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So, the assignment for this weeks Digital Group, was to choose a picture that we would like to convert to black and white using PhotoShop, Elements, or other digital manipulation software. Armed with some instructions, I used Channel Mixer on PhotoShop CS to convert this picture of my grandson, Spencer, to black and white. My son, Gary, his wife, Jenny, and Spencer visited us in August. We took them all out to dinner at Timbers Restaurant. Instead of placing a lemon in our water glasses, we were all given limes. Well, me being a nasty Grandma, I decided that it was time that Spencer was introduced to limes. We all laughed and laughed at the faces he was making, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to click a few snaps of him with his sour face on. The son-of-a-gun of it was, he wouldn't let any of us take the "forbidden" fruit away from him, so he happily gummed away at it until all that was left was the rind. Silly, silly baby boy!! Grandma loves you sooooooooo much!!
This is a detail of yet another gravestone. I love the serenity on the cherubs' face. It too, was taken with a piece of plastic wrap fastened over my lens hood to give it a softer look. I loved Ians' personal program on Pinhole Cameras and got my brain to thinkin' (uh, OH)! I thought that the images he presented had a romantic feel and would lend themselves well to an old-fashioned sepia tone.
This was a fun shot to do. My husband had received a 5-light LED lamp (the kind you place on your baseball cap) for Christmas. I took plastic wrap and elastic banded (word?) it over the individual lights. I then took magic markers and coloured over the plastic to produce coloured light. I then placed the camera on BULB, then waved it in front of the lens. After that, I tried all kinds of light sources (laser pointer, bicycle flasher, etc.) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I spent many a sleepless night "painting with light".
I was trying out the on-board macro setting on my camera, adjusting depth-of-field and trying many angles in order to achieve this shot. It is a simple image, but I had never explored this setting before. It was taken a couple of falls ago, just after acquiring my DSLR.
I just loved the curves and colours this image produced. I was testing out the new polarizing lens I purchased from EBay, but caveat emptor it is a linear one instead of a circular, so you could imagine my frustration in trying to "dial" it in - it simply wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. I spoke with Don about that later on, and he told me what the problem was - I didn't know that there were two kinds of polarizing lenses! I am now on the path to purchasing a "proper" one. Ah me, more money spent on my craft.
I've entitled this one "Cinnamom Hearts", because of the stylized heart-shape that the cinnamon sticks form. I finally broke down and purchased a light box system from Henry's (my old lights broke - guess I'm too hard on my toys). I really enjoy taking pictures using the light box - kinda allows me to just play around with different props I have lying around.
I was busy taking light box shots (in my 'jammies, of course), when I noticed that it was snowing outside. I adjusted the tripod and camera to point out my studio window, and focused on the back of my van. I like all the lines that the ice, light, and window create. The added blobs of snow created an interesting texture.
I should have cropped the left-hand side of this picture to give it more balance - I may yet. The white in the left corner is a bit distracting. Anyway, it is a detail of a gravestone in the Old St. Thomas Church Graveyard. As far as I know, the grave belongs to the first minister's wife, who was purportedly a very pious woman. Upon her death, and after the erection of her gravestone, the marker immediately turned black. It was then replaced a few years later, but again turned black. Myth tells that the person buried beneath a stone that turns black was a witch in life (and that's why it turns black). That was the story as it was told to me. Take from it what you will, but it makes for an interesting picture and story.
