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Friday, June 27, 2014

simple gifts: roadside bouquet





mouse over to see the original

***

Notes:

INSPIRATION
noticing the weeds/flowers along the road
(as usual)
during a bike ride last Sunday;
I drove back right after our ride
and gathered
'a roadside bouquet'




SETUP
Side Lighting
(Be Still 52 Assignment: Week 5)
early morning, before work
summer sun streaming in thru patio door
north-facing, with a covered patio...
more light than I expected
IMPROVISATION
I just needed a bit more height:
two tuna cans under each tripod leg
worked just fine.
I hung a black t-shirt from the chandelier
opposite the light source
to heighten the effect.
Subtle, but definitely noticeable
in the photos.
I tried various backdrops...
After reviewing the early morning shots
with the light quilt background
I realized that the white dandelions
needed more contrast.
Home for lunch on a mission:
arrange dark fabrics
and re-shoot
the whole thing.
I should have listened
to Lillian
in the first place.

I also noticed
the different quality of light
in the early afternoon -
again, more noticeable
in the photos.

original photo SOOC
I purposely over-expose my shots
(+2 on my camera's Exposure Level Indicator)
because most of the data is located
on the right end,
giving me more digital 'stuff'
to play with in Lightroom.
David duChemin explains this
much more clearly in his book
"The more elasticity my digital negative has,
the greater chance that I can make
a gorgeous print
that expresses my vision."

LIGHTROOM
I cropped (4x5),
started with Auto Tone
then adjusted Exposure and White Balance;
I experimented a lot with the Tone Curve
then several presets
before settling on Kim's
kk_daysofold.

PHOTOSHOP
one layer of kk_simplemagic (Screen 64%)
with the blossoms masked off
Font:

***

Linking up with





Tuesday, June 17, 2014

new life






Fenris Kenneth Robert McFadden
June 15, 2014


***

Linking up with


Notes:
In Lightroom
I cropped
did some basic edits
then
preset: kk_likeadream
and
my own B&W split tone

In Photoshop


***


(Grandma 'Mimi')




Sunday, June 8, 2014

playtime




mouse over to see the original


***

Notes:

SETUP
teddy bear
belonging to
young Bobbie Swainson
c. 1960
wooden top and plaid scrapbook
belonging to
young Aldo Notarianni
c. 1930
+
wooden crate magazine rack
belonging to
my late sister Elissa
before I painted/distressed it 'shabby chic' style

setup
(+ tripod)


original photo
SOOC


Numerous shots in Manual mode,
playing with depth of field,
focal point
and shutter speed.

***

 In Lightroom
I cropped (4x5),
cloned away the dark corner,
played with
multiple adjustments
...
and then I scrapped it all
and started over
with Kim's
kk_oldendays preset.
Perfect!
Just the effect I was looking for.

***
In Photoshop
I added two layers of
kk_waterfront1
Hard Light 20%
and
Multiply 30%
(I lowered the saturation on this layer)

I masked the texture
off of the bear and the top.

Font:

***

Linking up with








Wednesday, June 4, 2014

a job worth doing




Etching brush and ladle
belonging to
Joe Toomey

I often heard this saying from my mother, who likely heard the same words from her father. I assumed that Grandpa Joe had coined the phrase himself, but eventually realized that it is an old proverb.

***
John Joseph Toomey, my "Grandpa Joe," was born August 7, 1894, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to Michael and Ann (Murphy) Toomey. Joe's father, a railroad worker, was "gone a lot," leaving his wife and two young sons to fend for themselves. Ann died when the boys were very young, so their aunt, Ellen (Murphy) Baker, raised them.

Joe's childhood was spent in the loving care of his Aunt 'Nell' and her family, where he learned the value of hard work and a good education. There on the Baker farm in Wisconsin he grew up, working alongside the hired hands, and attending the local one-room school.

After high school, Joe worked on the railroad while taking correspondence courses from the University of Wisconsin. He eventually saved enough money to attend classes at the university, working in a fraternity house kitchen and typing term papers to make ends meet. He never did graduate.

In his late twenties, Joe went to work for the Minneapolis Tribune, which was founded by his cousin, William J. Murphy. Eventually, he was sent to Los Angeles to learn the rotogravure process, including photoengraving and etching, so that he could set up such a department at the Tribune. Joe worked at the Tribune until 1940, when the newspaper was sold.


***

Notes:

SETUP
Backdrop: plywood scrap, painted white and roughed up
I actually 'skated' the plywood over gravel.
+
Shop rag from Home Depot (already a bit dirty!)
I didn't spend a lot of time setting up;
just figured I'd see what happened
and deal with it
in a Wabi Sabi fashion.

original photo
SOOC

LIGHTROOM
Lens Corrections:
fix distortion, perspective, and angle
Crop:
Rule of Thirds - sort of
ample empty space
Presets:
Kim's Light&Airy Workflow

after Lightroom edits
cropped and ready for
Photoshop edit

PHOTOSHOP
Cloning to fill in the right side
kk_rainyday Soft Light 35%
another layer of the same at 47%
+ a layer mask to bring back some clarity
kk_grungedup_2 Multiply 35%

Fonts:
Old Newspaper
Dear Joe
(I know...too easy)

***

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