Category: photography

DIY Camera Bag

April 20, 2012

For months, I’ve been craving a purse made specifically for digital SLR cameras. I even found these amazing bags that I would love to have if I didn’t have to pay from $120 to $250 for each. It was a happy day when I finally stumbled across several photographers’ blog posts (a few are here and here) on DIY camera bag/purse. I couldn’t wait to try it!

My main expense for the project was the purse — I chose a black ELLE Lotti Hobo bag from Kohls ($47.40) before a 20 percent discount).

I was more specific about what I wanted this purse to look like on the exterior than the interior. I knew I needed a purse that was large enough to carry my Canon SLR camera body, two lenses as well as what I would normally carry in my regular purse. I also wanted to be able to fit an iPad in it when I travel.

I wasn’t sure how this DIY project would work — I’m not usually successful on them — so I reused dividers from other camera bags I had as well as fabric left over from my sorority days. My only other purchase was foam to line the inside of my purse from Hobby Lobby ($2.17).

Once I had everything I needed I — OK, my mom — made a pillow case of sorts for the poly foam that I bought. The foam fit perfectly inside my new purse and the pillow case for the foam allows me to easily change the foam’s cover whenever I feel like it.

Here’s my finished camera purse. It works great, however, I now need to go back and either sew a zipper, button or velcro to the open side of my pillow case.

My DIY camera purse is definitely well worth the nearly $50 I shelled out for it. Plus the foam slides out so I can also switch back to a regular purse whenever I need to. Definitely a project well worth the slight effort.

Thank God it’s waterproof …

April 17, 2012

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I’ve bought my first waterproof camera – and a Nikon at that! I’m ridiculously excited about having it, and my coworker and I had to test it out quickly by sticking it under our work’s kitchen faucet. It’s still working. Thank God.

I bought the camera to use during vacations such as Hawaii as well as when I go canoeing or kayaking. It’s a wise investment – I lost one camera already because I dropped it in a cup of Dr. Pepper and another when I flipped my car into a water-filled ditch (it was during a snow storm).

So, really this is great. An additional positive is that it’s shock proof up to 5-feet. Since I’m 5’4, that will work perfectly!!

So prepare yourself – underwater pictures will be coming – even if I have to just stand out in the rain to get them!! 🙂

Do you see what I see?

March 8, 2012

Last night, I was sorting through pictures from the Arkansas Post and stumbled across this picture.

I love turtles, which probably stemmed from my sorority days (Delta Zeta = turtles). So when I took the above picture, I focused solely on the turtles sunbathing. Not once, did I not the little guy right beside them. Do you see him? Look a little closer…

It’s funny that I got this picture. Just 20 minutes earlier I was telling a park ranger how I really wanted to see an alligator. Well, I got my wish, sort of.

Play ball!

February 21, 2012

Growing up, I thought the ball players who could hit baseballs out of the ballpark were the coolest people ever. I’m still fascinated today.

On Sunday, I came across this old, falling apart baseball while hiking near my house. The city ball park is near my house but I am more inclined to believe a dog brought this ball to its final resting place.

It helped remind me that baseball (and softball) season is finally approaching. Hopefully, I’ll be able to attend my first-ever St. Louis Cardinals game this year.

Holla Bend eagle search

January 26, 2012


January is Eagle Awareness Month in Arkansas. To celebrate, I attended the Eagle Awareness Weekend at Petit Jean State Park. Bald Eagle numbers in the lower 48 states have now increased from 417 nesting pairs in 1967 to more than 10,000 nesting pairs in recent years. However, this still hasn’t helped me reach my goal of seeing an adult Bald Eagle.

The Bald Eagle gained federal protection in 1940 and its population was severely threatened by the widespread use of the pesticide DDT after World War II. DDT caused Bald eagles to lay eggs with weakened shells.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changed the Bald Eagle’s status from endangered to threatened in 1995. In 2007, the Bald Eagle was taken off the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

One of the two juvenile Bald Eagles spotted within feet of each other.
The second of two juvenile Bald Eagles that we saw. I was unable to get closer.

