Sharing July

Here is this month's calendar!  Like the others, this one fits right into a cd case {see below image} so it can sit on your desk or shelf easily.  

Feel free to download!  Just click on the image to enlarge it to the full cd case size and then print it out, trim, slide into the cd case and voila!  You can also visit the Me to You page to see the other months.  If you have any problems downloading just let me know and I am happy to send you the image.

Here is an example of how the calendar looks in the case.  This is another month but you get the idea...

*I have added a wallpaper background of this month's image which you can download here*

Note to the hipster / Embracing the poseur

The other day while finishing up one of the nicest dinner-out-with-a-friend dinners my friend told me she thinks of me whenever she sees birds hanging out on a wire.  I was both flattered she thinks of me and my images at the same time and slightly embarrassed.  So I asked her "Am I a total poseur if I shoot (and also sell) something I know to be totally hip and fad-y if I really truly like it?"  Then as I finished the sentence I had my answer and felt all better. I did the same in my head later when I found myself gazing up in the sky getting lost in the pattern of a bird's flight.  So the poseur in me lovingly wrote this to the little hipster in my head. (click for larger image)

PS- I hear it's also really cool to show your age and write a fictitious letter to hipsters.

PPS-

PPPS- the above print SOON AVAILABLE IN MY ETSY SHOP!!  (winks & smiles.)

Sources: Fuzzimo,Pugly Pixel

Phonography #45

Welcome to this week's Phonography.  With the storms we have had I feel lucky to have made it here myself!  Link here with your favorite cell shot(s) of the week!  You can check out more here and read more about this link-up.  There aren't many rules, just make sure your image was taken with a phone.

I stumbled onto a new app this week called KaleidaCam.  This is one of those programs that enables one to create a really interesting piece of art at the drop of a hat!  I started snapping away giddily and then tried to really figure out how the program worked.  I am all for a program that offers great results no matter what you point your camera at but I also like to know how it works to try an manipulate or craft an idea to fruition, you know?

But this app is simple to use and can yield some beautiful ideas.  This one to the left is one of the first shots I took.  See?  The design just works even when you don't know what you are going to get!  Part of the joy of something like this is working with it after the shot is taken.  I think I may work with some color blocking with this shot.  But since I am still on my circular kick I made the image below.  No, not in camera but remember, not big on rules limitations here...

Love to see what you and your phone have been up to this week!  Link will be open until midnight Friday (EST).

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Tuesday Edits

Been a long while since I have had some time to link up with Kim Klassens Texture Tuesday...  I took advantage of some extra time to put off exercise (again, eek!) and play some more with this Hillside image.
The challenge for this week's Texture Tuesday was to use KK's "Golden" texture.  I worked in stages for this one...here's what I mean:

I adjusted the composition and my image to my liking but then knew I was going to use the "Golden" texture so went from there.


I like the image like this but I wondered if I could do something a little extra with some of the empty space.  It is actually something I like most about this image but didn't feel like it was complete yet.

I thought it could make a nice postcard.  I used a Fuzzimo postcard but ended up editing and moving around the text a bit.  I didn't really like how it changed the edges.I decided to scratch the postcard idea although I may re-visit it one day.

I ended up adding a few more "Golden" layers and editing the light a bit.  I also extended some layers to create a nicer frame for the image and clean things up a bit.

I ended up using the assigned texture a few times and stumbled onto some things in Photoshop I hadn't known of...I ended up pushing myself to figure out how to create just what I wanted and that was a good feeling.  This always seems to happen with Kim Klassen and with her textures.  You can click here to see more.

ACoLab #22 - What Frightens Me

I suppose I don't live with many fears...or at least not that many irrational ones.  But I did think of one thing that used to frighten me and if I thought about it enough it could probably do the same now.

So, there's this scene in the book/movie Communion which stuck with me when I was a little girl...that one where the people are lying in bed and the two extraterrestrials are standing at the side of the bed and looking down on them while they slept.   Then the two people wake up and can't move.  I don't know what happens after and I don't know what happened before that moment.  I was like 9 years old and that was enough to create a fear that I still remember.  That was Communion, right? I can't be positive since I still haven't seen the movie and still have not read the book...no plans by the way for me to do either of those things.  I knew that it was based on a true story and that was enough for me to go to bed and not sleep that night.

