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Sunday, January 15, 2023

Valentine's Day; The Day of Love.

What are you planning to gift your Valentine? Not sure? Well, I have some ideas for you. Also, if you don't have a Valentine, treat yourself. You deserve it!

Don't leave a broken heart this February 14. Here are some Valentine's Day gift ideas to give or, to treat yourself.

𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿

𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻

𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝘁

𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗴

𝗪𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗧𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿

𝗛𝗶𝗺/𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗧u𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘁

𝗛𝗶𝗺/𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲

𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘀 & 𝗣𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁

𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗫 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝘅 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁y 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸

𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝘅

𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: The product descriptions may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link, it will cost you nothing. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support is greatly appreciated! #Amazon

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Valentine's Lunchables Gummy Candy.

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𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧....
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𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲: Elvira Gallegos

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𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹:
VisualElvira
VisualXplosion

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Spring Cleaning! Organizing & Storing Your Items

We’re half-way through the winter. Before we know it, spring will be here. So, it’s time to start thinking about organizing, storing and, getting rid of items you no longer need.

There are all kinds of storage containers such as drawers, totes, etc. Here are a few ideas for you to check out.

STORAGE CONTAINERS
5-Gallon Tough Storage Containers with Lids
19 Qt. Plastic Storage Bin Tote with Lid
90L Large Storage Bags, 6 Pack
25 PCS Clear Plastic Drawer Organizers Tray Set

FURNITURE TYPE STORAGE
4 Drawer Storage Tower
Winsome Eugene Table
Babion Nightstand with 3 Drawers
Walker Edison Traditional Wood 3 Drawer Side Table

BLACK & YELLOW Original 5-Gallon Tough Storage Containers with Lids, Stackable (6 Pack)

Walker Edison Traditional Wood 3 Drawer Nightstand Side Table Bedroom Storage Drawer and Shelf Bedside End Table, 18 Inch, Caramel

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Homemade Tamales - Recipe

I made tamales this weekend. It's my 4th/5th time making them. They're not hard to make just time consuming. You can view the video on my YouTube channel and, the recipe is posted below.

Also, there are similar products used posted below.

𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀:
𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙃𝙪𝙨𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙤𝙤𝙡
16 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙙
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙤𝙩
𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙞𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙨
𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙖 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

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𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: This video and description may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link, it will cost you nothing. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Your support is greatly appreciated! 😄

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𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗦

Use prepared masa. I doubled the recipe and used two 5 lb. containers of "La Guadalupana" prepared masa. Of course, I doubled the chili paste ingredients as well as all of the other ingredients listed.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲
10 ancho chilis (dried)
5 guajillo chilis (dried)
4 cups of water

Bring to a boil

Pull stems once chilis boil for about 20 minutes (or until tender and stems can easily be removed from the chili pod). Remove as many seeds as you can.

Place chili pods in the blender with three cups of water. Liquify and use this to flavor the meat and masa.

Reserve some of the chili paste for the masa. The rest will be used to flavor the meat.

𝗣𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳
10 lbs. boneless pork or beef
Water or Beef Broth to cover the meat
2 tbsp. ground cumin (comino)
Salt
Pepper

Boil meat until tender. Cook slightly, remove from pot and shred with two forks. Add chili paste to flavor the meat.

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗸𝘀
Clean and, soak corn husks for about 20 minutes until they're soft and pliable.

Spread masa on corn husk, fill with meat and roll. You can work on getting a pile of corn husks with masa then fill.

You can steams some right away and/or fill gallon bags with 2 dozen per bag and freeze for up to 6 months and, steam as many as you like at a time.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴
Place scrunched up foil on the bottom of the pot. Place tamales in stock pot upright in a circle, tamales should not touch the bottom.; add water along the side (inside) of pot (not over the tamales) and steam for about an hour or more until the masa is fully cooked (it depends on how many tamales you have in the pot). Check the tamales every 45 minutes/hour or so. Again, it depends on how many tamales are in the pot.

