ana.gr

Algo sobre mí. Something about me.

2012-01-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Uf, qué difícil, algo sobre mí. Hay tanto, hay tan poco, son jirones, son historias, son tonterías y cosas serias, ¿en qué orden? en el más caótico, tal y como soy. Sí, me gusta el caos, si no ¿cómo podría tener la mesa que tengo, la catera de trabajo que tengo, la casa que tengo? Me gusta mi caos.
Y me gusta el color, la explosión de color que me da alegría. Siempre desayuno en tazones de color naranja! Los tengo de todos los formatos y variantes del color. Me gusta.
Y me relaja lo azul, como esta pequeña Diana, tan linda, tan cuca, tan caprichosa como yo.
Uy, me parece que ya me he desnudado mucho. Vamos a dejarlo aquí, con este autoretrato de persona con problemas para salir en la foto.

So, this is going to be difficult, something about me. There is so much and so little, it is scraps, stories, some small things and some very meaningful moments ¿How to start? in chaos mode, just like me. Yes, I admit I am chaotic, I like it. ¿How could I possibly have all this mess around me, on my desk in my bag, in my home. I like it like this.
And I like color, I like the invasion of color to make my day. I always have my morning coffee in orange mugs. I have some, big, small, different shades of the color. I love it.
And blue makes my day, so relaxing, so inspiring, like this tiny Diana camera, so sweet, I had a crush on it.
so, I think it has gone very far, I feel like getting too exposed. Let's just stop here, with this selfie, face hidden, I still have to work on this.

Para La Vuelta al Mundo

six words

2012-01-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

This is not easy, the 52 with Kim Klassen is high level!
First it is the image, then the pocessing, then the texture, then the text to wrap all the meaning!
The image is a tree, edited in Lightroom, using one of pretty presets action (I don't remember which, they are all beautiful), the te texture, by Kim Klassen in Photoshop, blended in multiply mode, then the text written on it using my beautiful Bamboo fun tablet.
It was difficult, but it was fun.

The six words I wrote on the picture were "love life like it is now"

my story

2012-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I am supposed to write my story. And I want to, but I´m afraid I can't. First, there is not such a story, such interestingness, but then, there is this shyness, fear, I don't know why but it takes me lots, not that there something to be ashamed of, but I find it hard to open the box through words. I let my mind flow, and sometimes there is a photograph that conveys that flood.
I had lots of ideas, lots of thing to tell, lots of feelings to share, but for a time they will remain inside, trying to go out someday, somehow.

Se suponía que esta tendría que ser "mi historia", y quería escribirla, pero va a ser imposible, no puedo. Para empezar, no es que tenga una gran historia, no hay algo tan interesante, tan solo momentos, vivencias, emociones, reacciones, pensamientos, pero ahí está ese maldito pudor, esa especie de miedo; no sé por qué, pero me cuesta un mundo, me resulta muy cuesta arriba abrir esa caja con "mis cosas" y transformarlas en palabras.
A veces dejo mi mente fluir y divagar , y puede que resulte en una foto, sí, en ocasiones ese flujo queda reflejado en una imagen que lo dice todo... o lo intenta decir... o a mí me lo dice... puede que sólo a mí.
Tenía muchas cosas que contar y que compartir, pero por ahora se van a quedar allí, hasta que encuentre cómo abrir el pequeño arcón. Algún día.

52. Week 2: Made with love.

2012-01-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Lots of thingsa are made with love, most, in fact. So, how could I represent those things and that love, that big LOVE?

Hay montones de cosas que se hacen con amor, muchísimas, toneladas. Y ¿cómo representarlas todas, y cómo representar ese amor, ese enorme AMOR?

I love her hands, I love her. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

Me encantan sus manos, me encanta toda ella. Tengo mucha suerte de tener una familia tan maravillosa.

resolution

2012-01-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

2012 has already started. So, time for resolutions.Mmmmm, I haven't thought of any so far, the only one resolution is to take more and better photos, to take my time, to study, to improve, to dedicate some effort.

Ha empezado ya 2012 y es la hora de las resolucines. Pues, bueno, ... todavía no he pensado en qué voy a hacer este año sin falta. Bueno, sí, voy a hacer más fotos y mejores, voy a dedicar más tiempo, más esfuerzo, estudiar, mejorar, dedicar más esfuerzo.

Feliz Navidad

2011-12-24T03:32:00.002-08:00

Tanto si celebráis la Navidad como si no, os deseo lo mejor. Gracias por estar ahí.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, my best wishes to you. Thank you for being there.

Y aquí van mis tarjetas navideñas de este año:
These are my Christmas pictures so far:

Y , por supuesto, un arbol, un Kaki japonés, totalmente navideño.
And , of course, a tree, a Japanese Kaki tree, totally Christmas-ish

y otros muchos árboles:

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
And wishing all you very merry Christmas. Sweet shot Tuesday!

Mención especial a Julia (Azul Colbalto) Y a Jackie (La vuelta al Mundo): Gracias. Y Feliz Navidad.

Christmas trees: season greetings. Feliz Navidad

2011-12-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Como viene siendo habitual estos últimos años, empiezo mis vacaciones de Navidad con un catarro monumental. Y lo último que me apetece es decorar mi casa.
Así que me fuí a dar un paseo, con mi nikon, por supuesto. Y me encontré los más fantásticos árboles de Navidad, allí, en medio del campo, con su aspecto más festivo y jolgorioso.
Los árboles me mejoran el humor, siempre.

I started my holidays with a very very bad cold, as has been usual these last couple of years!
So decorating the house was not exactly a priority. Instead I went out to have some fresh air. My nikon with me, of course. And I found the perfect decoration everytwhere. All trees were dressed for Christmas. And I loved their festive aspect.
Trees make me happier, always.

bokeh party!

2011-12-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Had a lot of fun with christmas lights, playing bokeh.

A test shot:

And the lights:

maximum aperture, -small number-, bumped up ISO, wood houses closer to the camera, cheap lights in the background, and bam!

in the middle of autumn, some spring.

2011-11-29T06:13:00.001-08:00

from the trees

2011-11-27T05:06:00.000-08:00

Autumn walks are so rewarding.

Thankful

2011-11-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for many things.
One of them is health. And the health of my family.

And I am thankful for Darcy, at the 3 Boybarians.

hometown: Atelier assignment.

2011-11-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

First, everything had to be planned: coffee, maps, notebook.

