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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

expecting - part 2



is
classic
but
the colors
turned out
so beautifully...





Here's
some more
of my
favorite shots:


I handed the camera
to Aaron...

Kelly
with
soon-to-be
Aunt Erin and Grandma 'Mimi'

(the girls call me 'Mimi')


There's been significant speculation
about wee Fen's
haircolor.
We all agree:
the world needs
another
ginger.


***

Lightroom Preset:
Rainbow Pastel
from
Presets Galore

+

kk_waterfront
(Soft Light 24% + Multiply 60%)


Linking up
with
Texture Tuesday
Free & Easy eDition


***


(Grandma Mimi)



Monday, May 26, 2014

begin with an egg...


Two challenges.
Two versions.


Challenge #1
Set up a shot that includes eggs in the scene.

Challenge #2
Find a simple subject and give it room to breathe;
apply the Rule of Thirds
and use that negative space.

***

Version A



Notes:
Seemingly endless play
in Lightroom,
experimenting with multiple
presets and adjustments.
As for the
Rule of Thirds...
well, some 'rules'
make better guidelines.
Edges and Balance
won out here.
Then into Photoshop
to remove some of the
more distracting scratches
with the
Spot Healing Brush
and
to add a bit of texture.
(kk_rainyday Overlay20% opacity)

original shot SOOC



***

Version B



Notes:
In Lightroom
I played with multiple
presets, adjustments,
and some major cropping.
Same issues as before
with Rule of Thirds.
I continue to trust
my own intuition.
Then into Photoshop
for some texture:
kk_dollard_softandgentle
(Soft Light 63%)

original shot SOOC


***
Here's my setup:


Lillian was 'helping' as usual.

mouseover
to see
Lillian's
photobomb


***


The goal of solitude
is not simply
to be alone,
but to be present
and receptive.
~
David duChemin



***











Tuesday, May 20, 2014

expecting...








Kelly & Aaron
and
Fen
May 18, 2014


Soon...

(make that 'Grandma Mimi')


***


Lightroom Preset:
Soft Matte with Vignette Cool
from

+

kk_laura
(Multiply 30%)


***

Linking up
with
Black & White eDition



Friday, May 16, 2014

be still: a beginning



This little
Beleek creamer
of my mother's
has always been a favorite.





Just a few lilacs
survived
our 
spring snowstorm.


I don't remember
where or how
I acquired
this wonderful
old, old
children's book.


I put it all together
with
an old
cutwork linen
doily
and set it up
with
some makeshift
painted plywood
backdrops.

And I played...


I'm shooting
in Manual Mode
now...
various f-stops,
shutter speeds,
exposures
and
auto-focus points.



Set up everything,
shoot some pix,
run downstairs
with the
flashcard
and load 'em
into Lightroom.

Study them closely,
mostly checking
for
'tack sharp'
focus.

Then
head back upstairs
and
try again.



The light is different
just a few feet away! 



Lillian
patiently
watched...


...and seemed to
understand
why I am
compelled
to do
this.


***

Thanks Kim
for
Be Still 52


***

I painted one side
of each of two
plywood scraps
flat white
then distressed them
by rubbing them
on gravel.

Top photos
edited in
Lightroom
and Photoshop
with Kim's
Texture Tuesday
recipe
this week
(I chose
the Beleek creamer
because of its
soft yellow
'ribbon'
and interior glaze).

I added
 kk_simple
to the top photo only
(just one layer at 38% Soft Light)
The other photos
needed the clarity
with all their busy-ness.

***





Sunday, May 11, 2014

a mother's day album

So here's where my heart is
on this 
Mother's Day

***
Let me
illustrate with
some photos
from
the past

May 1960
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Our family
with Mom
at the center
(I'm just 2 weeks old here)

Mom was 8 months pregnant
with me
+
three small children
in tow
when they moved in
this brand-new house
just a few weeks
before



June 1989
Toronto
My parents
came to visit
when Kelly (our first)
was born


 Grandma and Kelly

Grandma, me, and Grandpa
with Kelly


Not quite
two years later...

Grandpa and Grandma
came to Toronto to meet
our little 'Enna'
with Kelly (22 mo) and Erin (3 mo)


And now...

a few 'selfies'
from
Kelly's
Instagram
album
this year

 March 5

March 28

May 8


***

Making the decision
to have a child
is momentous.
It is to decide
forever
to have your heart
go walking around
outside
your body.

Elizabeth Stone



Happy Mother's Day
Mom!




and
to Kelly:

Welcome
to the
Club!







Tuesday, May 6, 2014

re: ephemera, wabi-sabi, still-life, and light



Start where you are.
Use what you have.






***

So
I started with
a scrap of
ephemera
from my Dad's
old stamp collection
'stash'


and dug up
this old chunk
of wood


and sifted
through
some
old potpourri


and
sorted
through
some
old buttons


and
in a
free-flowing
wabi-sabi
state of mind,
I
quickly
composed this
little
still life


it was if a story
was unfolding
as I assembled
the bits and pieces...

I've been to Wyoming
'though I don't know exactly where
Upton is.
Champa Street
is in
downtown Denver.



I searched for
some
early morning
light


and
the rest
is
history.


Or
rather
photography.


***
CAMERA SETTINGS:

Camera: Canon 6D (full frame)
Lens: Canon 28-135mm
Focal Length: 135mm
(Lens Image Stabilizer turned off for tripod use)
Mode: Manual
Auto Focus (center point focus) with Evaluative Metering
ISO 400, f/18, 1.3 sec
(I was going for 'tack sharp'
to emphasize the
assorted textures
and
light/shadow play)


***
PHOTO EDITING:

Lightroom:
lots of experimentation
with
cropping, snapshots
presets (mainly Kim's LightAiry Workflow)

then edited in

Photoshop CC:
just a bit of
layering
from Kim's Home Sweet Home Set
kk_hsh3 (Multiply 52%)
kk_hsh (Overlay 17%)


***

Linking up
with
(late as usual)