Things I've Seen. . .
http://blog.pamelacasey.com
Things I've Seen . . .
Capturing the night lights
Hi!
Hope you're getting into the Christmas Spirit and enjoying the lights & decorations on your neighbors' front lawn.
We just got ours out last weekend. Somehow, since we don't have kids around, except the occasional
grandchild, it's hard to get too excited about hauling everything down from the garage attic----because there are
no basements down here. In fact, I've never had the privilege of a using basement in my entire life.....well, with the
small exception of smelling the dirt while riding a tricycle around the posts at my grandparent's home in Atlanta.
As kids, we always enjoyed riding around in the car to see all the decorations lit up at night. That was
before the days of the huge monsters which now adorn the grass thanks to the magic of an electrical blower.
I think a lot of the gigantic blow up things are a little over the top---especially now that you can buy them for
any holiday...10 foot tall grim reapers, grinning turkeys, fat Uncle Sam wavering in the breeze....not a nice picture.....
I digress....so any way...if you find some nice lights you might want to take a picture of them. You could use it for an
e-card. Basically, it will look best if you use a tripod. Low light requires a steady surface for a clear shot.
A flash will wash out the look of the lights as in the first photo above. You want the soft glow of the lights.
PHOTIP: Take a tripod with you or something else like a chair that you can place your camera on to take
a picture without any shake or vibration.
Blessings!
AWWWWWW! The babies are back...or is it the tree stooges?
Hi---the racs are back!
Well, actually the majority never left. We live on the marsh and we have these types of visitors
every night and some days as well. This was a mid-day visit.
Just, look at these cuties! Their momma apparently had a second litter. It seems awfully late in
the year for tiny ones to begin to appear, so I hope they will survive the cold all right. Last week
a nursing mom was outside the back door (a large slider) with her four babies. This is the only
litter of four we have seen this year (from 6 moms).
When we opened the glass door to toss out some dog food, she faced me & growled. I wasn't sure
if she was growling at me---normally they don't. But, all four of her little ones ran for the big live oak tree
and climbed up in a flash. You could see three of them in the first "Y" of the tree. It's at least 15 feet
high. They were fun to watch. Kinda like the Thee Stooges. Maybe you could call them the Tree Stooges...
They alternated between crawling all over each other, going a little higher up the tree, starting down
the tree & staring below at mom. We were taking pix from inside through a bathroom window. Then my husband
went out onto our balcony & the little guys climbed up out of sight. At least 30 feet or more. I'm amazed
that they don't fall more often.
The fourth baby didn't actually go up the tree. It stayed in the bushes for a minute and then ventured back out.
It began eating the dog food there with momma, but not too far from the tree. It's interesting to see
the different personalities develop. When they are a bit larger & eat more, some will stay & continue to eat
even when momma leaves. I don't know if they're the bravest, but they are the fattest ones.
PHOTIP: Shoot a lot when you have a chance, to end up with a few good wildlife shots.
Blessings!
Cows with earrings and other sites of Georgia
Hi---Hope you are well & refreshed after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Isn't it great to live in a country
where we can take time out as a nation to thank God for all of our blessings? I pray we keep all
of our rights and not cave in to the "political correctness" freaks who use our rights against us.
Our freedom keeps us strong. We need to guard our freedoms.
Whew, got a little carried away there...but our trips to Georgia always include interesting sites.
We go on some back roads and see quite a few cow filled pastures. They don't always cooperate
with photographers by coming over close to the fence. This one and a couple of her friends did.
She looks kinda mean to me, but I am not really a bovine portrait specialist---is there such a
thing?? Are there farmers who would want cow portraits?
Anyway, I think the cow may be unhappy because of her earrings. I think they might hurt.
Obviously the numbers help the farmers keep up with which cow is where. I've seen cows with
only one earring---so does that mean that two is a status symbol among the heard somehow?
Or are they the bad ones who have run away before? We may never know the answers....
Georgia & every other southern state its share of falling down shacks that look great from the
road as you are whizzing by. The few times I've gone back to take pix have been disappointing.
You can usually find interesting wood textures, holes to shoot through, spider webs, & rusting metal.
Trucks that are broken down & rusty are more interesting.
PHOTIP: Go for the old trucks instead of the shacks.
Blessings!
A Turkey & the Grandad Connection
Hi---I want you to meet Grando & Will. Just about the best grandson in the whole world!
Check out the beautiful red hair---a gift from his mother. Will got the highest test score for
his whole grade last year and won a cool skateboard/scooter kinda thing. He loves to read
and likes science a lot. The guys make good models.
Today is the Monday before Thanksgiving, so I hope you know where your turkey is.....
meaning the one you are going to eat, not the relative sometimes referred to in that manner.
We're heading out on a road trip north to get our roast turkey, dressing, green bean casserole,
sweet potatoes, warm rolls, hot coffee, ginger snaps, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pecan pie
(what do you expect from southerner?) and maybe a nice fire flickering in the fieldstone fireplace.
