10 May 2012
08 May 2012
A New Experiment
This picture was taken from the air on a fairly calm day. It's not very common that I can capture reflections in the lakes surrounding the mountains... so I have to make do with the pictures I have. (=^_^=) I ended up having to manipulate this picture more than I normally do to get it to look the way I envisioned it. I actually manipulated the colors in the picture in two ways. One to give the mountains and trees a little more pop and one on a duplicate file focusing on the sky. I then bravely decided to photoshop the two together... For my first attempt it's not... baaaad. Just... I think the colors of the upper elevations don't quite fit now. What do you think?
The Original:
First round: I played with the color a bit.
Second round: I added the blue sky from another copy of the picture. Doesn't look like I have that file anymore... *Sad*
Third round: Darkened the colors some more and straightened the picture.
Final: I tried to darken the colors even more and brighten the snow. The snow was over exposed to begin with so it still looks flat... Not sure what I could do to fix it now, but I tried to make the sky looks a little less "dropped-in-from-another-file."
The Original:
First round: I played with the color a bit.
Second round: I added the blue sky from another copy of the picture. Doesn't look like I have that file anymore... *Sad*
Third round: Darkened the colors some more and straightened the picture.
Final: I tried to darken the colors even more and brighten the snow. The snow was over exposed to begin with so it still looks flat... Not sure what I could do to fix it now, but I tried to make the sky looks a little less "dropped-in-from-another-file."
03 May 2012
The Kitties
Aww. My precious little fuzzies humored me while I played with my camera in the fading evening light. ^_^ It made quite a bit of sound they weren't too sure about... Which makes me all the more impressed by those who can achieve really spectacular wildlife photographs.
Koshka sees the human hiding at the top of the stairs (trying to get the camera ready to take pictures without being noticed) and comes to investigate. Unfortunately, she was a little fast for me so I only got the one picture and the focus turns out to be on her paw, not her face. So sad! I'll have to try again some other time.
After "playing" with me for a bit, by which I mean she had me scratch her ears and tummy, she now sees the much younger, boy-kitty coming out to "play" too. By which he means running and tumbling around and tooth/claw involvement is a very certain probability. He plays a little rough for her taste, so she is tensing to jump out of the way if need be.
Mugetsu has joined the fray. Koshka has found that if she is on top of the kitty stool, she can bat at the boy-kitty without really being too involved. A rather advantageous position for a kitty who has 12+ years playing with a kitty who is only 8 months old. Mugetsu is already bigger than Koshka and hasn't finished growing. This human feels that he will soon be huge (if the size of his paws are anything to go by.) Fortunately he is a short-haired kitty. If he shed as much as Koshka who is a medium-haired kitty, I'd never be able to wear anything! (Black and white cats, see? If not one, then the other. Hair would show up no matter what color the clothes...) Now, both have stopped to watch the other human as he talks to the photographer. It doesn't take long after this picture for Koshka to run away.
"What is this strange black thing you have pointed at me that keeps making that weird clicky sound?"
"I do not recall giving you permission to stop scratching my tummy!"
Mugetsu enjoys sitting in windows, watching the world and feeling the sun. Two of the window are along a moderately busy street. Sometimes I wonder if people think I am a witch, with all her strange plants in the windows, who has a black cat who stares at them... ^_^
I liked how the light caught his eye.
Oooh, the claws. When I got Mugetsu at the city pound, his (then) little claws had never been trimmed. He's sitting so quietly in the little cat carrier box in my passenger seat while I tell him all about what his new home is going to be like. At a stop light, I notice his little eye pressed up against the air-hole facing me, watching me. Then he sticks his nose next to it. Silly human, I put my finger next to the hole so he can sniff it and am rewarded when he takes it as an invitation to play. Yes, there was blood. This human immediately realizes that harmony in the household may be better achieved by taking a quick detour to the vet before going home. Koshka has trimmed claws, all the better to protect the furniture (etc) from sneaky kitty scratching when the humans aren't around, and having an introduction will be hard enough on her without having to deal with sharp little claws that are ready to play. Unfortunately, him being younger and all, his claws grow back out quite a bit faster... He has started to take full advantage of that fact when running about the house!
A word or two about their names. Koshka means "cat" in Russian. She was a stray who walked into her humans life around a time when he was more fluent. Hence the name. Mugetsu was a little more difficult. During that first trip to the vet, I asked their opinion of a couple names I was kicking around. They told me about the prevalence of a couple of the names. "Four dogs and a couple cats, etc." Those names I decided against. When they heard some of the other names I had come up with, they fervently hoped, for professional reasons of course, that I would pick a name they would be able to pronounce.
"Hello, Ms. Stockhouse, I'm calling to confirm the appointment for... um... Fuuuuuujiiiiii... uh... your cat."
