I spent some time out in the country for a bit this afternoon taking a few pictures of cornfields. I know, it doesn’t sound very exciting, but I wanted to practice some Photoshop techniques I learned last week (dodging and burning). #1 – I wish I would have noticed some tiny spots on my lens (I always get them when I take pictures at a particular customer’s house I was at earlier in the day from a tree I park under… Grrr!!!). The spots are in the sky of the picture. I thought I had gotten rid of them by using the “spot healing tool”, until I got further along in the darkening process of the sky and the spots became more highlighted (Yes, I immediately cleaned my lens, or rather the ultraviolet lens filter that covers the lens. Better late than never). #2 – doing this type of work really tests my patience. #3 – I’ve got a long way to go in Photoshop!!!
It’s fun, though… I don’t spend a lot of time doing this type of stuff with pictures, but it’s something different. I’m not doing it to sell it or try to impress anyone… just for my own learning and personal satisfaction of trying to learn something new.
I’m not sure which of the black and whites I like better… one is without grain and the other with grain. Opinions? I asked Andrew and he chose the boring color one (because he said the black and white pictures make the sky look like they have storm clouds… he HATES storms).
I took some pictures of a friend at a nearby horse stable yesterday and while there I took several still life pictures of “horse equipment” (I don’t know what to call them… you know – bits, saddles and things like that). I’m going to work on several of them in black and white and sepia. Not sure when that will be, but hopefully in the next few evenings. They’re to go along with the pictures of my friend with the horses. I’m not sure she’ll give the ok for me to share the pictures of her… she’s being a little shy about it J I also took some pictures at the edge of a nearby forest. I’m pleased with how they turned out… just need to sit down and edit them for her.
I got courageous and started taking almost all of my pictures in RAW (I have no idea what it stands for, so don’t ask)… all I can say is WOW!!! What a difference when doing editing of the pictures. The best I can explain the difference is this… when you’re working with JPG files you’re just working with the exterior of the picture… like you’re using makeup on the picture. When you’re working with RAW files it’s like you’re doing surgery and working from the inside out… like you’re working with a true negative of the picture. Ok, so I didn’t explain that very well… I think I was writing that for my own sake more than anyone else’s that might read this. Actually, I have a feeling that if anyone is reading this post they didn’t get this far anyway. BLAH BLAH BLAH … BLAH BLAH BLAH … BLAH BLAH BLAH. A couple of photography friends are shaking their heads right now if they got this far… Sorry, guys, I know I should have stopped a paragraph ago.
Ok, I’ll stop now. Need to clear up the kitchen before the girls get home from BSF. Oh, and do some laundry. I just LOVE doing domestic chores around the house… my absolute favorite thing to do with my evenings J But, it makes the mommy happy. And a happy mommy makes for a happy home.
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