Bringing together our love of thoughtful, beautiful details, we at Parterre have partnered with Le Lion to create a limited edition collection that embodies the spirit and playfulness of both brands. The collection takes our hand done prints and transforms them into luxurious embroidered knits, with the added touch of sparkle and personalization we all love from Le Lion.

The Collection launches on October 7th at noon est and will have multiple styles for women and littles. xx

The post Parterre x Le Lion – Coming Soon appeared first on Julia Berolzheimer.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://dmtbeautyspot.com

Julia, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Enrich & Endure Aprons on J & T, Epic Linen Apron on C

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving this week! As we celebrate differently this year, we are reminded how grateful we are for the health and safety of our loved ones, for the shelter over our heads and food in front of us. This year has put a lot into perspective and we will never take time with those we care about for granted. We can’t wait for a day where we can all celebrate together again, but in the meantime, we are appreciating what we do have and enjoying this quiet time at home together.

xx Julia, Thomas & Clementine

The post Happy Thanksgiving appeared first on Julia Berolzheimer.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

We are over the moon to finally be launching JuliaBerolzheimer.com. It’s been over 9 years since we started Gal Meets Glam, and it feels like the right time to evolve the brand to be more in line with who I am today.  

We are introducing Julia Berolzheimer with our refreshed site, branding and colors that are a true reflection of myself. This was all brought to life by one of the most talented people I know, Hanna Seabrook from Gadabout. As one of my closest girlfriends, she was able to capture everything I wanted for JB and make it feel like an elevated, modern version of our previous brand. You’ll first notice our transition from pink to green as our core color. This feels like a big evolution, and one that has happened so naturally. My love for nature, being in the garden and a pursuit for a more relaxed approach since becoming a mother, has inspired this change. Our new JB logo with a floral bouquet pays nod to GMG with a ribbon tied around it. Hanna and I knew right away we wanted something floral, as it’s played a huge role in my life and the beauty of nature will always continue to inspire me. 

The biggest new feature of our site is that you’re now able to create an account. We created the accounts to act as your bulletin board of things you love. Your account on JuliaBerolzheimer.com will be your space to save your favorite products and posts, so you can reference to shop now or later. I’m constantly saving things on IG, it’s one of my favorite features, and it’s what sparked this idea. Now, you’ll easily be able to find your favorite looks, posts and items that you find on JB and curate it to your own preference. Once you create an account, you can then start to heart your favorite blog posts, daily looks and products to save. Just look for the small heart throughout the site and click it when you want to save something. Once you’re in your account, you can easily access all of your favorite things within the different tabs. This has been our biggest add-on to our site, and one we are really excited about. Click here to sign up now!

One of the exclusive features of having an account is the full access to The Shop, which is where we have curated Shops that we update weekly. Each Shop features finds from our favorite retailers and small brands. We hope that this is a great way for you to not only find products you love, but discover an array of brands from big to small, from all over the world. Right now we have a few different Shops for you to discover; At Home, Littles, Under $200 and more. Within each Shop, you’ll notice a few tags, such as “Julia’s Closet” and “Julia’s Home”, which highlight the products that I have personally purchased for myself and own. You’ll also see the tag “Under $100” to call out the budget friendly pieces we are constantly looking to find for you. 

We also have some really amazing brand collaborations coming up, starting with our Amanda Lindroth x Julia Berolzheimer Collection launching tomorrow, the 17th. You’ll see a Shop arrive in your account tomorrow with all of the pieces from that collaboration, which you’ll then be able to shop. If you’re curious about what we have coming in the future, take a peek at this page to find out more!

Within your account, you’ll also see a page called Brand Love. We created the Brand Love page for two reasons; to introduce you to some of our favorite small brands and to give you special offers only available to account holders. We are really excited about this new feature, as it truly marries our two favorite things- supporting small businesses, while providing our customers with a special experience. We will continue to update and change this page and will keep you notified when new brands or offers are introduced. 

We additionally made some changes to our site organization, most notably with our categories. We think it will greatly improve your experience and shorten the time between you landing on our site and finding content or products that interest you. We post daily, so oftentimes there are posts you may have missed. We created our new category header to highlight the most visited and timely categories, while also including new post notifications that show all new Stories under those categories. If you head to the Stories tab at the top of our site, you’ll see categories in circles at the top with numbers to highlight the most recent posts within the past two weeks. 

