22 Unbelievably Clever Gardening Cheats

This blog is brought to you by: Homemade Home Ideas

Everyone loves a good cheat and this article reveals 22 of the best achieving a beautiful, productive garden with the minimum of effort.

We reveal a clever trick to get the sweetest tomatoes ever, a simple idea to achieve the most beautiful blooming roses possible, a number of cheats to get free gardening supplies and so much more!

Use A Flower Pot With Builders Sand To Avoid Rusty Tools – Simply follow this one rule to make sure your tools stay rust free.

Plant These & Keep Your Garden Mosquito Free – These plants, herbs and flowers look beautiful and smell amazing, but mosquitoes hate them! Plant them around your garden or on your patio in containers and enjoy a mosquito free summer!

Buy These Foods Once & Regrow Them Forever – Onions, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes and leeks are just some of the foods you can regrow from the scraps you’d normally throw away.

Fertilize Your Plants With Milk – This may sound crazy, but check out the compelling reasons behind it!

 

Make Your Tomatoes Extra Sweet With Baking Soda – Follow this tutorial and you will have the sweetest tomatoes on the block.

 

Grow Wheat Grass In An Egg Shell – Don’t throw these useful ready made planters in the bin, check out what to do with them instead.


Get Rid Of Blossom Rot With Coffee Grounds & Eggshells – With two simple ingredients you can get rid of blossom rot easily and completely free.

Make Free Garden Tools Using Milk Bottles – Make use out of old milk cartons and make useful tools instead, whilst saving a fortune!

Starts Seeds With A Lemon Peel - This is an excellent way to start seedlings off in a great environment.

Grow Herbs For Free From Cuttings – You can propogate many herbs from cuttings – including basil, thyme, mint, oregano, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, sage and many more.

Water Plants Remotely – When on holiday, make sure your plants get the water they need using only paper towels.

Grow 100 lbs Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet - You don’t need a lot of space to grow an abundant supply of potatoes. This clever method yields up to 100 lbs of potatoes in only four square feet.

Get Superpowered Garden Soil – Follow this simple process and get “superpowered” garden soil capable of growing anything.
 

“The Best Planting Tip I Ever Received” - This simple trick makes “root bound” container plants a thing of the past and will enable you to grow healthy container plants without any issues.  

Grow Roses In Potatoes - This is a great idea for propagating roses from cuttings by placing them into potatoes. The potatoes keep the cuttings moist as the roots develop meaning healthier growing roses.

Get Free Gardening Supplies – These tips will help you to get mulch, compost, seeds, plant cuttings, seed starting containers, bamboo, pallets and tools for free!

Grow A Ton Of Organic Strawberries – This simple tip will enable you to grow the healthiest strawberry plants possible and have an endless supply of sweet, delicious organic strawberries.

Drip Feed Your Vegetables With A Soda Bottle – This tip enables you to slowly water your vegetables right at the root rather than from above. It avoids some leaf problems (from veggies that don’t like water from above) and means the water gets exactly where it needs to!

Prevent Algae In Your Bird Bath For Just $0.07 – If you have a bird bath then this is an invaluable cheat to prevent algae growth. It costs just $0.07 and works every time!

How To Get The Best Roses Ever – Make your roses bloom bigger, healthier and more beautiful than ever using two ingredients you have lurking in your kitchen: banana peels and coffee grounds.

Attract Beautiful Butterflies With This Butterfly Feeder - There’s nothing better than watching butterflies flutter around your garden in summer and with this super simple butterfly feeder recipe you’ll be able to make that dream a reality.

Attract Hummingbirds With This Recipe – If you’d like to attract hummingbirds to your garden, then make this food and watch as they flock to your backyard.

How to get Super powered Garden Soil

This blog is brought to you by: Weed Em & Reap

Ya’ know what makes me happy?

Dirt.

I’m not talkin’ about crappy dirt on the side of the road, I’m talkin’ about real, dark, rich & moist dirt. The kind you can dig your fingers into. The kind that when you kneel on it, feels soft and squishy.
Know what I’m talkin’ about?

Well, if you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about, or you’ve never experienced fabulous dirt, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m going to show you how to get SUPER POWERED garden soil. One that makes it impossible for you to fail at gardening.

