Taking Halloween Photos with Jack-o-Lantern Smoke Bombs

Smoke bombs have been around for a while.  They are commonly used for gender reveal parties and photographers use them for all sorts of fun effects.  But have you ever considered using one inside a carved jack-o-lantern for the perfect Halloween photo?  Well, the Harris Sisters recently did just that and have all the info you might need to recreate these magical photos for yourself at home.  Keep reading for all the details. 

Finding Smoke Bombs

Once you decide to give these smoke bomb photos a go, the first step is finding smoke bombs to purchase.  They are available online from a variety of vendors.  We purchased ours from Smoke Effect.  What I liked about their smoke bombs is that they come in a variety of sizes and colors.  And they are all activated with a simple pull-ring, meaning you don't have to light them.  The smallest smoke bombs burn for about 30 seconds, while the largest ones burn for about 90 seconds.  I purchased a few small ones to use as testers and then several 90 second smoke bombs to use in our actual photos.  The Smoke Effect has a smoke quiz you can take to tell you exactly what you will need to produce your desired effect, and they offer a 10 percent discount to new customers.  Just make sure you order your smoke bombs far enough in advance to account for shipping time.  Mine arrived quickly once they shipped. But since we are approaching Halloween time, now would be the time to purchase them if you are wanting to try your hand at smoke bomb jack-o-lantern photos. 

Prepping for Your Photos

For Jack-o-lantern smoke bombs photos, you will to first need to carve a pumpkin.  It needs to be a real pumpkin, not a foam one, since you will be putting the smoke bomb inside.  Whatever design you choose, make sure it has large openings that the smoke can escape from.  

You will absolutely need to take these photos outside.  Smoke bombs produce quite a bit of smoke, and some smell as well.  Since you will be taking these photos outside, you will want to check your weather conditions first.  Windy days would probably make taking these photos more difficult.  We chose a mostly sunny and fairly calm day to take these pics.  And we waited until the early evening so it wasn't quite so bright out- making the smoke the star of the show. 

What to Wear for a Jack-o-lantern Photo Shoot

The sky is the limit here.  If you have a Halloween costume ready to go, that would be a great place to start! Or if you want to be a little more subtle, you could opt to wear something in traditional Halloween colors or patterns.  From what I read before taking these photos, a few people mentioned being careful about what you chose to wear in case the colored smoke stained your clothing.  However, we didn't find that to be an issue.  Even still, I probably wouldn't wear my most prized possessions, just in case. 

Ready, Set, Shoot

Once you are all set and ready to start taking your photos, I would recommend that you have a few extra hands on deck.  We had one person hold the pumpkin with the lid off, while a second person activated the smoke bomb and sat it inside the pumpkin.  The first person quickly put the lid of the jack-o-lantern back in place (This step is essential, so the smoke is forced out of the carved openings on the front of the jack-o-lantern, and doesn't just escape through the top), and a third person started taking photos.  We used a couple 30 second smoke bombs to test this process and make sure we knew what we were doing before we started into taking our "real" photos.  Once we had the rhythm down, we used our first 90 second smoke bomb for our first set of actual photos. 

As soon as the smoke bomb is activated, things will happen quickly.  I would highly recommend that you set your camera to a high speed continuous shoot setting.  That way you can just click away and capture everything.  Ninety seconds is actually much longer than it sounds like.  You have more than a plenty time to get photos.  So don't worry if the smoke isn't cooperating the entire time.  Have the person holding the pumpkin gently move it around, and the smoke will move with it.  The photographer should be the one moving and let the subject mostly stay in one position. 

Other Helpful Tips

As a precaution, we kept water close at hand just in case we needed to douse our smoking pumpkin at any point.  We actually didn't need to, and we didn't think we would.  But it doesn't hurt to be careful.  These smoke bombs are a step or two up from sparklers.  They create a really dramatic effect but they are pretty harmless.   We did use a pair of tongs to take the used smoke bombs out of the pumpkin before inserting a new one. 

We used the same jack-o-lantern several times with several different smoke colors.  If you are doing the same, we would recommend that you start with your lightest color smoke first and move to darker smokes, until you end with your darkest.  The smoke bombs will stain the pumpkin, which actually creates a pretty cool effect itself.  But if you want to be able to see each color smoke properly, you would definitely want to start with your lightest.  

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how easy of a process this turned out to be.  And we ended up with some pretty cool pictures, and some pretty funny outtakes too.  If you decide to try this photo trend, please let us know.  We would love to see how your photos turn out too! 

Happy Halloween from The Harris Sisters 

How to Upcycle Your Photo Christmas Cards into a Valentine's Day Banner

As I started taking down the Christmas decorations and storing them for next year,  I thought maybe I could find a way to upcycle my Christmas cards from this year.  I decided to use them to make a Valentine's Day banner.  This turned out to be such a fun and easy project!  And I think you will like it too!  What better way to enter the season of love than to be surrounded by photos of friends and family!