We have carefully considered each new feature added and elements taken away, and hope you are pleased with the new site and experience. We aim towards continuous improvements to make the experience even better for you and will be listening to give you more of what you’re loving, along with answering any questions that you may have. If you have any feedback or need help, please email us at hello@juliaberolzheimer.com

xx Julia, Thomas & Team

The post Introducing JuliaBerolzheimer.com appeared first on Julia Berolzheimer.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

As a loyal follower, customer and friend, I owe it to you to share our story of how we came to this incredibly hard decision. 

This is the end of Gal Meets Glam Collection, for now. The collection is, and forever will be something I am proud to have created. It has provided me with knowledge about an industry I love, insight about a customer I champion and the opportunity to connect with individuals and professionals who echo my love and appreciation of an aesthetically driven lifestyle. 

Our decision to end the collection comes consciously, and stems from the lengthy disagreement between how we wanted to build Gal Meets Glam and how our business partner felt it should be run. 

In the very beginning, our dreams for Gal Meets Glam Collection were to make 8-10 dresses per season. I was excited for the promise of opportunity, felt prepared for it, and wanted to craft a brand that felt like a definition of myself and a voice missing in the marketplace. I was eager to define that voice and represent it personally. I felt pride and excitement for what we were setting out to build.   

When we initially signed with our business partner, we were very excited by the opportunities they provided us. Amongst them, was an existing wholesale model which we naively saw as a benefit within the hard-to-navigate world of fashion brands. 

Over the months leading to launch, we carved out time, worked long hours and were so graciously met with enthusiasm for the brand on launch day and those collection launches after. In truth, it was one of the best days of my life. 

Quickly, our efforts toward a small, thoughtful collection, were directed toward scaling the brand to meet the needs of wholesale. We began transitioning into the pressure of designing 30-40 dresses per month in order to meet demand for our partner. 

To be honest and fair, we actively questioned this process, but in our inexperience, we continuously silenced that concern because of the trust we placed in those around us who had been in the industry for a long time. I will never forget this life lesson. 

Overtime, this problem intensified and continued to weigh on me as a designer and creator of the brand. It became very hard for me to support 30-40 new styles when the dresses that were designed with love and care were shown just thirty days prior. 

While the design control technically remained in my hands, I slowly felt as though the brand was getting away from me. My desires for new print, pattern, or silhouette continued to be challenged and ultimately adjusted for the needs of wholesale. What the brand stood for was constantly in debate. 

Over time, my creativity began to subside. It was demotivating for me to pour my heart and creative energy into building collections that were never recognized. It was frustrating to fight for the changes that would never come to be. 

When you’re being told exactly what is “needed” for a specific market or asked to constantly repeat the same styles, the wind is taken from your sails. I felt as though my brand had become someone else’s business to do with as they pleased.

The really tough questions soon followed: Am I Gal Meets Glam? Or is Gal Meets Glam whatever we are told we are in the marketplace? Do I push to keep making products that I love and believe in? Do I succumb to the requests and demands that are being asked of us? These are the hardest of questions when you have employees you love and care about on the line. These are the questions that kept me up at night. 

These differences in design direction, company operations, and brand values, ultimately became points of contention so large that we ultimately decided to part ways with our business partner. 

Throughout this experience, the hardest thing to face was the feeling of failing. Am I choosing to give up too soon? Should I continue to keep going? Isn’t this what everyone strives for in their career? But ultimately, I knew this was the best decision for the brand, for my family and for me as a human being. 

I have made the decision to turn off the shop.galmeetsglam.com website on August 8, 2020. Customers will be able to order any dresses until then, but please note all new orders going forward will be on a final sale basis. We are hoping that in the future, maybe in some shape or form, Gal Meets Glam Collection is able to continue on without me, still serving a purpose and bringing joy to people’s lives. With the current state of our world, this is all up in the air right now.

I want to give a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our incredible customers and community for the love and support you have given us since we launched. It was far beyond our wildest dreams. Seeing the stories, the tags, the friendships, the beautiful photos, the heartfelt messages, the weddings and special moments, big and small, from customers all over the world, was the most rewarding part of all of this. You truly changed our lives, and I am forever grateful. 

Looking forward. I want to continue to create. At my core, I am a creator. Aesthetics are my inspiration. They enliven and fulfill me. I don’t want to ever question my purpose again. I want to be true to it, focus on it, and share it with you in a way that makes us both proud to participate.

