Rose Clearfield • Page 169 of 182 • Midwest lifestyle blogger.

Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers

Gift Guides, Photography / November 30, 2016

Welcome to my first holiday gift guide of 2016! I’m starting with a holiday gift guide for photographers. Next week, I’ll be sharing non-photography themed gift guides for her and for him. I’ve stayed away from the obvious camera bodies and lenses because most photographers shoot with specific brands (i.e. Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.) and know what they want. I’ve also avoided most standard accessories, such as camera straps and flashes. You can see all of my general gear recommendations over here. Today I’m sharing a more fun selection of accessories that photographers may not purchase for themselves but will enjoy and other (mostly) practical photography related indulgences.

Artifact Uprising’s Wood Block + Prints

Artifact Uprising offers a wide selection of really beautiful photography products including prints, cards, photo books, wall art, and calendars. If you haven’t browsed their site before, please check it out. The wood block + prints makes a great gift for family members and friends to display photos of loved ones and favorite memories. If you aren’t sure which prints to order for a gift, pick up a gift card.

Domke Protective Wrap

I inwardly cringe every time I see a camera stuffed haphazardly in a purse or diaper bag without any protection. I also completely understand that people don’t want to take their camera bags with them every time they want to shoot. (I’m the same way.) The Domke Protective Wrap is the perfect solution for on the go shooting. When you’re at the zoo or walking around Chicago on vacation, most likely you don’t need a ton of gear. Wrap up your camera body and 1-2 lenses and you’re good to go. The Domke is available in multiple sizes and colors.

LensPen

Camera lenses and LCD displays get trashed quickly, with dust and fingerprints everywhere. The LensPen is simpler and more convenient to pull out and use for a quick cleanup than a lens cloth. It also gets into the small crevices more effectively. Keep it handy in a front bag pocket for easy access.

SanDisk Extreme 64GB Card

You can never have too much memory. You never know when you’ll run out of the house without a memory card in the camera or your memory card will decide to fail. Keeping an extra memory card or two in your bag ensures you’ll always have ample memory. SanDisk is a reputable brand, and the Extreme 64GB card is an ideal size for most photographers at a great price point. (And yes, I have covered this topic before. A couple times. It’s really important.)

Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan

I’m still a little wary about the transition to renting instead of owning software, but overall, it’s a positive switch. Yes, it does feel like Adobe owns a little bit of your soul. (A great endorsement in a gift guide, I know.) But you get automatic updates and other support, ensuring you always have up to date software, with basically no extra effort on your part. The Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan includes Lightroom and Photoshop for $9.99/month. It’s a great gift option for photographers who are using outdated software or who haven’t taken the plunge and invested in professional software yet.

Camera lens cups

The DSLR camera lens cups are just fun. Someone walks up to your desk and thinks you have a high-end camera lens sitting there…until you pick it up and start drinking coffee out of it. I’m linking a Canon 24-105mm lens cup because I’m a Canon girl, there are also Nikon cups available.

Professional photography website subscription

Professional photography portfolio websites, such as SmugMug and Zenfolio, enable photographers to create professional portfolios and make high-quality prints available for clients. They also allow for comprehensive personal and professional photo backup with folders and keywords so you can find photos again later with ease. Even if you’re not planning to take on clients or sell your prints, having a SmugMug or Zenfolio subscription is worthwhile. I love having another photo backup and frequently print photos for myself and to give as gifts.

A subscription to 500px is also a great gift for a photographer. You can create a 500px account for free, but there isn’t much you can do with the site unless you pay for it. They have three different subscription plans. The highest plan includes the previously mentioned Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan, which is pretty cool.

Vintage Canon AE-1 or Pentax K1000 with film

The Canon AE-1 and Pentax K1000 are two of the most popular film SLR cameras ever made. As a result, there are still lots of working AE-1 and K1000 cameras floating around that you can pick up on eBay for less than $200. Regardless of your photography background and current skill level, shooting with a film SLR camera, especially a classic model like an AE-1 or K1000, is a really neat experience. You appreciate the simplicity and ease of use of the dial controls, and you take time to create each image, manually focusing the lens and carefully composing each shot. Both Amazon and B&H offer 35mm film. Consider Kodak Portra 400 (color film) or Kodak Tri-X 400TX (black and white film).

