HOW TO EDIT A PERFECT PHOTO STORY?

STORYTELLING NEEDS EDITING

What is the story you are telling?

I will write quite loosely my thoughts of editing. I hope you find some good tips to make your editing process more focused and easier. I wanted to tell a story about our late lunch - blinis. It happened in our home on a beautiful sunny winter day. I also styled it to look like a slavic table. Not so seriously though. Blinis have Russian roots. 

Things to consider when you start to build your story. You should already think these things when you are shooting and of course during you are editing photos. Remember also when you are shooting the story to get different kind of pics for sure.

Show scene and build narrative - how you draw the viewer to follow your story? 

Point of view - where are you? 

Purpose - what are you trying to tell?

Lightning -use it for benefit for your point of view - soft light, hard light, dabbled light etc.

Find mood, create atmosphere - develope emotion - that is what the story is about  

Introduce people in story

Follow movement

Show ideas

Find contrast

Find details

Sounds logical?

On editing you should know how many pages you have in magazine or how many pics you want to use in your single blog post or in your IG feed? These days we have digital cameras and it is easy to shoot a lot. Editing is more difficult because you have so many pics to go through. But like the cliches "Kill your darlings" and Less is more" editing is all about making decisions. You have to make decisions which photos tell the story, which ones are the strongest ones. If you think about a magazine layout you can notice there are big and small photos in the same story. Which photos are the main pics - pics you want to show and best for your story. Which ones support the main photos well. There are different combinations for sure how to tell your story and I don't want to say there is right or wrong, just want to give you some tools and tips how to get rid of the too many alike pics in your story.

Some tips:

Pics have to have enough difference from each other:

new angle, different depth of field, direction, close up or the whole subject. There are so many different ways to make a pic. Every story need to build from small pieces.

Pic have to have new or different information from the subject. Go close - step back. Go up, go down. Try to find the best angle for your subject. Thinking out of the box helps here.

Which order you show them? In blog you have to start with very good photo because people is so short tempered in internet. It's obvious that a very good pic draws attention where ever you tell your story.

Surprise the reader, begin with not the obvious pic. Doesn't work always.

There are strong main pics and supporting pics. If you can't think what new or different the pic brings to your story - it might not be the one to use. Even though you have made a huge job for cooking, baking, shooting and styling the photos, you should not show too many alike pics in your final story.

I have few choises from one angle from same subject. I have to pic one of them. I don't want to show all of them only because I can't choose which one is the best one. Luckily - more you edit better you come. I hope you aren't thinking that editing is too difficult for you. No it's not. But if the pics are too alike you should show only one of them. Of course it depends on your story. If  you are telling a story like mine today - choises to make is easier than for example if it would be a food and travel story.

Ok, are you still with me? 

If I haven't already said it enough clearly, I say it again. You have to make decisions - can't avoid that. But it is good to take editing as learning by doing. Nothing bad happens if you feel afterwards that you should have chosen differently. You learn everytime. Make a new story.

You can also ask from your friend or collegue their opinion while you are editing. I bet they see things a bit differently but this is not a matter of who is right - you always have to listen your inner voice but it is good choise to let somebody else go through the pics - of course knowing your story. Like I had first 78 pics I went quite easily to 20 pics and then I edited pics still 10 and finally I chose to tell my story with 7 pics. A good thing to remember is that you can also take a break in editing. Continue after few hours or next day. I usually don't like to make a final editing straight after photoshooting. I make the first selection but I like to leave the final editing for the next day. But sometimes you just have to make them during same day. That's why it is good to learn how to do it more efficiently.

I´m sure I forgot something so please ask if you feel you want to hear my opinion.

Finally here are recipes of blinis and muschroom salad. This time we did not have dairy free so we used lactose free soured cream. But you want to be dairy free you can use for example Oatly's oat creme fraiche. 

Other ingredients with blinis are of course chopped red onion, chopped russian salt cucumber and fish roe.

GLUTEN FREE BLINIS about 25 blinis / by my husband and he doesn't follow so much other people's recipes. He cooks food quite freely.

3 dl water

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

1 dl teff flour (very healthy choise and gluten free)

1/2 dl rice flour

1 dl oat flour

Combine ingredients let it rest at least 3 hours.

Add:

1 tsp salt

1 dl mineral water  Mix it to the dough.

2 eggs. Separate white and yolk. Mix yolks to the dough.  Whip egg whites to firm. Fold gently into dough.

Fry blinis with canola oil until they get a bit color from both sides.  

We also made mushroom salad with blinis.

MUSHROOM SALAD

1 1/2 dl smetana

dried mushrooms/salted mushrooms to taste

1/4 onion chopped

1 tsbt olive oil

1 tsp white vinegar

salt to taste

white pepper to taste (we didn't use pepper)

Mix all together and let it rest for awhile at least the time you fry blinis.

Bon appetit! 

I hope you get inspired to make blinis, they are so very tasty.

Phew, long blog post full of information. I hope these thoughts helps you on the way to perfect photo story. Well, I guess perfect is a bit strong word but it is always good to have a goal that makes you work even harder. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that one of those pics is iPhone pic. Which one?