The time is right for me to evolve, adapt, change and set the foundation for a future even brighter than our past. Our blog, galmeetsglam.com, will change its name to juliaberolzheimer.com later this summer, with updated and refreshed branding. 

With Julia Berolzheimer, we are developing a new platform that will enable me to create from my heart and bring content and products that I hope will inspire you more than ever before. Along with it, consistent, exciting product collaborations with some of our very favorite and most loved companies. 

Transitioning to our new Julia Berolzheimer brand has allowed me to move forward with who I am today to share refreshed interests, tastes, and passions that I hope you will join me in celebrating in the coming months and years. 

Thank you for all you do. 

xx, Julia

The post An Update On Gal Meets Glam Collection appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

We’ve been working on this post for a week now, but it’s been top of mind for longer than that. It’s been terrifying watching Covid-19 spread worldwide, and there’ve been many times where we’ve felt helpless. If you are not personally affected then I’m sure you know someone that has been impacted by what’s happening. Whether that’s someone you know getting the virus, a healthcare worker on the frontline, one of the millions of people who have lost their jobs, a small business owner feeling the impact that this has on our economy, everyone in the restaurant and hospitality industries that have had to close down shop, and many more. Adding to the helpless feeling is that doing nothing, aka staying home, is the best thing we are to do from the health perspective. And we should all be doing that, staying home! With other emergencies or times of need, if you felt compelled to, you could most likely go volunteer your time to help out. But right now, most of us are on the sidelines watching everything unfold.

We’ve been seeking out ways we personally can help, and one of the things that we are fortunate enough to have is a platform. We have a community that we can encourage and share with, and I believe in this time, it’s our duty to use that more than ever. I’ve been sharing a lot more over on IG stories since it’s the most engaged, interactive space we have. And while I’ve been posting a lot there, I wanted to create a post where I could gather some of the ways we’re personally trying to give back or help during this time, and to encourage you as well. 

We’ve made it a priority to set aside a monthly budget for donations and supportive purchases.

We hope if you feel that you can, you will try to do some version of the same, regardless of the amount. We feel it’s important to spread this budget over multiple months and timely cause.

Give to causes that are making an impact right now.

Here are some of the ones that we’ve donated to so far: No Kid Hungry, World Central Kitchen, National Diaper Bank Network, Baby2Baby, Meals on Wheels, Room to Grow. There are a few local ones like East Cooper Community Outreach and Lowcountry Foodbank that we have supported as well. If you have any organizations that we missed and are making an impact right now, please leave them in the comments section so we, along with other readers, can check them out as well.

Support small and local businesses or restaurants.

Now, more than ever, they need us. Whether they have a brick and mortar store, or a store online, all businesses are being impacted right now. Whether it’s having to close, inventory or logistical issues, the rapid decline of sales as we progress into a recession, there’s a long list of reasons why they need our help. I believe these businesses are the lifeblood of our communities.

Search if there’s a local farm or farm share near you.

Often times these farms sell a majority, if not all, of their fresh produce to local restaurants and farmers markets. Because of the current situation, with many restaurants closed, they may have a lot of extra inventory. We have a local farm, Spade & Clover that we just got our first delivery from this week. Often the produce isn’t what we’d normally gravitate to in the supermarket so if you’re a creative chef this is a great way to experiment.

With limited in-person time during these weeks, it can be easy to feel isolated.

We are personally making an extra effort to facetime friends and family daily to stay connected and support each other.  This is one of the rare times where you can call someone out of the blue and actually catch them at a “good time”, so we are taking advantage of that. Staying mentally healthy is important all the time, but especially now. With everything happening in the world the weight or speed of it all can lead our minds to spiral out of control.

Above all, stay home!

We know this will have the greatest impact more than anything else.

Throughout all of this uncertainty, it’s been incredible to watch communities grow together and support each other. I believe optimism can be infectious and that’s why we will be here continuing to hopefully bring a bit of positivity and joy into your lives with our daily posts and content.

The post A Few Ways We’re Trying To Help Right Now appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Weezie x India Amory Robe (sold out, similar here and here), Lake Pajamas (this one is maternity- great for breastfeeding!)

