Oubly.com

We are so incredibly excited to be featuring Oubly.com and talking today about their amazing Custom Canvas Prints line!   Not only that but they're giving away a 12"x12" canvas to one lucky winner {details below}....

Oubly Who?

In short they are a successful & mature printing company that has a thoughtful bunch of individuals with passion for print, art, design, technology, fine papers, and collaborative culture.

Their newly launched website, Oubly.com, offers a wide selection of beautifully designed and crafted print items for business, or occasions that call for connection and celebration between you, your friends, and family.

Get a long lasting, gallery quality canvas from the experts 

in large format printing.

Oubly’s gallery wrapped canvases are:

• Printed on 17 Mil thick white artist canvas.
• Mounted on 0.75" thick wooden frame.
• Printed with full color, fade resistant, eco inks.
• Proudly made in Los Angeles.
• Surface texturing and edge painting options are available.
• We offer free digital proofs for all canvases.
• Free Shipping on orders over $49
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• Enter HERE for a chance to win a 12"x12" canvas 
• of your very own!
• {Winners will be announced on Oubly's Facebook page below on September 10}

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• You can find Oubly.com on the following social media sites: 
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  Twitter: @Oubly
  Facebook Page: Oubly
  Pinterest: Oubly
  Google Plus: +Oubly

Camera Essentials

Today we're going to talk a little about photography.  As a budding photographer (well, as someone who really just LOVES to take photos of any and everything!) I am always going that little "extra" to learn about the best new (and old) cameras, lenses, camera bags, etc....must-haves for any photographer.

So let's start with the camera....

(photos courtesy of Canon)

I have always been partial to the Canon series.  That was my first camera and so I've become comfortable with it :)  I currently have the Canon EOS Rebel T3i....the hubby surprised me with it for Christmas last year and I absolutely LOVE it.  I love that's it's easy to use and that it has an expanded ISO range so I get great shots in ANY light.  I can shoot video in full HD which I couldn't do with my previous DSLR.  I love that it has a high resolution flip out Vari-Angle 3.0 inch clear view LCD monitor, it really comes in handy when photographing or filming myself.  This is just the perfect camera and one that will be with me for a long time.

Let's talk lens.  My favorite lens for portraits is the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 STM which gives a perfect balance of clarity and background blur.  I also love the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens.  This lens is ultra-lightweight and slim, nice and compact in size and delivers not only great photos but is AMAZING when used to shoot HD video.

(Images courtesy of Canon and Amazon)

Now you've gotta have something amazing to put your camera equipment in so let's talk camera bags.  I've had the pleasure of personally owning bags from each of these stores and loved each one.  First up is Epiphanie Camera Bags.  I own (and currently carry) the Stella bag in Hot Pink but it is now one of their famous discontinued bags...however they have plenty of amazingness in stock and ready for purchase!

(The Stella, photo courtesy of the amazing Jennifer Gamet Photography)

I also love Kelly Moore Camera Bags, her bags are top notch!  I own the Libby in gorgeous Orange and have traveled quite a few times with this one...it not only fit my camera equipment but also the contents of my purse, my laptop, my iPad as well as a change of clothes (I used it as my carry-on when flying).   This bag is really stunning!

(The Libby, photo courtesy of Kelly Moore Bags)

And let's not forget about Jototes Camera Bags!  My very first camera bag was a JoTote and I've had a few since then!  One of my favorites has been the Rose Bag in teal (again, this color is discontinued but you can still get it in a few other gorgeous colors).  So stylish, you don't even feel like you're carrying a camera bag!

 (The Rose, photo courtesy of JoTotes Camera Bags)

So there you have it, the most important essentials for a budding photographer or if you're just shooting as a hobby but want to do it in style!  Are you a photographer with tips or suggestions about what are the more important things to keep on hand?  Let us know about them in the comments below!

It's All About the Branding...