Second coffe, vanilla flavored, and I am ready.

It was rainy, but nice. I love the reflection and the light

Some places I don't usually visit, but I like the slight decay there.

some beautiful colors

and some details

I still have a ton of places to visit and shoot!

L'Atelier, Jackie Rueda

2011-11-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

I have just started this workshop. I really wanted to take this course because Jackie is an artist.
We are in week 1 and I am AMAZED at all the information, excellent tips, beautiful assignments so perfectly explained. It is even better than what I had expected!
I can' but RECOMMED it! It is good for your photography skills and for your health!

Acabo de empezar el Atelier, el Taller de Jackie Rueda. Me moría por hacerlo. Cuando sacó las inscripciones, yo ya llevaba media hora esperando al ordenador, para no quedarme fuera! Jackie es una verdadera artista. Pura inspiración.
Estamos en la semana 1 y ya estoy ENCANTADA con todo el material que Jackie nos ha presentado. Unas ideas extraordinariamente bonitas, unos deberes magníficamente explicados y desarrollados. Este taller es incluso mejor que todo lo que me había iomaginado. Lo estoy disfrutando 300%. Lo recomiendo, es hasta terapéutico!

Y éste es el primer ejercicio:

retratar a un ser querido siguioendo una serie de pautas.

And I wanted to share this in boybarians:

What I love of Autumn is

2011-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

color, and mood, and shapes, and tones, and the smell of soil, and the rain, and the clouds that tell you it's getting cold, and chesnuts, and leaves, and the woods on fire color, and the noise of fallen leaves under your feet, and the very special sky, and the sense of coziness, ... Yes, Autumn inspires me, definitely.

And I love Darcy's work at

phototherapy

2011-11-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Photography is a hobby for me, but it is also therapy, sometimes. Wherever I am through emotional ups and downs, I tend to solve them through photos. I express what is going on, words flow in my mind, but somehow I am unable to speak them out, but in images which are very personal, kinda autobiographical. Then I feel better.

Para mí, la fotografía es un hobby, pero también tiene su lado terapéutico en ocasiones. Con frecuencia resuelvo mis altibajos emocionales a través de imágenes, que expresan lo que me pasa por mi cabeza. Las ideas y las palabras están ahí, fluyen, pero salen transformadas en imágenes, no se hacerlo de otro modo. Las fotos resultanmtes son muy personales, autobiográficas. Y me hacen sentir mucho mejor.

These are some little stories:

"Miss G pretended she would find it on a map, knowing she wouldn't, for there's no map for unexplored emotions. Yet, she dreamed away."
"Miss G se engañaba a sí misma, pensando que lo encontraría en algún mapa, aunque en realidad sabía que no resultaría, pues no existen los mapas para sentimientos inexplorados. Y siguió soñando."

"Miss G felt she had to leave. And she did so. And she wrote down what she felt."
"Miss G sintió que tenía que marcharse. y lo hizo. Y escribió todo lo que sentía."

Jackie Rueda proposed Dyphtics as this month's assignment in La Vuelta al Mundo (Around the World) and I loved it, I love telling stoies through dyphtics. Next story is in my mind already, I'm just waiting for the right moment to shoot.

Jackie Rueda propuso Dípticos como el tema para este mes en La Vuelta al Mundo, y me encantó. Me gusta contar historias en dípticos. La próxima historia ya está en mi cabeza, tan solo espero el momento adecuado para fotografiarlo.

ready, scary, boo!

2011-10-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Everything is ready for tomorrow.

Todo está preparado para mañana.

autumn in my yard

2011-10-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Not in my yard, but all over. Yes, it seems that Autumn is finally coming.
On our way back home we stopped at this forest. It was windy again, but the colors of the poplars were gorgeous.

I am using Fundy blog collage software. It works so beautifully!

it will be halloween soon!

2011-10-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

And I took Julia and some tiny pumpkins!
Here it is, edited in Lightroom, using One Willow presets:

what I am today

2011-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Vicki asked where our creative minds come from.
Well, i've been thinking about it. I remembered my childhood. My head and my hands were always doing something. I remember sewing dolls, crafting things, knitting, scrapbooking. Fabrics were superb. I used to go with my aunt to her dressmaker's. It was gorgeous!
But then, there was photography. My dad used to take many photos and that's the only way I can remember some old times. I keep those albums, sometimes I look at them, and I find so much inspiration there. I remember my dad's camera, and how much i always liked his photos.

I ♥ autumn

2011-10-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

I do, I love autumn.
It is the colors of the leaves, it is the light, it is the smell of wet soil. It is everything in autumn.
Every tree shows its best tones, every leaf gets dressed for the last dance before fall. And it is great, it is gorgeous display of luxurious outfit.
Yes, I love autumn.

hands!

2011-10-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Playing with focal distance:

De 22 de julio de 2011

a tribute to Steve Jobs

2011-10-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say Thank you, wherever you are, Steve Jobs

Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2011

2011-10-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

It was so fun!
I love Scott Kelby's initiative. It was great. It was massive!
This was my first photowalk, I don't seem to find any photowalk near home, so I went to a town 80 kilometres from home. And I had a blast there, with other40 photographers and my daughter Julia, 11.
We laughed a lot, took tons of photos, met many interesting people, and possibly started a new fondness on photowalks.

Qué divertido. Me encantó la idea de Scott Kelby. Una maravilla, a lo grande!
Era la primera vez que iba a un photowalk. No encontraba nada parecido en mi ciudad, así que me apunté a unos 80 km. Y lo pasamos genial, mi hija Julia y yo, junto con otros cuarenta entusiastas fotógrafos.
Nos reimos muchos, hicimos toneladas de fotos, conocimos gente muy interesante y divertida, y posiblemente empezamos una afición a los fotowalks.

This is the photograph I am going to enter at the contest:

And here are some of the photowalkers:

Personalize your own free collage

it's my birthday

2011-09-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday. I am not particularly enthusiastic about it, but this year I feel strangely fresh inside, which must be the symptoms of age...
And I want to stay happy, to dream, to fly, to love, to go to dream places, to care my loved ones, and sometimes to be on my own, to fly solo, to just feel the wind alone.

Es mi cumpleaños. No es algo que me entusiasme, pero este año me siento extrañamente nueva, lo cual quiere decir que me estoy haciendo mayor...
Y quiero ser y estar feliz, soñar, volar, amar, viajar a mis sueños, cuidar a aquellos a los que adoro, y a veces estar sola, ir a mi aire, sentir el viento en mi cara sin nadie alrededor.