Since the baby was born, I’ve been spending more time than ever at home. It actually feels pretty amazing to be in one place this long, nestled up inside getting to bond as a family. I cannot remember the last time we were in the same place for more than a month, let alone almost three (aside from a short trip to NYC for our coat launch)…it’s been years! I think it’s safe to say that it was much needed and our daughter has brought a newfound desire for a bit of a slower pace. I’ve been working from home since I jumped back into things about a month ago, and although I make an attempt to get dressed up (i.e. put real clothes on) everyday, my pajamas and loungewear pieces have had a lot of extra attention lately. That’s one of the reasons why I love buying beautiful pajamas and cozy pieces for home- they get just as much use, maybe even more, than my regular clothes. I slip into them almost immediately when I walk through the door. And when I’m at home all day with the baby, all I want to be is comfortable. One of my favorite brands that you’ll often see me wearing is Lake Pajamas. I love that they also have a maternity line, which makes breastfeeding even easier and they recently launched men & kids. Another one of my go-to brands is Skin– I have a handful of their loungewear pieces that I’ve lived in pre and post baby- like this set and this one as well. I also never go a day without using a plush robe, especially now that the temps have dropped. I keep a big terrycloth one right by my shower and this one right by my bed. I’m all about that cozy living!

The post What I’m Usually Wearing At Home appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Since becoming a mother, I’ve found my outfits to be as much about comfort as style. And with fall officially here, bringing with it some mildly cooler weather, I’ve been especially happy to slip on some high waisted jeans, a pretty cardigan or sweater, and wear it with a simple white tee and sneakers or flats. I try and make it a rule to get dressed every morning even though I’m still at home with the baby and these four pieces have been my best friends over the past two months. These Madewell jeans have been on repeat countless times and I brought back out an old favorite pair of Rebecca Taylor jeans that I love as well.

Outfit Details:

Loveshackfancy Sweater, Rag & Bone Tee, Rebecca Taylor Jeans, Tretorn Sneakers

Our morning outings have become one of the most enjoyable parts of the day, as everyone is fresh and awake, feeling invigorated by the crisp autumn temps. We’ve been finding ourselves walking much farther than we originally planned simply because it is so nice outside and the baby loves it, too. She usually falls asleep within the first ten minutes, so we keep walking and walking while she sleeps. And as the days get cooler, we look forward to getting outside even more. I’ve been wearing sneakers more than ever before, my current favorites are Tretorn and APL, and love wearing them with everything from dresses (like I did here with a pair of Golden Goose sneakers) to my favorite jeans.

Outfit Details:

Loveshackfancy Sweater, Rag & Bone Tee, Madewell Jeans, Le Monde Beryl Loafers (similar here), Jennifer Behr Headband (similar here)

Thank you to Nordstrom and Shopstyle for sponsoring this post.

The post The Four Items I’ve Been Wearing On Repeat appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

It has been a few years since I carved the time out of my schedule to attend fashion week in person, but I still love staying up to date on everything my favorite designers create. Their creativity and vision always leave me inspired, whether that means pairing pieces I had never thought to put together before, wanting to try a new color story, or translating the elements of a runway look for everyday life. Of course, there are also times when simply adding an original piece to my closet will do! Since it can sometimes be hard to find all of the newest designer pieces I’m looking for in Charleston, I turn to the internet—specifically, to Moda Operandi—to find exactly what catches my eye on the runway.

I’ve especially come to appreciate Moda Operandi’s Trunkshows. Through this platform, you can see a full view of a designer’s upcoming collection straight from the runway and then shop the pieces before they’re available elsewhere. What I love most about this system is that it reinforces my desire to buy only what I truly love, rather than what’s trendy or what I’ve seen other people wear. Moda Operandi calls it “shopping proactively, not reactively.” While that is something I’ve always believed in, sometimes it can be easier said than done. When shopping a Trunkshow, it’s like you’re invited right into the designer’s showroom. You can truly select exactly what you love most, and then place an order directly to the designer via the Moda Operandi site. Not only does this support the designer, it also helps them know what resonates with customers. The process is as seamless as it is exciting. I’ve been shopping via Moda Operandi’s Trunkshows for years and it feels like Christmas morning when the items that I’ve pre-ordered finally arrive on my doorstep. Some of my favorite items I’ve ever bought were through Trunkshows!

Trunkshows feature an expertly curated selection of brands available for limited timeframes. A few of my favorites for spring 2020 that are live to shop right now include Brock Collection, Johanna Ortiz, and Loveshackfancy. I’ve pulled some pieces to share below, all with a romantic vibe that I’m always drawn to.

