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Using Lightroom 4: Black and White Conversion

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Using Lightroom to Create Black & White Images

I am a person who sees in color and therefore my photographs are in color, but sometimes color is distracting and facial expressions and emotion get lost in the “clutter”. Black and white photography highlights the face, the eyes and expressive personalities. It doesn’t just work for people, but black and white photography works for animals as well.

Take for example this gorilla from the Omaha Zoo.

Gorilla at the Omaha Zoo
Gorilla at the Omaha Zoo

I’ve seen some amazing black and white photographs on the photography section of the WordPress blog.  So, I thought I would try my hand at using Adobe Lightroom to see if I could achieve the same thing. I love Adobe Lightroom, it’s easy to learn and no matter how many times you edit your photo you can go back to the original without worrying about losing data.

Stand Alone Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 Program | PC/Mac Disc$10/month Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC + Lightroom) subscription

It’s not as simple as clicking the black and white button. I also adjusted some of the underlying color tones and increased the clarity to bring out the details and shadows.

Black and White Lightroom Example
Click for bigger image and more detail

This is a time I wish my WordPress template was wider for images. If you click on the image you can see some of the changes in a bigger format.

The original black and white threw too many shadows around his eyes, but the adjustment lighten brush solved that problem.  I also used the adjustment brush to sharpen his nose, darken highlights in the fur and increase the clarity in the creases. There really was a lot I did to this image, so much so I couldn’t list them all.

Many photographers learn by watching YouTube videos but sometimes there is nothing like settling down with a book for inspiration. If you have a friend who loves photography and is creative these make great Christmas or birthday gifts.

Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual Third Revised EditionThe Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow

Photo info: This gorilla lives at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, it’s one of my favorite places to visit.  I posted earlier about the Gorilla exhibit, give it a read, it’s pretty amazing. If anyone visits Omaha contact me and I’ll be more than glad to take you on a tour.

Black and White Photography Hints and Tips

5 digital photography tips only the pros know

Black-and-white photography is a quick way to make a classy portrait photo or atmospheric cityscape. However, the black-and-white mode on your camera is not the way to do it. In that mode, the camera sensor only captures a fraction of the information …

Kim Komando: 5 digital photography tips from the pros

The major don’t of black-and-white photography. Black-and-white photography is a quick way to make a classy portrait photo or atmospheric cityscape. However, the black-and-white mode on your camera is not the way to do it. In that mode, the camera …

Black And White Photography Tips – The SITS Girls

Learn how to capture emotion, texture, light, shadows, and more with these black and white photography tips.

Black and white photography – Digital Camera World

In this black and white photography tutorial you’ll learn best camera settings, subjects and monochrome conversion methods for your photo editing software.

4 Tips to Help you Decide Between Black and White or Color

Half Color. There are many differing opinions when it comes to black and white photography. Some photographers love it, and shoot black and white exclusively, while other photographers absolutely shun the notion and shoot only in color.

U.S. Marine Upstages Huey Lewis

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Being a Mother of two U.S. Marines I’ve gotten to where I can spot a United States Marine in a crowd. Maybe it’s their presence, the way they stand as if at parade rest, but I really think it’s because of the distinctive haircut.

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of seeing Huey Lewis and the News in concert. However, for a time this Marine had all my attention. Reminded me of my Marines.

A Marine upstages Huey Lewis and the News
A Marine upstages Huey Lewis and the News

It’s not uncommon for Marines to act as security at public events, my son David has signed up in California for a few gigs. Although I don’t think he’s gotten any gigs like Huey Lewis yet.

I tried to get this security guards attention from a far, but he wouldn’t be distracted from his task and wouldn’t make eye contact. He just kept scanning the crowd. When he walked to the side I took off for the side rail.

After stopping him I asked “Excuse me, are you a Marine?”

“Why yes Mam I am” and he looked at me quizzically.

“I knew it, my two sons are Marines and I could just tell.”

Turns out he was last active in 1997 (? doesn’t look old enough) and after a little bit of chit chat he gave me a firm handshake and told me to tell my boys “Semper Fi”. I walked away with a smile on my face.

Now I can’t think of Huey Lewis without thinking about my Marines.

Music By Huey Lewis

Greatest HitsSports (30th Anniversary Edition)

Learn More About Huey Lewis

Huey Lewis and The News to kick off RAGBRAI

The Sioux City RAGBRAI Committee announced Monday that Huey Lewis and The News will headline the concert lineup on Saturday, July 18, in the Tyson Event Center parking lots, the day before the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa begins …
Collection: Huey Lewis and the News videos

Official video of Huey Lewis and The News’s I Want A New Drug from the album Sports. Buy It Here: http://smarturl.it/3xyujuLike Huey Lewis and The News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hueylewisandthenewsFollow Huey Lewis and The News on …
Other songs that have ‘Blurred Lines’

My lawyer! The 1980s rocker Huey Lewis accused Ray Parker Jr. of copying a “Ghostbusters” song riff from the 1984 hit “I Want a New Drug” by his band, Huey Lewis and the News. Reports at the time said they settled and signed a confidentiality agreement.
Drawing the line: Four famous copyright feuds

Not Huey Lewis, apparently. In 1984, the musician brought a court case against ‘Ghostbusters’ singer Ray Parker Jr for allegedly infringing on his song ‘I Want A New Drug.’ The settlement agreement included a confidentiality clause, which Parker later …

 

Fresh Garden Broccoli

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I never knew that broccoli fresh from the garden could taste so good. This was our first garden together, and it’s pretty successful. So far we’ve harvested radishes, lettuce, potatoes, cucumbers, a few beans and zucchini. Our most successful has been the broccoli, didn’t know the plants got so big, but well worth the space.

