Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Learning & Doing

How are you today? Ice, snow, and cold winds blew across nw Ohio yesterday creating a winter wonderland that belies the treacherous side of nature.  I have some before and after photos to share with you.  I can't believe how much can be learned in a few short days.  I have a long way to go, but I'm getting a feel for just what Photoshop Elements can do for photography. 

Very little processing was actually done to this photo.  A boost of color, a bit of softening and adding text were the lessons learned. 

Learning about layers, blend modes, and levels in the adjustment panel dominated this lesson.  Yes, the photo is dark.  Besides taking the photograph shortly after sunset, while there was still a bit of light left, I also wanted to capture a darker mood.  By the way...read the storybook Imagine a Night with paintings by Rob Gonsalves and text by Sarah L. Thomson.  Read it to yourselfl, read it to a child, it's a beautiful book.

I created this vignette trying to convey the feeling of a lover's letter returned.  In this lesson we were introduced to textures.  I've fiddled with textures before, but never in Elements, so it was a lesson I was anxious to learn.  I used Kim Klassen's textures that she creates and generously shares. If you're curious what textues look like you can peruse Kim's Texture Shop here

The texture assignment called for two photos, so this is the second one I texturized.  Again, I used Kim's textures.  I'm bothered by the dark line just below the roses.  I tried to brush it out, but it only made it worse so I left it. I sure hope I learn how to get rid of unwanted bits like that at some point. 

So this is what I've been up to.  What have you been up to, my friends?  Are you keeping warm and cozy?  I''m leaving you with a line from Imagine a Night that sums up the spirit we each have to fly...
"Imagine a night...
...when you take just one last ride;
beneath you, the hill grows steep
and your wheels grow wings."
~Sarah L. Thomson

9 comments:

  1. That closing verbal image is a little too vivid with Christchurch in my mind. I enjoy watching you learn to move your photos to where you want them to be. It is a talent and a skill I don't have. That much patience I don't have. Do you know Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams? You photos have something in common with hers.

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  2. Love all the things that you are learning! Especially the textures. Taking a beautiful subject and making it richer!

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  3. Dear Teresa, Your photographs become more and more powerful as you experiment with composition and light. I have always thought that there were far too many technical elements in photography for me......but you seem to be thriving on your new found knowledge!

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  4. Diana...I'm not seeing the visual connection between the quote and Christchurch's devastating earthquake, but that's probably because I know the entire book. I don't know Jen, but I'm going to check out Muddy Boots. (cool title)

    Marion...thanks for stopping by. I am enjoying this class so much (I think I"ve said that a few times before) While I love the textures and what it can do for images, I equally love vivid brilliance in color and straight out of camera shots. There's so much more to photography than I ever imagined.

    Edith...Thank you for your kind comment. I find the digital world vastly intriguing and when combined with beauty,I'm smitten, indeed.

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  5. I love the quote ... and all you are doing in photoshop. It is all so creative, not decided by the programme, but by the person using it ... and intriguing is an apt word to describe it .... absorbing, too.

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  6. aguja...thank you for your considerate comment.

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  7. lovely, lovely work!
    it is so cool how one can transform
    an image and you are doing awesome
    work with the textures! i especially
    love the gentleness of your tulips
    but also really like the strength
    and sharpness you created in
    'return to sender' ... very cool.
    too much fun!
    xo
    prairiegirl

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