3 Things : playing with printing + a giveaway

I've had my 35mm for almost 9 yrs and there are still so many functions I haven't attempted yet. I keep telling myself that I will get out the manual and just play around, but I've never taken the time to follow through. Your posts, however, are re-inspiring me to really make the effort. So thanks! I do try to use different angles and perspectives and I absolutely take a ton of photos...easy enough since my family is so big!
My tip is to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have extra batteries with you. I missed part of my brother and sil's wedding rehearsal when I had to run to the store for camera batteries. Then, in my rush, I grabbed the wrong ones, had to waste more time returning those and then go to a different store for the right ones! Fortunately, I wasn't IN the wedding, but I still wonder what great shots I missed.

I want to learn to be quicker at assessing low light situations and how to adjust my speedlite to make the most flattering photo. I believe that involves a lot of playing and practicing with the camera though! I usually will place the speedlite facing off to the side trying to do my best to replicate sunlight.
My favorite digital file tip: Make sure all image files and folders are renamed and dated accordingly. That way you're looking for something on your hard drive, you know exactly where everything is!

hi ali,
as far as printing on fabric I iron my cotton to freezer paper and then trim to 8 1/2 x 11 and run it through my hp ink jet printer. never had a problem. wishing you more success with that. I wish that I could just organize my rubbermaid bin of photos into categories, but where to start?

My favorite photo tip is..
Get down on their level.
Whether it is kids or pets or flowers, or whatever, changing the perspective by getting to their level has gotten me some of the best pictures I have ever taken.
The other is..
Just keep taking pictures.
Have missed some pictures, and ended up getting better ones cos I just kept shooting and taking more photos.

I want to work on taking MORE photos throughout each day. I used to be good at this, but seem to have gotten in a rut of only taking pictures of events.
I also want to print more of my pictures out and scrapbook more of them!

My photo tip is to read your manual and try everything it talks about. I know it sounds simple, but knowing your camera can really enhance the quality of your pictures.

My favorite photo tip is turn off the flash. And most of the time I take better pictures by using natural light. Step of faith at first, though!!!

My Favorite photo tip - tilt your camera to the right when taking a candid shot. Just the fact that your horizon line is not horizontal in your photo will make it more interesting and eye-catching!
Looking forward to seeing how the graphic rub ons work myself!
thanks for all your tips

The one photo tip that comes to mind....when you are taking photos, don't forget to take photos of your surrounding. Like if your at the park make sure you get park photos.

Hey Ali,
I have actually used that Graphix Rub Onz a lot and LOVE THEM!! Nothing like adding your own words to your pages. I haven't used textured cardstock on them yet, but they work fabulously on patterned paper.

**Fingers crossed**
I really need to work on my photography in general. I got really interested in it, bought a nice camera and haven't taken it off of Auto mode. I'm hoping that over the next year I will have time to take a photography class so that I can learn to use my camera to it's potential. Some day! :)

All of these materials look great. Lots of fun.
My favorite photo tip is take real life photos. Nothing is as boring as posed pictures. I have too many posed shots and they are like looking at a staged life. I love candid shots of my world.

My latest favorite photo tip is to choose an UNUSUAL shot - and repeat it...for example...your baby's FEET. A close-up of just her feet. Barefoot after the bath. In sandals. Kicking in her highchair....they grow and change so fast. I also want to do a series on HANDS - all the people in my life...just their hands. I wish I had done it of my grandparents over the years. I miss their hands.
My CHALLENGE is to learn to use my point and shoot better (even tho' i have no desire to learn MORE STUFF. I JUST WANT GOOD PiCS!)
Thanks for the great shares, as always, Ali!

my favorite photo tip is if you get a slightly blurry photo, touch up the eyes, sharpen them, and it makes the photo salvageable. :)

I don't have a tip per se, but today I printed a picture with an Epson 2200 that I bought. It was of my 12 year old Lab who I adore..the picture took my breath away..so I'm going to work with it and some words..clean, classic and simple..thanks for the idea. mary b

My photo tip: I've taught my 4, 12, and 1 3 year old and the husband the basics to use my nikon slr. at first i was hesitant, but realized i'll NEVER be in pictures at any moment. The pictures are not always perfect or clear, but who says my pictures are any better when i'm not a professional photographer myself. (Note: make sure they use the neck strap.** ;))

I try to print my photos at least 4 times a year so I'm not so overwhelmed with the amount of pictures or the cost. It is easy to wait too long to print them with today's digital cameras.
Thanks for all the work you do on your blog. It's the BEST!
Alyson

My tip is to always read your manual. I have a Canon Rebel also, I love all of your ideas! Thanks for the wonderful information and inspiration!

I'd like to be more proficient on Photoshop, as well as the new Canon G9 camera I just bought (about to try it out in Hawaii)! My best tip re: photos - when looking through your parents'/grandparents' photos, mark in pencil on the back who/where/occasion/date, etc. while you can! I have a huge box of photos, no idea who most of the people are in them, and no one left to ask. My mom was one of 9 kids so it could be anybody!

i'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda girl.
i say, keep snapping away ... don't get hung up on the "perfect" shot! i've found that my favorite photos are candid ones ... not posed. there is so much more personality to be seen!

My photo tip is once you have all your pictures saved to your pc....make sure you back up your files. Even better, back them up in 2 different ways (external hard drive and maybe an online photo place like scrapbookpictures.com or shutterfly).
What I am would like to work on is taking better candid shots and learning to take better pictures in low lighting (like an auditorium or dusk shots).
Love your blog...very cool ideas and advice that you come up with!

My own tip is to remember to keep your batteries charged for your camera....can't take a picture is your camera won't work...good or bad pics....

Ali -
I love the idea behind this week's posts (even though I just bought lots of embellishments at hobby lobby's scrapbooking sale).
The photo tip I would recommend (somethign I've gotten into recently) is cross-processing of my digital photos in Photoshop. I love how this turns out with film and have loved figuring out techniques to get these same effects in Photoshop on my digital files. Below is a cool link that makes this process super-easy:
http://www.layersmagazine.com/curvy-cross-processing.html
I love your giveaways.

I couldn't find any ready to go printable fabric in New Zealand stores, so I bought some freezer paper (you know the stuff with wax on one side) and ironed some white cotton onto it, then feed it through the printer which worked a treat as long as I did it straight away and the fabric piece was smaller than the freezer paper going through, so the printer grabbed the paper not the fabric first ... love love coming to your blog each day and trying new things ... thank you, thank you, thank you :)

I'm loving your words + photos posts -- cool stuff! I just tried printing a photo that I took in color but turned b + w and then tinted blue in Photoshop onto June Tailor colorfast printer sheets (http://www.softexpressions.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CQMEASE&Product_Code=bj05a&Category_Code=5b) and it worked beautifully. I'm planning to use it for a ringbearer's pillow.