I have never seen a UFO or alien and don't really think about it a lot.  I'm not pompous enough however to say that something doesn't exist just because I have never seen or experienced it.  I do know plenty of great people who have told me of their encounters none of which are like the Communion story but still enough to raise the hair on my arms. But the whole not moving thing while someone watches you while you sleep...I don't care if it's an alien, my cat, or my husband-it's creepy.  I did happen to see that movie Sings years after it came out.  I went through a phase of wanting to scare the bejeezus out of myself and would pick stories of hauntings or things like that so one day I decided to see what Signs was all about.  Eh.  Not that scary.  I did enjoy it surprisingly as entertainment but probably won't ever see it again.  Now, had it started with "Based on a true story" then I probably would have watched with a bit more trepidation.  I think that the last half of that movie kinda fell apart but that's a whole other issue...

So, I wouldn't say that this is a fear I have but the theme "something that frightens you" reminded me of this image and time.  Yes, for this round of the ACoLab I am going with creepy, immobilizing aliens by the bed.  To see the other entries for round 22 of the ACoLab click here.

The Hillside

There is a hill by my husband's office that always seems to look different and equally beautiful.  I find myself pulling over to take photos almost every time I visit him.  This day there were hay bales on the top.  In my years of visiting this spot I had never seen it with bales of hay.  It was a peaceful sight.  As I shot I got that excited feeling to go home and play with Photoshop. I would have to wait a bit for the power to go on but that just made me think about different layouts and textures.  I'm still having fun with these images but here are a few I have been working on.

The Three Mounds

The One Mound

Sources used: Paint the Moon, Coffeeshop

Update and long winded heaviness

{First let me say, when I sat down to write this post it wasn't going to be more than a sentence, it wasn't going to get all political and crazy.  So, feel free to skip over the post...but if you do stick with it I would love to know your thoughts.}

Whew...longest I have gone from the blog in quite some time.  I think I went through an odd withdrawal phase and then talked myself down, recognized once again the priorities in my life, and then started missing the comradery of the blogosphere...then talked myself down to reality once again.  I do miss all of my daily Internet reading though.  Sorry to not have sent any replies to those of you who have been so kind to comment or email me as my Internet has been sketchy.  Power is back on after almost 4 days without.  But our cable is spotty and thus Internet has been out, on, then out then on for awhile...and now I take advantage of what may be 10 mins or hours or days, who knows?!  I love my phone even more but emailing on my phone takes awhile and without wireless, going on the Internet is a necessity or photo fun only kind of thing. 

{Here's where I start to go a little wacky}

A map of the Internet

You know, all of this has made me think a lot about power, my dependence on the Internet...just how plugged in I am.  It's not something I really want to change seeing that I love hot water, seeing at night, being able to heat food indoors, and I'll admit that I like my television very much as well as my computer (really love my computer).  But perhaps there is a way to alter the way in which I get or use these things?  Solar power is tempting especially if we do decide to build our next home rather than move into an existing home...but it's very pricey, too pricey I think.  And what happens when a hail storm like the one we had last month swims on through?  The ice that fell was the size of baseballs!  It cracked through roof, it would do the same to a solar panel, right?  Something to look into...  I am comfortable with being a city girl and all the things that a city has to offer but my mind does wander to the scary what ifs.  You know, right after our power was restored at around 10 the other night we were visited by a tornado...downtown...a tornado.  That never happens (knock wood).  So I scooped up the cats, Doug got Twila and we "played fort" at two in the morning under a heavy desk in the basement.  What is going on??  We have had a storm every day for the last week except for one day; it's crazy.  AND there are still like 30,000 people with no power (going on a week now, ugh!)   And we seem lucky in comparison with what's happening in the Midwest right now.  So I know it's no epiphany and I am not the first to think of this but, it seems like over the last few years the weather has just gotten more powerful.  I suppose it could be a cycle...  but it's worth thinking about.

It's got me thinking (and I have had a lot of thinking time on my hands lately) what are my values, my priorities, things I can sacrifice, where is my comfort level, what don't I want to give up, and what can't I give up.  Oh, and is my happiness linked to certain things that are superficial?  Sure!  But does that mean I should give all of that up too?  There has got to be a balance that is both responsible and comfortable...and affordable.   A few weeks ago I watched this great documentary about a futurist named Jacque Fresco, "Future by Design".  (You can watch the whole video here) I've been thinking a lot about it ever since.  Mr. Fresco has these amazing ideas about things to benefit the world but he also has a great point.  And that is, things need to change and it won't happen until the mindset of people changes...  about everything.  Not just the things that people do but the way we think, the way we do things, EVERYTHING.  So how do you get a whole world to dispense with its way of thinking and behaving?  To get over certain fears or patterns of behavior?   I don't see the entire world ending its wars, changing the way we build and design our houses, factories, systems of communication...the way we treat everything and everyone.  Heavy stuff.  The futurist has great ideas which many will agree with but those with power and money need to agree with, tricky.  But I like Fresco's way of approach.  At the end of this documentary I just felt interested to know more about him and his ideas instead of guilty for the way I live and depressed about the world.  For someone who designs things to combat a gloom and doom future he is positive.  He talks about perspective and deciding that we can do what we want to do and can do and not to worry about what others do.  It seemed interesting to me that a person with so many ideas to change things for a better future was ok with not having to convince others of his viewpoint.

