Abstract:/Not Abstract
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Sandscape
I thought these would be easy, but I haven't found anymore since that day.
Cityscape
This has always been a favorite of mine. It just happened that everything came together to make a
regular scene of a street into an
abstract: bold colors and the shaft of light.
(I have never been able to duplicate this one, either. It can be very interesting in the post processing to find out what I really have, and I kind of just go with it.)
As soon as I recover from yesterday, I will once again try to "find" an abstract for here, a new one, I mean.
I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to put up some orphans of the past. These are ones I love that were totally "neglected" at the time I did them.
I learned not to show abstracts on dGrin.
I did blur at the Blues thing on Friday, and I could put one of those here, but most people have already paid attention to that gallery. If we go to "more" blues, well, I should definitely be able to abstract it for fun.
I tried yesterday. Miles of walking for an otter. Nothing else worked, and though I shot a few things, there were no real abstracts.
g
Repeating Lines w an accent
Camouflage helps,
but it is a very big world out there.
may not be enough color, I tried different filters and things. At first my goal was to make the photo very "soft" looking, like a baby's room, or something. Then I tried to bring a bit of color back out where I wanted it.
I like to try to "catch" little birds on marsh grass. Just about impossible, smile.
g
New Bridge
Handheld while
crossing the bridge
in great peril to my
folly of a gorgeous
sunset.
I have been up for hours
working on my cardinal on
dailies.
Please have mercy!!!
They promised sun for
today. At noon, they
apologized and promised
for later. It never
came.......and I am
still tired, smile.
Seen On A Train
I just found this in
one of my many galleries.
It is very grainy. I love it.
I used to take the train to DC
to see my daughter. I took some
photos as it was getting light
early one morning in an almost
empty car on the train.
You all are the first ones to
see these. What does one do
with orphans?
ginger
Feathers
2/16/2007
Possible "Jumper"
Or I felt like shoving the bird off myself. smile.
Beautiful bird on an impossible ledge.
He stayed there, I moved every which way. No photo op here, or not much of a one.
On top of all else, his eye being sharp and all, it looked like it had been out in the wind too long.
As had we all. This is from whence I finally tried to shoot his feet and got his feathers, kind of, instead.
I have a head shot, too.
ginger
thanks for commenting.
Non Stop
That bird never
was very cooperative.
ginger
(I have another one with issues, too.) That day, except for the photo of my daughter, and the fun we had, the rest had photographic issues.)
That is the one I worked on for so long last night. It looks better here than I remember it, smile.
I liked it because of the rough/smooth water and the reflection, but I couldn't figure out what to do about cropping. When I photographed him, he was centered, so this is a slight crop. I tried tighter crops at first, then I made verticals. I generally went nuts trying to "make" a photo, then I put up the other one.
Thusie, I ran the grey over the blue here like I said to do with the sky. I kind of remember that I did that to get some pop. Also, an issue that bothered me was noise in the reflection and shadows. I just couldn't get rid of it. ginger
Bowen Island Blues
wrapped up the 2007
Blues Bash. It was
everything one could
want.
They even brought in a
heater, lower left in the
photo. Wonderful music, spirit.
A night to remember.
2/18/2007
Damned Cold here still. True
to Bowen Island, the bldg is
not heated, other than the heater
at the end. Very rustic, over
the marsh attached to the dock.
(This photo could be said to have
issues, but I am not going to say
that. Not after a night like
tonight.)
This was taken with a flash with a Gary Fong diffuser.
I have learned that I have to use a flash after dark here.
Harmonica
(Hey, you all, I got another abstract, and it is a hand with a
harmonica. Plus the microphone and rays of light)
Cool. I could tell exactly who that is by how he is holding that
harmonica. Been trying to photograph him properly for years.
I installed and used the beta version of PS CS3 tonight.
Cool!!! Looked on Amazon, no Scott Kelby book on it....
I need lessons, smile.
Sunset Blues
Gail, one more for your Dad.
The light was very difficult by then. (The shots are either good......or they are not, smile) The flash did fire, but I was keeping it very low. I did not want to light up the room. I don't know the setting. And I was too close to him to use any of the lenses I would have ordinarily used like my 70-200, so I got out my 100mm macro (canon). Seemed to do the job.
Another photographer was there with a better Canon camera than I had, a Canon flash, mine is a Sigma, and his lens worked great: a 70-300. I don't know that it would make sense to try to squeeze out money for that lens or not.
anyone else know. It would help with my dogs. They get too close, too. Other than that the 70-200 f2.8 works fine.
I have never been able to "capture" him before. He can really move a room!
Here the last of the sunset is coming in the window behind him.
ginger
#3
Musician
Photograph worked up in
Beta Photoshop CS3, free
to people who already have
CS2 and their serial number.
It is amazing. The bridge,
well, the side by side feature
with the "magnifying glass", it
works to make choices of photos
to work up so much easier.
This photograph was made up
in color than changed to blk
and white easily thru an adjustments program. The tint
was added and I reduced the saturation, all with sliders on
the same program in adjustments.
I cannot speak too highly of this
new photoshop.