Here's a list of the materials I used to make this Valentine's banner: 

• Photo Christmas Cards
• Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter (or stencil)
• Marker or Pen
• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Twine or Ribbon

Step 1:  Sort your Christmas cards.  I had A LOT of photo cards, but a handful of other cards too.  I only used the photo cards for this project.  I sorted all others into a separate pile to be stored for Christmas crafts next year.  

Step 2: Use your heart shaped cookie cutter or stencil to trace a heart around the picture you want to feature on your banner.  Some cards only have one photo and some have lots.  I positioned my cookie cutter a few times before deciding which photos to use for my banner.  Depending on the layout of the card you are using, you may need to rotate your stencil slightly to get the desired image inside your heart. 

Step 3: Once you have all your hearts drawn, carefully cut them out. 

Step 4:  Using your hole punch, punch two holes in the top of each heart shape.  Be careful not to punch too close to the edge of your heart or over anything (or anyone) important!

Step 5:  Finally, use your twine or ribbon to string your hearts together.  Your banner is complete and ready to display!

I love how this little banner turned out!  And I hope you will give it a try too!

Make sure you check out these other Harris Sisters blog posts for ideas on how to decorate for Valentine's Day:

• How to transform your Christmas Tree into a Valentine's Tree
• O Valentine Tree! O Valentine Tree! (vintage Disney cards on an aluminum tree)
• A Valentine-y Kitchen Tour
• Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
• Pink Depression Glass

Happy 10th Anniversary to Our Blog!

Can you believe it's been TEN years already? We can tell you without a doubt that those years have literally flown by. On September 2, 2012, we published our very first blog post. What we didn't know was that by launching that first post ten years ago, we'd be gaining thousands of followers - across multiple social media platforms - in every state across the US and in countries across the world! 

The subject of that first post captured what was popular in the world at the time: remake photos. And it also gave you a glimpse into who we are as sisters and how we cherish not only our time together, but the memories we make together as well.

To commemorate our blog anniversary, here's another remake photo for you, ten years later. 

The Harris Sisters (2022)

And here's the original remake that we kicked off the blog with:

The Harris Sisters (2012)

And here's a walk down memory lane with the photo that started it all:

The Harris Sisters (Circa 1995)

In the ten years since we hit the publish button on that first post, we've met great people, made new friends, acquired new readers, and learned so much about blogging and social media. Each one of us is able to use our talents to contribute to the blog in a meaningful way, and we're able to share that with you.

A BIG Thank You!

We want to dedicate this post to all of our readers, without whom this blog would simply not be what it is today. 

Your comments always motivate us, and we will always be grateful for the community that we've created with you!

So, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. For reading our blog posts. For following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. For liking and commenting on our posts and sharing them with others to help grow our audience. For praising and inspiring and making suggestions and being kind when so many people in the world are not.

We thank you. We appreciate you. We couldn't do it without you.

Here's to the next 10 - 

Donna, Deanna & Misty
"The Harris Sisters"

DIY Gift Idea for Your New Teen Driver

Our son Aidyn has recently turned 16 and will soon be getting his driver's license. While he'll be getting a new (to him) car, we wanted to also give him a personalized gift to help him remember this milestone event. 

DIY Gift Idea for Your New Teen Driver

The DIY gift that we decided on was a photo book that included photos of family members with cars and advice for new drivers. Many of you may remember getting similar types of advice from relatives when you got married or when you had your first baby. We used this same thought process (just geared toward a new driver) while including photos of family members with cars to make it into a keepsake photo book.

Since we have a BIG family, I got lots of photos and advice to include in this photo album for Aidyn.

FUN FACT: We have 14 family members on the Harris side of our family and 12 family members on the Walkush side of our family. (4 of those family members are our family and represent on both sides.) But you can see how it would be easy to collect lots of content for this book! (We ended up with 81 photos and 45 pieces of advice - not too shabby.)

Tips for Making a Custom Photo Book for Your New Driver

Collecting Content for the Book

First, you'll want to contact anyone who you want to contribute photos and advice for the book and give them a due date to submit their content. Make sure to leave yourself enough time to assemble the book, have it printed, and shipped to you. 

If you have old printed photos that need to be converted to digital (I did), I would recommend downloading the PhotoScan app by Google Photos to your phone. You can use this app to digitally capture your printed photos without the glare that you sometimes get when you just take a photo of them with your phone. Pro Tip: The app will automatically save a version of the photo to the app and to your Photos on your phone. The version saved in your Photos on your phone will be higher resolution and won't have the PhotoScan frame around the edges.