And I love sharing posts here:

de espaldas/ facing backwards.

2011-09-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

otra vez ella:

Kylemore Abbey, en Connemara, Irlanda.
Me encantó la elegancia de esta chica, parecía que se había arreglado para mi foto.
Y me encanta que Jackie haya convocado "personas de espaldas" en su Flickr de La Vuelta al Mundo.
Siempre me ha gustado fotografiar gente de espaldas. ¿Por qué? Por timidez. Me gusta fotografiar a gente por la calle, pero me cuesta un mundo hacerlo abiertamente o pedir permiso. Por eso, casi todos mis candids tienen personas de espaldas.
Ahora incluso pongo a posar a la familia de espaldas. Al principio preguntaban: "¿Cómo, de espaldas?¿no me quieres ver la cara?" "No, para esta foto no."

I loved the girl in the first photo; she was so chic. She looked as if she was posing for me.
And I loved Jackie's topic for this month at her Flickr group La Vuelta al Mundo: people facing backwards.
I like shooting people who are facing backwards. Why? Because I'm shy, too shy. I like street photography, I like candids, but I feel too shy to do so when people are looking at me, and I just can't ask for permission! That's why I find people's backs so perfect.
Now I even ask my family to pose this way. First they kept on asking "What? Backwards? Don't you want to see my face? " "Well, not really for this photo, dear".

mis dos chicos, de excusión un día de mucho mucho frio.
My two true loves, hubby and son, on a very cold day out.

Y Julia, adorable Julia, siempre -casi siempre- dispuesta a posar como mami le diga.
Sweet Julia, almost always ready to pose for mum.

Ir todos a esquiar, pasarlo de miedo, y por supuesto, unas fotos.
Skiing all together, having a blast of a time, and of course, some photos.

Mis árboles. Sí, expuestos en una céntrica cafetería. Emoción, orgullo y mucho vértigo. Los contemplo y se me llena de emociones cada centímetro.
My trees. Exhibited on a wall in a city centre café. Lots of feelings mixed, both pride and vertigo. I watch them and all these feelings start boiling. And I am so happy.

Esteban, el niño de mis ojos, admirando la velocidad del AVE.
Steven, my sweet love, admiring the speed of trains.

No me gustaban las playas de arena, sino las agrestes. Desde que tengo hijos y una cámara, estas playas arenosas y tranquilas son un "must".
I used to like wild beaches, sandy ones were so boring. Things changed the moment I became a mother and got a camera. Now quiet sandy beaches are a must go.

La artista, Martínez Carnicer, preparando una de sus magníficas obras para que yo la fotografíe. Un lujo.
The artist, Martínez Carnicer, getting one of her wonderful artworks ready for me to shoot. It was amazing.

De nuevo, una obra de la artista, aquí admirada por la mirada fresca de mi hijo.
Her work again, this time, my son is admiring this awesome picture.

Divas and Dreams workshop part 2/3

2011-09-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

Image for assignment 5 Before:

And after:

I mostly dodged and burned, and also use heal brush and a bit of cloning in the eyebrows.

Swwet Shot Tuesday at life with my three boybarians!

create a color palette

2011-09-08T07:20:00.001-07:00

Hi!
These days have been a bit busy here!
Lately I have seen and admired those beautiful images which include a color palette. It adds to the photo. And I wanted to try myself.

Yes, there are palette creators online, but none was exactly as flexible as I wanted.
So I started mine. And here is the steps I followed using Photoshop.

First I opened my original image in Photoshop. This is the photo:

We start changing the picture size, to make room for the palette. I wanted it to be at the bottom, but on the right side would be perfect too.

I added 5 centimetres of white space:

And there it is, the white band where i will put the colors.

Then I chose shapes to draw circles. The tool is ellipse; to make it circle just press shift key. Place the cross just in the croner of the white space to better situate the circle. Anyway, you can always move it using the move tool.

And there it is, first circle!

Now it is time to choose the color for this first circle. Click on the tiny scrren you have in the layers palette, on the right ot the workspace:

When you double click on that miniscreen, the color picker will open. When you move the pointer on your picture, it will change the color. Select the first.

Once you have created the first color circle, let's go on for the next ones. You can create othger shapes, but the easiest is to duplicate the layer.

Once we have the duplicated layer, move the circle with the move tool -first tool on the left.

Now you can change the color inside the circle as we did before: double click on the shape screen and pick color.

Create as many circles as you like.

Finally I added some text using the reamining white space.

PS: There's a beautiful tutorial by Christina Greve at Divas and Dreams:Click here, it's worth! Christina is such an artist! I admire her work oh so much!

colorful flights

2011-08-21T14:04:00.001-07:00

We went to The Col de Tourmalet in the south of France. My brother was going to cycle up this hard road to the top and I took photos of him. It was very rewarding for both: He managed to climb it successfully and I took very impressive photos of him. He liked them very much, btw.
On our way down, there were these people flying their colorful glides. The sky was wonderfully blue, and I couldn't help stopping the car and taking some pictures of them.
Here they are. Hope you like them:

I love

divas and dreams workshop

2011-08-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

We are in week 2 of the workshop at Divas and Dreams and it couldn't be more interesting and rewarding.
Christina Greve is such a perfect instructor and photographer! I think I am really improving, from week one! I'm superexcited about this course.
This is a brief explanation of the task for the homework assignment. The thing is to try the settings of your camera - I shoot mostly manual, so there was no problem in that- and then about light, natural light from windows, reflectors and white surfaces.
The topic: flower arrangement.
The result:

Using one of One Willow presets for LR, I think it was Secret Garden.

The setting was: yes, I went to Ikea for a white board!, the background color is one of my husband's Tshirts -he's got them in almost every color you can imagine!.
Then I used a Latsolite reflector, golden side (I think the white side is too dirty to work), and a soft cloth covering the window to avoid direct sunlight.

