Sunflowers, sunny days and studios

There's something so cheerful about sunflowers. Their bright yellow colour demands attention in late summer, towering over the rest of the garden and dominating the farmer's markets.

 I'm usually not a fan of brightly coloured flowers, especially yellow, but sunflowers are the exception. I have to have at least one bouquet of them every year.

 We've been enjoying beautiful sunny days and I've been taking advantage of them!  These last days of Summer are a blessing and meant to be enjoyed.  I've spent them working in the garden or reading a book on the porch, anything to stay outdoors as much as possible.  It won't be long before venturing outside is the last thing I want to do!

 I thought I'd show you my new studio set up. It's nothing fancy but it's just what I need. I'm fortunate to have an entire room to use for my photography and any craft/sewing projects that I want to do. Once I'd cleared out half the room, I re-purposed a 30" x 60" folding table that I covered in white contact paper and placed it under a large window.  White muslin curtains act as a diffuser when the light gets too strong.  The table can be pushed back against the wall when I'm not using it and I can hang a back drop there if I choose.  The most difficult part was finding a place for everything I removed from the room!  It took a few days of trying this here and moving that there before I was happy.  I'm looking to purchase some simple lighting for those dark winter days when there isn't much natural light available and I'll also be painting the walls a soft white.

So there you have it!  Well worth a few days work.  It's nice to have everything handy when I'm ready to shoot and not have to re-arrange everything in my living room or reading room to get enough space to take my photos.