So here I am, with power once again and loving every second of it.  Internet is spotty but I am happy to have it when I do and when it's off I catch up on life...it's a win win really.

{And here is where I tentatively hit the "Publish" button while reminding myself this is just a blog, my blog.}

No power day two...and a half

This is pretty much as close to camping as I like...  I have gotten to be a great griller and kind of enjoyed making coffee on the grill this morning outside in my pajamas.  It's not so bad but a lot has happened in the days since the storm and I feel like I am in emergency mode.  Yesterday we even had an impromptu trip to the ER.  I think that if I didn't have a baby I would be able to enjoy the silence of the house, the forced break from technology, going to bed at 9...  With the baby I feel like I need to stay three steps ahead of our needs.  I need to make sure the food is available for re-heat on the gas grill or we are able to go out, need to make sure the ice isn't melting to keep the milk cold, think of things to entertain without power.  I don't think it would be too big a deal but trying to take care of myself and the house and our duties is harder when she can't entertain herself for a few minutes.  But she's being very brave and is weathering the time well.  Plus, the summer temps have dipped into the mid to high 80s instead of 90s so that's been good timing.  And it's totally not lost on me that we are very lucky and weathered the weather well.  Our neighborhood was one of the places hit hardest by the storm.  On my street it really was every other house that had a tree down ours included.  But seeing how all of the neighborhood came together to help cut up large limbs, haul debris, clean up, borrow tools...it was something special.  We were all lucky and even with the downed trees and 60mph winds we were spared damage to our homes.  The bummer is that we could be without power for two more weeks.  I am hoping it's back on when I get home from writing this.  But it's good to put things back into perspective-blogging is great but it can wait, photoshop is fun and will be there when I have power, the farmer's market is also something that even though importnant to many of my goals, in the grand scheme is just something that can wait.  So, I have all I need: my family, food, comfy shelter.  I've got it good.  It's hard not to feel lucky with all the bad storms that have come through the states in the last few months but even not putting this last storm damage into any comparison we are lucky. 
So, I look forward to reading about all my blogging friends when I have a computer again...I look forward to editing images, the ACoLab...all the internet goodies.  But until then, I will be reading in the dark, eating out with the family a little bit more, going to bed early, and doing some slowing down.  Wishing you all well...

Phonography #44

Wow, 44 weeks of Phonography!  I was excited to meet a few new bloggers through last week's link up.  Be sure to check them out if you haven't already, you will be glad you did!  Link up here with your favorite cell shot from any kind of phone.  If you would like to read more or see more about Phonography please click here.

For this week's shot I used a few apps that are new to me.  It looks like a Hipstamatic shot but this was actually taken with Cameramatic then processed with PictureShow.  I added the text using Phonto.  If I may geek out for just a second.... the Cameramatic is a nice app.  It's hard to compete with Hipstamatic but it does have some additional lighting preferences as well as a variety of frames to choose from. 

I was out and about for Father's Day and since my husbands father lives almost an hour away I was able to take advantage of the time to experiment a bit.  Below: Cameramatic and Hipstamatic w/ Diptych.

 Look forward to seeing your shot(s) from the week!  Thanks for stopping by!

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up up up

Shot: iPhone with Hipstamatic,StripeCam,PictureShow,Lo-Mob
Linking with:  Phonography

Fruition

Awhile back I was fortunate to take part in some exciting things.  Two of which are just now coming to fruition.

METHOD PRESS

One item that has come out recently is a feature I wrote for a new magazine, Method Press. 

It's a magazine that was conceived by a fellow member of the Female Photographers of Etsy (FPOE), Katie King.  The theme for the first issue is "Blank Stare".  The article I wrote (which you can read by flipping the virtual pages above) is all about the Floyd Banks Castle I have mentioned a few times.  It's a remarkable place but after interviewing Mr. Banks I believe him to be one of the greatest folk artists of our time.  He doesn't see himself as an artist but I think he's just like the great, late, Howard Finster...even the style of his carvings is reminiscent of Finster.  So, I was thrilled to write and photograph for a whopping 10 pages!  The magazine is full of great artists and beautiful photographs by many of the FPOE members.  There are also features on a few other artists who are not part of FPOE.  Katie's goal is to make a magazine that shares artists methods and work spaces - an interesting idea.  So, I made up a feature called "Passionate Places".  It's an ongoing feature about a particular artist and the home or space she/he creates in.  However, I want to pick artists who are synonymous with their space...whose art is a part of their space.  Mr. Banks is a perfect example.  So please feel free to read the article below and flip through the rest of the magazine.  Should you like to order a copy for yourself you can do so by clicking here.