Thank you to Moda Operandi and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post.

The post Romance From The Runway appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Outfit Details:
Cuyana Dress, Senreve Bag c/o, Vince Loafers (old, similar here)

All I can think about in these last few days before our due date is how eager and excited I am to finally meet our baby girl. I have been keeping as busy as possible to distract myself, wrapping up projects at work and setting our team up to handle things while Thomas and I take some time off. Owning our own businesses means we can’t completely step away, but we are looking forward to being home for a while to soak up every moment with our new little family member.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been stocking up on easy, cozy pieces to wear at home. It’s impossible to know exactly what to expect once we’re back from the hospital and navigating healing, nursing, and all of the new-to-us aspects that come with having a brand new baby. I do think it is safe to assume, though, that I’ll want to be as comfortable as possible. From button-down pajamas to soft cashmere socks, I arranged all of my new “maternity leave” pieces in a dresser drawer for easy access, day or night. I also packed a number of these items in my hospital bag to wear during my first few hours and days as a mother. I always feel my best in pieces that I truly love, and know that won’t be any different in this new season of life.

Along with the pajamas, robes, and slippers I’ll be wearing at home, I also wanted to share a few items I have on hand for our first outings as a family of three! One of the activities we are most excited to do with Baby B is to bring her along on our daily morning walks to our neighborhood coffee place. Thomas assembled our stroller weeks ago, and every time I catch a glimpse of it, I’m filled with excitement at the thought of seeing our baby girl cozied up in it for the first time! I love these APL sneakers for our walks and have them in multiple colors–this mauve option is my favorite for late summer and early fall. For our first dressier outing, maybe to breakfast or lunch nearby, I’ll be reaching for the Cuyana wrap dress I wore recently. It was comfy and stretchy enough to wear at 35 weeks pregnant, but since it’s not a maternity dress, I know I’ll get plenty more use out of it over the coming months.

The post Easy Pieces To Relax At Home In appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

As most of you know, over the last year, Thomas has added shooting film photos to his repertoire of hobbies. He even completely converted his Instagram account over to film only shots. We’ve started sharing some of our Film Favorites over the last year and have fielded a number of questions about film photography and how to get started. So T is here today to answer the most important questions you’ll need to know if you’ve ever wanted to dive into the world of shooting film.

Why shoot film?

Hey it’s Thomas! I’m glad to be back to scratch the surface on a topic I find a lot of joy in. I can’t predict every motivation people have for wanting to shoot film but the main reason I shoot film is so that I can capture images with more sentimental rather than commercial value. As professional photographers, Julia and I can obsess over getting the perfect image. A process which can take hours and hundreds of images. Instead, I think about film photography as a way to capture moments without spoiling them, as soon as you identify a shot, the spontaneity can come and go in a matter of seconds. A quick snap on film doesn’t ruin that.

Contrary to some people’s beliefs, I do not believe that film photos are higher quality or better than digital photos. In fact, most editing presets from VSCO or other suppliers are based or inspired by film. Modern digital sensors have incredible dynamic range and high file sizes, creating a dream world for those that love to manipulate files in the editing process. As someone that dreads sorting through images and editing, I love the process of shipping off film to my film lab of choice and the not so patient wait until I get the email notification that my images are ready for viewing.

What camera should I start with?

I’m the type of person that picks up a hobby immerses myself into it and then steps away from it. That’s why I highly recommend renting or borrowing cameras. Especially if shooting film photos sounds like a short term or even one time experiment for you. A great way to borrow a film camera is if you know any photographer friends, ask them if they have a film camera lying around. I’m guessing most will. Another great option is renting from Film Objektiv, which does 2 week rentals with outbound shipping included. If buying is more your style, the good news is you can probably get a solid starter camera and lens for $100-$200. The Canon AE-1 and Nikon FG (one of our employees has a Nikon FM10 seen here, which is not much different and also recommended as great beginner camera) are consistently mentioned as top beginner film cameras.

What film should I use?

If you’re considering trying out film, you’re probably doing so for some nostalgia factor. That’s one reason why starting with B&W film first might be a good idea. After all, what’s more nostalgic than Black & White!? This is completely subjective but another reason to start with B&W is that your photos will be more interesting and there’s greater margin for error as any issues with exposure or focus are less noticeable.  My favorite B&W film is Ilford HP5 Plus 400.

