Amber Spencer Photography

Scanography with Borders

2010-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

1. Apple 8 x 10 to Print

2. Apple 4 x 6 to Print

For this effect I was able to use the Flexible Brushed-on Effect. I started with my apple scanned image, added a new layer, then added a black mask to the apple image. I was then able to use the Heavy Brushes at various opacities to get the effect that you can see. I then selected the area for a border using the rectangular marquee tool, went to edit-stroke and added a heavy stroke that matched the color that I selected from the apples. Overall, I thought that this ended looking pretty good!

Scanography

2010-06-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

One Scan:

1. Red Apples: June 23rd, 2010; 10:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

2. Scattered Pencils: June 24th, 2010; 9:40 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

3. Necklace: June 24th, 2010; 9:20 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

4. Old Glass Bottles: June 24th, 2010; 9:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

5. Lined Pencils: June 24th, 2010; 8:48; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

6. Believe Block: June 24th, 2010; 9:10; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

7.Bananas: June 24th, 2010; 9:22 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

Taking a scanography photo is really quite simple once you get the hang of it. One thing that I found is that the room must be dark in order to get that beautiful black in the background. This also allows for more detail in the foreground and depth if you put something on your scanner that has more dimension. I had a hard time with flowers and greenery, but decided to just use things that were lying around my apartment instead. I think that some of them turned out really well. I am excited to see what else I can do. So, what I did was place something on my screen, leaving the screen panel up (this gives you the black) and turning off all the lights in the room. I then used the Epson settings to increase the contrast a little and make sure the exposure was correct. After that all you have to do is push scan!

Three Scan Collage:

1. Pennies: June 24th, 2010; 6:57 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

2. Believe: June 24th, 2010; 8:48 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

3. Orange Ribbon; June 24th, 2010; 6:39 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Epson Scanner

4. Edited Scan Collage; June 25th, 2010; Rexburg, ID

After I was able to get three shots that I really liked from the scanner then I was able to open them in Photoshop and put them together. I first used the move tool to bring all three photos onto the same document. Then, I overlayed them together and masked out different portions so that I could get the desired effect. In the end I really put together three different photos that really don't go together at all, however, I think that it worked out pretty well.

Fine Art Template

2010-06-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

1. Fake Flower: Monday, June 21st, 2010; Madison, WI; 3:34 p.m.; f/2.7; 1/30 sec; SONY DSC-H50

2. Tulip Fine Art Template: June 21st, 2010; Madison, WI West Valley Mall

3. Pearls and More; June 21st, 2010l Madison, WI; 3:55 p.m.; f/ 2.7; 1/20 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

4. Pearls Fine Art Template; June 21st, 2010; Madison, WI West Valley Mall

This was a really fun assignment. I really enjoyed learning how to make a template and then use it to really enhance my photos. I think that I am going to use this template more for my website. I was able to use the clipping mask and layers to make a template in Photoshop, and then I was able to add my photo (wonderful clipping mask useage) and with no other edits just place the photo where I wanted it to go.

Photolusion

2010-06-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Straight, No edits:

Edited Photolusion Photo:

1. Spewing Water: Monday, June 21st, 2010; 5:58 p.m.; Dodgeville, WI; f/2.7; 1/20 sec; SONY DSC H50

2. Huggin' a Couch: Monday June 21st, 2010; 6:02 p.m.; Dodgville, WI; Edited Photo: Blended together three photos, selecting the hands and putting them into the basic photo.

3. Left Arm; Monday June 21st, 2010; 6:01 p.m.; Dodgeville, WI; f/2.7; 1/4 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

4.Head; Monday June 21st, 2010; 6:02 p.m.; Dodgeville, WI; f/2.7; 1/4 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

5.Right Arm; Monday June 21st, 2010; 6:04 p.m.; Dodgeville, WI; f/2.7; 1/4 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

This was really hard for me to try to be creative. I was in Wisconsin for the weekend with my husband and so he helped me a little bit with this project. We were planning on a really creative plan, however, there was a tornado and we couldn't leave our hotel room, so we had to improvise. We shot the water from the shower and he stood in front of it, which made it look like he was spitting water out his mouth unusually. Then, the second photo was taken in the lobby of the hotel. I had to take it in three shots, and then blended them together with different selections and other edits. It ended up being a pretty cool look I thought.

