Project 365
#16/52: My Favorite Country Barn, Edited with Lightroom
I love country barns (okay, it’s really a corn crib) in Nebraska is one of my favorite photography subjects, yet this shot is my favorite. I pass it at least twice a day and it sits in the middle of a field with nothing around it, solitary, no trees, just in the middle of a field with either corn or soybeans growing on all sides. It has different moods depending on the light and looks different in the early morning and at night with the sun setting behind the western sky.
My favorite barn gets my attention every time I drive past and have often taken photographs to capture the mode. They never come out exactly how it looks in real life though. But with the help of Adobe Lightroom this has changed, I can actually say that this is truly what the barn looked like that day.
From what I understand in reading various photography blogs and sites a camera has difficulty collecting all the dynamic ranges of lights and darks. In simple terms you expose for the sky or your subject. That leaves the other parts of you picture over or under exposed.
The newest version of Lightroom 4 has an amazing capability of pulling out shadows, highlights, whites and blacks without leaving artifacts in the image. This was shot in RAW and I’m very impressed, puts my Photoshop CS2 to shame. The later versions of Photoshop do have more advanced algorithms that achieve the same thing, but I can only compare the programs I use.
I will still keep using Photoshop, Lightroom is only another tool to use and does not have text or graphic design capability. I still love adding drop shadows, borders and creating custom layouts.
Stay tuned for more Lightroom 4 examples, and possibly redo’s of previous photos as a comparison.
More Historic Country Barns
Barns of New York: Rural Architecture of the Empire State
Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail MovementBarn Find Road Trip: 3 Guys, 14 Days and 1000 Lost Collector Cars DiscoveredThe Barn: Memoir of a Family during the Nazi Occupation of Holland in 1940-1945
Country Roads and Friday Finds – Keeping With The Times
A Drive in the Country, barns, country, country living, keeping with the. Later in the day I visited Star Lake and ran into this fellow who was pretty much minding his own (business) … A Drive in the Country, barns, country, …
Barns along Polling Station Road | Hoof Beats and Foot Prints
Drive along with me on a windy country road. Polling Station Road in Harwood, Maryland offers views of a variety of country barns. Most of them from a past era of tobacco farming in southern Maryland and stand in the …
D.L. Marriott » Blog Archive » Living in a Fairy Tale
It draws up images of pumpkins and scare crows, hay bales and country barns framed in russet leaves. I grew up in the city, and although my husband and I have spent all our child raising years in the suburbs, pretty far out in …
Sometimes A Picture is NOT What it Seems
I have to admit, I really like Photoshop. I’m amazed at how I can improve a photo that has distractions or just didn’t turn out like I hoped. Most photos I don’t manipulate but some call for just a little more work than others.
My dog Brody, a Jack Russel, is a perfect example. This is a before and after of a previous post from my 365 Project
Related articles
- Photoshop It! (selvangovender.com)
- A cabin in the woods (wcs4.blogspot.com)
#13/52: Sun’s So Bright, Gotta Wear Shades
Whoever called Nebraska a boring fly over state has never really opened their eyes. I see such spectacular scenery every day driving home from work it takes my breath away. Made me think of the One Hit Wonder song. “Futures So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” by Timbuk 3.
Enjoy this video blast from 1986, back when MTV actually played music videos. Can anyone remember where they were when they heard this song?
Meatloaf Cupcakes Recipes Your Kids Will Love
You heard right, it’s a Meatloaf cupcake recipe.
According to my daughter two words that should never be put together. But based on the response from uploading a picture to Facebook I think my Meatloaf Cupcakes with mashed potatoes for frosting deserves some blog time.
I didn’t find this idea on Pinterest, it was a Family Magazine recipe while getting my hair cut, although anyone who wants to Pin this is more than welcome.
Meatloaf cupcakes are actually quite easy. In very simplistic terms, use your favorite meatloaf recipe, bake in muffin tins 
Now, for a beginning cook who has never made either, here is my recipe below. Remember I’m a “creative cook”, recipes are used as guidelines and measurements are liberally flexible.
Meatloaf Cupcake Recipe
- 2 lbs of ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- Salt & Pepper (1/2 tsp each)
- Cupcake tins (didn’t have these so I baked them in regular muffin tins, messier, and not as pretty)
Mix raw ground beef with all the remaining items on the list. Scoop into balls and press into muffin tins. Glaze with ketchup and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
Since I have posted this Meatloaf Muffin recipe it has become VERY popular on Pinterest. Thank you, everyone, by the way. Now there are multiple stuffed meatloaf muffin recipes and even a special muffin pan designed to drain the fat from the tins, genius I say!
Norpro Nonstick Mini Meatloaf, Muffin Pan
Muffin Tin Menus: 47 Fun & Delicious Recipes
Mashed Potato Recipe
- 4-6 potatoes
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup butter
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Directions
- Peel and slice potatoes into 1/2″ pieces.
- Boil in a large pot of water (make sure water is at least 1/2″ over potatoes) until easily poked with a fork.
- Drain water (save potato water as stock for cooking) and add milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
- Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher, or blender.
- Add cheese and mix with wooden spoon until cheese is melted. (add more for cheesier frosting)
- Insert mashed potatoes into a piping tube, I used my Pampered Chef decorating tube
(did I tell you I got a lot for my wedding)
- Top with grated salt and pepper
Options
Top with bacon bits, shredded cheese, or chives.
Find More Meatloaf Cupcake Recipes
Get creative with your meatloaf and your cupcakes. Food doesn’t have to be boring. If you have any meatloaf cupcake recipes you would like to share let me know.
Top 50 Most Delicious Meatloaf Recipes (Recipe Top 50’s Book 74)Meatloaf Recipes: 26 Meatloaf Recipes That Will Make Your Kitchen The #1 Favorite (Rory’s Meat Kitchen)Meet The Meatloaf: Easy and Delicious Meatloaf RecipesMeatloaf Recipes: 28 Must-Eat, Super Easy and Yummy Meatloaf Recipes at Every Meal!