I tested both my nikon 50mm 1.8 and the sigma 50mm 2.8 macro:
(The background was changed)

Finally, a collage with some of the takes:

Búsqueda del tesoro: mosaico

2011-08-05T08:14:00.001-07:00

Treasure Hunt

2011-08-05T03:49:00.000-07:00

La vuelta al mundo
Round the World is a Flickr group lead by Jackie Rueda. She is one of the sweetest photographers I’ve seen. I love everything she does.
Last July she proposed a Treasure Hunt. Initially, I wasn’t going to follow it, but it got directly to my mind, so I have been thinking of hydrants and Vespas, I just couldn’t help it!
So, here I am, in August, with my cards full of the usual holiday pictures, plus a bridge, a gate, an unknown girl… subconscious fan working for the hunt.
The twelve items were:
1.a hydrant, 2.a bridge, 3.an unknown girl, 4.a kiss, 5.a Vespa, 6.a church bell, 7.a letterbox, 8.a shop window, 9.a color door, 10.letters on the floor, 11.street posts or signals, and 12.a gate.

I’ve found all but two: the kiss and the street posts are still to be found!
Here are the rest:
In Ireland I found this beautiful hydrant (then I found some more here and there, but I fell in love with this yellow one!),

the unknown girl was admiring beautiful Kylemore Abbey, in Connemara, where I also found this gate.

These shop windows are in Clifden, a small lively town, full of colors.
The color door is also in Ireland: It is our cosy house at Letterfrack. The letters on the floor, well, not letters, but numbers, at the school playground, I loved the color of this children’s game.
Then, back to Spain, the bridge. The kids had great fun here, at the Pyrenees. Back home, I found this vespa, not the most beautiful one, but I have seen no other!
The church is also in the Pyrenees, I don’t remember if it was in France or in Spain. I was photographing my brother while he was cycling a very hard road!
And the letterbox was in Cantabria, in a rural area full of charm and beauty.

Well, here is my two cent until I find the kiss and the street posts!

Happy sheep in Ireland

2011-07-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ireland must be a paradise for sheep. They look so happy and relaxed, spending their time in eating, sleeping and watching the grass grow around them.
In Ireland I've seen the most amazing sheep , all painted in colors, looking weird; this group reminded me of a punk rock group, posing for their new album:

This second group was having fun at Innishbofin island, they were incredibly nice, friendly and helpful; I felt like a working dog, driving them here and there!

I admit I have a crush on them. I love these creatures:

And to contrast, here are pure Spanish sheep, at Don Quixote style:

They look so different. However all of them make great posing subject, don't you think so?

just the two of us

2011-07-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

We left the kids with the rest of the family and had a weekend just the two of us.
It was so therapeutic. Lots of time, lots of relax, lots of calm and walk andlooking at sunsets.
And of course, my nikon, a tripod and here we are, us two.

Processed through Lightroom and One Willow presets. I love all their presets.

pets

2011-07-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

We have been to beautiful Connemara. The place is so wild that you never get tired of the wonderful surrounding nature.
And a bonus: the pets at Heatherhill. They are cute, they are the cutest pets.
Look at Piggie, Minnie and the hen.

There are more: cats and horses.

Iheartfaces

bird's view

2011-07-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

We officially started our holidays! First thing was lots of laundry, lots of packing and off we go. Destination: Ireland. I think we'll never get tired of going there. The place and the people make me want to change nationality!
On our way there, the bird's eye view from the plane. It was early, very early in the morning, the right time for photography. Indeed:

I must say I am very scared of flying, in fact scared is too soft, the word is terrified!. I fly once or twice a year and I have a very hard time, but ... the view from the plane window is UNIQUE! however hard time I have, I look though the window and the world out there is AMAZING! It works as kinda therapy.

I love Sweet shot at 3boybarians!

let's go surf

2011-06-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

We are getting 38º! It's boiling hot and I hate it!
So, here I am, at home, waiting for the evening to be a bit lighter.
While at home, I keep on thinking about things that make me feel fresher: beach, breeze, water, waves, salt sea...
And here is the picture in my mind for all these thoughts:

Have a wonderful day!

journey

2011-06-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

As I said, I started the mini class with Jackie Rueda. Yes, even better than what I had imagined!
So this is Day 1: a warm up to the adventure:

Taken with my Nikon d90, 50mm lens.
Processed at Lightroom, One Willow Presets, love their FairyTale: Summer light.

Jackie Rueda's aventura

2011-06-16T12:57:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the day to start and I can't wait!
Jackie Rueda's atelier

Sure it will bring lots of inspiration and new points of view!

Processing with Flypaper textures

2011-06-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is the result

This is the process:

I used Flypaper textures: Spring Painterly: Sonnet and Swann's way. Click on the image to see opacity and details.

And this is the origin:

flowers and sunlight

2011-06-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

The strong light of the sun is not good for portraits, however it makes a wonderful light for dreamy flower scenes. I am addicted to this kind of light. I love the effect.

more on bamboo: bookmark. marcalibros.

2011-06-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

I love Bamboo!
Last week I cut some from the fast growing bamboo plant I have in my terrace and dried it flat inside a book. Then took it to a printing center to have it laminated on a piece of paper. I used Google translator to have "I hug trees" in Chinese. This is the result, I hope it corresponds!
I love the resulting bookmark, and I think I am going to make some more to give my friends.

Tengo un enorme bambú en la terraza. De cuando en cuando corto tallos y los pongo a secar entre periódicos dentro de un libro. Luego escribo alguna cita en un papel en blanco. En este caso he usado el traductor de Google para traducir "abrazo árboles" al chino. Me gusta el efecto de las letras chinas junto con el bambú.
Por último, lo he llevado a plastificar. Y aquí tengo mi marcalibros. Me gusta regalar este tipo de cosas a mis amigos.

bamboo and textures.

2011-06-05T10:14:00.001-07:00

Before:

De ana.gr

After Flypaper Lemoncelo:

De ana.gr

ain't he cute?

2011-05-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

This is our new pet: Conejito. He's adorable, very sociable and perfect model.
He is a toy rabbit, which means he won't grow much.

I am having tons of fun shooting him.

setas, mushrooms, funghi

2011-05-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hubby loves going for some mushrooms, he knows every kind and type. He enjoys the smell, the softness, the sight of them, and the, second part, the kitchen part: cooking them with love and herbs.
And me? I love photographing them!

De www.flickr.com/photos/ana_gr/

stone love

2011-05-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

“Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.”