As tips and advice rolled in from different sources, I saved it all into a Microsoft Word document. That way, I was able to gather it all in one place before starting the project. This also gave me one document to proofread before starting. Once I proofread that document, I then copied and pasted directly from that document into the photobook. Make sure to re-proof the photobook before purchasing, though, because some special characters, like colons and apostrophes, may be removed from your text in the copy-and-paste process. You'll need to manually insert those if that happens, but that is still easier than typing everything again from scratch.

Designing the Book

• I used Shutterfly to create our book, but other online vendors also offer this service, so you might want to shop around to compare pricing or designs. (The design that I chose for this book is Outdoor Adventures by Sarah Hawkins Designs, and the size that I used was 8" x 8".)
• When designing your book, remember to save early and often.
• Make sure to customize the book with the new driver's name and the date. 
• Make sure to add the name of the person giving the advice after each piece of advice so that the new driver knows who said what.
• Make sure to include at least a few photos of the new driver in or with a car. (We had photos of Aidyn with different cars from many stages of life, from toy cars when he was young all the way up to driving actual cars with his learner's permit pre-license. That photo of Aidyn on the front cover? That's him behind the wheel of Granddaddy's 1964 Chevrolet C10, Pretty Boy!)
• I added a Memorabilia Pocket to my order. This is a clear plastic pocket that adheres to the inside back cover of the book. I thought this would be a good place for Aidyn to keep his previous learner's permits and any of his old driver's licenses through the years. 
• Include a dedication at the front of the book, just like a real author!

Advice for New Drivers

If you're asking a bunch of adults for driving advice, you're bound to get duplicates, right? You'd be surprised! I emailed everyone on the list and had them email their advice back to me. The beauty of this project is that with everyone sending their advice back in their own words, we really didn't have any duplicates. (Of course, since the advice is in everyone's own words, this is why it will be important to note their name beside the advice in the book for reference.) 

The advice was far and wide, and it was just what I was looking for! 

Here are a few of my favorite tips that rolled in:

• Don’t turn right in front of someone who has their blinker on to turn. They could just have their blinker on and could plow right through you.
• Don’t tailgate; it doesn’t make them go any faster, and you will not have enough time to stop without hitting them.
• Always pull over for emergency vehicles and funeral processions, even if no one else does. It’s the right thing to do. 
• Cup holders are the most essential thing to look for when buying a car. 
• Your car is a fish bowl. Other people can see directly inside. So don’t pick your nose. 
  
  

Photos of Vintage Cars

We had all sorts of photo submissions for this book. We were originally looking for photos of family members with their cars (previous cars or current cars), but what we received was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Family members dug deep and submitted not only those photos but also photos of themselves with other types of vehicles too. So we dedicated an entire two-page spread to other types of transportation.

And, of course, my favorite photos were the ones of vintage cars. Here are some of my favorite photos that we included:

Mama when she was a little girl (Aidyn's Grandma Harris)

Gram when she was a young lady (Aidyn's Great Grandma Lopresti)

Daddy circa 1980's with his beloved conversion van (Aidyn's Granddaddy)

The Harris Sisters circa 1990s with the Wayne's World car (Aidyn's Mama and Aunts)

The Walkush Brothers circa 2004 with a vintage car (Aidyn's Dad and Uncles)

Collecting and passing down these words of wisdom and photos allows you to share important life lessons that you and your family members have accumulated throughout the time you've been driving. Sharing these pieces of advice creates a personalized gift that will make a one-of-a-kind family heirloom that will be cherished for generations to come. I hope you'll try recreating this gift idea for your new teen driver. 

River Sirens Themed Photo Shoot

Spring is nearly here, and today we thought we'd share with you a photoshoot that we did back in 2019 at our Girls' Weekend trip to Helen, GA. The cabin that we rented for the trip had a babbling brook that ran behind it. We thought it would be perfect for this photoshoot.

The inspiration for this photoshoot was loosely based on the river sirens from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, although we opted to go with a more ethereal look for our costumes.

Here's The Harris Sisters' version:

And here's the inspiration from the movie:

How to Plan Your Own River Sirens Photoshoot

Make a Shot List and Consider Shot Order

We started off with list of photos we were interested in getting during this photoshoot. 

That way, we had a plan and we wouldn't miss out on any of the photos we wanted while we were all together and in costume. Because you are working with water, you'll need to be aware that once your dress is wet, you can't go back and take photos of it dry. The order you take your shots will be very important.

Our mission was to get photos of:

• on dry land (river in background/before we got wet)
• wading in water
• kneeling in water

Other popular options that we did not explore are:

• sitting in water
• floating in water 
• emerging from water

Some of the shots on your shot list will be determined by the depth, clarity, stillness, and type of water you're working with. For example, if you manage to secure a waterfall for your location, your photo shot list will look very different from someone who's working with a small stream or brook.

