"P52-Water"

Water is definitely everywhere this weekend here.  As I'm typing the rain is  coming down down down.  Between downpours I ran into my backyard to snap a couple of shots of my wet hydrangea plant.  I attempted to take pictures of my family shooting water guns but they did not come out as I hoped with the water being the focus.  This was a better shot.  Glad that we are getting the rain we need to keep my pretty plants healthy, and glad my wonderful husband has the green thumb in our family to make our house and yard beautiful.

"Edit Me Challenge- Week 23"

After

I decided to go completely off the reservation today for my edit.  The pretty flower just looked like it needed to go in my hair : )  I took this picture of my self, imported it into CS5 and made some minor adjustments to the photo but nothing earth shattering.  I wanted to play up the yellow/green in the center of the flower.  I used the eyedropper to do a color match and then painted a bit on the center of the blossom.  Next I grabbed the flower in the original picture and refined the edges/feathered the edges and then cut it into a new document.  I resized the flower to fit into my pretty new hair. (I got a new haircut and color today! )  To finish it off I put a slight vignette on the photo.  I hope you guys enjoy my latest edit!

Before

"P52 - Playtime"

I was up early this morning and to my surprise so were Mr. Mann and his friends that he had over for his 16th birthday party.  They decided since the weather is nice and cool they would go outside to foam sword fight. (yes, they are all 16 or older)  They had a points system worked out for hits and extra points depending on where you hit.  Boys are so funny to watch play.  Mr. Mann won this battle, they played like this for 2 hours.  Even Itty Bitty was out there with the boys sword and light saber fighting.  The boys are sweet to her and always include her in everything they do and play.

"Edit Me Challenge - Wk 22"

After

I tried several different edits on the barn image this week.  This was by far my favorite edit. I used Photoshop CS5 to edit. First I removed the power lines in the photo so they weren't a distraction.  Then I created an adjustment layer to pop the remaining red paint on the barn.  Next I ran a Lomo-Original action  and added a vignette.  Last I added a brightness layer to lighten the sky some.  Hope you guys like it!  I'm learning so much.  

Before

"P52-Favorites"

I chose to share this picture because it is so cool and what other category would it fit under?  I guess maybe Christmas Lights Gone Wild?  LOL.  Anyway, this is one of my favorite lessons that I help with during the year.  Our wonderful art teacher (mentioned during my still life post) Florie Barnett does experimental photography with our students at the end of the school year, I provided the dark space and was able to take some pictures while the kids were taking photos as well.  So how was it taken?  Two kids are are turning a strand of Christmas Lights they alter the pattern and move as they wish.  I am set up with my camera on the tripod, with a slow shutter.  I loved this photo because of all the vibrant colors.  The kids are always so excited to have cameras to use and it so cool to see their results.  I got lots of questions about my set up as well and was able to share.

"Edit Me Challenge"- Week 21

This is my first link up with the "Edit Me Challenge" group, only because I happened to stumble on it a couple of days ago.  Since summer is upon us and I have extra time on my hands I'm excited to take this chance to explore photoshop more.  The first picture is the after and the second picture is the before.  I used photoshop to edit this image.  First, I decided that I wanted the little girl's tongue sticking out to be the focus of the picture so I cropped the picture and put her tongue on a cross joint on my thirds grid.  Second, I ran the "colorized" action from PWAction set 2.  From there I adjusted the levels on the associated layers.  Third, I added a brightness/contrast layer, adjusted the tree so it was a different shade. Lassoed the tree and painted it white.  Last, I adjusted the color on the sprinkler in a separate layer so it would not get lost in the grass.  I feel that the subject and the action are now center stage.  I would love to hear any advice/comments that anyone would offer.

"P52- Mothers"

Mother's Day is an awesome holiday!  There's nothing I love more then my family.  I would have taken pictures of my mother but she doesn't "do" cameras, but I love her all the same : )  My kids and husband got me some awesome mothers day gifts... a whole bird center with a new hummingbird feeder, a bird feeder, a birdbath, and a homemade squirrel feeder.  (the squirrel feeder is to keep them away from the bird feeder)  I absolutely love it.

     I usually don't get in the photos but decided that I would make sure to get some pics of me and the family.  I'm glad I did.  Happy Mother's Day!

"P52-Still Life"

I was very excited about doing the still life picture this week.  I did not know anything at all about still life as an art form but knew exactly who to ask for a great working definition.  I work in a school, so I started asking our art teacher about picking subjects and what made a "still life" a still life.  We first discussed traditional Dutch still life that included living and dead items, and that you should have an odd number of items.  Im a little squeamish so dead things weren't gonna work for me.  So the next option was a group of things.  I decided that my grouping would be of Japanese items that my husband brought our family back from a business trip.  I found items that had different colors, heights, textures and were made from different things.  Starting from left to right, flameless candle, my lacquer and mother of pearl jewelry box called Urushi, my daughters wooden kokeshi doll, my red bunny chopsticks, a wood and paper lantern, the lid of my bento box, and a green woven vase.  The background needed to be plain and the entire scene needed to be lit by natural light.  (I really did learn a ton!) So here is the final product.  All of my items are sitting adjacent to a window with the blinds adjusted so the light was shining just right.  Im glad that I have learned so much and it was wonderful to have a living resource to ask questions to that was so knowledgeable on the topic.  Thank you Mrs. Barnett your an awesome art teacher... not just to the students :  )

"P52- Fiesta"

I have been doing a lot of siesta-ing over the last few days... Our family has been totally busy with Mr. Man performing in "Hairspray" and all of the other activities that go along with the end of the year school madness.  My husband and I have been in the car taxing more than anything else.  SO... it was high time we had a fiesta.  I made this pomegranate margarita today to celebrate the end of the play and hopefully some calmer evenings ahead.  If nothing else fails school is out in 10 days, then we can all breath and relax.  Come on summer so the REAL fiesta can begin.

Happiness

Itty Bitty is overcome with happiness in this picture.  She always *LOVES* helping daddy with the chores especially yard work.  It just so happened that it was time to use the blower, her favorite.  She always begs to get blasted with it. As she was getting blasted she erupted into a fit of giggles.  I love seeing the laughter and happiness from the simplest of things.