Yes, I can see how that might be a problem. ^_^ When I returned for his first check-up, I told them I had picked two names. "Mugetsu," they tried to hide their looks of dismay, and "Mugen." So when they call to tell me the kitty is due for his next check-up, they will be able to easily pronounce what they have typed in their computer: "Moo-gan." I still have to smile, I didn't have the heart to correct them. "Mugetsu" means new moon or no moon in Japanese. A fitting name, I thought, for an entirely black kitty with no markings. "Mugen" means infinity. I still think "Haku" (my third choice) would have been a good name, but I liked "Mugetsu" better.
Koshka sees the human hiding at the top of the stairs (trying to get the camera ready to take pictures without being noticed) and comes to investigate. Unfortunately, she was a little fast for me so I only got the one picture and the focus turns out to be on her paw, not her face. So sad! I'll have to try again some other time.
After "playing" with me for a bit, by which I mean she had me scratch her ears and tummy, she now sees the much younger, boy-kitty coming out to "play" too. By which he means running and tumbling around and tooth/claw involvement is a very certain probability. He plays a little rough for her taste, so she is tensing to jump out of the way if need be.
Mugetsu has joined the fray. Koshka has found that if she is on top of the kitty stool, she can bat at the boy-kitty without really being too involved. A rather advantageous position for a kitty who has 12+ years playing with a kitty who is only 8 months old. Mugetsu is already bigger than Koshka and hasn't finished growing. This human feels that he will soon be huge (if the size of his paws are anything to go by.) Fortunately he is a short-haired kitty. If he shed as much as Koshka who is a medium-haired kitty, I'd never be able to wear anything! (Black and white cats, see? If not one, then the other. Hair would show up no matter what color the clothes...) Now, both have stopped to watch the other human as he talks to the photographer. It doesn't take long after this picture for Koshka to run away.
"What is this strange black thing you have pointed at me that keeps making that weird clicky sound?"
"I do not recall giving you permission to stop scratching my tummy!"
Mugetsu enjoys sitting in windows, watching the world and feeling the sun. Two of the window are along a moderately busy street. Sometimes I wonder if people think I am a witch, with all her strange plants in the windows, who has a black cat who stares at them... ^_^
I liked how the light caught his eye.
Oooh, the claws. When I got Mugetsu at the city pound, his (then) little claws had never been trimmed. He's sitting so quietly in the little cat carrier box in my passenger seat while I tell him all about what his new home is going to be like. At a stop light, I notice his little eye pressed up against the air-hole facing me, watching me. Then he sticks his nose next to it. Silly human, I put my finger next to the hole so he can sniff it and am rewarded when he takes it as an invitation to play. Yes, there was blood. This human immediately realizes that harmony in the household may be better achieved by taking a quick detour to the vet before going home. Koshka has trimmed claws, all the better to protect the furniture (etc) from sneaky kitty scratching when the humans aren't around, and having an introduction will be hard enough on her without having to deal with sharp little claws that are ready to play. Unfortunately, him being younger and all, his claws grow back out quite a bit faster... He has started to take full advantage of that fact when running about the house!
A word or two about their names. Koshka means "cat" in Russian. She was a stray who walked into her humans life around a time when he was more fluent. Hence the name. Mugetsu was a little more difficult. During that first trip to the vet, I asked their opinion of a couple names I was kicking around. They told me about the prevalence of a couple of the names. "Four dogs and a couple cats, etc." Those names I decided against. When they heard some of the other names I had come up with, they fervently hoped, for professional reasons of course, that I would pick a name they would be able to pronounce.
"Hello, Ms. Stockhouse, I'm calling to confirm the appointment for... um... Fuuuuuujiiiiii... uh... your cat."
Yes, I can see how that might be a problem. ^_^ When I returned for his first check-up, I told them I had picked two names. "Mugetsu," they tried to hide their looks of dismay, and "Mugen." So when they call to tell me the kitty is due for his next check-up, they will be able to easily pronounce what they have typed in their computer: "Moo-gan." I still have to smile, I didn't have the heart to correct them. "Mugetsu" means new moon or no moon in Japanese. A fitting name, I thought, for an entirely black kitty with no markings. "Mugen" means infinity. I still think "Haku" (my third choice) would have been a good name, but I liked "Mugetsu" better.
01 May 2012
Mount Moran from the Ground
The last picture of Mount Moran was taken from the air in a plane. This picture was taken from a boat on the lake. I tried to put my new skills to use again. Practice, practice, practice! Right?
The original:
The first pass: I cropped the picture and played with the color.
The second pass: I changed the picture to black and white.
In a lot of the black and white pictures I like, I see that they have made their sky very dark if not black. It adds contrast and drama to their pictures. In my zeal to make my sky darker, I may have used a little too much gusto and not enough subtlety... Areas of the sky seem blotchy and the trees have suffered as well, in terms of loss of detail. The lesson I learned here is that patience really does matter when it comes to manipulating a picture. Setting the burn exposure too high just to make the picture darker faster does not result in a good end.