FujiFilm Instax Mini Instant Film Camera

On a similar subject, if you love the idea of having tangible photos but aren’t in the market for an SLR film camera, a Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 Instant Film Camera is a great option. It’s really fun to attend a wedding or family holiday function and be able to snap photos of loved ones that you can give them right on the spot. It may seem silly when you can take photos on your smartphone, but there’s something different about having a photo you can put up immediately on the fridge or on your desk. Don’t forget to pick up some Instax film, too.

Alisa Burke’s Snap Shot Delight

I love to give experience gifts (i.e. local restaurant gift certificates, flex concert tickets, StubHub cash). Getting new gear is always fun, but learning a new feature of your current gear or taking on a new challenge can be just as, if not even more, rewarding. There are so many photography classes out there, many of which are affordable and convenient, aka local or online with a work-at-your-own-pace format. Alisa’s Snap Shot Delight falls into the latter category. In this class, Alisa shares her favorite tips, tricks, prompts, and more for using a camera as part of the creative process, which is applicable to virtually anyone in a creative field.

50 Do-Able DIY Photo Backdrops | http://www.thinkingcloset.com

Photography backdrop

Photography backdrops can be a huge asset for almost every type of photography. From a product shoot for an Etsy shop to a studio session for a high school senior, the right backdrop will take your shot from average candid to polished and professional. Vinyl backdrops are fairly affordable and extremely versatile, durable, and portable. A few great Etsy shops that sell vinyl photography backdrops: InkAndElm, PrintSignsQuick, and MyBackdropShop. If you’re crafty, consider making a couple backdrops. There are numerous backdrop tutorials on Pinterest. (I’ve linked a great tutorials roundup above, too.) For photographers who do a lot of smaller shoots, a DIY lightbox is also a great option.

Photography bags

I know selecting a photography bag is a very personal decision. The two options I’m including here are the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger line (the top four listings under Messenger bags) and Tenba Messengers (check out both the DNA and Photo / Laptop lines). All three bag collections are lightweight and extremely versatile. If they don’t work as photo bags for the recipients, most likely the recipients would be able to find other uses for them.

Of course, I also have to mention the two bags I use right now: the ThinkTank CityWalker 20, which is my around town camera day bag, and the Lowepro Fastpack 250 DSLR Camera Backpack, which is my airplane carry-on and walk around bag on trips. I’ve been using the Lowepro backpack since late 2012 and am so happy with it as a travel bag. I’ve been using the CityWalker messenger since mid-2016. It’s a fantastic bag. In time, I’m confident I’ll figure out how to best use it to fit my specific photography needs. Both Lowepro and Thinktank are staple photography bag brands and have tons of other options if neither of these bags fits the bill for the photographers in your life.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

Photography book

For a new photographer who’s looking for a few technical resources, a how-to book, such as Tony Northrup’s DSLR Book or Pinch of Yum’s Tasty Food Photography, is a great choice. For a more seasoned photographer or someone who is simply looking for inspiration, the options are endless. artbook is a great resource for photography books. I’ve linked their new fall 2016 features. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Many photographers find inspiration from a wide range of imagery, which may not be what they shoot all the time. For example, a family photographer may love The Space Within: Inside Great Chicago Buildings and can learn a lot from the architectural compositions.

[Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post. Using affiliate links to shop for photography gifts and any other products of your choosing is a simple way to support my blog without costing you anything extra. Thank you!]

What photography items are on your wish list this year?
Feel free to share links in the comments!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Him

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My 7 Favorite Staple Crate and Barrel Kitchen Items

Home / November 29, 2016

It’s not a secret that I’m a big fan of Crate and Barrel. I am always excited to get their catalogs in the mail, and I routinely share inspiration from said catalogs on my Facebook page. Of course, I love to browse the store as well. Jake and I registered at Crate and Barrel for our wedding and consequently, have been using a number of Crate and Barrel kitchen items for a decade now. Today I’m sharing my top seven staple Crate and Barrel kitchen items, which are a mix of older and newer gifts and personal purchases. All of these items are simple but high-quality and make food prep and meals a more enjoyable experience.

