Delaware Views the Stampede in Hopewell

Took a day to look at more of the Oxen on display around Hopewell Township. They are beautiful.  If you are in the area it is a fun thing to do...In regards to photographing them, they are not all in easy to shoot spots...the one at Nutts down on the River was particularly challenging and required some work in CS3.  We got hungry and then the light was so bright it was hard to continue so I guess Ill have to get out  another morning to capture the rest of them.  Here is a sample.

 

Furman helped by driving me around on the motorcycle.

 

 

It was fun to try and get the image to show the actual location for some of them.

But not the one at Nutts

 

So I went for a head shot and still had to remove distracting stuff...like a wire overhead and part of the motorcycle in front.

 

Went for the head shot.

 

 

 

 

 

In others, I liked the AMAZING details. 

 

Hopewell Valley Arts Council if you wanted attention, I think you got it.

 

Delaware Views a Stampede

The OXEN have risen...yep all over Hopewell Township and they are pretty cool.  A project designed to bring attention to the arts, not to mention money to the Hopewell Valley Arts Council, they are MOOOOOOOING all over.  I saw one in Hopewell Borough that looked so out of place I had to "pic" it up and move it across the township to the Washington Crossing Park.  OK I'll tell you how.
But first have a look.

Hahahah they made an OX to look like George Washington.  I like it.  So this is what I did.  Working in CS3, I used the magic wand tool to high light the Ox standing in front of the Pump House in the borough and copied it.  I uploaded one of the bridge pictures from yesterday and I positioned and pasted the ox over the bench.   Just doing my small part to get this animal down by the river where it belongs in Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville, Hopewell Township, Mercer County,  NJ.

 

Delaware Issues Common Cents: Getting Organized

 

The first two images are straight out of the box and the time is approaching noon on a beautiful, bright and sunny, blue sky day.  Both are automotive and fit into the category of transportation.  Both have chrome showing my reflection, self image, or self portrait.  They were taken on a BMW Motorcycle ride to an AIRPORT.  All of these categories confuse me and although I know I need to organize my images and even more important DELETE a whole bunch, I find the time on the computer overwhelming, especially when the weather is nice and I want to be outside....OUTSIDE NATURAL LIGHT, EXPOSURE...even more categories

 

 

 

And then what happens when I start to play, even more time on the computer, and add more images and Categories. BLACK AND WHITE

CS3, ABSTRACT, ADJUSTED, MANIPULATED, CURVED

 

 

And the vacuum is humming plug me in....here I am trying to figure out which images to delete, which images to print, which images are for the BLOG, OY another category with subdivision for each day, and in what category DO I FILE THEM.  Maybe I'm ready for a Class on LIGHTROOM...isn't that what lots of people use to name, file and organize their images? Saving time on filing and organizing will give me more time to go out and enjoy my camera.  Saving time on the computer to have more time to go out with my Camera is Common Cents to me.   Hey, I forgot Wheels.

 

 

Delaware Has No News Til Friday

I mentioned last week that I was interviewed by the Art reporter at the Trenton Times, Janet Purcell.  The story should appear FRIDAY in the Good Times section of the paper so for now....this one is for you MARCIA.

I loved the way this dog looked in the tunnel. As you can see it was a bright sunny day and the dog was in the shadow of the tunnel.  Not to mention the black around his eyes.  During the day I generally have my ISO set at 200.  Kind of reminds me of all those rolls of 200 film I used to buy.  I wanted the fencing in the background to go away but needed a decent depth of field to get clarity on the dog and the stones in the front of the tunnel.  I thought an F-stop of  7.1 would give me just enough depth...however, I still feel like too much of the fence is showing.  My exposure time was 1/320 fast enough to get the light on the stones right...but dulled the dogs eyes so they blend right in with the black mask.

 

In an effort to improve this image the first thing I did was crop it.  Not much, just enough to remove the exposed grass top right, and cut down on some of the dirt in the foreground. I left the little tuft of green grass front left to compliment the green in the back.  Cropping also brought the dog closer and although a little more centered, I still feel like the viewer is being led in to the main subject through the tunnel which is a little off center to the left.

 

Finally, I brightened the eyes with the dodge tool.  Used the stamp to remove the fence posts and blurred the fence out with the blur tool.  On last view I decided to dodge the red toy and collar too, giving them just a little pop.

 

So what do you think Sister, can you see the difference between the first and last images and if so...would you consider it an improvement?  I just noticed an error but don't have the patience to go back and fix it...can you tell what it is?  Anyone else?

 

Couldn't stand it! How about now? Stupid fence rail. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delaware Views Anew

Rain

 

 

Delaware Views Anew

I really like the artistic filters in CS3.  Dry brush, paint daubs and Palette knife are my favorites.  They tend to be a little harsh when enlarged so I sometimes will use a blur tool to smooth it out.

I don't think I will be waiting until bathing suit weather to see the ocean...next nice day I'm going.

Delaware Reviews

I was looking for an image to make up for my lack of news when during my review I found this.