I also bought a book from Amazon for 13.00. It arrived today, and I used it today. A short book, easy to understand that explains
how best to use all the new features of CS3
Photoshop CS3 Beta First Look
by Ben Long
I hope you like the picture. The same flute player is my Daily pick too. Different photo and in color.
It too was worked up with CS3
http://upacreekphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1842481/1/131627403/Large
#1 worked up
Ask and you shall see, I always have them in color first, then the blk white, then the tint.
This is inherently noisy. I could have used noise ninja on it, but I thought that would take something away, so I decided to try to new blk/white conversion tool in adjustments. Noticed the tint availability.
So, all three.
I do not mind noise, but most others seem to. If you don't mind noise, the color is striking, IMO.
thanks for your comments, ginger
(going to get coffee)
#2
In Blk and White.
Thusie, you can put the CS3 on your computer, see what it is like. I still have CS2 on mine, too. I think this will actually be for sale (money) in May. As an upgrade, I am assuming that it will be affordable if I put money aside now.
But since it costs nothing now, you can keep your CS2 (and I would) until you actually buy the CS3, well, I would get it. I really would.
You don't need to understand predecessors to get new and easier and better. IMO.
Kind of like film photography. I did that, a lot. Lots of darkrooms in my background, but I would not advise others to go back, put in the years in film until proficient(can't say I am that), before going digital.
Smile, gotta get coffee!!!
ginger
#5
This is Noise Ninja with the luminescense (sp) at half strength and the color at default setting w/o sharpening, of course. Also I took it off of the same things mentioned above.
This is my favorite. I will feature it. what about the rest of you?
Even this one looks "oily" when looked at as a size large. So please look at them that way, ginger
#4
Noise Ninja at default settings except with the sharpening thing off. Also I took it off of the eyes, the eyebrows, a bit of the hair and the shiny part of the flute.
You all need to vote now!
#6
OK, I put all the controls on Noise Ninja at -10 with no sharpening. Then I erased the "stuff" off of the eyes, eyebrows, a bit of the lip area, a bit of the hair, particularly the gray part, the beard and a tad off the mustache. I am not crazy about mustaches, so I did not want to "highlight" it.
This is how I work, do this, save it, do that, save it, until I am satisfied.
It think now I would go with this one. What do you all think?
ginger
End Of A Set
(instrument is a harp guitar, interesting thing)
And then it rained!!
a dismal day for photos
I know I could have used an
old photo, but heck, I took
some photos, so here is the best.
sad isn't it!!! Smile
(Oh, a photo crop from the baptism shoot is on Dailies. No release,
and I know she would kill me if
she knew, but I hid it on my site.
I had to crop it like that. I really like it. I am sure you all will be seeing dailies.)
This is the link to mine.
http://upacreekphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/1842481/1/132139214/Large
The feather and the Dripping Water
(should there be anything else?)
Not for me. I like it as is. I like the blue of the water and the green of the low plants, too.
ginger (funny, this is a slight crop, and I had no problem with it in my mind. But sometimes I just freeze which is one reason I hate for rules to be even mentioned on dGrin.)
(Uh, I can't imagine that I will take photos tomorrow. I had to go to Brazil today, Africa was full of construction and ugly stuff. I got cold, and I got tired. The new Bridge and I have been fighting all evening. There must be a better way. But I did see spring. In a very small way, but it is coming!!!!)
ginger
See Above: I think this is a better crop, but it is not a "normal" crop that would fit in with framing easily?
I am a bit ticked off at Dailies so instead of posting this shot there, I will take this opportunity to maybe learn something about cropping. I know the rules............sometimes. They never bothered me before but last year at some point I became very self conscious about the fact that I have not been using them.
THEN I FROZE. I have no idea how best to show off this shot.
I have three diff crops here of it. I will make the originals avail so you can rt click them off.
What would you all suggest?
My problem usually comes from a single subject that does not exactly fit a "thirds" rule. I don't know where to put it anymore. Up? Down? Rt Left? Thusie mentioned over to my rt once and I have been doing that a lot, seems to work, but now on this shot.........well??? And it is a fave shot, too.
Any help?
ginger
See Below
(The turtle is on a gator, the eye is very difficult to find, but it is there. Interesting coloration of stuff on that gator.)
OK, this is midnight. I got out a photo book that is very good on design. It said that it is OK to use center placement. So I went to play some more.
This is full frame, I had to make it quite dark in order to take care of some blown areas. Instead of lightening it in shadow highlights, I left it dark hoping that would make the yellow more dramatic and the lines in the water less distracting. I also left the thing on the rt in the water as it seemed to pull my eye in.
So this one is full frame, the orig from RAW, a tad of curves, just a tad and sharpened. That is absolutely all I did.
My goal is to have a photo that I can blow up and put in my exhibit if I want, that is one reason not to go with an extreme crop.
You can lift any of these off. If I am very interested in a photo, I work it to death sometimes as I often change my mind as to what I like from one day to the next.
g
A slight crop from the orig w/o curves but sharpened. Probably my favorite as it is the most dramatic. But I have no experience with prints and framing.
