we're sharing the work and thoughts of Kendra Gough. She serves the Kansas City Area and has been snapping pictures for about 10 years. She's got two kids, a supportive husband and she especially loves incorporating bokeh into her images. You can check out her website or her facebook page. Thanks Kendra for your thoughtful responses and beautiful pictures!
1. What initially got you interested in photography?
2. Do you have formal training? Self taught? Mixture of both?
I am a mixture of formal training and self-teaching. I took (film) photography classes for 6 years in high school and college and then taught myself digital photography and editing techniques through reading blogs, books, watching endless YouTube videos, and lots of practice.
3. What gear do you have in your camera bag? What equipment do you favor most?
In my camera bag, I have a Canon 6D DSLR camera, 50mm 1.2, 85mm 1.8, 24-70mm 2.8 and a Speedlite 580EX II. Hands down my favorite accessory is my 50mm 1.2 lens! I love me some bokeh.
4. What are your favorite sessions/subjects to shoot?
My favorite subjects to shoot are my sweet little babes! I have 2 amazing boys, Gavin (4 years old) & Atticus (2 years old). I like family sessions a lot, but I am really madly in love with wedding photography! I love every aspect of wedding photography - from the initial booking meeting to actually shooting the big day and everything in between! I love working with my clients and I make it my personal mission to make each and every wedding unique and tailored to their wishes and dreams.
5. Describe your style in 3 words. How has your style evolved over your time as a photographer?
I would describe my style as lively, colorful & candid. I have evolved SO much as a photographer since I started my business! I look back at some of my "first favorite" pictures and I am like yikes... but I loved the picture at the time. I think it is really important to never stop moving forward. I am constantly learning and developing myself as a person and my photography as a skill. I have recently stepped into the role of mentor and teacher for shooting and editing and I find it extremely rewarding to pass on my knowledge and experiences to other people, at all different levels in their photography journey. I also think it is very important to give back to the community and I regularly donate my time and sessions to various organizations in Kansas City.
6. What’s your most memorable or funniest “on the job” moment?
My most memorable on the job moment was from an outdoor wedding I shot this past summer. The bride spent countless hours DIYing all of these gorgeous ceremony decorations and 30 minutes before her outdoor ceremony started, it began to downpour. Everything was ruined and the bride's mother was in tears. But this bride, soaking wet in her exquisite wedding gown, beautiful hair and make up ruined, could not be brought down. She was like "oh well! Let's do this!" All she cared about was marrying the love of her life. And that is when I fell in love with wedding photography.
7. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
8. Best editing tip?
9. How has photography helped shape how you see the world?
When I got my first camera, I would go out every evening and chase the sunset until it was pitch black out. There is something truly amazing and raw about capturing moments in time that will never happen again. All of those memories and raw emotions that awaken at the sight of a picture. It could of been captured 2 days ago or 50 years ago, but immediately you are taken back to that special time in your life, whatever that may be. I love that. I think it's a very important aspect of life.
10. Give us your best photography related tip!
My best photography related tip is to never give up on your dreams. Set goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to reach them. Stay organized and always be true to who you are as an artist.
Thanks, Kendra! It was fun getting to know you a little more and to see your great work! If you're in the Kansas City Area, and are looking for a photographer, Kendra is your gal!
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Turning off electronics. I don't know why, but having our faces glues to screens make us feel even more trapped and indoors. My kids haven't been into movies or "shows" for a few months now and that forces me to be creative. I'll be honest and admit that at first, it was hard. We have lots of iPad apps that they used to love, but anymore they want to do hands on things. I can't say I blame them because actually turning off the screens makes conversations happen and the time go by faster. It's amazing how much more you can connect with people when you disconnect from everything else.
Lots and lots and lots of arts and crafts. Glue, scissors, paper, crayons, stamps, markers, paint, colored pencils, felt, pipe cleaners... you name 'em, we've done 'em. It may be messy, but I usually just add medium upon medium upon medium until they have a random collage of messy, nonsensical art.
Lots of books. Not sure what to say other than we read a lot of books around here. Stacks and stacks of them everyday. Luckily, most of the time they don't want to read the same book,
but sometimes they do
Trains. My girls love trains. They can usually keep entertained with trains for up to an hour. They go all over the world and meet all kinds of people with their trains. The characters from Frozen, pirates, puppies, etc, etc. I love when they play with trains because that's when their imaginations really are sparked and I get to sit back and soak it all in.
What are some of your ways to keep your kids entertained when going outside isn't an option? I know my ideas are pretty basic, but we're pretty basic people. We also play with puppets, dress ups, blocks, puzzles and things like that, but we don't do huge elaborate, pinterest worthy things.
What do YOU do??
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Found HERE
Found HERE
What have you been loving lately?
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Tutorials for Photoshop or Lightroom
Basic overview of aperture, ISO and shutter speed
Building your business and maintaining clientele
Rule of thirds
Travel photography
Shooting with natural light and in clients' homes
If you have knowledge or interest in any of these areas, please send us a message at info@cheekylime.com and we'll give you more information. We wanted to throw this out to our fans early because the Holiday season is approaching and we know how busy everyone can get!