It surprised me because I forgot about it.  I like it quite a lot and vaguely remember how I made it from a bloom of summer hydrangea.

Delaware Views Anew

There is so much to learn regarding post processing.  Sometimes it is a simple conversion from color to black and white.  Other times the purpose of post processing is to enhance the original image by adjusting the light, adding some contrast, maybe even sharpen up an image.

For the very basic adjustments I work in Windows Live, a free download, apparently closed down last year (discovered that when I went to look for the link for you) but still working fine for me.

If I want more than enhancement I go to Photoshop CS3

 

Shooting around the house on a cold winter day.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Delaware Views Anew

The Tulips Wilted

 

 

It took me a long time to get over my Photo Shop phobia.

Now I love playing with color in CS3.  I like the Wave filter.  Filter, Distort, Wave.

Then a little slip and slide on the scales.

I can hardly believe I can instruct as such.

Delaware Views Anew

 

Snow, snow and more snow.  Get your boots, gloves and HATS, ready. 

 

Made a few changes to the blog.  Been playing with it now for a few days.

Hope you like it!..Is the RED too much?

Delaware Views Anew

Kaleidoscopes have always fascinated me. It's like looking through a magic telescope and seeing the world change in front of your eyes.  When I learned how to make them in Photoshop Elements it took me a long while to stop playing.  I do find it difficult to remember how to spell it, so I like to go with KALIDE...and in some cases Kalidea- something, and in this case, Kalidea Frame!
I found  Marilyn sitting on Milton Berle's lap while walking the Madison Square Garden Tour.  The guide knew nothing about the photographers of the many images hanging on the walls.
I cut and pasted her out of that image and onto my Kalidea Frame...I think they are way Kool.

And I Thought Friday Came Fast

Monday smacked me in the face hard as the Arctic Blast that blew me around NYC.  Have not picked up my camera or blogged for two days.  Maybe it is a good idea. Make it a five day blog with weekends off?  Any suggestions from my 39 readers?  

Turned out the Edison was a great choice for location and amenities.  It was pretty cold on Wednesday and I had already been through the short line at the TKTS booth, had a slice of pizza, and returned to the hotel.   Before I ventured back to the theater, I figured I would ask the concierge about the shortest route around the block.  I know! It sounds ridiculous,but when I say cold I mean single digit cold, so it was great to know that I didn't have to walk around a city block at all.  I was directed straight through the Marquee and Pippen was waiting right there. 

RED, as always present, this time big, bright and loud in NY,  bouncing all over bringing its warm glow and sense of danger in  flashing lights.  Then the scene calms in the demeanor of a passerby and the NYFD, and I hustled on through to the Music Box Theater.

 

Sunday Funday and Oh So Cold.

The girls kicked my butt yesterday out cross country skiing.  Left me in the dust huffing and puffing and sweating in way too many clothes.  Not to mention I was scared to bring my camera with me lest I fall.  WHICH I AM PROUD TO SAY I DID NOT.  Had to get my fun playing around with images I took already.  I'm really starting to have an appreciation for sepia and color filters.  Every time I learn something new in Photoshop CS3, I realize just how little I know.  Every menu seems to open up more opportunities for modifications.

 

 

Saturday Storm

 

Eye of the storm

 

Blue Birds Might Be Here To Stay

Went back to the Washington Crossing Park for an early morning bird walk.

I think the Blue Birds are here to stay...

unless of course they fly away....

 

cropped hard and painted with CS3

 

 

Original

 

 

needed a little rest after all that posing...

 

 

 

 

TAKE NOTE

Does this new generation, the one that grew up tapping buttons and keys, while looking at a computer or game screen use note cards?  Do they send thank you notes after receiving gifts for special occasions?  Do they use note cards to send condolences?  Or is it possible that for all the reasons that people once sent hand written note cards, this computerized group only texts. 

 

Well if anyone is interested I am printing note cards.  I have some for the holiday season that is closing in on us.

 

and am working on a different kind of seasonal set.

 

 

Winter Pointsettia

Spring Bluebells and Poppies

Summer Hydrangea

 

Fall Trees



NannyDevilusciousConcusious orotherwiseknownas Betty

How about this for my costume this year.

 

 

 

 

Cracking myself up.

World Wide Photo Walk at Princeton University

I signed up for the Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk just a few hours before it began, which was plenty of time for me since it was at Princeton University. 

Alan Kesselhaut of Princeton Photo Worskshop was the leader.  There were quite a few participants.  The walk started at noon and we were advised to shoot in the shadows.  That was hard for me.

Town was crowded on this very warm October day.

 

 

 

More Painting with CS3

I'm starting to get a handle on some of the filters and tools in CS3...probably just scratching the surface. 

 

 

Painting with CS3

I wonder if the Eastern Bluebirds will stay in the park all year.

I hope so...

I had to crop this quite a bit due to my distance from the subject.

It started off as a fairly decent image, although since the bird was chest to sun, perhaps over exposed. I made a minor light adjustment, applied

a soft brush filter,  and added pixels back so I could enlarge it.

I like the painted look.