November 20, 2009
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Weekly Photo Challenge, “Projects in the Works”
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Weekly Photo ChallengeThere was a time I always had projects in the works. Now things don’t move as fast physically but my mind is always at work. At this time of year I try to be ahead of things getting holiday projects finished. Some of my projects include early purchase of gifts and planning ahead for trips. One creative project I try to manage for holidays are digital desktop wallpapers for friends and cards for printing to send to snail mail recipients.
This past weekend we drove to my sister’s home in Columbus, Ohio. I took photos of farms as we drove because I like farm photos and they work for Thanksgiving images. Most farms don’t sit close to the expressway so I play with light settings and shutter speeds to take images from a distance. Looking from a side window in the car makes everything appear to be zooming by which it actually is at about 70 mph. I set my shutter speed from 1000 to 1600 to stop blur and open up extra light to replace the loss of light from the fast shutter. If a photo I like has problems I edit in Paint Shop Pro.
Some of my Photos
1- The shutter speed for this image was 1/1000 moving sideways past it.
2- I brought the image up to size and then cropped it to give me this. I played with edges, enhanced color and sharpness in my photo editor.
3- I added a thin line frame and greetings and my signature. It will be a single fold card with a verse on the inside. I have played with more folds in cards but am not happy with them. I don’t have the expertise for neat folds when the paper is so fat between the folds.
4-This is the original image also taken at 1/1000 shutter speed. It was far enough away I really couldn’t tell what was in the yard. I never know what will appear so take the photo and ask questions later.
5- The crop from image #4 and I was surprised to discover all the sheep. I edged and played with color as it was a darker image. I added the thin line frame, my greeting and my signature.
6- Taken in May of 2008, traveling and looking a bit to the side but forward from the passenger side window. The shutter speed was much slower, 1/200 which works if you are not looking straight at the fields and trees seeing them flitting by in your eye piece. I have edged the image with my photo editor Paint Shop Pro and enhanced color. I see some reflection at the bottom I will edit out before I print it.
7- This is an older photo. I took it in may of 2005 with my Kodak DC4800. This farm sits nearer the road and I took the photo looking forward and to the side as we drove. The shutter speed is 1/333. The photo is fresher and greener than most of our fields in Ohio at Thanksgiving but I like the picture and the whole world isn’t Autumn colors in November so it works.
I’m not sure which of the above cards I will print but making cards is a lot more fun than buying them in the stores because they are your own photos. I enjoy it and my projects give me something creative to do with photos that belong to me. I imagine we all feel the same satisfaction when we have projects in the works using our own photos.
Have a really super week.
Thanks always for your comments
and keep on taking those photos.
Comments (13)
these are so terrific … and to learn how your mind works about “creating” a photo … just wonderful!!!
I like the way you cropped and enhanced the photo at the top. The final result gives a homely feeling and fits the theme of thanksgiving so well. – Thanks for the topic.
I like the photos with the words “Thanksgiving ” . One of them would be able to be for Christmas ( the one with white roofs)
You are an artist Becca and I know that for long .
Why not a kind of collage for Thanksgiving ? Too hard to doo ?
Love
Michel
What an incredible work! You have done so well here Becca, considering what you have managed under the present time circumstances. For starters, in a car travelling at 70 m.p.h. Having to compensate with fast shutter speeds, followed by what can only be described as expert editing in Paint Shop Pro to make them into Thanksgiving Cards, which of course includes text on a curve. They are all so good but I love in particular the water colour effect of the second from the bottom, which gives the idea of a hand painted card designed specifically with a purpose in mind. You truly deserve the title of my Paint Shop Pro Mentor and I am proud to having been your student. ~ Tim
Morning Becca. I’d be thrilled to receive the one with the sheep. The crop was perfect (as a play on words I wonder if the farmer found it to be this year) you caught the undulating land the sheep were grazing on and the Happy Thanksgiving frames it all so beautifully. A winner and will make everyone who receives one feel very special. The perfect gifting and a wonderful post to remind us of how hand made/ home made is more than the given gift. Happy day to you fotogal.
@windupherskirt - Trapped in a car on long drives is a motivation to play with my camera. I make tons of mistakes and trash a lot of photos. I’m learning but really love the playing while I learn. Thanks much for your encouraging comments. Becca
@Zeal4living - You are welcome for the topic and I look forward to any and all entries to see what others do with it. Thanks for your comments. Positive remarks are always encouraging. Becca
@fauquet - Heidi Ho Michel. I think you are an artist with your little drawings I can’t even begin to do. I think more of myself as an editor of my photos even if I do changes here and there in them. A collage?? I’ll have to work on that idea. It’s a good one.
@tim_beddard - Hey Tim and thanks for your stop to comment. Without you I wouldn’t be able to do things I do because teaching you things helps me learn at the same time. You give me too much credit.
These are all terrific! I was unsure about what to post for this challenge, but now I have some ideas. Wonderful post and wonderful images! Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
@CelticDawn - Looking forward to your challenge entry “Projects”. Thanks for the nice words, they are very appreciated. Becca
Your “drive by shootings” are so much better than mine! I love these.
Very nice work. It’s fun being creative, just wish I had more time.
@saintvi - Hi, you are too kind per my photos. I will admit they aren’t always easy to get as the moving car is not the only problem. I suffer from tremors as well so twice the shakes sometimes. I’ve learned to do everything I can to steady myself and go for adequate camera settings. I enjoy it, that is the truth. Thanks so much for your comments. Becca
@homemadehappiness - The discovery of time for our creativity isn’t always easy. Time does make itself more available if you are older, which I am, and are more confined to what you can and can’t do. Hoping you find all the time you need for activities that soothe the soul but stay very well physically when you find it. Thanks so much for your stop and comments. Becca
Don’t you just love image manipulation?
@rojobe - Hi, sorry I didn’t reply more quickly. We have been out of town for Thanksgiving so stayed a good week at my sister’s home. Yes, I love playing with the graphics and doing anything fun with them. Without my editor I’d be bored to death. Image editing added some much needed diversion to my life. I’ll never be the artist you are but taking photos is an art of it’s own and as I use only mine I can manipulate all I want to. Yep, it’s the greatest of fun. I read you were on another trip and know that even with the poorer weather you found things to do. It had to be a good start to the Christmas season. Becca