For color, my go to film is Kodak Portra 400. I love it for the warmth of the images, especially in skin tones. At 400 ISO it’s flexible enough to use all day long whether in the bright day time sun, in the shade or just past golden hour.

In any case, make sure you purchase the right film size for your camera. Most film cameras are 35mm (or you might see them called 135) and typically have either 24 or 36 exposures per roll. Medium format film cameras will use 120 film and depending on the size of the medium format camera you’ll get anywhere from 10-16 exposures per roll.

A note on price: When buying film I rarely factor the price of the film into my decision. What I mean by that is you’ll end up spending more money on the development, scanning and the prints than you will on the film. The difference between a $4 roll and an $8 roll is not that big when you consider it’s about $20 or more per roll for developing and scanning.

What is ISO?

If you’re relatively new to photography or you’re an all Auto photographer, ISO can be a complicated topic. ISO is essentially the sensitivity of the film to light. The film’s ISO or Speed as it’s also referred to, has both an exposure and an artistic effect on your final image. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the film is to light and the shorter the exposure needed. Higher ISOs also have more graininess (often a desired characteristic for film lovers). So how does this impact you? When you are shooting outside in the daytime (like the below image on the left) I typically shoot film in the range of 100-400 ISO. While if I’m shooting inside or at night, I’ll reach for 800 ISO for color or 3200 for B&W (like the image on the right). You can take a look at the two images examples to see the difference.

How do I load film?

This was actually the number one question which prevented me from starting to shoot film earlier in my photography career. It’s tough at first but loading film is something you’ll quickly grow accustomed to. My first roll of film, I loaded incorrectly. Another roll I unloaded incorrectly. I lost those rolls which was sad in the moment. Most cameras are different so I recommend finding YouTube videos for your model and/or you can buy a cheap roll of film and use that as your test roll.

How do I expose my film properly?

I think the most daunting thing about shooting film photos is that all of your effort, time and money might be wasted on images that are overexposed (too bright) or underexposed (too dark). Depending on the age of your film camera, it may or may not contain an internal light meter, which essentially measures the amount of light and can auto change your shutter speed. Even if your camera does have an internal light meter it’s important to verify its accuracy a few times per shoot or prior to every shot with a separate light meter.

You can spend $100 or more on a professional light meter (like the Sekonic one I have here) or if starting out, you can download this app. It’s easy to use and uses your camera on your phone to read the reflected light in a scene. To use a light meter, input your film ISO, then you can choose Aperture or Shutter Speed priority and the meter will suggest the proper settings. In the sample below, our film ISO is fixed at 400, we’ve set our Aperture at 2.8 (to achieve the desired depth of field we want) and based on the reading it’s suggested a shutter speed of 1/320 seconds.

If you are extra nervous and don’t mind also carrying a digital camera, a technique I’ve used is I’ll set my digital camera to match the ISO of the film I’m using and I’ll snap sample photos on the digital camera to figure out what settings to use on film.

What are some good ideas for first things to shoot?

Travel Days – I love shooting our travels on film. What’s great is that when we get the film back, it’s like a timeline of the whole trip. These images are also great candidates for framing since they are tied to fun travel memories.

Portrait Sessions – Most film cameras, especially entry level ones are going to be manual focus. Add that to the fact that you will be taking your time to get exposure correct. So chances are the time you’ll take to shoot a full roll (36 shots) will be at a turtle’s pace compared to snapping away on your phone. My advice – Find a friend that’s supporting or may also have a passion for photography and offer a free portrait session of them.

Where or How do I develop my film?

These were top questions I received when asking everyone on Instagram. They wanted to know – How to develop? Where to develop? Is self developing worth the hassle? And once it is developed, What happens then?

So you can definitely learn to develop your own film, people have been doing it for decades. It has always been a curiosity of mine but something I’m currently not willing to sacrifice image quality over. That’s why I choose to send my film to the experts at Indie Film Lab.

After the film negative is developed it needs to be turned into a format we can use. The most common is a print or a digital scan. I only have experience working with digital scans. After the developer runs the negative through a high resolution scanner they are left with a high res image file, just like you’d get if you were to shoot on a digital camera. After this the process is pretty similar to editing digital photos, exposure and color adjustments are then made. At Indie Film Lab you can even send in inspiration for them to have on file and they can try to match it as much as possible.

