I am trying to be more adventurous and challenge myself with outdoor off-camera flash. So putting a backdrop in the carport is my start. Hurricane Florence came the next day and it all had to come down. The sheer amount of energy to put everything together and get it all out there makes me tired, especially when dishes are piling up and the house is a disaster. And then there is always that pull to “practice” – bagpipes, drums, etc. But this was a start. “Next time I post this backdrop (which was inspired by Ben Sasso , i made it by painting a drop cloth), I will produce the photos with a flash, not natural light”, says Courtney to herself. And somehow photographing my boys, they immediately take off their shirts….and pretend to be Viking.