Susan Ewart

1 hour ago, Michele said:

Being the Campus' resident font-a-holic, it's killing me that my PSP isn't working. With any luck, it will be resolved sooner rather than later. It's slow working with Support by email. It takes several before they even understand the problem. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Michele, that is so demoralizing (and frustrating).  Don't you wish you could just phone them and have them log in to your computer and just fix it.  I sure hope they look at  you as a long standing members(read: continual BUYER of their product) and snap-to-it when it comes to supporting you.  I wonder what country their tech support is in, could that have an explanation why the communication is so slow?

20 hours ago, Anne Lamp said:

I started playing with this font and a freebee from C F  that was I think a coloring book page. (https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/funny-bird-chilling-in-the-pool-coloring/)   I had fun with it but it did take a while because I was just playing and kept changing things.

Awesome Anne!

Week 14 Version 2.0

Well, I posted this once already only to notice I used a T-cup that I used before.  I had to compress this quite a bit so it's super blurry looking here.  I'll try and post on FB if I get more caught up this weekend.  I changed up the magnet holding the card in place for the 2nd quarter of this challenge.  The Lifted Photo script was put to good use and most thankful for the shadow that accompanies it.  The background is one layer of a gradient, duplicate it and I think I might have added lots of repeats, then Effect>Reflection>Kaleidoscope and stopped at this one which looks like a textures cement wall at night with a spotlight (gelled blue) on it.  I used a blend mode on that second dup layer (Hue).  I kept the outline frame and text the same red that comes with the script and applied a blend mode (Hue-Legacy) to make it look like it was painted onto the "cement" wall. Font is Asher Punk (CF likely).   It actually looks more dramatic with the original wrong cup I put on it.  

P= Pink flamingo floaty tuby thingy

N = Noodles.....pool noodles

My back yard borders on the elementary school field and the gym teacher Mr. Wilson spends 20minutes explaining the rule of a game (to grade 2-5 kids) and two of the rules were (that day).  No biffing each other with the pool noodles and No biting the pool noodles.  So, after the 20 minutes explanation of the ins and outs of the game (that even we couldnt follow), he blows the whistle and what do the kids do.....they run around biffing (hitting) each other with the pool noodles.  Mr. Wilson is a little high strung, but very entertaining to listen to when we are out in the backyard. 

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

Its not fininshed yet I have to add a dreamy feathery look to the  rather harsh cut off of the legs.  The hardest and time consuming part has been done.

Looking forward to seeing it when it's done.  Then looking at the before and the after.

4 hours ago, Jeni Simpson said:

I'm a thrift store junkie, too, I love buying kitchen items there,  My clothes also come from thrift stores and I have a rule, for every item I purchase, I drop one item at the store, so I don't clutter my wardrobe. I'm bad at buying books there also.

That's me too. Clothes especially.  I cant seem to buy new ones, the prices are insanely high and the job I have wrecks clothes, so I don't want to see money go down the drain.  Besides I can buy clothes that I'd never pay new for (jeans that are over $100 CAD! Crazy!) and often hardly even worn. A stop at the book section is a must as well.

2 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

My daughter sent  me a photo of her three girls.  Tot in the middle is the mother of the other two.  Smudge and Bramble is the wire haired one.  They are Parsons terriers.  I started the extraction last night, after  watching the  advanced extraction  masterclass in the campus.  It is an older video, but most helpful. It was a tedious, eye staining task.  Yet, althouogh it's not perfect, I'm happy with the end result.  I've sent it to my daughter, which she will get tomorrow morning. I given her a choice of background colours.  Here is one one them. 

Yikes, I bet it was tedious and eye straining, especially around Brambles (dog on the right?) face, so many little hairs.  

L = lounging by the poolside

4 hours ago, Julie Magerka said:

I used to be a thrift store junkie at one time. Had to give it up because I kept buying doodads and other things I didn't need to bring into my already cluttered home. The bargains are too good to pass up. I should be donating, not buying.

me too.  Time to clear stuff out and keep what I will use...not what I "think" I will photograph, then never do.  too many hobbies and I have managed to cut out two of them (silversmithing and glass beadmaking/fusing).  It's hard to balance time to do each of the hobbies, I am failing at that.  

2 minutes ago, Julie Magerka said:

I did wonder where you found/got all the lovely vessels for your flowers. Good old thrift stores!

Thrift stores are dangerous for me.  So many cool trinkets begging to be photographed.  All my t-cups/sugar&cream containers and t-pots have come from them.  the flower vessels (for lack of better word) are usually candle holder and ashtrays....for a non smoker I sure have a lot of ashtrays! 🤪

3 hours ago, Michele said:

They are simply incredible. You have wonderful photography skills.

Oh Thank you Michele.  That makes we feel so happy that you liked what I did.  I had a long absence from photography and had restarted in earnest when my ex-brother-in-law gave me his very nice camera (and we re-connected after years of not being in touch).  When Covid happened I started watching online photo tutorials for stress relief and that's where a new passion emerged.  I've got a long way to go, and I'm really enjoying the process this time around. i do have many more UNskilled shots that okay shots, its all a learning experience.  I'm lucky to see so many inspiring photographers in the campus, it keeps me excited to keep learning.