Night and Light

2010-06-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

1. Horizontal Lights: June 14th, 2010; 10:43 p.m.; Rexburg, ID f/5.6; 3 sec.; SONY DSC H50; Enhancements in Camera Raw

2. Bright Color; June 14th, 2010, 10:40 p.m.; Rexburg, ID f/3.5; 3 sec.; SONY DSC H50; Enhancements in Camera Raw

3. Stars: June 14th, 2010; 10:05 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.7; 5 sec.; SONY DSC H50: Enhancements done in Camera Raw

4. Covered in Light: June 14th, 2010 10:37 p.m.; Rexburg, ID f/4.0; 8 sec.; SONY DSC H50; Basic enhancements done in camera raw

5. Covered in Light with Burned Border; Rexburg, ID; I really loved adding this border because it really helped the light just pop off the picture.

6. Family with Flash Light; June 14th, 2010; Rexburg, ID; f/ 2.7; 8 sec; SONY DSC H50; Blacks enhanced in Camera Raw.

The first two photos are Camera Motion Painting Technique. I put down some christmas lights and then moved the camera to make the motion of the light go horizontally. The other four I think were considered Light Painting. I used a tripod and increased the shutter speed to be able to get the light movement that I wanted. For these ones I used a flash light to focus light on the stars and on the family sign. It allowed for a focal point or point of interest in image. The other photo was me moving the christmas lights in the middle of the room. The lights turned out much brighter than I expected. I think this was because there was so many of them shining so bright.

Edge Effects

2010-06-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

1. Green Buoy: June 11th, 2010; 11:15 a.m.; Tacoma, Washington; f/3.5; 1/400 sec.; Cannon Powershot S3IS, Enhancements done in camera raw.

2. Green Buoy with a Border: June 11th, 2010; Tacoma, Washington: Tacoma Waterfront Walk, Glass Art Museum and Chihuly Bridge

3. Farm Boots: June 11th, 2010; 3:30 p.m.; Puyallup, Washington; f/2.7; 1/60 sec.; Cannon Powershot, S3 IS, Enhancements done in camera raw.

4. Farm Boots with Burned Border: June 11th, 2010; Puyallup, Washington Farm Home (my in-laws house)

5. Glass Ceiling: June 11th, 2010; 10:49 a.m.; Tacoma, Washington; f/2.7; 1/200 sec.; Cannon Powershot S3IS, Enhancements done in camera raw.

6. Glass Ceiling Postcard; June 11th, 2010; Tacoma, Washington Chihuly Bridge Ceiling; the bridge has glass art everywhere, including the ceiling!

For the first photo I took by the Tacoma waterfront pathway. I loved the green of this buoy that just stuck out at us because of the bright color. I decided to use that green color and create a a variation on the Flexible Vignette (tutorial #14). I added a new blank layer, making it black, using the marquee tool to draw a box inside the edge of the image. I then, added a stroke to the selection and used the green color of the buoy to make it pop. The second border technique was a Burned Border, copying the background layer, using the multiply blending mode and then using the marquee tool to select the middle of the image and delete the middle of the selection. The last border technique I used was the Flexible Brushed-on Effect where I added a new layer, with a black layer mask on the image that was on the top layer. I then used the bush tool with the thick, heavy brushes to get the desired effect, changing the opacity and brush size. I then added a stronger black border with text describing the place.

