Crickyn

Hi

Hope everybody had a good holiday weekend. Last Saturday Bob and I took in the local sites, including a trip to Artpool to catch up. I wanted to shoot the Christmas window and it provided many opportunities for some special shots. It’s a surprise! You’ll just have to be patient and wait. In the meantime, I shot two of my perennially favorite subjects-reflections in shop windows and mannequins. I think I found a few new girls. I haven’t named any of them yet which is a good sign of any remaining sanity I might have.

Bob and I don’t do holiday shopping but he ran across a Black Friday special at Topaz Labs. I’ve mentioned Topaz before in the blog. It is a powerful, wonderfully cool and simple (ha!) set of filters to use in conjunction with Photoshop or Elements (they are now offering a stand alone platform for their filters). Buy Topaz products once and get all upgrades free. We LIKE THAT! Topaz really is simple to use, but there are so many absolutely incredible effects that it takes a long time to remember what I like. Also, not every filter I like enhances every kind of image. However, if you like to make the most of your photos, or play around with them, take a look at their products. (Note: have no affiliation, just been usin’ ’em for a long time). WARNING: This is extremely addictive. You will give up most other activities for a long period of time.

Anyhoo, I am crazy about this girlie. There were some filter effects that made her so realistic that, were it not for the bad wig, I might have been able to fool you into thinking she was a real person. There is also a tad of “Grandma, what big EYES you have” going that needs ignoring, but I say SQUINT and call her real.

The first image alter I make on the girls is to prettify them. Later I go in and do a heavy graphics effect or a lens effect. With the big eyes, this girl really rocks the graphics, so I might go there tomorrow. I usually start at ground zero for each alter.

Remember, Photoshop Elements has good filters, too, if that is what you have to work with. And crop, crop, crop. Edit. That way you are working with the essentials only when you alter. Actually, working like this with photos is good practice for any composition, collage, painting or drawing. It develops the eye and works your POV. It also gets me out of color ruts.

Bob and I watched a very creative, funny and bittersweet story this weekend. It is called Robot & Frank with Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon and other favorites. I can’t imagine a more creative plot than this story. On the serious. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!