For my recent birthday I wanted to create my own photo booth with an 80s theme. Ordinarily, we’d go out to a safari park or similar for a birthday outing, but since 2020 is the year of “different”, I chose to embrace different! So, I planned a day of eighties silliness that included a photo booth (and loads of school disco worthy tunes!).
So, I searched Etsy for a sparkly backdrop and quickly found a cheap one (£6.49). Since I was going with an 80s theme, my son and I set about making some posters – I did go all out and buy new stencils and day-glo paper, any excuse to get more stationary, but these are an optional extra! We had great fun making the posters….I may have spent too much time enjoying it!
I set my camera and a flash up properly, but it could easily be done with a phone and some window light. I believe you can get photo booth apps, but a filter and frame in the Instagram app would do the job really well. I edited my photo in Snapseed, which is my preferred phone editing app.
Camera and flash setup
Set up the self timer, grab a silly inflatable accessory (less than a tenner for a set of 5 brilliant ones on Amazon – guitar, sax, microphone, keyboard, ghetto blaster!), dress in ridiculous clothes and shimmy on back to the decade that fashion forgot 😂
Find an excuse and set up you own photo booth. Fun for all the family and really easy to do.
Thanks for reading. Let me know if you give it a try. Daft clothes optional.
Well, we’re on the cusp of the kids going back to school in the UK and I know I’m not the only one feeling weird about it. Of course we all have some trepidation about how this is all going to work whilst we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, but it’s also more than this.
We’ve all been at home so long and been doing things so differently that it’s difficult to see how we’re going to get back into that routine – I do not envy teachers who must find it hard to settle kids after 6 weeks off, nevermind after 5 months! Some kids are desperate to get back, others are going to find it really difficult, and those little reception children are going to have to go in without their mum’s – heartbreaking for everyone. And us parents, we are going to find it so tough – I’m already losing sleep! Not only is the hygiene aspect soon to be out of my hands, but I’m not going to have my child with me all day for the first time in 5 months! And although there is, undeniably, some appeal in this, I’m going to miss him so much! We’ve been inseparable for this time and it’s mostly been amazing.
Puddle jumping in the sun
So, I’m going to focus on all the fab things we’ve done during this time. All the new places we’ve found, all the things we’ve learnt, all the nature we’ve seen, flowers we’ve grown, all the kitchen discos…
Blue tit eating meal worms
All the PE with Joe, the home learning lessons and projects, the VE Day celebrations in the garden, the water fights, the home Sports’ Day, our garden music festival…
Making a VE Day banner
The movie nights, the giggles, the endless football in the garden, the craft sessions making posters and banners for various events, the looking after a poorly robin and the discovery of hedgehogs visiting our garden.
Poorly robin
And now that I’ve written that out, it’s clear that we’ve been lucky enough to have had loads of fun during this scary time. So, rather than worry about what I can’t control when school restarts, I’m going to try to focus on the gift of time that under normal circumstances we would never have had. And I’m going to spend the next 5 months sorting out all the photo memories!
Exploring a reservoirReleasing our butterflies.
Stay safe.
Clare x
www.claremcewenphotography.com – sign up for my newsletter on the home page and never miss a blog post. And get 10% off your first print order.
During this period of current bonkersness (surely this will make it into the Oxford English Dictionary this year!), I’ve found myself getting increasingly nostalgic. I think it comes about for a variety of reasons – not being able to get home and see my family; seeing on social media that my school friends were feeling the same, and therefore thinking about those friends; thinking about the teenagers who must have been one of the most affected demographics of lockdown, and remembering how tough teen years are in a normal world, nevermind amongst all this. Whatever has triggered it, the nostalgia is at an all time high right now!
I suspect I’m not the only one who’s been feeling like this because I’ve connected more with old school friends over this time than I have for ages – and it’s been lovely. I don’t mean we’ve been messaging each other relentless over the last few months, but sharing the odd memory on a Facebook post, adding a supportive comment, having a little giggle. And, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it feels like we’ve reminded ourselves of those ‘glory years’!