We were working with water that was rushing over a small bank of rocks, so while some of these shots would have been beautiful, they may not have been practical for us.

What to Wear for Your River Sirens Themed Photoshoot

When we plan photoshoots, we are all in charge of our own clothing. The first step is to find your inspiration photo and to decide which direction you're going to go in for your photos. River or water photoshoots can range from sirens to mermaids to woodland fairies.

We decided to evoke an ethereal aesthetic with long, flowing dresses that featured sheer overlays and flower accents. We choose three different colors (pink, gray with floral embroidery, and peach) to show our different personalities, but you could also opt for a monochromatic color scheme.

While you see that we're barefoot in the above photo, our best tip is to wear water shoes for the actual shots in the water. They'll keep you from stepping on rocks and debris when you're in the water.

Make Sure to Add Accessories

If you look closely, you'll notice a few extra details in these photos, and they weren't difficult or expensive to add. See if you can spot these accessories:

• floral crown
• feather hair decoration
• floral ribbon belt
• butterfly hair clip
• vintage oak leaf brooch

Down to the River to Pray

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the starry crown

Good Lord, show me the way

O sisters, let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

O sisters, let's go down

Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the robe and crown

Good Lord, show me the way

 ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

We hope this post inspires you to plan your own photo shoot for your sisters or girlfriends. This was a fun one for the Harris Sisters to do. 

Circus Themed Family Photo Shoot

If you follow us on Facebook or on Instagram, you know that The Harris Sisters take nearly every opportunity we're together to get family photos. We thought we'd share some tips and tricks we used to take photos the last time the whole group was together.

Spring is approaching, so for this photo shoot we had a concept that was based loosely on Mother's Day and a celebration of mothers in general, which is why we incorporated all the kiddos into the shoot. (You'll notice we snuck Daddy into one of the shots, too, because you just can't pass up an opportunity to get a photo of Granddaddy with all the grandkids when you've got everybody in the same place at the same time.)

The theme of this photo shoot was the circus! Why? Well, because as a mom, you've always got some sort of three-ring circus going on - you're performing a balancing act (schedules, play dates, dinner, school activities, sports, plays, dance rehearsals and recitals, scout meetings, the list goes on!), jumping through flaming hoops for your kids, keeping all the plates spinning, and you'd bend over backwards for any of your kiddos.

Most days, it's a High Wire Act AND you're the Ring Master AND the Strong (Wo)Man all rolled into one. To paraphrase The Greatest Showman,

Motherhood IS The Greatest Show

Oh, this is the greatest show
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be (this is where you wanna be)
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
This is where you wanna be

How To Plan Your Own Circus Photoshoot

Make a Shot List

We started off with list of photos we were interested in getting during this photoshoot.

That way, we had a plan and we wouldn't miss out on any of the photos we wanted while we were all together and in costume. Our mission was to get photos of:

• the sisters
• the sisters and all the kiddos
• all the kiddos
• Daddy with all the grandchildren
• individual shots of each sister with her children

What to Wear for Your Circus Themed Photoshoot

When we plan photoshoots, we are all in charge of our own clothing. For this particular shoot, we decided on a color scheme and then kept each other updated with photos of costume choices as they were purchased. None of your circus themed outfits need to be particularly expensive.

For example, both boys, who are the Strong Men in our circus, are wearing black and white striped shirts that were purchased at a thrift store. They both already had plain black basketball shorts and black Converse tennis shoes. 

Donna's Ring Master costume was also pieced together from items that she already owned: a white button down shirt, a vest, a bow tie, a red blazer, black shorts, fishnet tights, and black boots. Deanna found the red top hat at an estate sale to complete the look. 

Lexi's costume is a repurposed dance recital costume. Misty crafted her own feather headdress. Other costume pieces for Showgirl costumes can be purchased from Amazon, Etsy, or eBay. 

And make sure to shop your local theater company or your closet too for other costume pieces and accessories!

Make Sure to Add Props and Accessories

You'll notice a few extra details in these photos, and they weren't difficult or expensive to add at all! See if you can spot these circus themed props and accessories:

• trunk
• circus stand (this is a planter painted and turned upside down)
• large ball (this is an exercise ball painted with a large star on it)
• umbrella for the Tight Rope Walker
• accordion
• Ring Master's cane (this is a wooden dowel painted black with silver tips)
• tattoo sleeves for the Strong Men

A Million Dreams

'Cause every night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
A million dreams, a million dreams
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

We hope this post inspires you to plan your own circus themed photo shoot for your family. This was a fun one for the Harris Sisters to do. And remember: Life's a circus - enjoy the show!

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