Having the right branding for your business makes all the difference in the world.  So when we wanted something to match our website logo but on a simpler, more elegant note we went in search of someone who could do a hand drawn logo.  And Kara Whaley Photography & Design was just the person to do the job.   Not only a professional photographer, she also specializes in graphic design and her work is beautiful.  Just take a look at the business wordmarks she created specifically for Beautiful Photo Props:

Aren't these just gorgeous?  They will be a perfect addition to our product shots and branding.

Kara is graciously offering a 20% discount until January 31st on any wordmark package, you can find out more about this and her other graphic design packages here:  http://www.karawhaley.com/photographer/

You can also find Kara Whaley Photography & Design on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/karawhaleyphotographyanddesign/timeline

Thank you Kara for working with us to design the perfect watermark!

Ella Bella: A Review

We're so excited to do a review for Ella Bella Photography Backdrops!  Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrops provide amateur and professional photographers with an inexpensive backdrop choice. 

Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrops were introduced to provide amateur and professional photographers with an inexpensive backdrop choice. Our designs are printed on a 50lb paper and created to help minimize light reflection, enhance your image and complement your subject. Patterns are seamless and printed with a fade-resistant ink. Each roll is 4ft wide x 12ft long.
Ella Bella™ was designed for newborn, children and product photography but can be used for a variety of photography reasons. They can also be used for non-photography uses, such as YouTube video backdrops and many types of displays or creative reasons.

We love our Ella Bella backdrops, check out these photos of some of our products that we quickly captured using the wood grain backdrop just by laying it on the floor as shown above using natural light:

You can also simply hang the roll from your backdrop stand and pull the amount of backdrop you need. When you are finished, roll the backdrop back up and secure with a rubber band. No backdrop stand? No problem. Just cut the amount you need and tape it to the wall. 

Ella Bella™ can be purchased through Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Mardel and other retailers.

HOBBY LOBBY

MARDEL

AMAZON

 Cara and team, we thank you so much for sharing your brand and beautiful products with us! - See more at: http://beautifulphotoprops.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-10-14T23:05:00-05:00&max-results=3&start=9&by-date=false#sthash.YDfpvFVS.dpuf

Your New Logo Courtesy of Pounce Designs

Our friends over at Pounce Designs are have one heckuva sale right now AND would like to give away a custom logo design to one of our lucky readers! Regularly $175, the custom logo design package is on sale in their shop for only $87.50 until Feb. 28th but YOU can try to win your very own logo package just by entering.


Their shop also contains a lot of pre-made logos geared towards photographers and creative small businesses at really affordable prices!

Excited?  Well be sure to enter below, you don't want to miss this awesome giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Facebook.  By entering this giveaway you understand that you are providing your information to Beautiful Photo Props and not to Facebook. 

A Love Story

Our friends over at FOTOVELLA are having a special sale on their "Love Story" Wedding Photography Marketing Suite and we wanted to share this great deal with you all :)

"Love Story" is a complete suite of professionally designed and written wedding photography marketing templates created to capture the imaginations of your brides-to-be, and take your studio marketing to the next level!

We just launched a deal over at Photo Deal Cafe on our "Love Story" wedding marketing suite. It's the best price we've offered since our introduction of this very popular suite of templates.  If you're a wedding photographer looking to update your promotional materials or just getting started and looking for templates — this is it.  --  FOTOVELLA

If you're a wedding photographer you're not going to want to miss this chance to own this amazing marketing suite (and at such a low price too!!)

Available for purchase here.

Photo Credit:

Featured images © Katelyn James Photography

It's All About the Lighting

Normally I'm a natural light on location kinda girl but sometimes it's just not possible to shoot outdoors.  So what's a photographer to do in this case?  Get yourself some good lighting!  So I went online to YescomUSA and grabbed a portable umbrella/lighting kit and was pretty happy with what I got.  Here's a little more about the kit:

 (photos and package description courtesy of their website)

This professional kit is extremely suitable for professional level photographers. It is a perfect solution for product photo and video for web retailers and commercial product catalog. Very easy to use and setup in minutes. With their wonderful photo kit, you can take perfect photos everywhere anytime.