I bought the pebble at sjengraving, at Etsy. Check the shop. It is fantastic!

adding a cotton cloud sky

2011-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago I was the photographer at a wedding. I chose the place for posing: a wild park with trees, green grass and sky. The problem was it was 13.00, the sun was shining and there was too much light. It was either the couple or the sky.
I knew this would happen, so the previous week I had been taking some blue-sky-with-cotton-clouds shots to combine with the couple's shots.
I opened the clouds in Photoshop

Then control+A to mark the complete picture, Control+D to select it and Control+C to copy it.
I had opened the couple picture, and then Control+V to paste those clouds as a new layer:

Then just played with opacity, moved the layer to where I wanted the clouds to be, erased the part on the bride and groom, andthe result was just what I wanted it to be.
I had fun, because the process was super easy.
Here is the cople with the fake clouds, plus an action bly Florabella.

And here is the cloudy sky:

Feel free to download and use the cloudy sky. I will be more than happy if you find it useful.Clicking on the picture will take you to my Flickr page, where you can download it.
Thanks for reading!

Models

2011-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am learning how to lead a session for portraits. I feel more and more confident with the directions. I feel I know what I want and how to make myself understood.
I learn lots from online classes, such a Zack Arias' this weekend.
Or Elizabeth Halfords video on shooting children.
Or Skye Hardwick's Posing guide.
Learning is crucial. It really makes a difference.
And I do practise, practise and practise. My best model is my sweet 11 year old daughter. She loves posing for me -it's not always been so!
So here she is! She's beautiful and sweet. And I love her.

Happy Mother's Day!

My first wedding.

2011-04-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I did my first wedding. I must say that it was a family event; I hadn't been hired: The couple asked me to be the photographer of the event.
Everything went out easier than what I had expected.
I got everything ready two days before, cards, battteries, clean lenses, etc, then checked and double checked the night before.

The best:
.First the outcome. I like the resulting photos, well, most of them.
.And second, how it feels to be respected as a pro, or something like that. I just told the orders and everybody was more than willing to do what I said. It was fantastic, especially when you have the family run away when they see you with the camera!
.Yes, the list: I had a *must do* shots, written and recorded in my mind, and yikes! It proved to be so useful!

The worst:
.The responsibility it was. i was a bit scared of not being able to do a good work.
.And second: The huge pile of work that I still have now, processing and preparing the album.

The day was beautiful, the sun was shining. But the time for the event was 12.00, so the session was on location at 13.00. Can you imagine sunshine in Spain at 13.00? yes, too bright. So, for some photos, I combined the originals with some cloudy sky that I had taken the previous week, just because I thought this would happen.
Here is an example of that wedding.

Here, I combined a layer with the blue and cloudy sky, and then edited it with one of Florabella's actions, i think Milk and Honey, which I love.

Any criticism will be welcome. Hope you like it!

tilt shift? No, just scale model trains.

2011-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

What do you think of this? Looks like supersharp antique warehouse or so. With the help of textures (by Flypaper Textures, btw), the aspect is very realistic, imho.
The thing is my brother is an enthusiast of model trains. He spends hours and tons of patience creating landscapes, stations, rails, everything. It needed being photographed! So cute, so perfect!
Here are some more. I love the tilt-shift effect.

going green

2011-04-02T03:01:00.001-07:00

It may be spring warmth or it may be not.
Nature starts to wake up, and so do many things inside my mind. Feelings that were asleep, sensations that were long forgotten, a need to go faster, further, newer.
And it's hard to manage this awakening. Trying to understand the way, trying to drive feelings, or just letting it grow, as trees and bushes at the touch of spring sunshine.

horses

2011-03-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Again horses:

1. i.think.i.love.you, 2. sweet, 3. Peek-a-boo, 4. potro

Mosaic made in Big Huge Labs: Mosaic Maker.

What is behind self portraits?

2011-03-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

Last year I started a 52 project, which meant taking a self portrait a week. Now, about one year later I'm stuck at thirty something. Probably I will continue or i will start all over again.
But then, thinking about self portraits, many questions come to my mind. Why taking SPs? Well, I never appear in my family photos, as I am the one behind the camera, or when I happen to be in one, I find myself awful! I want to look better! I can look better. And I like to like me.
And then, showing selfies: Do I want to show them? Here there's this duality: On the one hand I am very shy and like to keep my private things for myself; on the other, I like to show what I think is worth showing. The balance between these two positions comes with Flickr: you show yourself in the place where you want to be seen.
So far, so good.
Then one day, one of my colleages at work wanted to see my photos, and I accepted to show him my flickr. He liked my photos very much. But then one day he decided to show them to some other colleages at work. That's when I freaked out and felt absolutely betrayed. I felt overexposed, naked and very disappointed.
I decided not to upload any other selfie, at least as a public image, in any case, only for my friends and contacts.
Am I exaggerating? Maybe I shouldn't feel like this, as I show my self portraits.
Now this is the part of me I want to show:

Here is the link to my 52 interrupted.
Now I will try again to find balance between narcissism and shyness.
What is your attitude to Self Portraits? Do you take SPs? why?

Featured at Shutter Photo!

2011-03-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am not very good at words. However hard I try to express my feeling, I cannot find the words to do so. All feeling, emotions, sensations, flow inside my mind, sometimes emerging though pictures, but not though words, although I would love to.
All this relates to my state of joy and happiness to see my picture featured at Shutter Photo, a photagraphy web which I respect and admire.
I felt so honured I can't find the words. So I won't even try. Just imagine.

The painting in the picture is by Pilar Martínez Carnicer, whose work is full of energy. She loves blue, which she makes herself from pigments.
She is a well known artist. Her technique is very interesting: She prints sketch photgraphs on silk as a basis to start her work. Then she uses acrilic or pigments. Her world is one of great creativity and symbolism.

everyday is valentine: i.love.you

2011-02-09T13:44:00.001-08:00

This is last year's card.
I will have to think od a new one!

smile!

2011-01-10T05:03:00.001-08:00

This is my cousin Claire. She has got one of the loveliest smiles ever.
I love the ways she proudly shows her ortho!

first trees of 2011

2011-01-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

taken in 2010, but edited this new year.

A bit dark and moody, but better times will come. Spring and light will make their presence!

... and a happy new year 2011 .

2011-01-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

best wishes to you all!

And best wishes to everyone at Willette

pipo, again

2010-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Pipo was so cute. I couldn't help bringing this little creature again when I saw the new IheartFaces: pets. So, here he is again:

This is me.

2010-12-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

First time to post for IHeartFaces, though long time following!

Time for a self portrait!

