Wednesday, September 23, 2009

More Photoshop Fun.....

My dear friend Kay Saniga is a talented artiste in New York City.  She has been my mentor for my Photoshop introduction and has helped me so much in my learning process.  She's been talking me through the myriad steps, over the phone, to show me how to turn photographs into art.  (She is talented AND patient!)

So without further ado, here are some of my newest works:

This is the original photograph:


Here's a TTV (Through the Viewfinder) variation:


Next is one in black and white with a different TTV frame:


Here's another with red tones:



Here are three variations of the TTV style with different subjects:


A black squirrel in motion!
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A retired '58 Chevy Apache Truck
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...and a resting black and white cow.

I've already listed some new TTV work in my Etsy Shop here so be sure to check out those photos as well.
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Have a great evening.   Dave's cooking supper, so I better scoot :)

Cheers,
Sue

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Noble County Fair & The Ohio River Sternwheel Festival

Well, here we are, half-way through September.  Where did the summer go????

It's been a busy couple of weeks.  First I made a trip to Caldwell, Ohio to take as many colorful photos of the Noble County Fair as I could.

Here are some of my favorites:
The Paratrooper Ride in the Sky
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Frozen Fruit Cones Stand
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Inside the Tent - "Step Right Up and Win a Stuffed Fish"
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Mmmmmm...... Ice Cream!
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Rubber Duckies - with an Andy Warhol flair.
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This was a great day for me in Caldwell, Ohio, and a big "thank you" to all the vendors and operators at the Noble County Fair!
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Last week brought the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival to Marietta, Ohio.  I decided to drive down and take some photos of these fantastic riverboats:
The Ohio River Sternwheel Riverboats lined up
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Silhouettes against the Sky 
Two of the Riverboats
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The Historic Lafayette Hotel, Downtown Marietta, Ohio
"A Grand Riverboat Era Hotel"
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The "Betty Lou"  Sternwheeler
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The Maid of the Mist - 1957
This little boat in between two of the sternwheel riverboats was one of the many "Maid of the Mist" boats that took tourists under Niagara Falls back in the 1950s!
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Reflections and Cobblestones
This is one of the final photos taken on my visit to Marietta last week, and it is the scene of my unfortunate slip on the green moss on the cobblestones.  Yes, this is where I did a SPLIT, camera in one hand, balancing with my other arm in the air as my left foot slipped forward, my right foot stayed back, and I came within an inch of taking a dip in the Ohio River.  YIKES!  Just some bruises and scrapes on my right leg and foot, and for that I'll be getting a tetanus shot tomorrow!  Oh, joy :)  Actually, a small price to pay for over 200 great photos!
If you ever get an opportunity to visit Marietta, Ohio, it is such a beautiful city.  Marietta was the first permanent settlement of the United States of America in the territory North & West of the Ohio River.  It is one of my favorite towns in our fine country.
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So that's it for now.  Have a wonderful autumn, and if you're in a part of the country or the world that has the beautiful changing seasons such as in Ohio, be sure to drink in all the colors and enjoy the scenery!
Until next time.....
Sue

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Fun with Sunflowers and Photoshop......

I'm still a rookie at my Adobe Photoshop Elements program, and I figured it was time I did some exploring:

Here's my original photo of a sunflower in my garden:
 
Next are some variations of this image:
 
  
  
  
  
WOW!!!   This is just amazing.  This has opened an entire new aspect to my artistic creativity.
Next is a variation of a different photo of an apple on a quilt.  First, look at the original:
Now take a look at a "liquified" version:
I can't wait to experiment more with Photoshop.  This was FUN!
Later,
Sue