We will be enjoying family, food, fellowship and a short vacation from real life here in Florida---in
hopefully, cooler weather and fall surroundings. I hope you will be doing the same---well, the enjoying part.
PHOTIP: Don't be afraid to move in close to get a good picture. The most memorable ones communicate
relationships like this one or tell a story. When composing the shot, notice what is in the background
and foreground. Move is necessary, so distracts don't take away from the main subject---your loved ones.
Then catch people enjoying themselves. Every one loves to see pictures, especially of themselves.
Happy Thanksgiving & may you be blessed!
Can you tell a Russian from an African?
Here are three women who spoke in Jacksonville, FL at the Wyndham Hotell on the river. It's been the home of the
Love Evangelizing Nations (LEN) Ministries Banquet for the past couple of years. Saturday was the big night,
and the room was packed. We were all eager to hear what they had to say.
Daniele Yetna, Sveta Yarygina & Diana (the version that is easy for us to pronounce) Longacre all passionately
communicated how the message of God's love had changed their lives. That message had come through the
Evangelism Explosion (EE) clinics conducted around the world by LEN Ministries. They have short term mission
trips to Russian every year, Africa, South America & the Philippines. Part of the money for your trip goes to pay
for the ministers who attend clinics---their transportation, housing, food & materials.
I actually went on the trip to Russia (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod & Yaroslavl) in 2005. I got some interesting pictures,
during the trip: people & architecture on the street, beautiful churches, a factory, 10pm sunsets, lots of friends we made
& the places we visited. The Russian people are very warm & welcoming --- well, with the possible exception of
the police who were a little scary. And the ladies that sit at a desk on the each floor of your hotel writing down
who comes & goes. (Yeh, it was a little creepy...) Riding in a car will take your breath away & avoid the bus for
long trips. But, Nizhny has the most beautiful McDonald's in the world (that I've ever seen, anyway). Yaroslavl
had many beautiful churches and their kremlin watch tower is pictured above. Moscow had really cool cell phone
ads, good shopping & even casinos with neon lights blazing. But we saw only a tiny sample of the country.
EE such a fantastic tool for explaining the Gospel that it works in any language & culture. It even works in
prison environments. Every clinic LEN has held has netted positive results. Those trained can teach the
method to others. It's a great way to help their churches to grow. EE originated here in Florida, via Pastor
James Kennedy. Click on the highlighted words for more information.
I highly recommend taking a missions trip. It will definitely give you a new perspective on life and on our
nation.
PHOTIP: Go on a missions trip with LEN and take pictures of happy new believers.
BLESSINGS!
A Little Photoshop Magic
This week I haven't taken any exciting pictures and I've been in a financial seminar all weekend. They are promoting
the use of Investools & a course in understanding market investing. Honestly, I never even knew all those options were
out there for a small investor like me. My husband & I signed up for a class, so I'll let you know how it goes...
In the mean time, maybe I can show you a little something in Photoshop. Let's create something that looks like an
old post card from the 40's. The colors are rather pale. This is an image I took in Orlando (somewhat)
recently. I printed it 12"x18" on an Epson watercolor paper with the intent of adding some traditional media to it--
namely pastels. (Think of them as horrifically expensive chalk.) The problem with pastels is they need a "tooth" (rough)
to grab onto. This paper only has a little, so you can't mix colors. So, then you feel like you need to spend thousands
of dollars to buy every variation of color made so that you can have shades of colors to use...then there are hard &
soft pastels, different brands, etc.
I digress---I printed the image very light so it would be a guideline for me. After working on the image, I decided
that I would probably like it better if it was just a black & white with the tree in color. I'll work on that next, but in
the mean time the pix at the top go like this:
1- Normal: Basic color exposure, pump up the saturation a little.
2- Old Postcard: Copy the background layer & turn it into black & white. CS4 actually has that as a built in filter choice &
you have lots of adjustment tools within it. It works great. (If you have no other choice, desaturate.)
Bring down the opacity to about 40%. Now it's looking old & pale. Combine the layers.
3- Use the eraser tool with a funky brush setting to erase the edges freeform. Voila! (Yes, I confess, I did that first.)
PHOTIP: Don't try to make the edge perfect, it looks better messy. Of course if you are OCD, you can make a selection
that is exact & uniform. Might make an interesting trio to frame together.
Blessings!!
Water Baptism the hard way...
Hi there! Hope all is well with you...
These shots are from an ocean baptism taken 2 weeks ago in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
It was a very breezy & cool but crisp, blue sky with a few puffy white clouds kinda day. I personally thought it was
too cold for it. Even though I had on a jacket, my hands were practically frozen by the time we were done.
In this case the Atlantic Ocean was probably a little warmer than the air because of the strong, constant breeze.