I don't like taking self portraits, and I seldom like the result. But I force myself, I want to see how I look, and have memories of me, not only the rest of the family.

on horses and colorful stables.

2010-11-28T14:19:00.001-08:00

Kids for for their riding classes, and I take photos of the horses in the meantime.
The walls have such bright and lovely colors!
And the horses... they are such amazing animals. The are very friendly models. Love them.

finding the holiday joy

2010-11-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

Again Willette! Again finding joy. I think I'm addicted to her classes. Just awesome ideas!
I tried to make the kids pose but they were not in the mood, so this is the first and hopefully the worst this Christmas. We found the first decoration, no tree yet!

I love Cosmo!

2010-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Florabella actions was the first thing related to photo editing I bought. Then came Flypaper textures, then more by Florabella.
The actions are so easy and the result is so fascinating.
I've been playing with Julia's portrait. Here is the before/ after using Florabella Cosmopolitan action.
Before:

After (I cleaned the distracting background ):

And then framed with vintage frames by Florabella too.

playing with Florabella.

2010-10-31T04:29:00.001-07:00

Recently I purchased Florabella's textures (texture set II). And I am enjoying them SO MUCH!
Here is an example of the differences textures can make.

The name of the texture is shown and below there are some screen captures on the process for each of these tries, where opacity and blending mode are shown, as well as the slight erasing work on some.

framing

2010-10-09T03:18:00.000-07:00

I'm loosing all autumn colors! So much work here!
But I would like to share this photo of my sweetie

Then he tried to grab my camera!

Finding the joy.

2010-07-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

I decided that I needed some fresh air. And found it here:

Some family issues are keeping me too busy to find inspiration or try new things. Let's say I'm .... weary, worn out.
Then I decided to take part in the 2010 workshop. Akthough I was not an active forum member, all the indications, assignments, sugestions, ideas... all were fresh air.
Thanks Kelly Willete, for it helped. It was kinda therapeutic.
I recommend this workshop whatever your needs are!

New and fresh projects are now waiting in my bag! And sure I'll complete them!

underwater with Starblitz.

2010-07-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hi!
With temperatures higher than 35ºC, underwater is the best place to be.
And my point and shoot went underwater too.

This plastic bag proved to be effective, it was cheap, the quality is good, and it is waaaaay fun!
Only 5 metres deep, but enough.

landscape: La Mancha, Don Quixote's land.

2010-07-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

I wish I had had more time to take some more photos, as this is a land of spectacular contrasts, so dry, but so rich, humble, but exhuberant, a land of colors, of beauty.
The land of Don Quixote.

This photo was taken from my car. I wasn't driving, but we couldn't stop, as we were on the highway.
I photoshopped it to clean the spots on the windscreen. Colors are intensified by the polarizer filter the camera had on.

same tree, different settings.

2010-07-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

It makes a big difference!
All the shots were made at f13 and lowest ISO; shutter speed varies between 160 and 250, and white balance was set at sun and bulb.

kiss

2010-06-26T08:58:00.001-07:00

"Big cameras" were not allowed, so the little p&s had to do the work.
It was fun. I love Kiss!

De kiss

Nikon: Good lenses.

2010-06-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

The sound of my lens against the concrete floor hurt. Everyone looked downwards horrified. Me too.
The rings were all messed everything was outta place... devastating scenario.
I started twisting, nothing seemed to work. I insisted.
Then, I don't know how, pieces started to find their order, and ... it worked!
Zoom out, zoom in, focus, manual, autofocus...
I can't believe!
Here it is: A good lens.

black background

2010-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Just a very short entry about a very easy background.
I sometimes use my computer screen, it gives me a wonderful black back for small things. See some results:

Hope you liked them.

Featured photographer at Flickr group "The world Through my Eyes"

2010-05-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

Very proud of this:

De www.flickr.com/photos/ana_gr/

Plantilla para Orla. Class group photograph Template.

2010-05-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Estoy haciendo una orla para los niños de la clase de mi hijo. Lo primero fué la plantilla. Busqué, pero no había nada que me gustara, así que me la he fabricado y aquí la subo por si a alguien le puede servir.
Ésta es para un grupo de 1 profe y 21 niños. Como es un PSD, se puede retocar para incluir lo que se necesite.
La plantilla tiene esta pinta:

Right now I'm working on a class group photograph for all the kids in my son's classroom. First I googled for templates, but I couldn't find one that was ok for me. So I built one and here it is, in case it could be useful for anyone to use. This one is for a group of 1 teacher and 21 students, but it is customizable, as it is a PSD file. The file looks like this:

El proceso para incluir las fotos es sencillo. Se abre el archivo PSD en Photoshop, se abre la foto de cada niño, se copian por medio de seleccionar > copiar > pegar en el documento orla3, y luego Ctrl T para redimensionar. Se encoge hasta que se acople al tamaño del cuadrado gris. Una vez que estén todos redimensionados, se puede eliminar la capa con los cuadros grises. Luego acoplar imagen y guardar.

The process to include the photos is quite simple. Open the PSD file in Photoshop, open each kid's photo, copy via select > copy > paste in document orla3, then Ctrl T to resize. Make it smaller, so that it fits the grey box. Once you've done this with all the photos, you can delete the layer with the boxes. Then you can flatten the image.

El archivo tiene cinco capas: el fondo, el ornamento, los logos, las fotos y los nombres. Cada una de ellas se puede modificar a medida.
The file has got five layers: background color, ornament, logos, photographs and names. Each of these layers can be transformed as needed.

Para bajarte la plantilla haz click aquí.
To Download PSD file click here.

dandelions' time!

2010-05-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

They are everywhere, it's dandelions' time.
And time to experiment blowing and spraying. Before that, just a testimonial of them:

I used one of the Florabella actions: soft urban (I think, but I'm not sure) to this "before" shot.

process

2010-04-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

I love textures, I admit. And I love the different look that any picture takes once you add some texture work.
Here it is. The result:

This is the original:

And the process.
First,I opened the picture in Photoshop (here are all the layers, I hid all them, to show the process)

Then,applied one of the Florabella Actions, I think it was Sweet Haze. See what it looks like:

Next,the borders. I used first Fly Edges 14, from Flypaper textures, and set the blending mode to multiply.