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𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧....
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LinkeIn
𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲: Elvira Gallegos

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𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹:
VisualElvira
VisualXplosion

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Dollar Tree Haul - Stamp Sets and Acrylic Blocks

A few weeks back, someone on one of my Facebook planner groups posted about these stamp sets and acrylic blocks. So, they're like the HOT new item that everyone wants to get their hands on. A few days later, after the post, I went to one of my two Dollar Tree stores in my town to see if they had them and they did not. I also tried a store in the next town over and they didn't have them either (at least, not yet).

A few days later, I tried the other Dollar Tree store in my town. In the store, I strolled up and down the office supplies isle and didn't see them so, I walked around the store and went up and down the office supplies isle again and again and again. When I decided to leave the store, as I was walking up the towards check out through the office supplies isle one last time, as I'm looking ahead, there they were! They had them hanging on the side of a box. I purchased two acrylic blocks and one set of each of the three different sets.

These stamps are no different than stamps you buy at Michael's or Jo-Ann's or Hobby Lobby. They're really nice.

The ink I used I bought at Michael's a while back. The brand is Studio G and it's a dye ink. It's from their $1.50 bins. I really like this ink because it does not stain the stamps.

Hopefully, Dollar Tree gets more fun stamp sets in the near future.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Planners & Organizers. "Write It Down!"

For years I've used a planner to write down appointments, tasks, grocery lists, etc. These days, I still use a planner to write down everything I need to remember. I also use my smartphone's calendar to write down certain stuff and to remind me (with a ring tone) to call here or, there's a doctor's appointment on Thursday, etc. but, with a planner, I can write down even more of what I don't want to forget; but stuff that I don't need a ring tone reminder for. You know what I mean? Also, I think it's easier and faster to write down everything than to type it all in on the smartphone.

SMARTPHONE APPS

For lists such as groceries, I like to use Evernote. For example, I will list all the stores I go to on one note. During the week, I look at each stores fliers and type in under each store the items I need. I also add a check box next to each item and I check the item off as I put it in my cart. I have tried Google Keep but, Evernote seemed better for me. I may try Google Keep Again.

OLD PLANNERS

I used to use a Cambridge monthly planner and before that I think I had an At-A-Glance planner as well. These last few years, I have bought a monthly desktop planner at the Dollar Tree store which works but, you really don't have extra note pages that you sometimes need for when you need to write down ideas, lists, etc. The Dollar Tree calendars had only come in a black, red, green or blue vinyl cover with the year stamped in gold on the outside front cover. This last year, when I picked one up in either November or December, they had some really cool covers (finally) and I bought the one shown. I was really excited when I saw some great graphic designed covers.

NEW PLANNER

Recently, I bought myself a new Franklin Covey planner at OfficeMax. It's a reddish kind of color. All my other planners were usually black. This new planner has a zippered pocket on the outside and a pocket right behind it, another zippered pocket on the inside as well as a big pocket behind it, six pockets for cards or whatever you'd want to put in them and a pocket behind the card pockets. It also has a notepad on the back.

The calendar that comes with it is monthly and you have to write in the dates (numbers) yourself. It also has weekly pages and a name/address section. I did take out the weekly pages and the address book and I added some lined note pages, dividers and a pocket folder as well as some sticky notes.

I would like to get some nicer monthly/weekly pages with some kind of color and decor so they're not so boring even though I will do some decorating to the pages. Maybe this weekend I will go to the stores and just look around and see what's available. Although it does seem like there's not a huge assortment to pick from unless you go online. Being a graphic designer, I am going to design my own calendar inserts as well as some dividers, etc.

One other thing I need is a seven hole punch. My old planner only had three rings which was nice. So even if I bought paper that had more then three holes, I could just stick it in. This new Franklin Covey planner has seven rings. Some of the paper I bought has only three holes which, I started punching the other four holes into but, I gave up after about some five sheets. LOL Amazon has a Franklin Covey seven hole punch and that's the one I'm going to buy.