Editing Project 365

2010-06-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

1. Original Template; Designed June 7th, 2010

2. Weekly Template filled: June 1st-7th, 2010

I started with one of the templates that we were given and then suddenly I had erased almost everything that was put on there and how the layout was. I decided to go with something a little bit more elegant and yet simple. I like flowy lines with big strokes. I added a few different strokes behind all of the photos and then changed the text to match, with a strong simple arial for the dates so that it showed a little contrast and was very readable. I then took each individual photo and used the move tool to move them onto the layout image. I then moved the image on top of the white box layer that it was going to move into. I then selected the layer with the image and then right clicked that layer and selected the clipping mask option. It automatically was masked onto the layer underneath it, which put it into the white box selected for it to belong to. I was then able to size the image and move it around within the box to where I wanted it for this project. Doing this makes it easy to exchange different images and re-use or re-design the template over and over again!

Project 365 Photography

2010-06-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

1. Monday: Pink Tulip; Monday June 7th, 2010; 2:41 p.m.; f/5.1; 1/320 sec.; SONY DSC-S980

2. Tuesday: Glass Bottles; Tuesday June 1st, 2010; 9:56 p.m.; f/2.5; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-S980

3. Wednesday: Mac Keyboard; Wednesday June 2nd, 2010; 9:53 p.m.; f/2.8; 1/40 sec.; SONY DSC H50

4. Thursday: Books; Thursday June 3rd, 2010; 7:45 p.m.; f/2.5; 1/ 30 sec.; SONY DSC-S980

5. Friday: Rexburg Temple at Night; Friday June 4th, 2010; 8:45 p.m.; f/2.5; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-S980

6. Saturday: Audrey; Saturday June 5th, 2010; 7:32 p.m.; f/2.5; 1/40 sec.; SONY DSC-S980; Enhancements: Levels, Adjustments-Match Color; Gaussian Blur with a mask; Eye and lip enhancements

7. Sunday: Home Candle; Sunday June 6th, 2010: 5:41 p.m.; f/2.5; 1/40 sec.; SONY DSC-S980

This was really really hard for me to continue to be creative and find new things to be able to photograph. I have been stuck at home doing homework for the most part of the week, so I was able to try to re-look at the things that are around me so that I could try to photograph something unique and artistic. On Friday we went to the temple and as we came out the sky was beautiful, so we had to stop and take a shot! My husband and I went down to Salt Lake this weekend too on Saturday, so I was able to take a photo of our neice. She is just starting to smile and be photogenic, which I absolutely love!

Edited Portraits

2010-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

1. James Original: May 21st, 2010; 10:23 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/3.2; 1/80 sec. SONY DSC H50

2. James Edited:

For this image I was able to Replace Color for his shirt and change it from a light blue to a light greenish yellow. I did this by copying the layer that I wanted to start working on, and then went to Adjustments-Replace Color. Then, I selected his shirt and increased the fuzziness to allow for the general color to be replaced. I then changed the color, but decreased the staturation so that the color looked more natural.

3. Ryan Senior Picture; Sept. 15th, 2010; 6:45 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/100 sec.; Cannon Powershot

4. Ryan Edited:

I was able to really use Photoshop and clear up his skin and made a few other adjustments. I was able to edit his eyes and help his teeth look a little bit more white. This really did help to just add the last touch to his senior picture. This is a skill that I will continue to use whenever I take portraits.

5. Taya Williamson; May 28th, 2010; 9:47 a.m.; Sunnyvale, CA; f/ 2.8; 1/1600 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

6. Taya Playing; May 28th, 2010; 9:20 a.m.; Sunnyvale, CA; f/ 2.7; 1.8 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

7. Taya Edited:

For this photo I used the Color Match feature of Photoshop. I went to Image-Adjustment-Color Match and used the second photo listed to see if I could get her skin to look a little darker. After I clicked on adding the second photo as the selection Photoshop worked its magic and just changed the coloring of the photo. In general I am not sure how I will use this in the future, but I want to try it with other photos that I have to see if it can help with the overall color.

