3 Things : playing with printing + a giveaway

I don't have an amazing photo tip other than the obvious...always have your camera handy...you never know when something's going to happen and you don't wnat to be standing there saying "Man I wish I had a camera!" Sorry that's the best I can do after working in my yard the past two days ;-) Have a super week!

My favorite photo tip really has more to do with personal style than anything else, but I LOVE! upclose and personal images. The kind where you almost have a hard time destinguishing what it is. It is a fun element to add to more clear cut photos.
I would love to try that fabric paper! I hope I can maybe have better luck :) AND I hope you can get it to work!

Try printing your photo on Bazzil Paper. With it's textured surface, your picture looks like it has been printed on canvas. I have tried white, blush and pink paper and it adds alot to a picture. Give it a try!

I need to work more on capturing our lives, and not just a few snapshots here an d there. Your photography inspires me so much. I want my kids to have those kinds of memories to look back on. Thanks, Ali!

Practice, practice, practice!!!
Experiment with angle and lighting.
Take lots and lots of pictures.
Let life happen, keep shooting it "real".
Cheers,
Karen Geckler

I really want to work on learning how to do some photo editing. My husband gave me Photoshop Elements 6 for my birthday, and I just picked up the Classroom in a Book that I had reserved from the library, now I can't wait to get started learning. I am eager to try adding text and graphics to my photos. Thanks for your inspiration!
Jeannine

I love taking jpictures with out flash and having that warm yellow glow to them. I will try the suggestion to print on Bazzil paper what a good idea.
thanks ali for all the inspiration.

I love this idea. I too have been interested in trying printing onto different surfaces. Have you ever tried the iron on paper? I have used that for putting text onto fabric, I wonder what a picture would look like printing on the transfer then ironing onto either fabric or paper?
Anyway, thanks for the contest, look forward to reading more...
Michelle

I can't narrow it down to just one tip, but:
1. Take lots of pics. Don't look for just the "right" moment to pic. Some of the greatest photos are the ones you didn't expect.
2. Turn off your flash and play with the white balance. This has transformed my photos.
2. Play with the angle and distance from which you shoot. Get closer (and closer still), stand on a chair, take a photo through the window or a doorway. You'll be amazed what a change in perspective can do for your photos.
As for me, I am seriously thinking about taking a course in photography. I think it would help me take my photos to the next level.
Ali, I am loving this week's feature on photos and words. Amazing!

My photo tip is get close to my subject...especially when photographing little kiddos.

One of my favorite things to do with photos is to print them directly onto 100% cotton. This works with quotes or anything else you can print out. You iron the cotton to a piece of waxed paper (this makes it stiff enough to go through the printer), trim to the correct size, and print just like you would on regular paper. I like the frayed edges and the fabric is easy to attach with glue, brads, eyelets, stitching, anything really. It looks cool if you use an oatmeal colored fabric and print in black and white or sepia. Love that antiqued look!

I tried to print some photos of art glass (from a Chihuly exhibit) on transparency. I planned to use them in a clear acrylic album -- a glass transparency acylic thing goin' on in my head.
It didn't really work -- photos, it seems, require a ... base ...
But ... it is still in my head and I'm still "zenning" how it might work.

I am loving this week's blog! So much good info, now I want a new camera too :-) I like to take closeup photos of my daughter, little kids have such beautiful skin... and faraway pictures of me... ha! I need to work on giving the camera to my husband because I don't have very many photos of myself and I am definitely here!!

my favorite photo tip is to let my daughter take over the camera and take a few pictures from her perspective. we gave her our old digital camera when we got a new one and it's amazing to see what she notices! thanks.

when I take photos of my girls at school functions they always seem dark, with and without flash. I am still playing around with my camara to make it work.

Great tips for printing...One thing I like to do is take scads of pictures and hope that I get that one great shot that I'm looking for...With 5 grandkids someone's either not looking or not smiling...so I just keep snapping away...Thanks for the chance to win the goodies...

My tip is to try turning your camera around for different angles of your subject. I love your ideas and cannot wait to try them.
Rebecca

I have 2 favorite photo tips. I use the self timer on my camera alot - my kids think that it is hilarious to see if I will "make it" by quick running to get in the picture. Something about not quite knowing when the picture will be taken works for them.
I also use the continuous action setting all the time (not just during sports) but at the park, down the waterslide, off the diving board, etc I have great photos of my kids in mid air with great expressions that way. But the key for this one is to make sure you delete all the photos you get of only water and splash! There will be lots of them!

Since there are all ready 490 comments, I am guessing my odds are kind of slim, but hey let's try :) I'd LOVE to win!!!
My photo tip - for a fun perspective don't use the view finder and just snap, snap, snap, and you will get some pretty awesome angles and points of view!

If you need a better way to lay down the adhesive paper try either the edge of a ruler or a credit card depending on the size of the paper. Should keep the bubbles out.
I want to learn more about photoshop. That's my big goal. I'm totally intimidated by it and by the idea of doing digital scrapbooking at all. Which is goofy since I'm a computer nerd by trade.

I like to take multiple shots of my subject while I am moving around them just so I can get different background features. This works well when you are outside.
Thanks for the tips. I love it.
Cindy

Totally love those ideas. There's so much one can do with the right supplies.

It is consoling that even the experts like you can encounter a problem with a particular technique. I am working on backgrounds in my photos. Thanks for the chance to win!

You are so inspiring.....one of my favourite looks is to print my photos on book paper. It creates a warm photo with a softness to it.

I've seen this in the comments already from others, but my best tip is to always have a camera with you! Also no flash!
I need to work on being a more ruthless deleter for sure.