I really digress....

I know we have topics. I know I am supposed to be taking my camera out of the bag and actually using it to take shots each week. However, like your black and white fixation (?) I seem to be stuck in post-processing mode. While my ultimate goal is to learn how to enhance my images without changing the integrity of the shot, I will admit that I got a bit carried away this week. Bored with fine tuning, I decided to go for extremes. Believe it or not, the before and after images below do show a bunch of different post-processing techniques which (when done in moderation) are pretty darn cool. Some of the changes are very obvious, others are more subtle but clearly I didn't work on moderation this week....instead I had fun messing around. Bear with me, hopefully I will move on to more interesting things next week....or perhaps return to our DPS topics?!

(Can you pick out all the changes - obvious and not so much?)

soulprint

I love how you're using the editing tool for post processing work!

I haven't been inspired this go-round either, though I began the year with such good intentions. The photo below is merely one of two photos I've taken in the last three weeks. I'm not quite patient enough to study a book on post-process techniques yet, but I'm having fun just poking around to see what tools do what. I don't have photoshop and the photo editor I have... has no instructions. That's probably not true, but I don't have the instructions. So. A bit of kindergarten bellow... is my late contribution for this week.

I'm looking forward to your trip out to see Winky. Not only do I hope you two enjoy it, I hope you bring back a good game to share!

Off Topic

Ok, I admit it. I was totally uninspired by the topic this week and didn't even take my camera out of the bag. However, I have been slowly making my way through a book detailing post-processing techniques for professional photographers. Even though I didn't actually shoot anything for our game this week, I am hoping that skipping the uninspiring words but focusing on photographic techniques might pass muster for a legit submission (this is photo-yoga after all). I am currently trying to work on processing which simply enhances the image rather than pure photo manipulation which changes the photograph (like my photo montage from a few weeks ago). You can be the judge whether I succeeded or not, though I'm coming to the understanding that this is a very subjective exercise! I think my lessons have a long way to go but I have been having fun playing and am happy to at least have started! I am trying to keep up with my mantra for 2012 - quit talking, start doing!

Below are two before/after series. In both cases the first picture is the before, the second the after. Both were taken this past summer while on the boat. In both sets there is more I wanted to accomplish but since I am in the beginning stages of this process I am simply posting what I know how to do at this point. The first set (storm) I actually would like to enhance differently (so you will probably see it in the future) but all I could manage this time is "more blue". For the portraits, I am also in the beginning stages. Can you tell what I did on that one?

nothing new

Took these photos back in 2009 & 2010. I didn't take any photos in the last two weeks. Not a one! Yikes!!!

I love playing around with the images, though! This may not count as a photography contribution. I think I'm biding time... making a weekly creative effort while I overcome the inertia with actually taking pictures.

Monochrome color & Patterns

Once again I have combined the two themes for the week into one image (or so I hope!). Kelly had her violin recital this past week which was held in a church with this fascinating organ pipe arrangment. I was particularly intrigued by the shot of red/color in the flowers placed before the pipes. Unfortunately I was unable to get the full vase because I was trying to shoot around/keep out the heads of the folks who were sitting in front of me. I thought I was being relatively subtle about my picture taking (other than the loud click of my camera) until Kelly announced that I was behaving like a total creeper by taking tons of pics of what looked like all the players in the recital. She figured out what I was actually focused on but felt that everyone else in the place probably thought I was simply being weird. I am guessing this is a step up from my fear of public photography, even if Kelly didn't appreciate it! ;o)