Today's Monday Lesson isn't about taking pictures but, instead, about a fun project that you can do with your old frames. Fairly often I hear from my clients that they have older frames that just aren't their style or decor anymore. Framing can be expensive so today I am going to show you something fun that you can do with some of your older frames that will give them a new life. For this project, I found 4 frames at a junk shop here in Houston. They cost me $8 each.

I recently changed my living room from darker tones to lighter ones. My whole theme in the living room is beach. The wall in my living room is full of black frames already and I want to switch them all to shades of white and light blue. So, when I saw these frames at the junk shop I thought I'd show you guys how a little bit of craftiness can save you a good chunk of change. Tomorrow I will post a picture from my studio where I did a similar thing to a bunch of older frames but in a completely different style.

The frames that I found were a little beat up but sturdy. I don't care about the wear and tear because the finish I am going to do will go perfectly with it. Here are the frames before I started.

Here's what they looked like after I was done. They were still drying when I took this so that's why they are all up on boxes outside.

This is called a crackle finish. The frames weren't bad looking to start out with but I wanted them to be lighter and I thought the crackle would work great with my new design theme. Crackle is a really simple and fun painting technique that you can use on anything that you can paint. I did this same technique on a little set of Ikea chairs that I bought for the playroom a while back.

For this project you will need the following:

a place to spread out and paint

a drop cloth

a medium size paintbrush (2 inches or so)

water-based paint for your top color (I used an off- white and a light blue)

water-based paint for your base color (unless you can use the frames as they are like I did)

crackle medium (available at most paint retailers and craft stores, I got mine at Sherwin Williams)

water based clear coat

You may also need:

sandpaper, sanding sponge (medium grit) or coarse steel wool

spray primer like Kilz

TIP! This will not work on metal frames!  Also, if you are painting over frames that have a shiny finish on them or are newer, you may need to rough them up a little with sandpaper and then use spray primer (like Kilz) on them before you paint to make sure the paint sticks to them. If your frame has a lot of raised texture or detail, you may try steel wool instead of sandpaper as it will allow you to get into the detailed areas better. The frames that I used were old and the finish was pretty worn down already so I avoided that step.

Basics: Crackle works like this...the first color that you paint or, in the case of these frames, the color of the frame before you paint will be the color of the cracks. Typically, I like a darker color for this layer because it shows off the cracks better.

Prep: If your frame is newer / shiny, sand it a little bit all over, which will rough it up and give the paint something to stick to. Then spray a coat of Kilz primer all over and allow to dry. If you find frames like mine and you like the color that they are, just clean them off and sand a little if they look shiny.

Step 1: Paint your frame the color that you want the cracks to be. In my case, I just went with what was there already. I used my clean paintbrush to dust off the frames and I was good to go.

Step 2: Apply the crackle medium to the frame in an irregular and uneven way. The thicker you apply the glaze, the bigger the cracks will be. I like to leave some areas unpainted so there will be places where it does not crackle. Here is a detail of two of my frames. The shiny areas are where the crackle medium was applied.

Step 3: Allow the crackle medium to dry. The thickness of the medium and the amount of time that you allow it to dry will affect the size of the cracks. It will not dry completely like paint does but, instead, stay a little tacky. You can see how I used a varying amount of medium. I let my frames dry for about 30-40 minutes.

Step 4: This is a fast step so you need to ready. Get your top coat color ready, get a generous amount of paint on your brush and, starting at one corner of the frame, begin painting the top coat on. You need to have a good amount of paint on your brush because you have to paint quickly and you want to try and avoid going back over the spots you already painted. It will pull and make blobs where the medium and the paint combine. The good news about this technique is that it is supposed to look imperfect, old and worn so mistakes don't ruin it. Just slap the paint on there and don't try and be too neat.

Step 5: Step back and watch as the cracks magically appear! The paint will generally start cracking almost instantly. As you can see (in the image below) I applied my paint fairly thick.

Step 6: Allow your masterpiece to dry completely.

Step 7: If you want an even more distressed look, take some sandpaper to the corner and rough them up some.

Step 8: To protect the finish or make it shine, you may consider applying a clear coat but it is not mandatory.