If you want to develop your own film take a look into this system: Lab-Box. It appears to be a modern approach to help pros and beginners start to develop their own film. I’m looking into buying one to try and develop on my own but I’m concerned that might be a slippery slope considering I’d need a scanner too.

What do I do with my developed film?

A fair amount of people will hang on to their rolls of developed film. I started doing this at first but I don’t see the point in doing so. Very technical photographers that spend lots of time in the Darkroom might like to keep them for future usage but for the most part, I wouldn’t recommend keeping them.

 

I hope this information has helped inspire you to consider picking up a film camera. It’s fun to play around with and if you’re considering it, definitely think of ways you can try before buying such as borrowing from a friend or renting. As always, I’m happy to hear what questions are still left unanswered for you.

The post Getting Started With Film Photography appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

I’m the type of person that visualizes things before they happen. I create expectations in my mind for most things in my life. They are almost always positive and represent the ideal result, those that know me best know that I’m the definition of a “dreamer”. Overtime I’ve learned that having my expectations become reality is not always realistic. I’m trying to come to terms that some of this is out of my control while some of it I can influence through preparation, hard work or determination, and I’ve learned to adjust my expectations. I had certain expectations for pregnancy too, some of which were not too far off from my initial visualization, but there was a whole extensive list of expectations I never would have expected while expecting our first child. From the encouragement of our team, Thomas and I made a list of the things we were surprised to discover during this pregnancy.

The 1st Trimester Being As Difficult As Others Described – I can be a skeptic of most things. That’s why I choose not to read too far into reports or descriptions of things being too difficult. When people would tell me about how hard the first trimester would be, I think I brushed it off because I know every woman, every body and every pregnancy is so different. But I, too, found the first trimester to be the most challenging one. When I wasn’t feeling nauseous I was probably feeling drained of energy. Thomas also said the most frustrating thing for him was that he’s so used to helping me when I’m down, but nothing we did could cure the nausea. For someone like me that’s go go go all the time this was a sudden shock to my system and a frustrating period of time to go through as I really didn’t feel like myself.

That It Would Go By So Quickly- 9 months is a long time…and it’s technically longer than that. Up until a few weeks ago, it felt like my whole pregnancy flew by. I think it was a combination of being really busy and not slowing down, but I just can’t quite wrap my head around that we’re in the final stretch. These last few weeks though have felt much slower, as everyday becomes a guessing game whether or not she’ll show up. 

That You Really Don’t Get To See The Baby That Much- Prior to this pregnancy, I didn’t know much about the experience and never sought out much information of what the process was like. So I was quite surprised in the beginning to learn that not every doctor appointment involves an ultrasound or seeing the baby. I had envisioned (thanks to TV, movies and media), that every checkup would involve us getting to witness her progress from month to month. But in reality, you have very few ultrasounds (unless you seek out an entertainment ultrasound outside of your doctor’s office), with the first one being early on, followed up by the longer anatomy scan at around 20 weeks. Now we’re at the point where we have doctor’s visits every week and I’m so anxious to see her little face!

That I’d Enjoy Pregnancy So Much And Be Worried About Missing It When She Comes- I’ve always known I want children and hoped that my body would be able to carry my own. But honestly, when it came to thinking about pregnancy, I assumed (if I could), that it would be a really long and hard process. That it would be uncomfortable, there would be a lot of swelling and not wanting to move or get dressed, etc. I had pretty low expectations about how I would feel. And while I’ve had moments of all of those things, I’ve truly loved being pregnant. I feel really fortunate that I’ve had a smooth experience that has allowed me to carry on with work and my normal day to day so that it hasn’t felt like I’m an outsider in my own body. I love seeing my belly grow, along with other parts of my body. Now when I think about my body post-birth, I get teary eyed knowing that our sweet baby will be in our arms and my body will no longer be her home. I never expected, or even knew it would be an emotional experience, to miss having her in my belly and the bond I would feel carrying her with me all day every day for almost 10 months. But I know there will be no greater feeling than holding her and having her in our arms.

Kicks and Movements Going From Sweet and Exciting to Very Uncomfortable and Nauseating – Kicks are a constant topic of discussion when you’re towards the last half of pregnancy, nearly everyone asks about them. I remember when I first felt movements, it was magical. Every movement was sweet and exciting. When they were finally strong enough for Thomas to feel on the outside that was even more special. Now that we are in the final weeks of pregnancy those sweet movements have now become not the most comfortable thing in the world. Multiple times a day I shriek with surprise or pain on the particularly large kicks and when it feels like she’s twisting and turning I can get really nauseous. But luckily those big movements mean she’s healthy and doing well, which ultimately is all we want.