UPDATE: Week of January 18, 2016. I found it!! I've been looking everywhere (in stores) for a Franklin Covey seven hole punch. If they (any store) had it, I'd have to order it on their online store. No store carried (carry's) it at all. I stopped by my local Office max to pick up some Scotch washi tape that they have had on sale for $1.00 (3 in a pack). They're practically out but, I did buy one pack. Anyway, before I left the store, I decided to checkout the clearance section and there it was!! A Franklin Covey seven hold punch for $6.93! It was the only one on the shelf. I couldn't believe it! I mean, I had been in that store as well as some other stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc.) quite a few times the last few weeks and nothing. It's just so weird. I have had the Franklin Covey seven hole punch in my cart on Amazon ($21.25 or more depending on the vendor) but, I kept holding off and had not ordered it. I almost did a few times the last couple of weeks. That was a great find!

What's your favorite planner? How do you use it?

PLANNER DECOR

I have been watching some You Tubers show and talk about their planners and how they decorate them, how they use them, etc. I've always used highlighters and some stickers. Anyway, I went to Target and searched their dollar bins and found some cool stuff like the notepads, sticky notes, stickers, etc. I also got some planner accessories at Walmart and at the Dollar Tree. Oh, I also got some Scotch brand washi tape at OfficeMax on sale!! The package contains three tapes for only $1.00!! The sale ends around March 12, 2016. I'd like to get a couple more packages.

Do you take some time to add some "flair" to your planner?

ACCESSORY STORAGE

Another item I bought were a couple of photo boxes at Walmart to store all my planner stuff in. These boxes are really nice and they're only $2.00!! There's one more box I want to get. It has black and white vertical stripes on the box and the lid (I think) is black with a big red heart and it says something about being my Valentine. It's really nice. Hopefully, I can get that box within the next couple of weeks.

What types of storage do you use for your planner accessories?

NEW YEAR, NEW PLANNER?

Maybe next year, I'll give another brand a try such as an Erin Condren, Kate Spade, Kikki K, Sugar Paper, Happy Planner (MAMBI), Bloom Daily, Passion Planner, etc. Only thing is, some of these planners are kind of expensive so, I'll have to do some research.

Yes!... Planners have been a part of my life for quite a long while. It sure does help to "write it down!!"

Monday, October 5, 2015

Finally!... Got Myself a KitchenAid® Artisan® Design Stand Mixer

For years I've been dreaming of owning a KitchenAid® Artisan® Design Stand Mixer but, I've never really had that extra cash for one. With the deal I found, I just couldn't pass it up. Now, I just have to go pay that credit card! Hahaha!

THE MIXERS

These KitchenAid® Artisan® Design Stand Mixers are so beautiful, so nice and they come in a few gorgeous colors. There is a model that comes with a stainless steel bowl and plastic attachments and a model with a glass bowl and metal attachments. I said to myself that if I ever got one, I'd want the mixer with the glass bowl.

They also have a Pro Line® Series, a Professional 6500 Design™ Series and a Professional 600 Design™ Series as well as a couple of commercial series models.

These mixers have a 59 point planetary mixing action and there are 15 optional attachments to use with your mixer. From food grinders to pasta makers and more. The attachments are sold separately. Unless, there is some kind of promotion like the one I received with my mixer (FREE Food Grinder).

Between all the different models, they come in a huge variety of colors. Good luck trying to choose one color.

PRICING

Because these mixers are a tad on the expensive side, these last couple of weeks I did some pricing research. Online, I checked out Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Sears and Kohl's. The following prices for Target and Sears do not include taxes which would be around $18 - $20.

The regular price of a Candy Apple Red mixer is $499.99 on KitchenAid.com. On Amazon.com a Candy Apple Red is priced at $479.00. There's a bit of a price savings buying from Amazon.

NOTE: The following pricing was during the last week of September and first week of October 2015.