Portraits

2010-06-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

1. Taylor Williamson; May 28th, 2010; 9:35 p.m.; Sunnyvale, CA; f/2.8; 1/1000 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

2. Taya Tang Williamson: May 28th, 2010; 9:47 p.m.; Sunnyvale, CA; f/2.7; 1/800 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

3. Bannack Portrait: May 21st, 2010; 5:45 p.m.; Bannack, ID; f/ 3.2; 1/8 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

4. "Engagement?" May 21st, 2010; 9:55 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/ 4.5; 1/400 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

Taking portraits is something that is way out of my comfort zone. I was able to try new things and see what I could do with children. It was a lot harder to get them to pay attention and really do what I want them to do, however, it helped me learn a lot and start to see how light can really play in their faces in order to make it either better or worse of a photo. It was also harder to work with the light at that time, but it was just the time I had to do it. I also played with the burned border effect to focus on the faces of the people that were in the photos. All in all, this made me want to be so much better at taking portrait photos. Hopefully I will be able to get better in the future!

HDR Photos

2010-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

THREE SHOT HDR

1. Sewing Machine: May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack, MT; Edited in HDR

2. Sewing Machine 1: May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/3.2; 1/30 sec.;SONY DSC-H50; -1

3. Sewing Machine 2: May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/ 3.2; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; 0

4. ewing Machine 3 May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/ 3.2; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; +1

1. HDR Edited Bannack Salon Chair: May 21st, 2010 4:35 p.m. Bannack, MT

2. Bannack Salon Chair 1; May 21st, 2010; 4:35 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/2.7; 1/13; SONY DSC-H50; -2

3. Bannack Salon Chair 1; May 21st, 2010; 4:35 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/2.7; 1/15; SONY DSC-H50; 0

4. Bannack Salon Chair 1; May 21st, 2010; 4:35 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/2.7; 1/13; SONY DSC-H50; +2

This was harder then I thought it would be. I used a tripod and set my camera to Braketing (for the first one) which was set to take three consecutive shots with different exposures of -1, 0, and +1. Then I imported all three exposures into HDR and let the program do the rest! I was able to help enhance the photo with different settings, making the end result something I like! With the second set of photos I manually changed the exposure compensation useing -2, 0, and +2. This one has way more visible contrast between the three photos taken. I did the same as before and brought all three into HDR, watched the magic work and then used the tonal mapping features to enhance color and lighting.

ONE SHOT HDR

1. HDR Edited Bannack Wall

2.Bannack Wall; May 21st, 2010; 12:48 p.m.; Bannack. MT; f/2.7; 1/10; SONY DSC-H50

3. HDR Edited Old Bottles

4. Old Bottles; May 21st, 2010; 4:41 p.m.; Bannack MT; f/2.7; 1/100; SONY DSC-H50

5. HDR Edited School House Doors

6. School House Doors; May 21st, 2010; 1:02 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/2.7; 1/125 sec.; SONY DSC-H50

7. Edited HDR Bannack Masonic Temple/ School House

8. Bannack Masonic Temple/School House; May 21st, 2010; 5:19 p.m.; f/2.8; 1/640; SONY DSC-H50

These shots are all one shot HDR photos, which means that there was only one photo taken and then opened them in HDR. I used the same editing techniques with the one photo as I did the three. It was amazing what could be done with only one image instead of three. Below I have added a few more photos that I edited in HDR just to show you what else was done in Bannack!

EXTRAS

1. Door Knob; May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/5.6; 1/20 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; HDR Edited

2. Hotel Stairs: May 21st, 2010; 2:18 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/3.5; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; HDR Edited

3. Old Car; May 21st, 2010; 10:09 a.m.; Bannack, MT; f/2.7; 1/1600 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; HDR Edited

4. Tree; May 21st, 2010; 10:04 a.m.; Bannack, MT; f/2.7; 1/1000sec.; SONY DSC-H50; HDR Edited

I really loved using this program and seeing what could be done with colors, lighting, and other enhancements that were features in HDR. I am excited to use it more in the future!