That Our Doctors Have A Different Way Of Looking At Things – I’m active, I try to be healthy and I almost always choose for the most natural route before using medical intervention. During my pregnancy I’ve been a little dissatisfied by the overall level of focus on the natural side of medicine. I had assumed that 10 months worth of doctor’s visits would have me at expert level knowledge of the birthing process, my options and how to best take care of myself during pregnancy. I thought my doctor would be a partner in my pregnancy, challenging me to make tweaks to my health and habits, informing me of the most recent medical learning and coaching me as we get closer and closer to birth. These are things that I’ve since realized just aren’t part of the regular routine (at least in my experience). Taking a 3 part Birthing Class further opened up our eyes about the discrepancy between what Doctor’s inform you about and what you should know. The problem we’ve realized is that doctors don’t have the same priorities that we (Thomas and I) have. Their primary incentive is delivering a healthy baby and keeping the mom healthy. While I care very much about the minute details of how exactly that’s done. My advice to every pregnant women is to make sure to search for advice outside of your doctors and outside of your birthing hospital. Read books like The Positive Birth Book and try seeking out either private or small sized birthing classes to learn as much as you can about the birthing process, what your body is going through/will go through and what alternative options you have for every step along the way.

How Important Staying Active Would Be- I wouldn’t say I’m religious or super dedicated to working out, but I lead a very active lifestyle and am always moving. I’ve always loved to move my body and want to feel strong and healthy. During the first trimester of my pregnancy, it was really challenging to feel well enough to work out. And if I did, the “after” was tough- I would feel 100% drained of all energy, which is usually the opposite of how I feel after a workout. I found going on morning and evening walks to be one of the things I looked forward to the most. While there are many days where I’m on my feet traveling or on long shoots, I also spend a large chunk of my time at my desk all day. Kick starting my morning with moving my body has helped me find a good rhythm and routine of feeling like myself, even when my body doesn’t. It helps me find the energy I need to get up, dressed and take on a full day of work. Other ways I’ve enjoyed staying active have been taking yoga classes, Orange Theory (but I take it much slower and at my own pace) and pilates.

 

That I’d Feel This Confident/Comfortable with my body- I have absolutely loved seeing my body change. First, before anything else really grew, it was my boobs. They were the only thing that grew rapidly. Then slowly, my bump started to take form and over the past nine months, it’s been wild to watch it get bigger and bigger. I’ve filled out in new places and have more curves than before. I always thought that these changes would make me feel uncomfortable or that I would be anxious to get back to my pre-pregnancy body, but I absolutely love them. I truly have felt the most confident while being pregnant and I’ve never loved my body more.

That There Would Be So Many Research Informed Resources For Like Minded Parents Like Me (Thomas)-I live most of my life with a data informed approach. So when we found out we were pregnant I sought out to find books written by authors that have the same level of respect for combing through the good studies vs. the bad. With today’s news cycles nearly every story is accompanied by some “fact” discovered from a new study. Rarely are these studies conducted with scientifically valid and reliable methods that allow for the proper controls of the testing environment. The problem is that a lot of the advice around pregnancy, childbirth and parenting gets funneled through channels that prefer to disseminate personal biases or agendas into dos and don’ts. These authors that have assembled these books have done all of the hard work for us and they’ve discovered the best of the best when it comes to studies and they’ve pulled out the findings we need to know. Here are the resources I found most helpful:

Bumpology – Written by a science journalist based in the UK, this was the first book I read. It’s written in a Q&A format which makes it an easier read for such in depth topics. I also enjoyed the added aspect of it being written by a UK author because she often would compare UK practices to US practices, which added extra perspective. 

Expecting Better & Crib Sheet – These two books meant for Pregnancy and then Child Birth and Afterwards were written by an Economist. I particularly liked how she ends each section with a summary, called The Bottom Line which are basically cliff notes if you aren’t able to 100% follow or understand every detail of the section.

Mayo Clinic Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy – We continuously referenced this book throughout the pregnancy, especially the section on medication safety during pregnancy.

Evidenced Based Birth – This resource was shared with us by our Birthing Coach and goes deep into every aspect of Child Birth.

The post What We Didn’t Expect While Expecting appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Julia, Khareem Sudlow