And finally, other Flypaper border: Fly edge 1, the blending mode was overexpose, and the opacity lowered to a 16%, so that it gives but a subtle shade.

using Flypaper Textures

2010-04-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Flypaper Textures. And you'll agree I'm right.
Look at this little red roofed house. I thought it was cute. But decided to give it a try with a texture. And voilá...
After:

Before:

it's spring!

2010-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

At last Spring is coming and everything is in full bloom.
Everywhere you look there's flowers in full bloom. I loved these wild hyacinths:

I processed the original to alter it slightly. First, I contrasted it a bit more through adjustments slider, and then I used Florabella Actions> cosmopolitan.
The result is a bit more dramatic.
Hope you like it.
Have a nice time!

Valentine, of course.

2010-02-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are close to Saint Valentine's day, and ... yes, me too, I love hearts. And I sometimes have hearts in my photos, either shot or painted.
Here are some

Here I duplicated layers, applied filter>blur>gaussian blur, then in blend modes, multiply or overlay.

And I am very fond of this one, in which I left the aperture to very low shutter speed while I "painted" the shape of the heart with a small torch, in a completely dark room.

And my daughter drew these hearts. Then I photoshopped them, adding color and a shadow:

Enjoy your Valentine!

I love trees!

2010-01-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hi!
A bit lazy lately!
Time to start up again.
These days I tend to photograph trees, winter trees, naked of leaves, enduring the cold winter.
And the flow in my mind asks for textures. And here is the result:

Hope you like them.
Have a nice week, everybody!

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T01:45:00.001-08:00

And thank you all for your visits, comments and support.

Merry Christmas to you all

2009-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

cats and kittens, more on pets.

2009-12-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

My last find: These twenty cats and kittens, more or less.
They are not exactly stray cats, but their situation is not very good; their owner, who loved each and all of them, had a stroke and now is not able to come and feed them. His family come every now and then, so we are the closest people to feed them.
And they are so pleased to be fed, that they pose, at first quite distrustful and suspicious. But then they saw my camera was not dangerous or so.
Here is the result, here are some of them. They are so beautiful!

Delicate. Gradients.

2009-11-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

This is the result of using a gradients layer on a picture.

Here is the process:
I took this picture on a rainy day. I liked the drops and the lines of the cold plant.

First, open the picture in Photoshop. Then the first step is to change the background color. To do that, go to Image > Adjustments > replace color.

Once there, you'll find the menu for replacement. Select the background with the eye-dropper, then alter the lightness to the maximum.

Now it's time to add a new layer. Select the color to use in your gradient. I chose light pink and violet. Then select the kind of gradient you want. In this case it was lineal. Situate the mouse at the bottom of the picture, then move upwards, left button clicked. Experiment with different results, until you get the most convincing.
Then, time for the blending mode. I usually choose overlay or screen. The idea is tomake the layer kind of transparent.

And finally, I added a slight vignette, using a superthick brush, painting very close to the border on a new layer.

The process is quite easy. However, should you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
Hope you liked it.

autumn fruit, textured.

2009-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here, trees are so beautiful, but I have not had time yet to enjoy my time photographing trees and leaves.
So, at home, I found this treasure: Beautiful pomegranates.

The base is the following

combined with this texture

I applied the texture twice, first as it is, then I turned it vertically to create a slight criss cross of lines. For both textures, the blending mode was multiply.
I hope you like the result. Feel free to use this or other textures at my flickr album of textures.

From my window. Sky.

2009-10-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

The wiew from my windows is not spectacular at all, but the sky, oh the sky...
The colors in the early morning are just awesome.
The lines of the houses in front seen as silhouettes look more interesting than in daylight.

This sky was not processed.

Here I added a gradient layer, purple to pink and then chose blending mode till I liked the result.

The clouds made the picture.
I have a passion for skies. Lines, colors, clouds, silhouettes, flares ...
Look up and shoot.

Do you know Amy-Rose?

2009-10-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

I first knew about Amy-Rose when I saw her work at Digital-Photography-School. I was fascinated at her creation: the color, the clean lines, ... everything was gorgeous!
Then I tracked her at flickr. Really inspirational work. I love the way she sees the world, so full of color.
Then, the blog. Just have a look and you will agree with me: She is an artist of colorful portraiture. She nails it with kids! Hers are a pair of cuties, by the way!
This is Amy-Rose

Check her blog. You'll love it.

And you can enter her contest for her Taste the Rainbow Actions!

Do you vignette?

2009-09-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Vignetting is a technique to add some drama to any shot. We usually think of vignetting as adding a black halo all around the shot,as if slightly framing it.
But vignetting can be done in white or any other color. The most usual, black.
I do vignette many of my photos. It adds an interest sometimes, or focuses the object, or even eliminates some disturbing elements!

The easiest way to vignette is, in Photoshop, using a filter. It is in filters > distort > Lens correction;
Then the menu for lens correction opens, you click on vignette and use the slide to go to black (left) or white (right) and also the amount of vignetting:

The result is this:

Not bad; but I usually want to have more control of the black space. Then I don't go to filters. What I do is the following:

First I create a new layer, then select the paint brush tool, but change the size to an exaggerated number, really big. Then paint just with the border, not the full brush; the center of the brush must be out of the border.

Now you control the areas where you want the shadow to appear. And this way, though the layer opacity, you control the amount of vignette;
Then, there's only the last step: flatten your image, through layers > flatten layers.

And here is the result:

Hope you like it.
Anyway, experiment, try new techniques, duplicate layers, compare, play with blend options...
Thanks for reading.

silhouettes. We kiss the day goodnight.

2009-09-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Driving back home after an afternoon out, we enjoyed this awesome sky, getting more and more spectacular. We could not but stop and watch the sun hide, creating a beautiful scene.

rule of thirds (kind of): summertime.

2009-09-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hi.
It's been a long, busy and extremely hot summer, most of it without any possiblity of having internet connection!
Back to ordinary routine life, here I am, time for examining every photo I took during this wonderful summer holiday time.
One thing I immediately noticed is how my eye tends to frame every view to make it fulfill the *pseudo*rule of thirds, especially the beach shots, with people. I say pseudo because my thirds are not exact, I tend to exaggerate; (dunno if it's good or bad, but I do).
So I would say that these captures follow a defined pattern that my mind always searches for.
Here are some examples:

panography: ballet

2009-07-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is a "false" panography, as it was made from one single photo.
The process is long, but easy.
Start by duplicating the layer (you will have to duplicate it many times, as many as pieces you want in your finished work).
Then, use your rectangle selection tool, select any part you want, then selection>invert selection> cut or erase, so only the rectangle will remain.
Do the same for all the pieces you want. If you want to rotate any, just right click on the selection> transform selection, will give you the option to make it bigger, rotate it, etc.
The final touch comes with the opacity of each piece: I used different opacities, between 70 and 80%, but experiment.
Trick: to see the pieces tha you've already cut, create a white layer, and hide and show it when you need.
Once finished, flatten the image.
Should you have any questions on this technique, feel free to ask.
Have a nice weekend everybody. Thanks for stopping by.

butterfly time now

2009-06-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

It was midday. It was so boiling hot that even the butterflies and bugs stood quite quiet, even when I went close to them.
She didn't bother me looking at her, which was a pleasure.

