# My 2010 soaps - all HP



## Alexandra (Jan 23, 2010)

Clove - cinnamon - smashed apricot - orange






Infused callendula in olive oil






Chocolate - cinnamon - salt exfoliation bar





Patchouli - orange - chocolate - rum





Pepermint  - Thymus - Chocolate - Frankincense resin (my favorite)






There are few more, but I am tired now, so will left them for another post.

Thank you for looking  :wink:


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## IanT (Jan 23, 2010)

wow .. not only do you have a nack for soaping..your photography is amazing... definitely rivals some of the best company displays I have seen...great job, great soaps!

I wish I could smell that Pepermint - Thymus - Chocolate - Frankincense resin blend... mmmmmmm

and smashed apricot just sound scrumptious


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## Lynnz (Jan 24, 2010)

WOWSER what beautiful soap and the pics are amazing!!!!!!


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## Alexandra (Jan 24, 2010)

Thank you guys 

Regarding photos.... well... it was big test for my nerves and patience... 

I love photography, but I like to make outdoor pics and to picture people faces... This experience with soaps was very strange and different ... 

I learned that soaps are heating the light temperature so I had countless attempts before I understand how to manage light. Also, the surface texture of soaps reflects light on very specific way...


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## IanT (Jan 24, 2010)

any pointers for us photo noobs?? lol


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## Alexandra (Jan 24, 2010)

IanT said:
			
		

> any pointers for us photo noobs?? lol




O yes... of course..... 

here are few tips... I figured it out somehow.... mainly trough trial and errors

1.	Be careful when choosing background for your soaps photo. Usually only the white mat paper is enough because,  nevermind how light is the color of the soap. Soap light reflection influences the final colour of background, so it is never really white.

2.	Be sure to make your photos under the day light, or simulate such conditions in the room.

3.	Do not wear any shirt or something which has warm colour (red, orange, jelow...). The best is to wear white, gray etc. Do not wear black either because it will “eat” your light.

4.	Use “remote close up” if you have good camera. If you get too close you could have problems with deep sharpness (huh ... hope you understand it)

5.	Be careful and center your object well .... some cameras have option to show square net on the screen, so this tool is very useful.

6.	Try to have one edge of the soap paralel with your camera screen (when shooting). It makes you photo looks real and well centred. Plus if you have to crop it later in Photo Shop, it will be much easier.

7.	Some soaps have tricky surface.... It means that you can‘t picture it properly even after many trials. Well... try to change the angle,  and make few shots without any decoration to be sure that there is nothing to reflects light on it.
HP soaps with less water and ungeled CP soaps are extremly tricky and is very hard to achieve good close up of them and to make their details look sharp. I pictured CP soaps my friend made, and the gelled one were much easier to shot because it reflects the light equaly on whole surface...

8.	Now... Photo shop.....
You can play with it endlessly , but in fact there are very few options you would like to use – autolevel, autocolour and autocontrast....  (Image-adjust-auto.....)
If your soap is not well centred you can rotate picture for 1-2 degrees and than crop the edges.
If you have decorative objects which have very strong and warm colour  – as I have oranges - be prepared to change its colour topicaly , because it tend to look over-colored. Select frst the area of “boiling” colour, than you go on “Image-adjust-replace colour”, and you can just replace it with more apropriate tone of the sam colour.

Hope it helps


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## IanT (Jan 24, 2010)

you are awesome!  That does help quite a bit!!


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## donniej (Jan 24, 2010)

Beautiful soaps and excellent photography.  Great job!


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## honor435 (Jan 24, 2010)

ok, nice soap, how do you get your hp SO smooth looking?


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## Alexandra (Jan 25, 2010)

honor435 said:
			
		

> ok, nice soap, how do you get your hp SO smooth looking?



I add milk in the middle of cooking (I do not measure it... it depends of soap consistency at the moment)  and I add the rest of my "liquid" things as yoghurt, aloe gel, butter milk, cooked smashed fruits etc. - AFTER the soap is cooked. 

The point is - HP process is very safe and you can add anything and in any phase... More water or liquid, initially, usually mean longer saponification time, but it doesn't change the chemical process nor it prevent saponification.

The only bad thing is that HP with more liquid need at least one week to cure, ideally two or three.... And you have to cut bigger pieces, because they are loosing water (and weight) while curing . 

Hope it helps


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## honor435 (Jan 25, 2010)

thanks,


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## llineb (Feb 2, 2010)

those are sooooooo beautiful.  i only make melt and pour.  how do you like hot process and why do you do it over cold.  i need to try something new and wondered the difference.

thanks!
lara


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## Bubbles Galore (Feb 3, 2010)

I feel like I could just reach out and pick up a bar. Wish I could. Gorgeous.  :wink:


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## SoapingQueenWannabe (Feb 27, 2010)

*Awesome!*

Your photography was beautiful and so were your soaps. I love your soap creations, I think they are just so pretty. I really think you should do a like blue and white swirly soap and then post pictures. Just an idea.


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## ToniD (Feb 27, 2010)

Thanks for the photo tips and for the pics of the soaps!   Great!  I like photography but have not done any soap pics, so the tips will be helpful.

  I especially like your callendula soap--really pretty-- and would love to smell the patchouli/ orange/chocolate/rum


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## Fweda_998 (Feb 27, 2010)

The Chocolate - cinnamon - salt exfoliation bar 
Looks really yummy! Salt exfoliation bars are my fav! 
 they all look yummy


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