Know that brown thumb you’re always complainin’ about? No more, my little grasshopper!

Determining your Soil’s Super power Capabilities

The first thing you must do is find out what kind of soil you have to work with.

Is it sandy? Is it clay? Is it silt?

Here’s how you find out:

I’ll wait here while you determine your soil type.
**Cue elevator music for 24 hours**

Now that you’ve figured out what type of soil you have, let’s go over what all that means:

Sandy soil is easily penetrated by oxygen and water, but because of the large particles, it allows it to drain too quickly, taking away water and your precious organic fertilizer.

Clay soil is opposite of our sandy soil. It’s particles are too small, which won’t let oxygen and water in very well. While it usually has more nutrients, it holds water in too long, which can create a buildup of salt deposits, causing your plants to die.

Silt is a perfect combination of particles allowing for proper watering and proper draining. Goldilocks would probably prefer it because it’s “just right”. Although, if I can give you some advice, don’t tell Goldilocks about your garden. That girl is a rotten little thief.

Getting your Garden Soil “just right”

You may think if your soil is Sandy, to just add Clay soil, and vice versa if you have Clay soil, but actually this doesn’t work well at all. The layers don’t mix well and after some watering, you’ll have the layers separate again. (Just like in your test jar)

To turn your Clay soil into SUPER POWERED Soil, add…

• For loosening up your clay soil, I’d recommend using Cocopeat, Sphagnum Moss, or Gypsum. Each of these would work well for loosening up your clay soil and allowing for oxygen and water to get through. Work in about 1 cu ft bag for about every 10 sq. feet of garden space. Gypsum is the cheapest option, at only about $2-3 a bag. Even if you can’t afford to meet the recommendations, just remember that anything is better than nothing.

• Organic material is a MUST for gardening. Not only does it feed your plants with necessary Nitrogen, it also provides food the microorganisms in the dirt. The absolute BEST organic material comes easily and is usually free. Yes, folks, I’m talking about POOP. WELL-AGED & COMPOSTED Chicken manure, goat manure, sheep manure, horse manure, cow manure, are all great providers of natural Nitrogen and supply plenty of organisms as well. BONUS points if you can score poop from an animal who has been fed organic feed/grass. Well-aged manure is a must. Fresh manure has too high levels of Nitrogen, which will chemically BURN up your garden, even if it’s cool outside. It will take a couple months for fresh poop to be able to break down enough to not cause harm to your garden. Then after that you can add about 6 inches on top and till it in well.

• Tilling can be done by shovel, but I’d recommend renting a tiller for a couple hours. It should cost you only about $30-40, but it’s well worth the cost in my opinion.

To turn your Sandy soil into SUPER POWERED Soil add…

• Make a 3 to 1 mixture of Peat & Vermiculite, and add about 2 inches to your garden, and till in well.
• Add about another 4 inches organic material (compost or manure).

If your soil is Silt, congratulations! You have the soil that everybody is jealous of! At this point you can simply add some organic material. Lay about 3 inches on top, then till it in well.

Avoiding Newbie Mistakes

• Don’t add a lot of high-carbon material (straw, leaves, wood chips and sawdust). The microorganisms will eat too much nitrogen and in the end they will starve your plants of nitrogen.
• Never till while wet. It will destroy the structure of the garden and compact it harder when it dries.
• Rototilling the soil is a must. If you just drop it on top, you are inevitably causing an layer that will cause slow drainage.

What about Lasagna Gardening?

Lasagna gardening is definitely a good option for those who want to try raised beds to garden in or plan on having a series of smaller gardens. If you’re looking to avoid back labor, setting up a lasagna garden isn’t totally labor-free. If you can set up a lasagna garden ahead of time, the PROS are you can produce some amazing soil.

One CON with lasagna gardening is because they break down slowly, you may have an increase in pests, particularly slugs. Also, if you have particularly sandy soil, you may find that because your foundation is sandy, your garden will wash away in heavy rains.

The final KEY to getting SUPER POWERED Soil!