Regardless of why, this nostalgia has found me planning an ’80s themed party for my upcoming birthday. Obviously, ‘party’ is stretching the definition to the absolute limit, since it will just be 3 of us, but actually this suits me perfectly. I get to plan and make a load of fun nostalgic decorations, make a playlist that would have made my 10 year old self’s ears burst with excitement (aside: my 10th birthday party was an ’80s disco in our front room with me ‘DJing’ on my mum’s record player with my prized collection of singles and three different coloured light bulbs in our overhead light!), plan a photo booth with suitably eighties accessories, and generally just find utter joy in re-creating everything that represented my childhood.
Rubix-tastic decorations!
Since I still have some eighties style clothes and accessories from a themed gig I did with my band some years ago, I shall add a few neon items about my person too – although I may be alone in that! And I’ll crank up the record player with my period appropriate records and re-live my 10th birthday party, but with the addition of a photo booth that only I will want to use 🙂 Watch this space for ’80s themed self portraits soon!
For those who wish to relive the ’80s, or for those unlucky enough to have been born after this glorious (if uncoordinated) decade, here’s a playlist of school disco-approved tracks 🙂
If I’ve missed anything vital off the playlist, you have any suggestions for party decorations or you just want to join in the nostalgia, please leave a comment.
A global pandemic, worldwide lockdowns, everything changing in the blink of an eye….2020 definitely had strange plans for us. Plans that have turned our world upside down.
Sunset over Rhyl beach
Early on in this rapidly evolving situation, along with many others, I was struggling with the fear. But as soon as we were locked down, I knew I had to try to find positives. So I focused on my child and how we could make this a time to remember for good reasons (I also stopped looking at any news, to make this easier!)
Intentionally moving the camera a bit can create beautifully relaxed pictures
I tried to make home schooling fun….although my patience and energy definitely waned as the weeks went on! We spent a lot of time in the garden looking at nature and growing flowers and vegetables. Inevitably, we spent much more time in the house than normal.
We were supposed to see my family in Cornwall at Easter, so I missed my fix of the sea (we did get to go in August, see my previous blog post). But whilst thinking about this, I looked at some of my seaside photos. Could I bring the sea to me if I had them professionally printed?
Intentionally moving the camera can also give more painterly effects
The answer was yes! I immediately saw that those sea feelings could be brought back with the right scene. So I started thinking if the same could work for others? Could I bring the same feelings of calmness, joy and memories of times by the sea into other people’s living rooms.
So I set up my own website for selling prints of the sea, beaches, beach huts and general seaside feelings. I really wanted something positive to come out of this year, and this was my phoenix from the flames. My very own website showing the world some of my favourite photos.
Artistic sunset
Let me know any positives you’ve taken from the topsy turvy year that is 2020.
We finally got to go to Cornwall to see my family last week. This was our very delayed Easter break, I guess, but we got there! The global pandemic may have screwed up everyone’s plans, but to finally be able to see my family was fantastic.
Porthleven beach
Cornwall is still home. I may live my everyday 100s of miles away, but Cornwall is still home. And Cornwall provided! Quiet coves, rocks to climb, the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore, rock pools, pretty stones, limpets, anemones, shells, plenty of photo opportunities, and food for the soul.
Porthleven harbour
Seeing my family was lovely and we had a brilliant time, but it’s a weird feeling when you’re physically distancing from your sister because she’s not in your social bubble! We wore masks when in the car together! Aside from the ‘interesting times’ we’re living in, it was a pretty perfect visit. We found coves and walks we’d never been to before, the weather was pretty perfect for exploring (not too hot, not blown into the sea by the wind 😂), and we avoided the busy tourist areas. In short, we had one of our best mini breaks down there, despite it being the bonkers year that is 2020!
Me looking for the next photo!