Target:
Regular Price: $399.99 - $459.99
Sale Price: $320.00
No Coupons
Site did not state FREE Food Grinder

Sears:
Regular Price: $459.99
Sale Price: $314.99
No Coupons
FREE Food Grinder: Value $50.00 - $60.00 (depending where you buy it)

Bed, Bath & Beyond:
Regular Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $399.99
Total (with the following coupon) $320.00

20% Off Coupon: $320.00
FREE Food Grinder: Value $50.00 - $60.00 (depending where you buy it)

Kohl's:
Regular Price: $469.99
Sale Price: $439.99
Total (with the following coupons, discounts and taxes) $319.80

30% Off: $308.00
Kohl's Cash: $10.00 off = $298.00
Note: For the 30% off, I signed-up for the Kohl's charge card

Kohl's Cash Received: $60.00
Kohl's Gift Card: $30.00 (my mixer model ended up not qualifying for this gift card).
FREE Food Grinder: Value $50.00 - $60.00 (depending where you buy it)
Total of around $120.00 back from Kohl's

In the end, if I would have gotten the mixer with the stainless steel bowl, I would have saved quite a bit more money but, I wanted the glass bowl right off the bat. LOL

GREAT DEAL

The best deal (I thought) for the mixer with the glass bowl was at Kohl's. Since they didn't have the mixers with the glass bowls in-stock at the store, I had to order it. I placed the order through their kiosk. I chose the Sugar Pearl Silver color (model: KSM155GBSR) because, hopefully, next year I can upgrade all my kitchen appliances and I would like to get stainless steel.

I would have liked to get the Chrome mixer but, those cost $670.00 at Kohl's.

Currently, I have all GE/GE Profile appliances in white. This coming January (2016), I will be starting 18 years of owning my house. So, I will have had my appliances for 18 years. It's time to upgrade!

Kohl's gave me $60.00 Kohl's Cash and I have until October 12 to spend it. If I buy something that comes to total $61.00, all I will spend is $1.00! Anyway, if I don't get an attachment for my new mixer at Kohl's, I'm thinking of a new silverware set or, a nice set of cookware like Cuisinart would be awesome!

It would be great if Kohl's had some of the KitchenAid® Artisan® Design Stand Mixer attachments on sale like the pasta maker or, the stainless steel bowls, etc. I do know that they carry the pasta maker but, I don't think they have either the glass or stainless steel bowls in-store. I'd like to get an extra bowl or two such as another glass bowl as well as a stainless steel bowl with the splatter cover. An extra beater would be nice too like the one that has the scraper.

MIXING and BAKING

I have read that batters come out better when mixed with a KitchenAid® Stand Mixer (most likely with any other mixer as well) than mixing it by hand. But, on the other hand, a lot of people say mixing their batter by hand (with a wooden spoon) is better.

So far, I've used my new mixer once. I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies (pictured on the right) and the batter seemed to come out really good as well as the end results. The cookies came out great!

For this batch of cookies, I got the recipe out of the KitchenAid® booklet that came with the mixer. It was super simple and I had all the ingredients on hand.

I can't wait to make other baked goods such as cakes, brownies, pies and more cookies. Did I say "more cookies?" Hopefully, one day soon, some homemade pasta too! In that case, I'll have to make the pasta sauce from scratch. LOL

FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE

My favorite kitchen appliance is my new KitchenAid® Artisan® Design Stand Mixer. I hope it does last me forever so that I can hand it down to my one and only child.

What's your favorite kitchen appliance?

Monday, September 28, 2015

Spices for Chicken, Potatoes & Sauces

One of my favorite stores that I like to go and bum around in is "Home Goods." There are four of those stores in neighboring towns not too far from me. On my weekends, when I get bored and/or don't have anything to do, I will go to one or two of my Home Goods stores to see "what's new?"

Sometimes, I'll find a spice that sounds good so I'll buy a bottle and try it out on chicken, beef, potatoes, etc. Thing is, I have learned that if you find a spice you like, you'd better go back ASAP and get a few more bottles because next time, they won't have anymore.

One spice I found a while back that I really liked on chicken and potatoes is Honey Aleppo Pepper by Victoria Gourmet.