To accomplish my goal, Petit Jean park rangers took a group including my aunt and I to nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, a 7,055 acre refuge that was established in 1957 as a result of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation and flood control project. Continue reading “Holla Bend eagle search”

Garvan Woodland Gardens

December 29, 2011
A koi fish charges through the water to see if we have any food for him. We didn’t.

I’m talented at losing things for brief periods of time, such as these pictures of Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. I went to the 210-acre forested peninsula on Lake Hamilton earlier this fall with my aunt as a Saturday get-a-way with our dogs. It was definitely interesting and was still filled with plenty of flowers despite the approaching cold weather.

One of the things I like about the place is its Hixson Family Woodland Nature Preserve. The Garland County Audubon Society says it has more than 100 different birds including the pileated woodpecker, tufted titmouse and the occasional bald eagle.

A Pileated Woodpecker we passed on our Sept. 10 hike.

The Garvan Woodland Gardens opened nine years ago and is a department of the University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture. It was initially the beloved property of Malvern businesswoman Verna Cook Garvan, who dreamed of tranforming it into a public garden for all Arkansans to enjoy. She donated the private garden to the university in 1985 (26 years ago) with the understanding it would be developed into a first-class botanical garden.

It’s easy to get lost within the property that includes Evans Children’s Adventure Garden, Garden of Pine Wind (has a cool koi pond, see top picture), Singing Springs Gorge and Millsap Canopy Bridge, Three Sisters of Amity Daffodil Hill and Anthony Chapel where more than 355 couples were married in 2010 and 2011.

I can’t wait to go back in late spring, early summer, especially since it was that gorgeous in late fall. Until then, below are some of the pictures I took:


Let’s bag it.

December 22, 2011

A cute camera bag is quickly becoming a top “wish list” item for me. I bought my dream camera — a digital Canon camera — a few months back and I have loved it. However, I have not liked my options of my camera backpack or an simple black bag shoulder. Lately, I’ve been horrible and just tucked my camera and extra lense in my purse.

It’s these lapses of judgement (I’m afraid my camera will be hurt in my purse) that has me (finally) searching the web for a cute, simple girly camera bag that could also double for a purse.

The choices are expensive, but I’ve finally (and tentatively) narrowed down the search to these three bags. Which one do you recommend of the following?

A lavender Libby bag by Kelly Moore

The Libby has two 6.5"x7.5" front size pockets and 10.5" front pocket as well as two 6.5"x8.5" open pockets on the side and a 11" xipper pocket (fits an iPad) on the back. It's water resistant and will fit up to a 17" laptop with five padded, removable, adjustable dividers. It's $249.

A Livy bag by Cheeky Lime

The Livy bag (in mustard: YAY!) is weather resistant and fits a DSLR camera, up to three lenses, a laptop, iPad, and/or personal items. It's $129.

Chevron by Ketti Handbags

This indigo and white linen bag has a one inside zippered pocket, two adjustable dividers, metal zipper closure, antique brass o-rings and brass feet. Its cute, although it'll only fit a camera and a few lenses since its 16"wx11"hx5"d. Price still unknown.

A family affair

November 15, 2011
Goofing off as our parents' pictures were taken.

My sister Libby and I gave our mother a family photo session for Christmas last year. She had talked about having family pictures done for a while. Well, the session finally occurred some 10 months after Christmas. It was a perfect morning. We used our favorite photographer — Ernie Rice Photography out of Jonesboro — and the pictures were taken at my brother-in-law’s best friend’s farm. Continue reading “A family affair”

Cook’s Lake

November 14, 2011
A bottomland hardwood tree.

I’ve been to the Potlatch Education Center at Cook’s Lake before to seeing the hummingbirds (see here and here), however, I never went further then its educational center. I recently tagged along with a co-worker who was looking for places to use in a photo shoot. We ended up in Casscoe, which is home to Cook’s Lake. We decided to stop in at the center and ended up passing it to see the boat launch. It was amazing to see the bottomland hardwood trees and scope out more of the land at Cook’s Lake. If its this amazing in the fall, I can’t wait to see it in the spring! Continue reading “Cook’s Lake”