Getting Tired of Waiting - Time to Take Control

Well, nothing has arrived - no fabric, no new lights or backdrops to get further into my studio photography. It is now time to take matters into my own resourceful hands.

Here is the l.e.d lamp I mentioned last time. I have another with 3 llights. For this shoot, I will use the 2 lamps to see what kind of effects I can get.

I have been fascinated for some unknown reason with the colors orange and lime green for about a year now. My order from Fabric.com has a batch of orange Island Breeze gauze, but they were out of stock of a good lime green. I girded my muslin fundoshi, threw on a pair of jeans and went out on a fabric search.

(the hiding fundoshi kept silent
while I was fabric shopping)

Guys...if you’ve never gone shopping in a fabric store, don’t let it intimidate you. There are some definite perks to doing this yourself and not sending in one of your female friends as an accomplice. You get great service from the ladies of the shop. They just love it when a man is taking an interest in fabric. Flirt to your heart’s content.....I’ve even gotten discounts from being extra friendly and a little needy! 

Fundoshi....

Upon returning home from my fabric store trip, I decided to do one last shoot with the muslin from my old duvet cover. This shoot is based on comments at fundoshi4all - adults regarding the look of jeans and fundoshi.

Fabric.... 

I threw my newly acquired fabric in the wash - always do this before cutting the material.  I can’t wait for it to be washed and dried, then ready to make more fundoshi.

Photography....

Equipped with the l.e.d. lights from the last shoot, I try to make my spare room and closet doors seem more like a studio. 

After the break - photos from this shoot interspersed with some hints when buying fabric.

This is what can be done with the lamps.

I just got home, new fabric is in the wash and the lamps are set up.

Tip #1: Only buy a natural fabric - 100% cotton or linen. This feels good and keeps moisture away from the body. Other natural fabrics like silk are a bit too slick for use as a fundoshi. I haven’t tried a silk crepe (it has a ‘grittier’ tooth), so can’t make a determination on that. Maybe at a later date. 

Tip #2: Trust your ‘feel’. Touch the cloth. If it doesn’t feel good to your hands, it won’t feel good against your more delicate areas. Be aware of the terms ‘semi-sheer’ and ‘sheer’. Depending on your modesty, both are great indicators for use as fundoshi.

Tip #3: If you can, look for weaves when deciding on patterns instead of prints. There are many fantastic looking prints out there that would be fun to use, but generally, the added weight of the ink and how it lays on top of the fabric makes it stiffer. 

Look....here is the spotlight effect again!

I ended up picking up a ‘crinkle gauze’ and a ‘ghandi guaze’(the storeʻs spelling). The ‘ghandi guaze’ is like cheesecloth, but is dark green in color. It’s a bit thin, but I will throw caution to the wind and do some experiments. I bought 2 colors of the ‘crinkle gauze‘  - lavender and, you guessed it, lime green.  Can you also guess the theme for the next blog?