Macro Abstract

2010-05-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

1. Macro Abstract Old Car with Webs: May 21st, 2010; Edited in Photoshop

2. Old Car: May 21st, 2010; 10:00 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/2.7; 1/200 sec.; DSC-H50

3. Web #1; May 21st, 2010; 9:45 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/2.7; 1/40 sec.; DCS-H50

4. Web #2; May 21st, 2010; 9:47 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/2.7; 1/40 sec.; DSC-H50

To get this Macro Abstract effect I took one photo using macro mode to caputre one close up subject with a shallow depth of field and bokeh in the background. Then, I took two texture shots that were webs and old rope in an abandoned building. I thought that these would look nice as an overlay with something old. Then, I took the three photos and used a blending mode to have them overlap each other and blend nicely. I then used a black paint brush and mask to take away the parts of the web image that I didn't want to show through. This helped me keep the integrity of the old car that I wanted while still getting the great effect of the cob webs laying over it. This is always fun thing to do with so many different and interesting photos!

Reverse Shallow Depth

2010-05-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

1. Foreground Pipe: May 21st, 2010; 3:00 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/ 2.7; 1/20 sec.; Enhancements: Levels, Contrast and Brightness, Vibrance

2. Background Sharp; May 21st, 2010; 3:00 p.m.; Bannack. MT; f/2.7, 1/13 sec.; Enhancements: Levels, Contrast and Brightness, Vibrance.

I took two shots of the exact same scene with reverse focus points. The first one was with the foreground in sharp focus, and the background blurred. Then I did the exact opposite with the foreground blurred and the background in sharp focus. In order to do this I used the Aperature Priority Setting on my camera to choose a small F-stop which is what got me that small area of focus. I pointed the camera at the center of the thing that was in focus, and then re-framed the camera to shot the same subject or composition twice. Both shots that I took have a shallow depth of field.

Action Blur and Freeze

2010-05-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

1.Girl Ghost; May 21st, 2010; 2:00 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/3.2; 1/4 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: I imported four images with three different exposures, -2, 0, 0 and +.3. These worked together to get the darker or more exposed hallway. While these were being taken Erica was also walking through the doorways giving me a great ghost photo with a normal exposure. It was a great experience with learning HDR and how when using a tripod you can do lots of different things! Here are the original images:

2. Group of Ghosts; May 21st, 2010; 2:15 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/3.5; 5.0 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Levels, Contrast and Brightness, and Vibrance adjustment layers were all used to help enhance the original photo.

These shots were really fun to take. In order to blur the action I used a tripod so that the background would be sharp and then changed the shutter speed to 5.0 seconds so that I could get in the right amount of light. I then had the subject start walking in one place and continue to walk slowly towards me or across the hall. You can see the result above: transparent people that appear to be ghosts.

1. Girls on the Circle Swing: May 21st, 2010; 1:00 p.m.;Bannack, MT; f/8.0; 1/160 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Levels, Brightness and Contrast, Vibrance

2. Moving Circle Swing: May 21st, 2010; 1:30 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/8.0; 1/200 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Levels, Brightness and Contrast, Vibrance.

Freezing Action meant that I needed to be in a bright space and use a faster shutter speed in order to stop the movement that I was shooting. My subjects were spinning on the swing with their legs out. I was able to caputre their movement so that everything was frozen.

Portraits

2010-05-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

1. Jamie Williams; May 21st, 2010; 10:10 a.m.; Dubois, ID; f/2.8; 1/10000 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: I first started in Camera Raw with basic edits, then brought image into Photoshop. Then, I converted the image to Smart Object by going to Smart filter. I then added a filter by going to: Filter-Convert for Smart Filters-Noise-Median. This gave the skin a nice smooth effect and also increased the bokeh. I masked out her whole body except but her skin and then whatever was in the foreground, leaving the background smooth. I then finished by adding a burned border.

