5 Steals and a Splurge

Hello, hello!  Happy Monday!  This weekend was relaxing and hilarious all rolled up into one.  I saw Bridesmaids, and I have to tell you...hands down, funniest movie you'll see all year.   Hopefully my saying that won't ruin the experience for you, but I enjoyed so much, I already can't wait to watch it again.  Today's 5 steals and a splurge is from my dear friend Kelley.  Long time followers of this blog may remember her from antics at McCovey Cove during the world series or from outings at the Alameda Flea Market, but to me, she is a dear friend and uber talented photographer.

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Hey guys! Kelley here, I'm excited to be guest posting for KC and Thrifty Solutions for an Urban Gal in this week's 5 steals and splurge. My thrifty solutions aren't quite fashion or home decor but photo fun!

1) instagram - free - Even as a professional photographer, I don't always bring my "real" camera with me, or I do, but I also want to share on Twitter (twitter.com/kelleylcox) where I am instantly. Instagram is free and has fun filters, my fav is Lord Kelvin. 

2) Prints - $0.39 for 5x7: It's fun to click through albums you posted to facebook, but why not print em out! Even if you don't display them, it's great to own a collection of personal prints.

3) Frames - $1.99 Thrift Stores. I love to buy picture frames at thrift stores, take them home, paint them black (like Mick Jagger) and add them too my ongoing frame wall project. Can add images or not, and can also add mirrors, clocks, etc. With monochromatic prints and one color paint, it doesn't get too busy.

4) Zenfolio - $50/yr : Even consumer cameras are capable of beautiful high res images..that also means the files are larger and since hard drives inevitably crash, cloud storage is getting big. $50/yr for unlimited storage, hosting, pro add ons, and great customer serivce. I use it for my personal photo site, my new photo venture Collegiate Photos, and even to sell second-hand items for Treesures.

5) Camera Ring - $10: Alright, here's my fashionable bit. A fun camera ring. Shooting sports and constantly kneeling and running around, I can't quite get away with cute skirts and stilettos. So I express myself with no-hassle accessories =)

Splurge

Canon 50mm f/2.8 Compact Macro -$299.99 this lil baby will help you break away from that kit lens you've been using on your DSLR. Way less expensive than some of it's $1K+ brothers so it's still a lil thrifty. For you fashionistas, this is a perfect versatile lens for photographing full body portraits (ex: someone you might recognize) and close up accessories both shot with my 50mm.