It’s always a wrench leaving home. Not just leaving my family, but leaving the sea, the sand, the sea air, that freshness that only sea air can provide. That sense of history from a childhood growing up there, the memories that make me smile or give me a twang of pain. The friends that I rarely see, but still love dearly. The waves crashing on the shore etc etc.
But I’m so grateful that I got a few days at home at this time. And I do feel refreshed from it. Oh yeah, and I did find that “Paris pigeon” photo I talked about in my last blog post – and it’s a whole lot worse than my memory of it 😂
So where’s home for you and what do you love about it?
And let me know if you want to see the Paris pigeon, it’s not art, but it’s a wonderful memory.
I can’t believe it, but I’ve just launched my very own website, selling my very own photo prints!!www.claremcewenphotography.com. I also can’t believe how long it’s been since I first picked up a camera (or how I can remember that far back 😉 ).
I think I was about 8 when my Mum bought me my first camera. A 1980s classic (I think they call it vintage now!) Halina, taking a 110 film – for those who remember the 80s, they were the cameras that were long and thin. They were great for a small budget, and performed very well for a young, budding photographer. Prior to owning my first camera, I was fascinated by our family cameras – the main one had a separate flash you attached to the top and always reminded me of an ice cube – and then there was the mighty Polaroid (which I’m lucky enough to have inherited, and it still works just fine). So, when I got my own, I was beside myself with excitement – I could take photos of anything I liked!
I was always fascinated by capturing moments in time, preserving the feelings and storing each memory we made with a snapshot – and that has never changed. And I was lucky enough that one of my first major photography trips was to Paris! I was a Brownie, and when I was 8, our Brownie Pack won a tea-making competition (very British!) that got us sent from our small rural town in the depths of Cornwall to the sophisticated city on the Seine! Ridiculously big trip for us little country Brownies, but the adventure of a lifetime. It took us several hours in a coach before we even got to Exeter airport – this was massive for us and, almost certainly, more massive for our parents!! Oh, and I forgot to mention, it was a DAY TRIP! We had to get from deepest, darkest Cornwall to Paris, and back, and have lunch there and see some sights, all in one day! We of course we not phased – we had know idea about the logistics, we just knew we were off to Paris. Anyway, we made it there, and I got my camera out. I’ll be honest, of all the dodgy photos I took in Paris, the one that mostly sticks out in my mind is my infamous (well, within the family!!), ‘Paris Pigeon’. Not the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, a somewhat filthy Paris pigeon. Oh yes, and the photo of a smiling Gendarme – I can still see his face now 🙂 Capturing moments, capturing feelings! These were the important moments to my 8 year old self – these were the memories that now very much live on even though I haven’t dug the photos out in years.
So yes, Paris was the beginning! Many family holidays, many photos, several cameras as the years went by. Then University and loads of memories of the hilarious times, the brilliant people, the outings and exploring with my new boyfriend (now my husband), all captured by the camera I religiously took everywhere with me – side note: for the younger generation, there were no mobile phones when I went to Uni….I know, how did we survive….actually, I really don’t know how we did! Next, some adventures around Europe, and more recently documenting family life with my own child – full circle really, as he is now 8 and uses my old compact digital camera!
Well, I warned you this was a meandering journey, so thank you if you’re still reading! And here I am, selling photographic prints of the seaside and of nature, and still capturing the moments. But these moments are the ones that bring me a sense of calm and well-being. They make me breathe a little deeper. They help my shoulders relax. And they make me wonder at the magic and the beauty of our natural world.
Whilst we’ve been locked down, we’ve spent a lot of time in the garden – thank goodness the weather gods have been shining down on us…..a rarity in the UK normally, but nothing about this time is normal! We live in the middle of a housing estate, but we do have a decent sized garden. There are quite a few small trees in the garden and we’ve always had birds nesting in it, but this year we’ve had a chance to pay more attention.
Wow! We have had a lot of birds visiting our garden! We had first Mr Robin (Robbie), then Mrs Robin (Roberta) and now two baby robins too (Ronaldo and Ronaldinho – I should point out it’s Portuguese Ronaldo not Brazilian Ronaldo!).