First Year Vegetable Garden

 

There is no comparison when it comes to fresh broccoli, forget what you have eaten in the past. Not only is this vegetable healthy, but it is delicious when it’s cooked properly.

Broccoli: The Ultimate Recipe Guide – Over 30 Healthy & Delicious RecipesTop 50 Most Delicious Broccoli Recipes (Superfood Recipes Book 10)The farmers market cookbook: From broccoli to zucchini recipes to make you fall in love with vegetables

Broccoli in the Vegetable Garden
Broccoli in the Vegetable Garden

The heads were huge, the size of dinner plates. From what I understand when you harvest the center bunch the secondary cluster will still produce. I hope so, four out of five of us love broccoli. Warning though, if the plant gets too mature the resulting clusters will taste bitter. Blah!! That is a reason why people DON’T like broccoli

Cleaning and prepping fresh broccoli
Cleaning and prepping fresh broccoli

My Mother-in-law suggested I soak the heads in salt water to clean out any bugs. However, we didn’t have any problems with bugs, not one floated to the top. An added benefit to soaking is the increased flavor.

Fresh cooked broccoli
Fresh cooked broccoli

I steam my broccoli, el dente, to a bright green still a little crisp, but making the florets nice and tender. Put a pat of butter and cracked pepper on top. It’s literally a fight to the last spoonful.

How to Get Kids to Eat Broccoli

Broccoli is a favorite food to hate and I can see why.

When I was little I only ate the stems, my Dad would eat the tops for me, they were too “mushy”, that’s because my Mom overcooked everything. There are ways to teach your kids to eat more vegetables, the first step is to NOT overcook them. Not only are the nutrients leached out, but so is the flavor.

Monsters Don’t Eat BroccoliWho Wants Broccoli?The Boy Who Loved BroccoliBroccoli Makes You Fart

Top veggies with butter, drizzle melted cheese on broccoli or cauliflower, coat in butter with salt and pepper and broil, put it on a pizza, start toddlers off with raw broccoli and use dips for added flavor.

Delicious Broccoli Recipes

Learn to Make Garlic Broccoli

Among all the green vegetables available on the Chinese market, broccoli might be the most accessible. It’s also one of the most familiar for foreigners, making broccoli-based dishes a welcome option for pickier diners. Prep Time: 5 mins. Cook Time: 10 …

10 Best Broccoli Recipes

10 Best Broccoli Recipes Grilled, baked or roasted, it’s usually parked on the side of all your restaurant dishes. Dark green in colour with crisp and sturdy florets, broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables and also, rather exotic. President …

5 Ways Cheese Is Broccoli’s Best Friend

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins If you’re asking me, broccoli and cheese go together just like peanut butter and jelly or milk and cookies. When creamy melted cheese, particularly cheddar, crosses with the green vegetable, a little magic happens.

These Aren’t Your Mother’s Broccoli Recipes

Broccoli has a bad reputation, and it’s somewhat deserved. Stalks resemble limp and tasteless trees, and they’re forced upon us so much throughout childhood that many of us banish them from our adult lives altogether. It’s totally understandable. But …

Sarah’s Superfoods: Broccoli recipes | Sarah Raven

Try Sarah’s delicious Smoked Mackerel, Broccoli and Almond Salad, or the tasty Broccoli and Cauliflower Falafel Fritters with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce.

Broccoli recipes to reduce your blood pressure – Hello Heart

Broccoli is high in compounds that help relax blood vessels and reduce damage to arteries. Check out these great broccoli recipes to help reduce blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

10 Family-Friendly Broccoli Recipes | Real Simple

You’ll have no trouble getting the kids to eat their vegetables with these delicious dishes.

10 Kid-Friendly Broccoli Recipes Worth Drooling Over …

Packed with fiber and natural goodness, here are 10 broccoli dishes to try.

Baby Shower, It’s a Girl!

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I recently had the honor, and selfish fun of throwing a friend a baby shower! Excited, oh yes. To think that someone told her that a Mom should only have a shower for their first born and not a second baby.

Baby showers are just as much for the friends as the new Mama. In fact for those of us closer to being a Grandmother (no ideas kids) than being pregnant, we revel in babies. The thought of cuddling, spoiling, buying cute baby clothes and toys knowing that when the crying starts we can had them back has a TON of appeal to me right now.

Baby Shower for a girl
Baby Girl Shower

Found the rubber duck punch and LifeSaver pacifiers on Pinterest, yes there will be separate posts for those. I had just too much fun.

Initial photos were run through Lightroom, about 45 of them in about 30 minutes, then put together this simple template in Photoshop

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