2. Erica Arguello; May 21st, 2010; 2:10 p.m.; Bannack, MT; f/5.6; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: I first started simple edits in Camera Raw and then brought image into Photoshop. This is where I was able to add a filter, like the one above to smooth the skin, but masking out everything else so that she looks sharp and defined. I then added a burned border to make it look more finished.

3. Josh Peterson; May 21st, 2010; 1:59 p.m.; Bannack. MT; f/3.2; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: I imported this photo into HDR to see what it could do, then I opened it into Photoshop to do a few fixes with skin and such to just add a little bit more of a professional look.

These portraits were so fun to take! I have never spent much time photographing people as subjects, but have now found that I really enjoy it. I would love to get better at this and continue to take photos of friends and family from now on!

Panoramic

2010-05-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Temple Panos: May 17th, 2010;8:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2,7; 1/500 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation using Adjustment layers with a burned border, using a multiply layer and selection tool to "cutout" the center.

This was really neat. I wanted to take a picture of the temple, but there was so much construction that it was hard to find a good place where that wouldn't be included. The problem then was that I was too close to get the whole temple in the shot, so I decided to do a vertical pano and use the space that I did have to just make a big temple photo. I think that the end result was pretty cool. I went through my photos and looked for the 6 that I took for this purpose, then I opened Photoshop, went to File-Automate-Photomerge, choosing auto and then selecting the 6 original photos from their file. Then I just let the program do its magic. With the photomerge pano I cropped out all of the hard edges making it one smooth image. I then went to Layer-Flatten Image. This helped take care of the jagged edges that appeared inside the photo. I then used adjustment layers to enhance the levels, brightness and constrast, and the vibrance and saturation. I then added a multiply layer to enhance the sky and masked out the temple to keep the brightness of the white temple. Then I added a very slight small burned border to add a complete professional effect. I really like the end result!

Grass and Rocks Panos : May 17th, 2010;7:35 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/30 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation using Adjustment layers

This was an interesting little pipe that was decaying in the ground that I really liked. I decided that I would use a pano to take it since it didn't fit into one frame or shot. So, in order to do this I did the same thing I did with the first one: I went through my photos and looked for the 6 that I took for this purpose, then I opened Photoshop, went to File-Automate-Photomerge, choosing auto and then selecting the 6 original photos from their file. Then I just let the program do its magic. With the photomerge pano I cropped out all of the hard edges making it one smooth image. I then went to Layer-Flatten Image. This helped take care of the jagged edges that appeared inside the photo. I then used adjustment layers to enhance the levels, brightness and constrast, and the vibrance and saturation. And then, Poof! It was done!

Camera Raw

2010-05-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

1. Old Truck; May 17th, 2010: 7:55 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/13 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Camera Raw

2. Enhanced Truck; May 18th, 2010

This was so fun! I didn't know that there were so many thing that you could do using Camera Raw. It really makes the picture come alive more. I decided to use a photo that was really really flat so that I could really see the difference between the edited one and the original. I enhanced the levels, brightness and contrast, added a little bit more black and mid tones. Then I went in and played with the camera calibration. I was able to take each color and individual enhance the ones that I wanted more, so I pulled out more of the red tones so that the truck stuck out more.

