Fun With Photoshop

Now I am a believer in you should try as hard as you can to make your image in the camera. This goes back to my strong roots in film. We are lucky now that we can take our darkroom and lab anywhere with us. (ie: our laptops and photoshop) Its still fun to get your hands a little dirty, and go overboard in photoshop. Here are a few projects I did today for fun.

"Red" Lightning
Here is my buddy Red jumping the Expedition... again.

Bodie State Park
I went crazy with the Camera Raw adjustments

Original photo

Succulent Wreath

This is so easy to make and most of the plants I used were cut straight from my garden! Now the question is will the roots take hold or will everything just fall apart? So far everything looks good and I did dip the stubby end in root tone. Am so excited about making these for Christmas gifts this year! Stay tuned for more fun project!

Fun With A Wide Angle

This is what happens when you drink a bottle of wine and a have wide angle lens. My impromptu photo shoot was done with a Jawa action figurer I found earlier. My inspiration was a series of photo I saw a month ago, of Storm Trooper toys doing everyday tasks, in our large human world. I had to hold my camera in one hand as I tipped the glass for the little guy. Needless to say with no flash I shot the whole thing at an ISO of 3500! My kitchen is also yellow with a green stained glass chandler so lighting was a problem. This is one of those photos that you just have fun with it and throw art and class out the window. Enjoy!!!

Jelly Jar Party Light

Crafting keeps me going. I saw this idea online and thought what a wonderful idea! Whipped this up today. Now that its done I can see room for improvements. Smaller gauge wire that I can bend into curves and experiment with adding sea-glass or other decorative elements. I want to find different jars to make an outdoor chandelier with them. When I think back on family BBQs I remember the use of these jars as center pieces and glasses to drink from. You gave the kids the jars so they wouldn't break the good drinking glasses. So many fond memories it's only natural that I would find another use for the empty jars in my kitchen.

Kitchen Apron

This is the kitchen apron I made to replace one that has gotten faded. Loving my old apron I wanted one just like it. But not knowing where to find it, I just made one. This apron I started and finished today! My craftsmanship is a little rusty, my stitching is tight in areas and there is a little bunching of the fabric. Over all I would say I did a great job! My old apron had big red poppies that I just loved, but I couldn't find fabric that had that same look. Finding this dia los muerto fabric was just as good. I love cooking mexican food, so what better fabric to make an apron with! A little heart embroidery on the red tie in the back was a result of not wanting to change thread color, but in the end was a fantastic detail!

I have tried to keep myself busy this past week in an effort to keep my mind on the present. I have had good days and bad ones. Thoughts and feelings come over me like a rogue rain storm, gone as quickly as it had started. I have always prided myself on my vary British way of dealing with emotional pain, "Stay clam. Carry on." I wonder if one day I will just crack, but I know better than that.

Recycled Bicycle Disc Brake

This clock was made from an old bicycle disc brake. It was painted then glued to a rigged disc covered in red cotton fabric.