A holiday photoshoot!

I set up a bunch of holiday props for my Photography Club kids at school yesterday. I had a smaller number than usual (only 7 instead of a dozen or so)--which was perfect! There were cookies on a plate (that I let them enjoy when we were all finished!), a wrapping station (paper, scissors, tape), several ornaments, a bunch of bows and a box, some greenery and a string of colored lights, and some bright red backdrop paper with a stool in front. I have to keep reminding myself that these are really creative kids and just how I enjoy interpreting my world through photography, so do they.

The greens didn't get used, the lights ended up wrapped around my kids (their idea!), the room lights were turned off (gasp! what if my flash doesn't do what I want? It turned out GREAT and was some of the better protrait lighting--scary!), and the bows ended up stuck to various kids' faces. It was a hoot! And because of icky weather, we even got to shoot the wrestling team as they ran their laps around the building (motion setting, kids, motion setting!)

Here is a sample of what I shot:

Plate of cookies I made (SOOC)


Same picture, black burned darker (quickly, I know it was a rough edit). Does it make it a better shot (or would it if I took the time and did it neater?)


Snowflake cookie--can you tell I had fun baking, too?


Pile O' Bows. Metallics are tricky, especially with flash.


Bows on a box. (Did I mention metallics are tricky?) I couldn't find a crop I liked for this shot (probably because there was lot in the background that I didn't pay attention to--had to watch my darlings with the string of lights wrapped around them!)


This is my thrown-together background. For what we needed, it was perfect. The seams are even allowing me lots of photshop practice! :)