Style Lush

A Great Photography Gift for the Parents/Grandparents

By Sara

This past summer my siblings and I decided to get together to have some professional photos taken to gift to our parents for their anniversary. My sister, being the clever Pinterest-obsessed girl that she is, came across a great idea: each person holds up a letter to spell out a word. We chose the word 'family' and the result was really pretty great,.

We had the second version blown up and printed on a canvas (at Costco of all places! Great prices and super fast shipping.) My mother, the stoic woman that she is, had a little tear in her eye when she opened it. The bonus is that we can gift this same print to our grandparents for Christmas as well. 

Or you could try it this way too (all in a row, of course):

The first way worked better for us but the second could be really cute in a frame with multiple openings. I think family photos are always the perfect gift and a sure winner with the grandparents.

(My apologies to my husband and siblings for posting their (pretty and handsome) faces all over the internet! All images are mine.)

Personal Birthday Photos

By Jennie

When I began thinking of my husband's birthday a few months ago, I pinned this photo on Pinterest. I liked it, but I had compiled a bunch of photos into a slideshow for his 30th birthday. I wanted to do something a little more different.

Then, I thought of the friends who couldn't make it to Mike's party, and I wondered: wouldn't it be fabulous to incorporate those friends into the photo idea?

So, about two months ago, I emailed our friends and family and asked them to take a picture of themselves with a "Happy birthday, Mike!" sign. They could get creative or they could just jot a quick note on a piece of printer paper. I wanted it to be thoughtful but easy, in the hopes a lot of people would participate.

We had about 20 photos total--which I was thrilled about!--from friends we haven't seen in years, from friends who were at the party, and many in between.

A couple examples:

Then, I printed all the photos out and (with the help of a lovely friend) hung them on the wall in a 3-5.

When I revealed it to Mike, he was so touched. Really, this guy who rarely gets emotional got a little emotional. And the entire thing cost $2 total, to print the photos at Walgreens (I can always find a coupon code for a percentage off their 4x6 prints).

Maybe do something similar for your next favorite person's birthday?

Is Leopard Print Truly A "Neutral"?

By Sara

I fall into the "animal prints 4-eva" camp but I know many people fear they can look trashy or too flashy. Animal prints, and especially leopard, have been in style for a number of years and when done right can act as a great neutral. Take a leopard flat for instance:

Ona Leopard Print Flat, Target, $14.99

The Sidewalk Skimmer in Leopard, Madewell, $135

French Sole India, ASOS, $124

Steve Madden Stroll in Leopard, $90

Leopard flats can add some punch to a basic tee and jeans (rolled at the ankles, stylishly slouchy this season), a crisp white button down and slim ankle skimming pants in any color (go bright!), an oversized sweater or tunic with leggings, and a colorful skirt and fitted sweater. I'm wearing mine with all of the above and excited to wear them for our family photos paired up with the items below:

 

Francesca's Collection Delicate Demeanor Necklace in Coral

Or

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Francesca's Collection Neptune Waterfall Necklace

J. Crew Tippi Sweater in Ivory (similar)

Lands' End Canvas Gatsby Colorblock Skirt

 

What do you think? Will you join me in leopard print love or leave the look to someone else?

Hanging Frame

By Janet

Here's a simple idea that will result in tons of great photos at your next event. 

A little bit of rope, a tree branch, and a large frame--a perfect photo opportunity for weddings, birthday parties, family reunions, or just for fun! If the back drop isn't pictureseque, like the one above, hang fabric several feet behind. Then, simply provide a digital camera or some throw-away cameras--or just let people use their smartphones. 

{Photo by 1313 Photography}

Rent the Runway! for your Bridesmaids

By Sara

I have this super fashionable friend who has ultra fashionable friends and they should all be writing for this site instead of yours truly. Let's not dwell on that though, shall we? My super fashionable friend has been in wedding after wedding these past few years and has seen her fair share of bridesmaid dresses. From blah to boring to "I'll really never wear this again...ever", she's got a closet FULL of dresses (mine included).

However, this past spring she was in a wedding and when I saw the photos my jaw dropped. The bride was obviously stunning but SO WERE THE BRIDESMAIDS. How often does that happen? See for yourself:

I KNOW. So beautiful, all of them. I inquired about the dresses because I loved that they were all unique  and all gold. So glamorous. My dear friend whispered "we used Rent the Runway". Say what now? That is the most brilliant thing I had ever heard. All of those dresses are high end, couture gowns that each woman rented for about $125. Badgley Mischka? CHECK. Nicole Miller? CHECK. Diane von Furstenberg? CHECK. CHECK. CHECK. 

The best part is that when you rent a dress through Rent the Runway, you pick the same dress in two sizes so you're assured the right fit. Then you can rent a backup dress for only $25 more just in case the first choice doesn't work out. Or, maybe you have six bridesmaids. Rent three dresses full price and get three backups for only $25 a piece. It really is brilliant, isn't it? Your bridesmaids get to wear gorgeous designer dresses and feel amazing for a day and you get stunning ladies in waiting for your photos. 

Magazine worthy, don't you think?

(all images courtesy of the glowing bride, Gwen Adler)

Summer Fun: Waterproof iPhone Case

by Natalie

Though I love my DSLR, I fully admit that I take most of my day-to-day photos with my phone. The saying goes that the best camera is the one you use... so I guess that speaks for itself. I, like many others, am a huge Instagram fan, and lately I've been seeing amazing underwater photos appear in my photo stream. I did a little Google research and came up with: the Lifeproof Case for the iPhone.