Best Solution for Your Professional Photo Studio:

• Perfect for any objects, such as portraits, costumes, furnishings, etc.
• Best color temperature to prevent from color aberration.
• Powerful total 170 watts lighting to provide a sufficient exposal and brilliant image.
• Soften lighting with umbrella for reducing overexposure and hot spots.
• 2x powerful continual lighting for bathing object in dimensional lighting.
• Set up in minutes to offer you a professional photo studio.
• Please kindly note that it is for 110 voltage.

Professional Daylight Bulbs:

• 85 watts spiral daylight bulb equal to 340 watts regular bulb. It can also save the efficiency of electricity.
• Color temperature is 5500k, most perfect color temperature for photo taking.
• Average life 8,000 hours.

Studio Umbrellas:

• High quality nylon construction.
• 32" wide soft white translucent umbrella.
• Extremely soften the light and get rid of the shadows to improve the quality of your images.

Light Tripods:

• Color: Black
• Maximum height is 7 feet, fold down to 28 inches for easy portability.
• Professional quality aluminum frame with black satin finish.
• Simple quick-release levers provide fast precise height adjustment.
• Extra wide angle footprints with rubber tips for more stability.
• Folding frame design for freewill lighting position setting and easier storage.

AC Swivel Umbrella Holders:

• You can use it with or without the umbrella.
• Quick adjustable light positions that lock at the desired angle.
• Distance from the umbrella to bulb is adjustable to be used as fill-in light.
• Its 12.5 feet long cord helps you move it freely for best lighting effects.

Packages Include:

• 2x 7 feet light stand
• 2x AC swivel umbrella holder
• 2x 32" translucent umbrella
• 2x 85w 5500k energy balance spiral energy saver light bulbs
• 1x Suitable padded carrying case

Fotovella Superpack

That's right my friends, the good folks over at Fotovella are running one heckuva deal right now....you can get their Superpack of 12 of their most popular Facebook timeline covers for just $19 (a 90% savings!) PLUS a FREE Bonus 20-piece Custom Facebook Tab Set ($12 value).

PACKAGE DETAILS
• FLASH Deal Price — $19 — (Reg $108 sold separately)
• 12 FACEBOOK Timeline Covers + Coordinated Custom Tabs For Each
• FREE Bonus: 20-Piece Custom FB App/Tab Set
• Ends @ 12 Midnight (PST) on Tuesday 10/15

Meet Our Featured Sponsor: Ella Bella Photography Backdrops

We're so excited to introduce our current featured sponsor, Ella Bella Photography Backdrops!  Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrops provide amateur and professional photographers with an inexpensive backdrop choice.

Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrops were introduced to provide amateur and professional photographers with an inexpensive backdrop choice. Our designs are printed on a 50lb paper and created to help minimize light reflection, enhance your image and complement your subject. Patterns are seamless and printed with a fade-resistant ink. Each roll is 4ft wide x 12ft long.
Ella Bella™ was designed for newborn, children and product photography but can be used for a variety of photography reasons. They can also be used for non-photography uses, such as YouTube video backdrops and many types of displays or creative reasons.

Simply hang the roll from your backdrop stand and pull the amount of backdrop you need. When you are finished, roll the backdrop back up and secure with a rubber band. No backdrop stand? No problem. Just cut the amount you need and tape it to the wall. See our Easy-To-Use Guide for some simple tips http://pacon.com/ella-bella-backdrop-techniques/.

Ella Bella™ can be purchased through Amazon, Hobby Lobby, Mardel and other retailers.

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/art-supplies/art-storage/?brand=Pacon

http://www.mardel.com/search/default.aspx?Keyword=Ella+Bella

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZO2UBI/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp

Cara, the project manager and creator of Ella Bella and her team have graciously answered a few questions for us to introduce us to their wonderful products and company:

Name of your company, your name, your store URL, Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

Our brand is Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrop Papers.  Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/ellabella

Our photography backdrops are made from heavyweight paper, and come in 4’X12’ rolls. They’re designed for use with newborn, children and product photography. The patterns are seamless and printed with a fade-resistant ink for a vibrant, long lasting color. Each design was created to help minimize light reflection, enhance your image and complement the subject.