I've blogged couple of times photography tips so you can find them here: 

IG feed food photography with smart phone

Composition

Have a beautiful Sunday and creative week!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. this is the contact sheet of 20 pics I started to edit to final 7.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A SMART PHONE/CAMERA - EDITING

HOW TO EDIT A PERFECT PHOTO STORY?

This time I keep my blog post quite short and clear. I show you here a contact sheet of today´s late lunch. Blinis with slavic styling. Not perfect because all my this kind of props are at my workspace. Some I have here. I photographed with dsrl camera but the last 3 pics are photographed with iPhone.

I already have been editing some pics away but I still have these 20 photos left. But I can't make a blog post of 20 pics. Too long story and too much same kind of pics, don't you think. I think I'm going down at least to 9 pics maybe tomorrow when I continue with this I will make it even less. 

Edit your story as good as it can get - that is what I like to tell you this time. Some tips about how to edit your photo stories shorter. I will do it tomorrow. I think we have a tiny blind spot when we are talking about choosing only few good ones that tells the story even better than 10 pics. Kill your darlings. Not easy but worth to try. But I will get back to this tomorrow. 

Just go through my contact sheet of blinis and think what kind of edition you would make? I'm trying to tell about beautiful winter day meal - slavic blinis. I will include a gluten free recipe too. So this is a food story.

I've been posting other photography tip posts before. You can find them following links below.

How to make a beautiful photography for Instagram feed ? Food photography with your smart phone.

Food photography with smart phone - composition

See you tomorrow!

xo

Kreetta

CREATIVE INSPIRATION

FLOWERS + LINKS

Instead of pink hearts and cheesy quotes I like to share some creative links with you today. Everybody needs inspiration and chance to see things differently time to time. I went back in time and tried to remember the early inspiration sources I got when I started my blog, painting and making ceramics and DIY. We go back maybe even time before Pinterest.

I remember how happy I was when I found a very interesting site called Book By Its Cover.  It is a site devoted to showcasing creative publications run by talented Julia Rothman. I fell in love with the sketchbooks by Alison Worman. There are a lot of creative energy and talent. Worth to see.

Second place where I like you to visit is Trendtablet by Lidewij Edelkoort. It's a place with so many interesting stories and things to see. This time I chose a wonderful project called grafted for you to see. It's a combination of ceramics and plants. 

Workshops. How much we get positive energy and inspiration from other people? I've been in several food photography workshops and I have to say they have had a big influence on me. I found the very first one I attended from Ace Camps. Different kind of people with different backrounds but with one common thing - love for food photography. It was a beautiful experience and I got plenty of inspiration and met a lot of lovely people. At the moment it is quite easy to find a workshop compared few years ago. They are very trendy at the moment and so many are making them. So choose carefully!

I have so many creative idols that it feels a bit difficult to name only one but her name is Hagar Vardimon. She makes beautiful and thoughful collages. Go and see her wonderful work under the creative name Happy Red Fish Art.

Finally we get to the last link and that is Fine Little Day's blog post about whittle. I don't remember when I found this blog but it has very nice nordic feeling with great topics and this time she is writing about something that is (i think) coming strongly next trend. Whittle. We already have followed creative people like woodworker Ariele Alasko who makes beautiful things from the wood. But as a DIY person I have already made plans to buy a very good carving knife to make a hand-carved wooden spoon. But in a meanwhile I borrow the carving knife from my husband :)

What is your favorite creative link?

xoxo
Kreetta

BIRTHDAY FLOWERS

A NEW BEGINNING

It all starts with one like my favorite singer Ane Brun sings. My very first blog post was on 29th of Jan in 2012. 2016 gretchen gretchen blog is 4 years old. Small joyful girl, I think. 

Ever since 2012 I've been changing things here in gretchen gretchen blog. But it has always been about creativity and inspiration. First I blogged in Finnish and English, then I decided to continue only with English. 


This is the third design I have on my blog and I have made all of them by myself. The second one was born after making a mood board. You can find a video I made of the mood board here. I have had many different kind of topics like DIY, food, photography, style, vintage, ceramics, art and concept, slow living, video, food photography workshops and personal posts. Which one you are interested? Just click the word you like and you'll find my favorite blog post of that topic.

I had a bit different kind of birthday blog post in my mind after Christmas but everything changed in my life on 30th of December. My dear mom got sudden attack. She died on 4th of Jan. So even though I try to be positive about blog's birthday you might understand why I choose to photograph only flowers and keep this blog post short. Flowers, gardening and indoor plants were my mom's favorite hobby or lifestyle I could say. 2012 I made a blog post about visiting her and I told you about her orange tree. Grown from a orange seed bought from grocery store in 1965. So it's now 50 years old. It has followed my mom always till now. Once I asked my mom why my flowers and plants doesn't look as good as hers? Ok maybe the question of watering but she did tell me that she talks to the plants, touch them and of course take good care of them.  

Literally this is a new beginning for me. Time heals they say. I have promised myself that I will cherish her memory in every way. She started oil painting only few years ago and I saw her skills growing quite fast. I got so much good from her I just hope I can use it well. I will end this blog post to one of my mom's favorite song Petit fleur by Sidney Bechet you can find it here. 


