ePAW 3

Pew… last week was a busy week, with exams and exam projects…

The third ePAW (experimental Project A Week) will therefore be about one of the exam projects, namely the project I did for my class in video production. It’s sooo much fun but it takes soooo much time! 🙂 (I guess it goes faster with time though)

I guess the whole thing was kind of a big experiment but I especially found one little experiment extra much fun. Seven minutes into the film there’s a little sequence where you can see how the glass melts as the temperature in the kiln rises. I’ll write a little more on this in next (hopefully later this week really…) week’s blog. For now you can watch the result if you want to. Sorry, but if you don’t speak Swedish you’ll have some trouble understanding what I’m actually saying in the film…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn9jhReVp4U

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ePAW 2

As promised my second experimental Project A Week is about my home-made studio lights.

I’m working on a small film project for a college class and I needed good lights for filming. Said and done, I got some tips on how to make studio lights, surfed the net for a while and combined my findings to these lights:

This is how I made them:

Since I’m using low energy flourescent light heat isn’t a big issue here. Unfortunately I could only find warm white lights, therefore the white balance has to be adjusted when I film. The best would be if I could find cold white lights instead!

• I used a thin masonite board (cheap and I had it already)
• aluminum foil
• duct tape
• spray glue
• 30 mm drill bit
• 3 + 2 light sockets
• 3 + 2 electrical cords with plug
• 3 + 2 flourescent light bulbs (equal to regular light bulb of 100W)
• 1 + 1 tripods
• 1 + 1 nut, washer and bolt

I started by drawing and sawing the board:
  

Then I drilled holes for the light sockets three in one and two in the other  and glued aluminum foil on one side of the board – to get even better light more could definitely be added!
  

I taped the lamps with duct tape – in hind site it would be smarter to glue with wood glue since the duct tape doesn’t stick that well with the masonite board – I’ll do this with them soon 🙂
  

Now I just had to screw in the light sockets and attach the cords and the bulbs and they were functional lights (but with no stand)
  

To make the stands I found a good tip on the internet where someone had used tripods for home-made lights. He had mounted the holder behind the light (by the light bulbs) but I thought it was better to mount the tripod onto one of the side panels. The great thing with using tripods is that the lights can be adjusted in hight and angle very easily.

The normal camera screw is removed (but can be put back again so that the tripod can be used for a camera again) and then a bolt and a nut is used to fasten the lamp. I also used a washer to make it more secure.
   

Now the lamps are finished and ready to use!
 

This project has started the gears in my brain for some cheap, easy and adjustable smaller lights to use when I photograph my jewellery – but this will be a future experimental Project A Week! 🙂

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ACE, Artist Compass Exercise

Today I’ve done my Artist Compass Exercise for the start of 2012!

It’s a really good exercise created by Tonya Davidson of Artful Success to help you find out your compass words to help with your direction. Don’t we always need a bit of direction and a compass to find our way? You can do this exercise too if you just follow the links above!

My four compass words are:

• Focus – I will focus on what I will benefit from and the things that will bring me closer to my goals.
• Accomplish – I will accomplish what I’ve set out to do in life and in business.
• Appreciate – I will appreciate the positive in my surroundings, people and things which will create an upward spiral with even better things.
• Persevere – I will persevere with my good habits and choose where to put my energy

Those are my compass words for 2012. Now it’s your turn!

Happy Compassing! 🙂

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ePAW 2012, week 1!

OK, I’m finally getting in to the Blog world!
My plans for this blog except from learning about blogging is to take on a challenge for the new year: ePAW 2012 🙂

I’ve always liked to learn new things and to experiment. My challenge for 2012 is to do and blog about one experimental Project A Week.
It can be different types of projects, but my main goal is to have fun, learn new things and develop both my creativity and skills during this process!

First week’s project is actually this Blog!
I haven’t blogged before and to make it even more challenging I’m doing it in English which isn’t my first language (Swedish is). So I hope you’ll excuse my English and spelling when they’re not as they should… 🙂

Next week will be about a couple of home-made studio lights I’m working on right now…

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