So, starting over again from the second pass, here is my third and a half pass: I tried to pay attention to the different shades of gray to bring out the detail of the mountain. In the end, I think perhaps I became overly timid about using the burn tool from the previous attempt and I really do need to go back and take the time to effectively darken this picture more. I shall share the results when it is ready... ^_^
The original:
The first pass: I cropped the picture and played with the color.
The second pass: I changed the picture to black and white.
In a lot of the black and white pictures I like, I see that they have made their sky very dark if not black. It adds contrast and drama to their pictures. In my zeal to make my sky darker, I may have used a little too much gusto and not enough subtlety... Areas of the sky seem blotchy and the trees have suffered as well, in terms of loss of detail. The lesson I learned here is that patience really does matter when it comes to manipulating a picture. Setting the burn exposure too high just to make the picture darker faster does not result in a good end.
So, starting over again from the second pass, here is my third and a half pass: I tried to pay attention to the different shades of gray to bring out the detail of the mountain. In the end, I think perhaps I became overly timid about using the burn tool from the previous attempt and I really do need to go back and take the time to effectively darken this picture more. I shall share the results when it is ready... ^_^
30 April 2012
The Lessons of a Photographer
This is Mount Moran (part of the Tetons in Wyoming) as seen from a plane. The flight was horribly bumpy due to all the clouds causing turbulence something fierce, but eerily beautiful at the same time. As a result, most of my pictures turned out blurry or too low quality to do much with them. But a few seemed usable. Now what to do with them?
Two weeks ago, I went to see the exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs that were being displayed at the Missoula Art Museum. Stunning. Moving. Intimidating. Yet I came away from the exhibit with something unexpected. I had no idea that Mr. Adams manipulated his pictures. How many years had I seen prints of his pictures and thought "Here is one of those unreachable artists who have a gift I will never be able to learn..."? Dodging and burning. The docent who guided us through the gallery let us in on this little secret. Ansel Adams has been "photoshopping" his pictures...
Perhaps I should say I came away from the exhibit with two lessons. I now had a greater understanding of not only this artist, but also possibly all my favorite black and white photographers. And I learned of my own immaturity in never bothering to read more about them myself. I just assumed I could never learn of their greatness, so I gave up before I even tried.
Now, I'm not so arrogant to say that this knowledge lessens the greatness of their works in my eyes or that, armed with this knowledge, I can now go out and replicate their work. In fact, I might go in the other direction and say it has esteemed them even more in my eyes. I have seen a glimpse into that world to see that their greatness truly has a deeper meaning. Not only can they see the picture, they know what equipment to use to capture it and then they know how to go back and make that picture a work of art.
So, my picture is nothing extraordinary. Yet, by using some of the magic of the great masters, I can make it something better than it was...
The original: The whole picture is rather flat.
The first pass: I got the contrast a little too strong which also makes the picture look flat (to me.) Maybe this would be okay as a pop-art picture, but that wasn't the look I wanted.
The second pass: I started over again with the original. I liked the composition better this time. The mountain has more depth. I still thought I could do better though.
The third pass: Ah! Now that is starting to look like the image I had in my head. I may come back to this picture when my skills are better, but for now, I am satisfied with this experiment.
Two weeks ago, I went to see the exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs that were being displayed at the Missoula Art Museum. Stunning. Moving. Intimidating. Yet I came away from the exhibit with something unexpected. I had no idea that Mr. Adams manipulated his pictures. How many years had I seen prints of his pictures and thought "Here is one of those unreachable artists who have a gift I will never be able to learn..."? Dodging and burning. The docent who guided us through the gallery let us in on this little secret. Ansel Adams has been "photoshopping" his pictures...
Perhaps I should say I came away from the exhibit with two lessons. I now had a greater understanding of not only this artist, but also possibly all my favorite black and white photographers. And I learned of my own immaturity in never bothering to read more about them myself. I just assumed I could never learn of their greatness, so I gave up before I even tried.
Now, I'm not so arrogant to say that this knowledge lessens the greatness of their works in my eyes or that, armed with this knowledge, I can now go out and replicate their work. In fact, I might go in the other direction and say it has esteemed them even more in my eyes. I have seen a glimpse into that world to see that their greatness truly has a deeper meaning. Not only can they see the picture, they know what equipment to use to capture it and then they know how to go back and make that picture a work of art.
So, my picture is nothing extraordinary. Yet, by using some of the magic of the great masters, I can make it something better than it was...
The original: The whole picture is rather flat.
The first pass: I got the contrast a little too strong which also makes the picture look flat (to me.) Maybe this would be okay as a pop-art picture, but that wasn't the look I wanted.
The second pass: I started over again with the original. I liked the composition better this time. The mountain has more depth. I still thought I could do better though.
The third pass: Ah! Now that is starting to look like the image I had in my head. I may come back to this picture when my skills are better, but for now, I am satisfied with this experiment.
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