Step 10: Once you have your finished frames, all you need is a piece of glass, a mat and your favorite image. If you are in Houston and need a mat or glass cut for your new frame, try the nice folks over at Davis Hardware in the heights. They are also a great place to find new frames too. We would also be happy to cut the glass and mat for you (yes, even if you are using your own picture).

Here are some close up shots of my finished frames. You can see the different colors of the crackle showing through.

Don't forget, if you decide to try this out, make sure and post a picture in the comments section! Have fun!

oh, and on a side note, check out an interview with your truly on a cool new blog called Moms with Cameras.

Last weekend I had one of my digital photography classes at the studio and it was a big hit! I love teaching the class and seeing little light bulbs go off for people. It's like, "AHA! I can do this!". I have 3 more classes scheduled for this year.  The next one is in March and will also be a beginner's class. You can sign up here through EventBrite. 

For those of you who have taken the first class and want to go even further and learn more, I have an intermediate class on May 22, 2010. We'll be sending an EventBrite invite out through our email list. However, if you would like to go ahead and sign up now, please feel free to call the studio at (713) 255-2882.

Here's a little info about our beginner's class:

Looking for something new and fun? I have the perfect thing for you fellow shutterbugs. It's called the Fuji Instax. It's like a polaroid camera but the prints are a bit smaller. My sweet husband got it for me for Christmas. If you like what you see and want one of your own, you can buy it (and a slew of other groovy photo stuff) here.

As you might have noticed in the pics above, Finnian likes the Instax more than Sayer. Finnian has even started carrying it around and taking his own pictures. The Instax is also loads of fun when you go out at night! I stuck it into my purse recently and took it to a dinner party.

Now, go grab yourself one and have a little fun! When you're at photojojo, check out the cool seat belt camera straps too!

You have to take pictures of your children. They don't have to be amazing or taken by a professional. Just take some. Your memory is not as long as you might think and these moments are flying by. I had a session recently that drove that point home to me again. Meet Ellen and Charlie...November 2006.

and now, here they are in 2009. Can you believe it?

Ellen is the one who really took my breath away this time in terms of how much she's changed. She was a little girl when I first photographed her and now I guess you'd say she is a tween.

Finally, after a great shoot, it was time for the reward (or bribe? hey, whatever works right!)

Today I thought I would talk a little about some of the techniques that use when I photograph newborn babies. The images in this post were all shot in my studio. You may not be able to replicate studio lighting at home but, if you have a nice window with good light, you can get some great shots using a few simple techniques.

If you have a bright window, you can set up a little mini studio in front of it. Find a bassinet, boppy pillow or chair and place it right next to the window. You can cover the pillow with some simple fabric if you like. Move your pillow around until the light looks pretty. Shadows are good and can help define shape and give an image more interest. However, if your light is too strong or too much to the side it can be too dramatic and look harsh. You'll have to play around a little to get the right placement.

Tip #1- Get close. It helps to have a macro lens when you are getting close ups of fingers and toes. Play around with your camera and see how close you can get without it becoming blurry.


Tip #2- Use shallow depth of field to create a soft look and emphasize the subject.

Tip #3- Newborns make a lot of crazy contorted faces. Shoot a LOT! The more images that you shoot the more likely you are to get the perfect expression.

Tip #4- If you are trying to photograph little kicking feet, swaddle the legs up in a simple blanket to keep the feet together and still.

Tip #5- Take a moment to clean up the baby's nose, eyes and mouth. You may also want to use some lotion or baby oil on peeling skin. That simple step can save you lots of time afterwards in photoshop trying to get rid of distracting little flakes and crusties.

Tip#6- Less is more. If you want a clean and simple look, minimize distractors like clothing logos, bold patterns and colors. A simple, solid cloth background can be all that you need. Knitted or crocheted blankets work well too and the texture can be really nice.

Tip#7- When your baby falls into a deep sleep you can, if you're slow and careful, move them around a little to get them right where you want them. Be patient and go slow.

Tip #8- If you want the sleepy newborn look, you have to do it early. Our clients bring their babies in between 10-14 days. Once they start waking up (after about 2-3 weeks), it gets harder and harder to get that look.

Tip #9- Use Dad as a backdrop. Have him wear a simple shirt if you can.

Tip #10- Shoot from all different angles. To get up high use a step ladder or a chair.

Okay, now it's your turn! Off you go, it's practice time. I'd love to see what you come up with! Post links to your images in the comments section below. Happy Monday!