Ella Bella™ Photography Backdrop papers can be found at Hobby Lobby, Mardel, Amazon and other retailers. We recently introduced two new designs to our collection—White Washed Wood and Multi-Colored Dots. Others include: Vintage Wood, Classic Damask, Dots—Soft Pink and Dots—Baby Blue.


When did you launch your store?  What inspired you to start?

Our Ella Bella™ Backdrops were newly introduced this year and were inspired by Cara, product manager and photographer. She manages her own in-home photography studio, and recognized the limited options for photographers in inexpensive photography backdrop choices. She worked with our marketing team to research, develop and create Ella Bella™.

Which one of your products is your personal favorite?  (Is there a reason for this?)

I love working with all of our designs, but our new White Washed Wood Floor is probably my favorite.

What are two products that have consistently been good sellers for you?

Our Vintage Wood Floor design has been a very good seller for us. However, we’ve recently introduced a new White Washed Wood Floor that we feel will do equally as well.

Please let me know some background information about you, like where you live, married status, kids/grandkids, hobbies, etc.  Anything that will help our readers get beyond the product to the person behind your store. 

Although there are a lot of people that make Ella Bella™ happen, I’m the creator and photographer behind the brand. I’m a mama, wife and photographer and my greatest joys are my 2 boys, 2-1/2 years and newborn. I’ve been married for 8 years to a wonderful man and together, with our family, we live in a small town outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I own and manage my own in-home studio where I photograph babies, children and families. Besides photography I love to spend time with my family, reading books to my boys, snuggling by the campfire, roasting marshmallows, fudgesicles and of course the Green Bay Packers.

Cara and team, we thank you so much for sharing your brand and beautiful products with us!

Every photo should tell a story....

....evoke an emotion.  I giggle with them, I watch them, I let them be, and the story unfolds.  Forever captured in that moment for you to cherish for a lifetime.  - Kim Kropke, owner of Laugh & Grow Press 

I love writing reviews about amazing products and so when Kim Kropke of Laugh & Grow Press contacted me I was delighted!  You see, Kim recently launched a rather large customizable template system called Simply Announcing which is geared toward the newborn photography community.  The design itself is clean, crisp and modern with the philosophy to focus on, and highlight, the photography and of course the clients' beautiful new little one.  And she's offering this amazing set plus anything and everything else on her site at 20% off for our readers!  Simply use code BPP20 on all of your favorites and enjoy the savings!

Simply Announcing was created on the idea that the star of any announcement is the lovely new addition to your client’s family, not the design itself.  What better way to do that than to feature and display your beautiful photography within a tasteful, meticulously thought out, crisp clean design?

Simply Announcing's 14 different template solutions allow for almost every photographer style and pose.  Within each template file you will find several layers of customizations for font treatment and design and border styles.  Mix and match by turning layers on and off creating endless design pairings.  This set includes 5 different brush sets, over 100 brushes in all, to customize the announcement for your client.  Adorable icon brushes to incorporate a possible theme, 3 different sets of alphabet brushes for a monogram look, and a set of banners and seals for decorative layering and so much more!  Carry the designing to the back of the card with a fully layered psd file of back patterns and colors.  Turn layers on and off to pair any of the patterns with one of the provided color layers, or create a color choice of you own.  All design elements are fully customizable from size to color and direction, making the possibilities endless!  Your clients have invested in you to preserve their memories of this beautiful time, there’s no doubt they’ll be Simply Announcing it to friends and family!

I had SO much fun designing some announcements using Simply Announcing (yep, a few of the ones above are mine), it was so incredibly easy to use!  Take a peek at the following video to see Kim explain just how simple this is...even someone just starting out in Photoshop (like me!) will be able to make beautiful announcements!

Kim also designs custom logos and branding, digital papers/backgrounds and brush sets.  You can find her work at the following locations:

Website:  Laugh & Grow Press
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/LaughandGrowPress

Simply Announcing templates, brushes and patterns are compatible with Photoshop CS2 through CS6 and Photoshop Elements 10/11.