Flexible Edits

2010-05-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

1. Truffles: May 7th, 2010: 4:40 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/3.2; 1/640 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

2. Truffles Edited: May 8th, 2010; 6:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Photoshop CS3

Flexible Smart Filters
To get this effect, I first enhanced and balances the levels, brightness/contrast, and saturation/vibrance. Then, I selected the image and made a copy of it. I then converted this image layer to a smart object. This was done by going to Layer-Smart Object-Convert to Smart Object. I then decided to use two different filters. To do this I went to Filter-Sharpen-Smart Sharpen. This enabled me to sharpen the little sprinkles on the truffle in the foreground. I also wanted to enhance the blur in the background, so I went to Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur. This then burred the whole photo. Because I converted the image to a smart object I was able to go back in and adjust the opacity of each of the filters to get the desired effect. Then, I used the madk that came with the smart object conversion to mask out the truffle that was in the foreground. After clicking on the mask that I wanted to use I selected the brush tool, with a black color and used the brush to take away the filters to that area I wanted to be the focal point of the whole photo. Since I converted the image to a smart object I am able to change my edits in the future according to my needs! How handy is that!

3. Basket of Tomatos: May 7th, 2010: 4:15 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/3.2; 1/200 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

4. Basket of Tomatos Edited: May 8th, 2010; 5:30 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; Photoshop CS3

Adjustment Layers
To get this effect, I first edited the origional photo by adjusting or enhancing the levels, brightness/contrast, and saturation. Once this was done I copied that origional layer, then added an adjustment layer by selected the levels layer. Then, I chose the Multiply Blending Mode. This can be found by going through the list of options in the top left corner of the layers palate. I then adjusted the opacity so that it wasn't so dark. Then, I added a mask to this layer by clicking on the mask option at the bottom of the layers palate. Then, I selected my brush tool with black paint and used that to paint over the tomatos to hide the effect of the adjustment layer and show through the layer underneath. This allowed me to darken the wood basket that I thought added such dimension to the photo, and still keep the beautiful rich red of the tomatos in the foreground that really catches your eye. I took this photo at the farmers market on Friday night. There were lots of booths that were selling plants and a few vegetables.

Flora and Fauna

2010-05-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

1. Yellow Chair with Plants: May 7th, 2010: 3:15 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.7; 1/125 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

2. Turtle: May 7th, 2010: 3:45 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/160 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

3. Daisies: May 7th, 2010: 3:10 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.7; 1/1600 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
4. Parrot: May 7th, 2010: 3:35 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/4; 1/320sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
5. Cherry Blossoms: May 7th, 2010: 3:55 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/3.2; 1/1250 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
6. Water Lily: May 7th, 2010: 3:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/3.2; 1/400 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
7. Mossy Stone Man: May 7th, 2010: 3:30 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/125 sec.; SONY DSC-H7; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

I took most of these shots in the Benson Greenhouses, and the Cherry Blossom photo was taken in the Gardens. I hadn't ever been in the greenhouses at all, but they were really cool. There were so many different plants that they were preparing to plan in different places on campus or in different greenhouses that are more for enjoyment. I had a hard time shooting because it was so bright in there though, which made it harder to get a good balance of light and dark. I did try to get as many different subjects as possible so that my photos didn't look all the same. I did find that the colors of plants and things in the greenhouses were very vibrant. I really didn't have to do much at all, but in almost all of the photos I added a burned border to make them look a little more finished or complete. I did adjust brightness/contrast levels on every photo, and adjusted the saturation a bit to bring out some of the really beautiful colors that were there. I really enjoyed taking photos of things that were moving though. I thought that the different animals were the hardest thing to take photos of because they kept moving all over the place, and you couldn't really ask them to hold still. I did learn a lot in the process and loved it!

Blends and Type

2010-05-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

1. Kitchen Canisters; May 3, 2010; 8:00 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 2.7;1/5 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

2. Texture; May 3, 2010; 2:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/5; 1/13 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

3. A Spoon full of Sugar; May 3, 2010; 10:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID

With these photos I added a solid color fill layer that was a warm rust color, changing the blending mode to overlay and reducing the opacity. This allowed the image to have an antique look. Next, I added the texture layer by using channels to take the layer with the most contrast and using the move tool to drag the layer onto the first original photo. This layer was then decreased in opacity to the desired effect. Another layer was added with a hard light blending mode and then copied with with a recued opacity to complete desired effect. Finally, I added a burned border with some text to finish it all off!

