Ranuncu-LOVE

I had a photo already to post today, but then I came upon these ranunculus photos in Lightroom that hadn’t yet made my blog- one edited and one not.  I had fun editing the second one to kinda-sorta match the first- so here they are!

20150507-MMA_4728_melinda_anderson-Edit20150507-MMA_4723_melinda_anderson-EditEditing notes:  I really need to start consistently labeling my layers in Photoshop. I could tell I added a filter to a layer in the first photo- and then some texture (which comes in with a label automatically).  I assumed I used Topaz Impression- but which filter??? No idea.  For the second one I used Cezanne II, one of my favorites.  And another thing- is there a way to mark favorites in Impression? Anyone, anyone?

MelindaLeave a comment

Water’s Edge

20150724-MMA_0815_melinda_anderson-EditWhen we were walking at the lake a week ago, I was captivated by the green of this tree, which contrasted with the darker trees bordering the lake. It was hard to photograph because I could only see it through branches- so I didn’t.  But I saw it again on our way back- with a little girl under it- and knew I had to try.  I was already envisioning it as a painterly image.  I took the resulting photo into Lightroom and then Photoshop for some cloning work. Then, I used Topaz Simplify to remove details and give it a bit of a watercolor look.  I blended it with the original image, bringing back some detail- and finished it off with some textures. Playing with images is part of what keeps stress out of my life- and it’s so much fun!

Melinda3 Comments

Lily Abstracts

I took some time a few days ago to take some abstract macro shots of lilies. I added a couple textures for that painterly look I love- and the first one I also took into Topaz Simplify.  Truthfully, because of the shallow depth of field, it looked pretty painterly already, but I love to fiddle around with my images.  It is my form of a mindfulness meditation and satisfies my childhood ambition to be an artist when I grew up. 🙂

20150719-MMA_0806_melinda_anderson-Edit 20150719-MMA_0809_melinda_anderson-Edit

Melinda1 Comment

Saying Goodbye

I took my camera along to the cemetery when we attended my father-in-law’s graveside service last month, with the intention of getting some family group shots. There was a short service with military honors, and my husband was presented with the flag.  It was a very emotional moment. When my husband got up to leave, he walked in front of me and paused at the casket. The photographer in me couldn’t resist reaching for the camera and snapping one quick shot.

20150527-MMA_5887_melinda_anderson-Edit-2Unfortunately, the autofocus on the camera had been turned off, because I had been using the Lensbaby previously- and, although this photo was in pretty good focus, all subsequent photos were out of focus until I realized what was going on- arrgghhh!  I edited this one with Topaz Simplify and added some textures in Photoshop.

 

Melinda2 Comments

Debbie’s Find

My Friday Find is borrowed from my friend, Debbie, who graciously allowed me to photograph it this week. You may see it again, because I have some other ideas before I return it. And my goodness, there’s that straw hat again!

This is a Lensbaby shot with added textures. I like the look that some of my textures give my walls- wish they really looked like that!

20150611-MMA_7085_melinda_anderson-EditAnd here is the same photo (in the original proportions- I “stretched the canvas” of the top one in Photoshop) with a black and white preset I adapted from one I had gotten from somewhere.  I wanted a light-ish black and white conversion, which I sometimes do by adjusting tones etc.  This time I decided to save it as a preset, hoping it will work on other photos as well.

20150611-MMA_7085_melinda_anderson

Kim Klassen dot com

Melinda5 Comments

Rural

Driving across western Kansas yesterday, I snapped photos from the car as we went along, and a few are decent.  But Lonnie spotted this farm along the way and pulled off onto a country road so I could take my time and the photos would have a good chance of being in focus.  I love the barn and silo! I know I could never have been able to hack it as a country girl, but I love rural scenes.

20150529-MMA_6135_melinda_anderson-EditLensbaby Edge 80

Melinda4 Comments

A Lensbaby Still

Next week I start an online Lensbaby class through Clickin Moms with Caroline Jensen! I’m beyond excited to learn from this Lensbaby guru (and also from some of the amazing photographers taking the class- Holy Cow!).  I’m taking it “study-along”, meaning I won’t get any feedback except from my classmates, but I will have access to all the class materials and can read the feedback Caroline gives the other students.  We’ve already been given “pre-assignments” well in advance of the class starting, so I already have started learning.

Because I’ll be so involved with the class, it is possible that I’ll be pretty behind in my still life assignments, unless I combine the two (which I may in fact).  But since I often use a lensbaby for my stills, I’m going to try to step outside of my comfort zone and practice outside and with people.

So here is a lensbaby still life of PEONIES (surprise, surprise!) and my chair.

20150511-MMA_5148_melinda_anderson-Edit

 

Melinda3 Comments

D A R K

20150421-MMA_3981_melinda_anderson-EditI had fun changing things up, editing this butterfly in a black and white grunge style.  It actually was a whitish, monochromatic butterfly (don’t ask me what kind!) to begin with, and I just took it from there!

Melinda5 Comments

Where Ideas Come From

20150420-MMA_3344_melinda_anderson-EditThe above image is the latest of my still life photos for The Studio- a continuation of the One Thing theme.  This time, my one thing is not the subject of my composition, but the background – my walls.   I thought it might be interesting to explain the evolution of the idea and execution of this image.  I’ve read that photographers find their inspiration everywhere- from nature, from music, from paintings, from the color palette in an advertisement- ANYWHERE.

In this case, my idea came from a movie.  We went to see The Woman in Gold with our friends, Debbie and Dale the other night. The movie was a fascinating true story of a woman (played by Helen Mirren) who sued the Austrian government to have them return her family’s paintings (by Gustav Klimt!) which had been stolen by the Nazis and were now “owned” by the Austrian government. No, this photo was not inspired by the Klimt paintings.

In one scene, as I remember, there was, in the background, a painting or photograph of a still life composed of a dry arrangement (wheat?) in front of a two-tone wall. I somehow noted it and then dreamed about trying to recreate that image, using my colorful Arizona walls. That was the beginning of the photograph above.  I took quite a few shots of these dried weeds and flowers in front of my bright walls, gradually moving away from the traditional still life I was envisioning to a textured black and white closeup image which is my favorite. All the photos were taken with my Lensbaby, which I’ve been practicing with every single day for the last 3 weeks.

20150420-MMA_3339_melinda_anderson-Edit 20150420-MMA_3336_melinda_anderson-Edit20150420-MMA_3348_melinda_andersonwall

Melinda5 Comments