This case is apparently completely waterproof and submergable (is that even a word?) up to 6.6 feet deep. It has a screen cover that still allows you to use the touch feature (and take the photos you want too) while swimming underwater or while taking your phone in the snow or wherever else it is that you want to shoot that might have less than ideal weather conditions. I can see this being super handy at the beach in regards to sand, and since I love to take pictures of my kids swimming, I like not having to worry about dropping the phone in the water.

Photojojo (my favorite photo gadget web store) just announced a waterproof cover as well, which is called the iPhone Scuba Suit.

It costs roughly the same as the Lifeproof case (both are around $60, though I've seen the Lifeproof case run $78 from some vendors) and though they aren't cheap, it seems worth it to protect your phone if you're dying to bring it underwater.

Would you put your phone underwater?

{Photo credits: amazon.com, photojojo.com}

 

 

Best Portrait Lens for the Money: 50 mm f/1.8

by Natalie

Awhile back I wrote a couple of photography posts with basic info on using your DSLR and the meaning behind ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. All cameras are equipped with these, and it can be really helpful to have several lenses with which to practice shooting. Your camera most likely came with a "kit" lens, which is probably a basic zoom lens. These are generally fine, but aren't anything to write home about; there are inexpensive lenses out there that are much better for learning and for shooting. One such lens is the 50 mm f/1.8, which is available for both Nikon and Canon camera bodies, is a great beginning prime lens, and won't break the bank.

This is the Nikon version; it retails for about $125. It was the first prime lens I ever bought and I used the HECK out of it. A prime is a "fixed" lens, meaning that it doesn't zoom and that you have to move closer or farther away from your subject in order to get the shot you want. I personally love primes because I think they're a lot sharper than zoom lenses; the focus on a prime is gorgeous, and you can get the beautiful creamy "bokeh" in the background easily.

Here's the Canon version, which I have heard great things about as well (though I can't personally attest as I don't shoot Canon.) It also retails for about $125.

If you're considering upgrading to a better lens and you aren't sure where to start, I really can't recommend this one highly enough. Give it a try!

 

New Tradition: Family Yearbook on AdoramaPix

By Jennie

A while ago, I read a post on Young House Love about creating a family yearbook (my friends think this term is ridiculous, but I think it's kind of charming, SO I WIN). I decided I also wanted to create a family yearbook with highlights from the previous year, and then I immediately shelved that idea because I'm very, very good at coming up with good ideas and doing nothing about them. 

Thankfully, I stumbled upon this at Pinterest about the best sites to print photo books and it reminded me of my desire to print a yearbook.

I settled on the site AdoramaPix. 

First, here's the price breakdown of photo books:

(Click to enlarge!)

I chose the 10x10 book with 26 pages and found a 30%-off coupon. (My total cost of the book was $45.92 including shipping.)

AdoramaPix easily let me upload photos from both my laptop and Flickr, so it was no problem importing. It also showed me which photos were in use in the book at any given time, so I didn't double use one.

You can choose from a variety of layouts and themes.

I chose the Year in Review theme and then Yearbook.

I kept my layouts pretty straightforward, just to protect my sanity, but if I did want to remove a photo or text square, it was easy to do. I also swapped out some fonts and treatment and that was no problem, either.

When the book came, I was blown away by the quality, quite honestly. The stock was substantial, and nearly all the photos turned out crisp and eye-catching.

Some photos my book:

(Back cover)

(I loved how some of the photos spread across two pages, without issue at all.)

I was so pleased, and hope to print future books with this company!

Canvas Photo Wraps from Costco

By A'Dell

I hit the canvas photo wrap train pretty hard last fall when I was putting together my collage photo wall. I took a mixed media approach and included frames, wraps, and oddball items (like a big metal S), but what I was very, very pleased with were the canvas wraps I bought from Costco. My wall has three canvas wraps, and I really like how they turned out.

I bought a pile of wraps for my mother later that spring, then ordered a new stack of wraps after we had some spring photos taken of the girls. I think I've ordered 20+ wraps from Costco and the consistency and quality have been amazing. They're priced very reasonably, ship to my house for free, and are such an EASY way to display favorite photos.

Most recently, I hung three above my bed. (See? I told you I really like canvas wraps.)

You have to get up to 30" x 30" before you even hit $100, which is about where I've seen prices START on very small ones at other retailers. Considering the cost of a large print, frame and mat, $35-$55 is pretty competitive for something you can hang on the wall as soon as it arrives. (And, they're big! Big photos always seem to bring more impact than a big frame, to me.)

You'll need a Costco membership to order, but you can preview sizes, crop and order all online.

Currently Coveting: The iPhone Lens Wallet

by Hillary

My husband and I are on a strict no-frills budget while he tries the stay-at-home dad thing, which means that I can only stare lustily at the Photojojo iPhone lens wallet (filled with all four iPhone lenses, of course.) 

My birthday isn't until October so I'm hoping for some sort of first Mother's Day miracle where my husband both reads my mind and finds a hundred bucks lying around. I'm not getting my hopes up. After all, this is a man who spent our entire Valentine's Day budget on tickets to a monster truck rally. Seriously. I should probably buy myself the iPhone lens wallet as a reward for going to Monster Jam is what I'm saying. 

{Photo credit: www.photojojo.com}