1. Polka Dots: May 3, 2010, 8:00 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 2.7;1/40 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

2. Polka Dots 2: May 3, 2010: To get this effect I added a thick font and then arranged the type layer to be under the image layer. With a link to morph the two layers together I was able to use the image as the fill color for the type that I added. The image is now inside the letters. Next, I added a new layer, copying the original layer for the whole background. I then chose a darker shade to color the layer between in order for the type to pop a little bit more. Finally, I added a drop shadow, as well as a stroke with the use of the bevel and emboss tools to make the type show up even better. Finally, I added a watercolor filter to the original background layer for a little bit of a playful feel.

Color Study: Yellow

2010-05-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

1. Power Line; May 3, 2010, 7:30 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 2.7;1/60 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

2. Daffodils; May 3, 2010, 7:00 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 3.5;1/60 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
3. Caution Tape ; May 3, 2010, 7:40 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 3.5;1/60 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
4. Dumpster; May 3, 2010, 7:10 p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 4;1/80 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation
5. Parking Line; May 3, 2010, 6:45p.m..; Rexburg, ID; f/ 2.7;1/60 sec.; SONY DSC-H50; Enhancements: Balanced: Levels, Brightness/Contrast, Saturation

I really enjoyed taking pictures that were focused on one color. As I started I wanted to do red, however, when I looked around I saw that there were so many different things around that were yellow, so I decided to change my focus. Yellow has such an amazing vibrance and was often paired with black, allowing for beautifully strong contrast in these photos. I didn't add many enhancements other then simple adjustment because I wanted the original composition to stay as original as possible. I also enjoyed taking more pictures of the abstract than I ever thought that I would. Overall, I have enjoyed this blog entry so much!

Cutouts

2010-04-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

1. Decorations in my apartment; 04.26. 2010; 4:00 p.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/2.8; 1/5; Sony DSC-H7

2. Spring flowers; 04.26.2010; 9:30 a.m.; Rexburg, ID; f/3.5; 1/30; Sony DSC-H7

Both of these photographs were taken as I was experimenting with different aperature and shutter speeds. One was taken indoors, which meant that I had to change a few things. The other was taken outdoors, which taught me to change things when needed. Both subjects were interesting to take pictures of and have helped me get used to my own camera and see what I can do!

Old Photographs

2010-04-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

1. China Town; 7.27.2009 ; 3:26 p.m.; San Fransisco, CA; f/10.5; 1/160; Sony DSC-S980 I used photoshop to desaturate this photograph of the side of the street and then used a watercolor artistic filter for a different artistic look.

2. My nephew Sam in his halloween robot costume; 10.24.2009; 5:57 p.m.; Sandy, UT; f/2.8 ; 1/13; Sony DSC-H50

3. The beach in the warf; 7.27.2009; 5:09 p.m.; San Fransisco, CA; f/8.3 ; 1/500; Sony DSC-S980

4. View of the Golden Gate Bridge; 7. 29.2009; 12:59 p.m.; San Fransisco, CA; f/11.3 ; 1/400; Sony DSC-S980

5. The Palace of Fine Arts; 7.29.2009; 12:48 p.m.; San Fransisco, CA; f/5.7 ; 1/500; Sony DSC-S980 With this photo I took three for a view that was more like a panoramic view. Then, I used photoshop to desaturate the photograph and balance the brightness and contrast levels. \

There are many things that I love, but here are a few. I spent lots of time in San Fransisco and have loved the beautiful areas and diversity of that area. I have loved taking pictures of some of my favorite places to go while I am there. I have also added a picture of one of my nephews. He was so excited for Halloween that he got into his costume and was ready to be photographed over and over again. It was fun to take pictures and watch him smile! The pictures that I chose also show the diversity of subjects that I enjoy photographing. I also really do like black and white photography, but I thought that it would be good to add some color phorographs for a little contrast!