Since I’m keeping it light this week with the Flash Giveaways going on, I thought I’d show you some what it’s like behind the scenes of Beautyholics Anonymous. 🙂
This is Command Central. It’s where I’m at every day. I’ve taken many pictures of my desk for the past Bloggie Wednesdays posts. This is my hub to the world, where I chat with LeGeeque daily (she keeps me sane on not being able to physically chat with anyone), read the news, deal with emails, get creative with my jewellery, edit photographs, write and blog. My work ends at about 5.30pm when the husband takes over with Diablo 3. I don’t see this desk again until 8am the next day.
The desk is also where I do a lot of my product photography. I have a lightbox, but I don’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary (e.g. if I need to snap urgent product shots at night. This is quite rare). I like the dark mahogany background and the big double windows are a godsend for natural light photography.
The cameras I use for photography is an old Canon 400D (Tamron AF 17-50mm) and my trusty Panasonic Lumix LX5. I find the latter very good with highly close-up macro shots. It’s also easier to carry around with me than the heavy Canon. The DSLR originally belonged to Tim, but since he barely used it, it’s now mine.
Another place I do product photography is the floor right outside my bathroom. Not a glamourous position at all to take pictures since it’s such a narrow corridor, but the diffused light from the bathroom is lovely against the wooden floor. A number of product shots you see on Beautyholics Anonymous are taken on the floor or carpet (I make sure it’s clean before snapping pictures, of course), and often in the most unladylike positions! 😛
As for image processing, I’m a Photoshop girl. I’ve been using Photoshop for about 5 years now. I don’t know all there is to know about in-depth image processing, but it’s enough for me to get by.
Original image pre-processing
Post-processed image
That’s me trying to figure out what to write. I look like this 90% of the time.
Oh well, I’ll leave the writing for tomorrow.
Yay time to photograph my new blush and play with it!
I hope you’ve enjoyed a sneak peek behind the scenes of Beautyholics Anonymous. Like most bloggers, it’s a one-woman show, and definitely not as glamourous as you might think. In fact, when I’m writing, I’m usually in my jammies (I write best when I’m comfy and what’s more comfortable than jammies?). Not very stylish when the postman rings twice and I answer in my big fluffy robe, makeup-less face and bad hair. 😛
I love my desk for the exact same reason! I wish mine was against the window though, it’s often too shady to get good results! It’s nice to know we all dress the same when writing 😉 hehe
Rachel recently posted..Bellabox: September 2012
Rachel: Hey whatever works for us, especially when we need to be comfy when blogging, right? 😛
Exactly! Who can concentrate sitting in a tight pair of jeans 😉
Rachel recently posted..Bellabox: September 2012
Eh wait, that pretty much looks like me half the time! LOL! Except I don’t have a nice desk as I work from a cramped one (planning to remedy that) and I’m found on the floor half the time. Fun post Tine!
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Paris B: I love behind-the-scenes things, so I thought might be fun to do one too. These images are staged for this post of course, but most of the time, yep I look like that (other times I look worse :P). I’m usually sprawled on the floor trying to take a good picture 😛
Love behind the scenes stuff! Neat trick with the bathroom lighting as well. Your desk is very clean and organised 🙂
Emily: I’m a stickler for neat desks, which of course, drives my husband bonkers 😛
Aww cute post! BTS are always fun 🙂
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Jess: Do one do one! 😀
I love you tine! You are awesome 😀
Aww thanks Poohkie! 😀 xx
love this! love your huge neat desk too! my desk is so cramped almost no place for mouse already ><
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Xin: Hehehe I’m a stickler for neat desks. Drives Tim nuts 😛
Yay! Same here! I love using my parquet floor as background. It’s just super sophisticated. I actually have a wooden ledge where sunlight shines softly upon too, and that’s another nice place. Or else, I’d just use the bedsheet, which is quite pretty, IMO. But mostly, mostly, like you, I’d just photograph at my desk, using MacBook as the background. LOL!!!
One of the biggest reasons for using that, other than convenience, is that I can stand my products against the monitor! hehehe. Otherwise, I am not quite sure what to stand my products against.
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Jyoan: Oh that’s my biggest gripe too, about how to make my products stand. E.g. photographing tubes on flat surfaces are a pain (when they’re lying down instead of standing upright). The light reflects off the shiny surface and it becomes over-exposed. Most of the time I have to put a small piece of Blu Tack under the tubes to prop it up 😛
How do you keep the desk so clean and neat?? Bet you lose verbal communication with Tim when he starts his Diablo3 too 😉 Love the pose on the floor! haha
Su: I’m a gamer’s widow with that blasted game, I tell ya. Time to eat? “You eat first!” Time to watch a show together? “I’ll catch the rerun” and so on. Can’t wait till he’s finished with the damn thing so that I can uninstall the game and hide the CD 😛
As for the pose on the floor, I’ve done a lot worse. Not at all ladylike 😛
Hahaha I can completely connect with you! “5 seconds” = 30 minutes. “2 minutes” = 1 hour.. I’ve lost count of times I’ve reheated dinner during winter because of his game! lol
Tell me about it! So annoying! 😛
When I think of all the hours I deprived Tim of his Diablo during my visit (and your blogging hours too)…oops! That floor photo of you is epic, reminds me of the positions the “camera buffs” get up to for our annual family photo!