Very few people were out on the beach that day, and fewer in the water. These are 2 of the most dramatic
images I got that day. They were only standing in about a foot of water between waves.
There are other pictures which illustrate the shivering that
occurred before---on the way into the water for all concerned,
during---as the baptizers (dunkers) waited for just the right wave to come along to make the plunge,
and after---as the baptized (dunkee)(spell check doesn't like it, but I think it's a perfectly good word)
(here we agree to disagree) run happily from the water to a nice big beach towel and warm hugs
from the friends and family watching dryly nearby.
It was fun to watch. There was such joy on the faces, clapping, hugging, pumping of fists, even jumping up
& the requisite down in celebration of the momentous occasion. (Hmm, if you jump up, do you actually jump
down or is it just a feature of the jumping up that happens...?)
Either way, congratulations to all those from Beaches Vineyard who got baptized!
PHOTIP: Use a long lens with vibration reduction when shooting far away action. This was a Nikkor 70-300mm
but I had plenty of sunshine. On a dark day I wouldn't have gotten as good an image because it's not
a nice wide fixed aperture like f2.8. Those are the best, but very heavy.
Blessings!
Facing the Flu & Framing the "Hole" Face
Greetings---hope you are well...
We're fighting the flu down here in the schools. Can't decide about getting that flu shot...the most recent
news program I saw said everyone under 25 is in the greatest danger of infection. That brings my stats down
considerably. But I do work in a school, so that brings the danger of being infected back up. Hmmm...
Anyway, I think you'll like the image for this week. This is the cutie mentioned in a earlier blog about
our visit to lovely Edisto Beach, SC. Though she looks like a a little angel here, she was the one who
screamed a little more frequently than I would have liked---ok, I don't actually like screaming except outside
& far away. Hopefully, she will get over that phase soon.
This picture was taken at a playground. I had the kids look out of the hole & took a shot. This is the best
one because of the facial expression. It's simply using what is there to look at things a little differently
through the lens. Obviously a wide shot couldn't have the same impact. Create an interesting framing by
using a fence, a tree, doghouse, whatever. Notice what is around you. Be creative! Find a new perspective.
PHOTIP: Become more observant by noticing how to isolate things with a zoom lens. This is where
photography shines. Don't have a good zoom? Buy one. No money? Move yourself in for a more interesting shot.
Blessings!
Windshield art at 70
Hi! Hope you are doing well.
It's finally beginning to feel a little like fall here in Florida & it's absolutely fabulouso!
I think it's been in the 40's at night & that is equal to the 20's & 30's in other states....
right?
My photo this week was taken while driving down the expressway about 70 mph, but
I was paying almost complete attention to where I was going, and as you can see there were
very few cars around. It was a nice drive down to Orlando for the AWE art collaboration
at the City Arts Factory. The show opened to rave reviews on the 15th. See my blog just prior
to this one for lots more info about it. See if you can find me among the hundreds of pix of the
event with the Limner Society under Art of Enduring.
Anyway, you can get some interesting shots on the road. I am of course, NOT in any way
advising or suggesting that you should do this. The morning was foggy & I didn't have time
to stop along the way, so I took some pix on the fly. Voila! Windshield art. This one conveyed a
loneliness to me. It could also signify danger with the red warning signs just off the main road.
Some times we ignore clear warnings to and regret it later. Quite symbolic, eh?
I did alter the colors in Photoshop to make it more dramatic. I'm sure you've noticed by
now that I love strong color!
PHOTIP: Love color? Pump up the saturation & vibrance for maximum impact.
Blessings!
Community ART
What a weekend---lots of art and travel and not much sleep. Orlando has a great arts community & I
got to share in an international making of art---sound cool & weird? Well, it was AWEsome--you'll see how
"punny" that is later. THE CITY ARTS FACTORY is featuring a kind of collaboration of 12 artists to
create art for a week & then have an exhibition of that art. ORLANDO COMMUNITY CHURCH has
held this event in a wide variety of forms, each one different. This one is Arts Worship Experience (AWE).
It features the LIMNER SOCIETY (artists who went to college together and have met yearly
to create art for a week). They juried in 7 others for this show, and then you could come for a day &
create work. I went on Friday morning but I ended up staying Saturday, too. It was such a a fantastic
environment to work in, see what others are doing and learn new tricks (techniques). The show
opens this week. Check it out if you are in ORLANDO during the next couple of weeks.
The theme is THE ART OF ENDURINGshoot images the day I was there and
combine them onto a paper canvas (I was limited to a small printer). I had lots of good images, but
I had a really hard time trying to combine them in a way that made sense. My problem was that
each image is already a composition on its own. How can you make that into one? It was a struggle.
One of my favorite images was of blue melting wax. I love texture & color---need I say more?
PHOTIP: Find an image you like & go with it.
Blessings!
Click on any highlighted text to find out more...