We'd also like to thank everyone for you positive feedback and excitement over what we have in store for the next few weeks. We're SO excited to be releasing a much requested smaller bag as well as more colors of our beloved Classic Bag. We truly do appreciate your feedback and it's because of that feedback that we have these bags!
So thank you! We hope we can use this opportunity to give our talented fans a little bit of exposure as well as help those out who have been asking for tutorials and advice. Again, if you're interested in participating, please email info@cheekylime.com
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So, over the last few months and years, I've slowly been figuring out this "work/go to school from home thing". It's been a trial and error process and I certainly haven't been perfect with it, but I thought I'd share my top 5 tips for how I manage everything.
1. Set up a routine. I don't like the word schedule. It's always sounded so structured and confining to me, so I prefer to use routine. I do realize that some work at home jobs require an actual schedule and if you've got one of those, it's probably best to stick to it, but for me, I'm able to have a flexible routine where I can move things around as needed. Usually, every Sunday night, I sit down and look over the things I have going for the week. When are my assignments for school due? What blog posts do I have planned for the week? What days will the be posted on? I usually try to space things out so I don't have too much to do on any particular day of the week. From there, I add the most important things to my calender on my phone and get ready to hit the ground running on Monday morning.
Each morning, I usually wake up and check my email and social media sites I run. Responding to emails usually takes no longer than an hour and I can often do this before my children wake up. It's nice to have things checked off my list before they even get up. From there, the rest of the day is really flexible. If they are entertained with something and I know it will keep their attention for at least a half hour, I hop online again or pick up my text book and get to work. I try to save things that require my full attention for nap time (that's rapidly turning into "quiet time" WHY do 3 year olds insist on not napping anymore?) or for when they're in bed at the end of the night. Usually all my school work gets saved for after they go down at night because that's when I can really focus on it. But really, my routine is flexible and it's important for me to keep it that way.
2. Utilize technology. This one can sort of be a double-edged sword. I have an iPhone and by golly, I don't know where I would be without it at this point. That thing helps me SO much through out the day. Since all of my schooling and work is 100% done online, I can basically do anything I need to from my phone. I've even taken exams from my phone before! I use the Notes app to jot down ideas I have for posts, order numbers that need assistance asap, or definitions or points that I need to remember for school. I already mentioned that I use my calender app, but it's so nice to have notifications pop up through out the day reminding me of what I need to accomplish. I also use the app Wunderlist that allows me to create a list of tasks (or even grocery lists!) and check them off as I do them. I'm a visual person, so it helps to physically see the things I've done during the day and it keeps my motivation up.
3. When you're not working, don't work. This is where the other edge of the technology sword comes into play. With virtually everything at our finger tips, sometimes we feel like we have to respond to every email that comes in immediately. I was doing this for a little while, but quickly stopped for two main reasons. 1) It was harder to track my hours for work when I would respond to things here and there. and 2) I felt like I never got a break! As tempting as it is to respond the moment when Suzy asks, "When will the Classic Bag in Teal be back in stock?" sometimes those things can wait and hour or two. (*and spoiler alert!* Lots of people have been asking that and the answer is, just in time for Black Friday! Get excited!!) Now I try to make sure that if I'll be working, I have at least a half hour (but preferably an hour) to devote my attention to work/school. Anything less than that really makes me feel like I'm constantly going and not paying attention to other aspects of my life.
4. Reward yourself! Maybe this is childish of me, but I thrive on rewards. A few weeks ago, I had a really big paper due for one of my classes. I wasn't motivated to do the reading or listen to my online lecture and I certainly wasn't interested in writing the 5 page write up on it. I decided to give myself rewards with each part of the assignment that got done. When I listened to all of my lecture (which was about an hour and a half) I had a slice of pie. Once I finished about half of the reading, I caught up on a tv show we enjoy. And once the paper was done, my husband and I went on a date! Again, that might make me sound like a kid, but it really motivated me to get it done and helped to see the assignment broken up in chunks. I also try to reward myself with a legitimate weekend if I've gotten everything done during the week. Sometimes I'm not able to get everything done, so I do work on the weekend, but again, I try to be flexible with it.
5. The last tip I have is to consistently re-evaluate. One of my classes only has one due date: The last day of the semester. I've tried to come up with my own due dates, but I found that since that class was *too* flexible, I started lagging behind. And with work, I was putting in a good amount of hours, but that meant that my school and family life were being slightly neglected. I decided to slow down with work (and again, I realize that I'm lucky that I can do this) and devoted a few more hours a week to get caught up with my class. I probably wouldn't have realized I was getting behind unless I sat down and evaluated how things were going. I looked at all aspects of my life and tried to figure out if everything was in balance. I noticed where most of my energy was going and decided to scale back slightly while catching up in other areas. It really helped me to see that I had ideas for work posted on my iPhone, so I didn't have to put too much brain power into it since it was mostly already done. I feel like I've balanced things out a bit more the last few weeks and have decided that evaluating how things are going is a must if you're juggling a lot of "hats" in your life.
Do you have any other tips you would add? Obviously, I'm still learning constantly and I am pretty new to this work at home mom thing, so I would love to hear what other, more experienced women and men have to say about this topic.
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