This shot is not exactly *real*, I must admit. The butterfly here was posing because she was not really alive. In fact she was very dead(if any one can be *very* dead). I found it stuck to the radiator in my car. It was so beautiful that I kept her and decided to compose the photo with one of my beloved cactus.
I'm sorry for the poor butterfly.

Have a nice weekend, everybody!

bugs, wonderful models.

2009-06-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

Flowers are undoubtedly beautiful. No question in that.
But, when there's "someone" there, they become beautiful and interesting, at least for me!
Some are creepy critters but others are simply adorable.
Here are some of my favorite ones.
Ladybugs are a must, so round and playful.

These are playful too! They make a beautiful love scene.

Others are so ugly that they become pretty on flowers.

Flying ones are so delicate!

And what about the colors? Look at this electric green! Awesome color.

All you need is a macro lens, although any lens would do, just cropping later, and patience.
A very blurry background will add interest to the shot, isolating the object we want to emphasize. Make your depth of field short, by choosing the smallest f number
Hope you liked my favorite insects!
Have a nice week, everybody.

color!

2009-06-07T02:19:00.000-07:00

Colors are said to reflect your state of mind; then, I'm alive and spirited.
The world around me is right now ...vibrant in colors.
Probably the fact that the past weeks have been so hard with work problems, depressing and disappointing issues have provoked in me a strong desire for breathing colors.

When I think of wheat, I picture it together with the blue sky, and tend to remember a poem by Rafael Alberti,
"Se equivocó la paloma,
se equivocaba.
Por ir al norte fue al sur,
creyó que el trigo era el agua.
Creyó que el mar era el cielo..."
(something like "the pidgeon was mistaken, the pidgeon was wrong, wanting to fly north, it flew south, thought wheat was water, thought the sea was the sky."

Wheat is getting golden now. I love those endless golden fields.
On the other hand, the swimming pool was just painted, ready for the coming summer. I tried the wheat against the sky, but this tuquoise proved more vibrant.
Tried different settings, the definite was f/4; 1/200;
I thought of editing, but was quite satisfied with the result. Would you have processed it? What would you have done to make it better?
Any comments and suggestions are welcome.
Have a nice week. Thanks for looking.

Stop motion with wolf and pig, by Lordofevil58

2009-05-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

Jumping from site to site, I came to this video. It was supposedly related to photography...
And yes, definitely it is. Hard work.

Sepia heels

2009-05-16T03:46:00.000-07:00

Wonderful high heeled salons. Make you feel like a film noir actress.

No flash, just garage type lamp close to the shoes.
Cámara: Nikon D50
Exposición: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/2.8

Process:
.General tone: dessaturate a tad;
.Frame: Added a rectangle selection, then right click> new layer via copy. Now I have two layers. I want to create a frame like image, so first layert is altered though image> adjustments>light and contrast, to make it darker and act as the frame.
.Sepia tone: add new layer in layers>new adjust layer>filter. I chose a sepia filter to add softness to the image.

Give me a true blue sky

2009-05-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

...and I will glow as red as ever.
Poppies are so vivid in their red that they call for your attention whether you like it or not. The contrasting red on green makes this flower so splashy.
I love this red.
So have a bunch of flashy poppies for the weekend.

This view is done leaving the camera flat on the ground, in the middle of all flowers. I use the little point&shoot as it's flatter than the DSLR and so it gets better angles.
Here I added vignette and words using flickr's picnik.
Have a nice weekend!

toys to play with... and they are free!

2009-05-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am very fond of frames and processin through Photoshop, and lately I am starting to experiment with Gimp.
But then, I found something new, free and really fun.
First, the editor that is associated to flickr, which is called Picnik. Most of its options are free, others are offered only for subscribers. I am not, but I have been playing and got some interesting results.
Round corners (to be viewed on white, at flickr, here, on black the effect is spoiled)

some filters

and others: vignetting, adding simple frame, turning to b/w, cropping, adding text... and much more to discover.

Second is Big Huge Labs, also associated to flickr, so that, if you have a flickr account -free or pro- you can edit your photos from and to in a very easy way. But you can also edit photos from and to your computer.
The options are very interesting. I love frames, the polaroid is gorgeous.

and today I tried this:

Here I combined both tools: Big HugeLabs made the composition in pieces from a single photo (Hockneyizer) and the words were added in Picnic.

Try these two toys. You will sure like them.
(PS:Happy mother's day, mothers.)

Meet Talu and Pipo

2009-04-30T09:07:00.001-07:00

I wasn't very enthusiastic about having pets at home. We had a fish, of which I took just a few photos, as I didn't want to scare him with the flash.
And now we have these two rascals.
They are adorable. Look at them, ain't they cuties?
This is Pipo:

And this is lovely Talu:

They pose like this while we clean their cages. I used the little point& shoot in Continuous shooting mode, very close to the hamsters, so I could capture those beautiful smiles they have.

Disappointing prints

2009-04-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had asked me to take photos of her daughter for a very important celebration - communion. She was really pleased with the result, the captures were just what she had imagined, the cards as she desired.
Then, the files were sent for printing.

DISASTER! Shockingly AWFUL colors, deadly tones. I felt horrible. Couldn't believe how the colors that were OK on several computers now were so dull.
Forum inquiries gave me the answer: the color scheme.
I had been processing the captures in Photoshop, and had been saving them as they were. The default scheme for Photoshop is Adobe RGB, while most lab printing schemes are sRGB IEC61966-2.1.
I gave it a try, and IT WORKED!

How can you change this color profile? The easiest is Save As, then in Color, click the second option.

It really makes a difference. Now the prints are just what we expected them to be.

Has this ever happened to you?