Wednesday, January 6, 2016

DIY Photo Backdrop.

One of my favorite monthly (or more) DIY activities are our mini-photo shoots.
I love to take photos of my kids and almost every month there is some holiday, birthday or other special occasion that merits photos for memories. 
Knowing that photo shoots, even mini sessions, can run from $40 to $100 for a half hour, I knew I had to find an alternative to getting cute "in studio" shots of my kids.
With a little help from my favorite site, PINTEREST, I found the perfect solution for at home inexpensive photo shoots. 
My awesome husband picked up some PVC pipe at Home Depot for about $15.
We then cut the PVC pipe into 12 pieces based on the width and height we wanted our backdrop to be.
 4 feet 5inches x 2.
2 feet 5 inches x 4.
1 foot 5 inches x 2.
1 foot x 4.
We chose to make the height adjustable for kid sessions or adult uses. The backdrop can easily go from 4 feet tall to almost 7 feet tall with a simple attachment.
We made two legs to help the backdrop stand on its own and take the weight of the backdrop paper/cloth and also any accessories. 
For the legs and adjustable heights, you'll need the pictured below PVC attachments
When the adjustments are added to the correct pieces they will look like this. 
The simple design of this photo booth stand allows for multiple uses and heights, accommodating not only our little ones during family mini sessions, but also backdrops for adults at baby showers and blogger parties. 
The Standard design measures:
Height: 4ft. 9inches
Width: 5ft. 3inches.
The Adjusted Standard (with attachments) measures:
Height: 6ft. 4inches.
Width: 5ft. 3inches.

If you're hosting a party for GIANTS there is one more adjustment you can make for an extra tall photo backdrop .
This Extended version measures:
Height: 6ft 10.5inches 
Width: 4 ft. 8.5inches

The backdrop easily can be taken apart and stored without taking up tons of extra space in your home or a closet. 

To finish off the "in studio" look, we purchased a small rectangle piece of pexi-glass.
The pexi-glass is sturdy enough to support the weight of children for any shots being taken while sitting! It really adds a polished finish to the photos. 
The pexi glass is a little more expensive, but if you keep your eye out at the hardware store, sometimes they cut pieces in usual sizes that they have a hard time selling and will discount down. Also if you find one with a small scratch or nick on the outer sides you can get it for cheaper.
My pexi glass piece is 32inches by 44inches. Was about $15.

Between the PVC pipe and Pexi glass, we spent about $30.
$30 for something I can use 100 times vs the alternative is a great deal. 

I use my iPhone for all my photos and buy most of my props and backdrop cloths in the dollar section. 
On average I spend about $10 for specficic themed (seasonal/holiday/celebration) backdrop accessories. 

Here are some of the fun times we've used our photo backdrop.










We hope this posts gives you an idea of how you can make cute photo shoots with your kids for a price you can afford! 

Be sure to share with us photos if you make a backdrop of your own!
Happy DIY photo taking! 

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Tuesday, January 5, 2016

New Year. New Focus.

Happy New Year. 
If you're reading our blog for the first time, then Welcome! 
If you've come back to follow along our adventures for another year with us, Thank You! 
We have been truly blessed over the last 5 years to have had so many awesome followers, and we are so grateful for the opportunities this blog has given our family.

I thought I'd start the new year with a re-introduction to the people behind FordOlogy.
Kyla. 
The voice of the blog.
Wife and Mommy.
Dirty Dr. Peppers. DIYer. Bargain Shopper. Party thrower. Photo Taker.
Kevin.
Husband and Daddy.
Bread winner. Golfer. Traveler. Master Points guy.
Hunter.
Big Brother.
Adventurer. Charmer. All things Boys. 
Hayden.
Baby Sister.
Princess. Feisty. Singer. Princess! 

We're just a little family of four living out our dreams in Utah County, and we're so excited that you've come to join us on our journey.

This year we are going to gear our lifestyle blog more towards our readers! 
We want this to be a place you can come for inspiration! 
You'll still see the things you love best, like our travel posts and DIY kid friendly activities, but they'll now be written to help you with tips, tricks and how to's so for your family! 
We hope to bring you more collaborations for products and places we know you'll love.
We'll be introducing a few weekly and bi-weekly features.  
We'll also be featuring Vlogs, sharing recipes, kid crafts and parties, holiday celebrations and throwing in some budget friendly fashion finds for the whole family.

We are so thrilled for what 2016 holds for the Fords.
Be sure to follow us on 
Instagram 
and 
Snapchat: kyladawnford
for daily photos and sneak peaks into our everyday life.  
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If you're interested in collaborating with FordOlody, head over to our Sponsor page for details or email us at:
kford.squared@gmail.com