One of the most important things you must remember about gardening & soil, is that in order to have rich, green, vibrant plants, you must have vibrant & alive soil. Don’t forget about those microorganisms in the soil. If you are watering your garden with chlorinated, sterilized water, you’ll stamp out those precious microorganisms. Don’t worry, I’m not telling you to dig a well and draw water everyday for your garden. All you need is a water filter. Since my water IS chlorinated, I simply added a garden hose filter to my watering system and that’s it!

Time to Clean Your Dryer Ducts – Prevent Fires

This blog is brought to you by: Pretty Handy Girl

Once the weather turns cold and the heat kicks on, your home starts to get dry and static electricity arrives once again. This minor nuisance that causes siblings to shock each other for fun can actually be dangerous if it ignites lint that has built up in or around your dryer.

Why you should clean out your dryer ductwork:
According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission, ( CPSC ), annually there are 15,500 Dryer Fires, Up To 30 Deaths and over 310 injuries, due to dryer exhaust duct fires. You should clean your dryer hose and around it once a year, and inspect the vent and hose for any blockages at least every 6 months.

You could pay a professional to clean your dryer ductwork, but the price could be anywhere from $65.00 to $150.00! Ummm — no thanks — I’ll keep my money and do this myself. It only takes about 15 – 20 minutes to do and it is easy! As long as your ductwork is fairly accessible, you can handle this!

If your dryer exhaust hose tube is longer than 10′ this may be a bit more difficult. And if it is longer than 10′, did you know that your dryer may be working extra hard to dry your clothes? Worse yet is if you have a long tube that goes up into the attic (or the eaves) and then out the roof. The warm moist air from the dryer enters the cold attic, and condensation forms in the exhaust tube. Do you know where this little story is going? Well, at first your dryer can’t dry as quickly because the tube is blocked by water. Eventually it will fill with enough water to cause the exhaust tube to split and guess where all that water goes? Through your ceiling, that is where! Trust me on this one, it happened to us in our old house.

So, why don’t you sit back down and let me give you a little tutorial on cleaning out your dryer exhaust ductwork.

Instructions:
Start by unplugging your dryer and turn off the gas if you have a gas dryer.

Remove your lint trap and remove any lint from the screen.

Using a brush (designed for cleaning out the coils under your fridge) bend the brush and run it inside the lint trap. Then follow up by using a shop vac or vacuum to suck up any lint and dirt loosened by the brush.

Pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the exhaust duct tube from the wall and the dryer. There are normally two kinds of hose clamps holding the tube to the dryer and wall port. The first is a ring with two prongs. Simply squeeze the prongs toward one another to loosen the clamp.

The second type of hose clamp requires a screwdriver to loosen the bolt attached to the clamp.

Slide the exhaust tube off the dryer and the port (hole in the wall.)
Use your vacuum to clean out both the dryer and wall ports.

Then use the vacuum to clean out the dryer exhaust tube.

If you have an older style vinyl tube, it is important that you replace it with a foil style one. The vinyl ones are fire hazards. Also, if you can’t get your tube clean, go ahead and replace it. They are inexpensive, normally it costs just under $10 for a new foil flexible duct tube.

If your tube is long or difficult to clean out, you may want to purchase a hose brush like this one:

 While you have the dryer pulled out, vacuum off the back of the dryer, the washer, and the wall behind both. Eliminate as much lint as possible. A clean laundry room is safer than a lint covered one.

Re-attach the dryer tube to the wall and the dryer.

Gently push the dryer back towards the wall being careful not to crush the tube.

Locate your exterior dryer vent.

If you can reach the exterior vent, go ahead and clean it out also. Make sure the vent closes properly when the dryer isn’t running.Otherwise you may get birds, rodents or bugs in your vent. I don’t think I need to tell you that they won’t be helping your dryer’s efficiency!

And that is it?! That was easy wasn’t it. Be sure to keep your home and family safe by cleaning your dryer exhaust ductwork yearly.

Cheaper AND Better! DIY Laundry Detergent

This blog is brought to you by: How Does She

Today, our sweet friend Jen, from Blissful 55 is guest posting on Dirty Laundry. No, I am not talking about the problems and dirty little secrets of our lives… we are talking legit, dirty, smelly, laundry; or more importantly, how we get that dirty laundry clean.