26 minutes ago, Jeni Simpson said:

They are really beautiful flowers, Susan. I love the way you have showcased each one.

thank you Jeni.  I did have fun with them and finding interesting vessels (at thrift stores) to put them in.  

19 minutes ago, Julie Magerka said:

That is so delicate and pretty. I love dianthus. Don't tell me you have them in your garden already?

Thank you Julie.  And thank you for telling me what they are.  I bought flower by there photo-worthiness. hahahah.  Nothing in the garden yet, had snow and zero yesterday.  Need to wait a few weeks.  I'm really new at this growing thing (except herb, doing them for years).

Day 8, looking for a QP at Digital Scrapbook 

This one is from Marisa Lerin Vietnam QP 13

I forgot to post this before the extra extra Day 8 post.   that one (with the single flower) is from Marisa Lerin QP Set 014.  

This is me using the kitchen devices (baking dish) to carry the flowers I brought in the studio to photograph.  I didnt grow these, they were from a garden centre. I had them all in a pile in the dish and thought they looked cool so took a shot of them, wish I'd taken them out of the dish as the dish part is distracting.  But , I showed it here so you dont think I actually arranged them them.  I could never do it that good if I meant to, I literally just plopped them in after cutting them with no thought at all.  I only lightened the whites a bit, otherwise this is pretty much how it came out of the camera. 

Thank you for the workshop Carole and everyone who participated, I have oogled at and loved your layouts.  

8 hours ago, Michele said:

Your flower flat lays are absolutely gorgeous. I would love to see them closer up. Can you post a few of them by themselves so we can see the details?

Here's a Day 8 Extra Extra for you.  I did not edit this photo, just stuck it in as it was.  It was a failed attempt at floating in a vessel too big for it and it would float to the edges and not stay in the middle.  I photographed the vessel/flower on black so i could eventually extract it.  but since the rest that I photographed I abandoned the idea of extracting.  At least I got to use it here!

3 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

You can never have to many tuts/masterclasses on shadowing, and Carole has many of them.  Although they are at the bottom of the food chain, 99.9%  can and do out run  any 4 legged predator.  I have coyotes, foxes, badgers, GH Owls and Hawks, and yet the Hare population is  growing.  By all account only Eagles and the largest of the Hawks and Owls can and will take down  Hares successfully, even then 75% will get away relativley unharmed. They do get stressed easily. Their eyes reveal a great deal about their wildness, and how they are constantly on the alert,  as they are free, unlike those kept in captivity tha tare dependant on humans. Also, even with domesticated animals, they don't understand that when they are injured and in our care or rehab us humans are trying to help them.    I have been finding their discarded white winter coats.  I'm sure mice, voles, birds and many other creatures will be uising it to line their nests with.   It is so fine and soft to the touch, and  blows in the wind like fine feathers do. I'm looking forward to spotting this year's young ones.  

That is interesting.  The hares are so big it seems like if they could gather enough courage they could some damage with their back feet.  For the first time this year me and a co-worker have found some of the discarded coats.  I couldnt believe how soft it was and you are so right about the wind, just a little bit and it was off flying away from my hand.  

14 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

My last page for April 2024.  I read the  latest post in the blog. Using a table in digital scrapbooking.  Something I have never considered doing, so I thought I would give it a try.  Folded ribbon  and ribbon are Carole's scripts, the lace is a brush. Created a grungy overlay for the  papers, the  leaves is a paper template used as an overlay.   Everything else is my own.  Oh yes, I mustn't forget Carole's  heart corner  punch.  

 

I read the blog post too and had never thought about a "table" as a starting point.  Great idea and you executed it to perfection.  That shadow on the folded edge of the photo is outstanding.  There is a little bend(arc?) near the corner of the shadow and really "makes it" seem so real.  I must admit to wanting to hug and cuddle and get my face all up in their fur.  I know they'd "love it" too. hahaha.  Poor guy, it would probably give it a heart attack.  I saw on a wildlife rescue show that any wild rabbits, hares etc is hard to rehab because they stress easy (being a prey animal and all).  BTW, love the quote.

On 4/29/2024 at 2:16 AM, Jeni Simpson said:

Kittens are such a delight, these kittens belonged to friends.

Photographs of roses. I do love the scent of roses.
I'm unsure how to re-colour some elements, so I just did the piece I could easily change.

Photos of friends taken back in the 80's. 

I really love the rose photos, I do hope to see more from you.  

#5

You can see I didnt quite nail the backgrounds.  To much light contamination and different colors in the flowers and glass reflecting.  even with a custom white balance in-camera.  I've just started to experiment with using Kelvin settings instead to see if that helps.  (I'm using constant light so light contamination from my yellows walls and a window in the room can be an issue since I'm shooting at a slower shutter speed - one day i'll have strobes (studio flashes) and that wont be an issue as much)

#4

#3

#2

2 hours ago, Michele said:

Your flower flat lays are absolutely gorgeous. I would love to see them closer up. Can you post a few of them by themselves so we can see the details?

Thank you so much Michele, here they come.

9 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

Those are so pretty, Suz! I wasn't a fan of this layout but you've "contained" it well! 😉

Thank you so much Ann.  I initially liked it, but then realized how much the details get lost in such small boxes.  Love your pun BTW.  Gave me a laugh.