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Beetrice: OMG yes! I didn’t even think of our family’s ways of taking pictures until you brought it up 😛
Nah, he hasn’t gotten D3 yet when you were here. So you’re all right 😛
I always feel it whenever you’re not online on my work day. It’s just not right 🙂 Love these behind the scenes cos I can kepoh! 😀
LeGeeque: Hahaha well thanks for keeping me sane during the day! 😛
Love this post! I love reading about other people’s work stations, since I spend so much time at my own. 😛 And yes, I’m speaking like the true nerd I am.
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Grace: Haha me too! Hence my obsession on blogs with pictures of people’s desks and how to decorate their home offices. Fun, right? 😛
Love your behind the scene post!
I’m always out in the garden in my jammies with all the hair in a bun taking product photos hehe. Not a good sight when I’m snapping away hahaha!
Fiona: OMG me too! It’s always when I have my jammies and robe on, no makeup, hair in a bun, taking product photos when the postman or courier decides to ring the doorbell 😛
I LOVE IT!!! This post giving me a very warm feeling…. thanks forsharing…:-)
My pleasure AnneJ! Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek 😛
Ha you have a much more stylish & better set up area than me!
I sit in the couch, with our laptop in pj’s with copious amounts of tea/coffee & snacks.
I really should spend the time organizing the spare room!!!
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Mel: Haha I haven’t used a laptop since we bought the desktop. Too spoiled with the big screen to go back 😛
I love your bathroom! I love the white and blue 🙂
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Stacey: Mat and hand towel were from IKEA. Didn’t realise I had a blue theme going on until I put everything together. Then it was hey, blue-green Listerine, blue mat, blue hand towel and blue jelly room deodoriser! 😛
Such a great post, I’m going to be moving house soon and I’m finally going to have more room to work. Storage space has been cut down greatly since moving in with my boyfriend!
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Megan: Yay! It’s nice to have your own room to play with. We only have two rooms in the house, but I staked my claim on the second room from Day 1 so it’s all miiiinnneee! 😉
Wow, it looks very professional, about lighting, the best I’ve founded is in my bedroom or the stairs. Also it’s a good idea to do your posts in pijamas LOL
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Efrain: Haha I find it funny when people dress up all cute and lovely when they blog. I don’t know if it’s staged for the blog or not, but me, I NEED to be comfy when I’m blogging. This means PJs and daggy home boots 😛
Wow, this has been an amazing insight! And to see where you place products for that gorgeous angle…. who knew it was unglamorous as that?! You make it all seem effortless! I’ve been trying to look into how to improve my photos – but I know nothing about the lightbox or the lil umbrella thingy (see, check out my lingo!) Gosh I love your bloggie wednesday posts 🙂
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Kimberley: Haha thanks! I call it the umbrella thingy too. No idea what it’s actually called, and don’t really care ‘cos umbrella thingy sounds much better 😛
I smiled throughout this post because it reminds me of ME! I am ALWAYS in my PJs when it is Blogging Day. And before I started working full-time again, I was doing that EVERY single day too! Minus the jewellery. I wish I had another outlet though. Wish I could be creative like you 🙂 And don’t know how to photoshop either so my photos are so dull! Maybe you could do a PS Bloggie Wednesday post 🙂 Yes yes 🙂 Haha! xx
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Ling: Hahaha I was thinking of doing one on Photoshop but I’m really not that good. Will see what I can do 😛 In the meantime if you’d like to learn more, check this out one: http://thenotice.net/2012/03/beauty-blogging-curves/. I use curves A LOT 😛
this was awesome Tine 🙂 behind the scenes are fun!!
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Thanks Swati. I love reading behind-the-scenes stuff, so I thought I’d do one too 😛
your desk is so neat and clean!
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Haha thanks Coco. I can’t stand an untidy desk, which annoys the crap out of my husband who uses the desk in the evenings. I’ll be “WHAT’S THAT PAPER DOING ON THE FLOOR? WHY ARE YOU NOT USING A COASTER FOR YOUR BEER?!” Yep very annoyed and find me annoying 😛
LOVING those revlon colours. especially together..
Sammi: Me too! The colour combination is quite pretty 🙂
I love seeing behind the scenes posts like this! These pictures are all so cute!
Do you blog full time?
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Thanks Kimberley! I’m a sucker for behind-the-scenes shoots 😛
Half-half I suppose. I spend half my time on my small jewellery business, and the other half on the blog. Make a bit of money on the latter. At this point, not enough income to sustain full-time as yet 🙂
Thanks for sharing your behind scene story Tine!! I love reading it!!
Hahah thanks Michelle. I’m such a sucker for behind-the-scenes things (hence the DVDs I buy must have those, if not, *ahem* download *ahem* :P), so I thought I’d do one myself! 😛
I write best bra-less. LOL.
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If I have a LIKE button for this, I’d give it 100 likes 😛