My Life, my photography, my passions
I like birthdays and I LOVE chocolate cake. Here’s a quick picture of the chocolate cake I made for a friends 14th birthday and the ever lighting candles. They drove him crazy as he tried to blow them out. My kids hate them too.
Added benefit, this image is untouched by Photoshop other than resizing and sharpening.
My first self portrait on my blog, only because I want to show the capabilities of my new Portrait Professional program. (Click on the image to see a larger view.) However, this program may encourage me to be in more pictures. I like the effect. This is virtually a photographers secret weapon.
The process is fast and easy. In less than five minutes I selected the borders of my eyes, eyebrows, nose, and shape of face. Then the program does a mild adjustment and gives you additional options to enhance even further with slide bars. I can sharpen my mouth, increase my upper or bottom lip width, whiten my teeth and even open my eyes a little more. But not so much that it’s distorted.
Ever hear how the camera adds five pounds? It can be taken off by lengthening the neck and narrowing the jaw and face. The key is to keep as much of the natural features of the face so the person is still recognizable. Otherwise you end up changing the persons identity too much, and creating a Beyonce controversy.
I think Portrait Professional can be used to a great advantage in senior pictures to cover up those temporary blemishes (i.e. acne) that might even disappear before the student gets the final photos returned. I think the image below shows this concept quite clearly. My daughters friend was much happier with the “after” image.
Thanks to this project I have met new people and advanced increased my post production skills with Photo-shop and new programs. Portrait Professional is a program I found and I absolutely love it!
My daughter doesn’t really need any help looking beautiful, I think she looks that way everyday. But, there are those teenage days when you have shiny skin and blemishes seem to pop up overnight when you least expect them. This program magically eliminates blemishes, decreases shine and can even go so far as changing eye color.
Although meant for professional photographers doing glamor shots, magazine shoots, it’s can provide just enough adjustment to give an extra edge to photographs. I’ve talked to professional photographers who take senior pictures and they swear by it and say it’s definitely the best program they have ever used.
Tomorrow I take a self portrait and see what if the program can take ten years off my face.
I’m so excited! On a gorgeous warm sunny Saturday last week I cleaned out the flower beds and look what I found. The first flowers of spring, a spring crocus! Yes, it takes little to get me excited, but this is a sign of spring, a forecast of what is to come, warm days, sunny skies. Oh, spring! Oh happy day! Next will be the daffodils and then my favorite spring flower, tulips.
Disclaimer: This image was updated a week later when it SNOWED!! What the heck? It’s officially spring according to the calender, no more snow!
Photography Notes: Used my camera in the shadow and snow programed mode and didn’t have to do anything post production other than resize. Did use my new MCP Action to quickly created the frame. Its the free Facebook Fix, side by side. This one you get by going to their Facebook page.
It seems I’m not the only person who gets tired of winter and looks for the hope of the first blooms of spring. Here in Nebraska it is the spring crocus that appears, in other location the first flower may be a bluebell, or even a skunk cabbage. What is it in your location?
I like to plant a small bowl of crocuses and have them on the dining room table. These are small enough they don’t get in the way and since I don’t have a green thumb I don’t care if they live all year round.
Hirts Gardens Delft Ceramic Bowl with Purple Crocus Bulbs and Indoor Fragrant Growing Kit
Shoes , check, purse check, Alfred Angelo Bridesmaid dress, check.
Gather the groom, gather the bride, let the wedding commence.
Now that I have past the 100 day mark I think I can confidently enter the Post a Day challenge. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and the community of other bloggers with similiar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.
If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.
Photoshop Effects: Ink Outline filter, this is quickly becoming my favorite photo.