Essential Dinnerware

I first mentioned our Essential Dinnerware dishes in this post. As I had discussed previously, I am so impressed with how well these dishes have held up over the past 10 years. Originally, we received 32 pieces and have only had two break. We use them every single day, putting nearly the entire plates collection and many of the bowls through the dishwasher every week. After looking through the current Crate and Barrel dishes sets while writing this post, I would still choose the Essential Dishes because I really love simple white, round dishes. If you love the round dishes aesthetic, too, but want a bone china set, check out the Bennett Round Dinnerware collection.

Grand Hotel II Flatware and Serving Sets

When I was 23 years old and planning my wedding, high-quality, matching flatware wasn’t a priority. So we didn’t register for it. For years, it didn’t bother me that we were using an assortment of decent quality, mismatched flatware. It was functional and not ugly. It was only really recently that I finally bit the bullet and ordered the Grand Hotel II Flatware. I love the beaded detail and the weight is just perfect. It also matches the Grand Hotel II Serving Set, which we did register for and have been using weekly ever since. I regularly use it at social functions and put it through the dishwasher, and it still looks great 10 years later. I use the two serving spoons by far the most. If they were sold separately, I would order a couple more of each of them.

Swoop Serving Bowls

At the time I was creating a registry, I had absolutely no idea what size and type of serving bowls I would need. I was just finishing my undergrad degree and had never cooked for anyone besides Jake and my college roommates, which needless to say, was pretty basic cooking. For many years, I made do with our random wedding assortment. In the past couple years, I’ve finally slowly expanded our collection and couldn’t be happier with these Swoop Serving Bowls. I have two of each size. Honestly, I could get by just fine with two each of the medium and small sizes. I have used the large bowls, but I haven’t figured out what to serve in them on a regular basis. The medium size is perfect for popcorn. The small size is perfect for fruit, veggies, chips, pretzels, nuts, and crackers.

Teak Cutting Board

If you’ve never used a wood cutting board, you don’t know what you’re missing. Purchasing this teak cutting board (the small size) convinced me that I’ll never go back. I don’t mind using a plastic cutting board for certain types of kitchen tasks, such as rolling out dough or shredding chicken. But the teak cutting board is my go-to for all of my routine chopping, slicing, and dicing. Pick up the block oil so you can keep your wood board in top condition.

Stainless Steel and Red Nylon Measuring Spoons

I have no idea where I got my first set of measuring spoons. They were cheap plastic, and I lost the tablespoon before 2008. I don’t want to talk about how long I got by with the 1/2 tablespoon and three other smaller spoons. One day something snapped and I couldn’t deal with the cheap measuring spoons anymore. Needless to say, I should have bought Crate and Barrel’s stainless steel and nylon measuring spoons years ago. The set is high-quality and has more spoons that the average cook will ever use regularly. I love having a storage ring so the smaller spoons don’t get lost in the shuffle (or you know, the large tablespoon just disappears).

Bavaria Salt and Pepper Mills

My immediate family and I have slowly gifted each other salt and pepper mills over the last few Christmases. My parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and Jake and I each have our own set now, most of which are the Bavaria mills. (You may remember me mentioning them in this post.) Continuing the slightly nerdy food gift trend, I’ve also gifted refill salt and peppercorns. In the past, I have used the disposable grinders. They’re okay, but the grinding mechanism is never great and you have to keep buying new ones. I love having higher quality mills I can refill as needed. When I bake, I still use bulk ground salt. When I cook, I always use the mills.

Dish Towels

We registered for several Crate and Barrel towels and are still using them a decade later. Yes, they have some wear. It’s to be expected when you use them extensively and put them through the wash every week for 10 years. So many of their dish towel designs are classic with beautiful colors. The towels we registered for are most similar to the Cuisine Stripe collection. This season, I picked up the scattered leaves towel, 12 Days of Christmas dish towel, and embroidered guest towels.

[Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this post. The product links are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!]

Do you have any favorite Crate and Barrel kitchen items that you use all the time?
I’d love to hear about your favorite products!

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DIY Stylish Fabric Covered Inspiration Cork Board

DIY, Home Decor / November 28, 2016

In an age of Pinterest, smartphone cameras, and numerous note taking apps, it’s easier than ever to save inspiration on the go. These resources are great for recording inspiration and logging ideas to refer back to later. But there’s nothing quite like creating a real life board. A fun fabric covered inspiration cork board serves as the perfect place to save ripped out magazine and catalog pages, quick camera roll and Instagram feed printouts, paint chips, and virtually anything else that speaks to you that you can look at in your office or studio.

A real life inspiration board can be as simple as a plain bulletin board or magnetic board. Of course, I had to decorate my board a little bit. This tutorial inspired my board. I love the look with the fabric and push pins. I put my own spin on the cork inspiration board and am sharing it here today.

Materials for the Fabric Covered Inspiration Cork Board

18″ x 24″ cork board – Office Depot, $26.49 (You may be able to get a board for less at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Jo-Anns with a coupon.)
Fabric in the colors and patterns of your choosing – I bought three fat quarters from Jo-Anns, $2.49 each (I’m sure that many of you reading this post already have fabric on hand. I don’t keep fabric stocked at home so I buy what I need for specific projects. The size of the board will dictate the amount of fabric you need. If you choose to cover the frame, make sure to factor in the extra fabric.)
Thumb tacks, 100 count – Office Depot, $2.49
Acrylic paint in the color of your choosing – I had it on hand, but you can buy it at any big box store or big box craft store for about $1.50
Two sawtooth hangers or other hanging hardware – I had them on hand, but you can buy them at any big box store or hardware store for about $3.00

The other supplies you’ll need are a large pair of fabric scissors, painters tape, a hammer, and a small paintbrush, all of which I already had on hand.

Step-by-step instructions

Here’s my bulletin board, straight out of the packaging. You can see exactly where the label was situated under the plastic. So it’s just as well I was planning to cover it.

If you’re going to paint the frame, tape off the frame with painter’s tape.

Paint the frame with acrylic paint. Depending on the color of the paint, most likely you’ll need to do at least two coats.

Remove the painter’s tape. As you can see, I pulled off a tiny piece of the cork. Since you’re planning to cover the cork with fabric, it’s not a big deal if this happens.

Lay out your fabric. I hate ironing and didn’t iron my fabric (no judgment if you make the same decision). A quick iron will smooth out any fold lines and wrinkles. If you don’t iron your fabric, your inspiration items will help hide the lines and wrinkles. Cut the fabric to size, leaving a little extra around the edges. You’ll fold it under when you secure it so the edges are flush with the frame.

Some decorated cork board tutorials involve gluing down the fabric. As I wasn’t going to cover the frame, I decided it would be easier to secure the fabric with the tacks. This method also gives you more flexibility to adjust the fabric as needed to get placed just right. When you’re happy with the layout, begin tacking down the fabric. I worked slowly, folding the fabric under around the edges and overlapping the three pieces slightly. Again, you can remove the tacks and adjust it as needed.

Once you’ve secured the fabric, fill in the remaining border with tacks. Pushing tacks through multiple fabric layers is…tough. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you may not want to do it all at once. I used about 90 tacks total, which was perfect because I still have a handful from my 100-piece pack for the inspiration items.

Finally, I attached a couple of sawtooth hangers on the back to hang it. It’s completely up to you if you want to use sawtooth hangers or another type of frame display hardware.

The items I have on my fabric covered inspiration cork board right now should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. I have a couple pages from Crate and Barrel catalogs, a couple print outs of Alisa Burke images, and a couple print outs from Instagram, one from Jason Peterson and one from punkodelish. As I switch up my inspiration items, I’ll try to provide updates on Instagram and Facebook.

How do you gather inspiration?
Do you have a real life inspiration board?

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