Free FOOD + STILL LIFE Photography Course

Drumroll please…I got super exciting news!

I´ve been on full speed in my studio lately re-vamping my biz + creating AMAZING new training for YOU. My goal this year is to help even more fabulous creatives build their dream lives, doing what they love.

I just released a brand NEW Challenge to Improve Your FOOD + STILL LIFE Photography In Just 5 Days.

With this mini course you´ll discover the secrets to capturing beautiful photos and take your FOOD + STILL LIFE photographs to the next LEVEL.

JOIN HERE; http://christinagreve.com/free-5-day-email-course/ (it´s 100% FREE!)

And that´s not all….(don´t you just LOVE surprises!)

TODAY I´m also launching a brand NEW and totally FREE MEMBERSHIP CLUB for creative women. Needless to say I’m over the moon excited about this!

You get access to a powerful collection of workbooks, checklists and mini-trainings to help you remove blocks that get in the way of achieving your goals.

You´ll find helpful tips on branding, business, creativity, productivity, blogging and photography. If you´re ready to honor your BIG dream and become unstoppable, come join us! I would love to have you on board.

JOIN HERE; http://christinagreve.com/club-creative-women-entrepreneurs/ (Heck yes, this is also FREE!)

Five Tips for Taking Photos in Low Light

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The days with pretty sunlight are soon gone! If you live in a Country where it gets dark during fall and winter I have good news for you. You can still create beautiful photos!

In my upcoming photography course I teach all about shooting with natural light. I never EVER use a flash. Not even in the darkest time during winter – and that´s a challenge because it can get pretty dark in Denmark.

I used to panic when winter came. Afraid I would not be able to do my work. I tested shooting with flash, rented a professional photo studio – but it´s was not for me – not my style.

Free Resources for Creatives. Join Christina´s FREE membership club Creative Women Entrepreneurs and get access to workbooks, mini-trainings, worksheets and checklists – carefully designed to help you THRIVE in BIZ + LIFE. Join TODAY – it´s 100% FREE!

I adore natural light and with time I learned that it´s possible to capture beautiful photos even in low light conditions.

As winter is slowly arriving, I share my best tips to shooting in low light.

Five Tips for Taking Photos in Low Light

1. Shoot in RAW

The photos on this page was all shot during times with little daylight available. In most photos I will emphase the darker mood in the photo, but sometimes I also make it as bright as I can for a more clean and fresh look – it´s possible as long as you shoot in RAW. When you work on a RAW file in Lightroom or Photoshop ACR you can really brighten the photo a whole lot without loosing quality. I´ts magic. It´s a lifesaver! Use the exposure slider, the shadow slider and the white slider to lift the shadows and brighten the photos.

2. Raise ISO

I remember when I was a beginner in photography I was told that I should always keep ISO on 100 for best image quality. That´s true, but also a very limiting rule to follow. One of my tips is to play as much with ISO as you can. Take some test shots and notice how high you can take ISO with your camera without seeing to much noise in the photo.

This knowledge will help you tremendously when you shoot in low light. During the darkest winter hours I often have my ISO set to around 800 or 1200 ISO. It´s very different from camera to camera how well it performs with hight ISO settings, so it´s important to test it. Play with it. Don´t be afraid – ISO can be your new best friend.

3. NO FLASH – Use window light

Never turn on artificial light in the room when taking photos, it will add yellow tones to your image. Also avoid any type of flash – especially on-camera flash. Simply use window light. Make sure to place yourself as close to a window as possible. The bigger the window the better, but a small window can do the job as well. Your photos might look dark when you look at the back of your camera, but don´t stress, you will do the last work in post production.

4. Use a tripod

If you use a tripod for stability you can allow the camera to let in even more light, without the risk of getting unsharp photo. When the camera is stable and out of your hands you can lower shutter speed + aperture . This will give you brighter photos and a tack sharp photo. Remember to use a remote so you don´t touch the camera with your hands.

5. Edit in RAW

This is by far the most important tip! As long as you shoot in RAW, you can do wonders in editing. No matter if you use Lightroom or Photoshop ACR you can get amazing results. When I shoot in low light I allow my photos to look darker on the back of my camera than I normally would accept.