It took me a while to come around to the idea of making my own laundry soap. I tend to be very particular about my laundry detergent. I need it to not fade my colors, smell good, and most importantly clean well. I do not have children at home who like to get their clothes extremely dirty but I do have a husband who insist on coming home from softball games each week looking like the Dirt Monster (he enjoys sliding…and is usually always safe). I have never opted for just the cheapest, non-smelling detergent. I love my clothes and was always worried that, by paying for the cheapest detergent possible, I would “get what I paid for”. My favorite detergent was Gain’s “Liquid Apple Mango Tango” with the coordinating fabric softener.

It met my every need, with the exception of the price tag. We always bought the size that says it contains 48 loads for $10.97 (Wal-Mart price) and that was just the detergent. The fabric softener was $4.47 for 52 loads. Both lasted us around 3 months based on our 4 loads of laundry a week. That brings the total to around $60-$65 a year. I don’t know about you but I would like to have all the extra money I can get. The husbands law school expenses tend to cut down on my craft budget and that is just unacceptable! I need my crafts to keep my sanity so I started looking for ways to save money. I was seriously a huge skeptic when it came to homemade laundry soap but when I realized the price difference, I just had to try it! I did a ton of research and looked up so many varying recipes and then determined what I thought would be best. I tried one smaller batch, thought it was okay but knew there was room for improvement so I went back and did more, yup you guessed it… research! I’m thrilled to say that it was all worth it and I love our homemade laundry detergent. So what do I have to do to entice you to run to the store and get these ingredients? How about I share how much it cost... are you ready? Try approximately $28…A YEAR! That’s based on 6 loads of laundry a week (It’s just me and Mr. Awesome at home so we normally only do around 4, which means this will last around 18 months!) Now let’s get started.

You will need…

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- or use 3-4 bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs. Scentsy washer whiffs are my top choice, (they smell out-of-this-world amazing – my favorite is Quiver), but when in a hurry, I opt for the Purex, (which can be found in the detergent aisle).

The hardest most time consuming part is grating the cheese soap. The hubs thinks it looks like pink cheese… has anyone ever seen pink cheese? Ya didn’t think so! I’m not fortunate enough to have a food processor so I was stuck doing this with a typical hand grater. I did try a blender just for kicks and giggles… total fail! Stick to either a hand grater or food processor if you are blessed enough to have one. I should make it known that the soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water. I know that tends to be a concern but you need not worry. Oh and I would recommend using a large mixing bowl to grate into and using the fine side of the grater.

 

 

 

Another option is to microwave the soap before hand. First, cut the bar into chunks, like this:

Pop it into the microwave for about a minute. It will expand… a lot…but then it is dry and just crumbles into tiny bits!

 

 

 

 

 The hardest part is now over and all that’s left is to mix everything together. I used a very large bucket that I got from my Father-in-Law and took a layering approach to mix it easier. I took a small amount of each ingredient and layered it on top of each other, then I grabbed a large mixing spoon and mixed it together. I did this probably 5 times but it was so much easier than dumping all the ingredients in at once and then trying to mix it well.

Here it is in all it’s mixed up glory.

This batch makes A TON! Now for probably the best part…you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size…I’ll give you some time to re-read that since I’m sure your in total disbelief…recover yet? That’s right, you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load! Now here comes the stroke of genius, if you opted to put the Purex Crystals in your batch, you can scoop the detergent right into your bottle and use the cap as your measuring spoon. There are 3 lines on the side and the middle one is approximately 2 Tablespoons…genius right?

Just to give you an idea of how long this bottle lasts, I’ve used about half this bottle and have done around 40 loads, not to mention the huge amount still left in my bucket.

I know that I’m not the only skeptic out their so to put your mind at ease, take a look at the comments!

I thought I would answer the question that has been sent in the most by our readers. The question is how well it worked in a High Efficiency Washer. It actually works really well! This is mostly because it doesn’t create any suds. It took me some time to get used to that but it is actually better for the washer.

 Hope this motivates you all to run out and make our own batch.

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BLISSFUL 55‘s HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT RECIPE


Ingredients:
1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle OR 3-4 bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs. (my favorite scent is Quiver)

Directions
1. Grate zote soap with cheese grater or food processor.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bucket.
3. Use 2 -4 Tablespoons per laundry load.
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***This recipe was written by guest author Jen, from Blissful 55.

