A couple years ago a girlfriend of mine asked me if I would consider doing Christmas photos for her family and a few of our friends. To be completely honest I was far from enthusiastic at the initial thought of taking on such a large responsibility. Normally I would jump at the opportunity to get some practice behind the lens...but this was much different - this involved paying customers. Even though I had become quite close with the families who were interested, I felt as though there was very little room for error. Regardless I posted the idea within our private Facebook group and within a few days I had an overwhelming amount of interest. It was actually quite flattering to say the least. Finally my mindset was beginning to shift...perhaps this was going to be the start of something exciting!
That's how it all began...now here I am two years later struggling to fit everyone in. This year I had several returning families, which always comes as a relief (I must be doing something right) and in addition to the many familiar faces, I had a number of new families show interest as well. I truly feel blessed to be chosen for this position. Every day of year, I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a teacher, a coach...and once in while (when I can find the time -ha!) I get to be a photographer too. These are days I get to take a little break from everyday life and indulge in one of my favourite past-times - photography.
When I begin preparations for my Christmas mini shoots I always seem to go through that initial stage of worry...how am I going to top last year's idea? One thing I take pride in is being able to create my very own unique backdrops as well as photo props. In the past my hubby and I have spent hours planning, building and painting my sets. He's always been such a great help and this year was no different. Once I finally had my vision in place I set to figuring out the most affordable way to create it. My original plan had me spending well over $75 in supplies, however with a little shopping around I managed to cut the cost down to almost 1/3 of the initial price!
Here was my vision...
And this is how I created it...
Supplies
- One 4 by 8ft piece of drywall from Home Depot - $15.00
- Two small containers of black matte paint also from Home Depot - $3.99 each
- One small roller to apply the paint - $5.00
- One chalk marker from Michael's - I already owned one
- Several small props from the Dollar Store (boxes, mug, mini tree) - $10.00
Here are the images I captured...
Next year I plan to use the same piece of drywall in order to create another backdrop...but who knows, maybe I'll get eager and start creating something sooner!
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| How cute is this for Valentine's Day? |
Enjoy the rest of your week!
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