I do want most of the prints to be 12 X 18 except for two or three larger ones. That is one reason for not cutting off the top and/or bottom to make it longer, so to speak.
what do you all think?
And is this light enough to print?
Like Tom did it, thanks, Tom.
What I learned: that the pattern
in the water is part of the composition.
I hadn't thought of that, this year anyway.
I used that thought on some more of the photos from the other day.
Now I have used these beautiful days to work on my photos. I am basically through, I think.
Tomorrow and the next day are supposed to be wet and dangerous.
Night Heron
This is the night heron that was in the staring contest with the Great Blue Heron on Monday.
I would like to put it in the exhibit, but I have a night heron already.
Plus I would have to redo this, and I don't remember how I worked it up. A lot of little things.
I can tell I used a gradient filter, think it was color, opacity about 15. That darkened the top, made the bottom a bit yellow, so it might have been the blue on top and the brown on the bottom. Then I had to erase the bird, and I got a bit sloppy and would have to redo all because of that.
Then I used "match" and raised it to about 60/70. I am writing this so I will remember.
A lot of work done here.........but I don't think that looks best. Now I am a little confused. I will try to bring down the original as soon as I get it into a jpeg. g
Crop of above
Pied Billed Grebe: photo taken Monday 2/?/2007. Breeding colors
Different ways I worked it up on diff days. The first time, third photo down, I tried to minimize the background and separate the bird, this one here, full frame, I tried to accentuate the background.
I actually have no clue what I should do. I like the photo, like the background. The photo shows the bird as brown.
So, I am putting these up today, Friday.
ginger (slept early and long, thru fears of bad weather)
This is from raw
I am going to be behind this morning. I can just feel it. Will have to let my husband use the computer in a second.
Storms scare me totally, and I was pretty much useless yesterday with worry.
So, I used my time to try to figure out a laptop fr Dell w my tax return which might be next week, not today.
Then I went to sleep.
We don't have basements and things here as we are basically built on water. Scares me, didn't used to, but it does now.
redo
Damn/darn fish is a tad OOF. I don't know how that happened. Or more to the point, I don't know how other photographers get fresh wet fish to look razor sharp.
and I liked this photo, too.
Spring is calling!!!!
As usual, when possible, this is also about the feet.
I am not as happy about this shot as I should be. If I were I would put it on Egret fest, but I am not.
I think it is in the eye that I am not happy?
A fast gradient add: blue/gold
am trying to do something...........
I want that eye, and I can't get the thing to select it.
CS3 probably woud.
Night Tree
3/4/2007
two versions, and what I saw was somewhere in between the straight workup after Lab and the other one with a filter on it. That woods appeared very dramatic to me today. Or I was desperate, one or the other.
I posted on Dailies today, I am sure you all will be over there anyway.
ginger
Night Tree
3/4/2007
Patriots Point
A trail that joggers etc use.
So far it is not as well know, nor
is it anywhere near like, the Pitt
Street bridge.
A walk thru the woods gives you a
nice stop at a look out tower.
This is the lookout!!
ginger (Charleston Harbor)
I put less of a cooling filter on this to make it look better. The darn thing looked better first up from RAW. The more I did the worse it got in my opinion.
what would you all do? if anything
On this, it was from raw I used a directional light filter, then saturated it a bit, used a cooling filter, but toned that down, then I sharpened it.
I looks more dramatic to me. I am having a lot of trouble translating the drama of what I see into a dramatic thumbnail/photo. Or even an acceptable one. And some are just plain impossible. I am beginning to hate sweet light.
you all?
These two are supposed to be the same photos...........they aren't, darn, they are moments apart, but I am not going to do one over. The same problem on each.
g (I just want to add that I am 5'2", and I was standing up. I still appear to be on eye level with that bird!!!)
A Heron Walks The Walk,
No Talkin', Just Walkin'
and if you don't like this color,
I have about 20 variations.
I am having more problems with color. I don't like orange birds.
I just got tired of them. A little color for the "sweet", but not orange.
But this bird can barely be seen, it is OK, I still had a bunch of trouble.
On the other hand, another shot, no bird in it, etc. No Problems at all. Now how would you like this worked up?
ginger
I was carrying my 400mm lens and my 10-20. Two cameras, those two lenses. That is how I got the head shot. Then when he went down the road, and rapidly, I made the decision to switch to the wide angle. I didn't realize how far he was going to go, and how fast.
But the color is the point????
I wanted it darkish, it was darkish. And it was lightish. Depending on where in the photo one would be looking.
If I show you my easy workup, then I can't post it. So frustrating.
Last Light makes a
showy exit: Magnolia Rookery
From whence the last light came. When I do something like this, I can't really see, I just shoot. I hope it doesn't hurt the sensor, I close the lens down to 16/or 22, and I shoot.
I am not that happy with this one, it is OK.
but, the one below, well, I had another one like it. And just a minute ago, I mean 5 AM, a minute ago, I finally worked it up to my satisfaction.........and I don't think I could repeat.
It is on Dailies:
http://upacreekphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/2520948/1/134699239/Large