10 STEPS TO POSING CURVY WOMEN — NO PHOTOSHOP REQUIRED!

This post is brought to you by: MCP Actions

 I recently saw a photographer post a “before and after” photo of a beautiful woman that was so drastically Photoshopped she looked like she had a dozen surgeries to make her 40lbs thinner.  The photographer was fishing for critique from colleagues on whether her editing skills looked natural and proportionate.  I couldn’t believe the comments I read.  Photographers were praising the image on the natural editing and how much the woman would love the images.  This woman’s body was so far from her natural shape she was unrecognizable!

My question is this, “Why do many photographers feel the need to distort shapely women to look like someone they are not?”

There is a misconception that in order to photograph and please women who aren’t super model skinny, the photographer must present their clients with liquefied images.  Most women who aren’t stick thin don’t hire photographers to make them look 50 pounds less.  They hire you to help them look their absolute best.
When doing portraits you should focus on creating a photo that shows who the subject’s personality, dreams, hopes, fears and love. The minute you change the way a woman’s body naturally looks, you are sending the message that she is not beautiful as she is.  As photographers, we can encourage women with any body shape to embrace themselves and feel beautiful just by how we interact with them during the session and by the photos we deliver.  By combining posing techniques with simple editing, you won’t literally change your subject’s weight or shape, but can masterfully control the angles, lighting, and proportions to create images she will love.

I’m not saying that it is wrong to Photoshop women’s images, as I personally spend a lot of time editing; however, I absolutely do not change her body to look like a different woman.  I use editing to correct things that I didn’t catch in camera, such as clothing and underwear puckering, distractions, lens distortions, hair wisps, lighting flaws that overly enhanced imperfections, and blemishes that eventually heal. It is my goal that when she sees her photos she will say, “That is me, and I am beautiful.”

Photographing Jodi Friedman of MCP Actions

Last summer I had the chance to do a My Beauty Campaign Beauty Session for MCP Actions owner Jodi (you can read her story here).  She was nervous to be in front of the camera and just like every single woman alive, she was self conscious of her beautiful body.  It was such an honor to see her work through her insecurities before, during, and after her Beauty Session and to read about what her experience meant to her.  I have included some of her images from her session to illustrate the techniques.   I honestly feel that Jodi’s pictures are much more than a photo of her body. You can really see her personality and how beautiful Jodi is as a whole.  That should always be your #1 goal when photographing any woman.

 When I photograph a woman, I always remind her that I will not make her beautiful, but that she already is!  I only imply that I will bring her beauty into focus and allow her to recognize the beautiful woman that she is today.

Posing Curvy Women: 10 Techniques for Flattering Images

Technique 1: Give Her Body Shape

You can give her body flattering shape by either the way she faces and angles her body and by using her arms to enhance her curves and direct the eye.  You can also strategically use the surroundings to cover parts of her midsection or hips to either break up solid colored outfits, or to keep the focus on her face and not her body.

 

 

Technique 2: Drop the Front Shoulder and Release Arm

This is one of the best techniques you can use on any woman and it is so flattering!  Just lower that front shoulder!  Every woman wants to avoid the notorious double chin and this is achieved by elongating the neck and pulling the chin forward.  If you direct her by saying “now pull your shoulders down towards the ground,” instead of “lengthen your neck up” you usually avoid her lifting her chin and eyes up awkwardly.

 

 

Techniques 3: Shoot Directly at or Above Eye Level

I have found that across the board, most women’s favorite part of herself is her eyes.  These tightly framed beauty shots are usually the favorites of their portfolio because of the focus on the eyes.  You can get away with shooting below eye level on slender women, but it is just not as flattering on women who carry more weight.  When you shoot slightly above her eye level, it slims her chin and jawline.  Just be sure to not have her put her chin too far down because it will make her forehead appear larger than it really is.  These tight head shots are also the most flattering through 85mm lenses or more.  I usually shoot these on my 70-200mm 2.8 zoomed all the way to 200mm.  I think this because I can get a very tight shot of her face without invading her space by shooting a foot away from her.  I am out of her “bubble” and she can be more natural.