Life is simple. You only need love and care. That's about it.

xoxo
Kreetta

HOW TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

CERAMIC FLOWER FROGS

How are you? It's been awhile I've been blogging here. I will show you this time my ceramic flower frogs I made before the Christmas. You can use them in making a beautiful flower arrangement. I was also honored to be featured in Happy Interior Blog by Igor Josif. Go and stop by his lovely blog and read the story about these flower frogs. I won't write the same story here.  Instead I write something very personal. But Igor wrote a very nice story. Thank you so much Igor!

You might know that my mom has suddenly past away two weeks ago. I'm feeling a bit better but still I am in the middle of mourning my mom. It's amazingly difficult to accept to losing her. I'm also sad about her life - not continuing. It is still unreal and somehow I only see her smiling in my eyes and I almost wait to see her when I go to her home. But no, we are going to have her funeral on next Friday. This time has been hardest ever for us. I love her so and I have decided to make funeral flower arrangement for her by my own hands. I'm sure it helps me on the way to accept that her death is part of life. We all have our own way of dealing with sorrow. I have to make things to feel better. I'm going to bake too like she did a lot because I feel I got my talents from her and I will use them to make her never forgotten. 

I already bought the base for the flower arrangement and next I will go to Pinterest find the flowers I want to use in my arrangement. After that I will order them from florist and of course because it's the winter time there might not be flowers like peonies. Peony is one of my mom's favorite flowers but also roses were deeply in her heart. I try to make a photo of the arrangement and show it here but I don't promise anything because it might be too hard task on the funeral day.

I want to make a flower arrangement to be a bit like poem. I've never done one before so it will be my first one. But it is the most important one too. This pic above is from my mom's hands in August 2014 when I had my birthday party in our garden. I invited women from my family and friends to make a flower garland with me before the party began. It was great fun even though I was so so excited that I could not concentrate to make it myself, funny. But I enjoyed a moment with my dear people around. That was enough for me. Also the birthday party was very lovely and I have very good memories of that. We danced the summer night away in the garden - my mom, me and all the lovely people.

I wish you a very cosy and happy Sunday!

xoxo

Kreetta 

ps. If you want to see the blog post about the flower garland you will find it here.

EASY CHRISTMAS DECORATION DIY - SIMPLE WHITE ORNAMENTS

HO HO HO BAKING SODA DOUGH!

I saw this DIY in Facebook by Kodin Kuvalehti. It is really simple and easy. I don't know if you are a bit like me...I have always a bit hurry before Christmas when I start to get these crazy ideas what I like to do before and for the Christmas...this time I got plenty of time to make these because they are so easy. That is a very very good thing, I think. Photographing them today was the hardest part. We have sooo low light at the moment but luckily I have a tripod.

First you make the baking soda dough. This recipe is from Kodin Kuvalehti.

INGREDIENTS

1dl corn starch

2dl baking soda

1,25dl pure water

Combine ingredients in the pot. Boil over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken into the smooth texture. Remove from the heat. Put the damp cloth over it. Let it cool for awhile. The important thing is to have enough moisture in dough. It's hard to make pretty ones when the dough is too dry. So keep your dough moistured. I kept mine in damp cloth and in a plastic bag waiting for baking. But this dough is the easiest ever to bake. Thickness of the dough should be about 5 mm and use spatula in lifting your pretty ornaments on to the baking sheet.

MAKE YOUR ORNAMENTS WITH

rolling pin

cookie cutters

plastic or wooden board (you can use plastic wrap around the wooden board like I did)

stick to make holes

spatula

baking paper

texture from different kind of things (this part is my favorite!) like I used dried poppy seed pod and pearl necklace. Never ever use the most obvious - that is my motto, I admit.

There have to be also a reason why to make a DIY. I need these ornaments for the Christmas present tags. We have made some homemade preserved ginger pears. Some of you are going to get them - some not. This is our first year with these so either other way you might be lucky.

After you have baked your ornaments, they go to oven or you can also let them dry over night in a room temperature. But as I said I'm always a bit hurry (and impatient) to wait for the result so I baked them in oven in temperature 75 C degrees about one hour. Depends on how thick they are. I guess that's about it. Of course you can play with colors from spices or water colors or proper food coloring but I liked pure white. Simple.

So off you go and have fun with your family and friends! Make many beautiful ornaments. 

It's time to Wish You A Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. You will find me in Instagram @kreettakreetta

 

NEW CERAMICS + iPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MARKET AT RYTI-HOUSE

Weekend is here. So great. Tomorrow I will be at Ryti-house in Huittinen. It is my sister's family's place. I have all packed and hope we are going to have a great Saturday full of Christmas feeling. There will be traditional Christmas Market. I will be selling ceramics like flower frogs, vases, pendant, small cake stands and bowls and small paintings and small prints of my photos taken by iPhone. They are super cool :)

I wish you a beautiful weekend and maybe we see at Ryti-house tomorrow!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. Christmas Market is on Saturday 11.12. from 11 am to 17 pm address Raskalantie 218, Huittinen. See the FB event here.