Painterly images?

I know many folk prefer photographs without added textures or too much processing, but I am learning a whole lot about the various methods in the 52 week Beyond Layers classes.  Our challenge this week was to create images that had a painterly appearance…….using Kim Klassen’s Textures and the techniques we have been using.  I tried something I had been meaning to do for ages, that was, to make a particular sort of layer myself.  Because I wanted these photos to look as if they had been painted on canvas, I took a photo of some even-weave linen and after a little processing and tinting in Lightroom, used it as a layer with the others.  The results….

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Time Flies….

Can’t believe that it is so long since my last post…….I have been busy doing a heap of things, but little stitching at all…..except some major patching to my son’s work trousers as he had gone through the knee.  When I returned the first pair this morning, fixed, he gave me two more!  One good turn deserves another they say – he is currently servicing and fixing an Elna Lotus to get it ready for sale.

A lot of time has been spent on things photographic, but I guess you are not surprised to know that dear Reader!  Kim Klassen’s Beyond Layers course has only been going since the middle of January, but it has been fairly full on with assignments and keeping up with the new things we are learning, plus the work of other participants.  If you want to see some of it, then check out the Flickr site where some of the work is being posted.

This week’s assignment was to take a photo, and to make it look like an old fashioned shot, or a vintage image using her textures and some other photoshop magic..

These are what I did, using a few old pieces as props.  Those were really my shoes, hand made in India where my Father had been working, and brought home to the UK when he returned.

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Sunday Market….

Despite the threat of rain this morning,  I went to the Daylesford Market, as I often do on Sundays.  It was much quieter than usual, with fewer stalls and people – I guess because it is Father’s Day and folk were indulging their Fathers for breakfast in bed or somewhere special.

This is the what I found, and just had to bring home.  Isn’t it lovely?

It is a Brownie No 2 Folding Autographic camera from about 1916, when it cost $10.13, with an additional $1.25 for the leather case.  This sort of camera was made by Kodak between 1916 and 1926 when production ceased, and newer models were developed.   I even managed to find a contemporary advertisment for them – on an eBay listing where the ad was for sale.

I plan to use it as a photo prop in future photography, creating images such as this one.

They say that three of anything makes a collection……..I now have two vintage cameras………and on the look-out for more??  Maybe.

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Late Again….

Usually I am very punctual, particularly if I need to be somewhere, and then I’m usual early.  When one is retired, one is supposed to have heaps of time to do all manner of things……which I do, but not always on time, as this late posting shows!

Kim’s Texture Tuesday this week was to feature three of something…..and there are many examples from other contributors here.  I took a heap of photos using flowers and fruit, fairly literal interpretations of three of the same items, and they have all had at least one texture from Kim’s collections added at various opacities and blending modes.

The Lion is included just because….

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Texture Tuesday – late again!

Kim Klassen wanted us to use a photos including people for this week’s Texture Tuesday, and I’m late because I needed to ask this gentleman’s permission before publishing a photo of him.  Apart from the fact that I do not take many photographs of people, some folk, me included, are a bit careful about real names, photos and other personal stuff being published on the internet, call us paranoid if you like, but I’d rather be cautious.  I know many readers know who I am, and where I live, but I have never posted this information online and have no intention of so doing.  Anyway, the Farmer was happy for me to post this one, taken one evening a few months back when it was warm.   I have added several of Kim’s textures at various opacity and with different blending modes, and I think it suits him well..

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Thursday Photos for Texture Tuesday

I have been playing with textures again – the weather has been cold, wet and not conducive to outside photo taking, so have been fiddling with textures on images taken previously.  I think there is actually quite a lot of skill involved in creating these textured images, it is not simply a matter of a couple of layers in PS, and presto….there is a different look, something beautiful, intriguing or painterly, and not too kitsch.  There are so many variables and choices – what photo to use, what effect do you want to achieve, which textures, blended in which way, at what opacity, or filter or effect or or or???  I joined DPS a while ago, this was started by a Melbourne photographer and is now a worldwide online site with over 60,000 subscribers, it is a great source of information and advice, tutorials, image sharing and a forum about every aspect of photography.  Well worth a look if you do not know of it.  Anyway, a while back I came across an article on DPS where Paul Grand and Jill Ferry, the creators of Flypaper Textures gave some tips and answers to questions posed by the author – a useful beginning, but obviously one needs  practice and challenges as well.  Another good source of information and free textures is Kim Klassen, who will show you how to do it, but again one needs an idea of how to make the best choices to create a good result.  With this goal in mind I have been posting a weekly textured image as part of Kim’s Texture Tuesday.  Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I do not…..here are this week’s images.

