I Heart Faces

Whoa Hoo!  I finally got my feet wet and entered a photo contest on "I Heart Faces."http://www.iheartfaces.com.  Here's my photo: It is thumbnail 283 and you can vote for me this week since they are allowing the people to choose instead of a judge.  Thanks.

A Model Shoot

One of our local photographers arranged the most wonderful practice photo shoot with other area photographers from Carlsbad, Artesia, and Roswell.  We spent the afternoon taking pictures of our volunteer models in a studio and outdoors.   Here is what I learned.

1. We have very talented photographers in our area.
2. They are willing to share their gift with others.
3. I was a little overwhelmed with studio lights, but I liked the dramatic effect it produces.
4. I really want to learn this skill. I like the dramatic effect and mood.  Yes, I know I already said that.  I just really like what they do.
5. This studio was awesome.  The owner's photos were awesome.
6. There is no such thing as too many props.
7. I am going to have to get a storage room for props.
8. Don't be afraid.  Just get out there and do it confidently. (Thanks for the advice.)

Here are a few of one particular model.

Now the outdoor shots.

Chocolate version

More later.  Thanks to all who participated this afternoon.  

At the Park

On Thursday we took our grandkids for an afternoon of fun at the park.  They remembered the last time we went to the park, we had stopped at Dairy Queen for a cup of their wonderful soft serve, so naturally, we had to do that this time.  I think it is going to be a tradition.  Our granddaughter soon noticed there was a walkway that went under a bridge and wanted to explore it.  What grandmother can turn down a request of their grandkids, so we went.  There must have been a ton of graffiti there at one time, because there were spots of colorful paint in blocks at various points along the concrete walls.  These make an awesome background for a picture.  And if you know me, you will know I had my camera.  I had to get some pictures.

Of course there are always trees at a park that beg to be in pictures as well.  We have the obligatory tree picture. 

Our outing was a success to be sure.  They had ice cream, lots of fun, and I got some great pictures. I count it a blessed day.  Thank you, Lord!

Field of Honor

Needless to say, I am behind again in my posting.  There just is not enough time in the day, week, month...to get all the things I want done.  For the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the Elks club placed over 1500 flags in Stapp Field at NMMI to remember all those who lost their lives in the incident.  I was sorry I missed the ceremony to place the flags because I heard it was awesome.  Every day I went to the field to take pictures.  As I walked through, I noticed the flags had names on them in memory of a fallen Veteran and people had dropped single roses at the bottom of some of the flags.  I think this was the most visited field ever.  Here are some of the images I captured.

More experiments

Okay, I have a couple more photos I just did.

More photo experiments

I spent the Labor Day weekend and the next couple of days organizing my photos.  Well, I do have them organized by date, but I like to put them in folders according to people and events.  The trouble with me is that I take a ton of pictures and upload them all.  I always tell myself I will go back and sort out the bad later, but my later tends to be months.  I was very behind...like from May to present.  I was ruthless and got rid of over 5000 pictures.  (I hope I don't regret it later).  My intent is to keep the good ones, edit them, post them, and move on.  They will be ready for when I want to make an album or something else.

I am experimenting; trying to get the best photo ever.  I see so many blogs with these amazing pictures.  So today, when my house is desperately calling to be cleaned and I am in need of a shower, I am side tracked editing.  Here is one picture with several different processes.  I like them all.

Pioneer Woman 70's Action

Pioneer Woman BW action

Pioneer Women fresh and colorful action

Photo experiments

Okay, I found some interesting techniques on the internet I just had to try.  The first one is from http://kimikreations.blogspot.com/.  She won a photo contest with her picture using this method. I realize this is not for everyone, but I like to try things.  Here is my attempt at duplicating it.

Rob

So I will not forget how to do this I decided I would write the instructions down here.  I use Photoshop elements 8.

• Edit photo cleaning up any blemishes 
• Use a gradient map adjustment layer to turn the picture to black and white
• Add a brown texture; duplicate texture
• On the bottom texture, change the blending mode to soft light
• Top texture is left on normal.
• Use a layer mask to mask out portions of the picture to your liking.  My PSE 8 does not have a layer mask so I have to use a levels adjustment, drag the layer below the photo, invert (command I on a Mac) to turn the layer to black.  With foreground set to white, paint out the part of the photo to create the mask on the black portion of your layer adjustment.

My second technique I have done before, but it has been a long time.  I like the blue and the "glow" the picture has.

• Open image
• Remove color (command U)
• Filter--distort--diffuse glow
•  sliders: grainness soft (0)             glow 5             clear 7
• click ok
• set foreground to white- select paint brush and brush out some of the photo
• unlock background layer to layer 0
• transform (command T on Mac) to scale picture up
• create a solid color layer adjustment 
• using the color picker select a blue tone
• drag this below the image layer
• on the photo layer change blending mode to screen 
• Add text
• sample the color with eyedropper- alt backspace  

Home again, home again

I feel like I need to repeat the words from Jordan's blog, holy, moly( http://lifethinking.livejournal.com/  see the entry from August 4th.)  Holy, moly it has been way too long since I last posted anything.  At dinner tonight, I was telling Warren I needed to go get something posted.  He told me to take a picture of a post and put that up and say, "here's my post for the day."  I am not doing that.

I am back from my Alaskan cruise with Jane and I am happy to report she was a real trooper and we both had a great time.  She survived and so did I.  We were very slow getting to places, but we got there.  It was cold, very cold, but oh so beautiful.  How anyone can deny God when they look at wonders of creation?  I cannot understand.

These are glaciers, even the part that look like mountains

The Yukon

Seattle...I know, I know...there's no space needle.  I couldn't get it in.

These pictures are panoramas.  I stitched together 3 or 4 photos to get the whole picture.  I was pleased with how they turned out.  I will have more pictures as I get them edited, so stay tuned.

Other happenings around our household:  Erynn has finally learned to swim!  Yeah for Erynn.  I have been trying and trying to get her to go underwater, blow and breathe, and use her arms to stroke.  It is kind of hard to do all those things when she has to hold her nose.  But one day, she said, "Mimi, I have been thinking.  I want to jump off the deep end and you just be there to help me if I need it."  We practiced at 5 feet, then 6, 7, and finally the deepest spot.  She did great.  I just had to help her get level in the water and she swam to the side by herself.  Her stroke needs refinement, but the biggest obstacle is over.  And look at her two new front teeth.  When I came back from Alaska, there they were...all of a sudden.

Erynn's fearless leap!

My what big teeth you have! (from Little Red Riding Hood)

Warren has been doing water therapy for his back after I coaxed him into it.  I crank up the heater to warm the pool water to therapeutic temperature...he complains about it and I am sure our gas bill will be up, but hopefully it will help his back.  He watches T.V. from the floor now...more support there.

Doing therapy.  He has to have a belt and noodle to keep him up.
He has no body fat, and sinks like a rock.

Warren's new watching T.V. position.

I found some rain boots on sale, really cheap, at Target.  I debated whether to buy them since I have lived 58 years without them, but decided I couldn't pass up such a great deal.  I have worn them everyday since I bought them for working in the garden, spraying the bird poop off the sidewalk, spraying the yard for bugs, cleaning the pool, and finally, I got to wear them in the rain.  We haven't had rain in forever.  On of my lady friends, Gail Stokes, (Brandon's grandmother) told me her family went to Ruidoso to the horse races, and it poured rain.  Her little great-grandson who is 2 years old, said, "What is this?"  It only goes to show you, it has been way too long since it has rained around here when a 2 year old has not seen rain to know what it is.

My new found treasures...rain boots.

It's raining, it's pouring, the old woman is happy!