 

Technique 4: Chin Towards Camera, Hips Farther Away

This is a simple technique to visually slim her mid-section and hips.  Whatever is furthest away from the camera will appear smaller.  By having her bring her face closer to the camera and pushing her hips away, she will look proportionate and the focus will be on her face (while also utilizing the previous techniques).  Be sure to have her slightly lower her chin while her jaw is still pulled towards you.  She will feel strange leaning so far forward, but her neck and jaw will look amazing, her midsection and hips will look flattering.  In the images below, her face was at least a foot closer to my lens than her hips were creating this lovely slimming effect.

 

 

Posing Different Sized Bodies Together

Techniques 5: Flattering the Mom in Family Photos

When posing the Mom in family photos it is very natural for her to hold her children, but you can use this to balance the composition.  Simply place the children in front of mom to de-emphasize certain areas.  Also be sure to use the previous techniques and she will absolutely love her family photos.  This same technique applies when using the surroundings to either cover parts of her lower body or midsection, to keep the focus of the attention on her face. 

 

Technique 6: Smaller Body Type Faces the Camera, Larger Turn Away From Camera

When posing a smaller framed woman next to a woman who is larger, you can balance out the different body sizes by having the smaller framed woman turn more towards the camera, and the larger woman turn toward the side looking over her shoulder.  Just be sure to have the same amount of body shown on each woman even if one needs to be completely profile and the other mostly facing the camera.  You can also utilize the smaller framed woman’s arms to add even more.  This will balance out the composition and both women will love the image.

 

Editing the Natural Way

Technique 7. Fix Clothing Puckering

Many women wear spanks or a belt which can cause unusual bulges at the tightest point that are not her natural body shape.  This is one of the only times I change her body shape.  Natural body curves are not lumpy like the image on the left.  So I even it out. Now changing her body would be to bring the bulges into the smallest point on the belt.  She would look much slimmer if you did this.  Instead, I loosen the belt to make a smooth  transition.  I usually find these problem areas from bra straps on their back below the shoulder blades, waistlines from pants or spanks, or her biceps because her arm is pressed against her body making it look larger than it really is.  After working with her, you will know her body shape…just be sure to not change her beautiful body!

 

Technique 8: Editing Skin

I personally smooth skin on every photo because with the incredible glass in lenses today, we get lovely crisp images…but crisp skin is not a women’s friend.  Sharpening during post-processing also adds even more harshness to the skin.  So when I edit, I have a strict rule that I will not remove any permanent features.  However, if a marking on her face will eventually heal or fade or the redness will go away, I will speed up the process by cloning or using the healing brush.  The goal is for the viewer to focus on her eyes and smile, and not a last minute zit.

You can edit skin manually in Photoshop or using tools like MCP’s Magic Skin actions or even MCP Newborn Necessities actions (yes they are not just for newborns).

 

Technique 9: Look for Short Lighting and Other Flattering Lighting Patterns

Whether you shoot in natural light or use flash, watch the way light falls on your subject.  You can use lighting to mold the face and body as well as utilize shadows to slim and flatter your model.  In the example below, look how the light is flattering her face.  Also notice how the light source is above eye level casting the shadows from the top of her head to the bottom.  To see if you have your lighting right, always look to see if there is a slight shadow under the nose.  If there is no shadow, either raise your light source, or have her bring her chin down.  Always utilize the light on the most flattering side of her body.

 

Technique 10: Stop Photographing a Body Type – and Simply Photograph a Woman!

So often we can get so caught up on what type of woman we are photographing and not who we are photographing.  Every woman has an incredible story, personality and love for life that you need to discover. The most beautiful photos are ones that show who she is and what makes her beautiful.  Her body is only an extension of who she is and should not be the main focus.  Find her.  Find her Beauty.

 

As stated earlier, it is not our job to make women look like someone they are not.  However it is our job to be sure we photograph her best self.  Unfortunately there are times that we forgot to have her pull her arm away from her body and it appears larger than it really is, or her clothes are puckering strangely, or camera distortion made her look out of proportion.  If you pose your subject correctly, you should have less editing.  Please be aware that the more you change your subject, the harder you are making it for her to accept and love the body that she has.  All women are perfect because of who they are, not because of how much we can edit.  Remember the vulnerability she feels when she is in your care.  You have such a valuable opportunity to build her self esteem and grow her confidence in herself.