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Texture Tuesday…..

The theme this week for Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday is Words – in the photo, or added during post production.  I have had a quick look at the offerings so far, and they are all very pretty, with positive, uplifting or thoughtful words added…..they look good, but a bit cutesy for me today.  I’m waiting for a friend to arrive, it is very cold, with occasional snow flurries, and I’m thinking about how we and the local wildlife will cope over the next few, probably miserable, days.

So this is my offering…..a bit silly and not too cute…..I hope it makes you smile.

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Weekend Words..

Friday’s Copyright Seminar was a great success, well attended, the technology worked without a hitch in a comfortable venue provided by the local Shire, with a very knowledgeable and informative speaker, a delicious lunch and participants who went home knowing a whole lot more about this important issue.  Having been the organiser, I am relieved that everything came together on the day, and I can now relax!

Robin Wright, our speaker, is the copyright mangager for Swinburne University, a lawyer with expertise in national and international copyright law, and extensive experience in delivering training in the educational sector and other areas.  There is no way I would try and summarise what we learned, but will post this link for the Australian Copyright Council, and encourage folk who want to understand the laws a little more to have a look.  In their FAQ section, one can browse alphabetically, by keywords, or by what you do – eg Art and Design, Music, Writing and Publication and many other areas.  Of specific relevance to textile folk is the section devoted to Craftworkers.  It is well worth a look and may clarify many issues.

For the past couple of weeks I have had the loan of one of these:-

Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM EF Lens

This is the most amazing telephoto lens, one could almost feel like a member of the Paparazzi when using it, however I don’t think my subjects objected to being photographed.  I have had fun trying it out in the last few days whenever it stopped raining – I must remember that the annual rainfall was one of the reasons I moved to this area – so good for gardening….  I’m now seriously saving my gold coins so I can get one for myself. Here are a few of the shots I took recently….

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From the sublime to the rediculous…….I found this at the Daylesford Market this morning…..

Coronet made simple box cameras Birmingham in the UK from 1926 – 1946, and this model was made in 1935.  Made of metal and Bakelite, it came in a well worn brown leather case – all its working bits inside are intact, and it would take a 120 film.  I’m sure it would still work as it is in excellent condition, but I really bought it out of sentiment and to use it as a prop in photos like the one above.  One of my first cameras was a box brownie, a gift from my photographer Father in about 1954 – it looked very similar to this one.

Still no stitching, though I have been fiddling with some textile type stuff….photos of it later …..maybe.

(Apologies – all of the photos in this post have ended up in the slide show – that was not meant to happen, but I can’t see a way to fix it.)

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Textured Thursday

I have been creating textured photos for Kim Klassen’s Texture Tuesday, but I’m a bit late this week!  The challenge this week was to use at least one of her textures on a photo of something ‘vintage’…..so here are a few – my favourite is the last one.

This is a hand cart belonging to my neighbour, not actually old at all, but was made as a movie prop a few years ago, for a film about the Ark.

This basket is very old and wonky, bought many years ago at the Camberwell market one Sunday morning.

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Textures of a different sort….

You all know I’m currently obsessed with all things photographic – learning more about the capabilities of my DSLR, better technique, post production processing, how to use Photoshop etc etc……..well, I have also been playing with adding textures to some chosen images.  This gives a very different effect, one either loves or hates it, and there seems to be no middle road.  I sent this one:-

to a friend recently and was told it looked like a tizzy greeting card, and why spoil a good photograph by adding all sorts of murkiness and sentimental twaddle??  I like the creative possibilities, and think some look can quite artistic…..Anyway, I did an online class with Kim Klassen to learn more about Photoshop Elements, and she also designs and sells collections of textures, plus uses them in many of her shots.  If you receive her newsletter, you can download regular free textures to use as you like.  Recently Kim set a challenge to use at least one of her textures in a photograph featuring a tea cup or coffee mug, so today I took and modified these ….  What do you think?  Do you like this technique…..or hate it?  Any favourites?

This last one is my favourite…

Some more that have added textures……..

Apologies for lack of textile content…….I will get back to it…….sometime…..

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