WHITE HILLS

The second very exciting thing I was asked to do was to provide photographs for the new White Hills double album, H-p1!  Above you can see the front wrap around image and below you can see the image for the inside fold out.  I am SUPER excited about this not only because it's an awesome band on the exciting Thrill Jockey label but also because it's one of my favorite bands.  A few of you are already familiar with the bassist/songwriter, Ego from the ACoLab.  If you like space rock and/or Krautrock then you will definitely want to check it out.  Listen to the White Hills.  (My current favorites are probably "Walking Uphill Against the Wind" and "Be Yourself" although I do have many ongoing favorites like the hit "Radiate" and "Spirit of Exile"...okay, that one may still be at the top of my list.)  If you live in NYC, you can check them out live and if you live in Europe you should do the same...seems like they are touring there every few months.

So there you have it - Some of my exciting things from the past becoming exciting things of the present and future.  I have been forcing myself to put more of myself out in the world and it feels good when things like these come to fruition...when things happen.  Results are awesome.

Macro Lily

It's been awhile since I linked with Blogging from Bolivia and her Macro Friday.  These were so beautiful I couldn't help but snap a few.  I love how when the sunlight hits the petals it creates a sort of sheen...almost a metallic shininess, it's mesmerizing.

Leftover from day 289

We took advantage of the temperatures falling below the mid to upper nineties and had ourselves a nice stroll around the neighborhood.  Should you like to see the revealed images I have posted them on my poor little, ignored 365 site...still shooting but not so good at posting.  I felt guilty for awhile but now I am just happy I continue to shoot.  So I suppose this is one for the Leftover series...day number 289!

Harmony #2 - Time

I just posted the latest Harmony post on the FPOE (Female Photographers of Etsy) and POE (Photographers of Etsy) blogs should you like to check it out.  Every time I do one of these posts I think that the artists should be getting together to sell their pieces together as a diptych.  I wanted a few of the combinations for my own house!  I think I need a bigger home/more wall space before acquiring more art though...  Here is one of my favorite combos from the post.

Erin Reynolds "Tick Tock" , DeLaCruz "Time for a Dance"

Because of the requirements I have for the Harmony post (having a FPOE and POE for each combo), I couldn't use some of my favorite combinations...but I can share them here.  All of these are still on the topic of time whether it be in subject matter or title.  There is such great talent on Etsy; it blows my mind. 

Top left:  Erin Reynolds Top right: Modern Classics Paper
Middle left:  Alicia Bock   Middle right: April Rocha 
Bottom left:  Just Because Photo   Bottom right:  The Light Fantastic

If you would like to see any of the other Harmony posts you can click here.

Phonography #43

Hi!  Welcome to this week's Phonography link up.  If you have any questions the Phonography page should clear things up...not a lot of rules, just link here with your favorite shot(s) from your cell phone, any kind.  Thanks to everyone who took part last week.  Sorry my blog has been having some technical difficulties as of late, none of which I can really do anything about, so I appreciate you sticking with it! 

I am still hooked on the app that Courtney turned me onto, Word Foto.  It was exactly what I needed to express the afternoon I had last Sunday and I had a lot of fun experimenting so I thought I would show some of the capabilities the app has offered me thus far.

You can see that by altering little contrast/brightness tweaks here and there you can get a pretty dramatic difference.

Besides choosing your own words, you can also pick your font.

I am loving it...  I look forward to seeing how your cell inspired you this week!
Linking this week with: 52 Weeks of Happiness,Communal Global

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While at the zoo...

... I stumbled across a very nice tunnel.  

I love images that are black and white right from the get-go.  The shapes and contrast is already set up for a nice little shot.  I did adjust the levels a bit but this is basically a SOOC shot... using color.

Then I came home and went into this tunnel.
 
What I love even more than finding that shot at the zoo was the excitement I had to see the image at home and start playing a bit.  This is a few different layers of the image, layered and skewed.  Then I did some erasing and cloning to match things up a bit.  I also decided to go with the design of the tunnel and make the format a circle...I quite like it but am not sure I am finished playing with it.

Need I say more??

Thanks to Courtney for introducing me to Word Foto...it was perfect for summing up my afternoon. 

Linking with iPhonography