I love mum’s expression as she’s harangued by her offspring!
We’ve now got baby blue tits too, which are all fluffy and very cute! There seem to be quite a few of these, including Becks!
Becks getting out the bath
There’s a baby pigeon in one of the trees, being very well looked after by it’s attentive parents. For a while, I was worried that mum wasn’t going to have a baby since she’d been sitting on her nest for weeks and nothing appeared. Then suddenly we saw a baby head pop up next to mum’s in the nest – joyful.
We have regular blackbirds, and sparrows flitting through the raspberry canes picking off bugs every evening. We’ve seen a red kite and a buzzard overhead and a lesser spotted woodpecker on our TV aerial. We also found our first frog of the season – my husband usually finds them when he’s mowing the lawn!
Now, we usually see blackbirds, pigeons and blue tits flying by, but I’ve never got friendly enough with a robin for it to seemingly look for us – and pose when I have the camera out!
Hello, look at me!
Or watch baby blue tits begin their first steps of independence. Or ask a squirrel politely if it could wait until I got my camera….and for it not only to wait, but come a bit closer to me for a better shot!
Ready for my close up
What I really can’t believe about all this though, is that normally we miss most of it! Normally, we’re racing from one place to the next, glancing out the window occasionally. Normally, we haven’t got time to wander around the garden for hours with cameras in our hands. And perhaps normally, we don’t place enough importance on it.
Hopefully, from now on, we spend more time just being in the garden and making friends with the wildlife. Perhaps our new skill after all this will be recognising different bird song and learning to slow down a bit.
I was doing one of those 10 photos in 10 days things on Facebook the other day, when I realised that I’m always so busy racing headlong into the rushing onslaught of the world that I rarely have time to look back and cherish the memories.
The sea at Porthleven, Cornwall and the inspiration for this post.
Although it’s for a terrible reason, this lockdown is providing me with some welcome space to reflect and re-evaluate. For once, I’m not thinking too much into the future (mostly what we might do for home-schooling tomorrow and not much beyond!), but I am thinking of some of the cool things we’ve done, the beautiful scenes we’ve seen, the holidays we’ve had, as well as thoroughly enjoying the bonus time we’re getting to spend together now.
Personally, I am very keen to focus on the positives of this experience. The negatives are obvious, but I’ve found so many positives too – time to look back through photos (which for me are inextricably linked to memories), time to sit and watch nature, time in my greenhouse and, most importantly, time spent with my family. In particular, although home-schooling is a challenge (some days an insurmountable one!), it does mean I got to try it and often quite enjoyed it. And it’s precious time with my son, which under normal circumstances I would have missed.
Home schooling – something I wouldn’t have experienced, but sometimes quite fancied the idea of.
So, look back, reflect, take time to process those joyful past experiences that whizzed by. And in time, this too will pass and, for most of us, maybe we can look back and find some cherished memories.
So for the last few weeks of lockdown, we’ve been watching caterpillars eat and grow and eat and grow. A couple of weeks in and they formed their chrysalises, and a couple of days ago they emerged as beautiful Painted Lady butterflies.
As a family, we’ve all thoroughly enjoyed watching the infamous butterfly life cycle. Yesterday, we decided it was time to set them free. They were a little cautious to begin with, then crawled onto my son’s hand, and bravely launched themselves into their new world.
I wonder if that’s what we’re going to feel a bit like when the lockdown is lifted and restrictions reduced? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to be unable to get within 2 metres of anyone for the foreseeable future! It’s funny, a few months ago, we would never have believed that this would become our new normal. A month or so into lockdown and we’re probably all adjusting a bit, in due course we’ll have to get used to being released into a new world!
What was everyday is going to feel weird, I’ll likely be anxious about being in contact with other people and I’ll be hoping against hope that the feared second peak doesn’t occur.
Whatever happens, we’ll get used to it, and hopefully we will embrace our new world, bravely.
Clare McEwen Photography 