Archive | March, 2023

Hollywood Date Day

7 Mar

Thursday was date day for Chris and I, the best part of my week. For as long as I can remember, Chris and I have only had one day off together per week, and it’s a day that’s sacred. We usually do a couple of errands, picking out items to go with our new design idea for the house or picking up something for one of our hobbies. Thursday’s errand was picking up some ribbon to finish a wreath and then we went down to Hollywood.

Trips to Hollywood are always a little nostalgic for me now after we lived there for 4 years. It was where we found our first apartment after moving back to Florida from Michigan, which was really just a tiny studio that had just a sliver of a kitchen. It was where Chris surprised me when I came one day to find out we were moving to an actual one-bedroom with a separate room big enough for each of us to have a desk and a kitchen we could actually cook in. We had success in our new careers with multiple promotions, we got engaged, and I finished my Bachelor’s degree, all while living in Hollywood.

Now, we just go down to the Broadwalk to visit a few shops, go for a bike ride, or grab a bite to eat on occasion. While the food was severely underwhelming this time, we had a wonderful time re-visiting the Anne Kolb Nature Center which expanded greatly since we first visited 8 years ago now.

They now have 2 main trails with lookout points along the way. When we were there 8 years ago, the only thing I remembered was the observation tower. Views up there are amazing, with Sunny Isles Beach to the south, downtown Fort Lauderdale to the north and seeing as far west as the Hard Rock’s Guitar Hotel. The only wildlife we got to see this time were a few fish and an iguana that scared me half to death! They’re currently in the process of doing several renovations but it’s probably one of the nicest Broward parks we’ve been to.

One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

5 Mar

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If “one picture is worth a thousand words” as expressed by the Advertising Executive, Fred R. Barnard, then you could write a book on the difference that one Ring Light from Amazon has made in the photos for my website!

Just a little background… when I first started my website, BrittanyBowerDesigns.com 2 years ago, my friend Kat’s biggest critique was about the photos. I need more – something to be able to judge the size of the wreath against, more details, and better lighting. Well, at the time, I had done the best I could with had – settings and tools. I used our more professional camera, a Sony A6000 which Chris always was able to take amazing pictures with! Since they weren’t working out as well for me, I figured lighting was probably my biggest challenge since I was shooting inside and he always shoots outside. When I renovated the Craft Room, I installed the brightest lighting I could thinking it would give me the best advantage, and it has in many other ways, but it still wasn’t enough.

Fast-forward some time with Kat learning different marketing strategies and playing with her own business ventures, she discovered the ring light and insisted I buy one. Fast-forward another year and a half after taking time away from my site to focus on planning and executing a wedding, the recovery from it (which is no joke if you do it mostly by yourself and with a bunch of DIY) and other work-related changes and adventures, and I am back at it with the suggested light! And while I usually leave product reviews to my husband, JCBower, the difference is so significant, I had to do my own 😜.

Below are some of the before and after’s. The new pictures are lighter and brighter, and the glitter on the Jesus is the Reason for the Season wreath finally POPS like it should!

But I have to say the wreath I had the most frustrating time photographing was the Merry Christmas Deco Mesh Wreath. No matter what I tried, and how much color correction I did afterwards, it either came out super dark or it looked washed out and was clearly given away by the sign in the middle (bottom right).

Now, the greens look green, the reds look red and the sign can stay its true colors, and it’s not even the main focus of this picture!

While the ring light does have 5 color temperatures and is dimmable, so far the whitest and brightest setting has worked the best for me…but I do like the other options in case I end up needing them later. With the new pictures, all I have to do now is simply straighten and crop. Definitely worth the investment, and while I already knew Kat was brilliant, this is just further proof that I should take any and all advice she is willing to share when it comes to marketing!