When I look at the back of my camera I can see what´s going on in the image but I can´t see any details because the image is to dark. Then when when I get the photo into my editing program I immediately raise Exposure to take a closer look at the image quality. From there I do my normal editing.

In my photography workshop I include ALL my SECRETS on how to edit your photos like a pro. My tricks are EASY to learn and everybody can do it!

3 Ways To Awaken Your Creative Spirit

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Have you ever tried loosing your passion for photography?

Have you ever tried feeling uninspired and in a creative rut?

And do you sometimes feel blah about your work?

From time to time photographers turn to me for help when they find themselves in this situation. I personally know how it feels and if you do too – read on…

I want to tell you: being in a creative rut is a dangerous state of mind for a photographer—it often results in a big wave of negative, self-critical thoughts, and feelings of anger, frustration and resentment.

I want you to reframe these feelings. When they pop up, take them as a red flag that perhaps you’re on the wrong track.

The truth is: these negative feelings are a sign that you haven’t been taking care of yourself—which means it’s time for a change.

When you feel like this, it’s often because you feel stressed or burnt out.

Perhaps you are:

making too many compromises in relation to your work
saying yes too many times to too many people
working your butt off but don’t feel valued
feeling under appreciated

Creative passion ebbs and flows, and sometimes it can feel like it disappeared and won’t return. The dangerous part comes from giving up when you do lose passion —calling it quits and accepting the fact that you just don’t have it in you is dangerous territory.

You need to know that even the BEST photographers in the world, have at one point in their lives, felt this way. ALL creative people have. If they haven’t yet, then they will at some point during their creative careers. It’s 100% normal!

“Creativity is not a talent, it´s a way of operating!” – John Cleese

It’s time to admit that something isn’t working anymore. It’s time to take action!

Here are 3 ways to get you out of a creative rut and back behind the lens more inspired than ever

1. Know your priorities and focus on your goals

Knowing your priorities and values helps you put the brakes on your creative rut.

Ask yourself this

Is what I’m working on a part of my larger goal? (aka your dream)

Avoid doing any creative work that doesn’t help you move towards your larger life goals. And say no to everything that doesn’t make you excited.

If photographing aunt Sally or the children next door isn’t a part of your future dream then learn to say no. Respectfully say no and refer them to someone else. Your time is worth investing in YOUR dream—not someone else’s!

2. Don´t be afraid of change

Look at the way you work: your workflow, your client contact, your photography style, your pricing structure and so on. Point out everything that makes your stomach hurt with resentment. Listen to your gut feelings, and make those difficult decisions that you believe are the right way to go.

Change is a positive thing and it’s your life—do what you have to do to make it amazing!

Ask yourself:

Is this the type of creative work I want to be known for?

Is this the type of work that makes me happy and excited?

If not, start making small changes right now to get your focus back on track.

If you’re afraid of change, consider:

What’s the worst that can happen if I make this change and it turns out to be wrong?

then…

How will I benefit from this change if it turns out great?

Often, the potential positive outcome will outweigh the negative. And often the change will turn out to be exactly what you needed!

3. Take a break

This is crucial.

Taking a break is neurologically proven to help spark creativity. Take a holiday. Travel. Get away from your photography or creative projects for a few days or weeks.

A holiday doesn’t have to be an expensive vacation. For example I often just drive a few hours away, check in to a hotel/Inn/Cottage and stay one or two nights alone (or with a friend) without my husband or kids. It’s my time, just for me to restore.

Do activities that you know will boost your energy and your mood. Remember that losing your creative passion often comes from stress, so knowing that, choose to take it slow and restore yourself.

If you can’t take a long break, take as many small breaks you can during your day, or work less hours than you usual do. Perhaps you need to turn down some projects or clients to create more time for yourself.

“Without rest, a creative mind can’t function at its best!” – Christina Greve

Most important is to be gentle with yourself, and be delighted that you always have a choice. You can do much more than you think you can and you have all the power inside of you to create the most amazing life for yourself.

Oh and…

If money issues is stopping you from taking time of: Raise your prices TODAY!

If money issues is causing you to take on jobs that you don´t really want: Raise your prices TODAY!

Remember: When you take care of yourself, your creativity will blossom!

With Love