After I used this spice, I was in love! Just a few months later I wanted to get some more but, it was nowhere to be found. Every time I'd go to a store, I would look and look but no luck. Also, since TJ Maxx stores are a part of Home Goods stores, I would check those stores out too. Guess what? There was a TJ Maxx store on my way to and from my recent temp job. So, I decided to stop and check if they might have any of my spices and, they DID! They had about four bottles of the Honey Aleppo Pepper for the regular price of $4.99. While I wanted to buy all four bottles, I bought two.

Also, they had three bottles of a Sicilian Seasoning (which is really good too) on clearance for $3.00 a bottle so I bought one. I already had a small bottle of this seasoning and I had tried some in some jarred spaghetti sauce. It really made a difference and gave the sauce better flavor.

Of course, I really wanted to buy all four bottles of the Honey Aleppo Pepper and all three bottles of the Sicilian Seasoning.

Yes... I can order these spices on the Victoria Gourmet website (if they have them in stock) but, I think they're a bit more expensive. Then there's shipping and handling. For now, I'll stick to buying them at Home Goods (and, buy more than one bottle at a time).

What's your favorite store to shop at?

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Practice Using Adobe Premiere Pro

I learned the basics of Final Cut Pro in my spring 2011 Multimedia class. Since I don't have a MAC at home with Final Cut Pro, I do have a PC with the Adobe Master Collection. So, I thought I would practice editing video using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Project: Short Music Video
Software: Adobe Premiere Pro
Song: Tom's Dinn Daa Daa

Created, shot, produced and edited by Elvira (Visual Xplosion). This is a practice project.

Visit my You Tube Channel SaFire98 to view more video projects.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Better Picture's With A $3000 Camera vs. $300 Camera?

A while back, I was speaking with someone about my black & white photography class and how every student in the class is assigned the exact same camera model (as well as a camera bag) to borrow for the semester. That way, everyone has the same camera and during lecture about the camera, when it comes time for the instructor to show us how to use and work with the camera, s/he would not have to mess around with showing each and every student how to use or work with whatever different camera model was brought in.

So, that person said to me (regarding every student being assigned the same camera model) “Is that because a person that might have a $3000 camera will take better pictures than someone with a $300 camera”? Hahaha…. I said “no”! I thought that was really funny!

I thought about that person’s remark and boy is he wrong! It does not matter if you have a $3000 camera or a $300 camera. The person with the $300 camera could take better pictures than someone with a $3000 camera.

For a professional photographer, it’s not just about point and shoot and just taking pictures. It’s about taking great interesting photos. It’s about getting that great shot with good lighting or good shadows and much more.

It all depends on your picture taking knowledge. If the $300 camera owner knows how to use and takes advantage of angles, knows how to use natural (outdoor) lighting and shadows, they will take better pictures than the person who is just pointing and shooting with their $3000 camera and does NOT know how to use natural lighting, from what angle would be best to take and get a great picture, etc. And this person had supposedly taken a photography class at one point in their life.

"INTRO TO BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY" CLASS, 2011 FALL SEMESTER HAS ENDED

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 is the last day of my “Intro to Black & White Photography” class. Even though it’s been hard work, it has also been a fun semester. I learned how to develop film and how to develop photos. Of course, we learned about aperture, shutter speed, focusing, etc.

Some of our class projects dealt with shooting exercises like “Freezing”, “Panning”, “Depth of Field”, “Bracketing Exposures”, “Backlighting”, and assignments such as “Light & Form”, “Angle of View” and more.

CAMERAS

The camera each student was assigned and used for class was the Asahi Pentax K1000, 35mm SLR with 50mm lens. I’ve read that this camera is a great camera for beginning photography students. It has rave reviews.

They say that the Asahi Pentax K1000 cameras that were first made in Japan, compared to the ones made in China, are the best because, the *China made cameras, the top and bottom plate were made of plastic rather than of stamped alloy. The production line shifted to China during the K1000’s 21-year span.

BOOK

I really like the book our class used “A Short Course in Photography” 8th Edition by Barbara London and Jim Stone.

