I had the idea for an image that was nagging me, so on Saturday while it was lovely and sunny i dragged Chris out to Willaston to go and photograph the old train station. I ended up with 70 odd images hoping one would be ‘the one’. Today, after i pried my laptop from my daughters pre-teen fingers, i decided to tackle my idea. Then realised i didn’t have any idea how to go about it. I visited my favorite ‘how to’ blog (thanks Russel Ray) but couldn’t find what i wanted there so ventured onto youtube and found it first time! http://youtu.be/AvKXaCXZKWs flyingicestudios. So after a try or three i finally managed to figure it out and after three hours managed to come up with this image.
This is how it started life.
Which one do you favour? I like both but am particularly please with the black and white one and with myself for achieving it!
Tag: photoshop cc
My 3 words for 2014
For the past 2 years i have been taking photographs, experimenting with techniques, learning to edit, plopping them on social networking sites for all to see (very technical term ‘plopping’) upgrading my equipment, entering competitions (i have won one!) and finally getting around to selling them. My success rate isn’t good (truth be told its abysmal) BUT I have looked at other peoples work and think in some cases mine is better, i have read lots of books, articles, blog posts, emails, well anything that’s been thrown my way and i think i have improved 100% to those first DSLR photographs back in 2012.
I have a terrible memory, i’m not ashamed to say, and i can read an article think ‘i’ll go and do that this afternoon’ and get there and realise i cant remember what i’m supposed to do. Point in fact i totally forgot about the +/- bar at the bottom of the screen even though i look through it to frame a shot! And was getting my panties in a bunch because i couldn’t get the exposure right, sigh. (shake of her head, I want to do this for a living?)
I don’t know about you but i sometimes find that i take the shot, load it onto my computer, back it up onto my hard drive, open up in PS Bridge CC, read the photos, (you don’t look at a picture, you read it) choose which i think are the best and ‘tweek’ if it needs it and find that i have looked at those images so many times i am sick of the sight of them. Then i get bored and don’t look at them for a while then look at them and think they are rubbish. I then feel bad and that i’m not going anywhere with my photography. SO, this year i have decided is going to be ‘THE YEAR I GET MY ACT TOGETHER AND FORGE AHEAD WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHY’
I read an article called ‘3 words for 2014’ and decided to do this for myself. The words i have chosen are; give up, run away, defeat, NO, actually they are; PERSEVERE, do not give up on anything, keep trying to be my best even when the going is tough, i know i have limits and i will try to work right up to them and a little beyond to do what i love. MARKET, i will work harder at marketing my work, using social media, local fairs, competitions, you name it i’m going to have a go at it. Last week using twitter and google+ i shared half a dozen photos and found that on one site alone i got over 25 hits, on each one! So it does work. And most of all BELIEVE in myself, my work, my talent and what i want from it. I will make this work no buts or maybe’s. I have an idea for a coffee table book and have started to work on it, i intend to get myself in magazines online and in print, have an exhibition and hopefully sell something! Going to be busy aren’t i! I just hope that my children and husband are self sufficient enough for me to do it all. Here’s looking forward to the rest of 2014, Happy New Year.
2013 Not over yet, my annus horribilis
Referring back to an earlier post (http://wp.me/p2r95A-7b) i cant help but think what a great year 2012 was, in hind sight! Comparing this year to last is maybe a mistake, as these things can be, but it is also a great way of looking back and realising the year is not as bad as you think. Admittedly 2012 was a nasty year and this year has also been challenging in so many ways, it has also been a good year. My mums cancer is under control, she will never be cured because of the type of cancer it is but the maintenance drugs are doing their job and she is in a stable phase. Chris seems to have his neurological pain under control but his leg has been poorly, thrombo phlebitis is not nice, neither is having a venous bleed either. It is also very scary! It has on the other hand been great to have him at home, being together and he has been able to write. (velvetmedia@wordpress.com) The girlfriend from hell hung on for over 2 years but has finally gone and my son seems ok with it, i just wish he knew what he wanted from life. The other 2 kids are doing ok, not giving too much trouble.
So what is the annus horribilis bit about? Well apart from cancer, death, lack of money, all of the usual suspects in so many peoples life at the moment, i have also had health issues. I have had fibromyalgia (http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx ) for so many years, and because i am looking after everyone else it has flared painfully. I take the tablets, exercise how i can but i am putting weight on which affects my arthritic knees and hip which causes pain and depression. Photography has been my Savior, getting away from caring and loosing myself in our beautiful countryside with Chris has been such a boon.
I feel my photography has come on in leaps and bounds, i love using photoshop and photomatix not to hide the bad photos but to create art, i have beautiful images where i have used these programs and beautiful images where i felt they were great on their own. I have met some lovely people either on my outings or fellow photographers, i have also met some people who think far too much of themselves, the cliquey who wont let you play with their groups because your not one of THEM, but SO WHAT there are so many lovely people out there who WILL help you and to them, well thanks! Chris and i went to a photography networking day yesterday in Manchester with REDEYE and met a lovely group of people, of course there were a lot who already knew each other but for those who knew no one we were made most welcome. the talks given by the photographers were interesting and informative and the work we took was warmly received and there were many favorable remarks made. I cant wait for them to hold another day, in Liverpool this time. There really isn’t much longer before New Year and i hope for me, my family and friends and you too, that it will be good, creative wise, health wise, financially and that the troubles of 2013 can be put behind us.
So notable things so far this year, hmmm thinking, i received the book one of my photos was printed in, I had a photograph in the Williamson Art Gallery, several of my photos have been in the local papers, I have a photograph in the MAP Black Pearl exhibition in New Brighton and i have been asked to donate two photographs to help raise money for an upgraded path to our local War Memorial.
On another note i have taken on different duties with my scout group, i am now assistant group scout leader and am mentoring the new scout leader which means i am going in the right (upward) direction, i also want to start district work and hope the ADC for Beavers will allow me to help her so i can gain experience in that area.
My hopes for the next twelve months, i want to make a book with Chris. I think we could collaborate on a beautiful poetry and photography book, i feel they are becoming a popular genre and am sure we can pull something together fairly easy, where we will find a publisher im not sure but if i ask enough people surely someone will know. So keep an eye open for news on the book as i am sure we will give it 100% to see it through to the end and sat on coffee tables world wide.
Adding a little something extra to your photos….
I have found a really cool website quite by accident when i was looking for ways to add depth to the colour in my photos. I had gone out to Eastham with Chris to photograph autumn colours and i didnt use a polarizing filter. The website below had a tutorial which worked really well and i also had a go at the cross processing too.
http://www.bernskiold.com/2011/07/22/mimicking-polarizing-filter-effect-photoshop/#more-3172
http://www.bernskiold.com/2011/07/06/faking-cross-processing-photoshop/#more-3144
Here are a few samples of the cross processing, it was fun!
Spikey Mouse Photography Blog 