This book covers most all the basics such as a bit about film, cameras, lens, how to set-up your own photo lab, equipment used, and much, much more. I’m definitely keeping my book! Meaning, I’m not going to sell it back to the school bookstore.

FILM AND OTHER SUPPLIES

The film we used was 400 TMAX Black & White Negative Film. The paper we used to develop our photo’s on was ILFORD Photographic Paper, MGIV, Multigrade IV RC De Luxe, Pearl, 8x10. We also had to purchase some Crescent Board to mount our photos on and some ColorMount that goes in between the photo and the Crescent Board as well as Archival 35mm Negative Preservers.

BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY LAB

It would be great to one day set-up my own black & white photo lab so that I can develop my own photos. Thing is, how much longer will 400 TMAX Black & White film be available (as well as all other film whether black & white or color)? I know there are other black & white films out there but, I’m used to the 400 TMAX.

Buying a photo enlarger along with all the chemicals needed as well as other supplies such as a black & white photo enlarger, timer, trays, developing tanks, film washer, film reels, dark room accessories, etc., it’s not cheap.

References

* http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.htmlAsahiPentaxK1000.html~mainFrame

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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Your Identity: Do-It-Yourself Logo Design Sites

There are quite a few “do-it-yourself” design sites for logo creation. They might charge anywhere from a few dollars and up to $99 (more or less). With most of these sites, you can have your logo in just one day or two to three days! Isn’t that great!?!?... NOT!

These cheap “do-it-yourself” sites (you) don’t do the research needed to make sure the logo you purchase is truly original and you usually get your logo as basically a JPEG which is not a good format for being able to shrink your logo for use on small projects to blowing it up for bigger projects.

Also, these “do-it-yourself” sites seem to be using images and clipart that has been originally created and designed by professional designers exclusively for that certain company that hired a designer. These designers DID NOT give their permission to have their work outsourced and/or used and sold to others through cheap “do-it-yourself” sites.

Why Hire a Professional

One reason to hire a professional is because a real graphic designer will consult with you to get an idea of what your needs are and will do the research to make sure that the logo you get designed will be exclusive. It will not be a copy of another logo.

When the time comes for your startup/company to get a logo, contract a professional designer to do it for you! The designer could be either a freelancer or one that works with a design agency.

Yes, it may take anywhere from a month, six months or more to get your logo through a professional designer, but in the end, the results will be credible.

Besides receiving your logo in JPEG format, your professional designer will deliver your logo to you in a “vector” format which is an editable and scalable version which you will be able to use in a variety of projects from placing it on, let’s say, a flash drive to a ginormous billboard without the logo losing its quality.

Also, in vector format, your printer will have no problem working with your logo with placing it on your product. Otherwise, they will tell you to come back when you have the right format.

Some designers might even be able to help you come up with a tag line or help you tweak the one you have. Ask your designer. Extra charges may apply.

The process that your professional freelance designer will go through usually involves…

So, contact a REAL designer for your projects! And, don't steal other designers work by "doing-it-yourself". You really don’t know where the “do-it-yourself” site got the images/clipart that are posted on their site. Your logo may end up not being valuable and you won't have permission to use work that has been designed for others and/or for other companies.

Yes, it does take time to get a good, quality professional logo and you may pay hundreds of dollars or even thousands of dollars for a logo designed for you by a professional designer. That logo will be original and yours exclusively! It is definitely worth the time and the money!

Your logo should be unique to you and your business. It should evolve with your business. It will be YOUR IDENTITY!

Copyright Laws

If you buy a logo off a "do-it-yourself" site, you could be in trouble if you purchased a designers work without their permission (due to the designer not having given the site their permission to post any of their images and/or their work on such sites).

The designer owns all rights to the artwork they have created for a client unless they sign off on the contract or on a separate agreement that you (the client) have bought out the copyrights from the designer or the designer may “lend” the client a piece of their copyright.

For more information on copyright laws, you can view Copyright Basics for Graphic Designers on the AIGA web site.